High Tide May 3, 2013 Edition

HIGH

TIDE Redondo Beach, CA // Redondo Union High School May 3, 2013 // Vol. XCIII // Edition 14

CLOSE GAME, CLOSER CHAMPIONSHIP

by Anna Fauver

Cheers erupted from the field as the buzzer sounded, ending the game. Twenty minutes later, they were still there, hugging, laughing, and screaming. The girls had a good reason to celebrate; they had just become the Bay League Champions.

The girls’ lacrosse team became Bay League Champs for the fifth year in a row after beating Palos Verdes 14-13 last Wednesday. This game was the game that decided if the girls held their streak as champions.

Coach Tom Borgia believes that the girls played as well as they could, and that was the reason that they won.

p4-5

Meet your ASB cabinet.

p6-7

Should health classes be more in depth?

p22-23 Swim beats Penn and advances in CIF.

Photos of the week

Aguilar named Hispanic Scholar’s Fund Student Education Leader of the Year

by Kayla Nicholls

ASB Campaigns.

PHOTO BY DIANA LUNA

Democracy in action. This week ASB held campaigns and elections for the president, vice president, and secretary positions. Students campaigned in the Student Union before the elections on Thursday and posted flyers all week. To read more about the campaign, go to pages 4-5.

RED Talks.

Three essays, good grades, and a letter of nomination later, senior Barbie Aguilar was selected as the Hispanic Scholars Fund (HSF) Student Education Leader of the Year.

“I was very excited and shocked. I was feeling bundles of emotions after winning,” Aguilar said. “It was a big surprise.”

According to Aguilar, she put forth a lot of time and energy in order to be eligible for the scholarship. There were three essays that she had to write: one was on extracurricular activities, another was on her short and long-term goals, and the other essay was about her involvement in the Hispanic community.

The hardest part for Aguilar was deciding what specific events in her life to write her essays about. “[Completing the requirements] wasn’t that difficult because I usually set high standards for myself,” Aguilar said. “But it was challenging to think about topics to write about and to make the essays really well-written and personable.”

Aguilar’s final essay topics dealt with her time management skills, how her Hispanic background influences her, and the community service hours she has logged over her high school career.

“I wrote about the challenges of balancing schoolwork and extracurricular activities,” Aguilar said. “Since [freshmen

RUHS awarded grants from RBEF

by Jason Rochlin

PHOTO BY JUSTIN LEE

Teaching the next generation. Last Friday, the RED Talk’s club invited Adrian Otto, a computer scientist and entrepreneur, to speak about his career and the computer science field. The club invites speakers every month, mainly from the STEM field, to educate students about opportunities and challenges students may face.

Richstone Walkathon.

PHOTO BY DIANA LUNA

One step at a time. Freshman Tyler Turqand and seniors Zach Turquand, Hanna Jacobs, and Jacob Waggoner all participated in the 26th Richstone Walkathon last Saturday.

This annual pier-to-pier walk raised over $120,000 in to raise awareness and prevent child abuse.

2 HIGH TIDE . NEWS

year] I have [become better] at managing my time and it [has become] easier for me,” Aguilar said.

Aguilar asked her art teacher Amanda Roth to be interviewed by the HSF regarding her achievements.

“I pretty much explained how awesome Barbie is. It ended up turning into a huge deal. I felt like Barbie was a celebrity. There was a film crew, and I was interviewed,” Roth said.

Aguilar believes that the hard work was well worth the benefits and awards she received.

“I get a $3,000 check that I can use for anything that I need for school,” Aguilar said. “I can use it for anything I want, as long as I attend a four-year university.”

In addition to the money that she won, the scholarship provides Aguilar with “useful” connections and relationships with the organization.

“I now have a connection with the HSF. Now they know me and that is a benefit for college [and other future opportunities],” Aguilar said.

Despite the importance of the connections and money, however, Aguilar thinks that the most beneficial thing is the recognition she received and the pride she felt.

“Any bit of money is worth it, but the recognition and support from HSF is great and will help in college for sure,” Aguilar said.

One of the ways that RUHS is able to provide the extras that make the school year better is the teacher’s who apply for grants.

These grants help provide opportunities and technology that enrich RUHS. The Redondo Beach Education Foundation (RBEF) has given out $52,200 in grants this year to the Redondo Beach Unified School District. According to principal Dr. Nicole Wesley, RUHS has received at least half of that money.“RUHS received $26,500 worth of grant money this year,” Wesley said. “Teachers can apply every year for a grant from the RBEF. This year they were looking to give grants related to college readiness.”

Almost every department in the school has applied for and received some sort of grant, ranging from a field trip for Chinese to TI-84 graphing calculators that can be loaned to students by the math department.

“A lot of money for our school went to math and science [because they applied for the most grants],” Wesley said.

One example of what the grants bought were document cameras for the art department. In addition, the science

department got $5,000 for laptops to perform Vernier Pro Sampling, allowing students to plug themselves into the EKG for biology labs.

Chemistry teacher and science department chair Linda Dillard appreciates all the grants she recieved.

“We got quite a bit of money for [The Digital Electronics and Principles of Engineering] courses,” Dillard said. “The grants not only paid for the equipment but also for the two weeks of training the teachers had to go through [to use the equipment].”

The Principles of Biomedical Sciences class also recieved money for student response clickers, according to Dillard.

“With [the student response clickers the science department got], everyone has to participate, and the teacher can immediately assess who knows the material and who doesn’t,” Wesley said.

Wesley appreciates the time it takes for teachers to put together the applications for these grants and RBEF for giving so much to the school.

“I really want to get those kinds of things into the hands of teachers who can use them,” Wesley said.

Salsa Club.

by Andrew Czuzak

2.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RALPH GODOY

Spicy. 1. Juniors Danny Sanchez and Nalley Orozco perform in the Small Group category. 2. Malik Ensley, president of Salsa Club and senior Vivian Pascual perform at the Sabor Latino Competion where they placed third in duets. “We put the piece together in four days and considering we were competing against professionals who’ve been practicing for months, we did very good,” Pascual said.

1.

Salsa Club, which has participated in the Sabor Latino competition for nearly four years, won third in the Duets category, first in Small Group category, and first in Large Group category.

“I think they did great,” senior Vivian Pascual said. “They’ve been working really hard and they put their all into the piece.”

One of the changes since the club first entered the completion was that they’ve become more independent.

“Over the years, the students have choreographed more and more. Mr. Soohoo used to do all of it, then we split it, and now we choreograph all of it. We’ve become more student-led,” Pascual said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RALPH GODOY

Prom Committee starts dress drive to collect and reuse dresses

by Angela Kim

Dangling upon countless hangers is a colorful array of gowns in various sizes and styles: sparkly sequins to soft florals, mid-leg flowy tulles to formal, sleek bodiced dresses.

This April 20 and 27 the prom committee nearly tripled its initial goal of 50 dresses. by collecting over 140 dresses for the “From the Heart” prom dress drive “[The goal] was to collect as many dresses as we could so that when the girls come to try things on, they can have many options.

We want to make it a special experience for

them,” Kelsie Currie, head of Quest, the department in charge of the dress drive, said.

According to junior and co-head of the prom committee Lindsay Hahn, the dress drive was arranged to give dresses to hardworking teenage girls who either cannot afford an expensive gown or simply want to browse the collection for interesting dresses.

“The drive was basically to help these girls make their high school experience great, to allow them to go to prom without having to worry about spending too much,” Hahn said.

The dress drive was held mainly to help

out Redondo students, but the dress pickup will later be open to others.

“Our school is giving back to the [students] that work really hard and can’t afford the dresses they want. We want to help them celebrate the end of high school and go to prom,” Currie said.

According to Hahn, although not every student may struggle financially, the actual dress pickup will be employed by teachers, not members of the committee, to minimize any potential feelings of insecurity.

“When people hear “donated” they think worn-out and outdated and feel

embarrassed. There are so many cute dresses and most of them are in great shape and can be used again,” Hahn said.

The dress pickup, held in the top floor of the administration building will be afterschool on May 15th. If any interested student cannot make the date, they can make an appointment with Ms. Taylor in room 211 or email her at ttaylor@rbusd.org. “[Students] should come by because prom can be very expensive, so getting a dress from the dress drive will allow them to have more money to spend on shoes, and other prom-related things,” Hahn said.

Administration institutes stricter teacher’s assistant requirements

by Kayla Nicholls

This year, students who wished to switch out of a class were able to become teacher's assistants (TA). Next year, however, becoming a TA, will be much more difficult due to more restrictions on TA eligibility.

"There are times when students decide that they want to drop out of a course, and in certain instances we are not going to allow that, though we have in the past," Assistant

Principal Adam Genovese said.

After reviewing and reassesing, the administration believes that it is more “educationally sound” for students to take a regular course instead of becoming a TA because of the experiences the classes will provide.

"We don't want people to be in TA positions when they can be taking a class," Genovese said. "We want them to get more out of [their regular classes] than they can

as a TA." If students wish to drop a class, they can either enter a new class or become a tutor.

Genovese feels that this will benefit the student, the person being tutored, and the teacher more than a TA would.

"If a new class won't fit into their schedule, we are allowing them to be academic tutors," Genovese said. "They will get a spot in a foreign language class [and help students with a language], for example.

The students will also be able to achieve unique peer relationships."

Despite the limited admittance of new TAs, there are cases when students will be able to become a TA. For example, if students wanted to switch out of a class and all the other classes would not fit into their schedule, they can become TA's.

"In very rare cases, students will be able to become TAs. But we want it to be the exception, not the rule," Genovese said.

Library, Teen Advisory Council hosts events to support teen community

by Andrew Czuzak

Come one, come all, the main library is now inviting students to participate in its events. “[The library] wants to make sure the needs [of teens] are met in our community.

[Teenagers] are important to not just the adults and children,” Simi Singh, teen service librarian, said.

According to Singh the TAC, which started in 2006, hopes to encourage

teenagers to come to the library. According to Singh, they are currently trying to increase membership.

“Recently, I think participation has grown due to a combination of word-of -mouth, advertising, flyers displayed in the library and the take-home flyers available at the library,” Singh said.

These events are held by the Teen Advisory Council(TAC), a group led by Singh and students from RUHS and other high schools.

“I believe that the TAC provides useful leadership experience. The students plan events and perform community service that I think will serve them well in their future,” Singh said.

Sophomore Jaelin Kelly became a member of the TAC three months ago and now regularly participates in it.

“I like the TAC and our advisor Simi.

She tries to reach out to the community like [the technology petting zoo] which was pretty funny,” Kelly said. “Overall it’s just

really fun, you get to meet new people, and it’s something I can do year-round.”

Singh appreciates the teenagers and thinks the TAC is mutually beneficial.

“The cool thing about working with teenagers is that you can learn something from them which is something you don’t get from the younger people. They teach me about some of their music, movies and other pop culture, while the younger patrons can’t really do that and just participate,” Singh said.

3 HIGH TIDE . NEWS

MEET&GREET

Newly elected ASB members look forward to the next year.

ASB Cabinet

President

Vice President

Sanjay Mahboobani

Kelsie Currie

Sec./Treas.

“

Amie Vu

President

Vice President

Brittany Nguyen

Kayley Blome

Sec./Treas.

“

I will make sure that I am a voice of the students and take everyone’s opinions into account.

”

Seeing the current vice president do her job and seeing all the planning required make me excited about this position.

” Senior Cabinet

“

ASB has had a great impact on me. I learned things about myself that have shaped me into the leader I am today.

”

“

Kaitlyn Delong

President

Vice President

Justin Cho

Sec./Treas.

Nicole Chau

“

Fareshta Nazif

President

Vice President

Daniel Ferradas

Cricket Childs

Sec./Treas.

“

I love the 2014 class so much. I’m really proud to represent such a talented, spirited, capable class.

“

”

I’m nervous because this is my first year in ASB, but I hope to make the connection between ASB and the student body stronger.”

“

”

I’m not afraid to get involved, so I will help make the school better by making activities more entertaining and fun.

”

4 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

I will do my best to raise as much money as possible to make our senior year fun. I want all of our events to be successful.

” Junior Cabinet

I want to contribute and leave a legacy behind. I’m extremely excited that I get the opportunity to commit to ASB this year.

” Sophomore Cabinet “

I loved leadership when I did it in middle school, and I am excited to continue it and to be able to improve the future.

”

“

Next year will be my first year in ASB. I am very excited to bring new ideas to the table and put my ideas to hard work.

“

”

I come off as a shy person, but I am actually really spirited. I think being in ASB will show more of who I am and what I like.

”

Ghattas Malki

“

I am good at math and English and have a lot of leadership experience, so I will try to raise as much money as possible.

”

QUOTES COMPILED BY STELLA GIANOKAUKIS

Bad to the bone

>> Junior Katharine Chang has been dealing with a healing broken elbow for over 10 years.

by Deborah Chang

Sitting in discomfort minute after minute, reading entertainment magazines and texting to pass the time, she is waiting for her name to be called by an office assistant. This scene is all too familiar for junior Katherine Chang as she visits the doctor’s office for the tenth year that her elbow has been broken.

At five years old, Chang fell off the top of a slide and had to go to the Emergency Room. Although she had a cast on her left elbow for three months, it never fully recovered and her doctor wanted to see if the bone would heal on its own before undergoing any surgery.

Unlike what most might assume, Chang does not let her broken elbow slow her down by any means and she continues to compete on the JV tennis team.

“I thank God that I did not have to get surgery and that it didn’t affect me to the point where I can’t play sports,” Chang said. “Sometimes I’ve faced obstacles playing tennis, but overall it is fine.”

Chang’s elbow is also a source of motivation for her.

“I don’t think of my broken elbow as a disability, but rather as an inspiration to try even harder.”

Despite her challenges, Chang still has goals to improve.

“I plan on keeping my elbow the way it is and continuing my way up to varsity,” Chang said. “So far, it isn’t affecting or threatening my playing in any way.”

Chang still checks her elbow regularly to be safe.

“I will go to the doctors on certain days if my elbow randomly hurts just to make sure I don’t need surgery,” Chang said. “My doctors tell me that I still need to be cautious.”

Chang has, however, found her broken elbow to be threatening at times when her tissue and tendons were the only support for the bone to not fall off completely.

“My elbow especially hurt when I was growing,” Chang said. “The growth plate around my elbow could have stopped my arm from growing, but thankfully there were no dramatic effects.”

Chang’s mother, Mrs. Chang, became more concerned that her daughter’s elbow would stunt her left arm growth.

“I could not believe this happened,” Mrs. Chang said. “I always watch out for her elbow, especially during tennis.”

Chang has come to see her broken elbow as a part of her life because of all she has achieved despite it.

“God really showed me that my elbow didn’t have to be a weakness in life,” Chung said.

Bones ElBOW in the

humerus capitulum olecranon fossa

head of radius

olecranon process

Bone to pick.

Chang broke her humerus when she was five-years-old after falling off a slide. The bone has been healing for 10 years.

Martsolf returns from medical trip to Guatemala

by Grace Zoerner

The hot, oppressive Guatemalan humidity sustains the hectic atmosphere of the cramped operation room, which is only half the size of a classroom. Despite this, however, a sense of hope and accomplishment elevates the surgeons, nurses, and surgical technicians as they strive for a common goal.

Sophomore Christopher Martsolf and his father partook in a trip to Guatemala to provide medical assistance to those in need last month.

“The trip exceeded all of my expectations,” Martsolf said.

“Beforehand, I had started to feel remorseful and skeptical of the trip because all of the school I would have to miss, but it was definitely worth it.”

In hindsight, Martsolf believes witnessing the reactions of the townspeople he and his father were helping was one of the best parts of the trip.

“My most significant memory is seeing the long lines of people waiting anywhere from two to eight hours just to get surgery,” Martsolf said. “The appreciation and gratitude

they had for us coming to help was incredible.”

Mr. Martsolf, an operating room technician, usually performed around 11 surgeries daily; according to Martsolf, these operations were “not too common” in the United States, such as surgery on children’s cleft palates.

“We worked very long days. And within two hours on the first day, the air conditioner gave out and never worked again,” Mr. Martsolf said. “This left the temperatures in the operation rooms from 85 to 100 degrees every day, which is very uncomfortable when you have to wear a hat, mask, gloves, and gown all day.”

In a typical day, Martsolf and his father would get up at 6:30 in the morning and work late into the night. While Martsolf helped out in “any way” that he could, his father operated on as many Guatemalan townspeople as possible.

“Though the trip was definitely what I expected, I did not expect us to be working until one or two in the morning every day. There were so many people who had been waiting for days just for the opportunity to see an American doctor,” Mr. Martsolf said. “It was very hard to say no to any of them, but we just had to cut it off somehow. There are only so many hours in a day.”

Despite this busy schedule, Martsolf and his father still found time to bond.

“I think this trip had a very significant effect on my relationship with Chris. We were both working hard for a com-

mon goal, which was to help other people,” Mr. Martsolf said. “I was doing work that he had never seen me do, and I saw him experience things and do work that I had never seen him do as well. It was a very important experience for both of us.”

Martsolf, realizing the value of this opportunity, agrees that it was beneficial in numerous ways.

“I am so lucky to have gone on this trip, as it was eyeopening. I bet a very small handful of people at this school have actually witnessed extreme poverty,” Martsolf said. “I also learned a lot of information about the human body and the equipment used in surgery, which I may use in the future if I decide to go into medicine.”

Martsolf and his father hope that this trip to Guatemala will become an annual tradition. ”I definitely want to go again in years to come. There are always people who will need surgery and can’t afford it,” Martsolf said. “This opportunity is so rare and rewarding, there’s no reason not to.”

3.

1.

2.

Healing touch. 1, 3. Martslof and his father in their scrubs. 2. Martsolf with other surgeons at the hospital he volunteered at.

5 HIGH TIDE . ENTERTAINMENT

PRO Savannah Stern

>> Students should replace a dropped class with an academic one to learn valuable skills.

Every senior wants the class for that easy A. Filing papers, handing out appointment slips and passing out other notices to students. The job of Teacher’s Assistant, however sought out it may be, will soon become a rare commodity.

Due to the increasing number of students opting to become TAs rather than be in educational classes, administration has decided to implement a new rule regarding dropping classes to become a TA. If a student decides to drop a class, he or she must pick a new class in place of the dropped course. Additionally, students can only drop a class and become a TA if a regular class will not fit into their schedule.

Being a TA does get students an easy A, but the point of high school is to get an education and help students prepare for the “real” world and college, not teach students

how to simply get by in life. If the only reason we went to school everyday was for easy grades, then why not be graded on nap time?

The whole point of sticking out the long four years of high school is to achieve something great afterwards. Filing papers and giving out appointment slips may be a more entertaining and less stressful task than taking notes in a regular class but it is not going to help teach students the skills they will need in the future. Students need to refine their skills in courses they will actually learn something in.

Picking academic classes or electives will improve useful skills like note-taking and critical thinking skills that will help them in the future, whether the future is college or the workforce.

Admin is also making it an option to become a tutor instead of taking a regular course or becoming a TA. If a regular class will not fit into a student’s schedule or if there is no room in the period, the student can choose to become an academic tutor for another class.

Not only does being a tutor look better than a being a TA on a college transcript, but teaching others helps the student learn

The new policy: Students who drop a class must replace the class with another instructional class period, not just become a TA.

Students may only become a TA if a regular class won’t fit into their schedule.

Students will have the alternative option of becoming tutors for other classes.

CON Nageena Hamraz

>>TAs are useful to teachers and students should be able to choose their elective.

As a student is failing a class, he feels secure that he has the option of switching out of that class and becoming a Teacher’s Assistant. Unfortunately with these new regulations, students that are not doing well in classes do not have the opportunity become TA’s. A student should be able to choose what electives to take, even if it is to become a TA. Teacher’s have many tests to grade, homeworks to check, and lessons to plan.

They need an assistant to help them and make their work a lot easier. With the new regulations set by administration, however, teachers will not be able to get the aid of students.

The new regulations were set for various reasons, the most important reason being to make sure that students were not dropping out of educational classes that can benefit

6 HIGH TIDE . OPINION

the material better themselves. Becoming a tutor could help improve other students’ grades as well as the tutor’s. It would also be a great chance to meet new kids at school and gives students the ability to make new friends.

Students, especially seniors, look at senior year as the finish line to high school. In order to cross the finish line, everyone has to finish strong.

The easy A always sounds like the better option for an end of the year class because an easy class means less work and less stress, but finishing with a challenging schedule will look more impressive to colleges. Instead of taking that easy A class, look for a challenge; take an AP class or at least an academic elective. There is a chance to learn something new and fun and to expand your mind.

Students shouldn’t focus on what is easy because that is not what life is about. High school is supposed to prepare students for the unpredictable future. Filing papers does not provide students with real world skills and knowledge. Students should be encouraged to look for challenges and should remember that TAs will not become extinct, they will simply be endangered.

33%

of students polled agree with admin’s new policy

and believe that students should not be allowed to replace a dropped class with a TA period, but must put a regular class in the dropped classes’ place.

them and their transcript for a TA period that would offer them no help.

While a pristine transcript filled with AP classes is a dream come true, every student should have their own decision of what classes to take. As long as students fulfill minimum requirements needed to graduate, the extra year of science should not be forced onto them if they would rather be grading papers.

Not giving students a say is just one issue with these new regulations. These regulations have taken away teachers’ helpers.

Most teachers have five classes, totaling up to 175 students. That makes 175 tests that teachers must grade and 175 homework assignments that they must check. With these new regulations, teachers are being deprived of their helpers.

Even though students learn about WWI in History and the Quadratic Equation in Algebra, in the long run those topics may be futile depending on the student’s major.

What students get out of aiding teachers is much more. They not only learn to be more organized, but they learn to be more responsible too. These are life skills necessary for a successful future.

Banning the option of becoming a TA

*of 84 students polled

does not help students keep their GPA high.

If a student is not doing well in a class, he should not just be forced to stay and fail the class. An ‘F’ on a transcript is not beneficial to anyone.

While the provision for allowing students to become academic tutors under certain conditions is a good solution to some of these problems, it would still be better for the school to maintain the current TA system. There are already many opportunities for peer-tutoring at the school, and there is no guarantee that the student will be a competent tutor.

Instead of forcing students to stay in classes that they are not doing well in or tutoring other students in subjects they may not be advanced in, administration should leave the students the option of becoming a TA. Not only do students improve their grades but transcripts look better and teacher’s have less work to do.

In the end, becoming a TA is beneficial for the student as well as the teacher because a teacher has a smaller load of work to do and the students learn organizational skills.

Instead of taking away TA’s, administration should encourage students to be helpful to teachers whenever possible.

Letters to the

Editor If you have an opinion about one of the articles, we welcome letters to the editor at hightideonline@gmail.com.

We reserve the right to edit them for content, grammar, and space constraints. Letters must be signed and are not guaranteed to be printed.

High Tide

Staff

Editor-in-Chief: Julia Tran Managing Editor: Emma Uriarte Writing Director: Tricia Light Design Director: Taylor Ballard Sports Director: Tatiana Celentano News Editor: Andrew Czuzak Opinion Editor: Mannal Haddad Health Editor: Cedric Hyon Features Editors: Taylor Brightwell; Shivaani Gandhi; Kylie Martin; Haley Meyers Sports Editors: Allegra Peelor, Alejandro Quevedo Entertainment Editor: Haley Meyers Photo Editors: Vitoria Magno-Baptista; Diana Luna Copy Editors: Hana Ghanim; Ilana LaGraff; Navikka Dasz Cartoonist: Cooper Lovano Online Editors: Vivian Lam; Kayla Maanum; LeAnn Maanum Staff Writers: Victoria Artaza; Alina Bieschke; Joseph Bieschke; Jewell Black; Kira Bowen; Kolbie Brightwell; Ted Cavus; Deborah Chang; Edwin Chavez; Caitlin Cochran; Yasmeen El-Hasan; Micah Ezzes; Zoe Ezzes; Anna Fauver; Stella Gianoukakis; Nageena Hamraz; Natalie Hardiman; Katie Hill; Haris Khan; Chance King; Angela Kim; Justin Lee; Daniel Loveland; Shawn Mallen; Nicholas McCarthy; Romy Moreno; Alida Newson; Kayla Nicholls; Susan Nieves; Rachael Orford; Lindsey Pannor; Cameron Paulson; Jene Price; Jason Rochlin; Shelby Salerno; Beth Shallon; Laura Smith; Cole Stecyk; Savannah Stern; Karissa Taylor; Claire Tisius; Grace Zoerner Adviser: Mitch Ziegler The High Tide dedicates itself to producing a high-quality publication that both informs and entertains the entire student body.

This is a wholly student managed, designed, and written newspaper that focuses on school and community events.

The High Tide is published by the journalism class at Redondo Union High School, One Sea Hawk Way, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.

Signed commentaries and editorial cartoons represent the opinions of the staff writer or cartoonist and in no way reflect the opinions of the High Tide staff.

DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH ETHICS AND PROCEDURE, WE HAVE PULLED THE EDITORIAL PAGE

PHO REVIEWS

>>With a growing network of pho restaurants taking over the South Bay, we have explored four local options: Pho So 1, Pho PCH, Pho Show, and Pho Hana. We reveal the most Americanized to the most authentic pho, and from rare beef to special seafood pho dishes.

PHOTOS BY DIANA LUNA

Pho So 1

Pho PCH

Pho Show

Pho Hana

$ Very Inexpensive

$$ Affordable

$$ Affordable

$ Very Inexpensive

Pho So 1 is the perfect place for a bowl of inexpensive, yet tasty pho. Pho So 1 is very simple in terms of decor and food choices, and pretty efficient; you walk in, go to a table, they give you water, and you order your food. You can get just about any pho that is served elsewhere.

The portions are generous considering the price. Entrees can range from six to about nine dollars. Despite the simple, yet satisfying pho, Pho So 1’s weakness is the service. They take a while to take guests’ orders and some of the staff are not very professional in terms of their attire and attitude. Pho So 1 is nothing fancy, but it’s sure to satisfy your pho fix. It is very inexpensive and not in a bad area.

Although the service is not the greatest, the staff is somewhat friendly, and it is not a bad pho place overall.

Pho PCH has a bright, clean, and cozy atmosphere. The server I encountered was friendly, and the wait-time was excellent--only ten minutes long. I ordered the rare beef pho, an experience not to be missed. The beef was so thin that it cooked inside of the steaming broth right as they brought it out. Although the beef was fantastic, the star of the show was the broth. The flavor was incredibly bold, with a wide variety of Vietnamese spices added. At the same time, however, the broth was light enough not to overpower the other ingredients, making a soup with flavors that coexist in harmony. I only know of one other pho restaurant close by that is as good as this one. Overall, for a restaurant in such a modest location with low visibility, Pho PCH delivers an exceptional bowl of pho.

When I first walked into Pho Show, I immediately felt comfortable. The atmosphere of the restaurant is modern, bold, and simple. However, the restaurant is Americanized and doesn’t really speak to the Vietnamese genre of food that is served. Unfortunately, the pho tastes the same as the restaurant’s appearance: American. I ordered the shrimp pho, indicated to be a staff favorite. Although the pho was tasty, the flavors stray from traditional Vietnamese pho to appeal to a broader audience. The broth paired with the shrimp was quite mild and lacked the combination of Vietnamese spices that traditional pho usually has. Pho Show’s downfall is that their pho lacks anything special to separate it from the pack, creating nothing more than a decent bowl of soup.

Pho Hana’s small, quaint space provides a quiet, never crowded option to go out and enjoy pho. In addition to the comfortable and quiet atmosphere, the service does not fall short as the pho is served fresh and promptly. The broth in the pho is not too thin; it’s instead thick and full of flavor, allowing the noodles to absorb their appetizing flavor. For someone who wants a simple, yet flavorful pho dish, I would recommend the chicken.The prices are reasonable, ranging from six to nine dollars.

Seafood pho is also appetizing with shrimp and calamari. The egg rolls are a popular appetizer at Pho Hana to begin with before the meal. To add some extra spice, I suggest adding Sarachi. Pho Hana is a great place to have lunch with a couple of friends or dinner with a small family.

—Caitlin Cochran

“ Although the pho is good

and cheap, the bad service is a turn-off.

>> Movie Review

”

—Shawn Mallen

“ Although the pho is good,

“ This is defiinitely one of

the best local pho places.

Very impressive.

—Shawn Mallen

”

it’s nothing special, but the price’s definitely good.

—Jene Price

“ Good pho and good ser”

vice, but very small space and limited parking.

‘Pain and Gain’ pains reviewer with disappoinment

by Chance King

illustration by Joseph Bieschke

8 HIGH TIDE . ENTERTAINMENT

Take a violent and ludicrous true story, a cast of unlikely actors, and the explosion-happy director of the Transformers saga, and the result is Pain and Gain.

While the movie has no lack of flash and style, it suffers from a weak script, poor acting, and a tedious storyline that stifles its entertainment value.

The movie centers around the muscle-bound members of the notorious “Sun Gym Gang” of Florida: Danny Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie).

Based on true events, the cast laughably attempts to capture the essence of the actual people. Although these characters were dangerous criminals in reality, the acting of Wahlberg, Johnson and Mackie borders on parody.

Combine this with a script loaded with bad jokes and corny machismo and the movie becomes comedic.

Although it was Bay’s intention to depict the gang and its exploits in a humorous way, the movie lacks an entertaining storyline to redeem itself.

The highly dramatized

and fast paced events serve only to bring the viewer from one ridiculous situation to the next, becoming repetitive and predictable.

The headache-inducing editing style is fun at first, but after a while it becomes tiring and makes the movie very cluttered and choppy.

The last 40 minutes trudge along slowly, eventually ending at an abrupt and anti-climactic finish.

Pain and Gain’s flash and style provide an amusing assault on the senses. Bogged down by poor acting and a boring storyline, however, the experience proves to be all pain and no gain.

”

>> Movies in Theaters

Today Friday, May 3

>> Iron Man 3 >> Oblivion >> 42 Next Week Friday, May 10

>> Tyler Perry Presents Peeples

>> The Great Gatsby >> Venus and Serena >> No One Lives

>> Book Reviews

NEWLY RELEASED BOOKS

>> Our staff reviews some of the most recommended 2013 released books. From dramas that share “lessons in survival and love” to fictional stories that share Celtic Britain’s rich history, there is a great variety of new releases worth checking out.

‘After Rome’ provides portal to old Britannia.

Staff illustrator Joseph Bieschke depicts the leader in Llywelyn’s novel, Dinas, who recruits a group of followers to take back the city.

illustration by Joseph Bieschke

“HAVEN FROM THE STORM”

by Sarah Dosher

“Haven From the Storm,” by Sarah Dosher, successfully invites readers into Lily Grace’s love story from page one until the last word. Dosher not only provides the reader with a compelling youngadult novel, but she also

provides intriguing life lessons about survival.

The novel contains pieces of important life themes such as loss, trust, and forgiveness. Dosher realistically portrays these themes through her character’s troubles, realizations, and mistakes, capturing the pain and the

“CLOCKWORK PRINCESS”

by Cassandra Clare

“If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?”

“Clockwork Princess” is the final installment of the series “The Infernal Devices,” a prequel trilogy to “The Mortal Instruments.” The plot revolves

around a girl named Tessa Gray in a universe where there are Shadowhunters--those who hunt demons--and Downworlders--creatures such as Warlocks and Fairies.

In “Clockwork Princess,” Clare presents a deeper side of the characters readers of the prequel

“AFTER ROME: A NOVEL OF CELTIC BRITAIN”

by Morgan Llywelyn

“After Rome,” a fictional novel by Morgan Llywelyn, is a story that contains very well-written characters who are instantly brought to life by Llywelyn’s writing. Each character is able to cap-

tivate the reader through his or her actions and dialogue.

I would say that the story that the novel itself contains is not too interesting, but the characters are the main aspect of Llywelyn’s novel.

Llywelyn’s novel is slow to start. It’s about two

Rating guide: Very Memorable, focused and boundary challenging

Strong tracks overall, but lacking true originality

Lacking focus or experimentation, but still memorable

lessons so powerfully that the reader feels as if he or she is experiencing Lily’s journey.

To capture the reader’s attention, Dosher pulls the reader into the remnants of the tornadostricken town of her novel through the likability of her characters. Each character’s main flaw helps drive the novel forward and adds a sense of realism to the story.

However, as meaning- ate a sense of anticipation. ful as the novel is, Dosh“Haven From the er’s writing skills focused Storm” is a novel that on chapters relating to ro- keeps the reader thinkmance and survival caus- ing, hoping, realizing and ing chapters that required reading on to discover suspense and thrill to lag what Lily Grace could in intensity. The reader finally realize for herself. was properly left wonder- Dosher succeeds in caping what would happen turing her readers into the next, but when, for exam- romance, the heartbreak, ple, Lily was anticipating the courage, and the her father’s drunken form epiphanies. to appear by her bedroom door, Dosher failed to cre- —Shelby Salerno

have grown to love. Clare wrote each character realistically and spent time creating strong characters the reader can easily connect and relate to, which greatly adds to the emotion felt in the book.

Clare handles the lovetriangle in this book well, creating two men equally worthy of possessing Tessa’s love. Will Herondale is the sarcastic and self-sacrificing boy who

loves to read while Jem tween characters.

Carstairs is the kind and “Clockwork Princess” quiet boy who bears a is much darker than the tragic illness. Clare writes other two in the series the love-triangle in a way and the ending is simulthat makes it impossible taneously satisfying and to tell who Tessa will end devastating. up with.

I would recommend this Although romance is a book to anyone who loves large part of this novel, fantasy books but I would it does not override the advise reading “The Morimportant plot sequenc- tal Instruments” series bees. Well executed action fore reading “The Infernal scenes are frequent and Devices.” are divided equally be- —Vicky Artaza

cousins, whose lives are completely opposite, and the hardships and journeys that they undergo after the Romans withdraw their forces from their island of Albion. One cousin, Cadogan, seeks a stable life in the solitary comfort of the forests.

The other cousin, Dinas, prefers to live a life of freedom, traveling wherever the wind takes him.

Llywelyn’s writing is

able to spark interest in readers by giving all of the characters in the novel very prominent and human-like emotions, goals, and lifestyles.

While the overall novel is very slow, and requires immense patience to get through, the characters of the novel are interesting enough to keep the story alive.

“After Rome” was overall hard to get through,

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

PHOTO BY HALEY MEYERS

and I would only recommend the novel to the most patient of readers.

While the story was interesting, and ripe with information on Celtic Britain, too much content made it a bit dull. In addition, the novel lacked a lot of action and was very slow. Although the characters are well written, the book wasn’t as entertaining as I had hoped.

—Daniel Loveland

PHOTO BY HALEY MEYERS

9 HIGH TIDE . ENTERTAINMENT

M magic ovie

PHOTOS AND LOGO COURTESY OF JENN DUONG

>> Junior Jenn Duong has casted her short film titled “Find,” and has begun fundraising for film production.

by Zoe Ezzes

It was an idea that became a vision, and now it is becoming a reality. With a fresh new title and a cast and crew eager to start working, Junior Jenn Duong’s short film is ready to kick into gear.

While the film was originally titled “Heavy,” Duong knew that would change in the future. After weeks of writing down title ideas into a journal and assessing what the title meant to her personally, Duong found the perfect name.

“I realized that everything I’m doing is to find the joy in my passion; to find a moment of satisfaction,” Duong said. “So I changed the title to something that really speaks to what the film is saying: ‘Find.’

Find your moment. Find your story. Find your passion.”

In addition to finding the right title, Duong had to find just the right cast. The film will be starring senior Ryan Colescott as the musician, senior Silver DeStouet as the painter, senior Austin Stark as the author, and an outside dancer Jonathan Mercer as the dancer.

The roles each depict a different type of

artist and their stories together represent the struggles most artists go through to create their work.

“My character in particular struggles with the trial and error part of creation,” Colescott said. “Sometimes you just have to sit down and write without over thinking every little aspect. If you mess up, fix it.

My character needs to learn that mistakes are praised and valued in the artistic world.”

DeStouet finds that her character faces similar troubles.

“My character is a painter who can’t seem to get it right, and also struggles with trial and error,” DeStouet said. “I believe the painter is trying to find acceptance and solitude; she is not simply trying to create some masterpiece or something perfect but rather she is just trying to finally find peace and get over the obstacle that is herself.”

In this way, the characters not only face obstacles in the mechanics of physically creating art, but also in the mental and emotional blocks in the composition of their minds.

“I think a big theme in the film is selfdoubt,” Colescott said. “Every artist secondguesses themselves at one point or another

when it comes to sharing their work with the world. It’s a scary thing.”

According to Colescott, since the performance is being filmed and not performed on stage, the actors have more freedom to express the raw emotion necessary for the roles.

“On stage, you have to take every movement and amplify it so that it translates to the audience. On film, every little detail is captured, which allows an actor to behave naturally,” Colescott said. “I think film acting is much more honest in that sense.”

The crew of “Find” also faces the challenge of tackling something new. Sophomore Alexis Lapp and junior Chris Ward are joining Duong in covering all of the technical aspects of the film, and outside recruit Phillip Lober will be writing original music for the film’s soundtrack.

“I think that my hardest job will be slating,” Ward said. “There’s no doubt that we will be doing each scene numerous times until they are all perfect and it’s my job to slate each scene each time.”

Both Lapp and Ward have demanding jobs that require that they stay on their feet.

“It is incredibly challenging to look for

continuity,” Lapp said. “You can find continuity issues in almost every film you watch, so being a first timer is sort of scary.”

The actors expressed their enthusiasm for working with Duong as a director. “[Duong] is so incredibly committed to making this film the best it can be,” Colescott said. “She has created her own production company. She isn’t just talking about it, she’s making it happen.”

Duong has decided to postpone filming until June 15th due to the hectic schedules of the students involved. While the cast and crew will be ready to work, some aspects have yet to come together.

“One thing that would be nice right now is money,” Duong said. “We’re currently trying to raise $3,500 on IndieGogo. The money is going to go towards more equipment, expendables on set, set pieces, props, and food while on set.”

Duong expects that the film will be finished by August. She is looking for a location for the premiere so students can see it.

Once “Find” is completed, Duong plans to submit it to various festivals such as the Big Bear Festival and the LA Film Festival under the high school category.

find >>A love story about four people and their passions The

cast Silver DeStouet “The Painter”

10 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

Austin Stark “The Author”

Ryan Colescott “The Actor”

Johnathan Mercer “The Dancer”

M

by Karissa Taylor

ultilingual

>> Senior Patrizia Polichetti speaks four languages fluently.

ILLISTRATION BY KOLBIE BRIGHTWELL

M

The average person has about 40,000 words in their vocabulary. A bilingual speaker knows about 50,000 words. A polyglot, someone who speaks five languages or more, knows more than 70,000 words.

Senior Patrizia Polichetti enjoys learning about her heritage and other cultures by fluently speaking four languages.

“I speak four, almost five languages. Besides my mother language Italian, I also speak Turkish, Greek, English, and I’m learning Spanish and French,” Polichetti said.

According to Polichetti, her family heritage was a main cause for her learning so many languages. Being Italian, she was raised to learn Italian as her native language and she learned Greek because her father is half Greek.

“Since I moved [to California] I mostly speak English. At home I always speak Italian although my mother and my father switch a lot from Italian to Turkish to Greek,” Polichetti said. “Sometimes we can’t remember how to say something in a language and >> Junior Keegan Linnett produces music. we say it in another.”

Living in other countries also taught Polichetti to learn other languages. She learned how to speak Turkish because she

by Yasmeen El-Hasan lived there for 15 years and first encountered English when they taught it at her school in Turkey.

Polichetti enjoys moving to new countries because she can embrace new cultures.

Every song tells a story. Every strum of the guitar, click of the “I move a lot because I really like to travel and see different cultures and tra- piano key, and lyric sung tells a story. Every story is another piece ditions. My mother passed me this “hobby” because she also likes to travel,” of him.

Polichetti said.

Junior Keegan Linnett writes, records, and produces original music Although confident when moving to as a hobby.

America, Polichette knew learning to speak “When I’m playing instruments, I feel such a deep connection to the English fluently and mastering common music. Music is an output for my emotions, a way for me to express what I’m slang proved to be a challenging task. feeling,” Linnett said.

“English was the language I Linnett’s music is inspired by his experiences, troubles, and relationships with struggled with the most because people. His parents divorced when he was young, and he found that putting his emoI learned it when I was in mid- tions into music allowed him to relieve stress. dle school and all [the other “I was dealing with so many emotions, but music helped me sort them and grow through languages] I learned it to where I am now,” Linnett said. when I was little. I knew some words because they He has been playing music since he was eight and currently works on songs four to five times used to teach it in elementary school but things per week. Because he spends such a large amount of time making music, Linnett believes that it has got harder since high school, especially since I shaped his personality. moved here,” Polichetti said.

“Music has become an identity for me because I can relate to it. It has really helped me develop my Learning to speak English fluently was character and how I act. It has helped me to see the beauty in small things and not just take them for their not the only thing Polichetti had to grow accustomed to. American holi- face value,” Linnett said. days and everyday routines at school were also among some of the The complete production process of a song often takes months. First, Linnett writes the instrumentals and the culture she had to get used to. lyrics. He is passionate about this process.

“I wouldn’t say it was a culture shock, but it was definitely dif“I’m really passionate about what I do. I have a really big infinity for music because there’s so much there,” Linnett ferent. [America has] different holidays and events like Thanks- said. “All of the possibilities that you can create with music is truly beautiful. There’s really no end to what you can do. giving. Also the whole school system is different,” Polichetti It’s like a snowflake, the variety is endless.” said.

Linnett plays the piano, guitar, mandolin, djembe, and bongos. He has taken classical piano lessons since age seven and Despite some difficulties and adjustment, Polichetti taught himself to play the other instruments. enjoys traveling to other countries and hopes to be “What you can accomplish with these instruments really is phenomenal. You can bring out true, raw emotion that emits pasable to continue traveling in the future. Polichetti sion,” Linnett said. believes being able to speak many languages has Once he completes a song, Linnett often sends it to given her a better chance to embrace other friends for critiquing.Linnett plans to release his first EP cultures and is greatful she had the oppor- with a variety of five folk-oriented songs soon. While he is tunity to travel around the world. “very excited” for the release and feedback, he is not nervous “I would love to be able to travel about what people will think. around the world. I would love to “I don’t really care about being judged. There’s a point where you go everywhere and learn more have to stop worrying about whether what you’re making is good or bad about others’ cultures. I and just do it because it makes you happy. This will be a great learning expethink that [my family has] rience and an opportunity to improve, and that’s what matters,” Linnett said. something that a lot of Linnett’s mother, Patrice Linnett, is supportive of his career plans because she people don’t get to ex- knows that music is a “big part of who he is.” perience anymore,” “I think that it’s wonderful that he knows what he wants to be at such a young age.

Polichetti said.

He definitely has a gift with music, so I’m glad that he plans to go into the industry,” Ms. Linnett said.

Ms. Linnett believes that Linnett’s “self-motivated” and “driven” character will allow him to succeed. Linnett finds that his go-with-the-flow personality has impacted both his music and PHOTO COURTESY OF KEEGAN LINNETT outlook.

To the beat of his own drum. Junior Keegan Linnett plays guitar with “Life and music both have a natural pattern. I just let whatever happens happen and try not to friend Derrick Marzano. Linnett plays several intruments including piano, guitar, mandolin, djembe, and bongos. mess with things because everything will work itself out in the end,” Linnett said.

aking

music

11 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

Short Term effects of alcohol

Long Term effects of alcohol

Illustrations by Joseph Bieshcke

Loss of Consciousness

Sickness

Lack of Vision

Vomiting/diarrhea

Awkward Moments...

12 HIGH TIDE . HEALTH

Brain damage, sckness, wheeziness

Lack of poductivity, relationship Issues

Mouth/throat cancer, lung cancer, depression

Comito’s Homebrew

by Chance King

Buckets, bottles, grains and stirrers strewn about the space of teacher Philip Comito’s basement imply the scene of some strange experiment. The experiment, however, is Comito’s home beer brewery.

“I got into brewing beer about a year ago.

I got a “Mr. Beer” starter kit that had all the ingredients. I didn’t understand the process; I just mixed all the ingredients together,” Comito said.

Comito wasn’t satisfied with the starter kit however, as it offered a very limited range of brewing options. Knowing that he wanted to alter the flavor and mix of his beer, Comito began to search for a better option.

“I did it the first time and it came out pretty good, but I felt like I hadn’t really brewed anything. I just mixed the ingredients together like the the kit told me to and I wanted to change the character and flavor of beer on my own,” Comito said.

Shortly after, Comito found the South Bay Brewing Company of Torrance, a store dedicated to the production and appreciation of beer. The store sells many key ingredients found in beer such as barley, hops, and wheat as well as materials and machines necessary for home brewing.

“I started going in there and talking to people about the process. They helped me put together a real starter kit and taught me how the chemistry of beer making really works,” Comito said.

To make the beer, Comito takes a five

gallon container, brews the ingredients, and adds yeast, which eats the grains and ferments the mixture into alcohol, and lets it rest for two weeks before bottling it with sugar.

“The longer you keep it, the better the beer is. The carbonation is more even and flavor is awesome,” Comito said.

So far, Comito has made two different kinds of beers and hopes to brew more in the future using different tactics.

“I’ve made a pale ale, which is a pretty straightforward beer brew, and a smoked porter but I’m definitely gonna experiment with more. I’m gonna try to make an IPA, which is like the pale ale but with more hops,” Comito said.

With fresh ingredients from the South Bay Brewing Company and his basic brewing kit, Comito enjoys the ease with which he can make flavorful beer.

“Beer brewing is great because it’s really simple and natural ingredients and it basically makes itself,” Comito said.

Comito has considered turning his home brewing experiment into a larger operation.

However, he is more content brewing at home for friends and relatives than for distribution and profit.

“I’ve definitely daydreamed about selling my own beer and growing the ingredients.

I own land up north that I could grow my own grains and my own hops on, but realistically, it’s a lot easier brewing it from home,” Comito said. “Everyone that has tried it has liked it alot.”

Technicalities of a fake ID

by Rachael Orford

When the handcuffs are locked, the conviction is settled, and the fake ID is taken away, students around Redondo Union question if it is worth having a fake ID to begin with.

A growing trend around the South Bay in the possession of fakes’ has reached dangerous proportions.

According to the California Penal Code 470b PC, those who use fake identification cards are susceptible to imprisonment in the local or state level for no more than one year.

The felony is not in owning a fake ID, however. It’s a felony when the IDs are made with someone else’s information or picture.

The identity theft factor makes it a felony.

Students have started to “borrow” people who look similar or siblings’ IDs. Using the ID is the felony.

People caught using other’s ID are arrested and booked. The fake or borrowed ID is held as evidence. If the person in possession is convicted, they could be sentenced up to a year in prison and/or a hefty fine and his or her license would be suspended for a year.

That is why students are depending on the technological advances of ID’s to get away with it.

According to a Redondo student, her fake “is not a felony because it’s a copy of [my] normal ID.” Another fake ID holder claims to use her fake to buy alcohol and enter clubs and bars.

Teens especially feel the need to buy fakes because, “A majority of teenagers or those who hang out with an older crowd have them,” a fake ID holder said.

However, some feel that this problem is not too pressing for teens. A local middleman of the black market admitted that most of his clientele are from ages 19 to 20. He does not feel that Redondo Union has a major epidemic problem.

In fact, he makes a nice profit. He can sell an ID for $150 and he normally sells a couple a week.

The middleman, according to his knowledge, knows that it is a felony upon using the ID but has not had any close calls with the law.

Regardless of Redondo Union’s epidemic with fakes, people should know better than to break the law. They should make sure that the benefits outweigh the consequences.

Even an owner of a fake ID said, “Make sure you make smart decisions if you’re going to the chance.”

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Facts compiled by Cedric Hyon

Drunk driving costs the United States $132 billion a year and $500 for each adult.

1 in 5 teens binge drink.

Only 1 in 100 parents believes his or her teen binge drinks.

In 2011, 9,878 people died in drunk driving crashes - 1 every 53 minutes

One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.

About one-third of all drivers arrested for DUI are repeat offenders.

A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 72-proof distilled spirits, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol - about .54 ounces.

13 HIGH TIDE . HEALTH

Seo learns responsibility in a new country

by Kayla Nicholls

illustration by Joseph Beischke

He moved to this foreign land and was immersed in a foreign language he knew little about.

He was forced to adjust to the language and the culture. Now, sophomore Kris Seo lives in this unfamiliar place with his aunt and uncle, but not his parents.

“I just miss my parents. But without them, I got more of a sense of responsibility than before,” Seo said.

In fact, Seo believes that he has become more independent and self-sufficient as a result of the absence of his parents.

“If I have my parents at home, I am not that mature because they care for me more. I depend on them,” Seo said. “However, I am more independent [without them here], and I do things that I need to do for myself.”

Seo’s parents live in South Korea because they have a job there, and finding a job in the United States would be difficult.

“It would be too difficult for them to find a job, so they aren’t going to move back here,” Seo said. “But I really appreciate their [efforts].”

Seo moved to California two years ago from South Korea and found that the most difficult part of his move was the language barrier he faced.

“The challenge was conversation; no one here knew what I was talking about, and I didn’t know what they were talking about,” Seo said.

Because of the language barrier, he found it

Madrid expresses self through rap

Prohaska, Stevens start environmental club

by Kolbie Brightwell

by Edwin Chavez

Writing, rapping and listening, Senior Niko Madrid dedicates any spare time available creating music lyrics for his songs.

“My inspiration is not what other people say; it’s more about the way I view life. It’s through experience,” Madrid said.

According to Madrid, it was not his love for music that led him to create his own lyrics but his way to cope with “dark times.”

“I tried poetry, it worked, and all of a sudden that poetry became music,” he said.

When Madrid first began sharing his lyrics with others, he found that it was not just him who appreciated the lyrics.

“People would tell me that they liked my verses and the way I told the story,” Madrid said.

Once Madrid began high school he found that others shared his same passion and went on to create his own music crew called Immortal Kings.

“The name isn’t about me; it’s about my music: you can kill me but you can’t kill music,” Madrid said.

Madrid’s crew focuses on creating songs about personal life experiences.

“The world is cold sometimes, and we acknowledge that.

We talk about how we feel, and we’re really more of a family because of all that,” Madrid said.

Fellow Immortal Kings member Daniel Jaramillo also agrees that being in a crew together has brought about a second family.

“Through all the problems we have, we find the good

14 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

hard to make friends and complete his school work.

“I was lonely and having a hard time at school,” Seo said. “I was worried about starting school.”

He was able to overcome his loneliness, however, because of the support of his extended family, who he is staying with while his parents are in South Korea.

“As I got closer to my aunt, uncle and cousins, I became more enthusiastic,” Seo said. “They are my family too.”

As he became more involved, his language skills improved greatly as well.

“His language skills are better, his vocabulary has expanded, and he always has great interactions with all the students in class,” Seo’s English teacher Robert Cracknell said. “He always volunteers to read, which I find phenomenal. He is not embarrassed or afraid to speak. That’s probably what made him learn so much.”

Cracknell has been helpful in acclimating Seo to the language.

“I have given Kris a comfortable environment for him to learn,” Cracknell said. “It is no more than I would give to any other student, but I try to give him a safe environment where he can thrive.”

In addition to his improving English skills, Seo was able to make friends by persevering.

“I made friends through conversation and showing the magic. I always kept trying to talk to people,” Seo said.

photo by claire tisius

From the heart. Senior Niko Madrid writes his own rap lyrics.

things, which is the music we create as a family,” Jaramillo said.

Jaramillo, along with Madrid, hopes to gain recognition for their crew someday.

“We bring our experiences [and] what we relate on,” Jaramillo said. “We have big dreams and big goals in the music industry.”

Madrid believes Immortal King’s music will be recognized one day because of its strong roots.

“Music that talks about partying and stuff is cool once in awhile, but eventually it gets old,” Madrid said. “When you hear something from the heart and soul of another, it never gets boring.”

Juniors Dylan Prohaska and Caroline Stevens have created an environmental club in order to reduce waste and litter on campus.

“The one thing that bugs us at school is how people just throw trash around when there’s a trashcan just a foot away from them,” Prohaska said.

Prohaska and Stevens started the club at the beginning of this semester and already have plans for next year.

“We will be taking care of the herb garden and working towards getting more bins labeled ‘trash’, ‘bottles’, and ‘paper’ around the campus next year,” Prohaska said.

The club meets every Monday during lunch in room 201. They currently have ten members, but Prohaska and Stevens are hoping to have their club grow by next year.

When Prohaska and Stevens decided to create the club, the only ones doubting their success were themselves.

“We were skeptical about whether or not our club would be successful and about how we would implement our ideas, since our high school is so big.” Prohaska said.

Through their doubts, Prohaska and Stevens have been supporting each other throughout the process.

“Caroline has been supportive from the start and completely committed to focusing and being part of the club.

And my mom has friends who volunteer for the nonprofit organization Grades of Green who helped with the idea for the club. Allison Bussjaeger, [a woman who works for Grades of Green] helped us with the ideas that are implemented in the elementary schools,” Prohaska said.

Prohaska takes pride in the club and is hoping that it will lead to bigger and better things next year.

1D

Steele, Rosenberg create new One Direction club

by Angela Kim

The One Direction epidemic has seeped and spread onto campus. The boy band that has gained international attention has its own fan club on campus led by juniors president Justin Steele and vice president Kyle Rosenberg.

Though both male members are not the typical squealing fangirls One Direction normally attracts, according to both Steele and Rosenberg, they are not ashamed of being fans of the band.

“I’m not worried that people will judge because I think everyone has his or her own taste in music. That is kind of the point. People aren’t always going to enjoy what I like.

But that’s how everything is,” Steele said.

According to Steele, the very reason he created the club, which meets every Thursday in Rm. 204, was so people too shy to express their admiration for the band could openly talk about One Direction without being judged.

“The goal of the club is to make friends and talk about One Direction openly. I hope to attract anyone who likes the band, is friendly, and likes to socialize,” Steele said.

Yet according to both Steele and Rosenberg, the club will not focus solely on the five boys of the band. They will also try to volunteer and give back to the world with what they can.

“We hope to be of a big enough influence to make a difference in their charities. Maybe, just maybe, we could get a guest visit from the band,” Rosenberg said.

Though internationally known, the band has taken time off their schedules to volunteer in Accra, Ghana for Red Nose Day, a campaign held by Comic Relief, a British nonprofit organization that raises money for people in poverty.

And the band members’ active participation in charities such as Comic Relief is one of the reasons Rosenberg and

AROUND REDONDO

PHOTO BY VITORIA MAGNO

Heading in the right direction. Steele and Rosenberg (second to last and last, repectively, from left) plan to follow the British band’s lead and use fundraisesrs to raise money for philanthropies that One Direction supports.

Steele respect them.

“I like how they are able to focus on other things [other than being famous] like working on charity. They’re really supportive of their charities; it’s really cool that they aren’t focused so much on themselves,” Steele said.

The club also plans on contributing in their efforts to make a difference. They are planning on a fundraising party in the future to help out the bands’ charities.

“The band makes it really easy to help or contribute. You can raise awareness by posting about their events or by buying an album that donates to charity. Or you can throw a fundraising party, which we plan to do,” Steele said.

In addition to the band’s participation in charities, the members of the fan club admire the band members for being themselves and staying true to their own personalities, amidst all the fame.

“ Yes, celebrities already earn so

compliled by Emma Uriarte photos by Claire Tisius

“I

”

believe that celebrities should definitely ive to charities. Their money should be spent on something relevent like philanthropies.

“ Yeah, they have a lot of mon-

“ Yes, because they so much al-

much money that they can afford to give to the more needy.

— JACKIE RUIZ, 10

“Do you think celebrities should participate in charities?”

“I applaud how each one of the members is very individualistic and has his own unique style and personality,” Rosenberg said.

Fellow club member and junior Lindsay Saker agrees.

According to Saker, the British band members are not only physically attractive, but are also unique and interesting.

“I like the fact that they came from being everyday people. They show their real personalities and seem like great people to be friends with.When I watch their music videos, they seem like a lot of fun just because they’re so real,” Saker said.

In addition to staying true to who they are, the band tries to keep in touch with the millions of fans all over the world.

“I respect the fact that the boys try to stay so connected to their fans despite how much fame and attention they receive. They are so real,” Steele said.

ey. People look up to celebrities. They are role models and should set a good example.

— ABBEY WEAVER, 9

”

— CHRIS VALCARCEL, 12

”

ready and they should give mack to people who are less fortunate than they are.

— BEN GUTIERREZ, 10

”

15 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

EYE ON THE PRIZE

by Haris Khan

When he steps onto the diving board, staring blankly at the water and awaiting the horn, everything is set in motion.

Senior Nick Johnson, who has been a part of the swim team all four years, is proud of his accomplishments, but still sets his sights for bigger achievements beyond high school.

Individually, Johnson competes in the 200 and 500 yard freestyle and swims 200 and 400 yard freestyle relays. He has specific goals he would like to meet by the end of the season.

“I want to finish the 500 yard freestyle in

under five minutes and the 200 yard freestyle in under one minute and 50 seconds,” Johnson said. “For the 200 yard freestyle relay, I want to finish my 50 yard split at under 22 seconds,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s coach Mark Rubke enjoys having him on the team.

“It has been fun to watch him progress over the past four seasons. He has transformed into a strong, confident competitor,” Rubke said.

Rubke is also impressed with Johnson’s sincerity and maturity during conditioning and competitions.

“Nick is a very hard-working athlete. As a senior, he has taken on a leadership role

PHOTO BY AHMAD KABBANI

>> Athlete of the Issue Nick Johnson is a strong competitor and brings “good leadership skills” and “dedication” to the swim team, according to coach Mark Rubke.

in practices. He is capable of inspiring his teammates with his swims at the league meets,” Rubke said.

Johnson hopes to make it into CIF at the end of the season with teammates sophomore Jack Bradford and juniors Davy Thomas and Jonathan Ortiz.

“Every day in swim, I am pushing my body’s limits in order to get faster and stronger,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who has been swimming competitively for the past nine years, says swimming has been “a huge part of [his] life.”

“The sport requires a lot of commitment and motivation in order to succeed,” Johnson said.

Thomas is inspired by Johnson’s drive.

“He is always the first one in the pool and is ready to train everyday,” Thomas said.

Thomas also likes how Johnson pushes his teammates to do better during practices and meets.

“Nick has improved a lot with all of his hard work and training since I first met him.

He’s become a leader by being one of the best swimmers on the team,” Thomas said.

Swimming has become more of a passion than a sport for Johnson.

“I plan on continuing to swim at El Camino College and hopefully transferring to a private university that has a good swim team,” Johnson said.

Softball beats Palos Verdes

by Caitlin Cochran

PHOTO BY TYLER EISENHART

Hey, batter, batter. Junior Gabrielle DeLaVega hits the softball in a game against Leuzinger.

16 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

In their game against Palos Verdes last week, the softball team met two big goals: winning and officially making playoffs.

The girls beat Palos Verdes 9-5, with many key hits. Sophomore Morgan Moczygemba went two for three, getting a double and a single and hitting two RBI’s.

“I was really excited going into this game,” Moczygemba said. “I was looking forward to it because we really had to play strong and bring it to Palos Verdes.”

The team knew they had to win because PV was a hard team to beat, and they wanted to secure a spot in playoffs; this win allowed for both.

“We felt good going into the game because we did well against them the last time we played,” sophomore Brigid Antonelli said.

The game started off slow and PV got most of their points in the first few innings, but the girls did not cave in. Going into the third inning, the girls were down 3-4 and while the RUHS girls went to score six more

points, Palos Verdes only got one more.

“The game started of a little rocky, but we stayed focused and came back to get the win,” Antonelli said.

According to senior Kristen Currie, the team just had to stay focused and keep working hard.

“We knew we had to step it up and found it in ourselves to be aggressive at the plate and supportive of all our girls,” Currie said.

Freshman Kat Ung has been “stepping up” with her pitching, as she had 12 strikeouts in the previous game and continued pitching well in this game.

“Kat fights through every inning on the mound and works hard to strike people out and lead our team to victories,” Currie said.

“She is truly a dominating addition to our team.”

According to Moczygemba, the team can not start the game the way they did on Wednesday in their upcoming games.

“We need to bring up the intensity for the game against Leuzinger, and especially in the upcoming games against Mira Costa and El Segundo,” Moczygemba said.

Volleyball beats Peninsula in straight sets >> Tuesday’s win against Peninsula guaranteed the boys’ volleyball team a spot in the CIF playoff tournament. According to senior Nick Williamson and junior Tyler Bird, the team is prepared and excited to avenge last year’s first-round loss and eventually win the entire tournament.

by Cole Stecyk

As the boys’ volleyball team ran into the gym, music played and cheers rose when the first warm-up ball was spiked to the ground.

According to senior Nick Williamson, their 25-18, 25-14, 25-21 win over Peninsula on Tuesday was just what the team needed in order to have confidence going into CIF. “Even though the scores were fairly close, we were in complete control the whole match, and everyone got the opportunity to play,” Williamson said. “Everyone is definitely ready and psyched to compete in CIF and get revenge from last year’s disappointing first-round loss.”

Junior Tyler Bird believes the team played very well against Peninsula and is confident going into CIF. “Sweeping Peninsula gave us a lot of momentum going into CIF,” Bird said. “We knew we were the better team, but it’s nice to be able to execute like we know we are capable of doing.”

Williamson believes the team is prepared for CIF and that they just need to keep their focus high and play great volleyball.

“I think that we are completely prepared going into CIF,” Williamson said. “But we have to stay 100 percent focused during practices if we want to make a deep run in the playoffs.”

Bird believes the team needs to work on their offensive plays a little more in order to succeed in CIF. “We are working on the tempo of our offense to make sure everyone on the team is on the same page,” Bird said.

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Photo bY MITCHELL YONEMURA

Punishing Peninsula. 1. Seniors Nick Williamson and Ryan Baker block a Peninsula ball in Tuesday’s home game. 2. Junior Vincent Pizzutti spikes. The team beat Peninsula in three sets, 25-18, 25-14, 25-21.

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Williamson also feels confident going into the CIF tournament. Although he is confident, he knows there will be a lot of “great” teams ahead of them.

“Going in ranked eighth is good for us, but we do have a lot of hard competition standing in front of us and the title,” Williamson said. “We will need to be playing our greatest volleyball in order to win CIF.”

Bird also feels confident going into CIF because he believes they are a really great team. While he feels ready to play hard, he knows that they will be up against really good teams.

“I am confident that we could make a deep run in CIF because at times we play really well,” Bird said. “But there are a lot of really good teams in our division, so it’s

going to be competitive.”

Williamson feels “proud” to have been a part of this year’s volleyball team and he will do whatever it takes to extend their season together as long as possible.

“I’m proud to have been a part of a great program at Redondo, and I’m working my hardest to extend my and my team’s season for as long as possible,” Williamson said.

Boys’ lacrosse loses 12-2 to Loyola

by Micah Ezzes

Photo bY CHRIS NGUYEN

Peluso power. Junior Dominic Peluso dodges past a Palos Verdes defender. The boys lost 9-3 last Wednesday in their last League game.

The boys’ lacrosse team saw its playoff run come to an abrupt end on Tuesday when they lost to Loyola 12-2 in the first round of CIF playoffs.

Junior Harrison Faecher credits the loss to a bad start.

“As a team, we went out ready to go, but we went flat quickly,” he said.

Freshman Preston Faecher says that there were communication problems, resulting in missed opportunities offensively and goals conceded defensively.

“All week long, we worked on communication,” Preston said, “but we just didn’t [communi-

cate] so we didn’t know where [our teammates] were.”

In the first game of the season, the boys came away with their first win against Loyola in their recent history. “[Loyola] made less mistakes and made smarter decisions [than when we first played them],” Preston said.

“But we are also much better than the first time we played them. We just didn’t play well.”

The loss caps off a subpar second half to the season, which saw the team win just two of its eight games.

Harrison believes that the team was capable of doing better.

“The first half of the season was almost perfect [with a 6-1 record],” he said. “But in the second half, we

struggled with many teams that we shouldn’t have had problems with.”

Despite the season-ending loss, Harrison has high hopes for next year. Since most of the players will be returning next year, the team has time to build chemistry and prepare for another season.

“We’re only losing two seniors, and many of the starters will be coming back,” Harrison said. “Next year will be one of the best years RUHS will have ever had.”

Preston sees this year as a “stepping stone,” leading into a productive season next year.

“We did very well individually, but now we need to put that together and play as a team [next year],” he said.

17 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

Leaping bounds >> Track qualified for every event except the 200 meter dash during their meet at Costa on Wednesday.

by Natalie Hardiman

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The track team competed in the Bay League Preliminaries at Mira Costa on Wednesday in order to qualify for Bay League Finals.

Members of the team were able to qualify for every event, except for the boys’ 200 meter dash.

“I think the varsity team did really well and came out with a lot of wins in the various heats,” captain Shelby Bassman said.

Bassman expected the girls’ team to do well because they are the current Bay League champions.

“I think this year is kind of a repeat of the past years because the girls always do very well,” Bassman said.

According to junior Nick Wells, the boys also performed well at preliminaries.

“I feel like the [boys’] varsity team did well because a ton of the guys made it through to finals collectively,” he said.

Wells thinks that the boys’ team had a lot of qualifiers because the mid-distance team is stronger this year.

“Compared to last year, we have many more of us guys in the finals,” Wells said.

“Any of us can potentially win, since we are all so close and tight together in a pack.”

Wells believes that as long as they focus, many of the boys could place in the top three.

“Ultimately, all of us guys just need to

race our own race and push ourselves to our limits in order to come out with the top three finishing marks,” he said.

Overall, Bassman believes that both teams will have successful performances at finals.

“I think our team will dominate in almost every event in the finals,” she said.

If the athletes do well in finals and get the qualifying times, they can compete in CIF. Both Bassman and Wells expect that many athletes will be able to qualify.

“I think the girls will go far in the rounds because our team has a lot of depth, and I think the boys will do well in the distance events,” Bassman said.

Bassman expects the girls will do especially great in CIF this year.

“The girls will dominate CIF because we have a super stacked team that is strong in all areas,” she said.

Wells thinks that about 10 boys will be able to get times that will automatically qualify them.

“If our season continues the way it has with each guy running faster times every race, then we can make it to CIF finals and ultimately, State,” he said.

“I think Redondo will really set the tone at CIF since our team is predicted to win,” Bassman said.

The track team will be competing in the Bay League Finals today at Mira Costa at 5 p.m.

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Photos by peter tran

Wasting the warriors. 1. Juniors Stephon Sudduth and Sean Lee race against West during their meet on April 23. 2. Senior Cameron Lindquist hurdles.

Boys’ tennis suffers a worthy loss

by Lindsay Pannor

Even though it was “the best match [the spectators] had seen all day,” neither senior Derek Levchenko nor freshman Pablo Trevino were able to advance to the finals Wednesday at the Bay League singles preliminaries.

Trevino and Levchenko were the only boys competing in the singles tournament, along with players from all Bay League schools. Trevino lost his first match, a pro set 8-0 against Brandon Holt, a competitor from Palos Verdes who advanced to the finals. Levchenko won his first round match 8-3 to his opponent Ben Sands, but fell short in his match against the number one seed of the tourney, Jake Douglas, 7-6 and 6-4. “[My loss today] wasn’t really upsetting because he’s the returning champ. I had my chances, but he’s a really good player, and I’m not disappointed at all by my performance,” Levchenko said.

Coach Jessica Seibert agrees with Levchenko, stating that a large factor in the boys’ performance during the matches was the tricky draw.

“Honestly, that draw was one of the toughest I have ever seen,” Seibert said. “The talent is so huge in our league that even the first round is very, very difficult to get out of. Al-

18 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

though [a competitor] who is seeded plays an unseeded player in the first round, even the unseeded players were really difficult to compete with. It was just a bad draw any way you look at it.”

Freshman Pablo Trevino expressed having much difficulty with his first round opponent. “[Holt] is probably one of the most consistent kids in California. He has a big forehand, really consistent backhand, and a good serve. His only weakness is his speed,” Trevino said.

Although Levchenko was unable to reach the finals in his last high school singles competition, he has the opportunity to pull out a win in the doubles tournament Tuesday.

“I want to do as well as I did last year with Chris Lew. We got to the finals the last time around, but the competition is stronger this year,” Levchenko said. “I’m not sure what to expect, but I hope that I play well and make a dent in the tournament. It was great that Redondo showed who we are last year, and we hope to do it again this year.”

Photos Peter Tran

Not close enough. Junior Kyle Rosenberg and senior Derek Levchenko play during their matches against PV last Thursday. They lost 7-11.

Down to the last pitch

Photo by Diana luna

All in. Junior Cassius Hamm pitches a full game against Costa during Wednesday’s game.

by Jené Price

In a packed arena with a frenzied crowd, Redondo was able to hold the lead after a close and “stressful” sixth inning and beat Mira Costa 3-2 on Wednesday.

“The sixth inning was nerve-racking for us but I knew we would come through and win the game. I had confidence in my team,” junior Tyler Novak said.

Going into the game on Wednesday, the boys were amped up to play their rivals and wanted to come out with a win to tie for first place in Bay League, and they did.

“It feels good to know we are tied for Bay League champions,” senior Jacob Waggoner said. “It has been a while since we won Bay League and hopefully we get the sweep against Costa to put us into first.”

Junior Cassius Hamm pitched the full game yesterday and was a valuable contribution to the win. According to coach Baumback, Hamm performed well and has well deserved his spot. “[Cassius] has earned it. He has pitched very well lately and performed the best,” Baumback said. “He has really shown a lot of poise and stepped up for the team.”

In the first inning, there was one out and runners on first and second for Mira Costa.

Hamm made pitches to get a ground ball to senior Freddy Smith, and Redondo managed to get out of the inning with a double play and already had their first run. The boys got two more runs in the second inning, putting them on top 3-0 within the first three innings of the game.

“I wasn’t sure if our three wins would be

enough to win the game,” Baumback said.

“Fortunately for us Cassius threw strikes and we played defense and held the lead.”

According to the coach, in the last couple of games, we have lacked focus and even came out with a loss. The team plays Mira Costa again today and hopes to get a win.

“We have to bring the energy we had in Wednesday’s game and come out with of intensity and focus,” Novak said.

If the boys win their home game against Mira Costa, they will be positioned in first place for Bay League champions. The team has to play strong defense and have good hits in order to win the game.

“We have to have the same efforts on defense but also hit well because [Mira Costa] will come out with a more intensity because the League title is on the line,” Smith said.

Boys’ golf advances during first CIF match

by Alina Bieschke

In the first round of CIF matches for boys’ golf, four out of five players passed the first round of the tournament on Monday, April 29 at Harding Golf Course. Among the top scorers were seniors Lawrence Ree with 71 points, Ray Malazo with 72, and Matthew Ferradas with 76.

According to coach John Burke, the tournament was tiring because Harding Golf Course is far away and because tournaments are longer than normal matches.

“It was a really long day,” Burke said. “This year, they had to make a cut because [the tournament] took way too long.”

The tournament is comprised of three rounds compared to last year’s two-round tournament. Out of 32 participants in the first round, only the 20 lowest-scoring players were permitted to move on to the second round.

“Last year, none of our current team advanced. [This year,] we brought five people and four advanced. That’s really good for us,” Burke said.

Ferradas, who tied with others for eighth place, shot three points lower than his most recent 18-hole tournament, the Knabe Cup. He is confident that he will reach the third round of the tournament.

“I improved since then. This course was a little bit easier,” Ferradas said.

Burke is also optimistic about the remainder of the tournament and believes the team is in “good shape.”

“I’m really proud of them,” Burke said. “We’re hanging in there.”

Swim pulverizes Penn

by Romy Moreno

All of the boys, with an exception of one, are moving on to finals today at Peninsula and majority of the girls are advancing as well as a result of their wins in the preliminary meets on April 30th and May 1st.

“Our goal for preliminaries was to swim well,” freshman Sabrina Endicott said. “We all tried to go out there and give it our all and, as a result, many of our swimmers got personal records.”

Sophomore Lani McMillen thinks that it is good for all of the swimmers to start getting used to the pool they will be swimming in.

“It was good practice on Wednesday for

the team to get a feel of the new pool, the blocks, and the walls,” McMillen said.

McMillen was proud overall of her team for their improved times during the meet.

“A lot of the swimmers dropped time which is a pump up for the finals and shows us that we can accomplish a lot under pressure,” McMillen said.

Not only do the girls think they did the best they possibly could, but they also think that the boys competed well too.

“The girls really showed up at prelims, but the boys also really showed what they were made of, despite the minor setbacks [heavy water and slippery tiles], and just about everyone is moving on, which is great,” Endicott said.

Photo by matt Mardesich

Fly like a butterfly. Swim competes against Mira Costa during their meet on April 18.

According to the swimmers, they are expecting to break personal records and advance all the relays to CIF. “We are going to give our all in finals and cheer a lot for everyone,” McMillen said.

“We are going to put all of our hard work into today’s meet because it is the only way we will be able to continue advancing. I believe in everyone, and that we will all do the best we possibly can.”

19 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

>>Girls’ lacrosse ties for fifth straight championship “THE LAST GAME AGAINST PV WE PLAYED our A-plus game and it was probably one of the greatest lacrosse games we’ve had in the last five years,” he said. “Back and forth the whole way. The girls were down four times and fought back to win it.”

Senior Hailey Newman, who scored the game-winning goal, agreed with Borgia and said that the girls played very well.

“We played amazingly,” she said. “Everyone was on their A-game. We played with great effort and heart. I was out for a couple of minutes, and [our playing] was really magical to watch.”

Although the team played well this game, Borgia believes that the team could have played better in other games throughout the season.

“Our first game against PV we really got roughed up by them and we were kind of gun shy; we were getting hit so many times,” he said. “The Mira Costa game we did not play our best game but Costa is really good.”

Even with the losses in their 12-3 record, the girls feel good about their season.

“

I think overall we worked really hard because we put our heart into every game and we always made sure everyone was having fun and everyone was playing well.

— ALLISON KOTZBACH, 12

”

Senior Allison Kotzbach, the team’s leading scorer, also said that this is their best season yet.

One of their strengths, according to Borgia, was their great leadership and the fact that the team was so close.

“We’ve got great team chemistry,” he said. “Our team

2.

is really young, but we have great senior leadership. All of our captains have played for four years. They are really great teammates. There is no victory; everyone wants everyone to do well.”

According to Borgia, senior Heather Czech, the starting goalie, was one of the main players.

“Heather has been our starter goalie for all four years,” he said. “. Everyone write about the girls that score but without Heather we are in trouble.”

Although the girls played extremely well this year, the coaches had to have contributed to the fact that the team has won five years in a row.

“We work hard. My motto is: I want them to work hard and have fun,” Borgia said. “My practices are a little looser and I am a little bit more relaxed than most coaches here because it’s a brand new program.”

According to Newman, Borgia was one of the main reasons the lacrosse program has done so well.

“We have really great coaches,” she said. “Not only does Borgia really believe in us, he also really believes in the program.”

Kotzbach respects Borgia as a person as well as just a coach.

“Our coach is the best,” she said. “He’s the most hilarious guy you’ll ever meet. Overall, he’s just a great guy. I could go to him for anything and talk to him about anything. If something’s wrong at school or at home, I know he’ll always be there for me.”

According to Kotzbach, winning “is the best feeling in the world.”

“Just knowing that your team did so well and everyone is working together really hard is amazing,” she said. “It’s good to know that everyone is behind you and just as excited as you are.”

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4.

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5.

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Securing the title. 1. Senior Hailey Newman runs down the field in the PV game last Wednesday. 2. Senior Emily Field dodges past a defender in the PV game. 3. Goalie senior Heather Czech stops a break away during practice with freshman Allison Vorndran. 4. The team has a pre game talk. 5. Senior captains Hailey Newman, Emily Field, and Allison Kotzbach rejoice after becoming Bay League champions. 6. The girls find bonding important, especially before games, and running through the tunnel gets them excited. 7. According to coach Tom Borgia the team would be in trouble if Czech was not in the goal. 8.

Jessica Veliz running during the PV game. COVER PHOTO BY JENNY OETZELL; 1, 2, 8 BY MATT MARDESICH; 3,7 BY HAILEY NEWMAN; 4-6 COURTESY OF HAILEY NEWMAN

20 . HIGH TIDE

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