January Issue

LA VISTA Mira Costa

High School’s

J anuary 25, 2019 | I ssue 5, Volume 69

1401 Artesia Blvd.

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

@LaVistaMedia

LaVistaMCHS.com

In With the New

BREAKING GROUND: Measure C, which supports modernization plans at all Manhattan Beach Unified School District sites, includes renovations to Grand View Elementary School. Grandview Elementary School will receive renovations, including a new cafeteria, multipurpose room and administration building. Photos Courtesy of mbusd.org

MBUSD presents plans for Measures C and EE school renovations

By Kyra Williams Executive News Editor And Greta Nerad News Editor

T

he Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board is currently finalizing plans for the modernization of all district schools.

Measures C and EE were passed on Nov. 18, 2016. Measure EE supports the construction of the new Mira Costa Athletics Complex, expected to be complete in the summer of 2020. Measure C supports modernization plans at all school sites, including upgrades to existing buildings and campuses, the installation of air conditioning, as well as the full replacement of some buildings and facilities at both Pennekamp and Grand View Elementary Schools.

“Since these funds were raised by a parcel tax for these specific purposes and voted on by the community, I think it’s defi-

nitely the right use of the funds,” MBUSD Student Representative and senior Parker Lynch said.

Modernization work will begin at both Pacific Elementary and Costa this summer. The district anticipates work at Grand View, Pennekamp, Meadows, Robinson and the Manhattan Beach Preschool will start in the summer of 2020.

“We will do as much of the construction during summers as possible in order to minimize disruption to classes, but some construction, especially where the work is more extensive or involved, will take place during the school year,” MBUSD Deputy Superintendent Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard said.

“In those cases, we will work to do everything we can to minimize the impact to classroom instruction.”

Work at Manhattan Beach Middle School is planned for the summer of 2021. The Indoor Air Quality Management Plan is designed to help the district ensure that it is providing healthy classroom envi-

ronments for students, MurakawaLeopard said. The plan calls for building evaluations, walkthrough inspections, preventative maintenance and communication procedures to identify and address issues.

The plans provide specific guid-

“

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e are looking forward to all of this work, as our plans are intended to help ensure a good learning environment for students.”

- Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard MBUSD Deputy Superintendent

ance related to particular issues, such as asbestos, lead, mercury, vehicle emissions, pest management and the impact of plants and animals on indoor environments.

“There is always concern and we always want to remain vigilant,” Mira Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale said. “If you have to

look for a silver lining with the [Costa] library, you now have a district that’s expert in those issues like asbestos, and we know vastly more about what can arise.”

Renovations at Costa will include four different projects: finishing reconstruction of the library’s interior, implementing air conditioning in the finger buildings, fixing roofs to prevent leaking and constructing a new athletics gymnasium. The duct work for the AC is in place and the units will be installed by next fall, the roofing project will begin and conclude this summer, the gym will be completed in fall of 2020 and the reopening of the library has yet to be announced, Dale said.

“There are lots of good uses of the district’s funds, but certainly having new facilities makes it a great place to work and learn,” Dale said. “Once we finish the gym, we will have renovated nearly the entire campus during my time here.”

On both Grand View and Pen-

nekamp campuses, construction will take place in multiple phases and span a number of years. At both schools, they will construct new buildings to replace outdated facilities. Additionally, at Grand View, the Ladera building will eventually be demolished and replaced by a new classroom building, cafeteria, multipurpose room and administration building. At Pennekamp, a number of portable classroom buildings will be removed and replaced with a new classroom building. The district anticipates completion at Pennekamp in the fall of 2021 and at Grand View in the winter of 2022.

“We are looking forward to all of this work, as our plans are intended to help to ensure good learning environments for students, including modern heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, repairs to roofs throughout the district, and other upgrades to electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems,” Murakawa-Leopard said.

Mira Costa teacher, administration work to improve testing security

By Kimi Danaei Staff Writer

C

osta’s administration is currently working to improve testing security after an incident during finals that led Costa history department co-chair Adam Geczi to question whether the proper amount of precautions are taken.

In past years, students with 504 plans took their finals in the Learning Center. However, due to the large number of students with 504 accommodations this year, the

Features

testing location was moved to the guidance counselors’ conference room. During first semester finals, a student walked into his class holding a test, Scantron sheet and phone, which built speculation as to whether these students were taking photos of tests or researching answers online, according to Geczi.

“It was so egregious; this kind of stuff is probably happening every day, but you generally don’t have any evidence of the things that are going wrong,” Geczi said. “The opportunity was there for anybody to cheat should they choose to do that,

7

Read about junior twins’ Cali and Noelle Sheldon’s new thriller film, “Us.”

and that itself is a problem when it comes down to test security.”

Geczi and Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale met to discuss placing students with 504 accommoda-

What is a 504 Plan?

It is a legal document and blueprint for how the school will provide support and remove barriers for a student with a disability, so the student has equal access to the general education curriculum Courtesy of understood.org

tion students with other teachers

of the same department during their planning periods. However, this arrangement has complications because not all classes overlap with a corresponding teacher’s planning period, Geczi said.

“One of the ideas we had is to move the 504 testing in our department and then use it as a pilot for other departments later on if we could work something out,” Geczi said. “There are a lot of snags in doing that because we have second period and fourth period that nobody’s prepping in, so we wouldn’t be able to ad-

In This Issue: The Highlights of La Vista Opinion

5

La Vista examines the new proposed SEW recommendations to the MBUSD board.

Arts

16

La Vista reviews several popular gyms in the South Bay to join this year.

minister tests in those periods.”

Geczi decided to speak about the situation with his students because it was an evident problem that needed to be resolved, he said. ‘‘Lack of testing security is an exaggeration,” Dale said. “We had one test situation called into question, and worked to resolve it with the teacher that said the system for providing accommodations to 504 students needs to be better. With the increase in the number of 504 students needing accommodations, we should have a more formal system in place.”

Sports

12

Take a look at girls soccer’s victory over Palos Verdes 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday.

2

La Vista

NEWS

January 25, 2019

Costa Spanish department suffers from overloaded class sizes in Spanish 1 courses

NEWS FLASH

BY KALI MASHAYEKHI STAFF WRITER

Marching Band performs in Disneyland Resort parade The Mira Costa Marching Band and Color Guard performed on Jan.19 in the Disneyland Community Arts Showcase Performance Parade on Main Street in the Disneyland theme park.

The Disneyland Community Arts Showcase is an exclusive performance opportunity for performing arts groups within the Disneyland Resort community. Each assembly was judged based on a digital recording of the bands most recent performances.

“The best part of performing at Disneyland is having that special moment where you can connect with a little girl or boy and see the joy in their eyes,” Color Guard Co-President Sara Solis said.

CLARE BEEZHOLD

Mira Costa Comedy Sportz beats Crescenta Valley High Mira Costa’s Comedy Sportz team competed in a pajama-themed match against Crescenta Valley High School on Jan. 18 in the small theater.

Costa scored 34.5 points, defeating Crescenta Valley, who scored 32 points. The teams competed in multiple improv games, including rotate left, new choice, yearbook photo and expert challenge.

At the end of each improv game, the audience clapped for the team that they thought did a superior job, and the points would go to them.

“I liked the enthusiasm that everyone had in the audience,” freshman Olivia Sanchez said. “It was so much fun watching it.”

ZOE HOWARD

ASB changes winter formal date, venue to improve event Costa’s Associated Student Body rescheduled the Winter Formal from Jan. 26 to Feb. 9 due to complications with the venue.

The original venue did not have a large enough dance floor, and the date conflicted with California Interscholastic Federation sports games, ASB member and sophomore Milla Solnicki. The dance will now be held on a yacht in Marina Del Rey. “Thankfully, the date change hasn’t been a big inconvenience on our preparation for the dance,” Solnicki said. “We believe that the new venue will be more enjoyable than the original one.”

FAITH BOLIN

Costa MUN will compete in annual UPenn conference Mira Costa’s Model United Nations program will attend the 53rd annual conference at the University of Pennsylvania from Jan. 31- Feb 3 competing against schools from across the country.

Students have been preparing by researching and writing. The conference will have eight General Assemblies, four Economic and Social Councils, eight Specialized Agencies and eight fast paced Crisis simulation committees.

“Understanding potential problems and discussing solutions are essential to high school students’ involvement in the debate,” senior delegate Lauren Goldston said.

SAM BELL

O

ver the past few years, Spanish 1 classes have been filled with up to 30-36 kids per class.

The Costa administration has tried to even out class sizes between semesters, yet the problem has not been fixed, Spanish teacher Felise Shapiro said.

Spanish Teachers Erin Doyle, Felise Shapiro and Anita Rossell have been teaching Spanish 1 for many years and have noticed this problem reoccurring over the past four years.

This year, each of Doyle and Shapiro’s classes contain at least 32 students except for their sixth periods.

“The adminstration needs to find a way to make a way our Spanish 1 classes smaller, as the kids enrolled in this class will not want to change their schedule after a whole semes- OVERWHELMING AND OVERFLOWING: Spanish 1 classes are filled with up 36 students per class, encouraging students to either switch out of their current class period or move ter,” Shapiro said.

The issue begins with students to a less crowded sixth period Spanish 1. Photo by Drew Rohm enrolled in Spanish 2 who realize they are not at the right level, their class or move to the sixth period this is a challenge as well as for the leading them to switch to Spanish class, which is recomended because of student,” Shapiro said. “It is an unfortunate situation because I cannot 1. Another factor contributing to its smaller size.

“On the second day of the semester get each and every one of the stuovercrowding classes is that students from other school districts Ms. Lubs came in and asked everyone dents to talk and participate in class are automatically enrolled into if they would be willing to switch out with the class sizes.” or move to a smaller sixth period class,” Costa’s adminstation is working Spanish 1.

“We always had an issue with freshman Shane Geller said. “I consid- on solving this issue for future years how many students are actually en- ered moving classes if my current sched- to come. According to Shapiro, Lubs is responsible for students’ schedules rolled and how many students ap- ule would not be switched around.”

In an immersion class, all students and deciding how to go about evepear to be enrolled,” Shapiro said.

“The adminstration has tried to give learn to speak the language, which is a ning out classrooms without causing us some leeway so that there is more struggle with 36 students in a room, Sha- disruption.

“Most students in these classes are room, but it ends up not working in piro said. According to Shapiro, this results in students being unable to acquire not able to switch out as some kids the end.”

This issue has caused disruption important information, in addition to have a sport sixth period or are not not only for students, but teachers teachers not being able to equally give willing to change their entire schedule, as well, leading the adminstration students the necessary attention they which leaves us in the same spot we were with most classes reaching their to take action, Shapiro said. Vice deserve.

“Being how this class is run differ- maximum capacity of 36 and some just Principal Jessica Lubs has asked students to either switch out of ently than previous years as a teacher, under that number,” Shapiro said.

Community members come together, fundraise to aid family of fatal car crash victims

BY SHERIDAN MCKNIGHT NEWS EDITOR

T

wo fundraising drives are in the works to support the family of Hawthorne residents nine-yearold Payton Castillo and Costa parent 33-year-old Jolene Castillo who died on New Years Day after a car crash on the 22 Freeway in Garden Grove.

The 30-year-old driver, Melvin Branch, was arrested on suspicion of felony drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Branch was not hurt, but Joleen and Payton were killed. A service in their honor was held at Green Hills in Palos Verdes on Jan. 13. The Castillo family is now working together to begin a fundraiser for the college funds of the two sons.

“You can only imagine what the Castillo family has been going through,” Costa

alumnus and family friend Chris Miller said. “The family has recieved lots of love from the community.”

The family’s oldest child, sophomore Christian Castillo, who is a student at Mira Costa, was not in the car during the accident. The Castillo’s youngest child, sevenyear-old Logan was the only survivor in the vehicle.

“

Principal Dr. Ben Dale said.

One of the fundraisers is a GoFundMe page, created to raise money for Joleen and Payton’s funeral and memorial. Another fundraiser is an educational fund to ensure that the two boys have funds to continue with their schooling beyond high school.

T

hese tragedies are heartwrenching, but serve as a heartwarming reminder about how strong our [Costa] family truly is.”

“After being notified by a Costa parent of what occured, we quickly got the baseball coach and boosters involved in supporting the family with meals, hugs, and help with funeral arrangements,” Costa

- Dr. Ben Dale Mira Costa Principal “I think Christian is finding Mira Costa to be a bigger family then he imagined,” Miller said. “Once you’re a Costa graduate, you are one for life, and as alumni we step up to help them.”

The driver who caused the accident, Melvin Branch, of Orange County, was intially released after the accident due to insufficient evidence to charge him with driving under the infuence.

“After being released, the person responsible for the accident was thankfully re-arrested,” Miller said.

“A reading of his criminal charges will be read in court today.”

The GoFundMe page has raised $59,000 so far toward a $75,000 goal to pay for the memorial and funeral of Jolene and Payton Castillo. The link to donate can be found by searching GoFundMe.com for Jojo and Payton.

“Over 500 members of Christian’s Costa family were there for him and his family at the funeral,” Dale said. “These tragedies are heart-wrenching but serve as a heart-warming reminder about how strong our [Costa] family truly is.”

La Vista

News

January 25, 2019

3

Thousands participate in Downtown L.A.’s Women’s March Costa students, parents and staff march in the third annual Los Angeles Women’s March to bring awareness to women’s rights.

Before the day of the march, there was controversy regarding allegations about homophobic and anti-semitic comments made by the organizers of the national march. Women’s March National Organizer Linda Sarsour published

tions against one of the co-creators of the Women’s March after being found to be anti-Semitic,” Lay said. “But you have to understand that no matter what that woman said, her words do not represent what the march means.”

indigenous women of the Tongva Nation.

Approximately 200,000 people participated in the one mile walk to City Hall, Guereca said. This included Costa freshmen Isabel Behan, sophomores Charlie Birznieks

By Andonia Goergen Staff Writer

T

he Women’s March Los Angeles Foundation held its third annual march on Jan. 19 in Los Angles, where Costa students protested to defend human rights, civil liberties and justice for all.

The purpose of this march was to bring awareness to the achievement of human rights, including reproductive rights for women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and asexual rights, as well as immigrant rights, according to the Women’s March L.A. website. The movement is under the guidance of the Executive Director Emiliana Guereca who was in charge of marches across the nation and world.

“I marched in celebration of the new female representation in government,” senior Devon Lay said.

“I also marched for the girls who could not march. I marched for the girls whose parents say no, the girls without an education and the girls sold off to human trafficking.”

TOGETHER WE MARCH: (Clockwise from top left) Seniors Jake Phillips, Isabel Kampfner, Capeley Zimet, Kira Mateo, Isabella Papadimitriou, Owen Price-Hughes, Ariel Serene and Devon Lay pose for a picture during Saturday’s march.

Multiple Costa students and families walked in order to bring awareness to women’s rights. Courtesy of Devon Lay a press release addressing the concern and the Women’s March L.A. coordinators quickly denied that they are associated with those who are in question.

“I was hesitant to march this year because of the recent allega-

The theme of the march was “Truth to Power,” which is meant to challenge government officials to remain truthful, Guerca said.

Protestors walked one mile from Pershing Square to City Hall, after a blessing to honor missing

and Lucy Fiorito and seniors Ariel Serene, Capeley Zimet, Isabel Kampfner, Isabella Papadimitriou, Jake Phillips, Lay, Kira Mateo and Owen Price-Hughes.

“I encourage others to attend because it brings awareness to

many different topics involving women’s rights and just women in general that need to be addressed,” Behan said.

Attendees carried posters containing various slogans. Birznieks and Fiorito carried signs saying “Keep Your Filthy Laws Off My Silky Drawers,” and “We Have The Right To Be Heard.” Sprite hosted a sign making station where participants could make signs or get pre-made signs; Lay chose a sign saying, “Vote.”

“I chose this sign because if you want change you can’t just stand back and let everything fall together,” Lay said. “You need to initiate it and vote for what you believe in.”

There were performances and speeches from multiple celebrities including Aloe Blacc, Connie Briton, Laverne Cox, Laura Dern and Senator Maria Elena Durazo. At Grand Park across from City Hall, guests enjoyed artwork and booths with information about other community events. Among the art was the “Fearless Girl” statue by Kristen Visbal, which was previously located in New York.

“I attended the women’s march because I wanted to be a part of the change towards equality,” Mateo said. “It’s about taking steps towards justice for women of all ages, backgrounds, orientations and identities. I think it’s a beautiful way to show my support and walk in solidarity with thousands of other women who feel the same.”

4

OPINION

La Vista

January 25, 2019

EDITOR’S NOTE

How much news is too much news in an endless media cycle?

MIRA COSTA HIGH SCHOOL 1401 ARTESIA BOULEVARD MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA (310) 318-7337 EXT 5233 JANUARY 25, 2019 VOLUME LXIX, ISSUE V WWW.LAVISTAMCHS.COM EDITORS-IN-CHIEF CLAIRE DUMONT NAOMI TSUANG MANAGING EDITORS MICHAEL TODD ALDE NGUYEN COPY EDITORS KAELIE MACAULAY MADELEINE POWELL BRIAN KAISERMAN NEWS EDITORS KYRA WILLIAMS , EXECUTIVE GRETA NERAD SHERIDAN MCKNIGHT OPINION EDITORS KAREENA DHILLON, EXECUTIVE GARRETT ALLEN FEATURES EDITORS JOSIE COLLIER, EXECUTIVE BELLA MACLEOD ARTS EDITORS GRACE DIETZ, EXECUTIVE SKYLAR JONES THEME EDITORS KARLI WALLACE, EXECUTIVE EMILEE RAY SPORTS EDITORS TESS WHITTET, EXECUTIVE COLE GARVEY SAMMY MILLER JADE TREJO, ONLINE PHOTO EDITORS SARAH TOOMEY PHOTO MANAGERS JULIA ALLEY DREW ROHM BUSINESS MANAGERS TIFFANCY FENG, EXECUTIVE MAILAN NGUYEN ASSISTANT ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR LINNEA WEE

BY NAOMI TSUANG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

W

ith news feeds cluttered with articles on the government shutdown, mass shootings and environmental disasters, it can be difficult to read the news.

While keeping up with current events is crucial to being an informed citizen, it is also vital to take a step back.

According to a 2018 survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, two-thirds of Americans are worried about the future of the United States and more than half say that the current political climate is a source of anxiety for them. The study also found that young people ages 15

STAFF WRITERS CLARE BEEZHOLD, SAM BELL, FAITH BOLIN, JILLIAN CHERRY, MIA CHO, KIMYA DANAEL, SAUL DROUTMAN, MEGAN GARRINGER, ANDONIA GOERGEN, BEN HACOHEN, TESS HEAGY, ZOE HOWARD, CASSANDRA KELLUM, ERIN KING, MIKAS MARINOS, PENELOPE MISCEO, TAYLOR PHILIPS, SOREN SCHAUER, SOFIA SCHNURER, DOUG SPEICHER, MADDIE TELLO, KENDALL TONNE, SOPHIA VAUGHAN DISCLAIMER: LA VISTA IS THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MIRA COSTA HIGH SCHOOL, SERVING 2,700 STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-12. CONTENT, WHICH IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LA VISTA STAFF, IS NOT SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL. UNSIGNED EDITORIALS REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE NEWSPAPER, WHILE OPINION COLUMNS REPRESENT ONLY THE WRITERS’ VIEWS. ADVERTISEMENTS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF LA VISTA. LA VISTA PUBLISHES 10 ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR ON A TRI-WEEKLY BASIS AND DISTRIBUTES 3,000 COPIES TO BOTH MIRA COSTA CLASSROOMS AND SUBSCRIBERS. LA VISTA IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLUMBIA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION AND WELCOMES SIGNED LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ON TOPICAL ISSUES FROM THE

MCHS COMMUNITY. THEY MAY BE MAILED TO KEELY GABBERT IN THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING MAILBOX OR SENT TO LAVISTAMEDIA@GMAIL.COM. LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY. PLEASE CONTACT LAVISTAMEDIA@GMAIL.COM FOR ANY ISSUES REGARDING CORRECTIONS. FOR AD RATES, CONTACT LAVISTABUSINESS@GMAIL.COM MISSION STATEMENT: LA VISTA IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING ONLY THE HIGHEST QUALITY REPORTING WHILE MAINTAINING A STRICT STANDARD OF JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY AND PROVIDING ITS READERS WITH RELEVANT CONTENT.

“

With these statistics

in mind, I have recently had to ask myself: how much news is too much news?”

rounding sexual harassment. Data also suggests that young people have more of a need for therapy and other psychological treatments than previous generations.

With these statistics in mind, I have re-

cently asked myself: how much news is too much news? At what point does the stress of these worrisome events outweigh being an informed individual? With news accessible on every platform from newspapers to social media, there is more pressure than ever to keep up with the endless news cycle.

Although it can be frightening to read about issues beyond our control, we must keep in mind that there is more to the world than the bad news that dominates our feed on a daily basis. We must maintain a balance of staying on top of issues without feeling overwhelmed.

As we look to 2019 as a year of change, activism and progress, we should strive to be mindful of the news that we consume, keeping informed while staying optimistic.

STAFF EDITORIAL

School calendar presents certain drawbacks to semester classes

T

he disparity between the lengths of Costa’s first and second semester can compromise the education of students taking semester-long courses but does not ultimately interfere with the education of the majority of students.

Costa’s first semester is a total of 78 school days, whereas its second semester is 102 days. This is a 24 day difference, approximately equivalent to five additional weeks of school in the second semester. This imbalance creates a schedule that puts students taking semester-long courses at a disadvantage and requires teachers to move at a faster pace to fit all of the content that needs to be covered, History department co-chair Adam Geczi said.

According to Costa English teacher Stacy Cabrera, she has to be more flexible with students in her first semester seminars, and is often unable to revisit difficult texts that the class covers due to the shorter period of time. The speed at which content must be covered in order to adequately address the curriculum in its entirety hinders students’ learning experiences and can prevent students from having the time to fully understand material, as well as pre-

vent teachers from having the flexibility in their schedule to explain them.

Issues also arise from the multitude of breaks in the first semester. According to Geczi, the number of breaks and days off during the first semester greatly interfere with the level of productivity that students are able to have during the first semester.

Students and teachers can experience a

semester-long AP courses, as AP exams take place roughly four weeks before the end of the second semester. This eliminates the potential for an unfair advantage in hours spent learning for AP courses.

Having first semester end prior to winter break provides a range of benefits, despite the disadvantages it can cause students. According to Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale, ending the semester in December allows seniors to have access to their finalized first osta should take [...] semester grades to submit for college applisteps to educate students about cations. Additionally, the winter break is not filled with stress as students complete their sexual assault to prove that pre- final projects and papers, Dale said. venting [it] is a priority.”

There is no popular solution to resolving the issues that arise from the uneven semesloss of motivation during breaks, which ters. In the years prior to the 2016-17 school is harmful when a great deal of curricu- year, first semester concluded in January. lum has to be covered and understood in a Previous efforts to shorten the Thanksgivshorter period of time, Geczi said. ing break, as well, were met with limited While first semester students are placed success, and did not carry on into the folat a disadvantage in semester-long courses lowing years. While people may be dissatissuch as the English seminars, for seniors, fied with any changes that encroach on their this inequity does not necessarily extend to vacation time, it is worth considering that semester-long Advanced Placement cours- fewer days off and an earlier start date for es. The instructional time for AP courses is the school year could create considerably roughly the same for both first and second less stress in the long term.

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C

Voices of Costa

ADVISER KEELY SWEENY EDITORIAL BOARD CLAIRE DUMONT, NAOMI TSUANG, ALDE NGUYEN, MICHAEL TODD, KAELIE MACAULAY, MADELEINE POWELL, KYRA WILLIAMS, GRETA NERAD, SHERIDAN MCKNIGHT, KAREENA DHILLON, GARRETT ALLEN

to 21 are more negatively affected by the news than adults. Three-quarters of those surveyed say they are significantly stressed by the frequency of mass shootings in this country, and a majority have concerns sur-

Do you think the benefits outweigh the drawbacks of having a shorter first semester?

Myles Gaffney

Monica Jonas

Freshman

Sophomore

“

“

Junior

52%

48%

I think that the No Yes shorter first semester is good because having finals before winter break makes life a lot easier and reduces over- Does having a shorter first semester negatively impact you?* all student stress.”

I think it’s harder to learn everything in such a short amount of time. I don’t think that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.”

Flo Platt

Do you like the current semester schedule at Costa?*

Vincent Galli

“

I think trying to cram everything into first semester makes things a lot harder when second semester finals come around at the end of the year since first semester was so long ago.”

Senior

“

The benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks. I think that in the long run, balancing the years curriculum is more important than getting first semester finals over with in December.”

76%

24%

Yes

Yes

No

*La Vista surveyed 200 Costa students in regards to the semester schedule at Mira Costa

5 SEW committee’s recommendations unfairly limit number of AP classes

By Mia Cho Staff Writer

recommendation, grades in these summer school courses will not be

Dec. 5. in response to increased stress levels among students, ac-

Actionable Items for a Climate of Care

T

he Manhattan Beach Unified School District Social Emotional Wellness Committee made recommendations for changes in policy at Costa at the MBUSD school board meeting on Dec. 12 after the board hosted a workshop. While a step in the right direction to improve students’ social emotional wellness, the new recommendations ultimately limit students.

The Social Emotional Wellness committee (SEW) introduced their list of plans which intend to offer a “climate of care” at Costa. These options include: weighing honors classes to count toward students’ grade point averages, limiting the amount of Advanced Placement classes students can take to three each year, and only allowing five AP classes total over a high school career.

In addition to their plans for a climate of care, they proposed a replacement bell schedule that would make room for more classes during the school year to reduce the need for summer school courses, and ceasing to give credit for outside summer school Honors or AP courses. With this new

1. AP courses are currently capped at four per year. Further action options include: - Reduce to three per year.

- Reduce to two per year, as supported by statistics in the Feb. 2017 Challenge Success student survey.

- Additionally, have a 4 year max of 5 AP classes.

2. Weight Honors classes in addition to AP classes.

3. Cease accepting outside summer AP and Honors courses onto the MCHS transcript.

4. Implement an alternative bell schedule to reduce students’ desire or need to take summer school classes.

According to the SEW workshop follow up by dr. matthews

published on student’s transcripts.

The SEW committee made the recommendations during a highly attended workshop they hosted on

cording to the Board agenda. Citing a Challenge Success student survey in February of 2017, the committee said there may be a ben-

Girls teams demand equal support, recognition

By Kareena Dhillon Executive Opinion Editor

T

he athletics programs at Mira Costa have kept up many traditions over the years: football and basketball games consistently attract large audiences, and the cheer and dance teams continue to be a staple at these games. However, cheer and dance’s absence at girls games negatively impacts attendance and lowers recognition of the sports.

At Mira Costa, the cheer and dance teams cheer for all boys home football and basketball games, but do not cheer for girls basketball games, varsity dance team captain Lauren Goldston said.

Despite the fact that both games are usually at the same location and the boys’ game immediately follows the girls’ game, cheer and dance only attend boys basketball games.

In order for girls basketball to gain the same recognition and support as the boys, cheer and dance should attend girls’ home games.

The girls basketball team contacted Costa Principal Dr. Ben

La Vista

OPINION

January 25, 2019

Dale and Vice Principal Stephanie Hall last week to voice their opinion on the issue. Hall responded that she reached out to the cheer coach and sent their game schedule. Cheer and dance should absolutely be cheering for girls, according to varsity basketball player and junior Skylar Herdman. In this day and age, female athletes should not be treated as second best, Herdman said. The cheer and dance teams are meant to cheer for Mira Costa athletics,

“

In

this day and age female athletes should not be treated as second best.”

not just Mira Costa boys athletics. Almost all of the schools that Costa plays against have cheer present to cheer for both the boys and girls teams. It is only natural for female athletes at Costa to want the same.

According to varsity basketball player and senior Christine Garri-

Illustration by Natalee Park

son, cheerleaders and dance team members often show up halfway through girls basketball games, only with the intent to be early for the boys game. Both teams should receive equal treatment and should have a large audience. Considering the success of Costa’s girls basketball team as second in Bay League, the players deserve the same respect and recognition.

Cheer and dance should make adjustments for both teams because girls deserve the same support, as they have worked incredibly hard to do well during the season, Garrison said. It is a matter of principle that they should at least give recognition to the hardworking athletes who commit themselves to playing a sport. Additionally, attendance levels at the girls’ games may increase if they are given more attention because students are more inclined to attend if cheer and dance are there for support.

Recently, the cheer team attended both the girls and boys basketball games on Jan. 18.

However, cheering for both teams is physically exhausting and time consuming. Therefore, the best solution is for cheer and dance to alternate between games for boys and girls. The decision as to which games they attend is ultimately up to their coaches.

Moving forward, it would be in the best interest of both girls and boys basketball to split their games between dance and cheer.

Dance should attend a boys game while cheer goes to the girls, and the next game, they alternate who they cheer for. Alternating between games will ensure that both teams receive equal treatment and recognition.

efit in placing a cap on AP classes to two per year. Although many students are worried about the significant weight that AP classes have on a college application, colleges would be notified of Costa’s limit on APs, and AP exams aren’t required on applications.

While the board may disagree, students who decide to take AP or honors classes at Mira Costa should be able to make their own decisions in balancing their work load. Students should evaluate which AP classes are right for them, and they should have the right to challenge themselves academically. Although taking too many AP courses has the potential of negatively affecting students’ social emotional wellness, the benefits of taking AP courses outweigh the negatives, and students can always drop courses when the workload becomes too cumbersome. Students who take AP classes are highly attractive to colleges as they are prepared for the level of academic rigor they will experience in college. Colleges value the rigor of a student’s academic schedule and take each student’s high school courseload into account in the application process.

Students who plan to apply to selective universities will be at a disadvantage with the SEW commit-

tee’s recommendation. In order to compete with the hundreds of thousands of applicants from schools all across the country, many feel that it is imperative to take APs to maintain a competitive GPA. In addition to this, students who score highly on AP exams can receive credit for college courses, allowing them to save money and graduate faster.

According to a study conducted by the US Department of Education, the average time to earn a bachelor’s degree for students who had taken AP classes during high school was six months shorter than those who did not.

Changes in the limit of AP classes would handicap students who are capable of pushing themselves.

The increasingly competitive nature of the college application process has already enduced enough stress in the Costa student body, so why enforce a cap on courses in the first place? Instead, if SEW is concerned with students overloading on AP courses, they should focus on providing assistance for those students struggling in these courses by providing tutors or an easier way to transfer out of a course.

The committee should allow students to make their own decisions in regards to their schedule, as it will affect their preparedness for college and the future.

The Costa-tution Top Ten Ways you have failed your New Year’s resolutions: 10. You succumbed to the Pressed Juicery Buy 3, Get 3 Free nutmeg shots.

9. You hit the snooze button so many times, you missed hot yoga.

8. You are still having withdrawals from Snowglobe.

7. You just couldn’t resist getting three lattes during Office Hours.

6. You skipped meditation because you were scrolling through your feed.

5. You blocked Ashley for the fifth time.

4. You’re so much quicker in your new Yeezys and couldn’t resist heading straight to the bathroom stalls.

3. You removed your spirit coach from your favorites.

2. You couldn’t find your homework for a week because your new backpack has two zippers.

1. You realized psycho analyzing Dr. Shepard wasn’t actually a replacement for studying for your Psych test.

By: La Vista Staff

Illustration by Kareena Dhillon

6

La Vista

FEATURES

January 25, 2019

Junior Powell volunteers at local hospital to pursue her dream

ell volunteers at the hospital mens to labs and runs prescriptions to the and helps different depart- pharmacy, which are tasks that help build ments. She assists patients in the foundation for a successful nurse.

“I have always been interested in the labor and delivery room, same-day patients, Gastro- medicine and anatomy and in my seventerology (GI), discharges, enth grade science class I was really labs and she also runs er- into studying the human body,” Powrands throughout the hospital. ell said. “I am also a people person and “I love seeing the joy of the especially a kid person, so I wanted mother and father with their something that combines those things.”

While Powell is working her shifts at the new baby and being able t o hospital, she is able to interact with the pabring them out tients and make meaningful connections. into the Powell greets patients with smiles and gets sunto know them so that the hospital becomes light afa comfortable environment, Powell said. ter being in “I have seen so many videos on Instathe hospigram of nurses singing their patient’s fatal,” Powell vorite songs and how the patient has said. “They such a big smile on are so happy their face with their new and it baby and when makes I wheel them out, me so everyone conh apgratulates [them], Making a difference: Junior Mary Clare Powell poses with fellow volunteers Harry Kwon, Sarah Eisenberg, py,” Powwhich is such a Aaron Gill, and Faith Dietz. Powell discovered the program through her grandfather who also volunteered at the ell said. “I hope sweet moment.” hospital. Photo Courtesy of Mary Clare Powell that I could have The program that impact on paallows volunteers to work in diffor some people, but by getting beBy Sammy Miller tients when I’m ferent departments throughout the hind the scenes [at the hospital], I reSports Editor a nurse as well.” hospital.

Due to every department alized how under control and how Powell will particbeing so different, each one includes any students aspire to reach dream great they really are,” Powell said. ipate in the program a varying set of rules, that volunPowell’s grandfather is involved at professions, but one Costa juthroughout her nior in particular is making a change Little Company of Mary and introduced teers must learn, Powell said. junior and senior I llustrated B y C harlotte S amuels “Every Tuesday we meet in the throughout the community and carving her to the program. According to Powyear and wants to a path for herself in the medical field. ell, when the time came around to apply, program’s designated room and we pursue a career in nursing.

According to get call slips to run different errands in the Junior Mary Clare Powell applied for she jumped at the opportunity, knowPowell, she is very excited for the future different departments,” Powell said.

“When the volunteer program at Little Compa- ing that it would help her tremendously and to continue to learn in the program. you are finished with an errand you come ny of Mary Hospital in Torrance in Au- on her journey to becoming a nurse.

“A nurse has more interaction with the back to the room and wait for the next call “[For the] first few days, I was regust, and was selected alongside other patients rather than the doctors, so I would slip which explains what you need to do.”

South Bay students to work there. The ally intimidated because the hospital was be able to get more one-on-one interacPowell wanted to combine her love program gives students who are look- huge and I was concerned about finding ing to enter the field of medicine an op- my way around,” Powell said. “But, they of people, anatomy and the TV show, tions,” Powell said. “With a future in the portunity to develop their skills and have nice staff members and are very pre- “Grey’s Anatomy” into a future career medical field, I hope to learn very useful see what it is like to work in a hospital. pared and know what they are doing.” and she hopes this program helps her to skills, but more importantly spend my days Every Tuesday from 5-7 p.m, Pow- achieve this goal. Powell transports speci- being surrounded by and helping people.”

“Hospitals can be a very scary place

M

Sophomore Nahlinder receives Best Visual FX Award for his Short Film “Void” Nahlinder directed, wrote and edited “Void.” He is also the lead in the short film and experienced what it was like to star as an actor, while also beophomore Ethan Nahlinder ing in charge of how the story plays out. proves to student filmmak“It’s easy for me to create videos on my ers that their dreams are achievable own because I don’t have to ask anyone else after winning a filmmaking award. to be in it,” Nahlinder said. “For this parNahlinder took home the award for Best ticular project, the best part was probably Visual Effects for his short film “Void” while I was editing and putting the special at the All American High School Film effects shots together. It was amazing to see Festival in New York City in October. that what I imagined was able to come true.”

“I was first excited to know that I was The inspiration for Nahlinder’s short an official selection and my film would film came from YouTube, where he disbe screened and then excited again to covered a video of men injecting ink into a know that I was a finalfish tank and using the ink to create visuist,” Nahlinder said. “It als of different shapes and objects. was a shock to see my “There was a particular shot name in bold on the in the video that kind of festival’s website and looked like space to me and I was in awe to know they did something to that my film was make it open up like able to reach that a void,” Nahlinder kind of potential.” said. “After that, Nahlinder’s short I experimentfilm, “Void,” foed with those cuses on an askinds of effects tronaut from a for a while and parallel universe then wrote my script.” who travels to Nahlinder knew at a other worlds young age that he wanted a Illustrated By Charlotte Samuels through a void in career in filmmaking. The inspace. However, the astronaut must spiration for his endeavors came from his face the consequences of space travel. love of ground-breaking movies and award“I just read my storyboard over and vi- winning directors, such as Steven Spielberg. sualized how it looked in my head and saw “When I was seven years old, my dad what parts I should remove or add,” Nahl- was in his bedroom watching a movie,” inder said. “In the last parallel universe that Nahlinder said. “I walked in and saw him the character visits, he’s out of fuel and his watching Indiana Jones and I was comcounterpart is dead, so he might as well pletely mesmerized [and] I thought that take his counterpart’s place and start over.” was the pinnacle of storytelling and that

By Grace Dietz Arts Editor

S

In the Spot Light: Sophomore Ethan Nahlinder stars in his short film “Void.” He played multiple characters, including an astronaut who visited his other counterparts in different dimensions.

Photo Courtesy of Ethan Nahlinder.

moment was the starting point for me.”

Nahlinder experimented with special effects and created his own short clips in elementary and middle school. Since then, he has continued his passion for filmmaking in Costa’s Advanced Cinematic Arts class.

“The program here is really interesting because we’re diving into filmmaking styles that I never thought that I would pursue,” Nahlinder said. “[Teacher Michael] has really taught me to discover some new techniques to use that are clever and useful in the sense of storytelling.”

Nahlinder has sent his award-winning short film to various other film festivals,

such as the California Film Awards, the Sunscreen Film Festival, the Beach Cities Inspirational Film Festival and the SCREEN Student Film Festival, and he is waiting to hear back from them. For now, he plans on creating more short films in the years to come, including a public service announcement on drunk driving and texting.

“I’m making a list of different films that I want to make in the future before I graduate high school,” Nahlinder said.

“If you’ve got a dream you want to accomplish, just do it. There’s nothing holding you back. Pour your soul into everything and hopefully you’ll be successful.”

January 25, 2019

FEATURES

Mustangs on the big screen

La Vista 7

The Sheldon twins land roles in The book-based film, “The Secret” Peele’s upcoming thriller, “Us” features junior Sarah Hoffmeister ta Cruz during the first week of this school year for ten days.

By McKenzie Sussman “Filming for us was pretty cool, and it Staff Writer was really cool to meet celebrities because Noelle and I are just normal people,” Cali ira Costa junior Sarah Hoffmeissaid. “We were not only able to meet [the ter spreads positivity in her role actors], but we were also able to work as Missy Wells in the film, “The Secret.” with such talented and famous people.”

The film is based on a self-help The film focuses on the idea that peobook, “The Secret,” written by Rhonda ple are their own worst enemy. The plot Bryne. The film focuses on construcfollows the Wilson family, who arrive tive thoughts bringing joy into one’s home and see a family of masked figures life. The movie hopes to inspire peoin the driveway. It is later revealed that ple and spread the power of positivity. the figures are their doppelgängers. The “I’ve been trying to [be more posimovie will premiere in theaters nationtive] in every situation to adopt the ideas wide on March 22 by Universal Pictures. of the movie and to bring more positive “Acting is really nice because it things into my life,” Hoffmeister said. gives me a platform to share my ideas Andy Tennant directs “The Secret,” and with the people that watch the movthe film stars Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas, ie,” Noelle said. “The message of the Jerry O’Connell and Celia Watson. The movie is important to me, so it is nice film focuses on a single mom, Miranda that I am able to share the message.”

Wells, and her three children living in Peele worked with the Sheldons and New Orleans. Hoffmeister plays the oldest gave the twins in-depth direction, Noelle daughter named Missy Wells. The family is said. According to Cali, her and her twin struggling after their father died, but a man act because they believe it is a great way comes into their life and advocates posto meet people and itivity to the family. make new friends.

“When I first got “Everyone there [the part], I was was super friendly, so overand Jordan Peele whelmed was insanely nice with exand he is an accitement,” tual genius,” HoffmeisCali said. “To ter said. see him work was “I’ve been really cool, [and] he [to] so many was super nice to us and auditions and gethe [was] just like a regting this one was ular guy trying to make so exciting and I us feel comfortable.” was so grateful.”

Cali and Noelle are Hoffmeister started both unsure if they want acting when she was to pursue a career in acteight years old and ing in the future because she guest starred in they believe that it is a TV shows and comrisky business to enter. mercials. Hoffmeister Both plan on attending flew down to New Oruniversities, and Cali wants leans with her mom in to specialize in the bioNovember to film for medical engineering field. six weeks with other “I actually thought members of the cast. that I did not want to be an “[Filming in New actress before we got the Josie Collier/La Vista Orleans] was challengparts because I thought it ing sometimes. There would be too much work, but seewas a lot of rain and a lot of weather ing all of those [actors on set] as just difficulties and it was hard,” Hoffmeisregular people inspired me,” Cali said. ter said. “We had to push things off

M

By Josie Collier Executive Features Editor

J

uniors and identical twins Cali and Noelle Sheldon go from sitcom to horror after landing roles in Jordan Peele’s new psychological thriller movie, “Us.” The Sheldons began acting when they were only a year old in the sitcom “Friends” and played the role of Rachel and Ross’s daughter. The twins have been a part of student short films and other minor projects in the years since, but “Us” is the first major film that they have been a part of.

“We were treated equally [on set] as all of the other celebrities,” Cali said.

“We still got our own trailer and chairs.

It was cool because everyone always sees movies on TV but it is different to be in one than just to see one.”

Academy Award-winner Jordan Peele wrote and directed “Us,” and the movie stars award-winning actors Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss.

“I never really thought I could meet people like [Nyong’o, Duke and Moss] so it was a really cool experience,” Noelle said. “I didn’t want to mess up because they were watching so it was stressful, but in a good way.”

They filmed the movie in San-

Seeing Double: (From left) Juniors Cali and Noelle Sheldon are part of the Tyler family in the upcoming horror movie “Us.” The Sheldons began filming during the first week of this school year and the movie will be released on March 22, 2019. Photo Courtesy of Noelle Sheldon

GLAM SHOT: Junior Sarah Hoffmeister stars in the upcoming movie “The Secret.” Hoffmeister spent part of the school year filming in New Orleans with the cast and crew of the movie. Photo Courtesy of Sarah Hoffmeister and we had to work on the weekends.

There were just a lot of complications.”

Hoffmeister’s routine consisted of waking at six in the morning, and she immediately started filming all day until six each evening. She worked approximately 12 hours most days and became very close with all the other actors, Hoffmeister said. “[Being on set] was so much fun,” Hoffmeister said. “Everyone becomes a huge family. Even the crew and all the members become really close from working with each other all day every day, so it was so hard leaving everyone; I cried for hours.”

Hoffmeister loves how acting can inspire people and allows people to feel all kinds of emotions. Hoffmeister is uncertain about her future in acting because she must balance it with school, but she does want to major in business sciences in college. The film will be released in approximately six months to a year. “[After watching this film,] I hope people feel inspired and look at their life in a more positive way,” Hoffmeister said.

“Even in the hard times, I hope people try to be grateful and look on the bright side.”

8 La Vista

THEME

January 25, 2019

9

BluePrints for change Compiled By Karli Wallace/Executive theme editor, Emilee Ray/theme editor, Natalee Park/ Illustrator

Schedule Milestones Pacific Elementary School

December 2018

February 2019

June 2019

August 2019

Reviewed by District of State Architect Anticipated District of State Architect approval Construction begins

Expected construction completion

Grand View Elementary School July 2019

Reviewed by District of State Architect

November 2019

Anticipated District of State Architect approval

January 2023

Expected construction completion

April 2020

Construction begins

Mira Costa High School December 2018

February 2019

Reviewed by District of State Architect

Anticipated District of State Architect approval

June 2019

Construction begins

August 2019

Expected construction completion

MBUSD ratifies Indoor Air Quality Management Program for Measure C renovations, plans to provide safe HVAC systems for students, staff

M

anhattan Beach School District officials approved an Indoor Air Quality Managment Plan (IAQMDP) for the newly announced construction plans for Pacific Elementary, Mira Costa High School and Grand View Elementary during a Dec. 12 board meeting.

The IAQMP was initiated after the district and MBUSD families suffered from asbestos exposure in the Costa library and after multiple findings of mold in other MBUSD schools started having an effect on students’ health. According to action item D4 from the board meeting, the incidents highlighted the importance of attention to indoor air quality and other environmental concerns and will help the district to develop and sustain effective and comprehensive IAQ management programs or overall health and safety initiatives.

“We are sort of guinea pigs, but it’s part of the process,” Pacific Elementary School Principal Rhonda Steinberg said. “I was included in meeting with the architect and with the district office, and I also had parent and teacher input. The architect and district office took into consideration recommendations from them before finalizing any plans.”

Costa and the two elementary schools will receive their renovations as a part of Measure C, which Manhattan Beach voters approved on November 8, 2016. The measures will be implemented at all MBUSD schools by 2023, with renovations on each campus based on their individual needs, according to MBUSD. Specifically,

ROAMING THE HALLS: Action Item D1 from a MBUSD meeting on Dec. 12 shows a potential new look for hallways at Pacific Elementary School. Pacific will also recieve new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and will be the first elementary shool to receive modernization out of all MBUSD schools. Courtesy of MBUSD and LDR Group.

plans are intended to ensure highquality learning environments for students, including modern heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, repairs to roofs throughout the district, and other upgrades to electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, MBUSD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard said.

“We will do as much of the construction during summers as possible,” Murakawa-Leopard said. “Some construction, especially where the work is more extensive or involved, will take place during the school year, and in those cases we will work to do everything we can to minimize the impact to classroom instruction.”

The District’s IAQMP also enlisted the service of environmental consulting firms and remediation contractors. MBUSD hired consulting firms Alta Environmental, A-Tech Consulting and Environmental Network Corporation Inc. and remediation contractors American Technologies Inc. and Environmental Remediation Contractors, Inc. The consulting firms are responsible for identifying the locations of hazardous materials and developing plans to address those areas as needed. Through MBUSD, remediation contractors are to carry out the plans developed by the consulting firm. The consulting firms will monitor the remediation firm as they work, ensuring that they carry out the plan as written and

will conduct testing after the fact to make sure that there are no remaining hazardous materials, Dr. MurakawaLeopard said.

“The Indoor Air Quality Management Plan is designed to help us to make sure that we are providing healthy classroom environments for our students,” Murakawa-Leopard said. “These procedures and policies are to make sure that we are being as effective and proactive as possible in addressing any issues that arise, and that we are protecting the safety and wellbeing of our students.”

In addition to the plans concerning the hiring of consulting firms and remediation contractors, the IAQMP calls for additional measures of precaution in lieu of the newly announced modernization plans.

These precautions include building evaluations, walkthrough inspections, preventative maintenance, training and communication procedures to help MBUSD identify and address issues, and provides specific guidance related to hazardous materials, such as asbestos, lead, mercury, vehicle emissions, pest management, and the impact of plants and animals on indoor environments.

“I know with the companies hired to do demolition, MBUSD went through prior backgrounds and a variety of other information to make sure they were hiring the right people for the right job.”

MBUSD Student Representative and Associated Student Body Vice President Parker Lynch said.

MBUSD hired consulting firm ENCORP for approximately the last two years and they have been responsible for conducting Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act inspections for the district on MBUSD campuses by regulation, as well as aiding MBUSD in creating abatement plans. Earlier this year, ENCORP was responsible for producing reports in the aftermath of the asbestos exposure incident in Costa’s library in August.

“We had three rooms that were displaced due to mold problems this year,” Steinberg said. “A company, presumably ENCORP, came in after teachers were moved back into classrooms to ensure that they were safe. So, in that regard, I think we are looking pretty good.”

Other construction plans have been announced for Manhattan Beach Middle School in the summer of 2021, Meadows Elementary, Robinson Elementary, Manhattan Beach Preschool and Pennekamp Elementary in the summer of 2020.

MBUSD anticipates completion at Pennekamp in the fall of 2021 and Grand View in the winter of 2022-23.

“I try to put myself in the shoes of students, and I know that I wouldn’t want potientally contaminated dust in my classrooms,” Lynch said. “MBUSD is doing so much to prevent what happened in the library, and if I were the average student, I would feel safe.”

BLUEPRINTS FOR CHANGE: A blueprint of Mira Costa shows where HVAC rennovations will be taking place, according to action item D1 from MBUSD meeting on Dec. 12. The modernization of Costa’s campus was part of Measure C, which was passed by Manhattan Beach voters on November 18, 2016. Courtesy of MBUSD and DLR Group

Renovation plans Pacific Elementary School Upgraded fire alarm systems

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades Landscaping renovations

New ceiling tiles, sliding glass doors and windows, interior and exterior paint, flooring, window coverings and door hardware Repair exterior canopies and trim

Grand View Elementary School Demolish Ladera Campus and relocatable buildings New multi-purpose building

New two story administration building with ten additional classrooms New kindergarten campus, play field and Lower Campus parking lot Build two story, 12 classroom building Upgraded fire alarm systems

Mira Costa High School Roofing and flashing New heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the “finger” buildings

RAGS TO RICHES: Revisions of Grand View show the elementary school’s eventual gentrification of the former Ladera campus. The Ladera campus was open for nine years, 1980 to 1989, and served as an elementary school to children within MBUSD, which was’t founded until the 1990s. Courtesy of MBUSD and DLR Group

January 25, 2019

FEATURES

La Vista

10

January 25, 2019

SPORTS

La Vista

11

Boys basketball falls short 55-39 to the PV Sea Kings The Mustangs struggle against Palos Verdes, dropping to 4-3 this season in Bay League.

By Jade Trejo Online Sports Editor

D

espite a solid 9 point performance from junior Max McCalla, the Mustangs were no match for the Sea Kings.

Mira Costa’s boys basketball team lost to Palos Verdes High School, 55-39 in an away game on Tuesday.

“Our help defense just wasn’t there,” junior JD Sanchez said. “ We also needed to box out and grab more offensive and defensive rebounds.”

Both teams came out aggressive and passionate to start the game.

Photo by Drew Rohm The hostile environment in the Palos Verdes gym made for an intense start to the first quarter.

The Mustangs began the game with strong defense, but struggled with turnovers on offense, allowing the Sea Kings to capitalize on several fast break opportunities that resulted in points on the scoreboard. The first

quarter ended with Palos Verdes ahead of the Mustangs.

“I thought we played good, tough defense, but unfortunately we were just unable to knock down a lot of our shots,” junior Tyler Antrobious said.

Costa had a tough second quarter. Palos Verdes’ offense excelled and was able to repeatedly put points on the board. Costa rarely had possession of the ball and when they did, they failed to hit their shots.

Costa ended the quarter only scoring three points. Going into the half, Costa was down by a score of 27-12 and needed to make an offensive change to penetrate the Sea King defense.

“We were not hitting our shots and PV started to go on a run, and it left it very hard for us to come back,” senior Parker Lynch said.

After halftime, Costa’s offense finally started to click, with multiple shots falling from McCalla and senior Henry Householter. These baskets along with stronger defense were able to bring Costa back into the game. The Mustangs were also able to get offensive rebounds and steals which helped to decrease the chances of the Sea Kings scoring. By the end of the third quarter, the Sea Kings held onto a seven point lead, with a score of 38-31.

“We played good defense and began to hit some shots,” Antro-

SEA-KING VICTORY: Junior point guard Tyler Antrobius drives past a Sea Kings defender on Tuesday during an away game against Palos Verdes High School. The Mustangs were defeated by the Sea Kings 55-39 and are now 4-3 in Bay League. Photo by of Drew Rohm bious said. “It allowed us to make a little comeback.”

In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Costa’s offense was powerful, scoring almost every time they had possession of the ball. Baskets by McCalla helped the Mustangs crawl back, making it a three point game. As the quarter progressed, Palos Verdes’ offense grew stronger as well and began to dominate. Mustangs were able to find open shots, but just couldn’t execute.

Costa failed to keep up, and the game ended with the Sea Kings on top, 55-39.

“We just didn’t execute at the end of

the game and we couldn’t get our shots to fall,” Sanchez said. “We needed to crash the boards better as well.”

Mira Costa will next face off against Leuzinger at 7:30 pm tonight at Leuzinger High School. After losing to Palos Verdes, the Mustang’s record is now 15-9 overall and 4-3 in Bay League. They are looking to keep improving their record and level of play, Lynch said.

“We approach every game the same way no matter who the opponent is, so we will be prepared and fired up to get the win against Leuzinger,” Lynch said.

12 La Vista

SPORTS

Girls soccer wins in overtime against PV

By Tess Whittet Executive Sports Editor

O

vertime didn’t stop the Mustangs from giving up their goal of defeating Palos Verdes.

Mira Costa’s girls soccer team defeated Palos Verdes 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday at home. Freshman Sierra Sargent led the team with the first two goals of the game, which allowed Costa

to advance into overtime.

“I knew that Palos Verdes was going to be tough so we had to play catch up the whole game and the girls had to work overtime to catch up,” head coach Patty Perkinson said.

The Mustangs started out slow, allowing Palos Verdes to attack offensively. However, Costa became more aggressive as the game progressed and shut down Palos Verdes’s at-

BRUN-KICK: Senior Kayla Brunick passes the ball in the game on Tuesday against Palos Verdes. Costa won with a final goal by Brunick in overtime. Photo by Faith Bolin

StTeam a mRecords pe de S tats as of January 25 Sport

Win

Overall Loss

Boys Basketball

15

9

Girls Basketball Rugby

15

9

4

Boys Soccer

Tie

Streak

6

-

Lost 2

15

0

3

Won 7

Girls Soccer

16

-

Won 8

Girls Water Polo

11

2 7

-

Won 4

Lost 1 Lost 1

tempts to score a goal. Unfortunately, the Sea Kings were able to just slip past the Mustangs and score on a breakaway. Despite having two free kicks near the goal, Costa was unable to score, ending the half down 1-0 to the Sea Kings.

“The first half was a bit rocky,” junior Skye Davis said. “We weren’t making smart decisions or passes. We also weren’t expecting Palos Verdes to come out so [strong], but we got our game together the second half.”

Costa began the second half with a lot of energy, preventing Palos Verdes from forming any offensive attacks. The Mustangs aggressively pushed their way toward the goal, where they were able to cross the ball into the middle and score their first goal of the game. Palos Verdes quickly reacted with a goal of their own, causing Costa to be down again, 2-1. The Mustangs were able to tie the game 2-2 at the end of the second half.

“I thought that second half went well because we

had a chance to talk to the girls and tell them that they needed to stick tighter to the other team and not give them any room to shoot because their strategy was through balls the whole time, so we shut them down,” Perkinson said.

Costa went into the first overtime after scoring their second goal. Overtime didn’t last long as Costa senior Kayla Brunick scored the final goal in the first 30 seconds of overtime, ending the game with a Costa win.

“Going into overtime, I was just thinking I need to get my teammates focused and ready to play as hard as we could to win,” Brunick said.

The Mustangs, now 6-0 in Bay League, played on Thursday against Peninsula. The results were not available at the time of publication. “[We need to improve on] taking each game one game at a time because right now we only have two more league games, and we need to concentrate on each game one at a time,” Perkinson said.

The Rundown Girls basketball fell to Palos Verdes 20-54 on Tuesday in an away game .

The girls are 4-3 in Bay League.

Girls water polo defeated Palos Verdes 12-6 at home on Wednesday and are undefeated in Bay League.

Boys soccer remains undefeated after 2-0 victory

By Rachel Rosen Staff Writer

B

oys soccer kicked up another win, continuing their undefeated record in Bay League.

Costa faced off against Peninsula High School on January 18. Senior Max Haber and junior Alex Rieg both scored goals, bringing the Mustangs to a 2-0 victory at home.

“The team played super well,” Haber said. “We have great team chemistry and understand how to play well together. It was a great win and further boosted our confidence going into these last few games of Bay League.”

The Mustangs came out full speed, having the majority of the possession in the first half. A few minutes into the game the ball was thrown in to Haber. He dribbled across the box and

scored with a shot to the far post, giving Costa the lead.

“I was super excited to score the first goal of an important game and give the team momentum,” Haber said.

As the time was winding down in the first half, Costa had a throw in near the box.

The ball was thrown into Rieg’s feet, and he shot the ball in the back of the net.

The second half ended 2-0.

“It always feels good to score but especially to help the team and keep us on the strong foot,” Rieg said.

As the second half began, Costa continued to high-press Peninsula. Both teams had few chances to score, even though the Mustangs had the majority of the possession.

“I think that we had a pretty good game and possessed well, which really frustrated Peninula’s team,” Rieg said.

As the second half

went on, Costa continued to create chances to score, but never closed on these chances. The game ended in a 2-0 victory for the Mustangs.

“In my opinion, we dominated the majority of the game,” Haber said. “Our only real weakness was not converting all of our chances. It could have been 3 or 4-0 instead of 2-0.”

The Mustangs are currently in first place in Bay League with an undefeated season so far.

The team took on Palos Verdes High School on Tuesday, winning 1-0.

“The team did a really good job of defending everywhere on the field no matter what position,” senior defendor Malcom Kluth said.

GOING FOR THE GOAL: Junior James Riker dribbles down the field on January 18 against Peninsula. Costa won 2-0 and remain in first place in Bay League. Photo by Saul Droutman

January 25, 2019

T O P P E R F O R M E R S

Senior Zach Cochran Boys Soccer Cochran saved six goals on Tuesday against Palos Verdes at Palos Verdes High School.

Junior Ashley Naylor Girls Soccer Naylor saved more than six shots on Tuesday against Palos Verdes in a home game.

Senior Lucas Hobbs Boys Basketball Hobbs scored seven points on Tuesday at Palos Verdes against the Sea Kings.

Senior Nicole Matsumoto Girls Basketball Matsumoto scored eight points on Monday against Crossroads at home.

Junior Leigh Lyter Girls Waterpolo Lyter scored three goals on Wednesday in a home game against Palos Verdes.

14 La Vista

January 25, 2019

ARTS

‘B.A.T. State II’ inspires viewers with a feminist approach to printmaking

By Grace Dietz Executive Arts Editor

T

he “B.A.T. State II” exhibit at The South Bay Contemporary SoLA Gallery in Los Angeles explores various styles of printmaking and provides artists with the chance to rebel against traditional rules seen throughout the printing business.

“B.A.T. State II” which stands for “Bon à Tirer,” a phrase meaning “good to go” in French, is a must-see exhibit that incorporates a feminist perspective through interpretive artwork.

The gallery impresses viewers with unique and dynamic pieces portraying strong messages on feminism by female artists.

Organized by Anita Bunn and Francesco Siqueiros, “B.A.T. State II” is an expanded version of “B.A.T.,” a group exhibition that took place in 2013 and included 21 female artists. The current exhibit includes artwork from 34 female artists and focuses on the different forms of modern and traditional printmaking, an art process of image production onto different types of paper.

Bunn and Siqueiros assisted and advised the artists in creating the pieces seen in the gallery. El Nopal Press, Siqueiros’ fine art print business, printed all of the pieces in the exhibit.

According to SBC SoLA Ex-

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE EQUALITY: The first piece of the combined set titled, “Women do not owe you their time or conversation”, by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, advocates for women’s fight to be treated equally. The second piece, “Stop Telling Women to Smile,” depicts a woman taking a stand against stereotypes. Photos by Grace Dietz. ecutive Director Peggy Sivert Zask, “B.A.T. State II” promotes artwork that goes against the fundamental attributes of traditional prints, as the artists utilized objects and techniques not traditionally seen in modern prints, such as drawings and photocopies. The artwork proves to viewers that breaking the rules of traditional printmaking can be a positive thing when it comes to making creative pieces.

Of the 45 pieces included in

the gallery, there is no predetermined theme that the exhibit focuses on, although many artists chose to center their pieces around the topic of feminism.

Some prints consist of abstract shapes while others are realistic drawings or are created with objects, like trash bags or different pieces of paper.

According to Executive Director Sivert, women are often overlooked in the printing and artwork industry. However, the gallery’s focus on female art-

ists allows viewers to recognize what women have to offer when creating sensational artwork.

The inclusion of extraordinary prints by female artists inspires female attendees and advocates for women to have a bigger role in the art industry today.

The two-piece print entitled “Stop Telling Women to Smile,”

by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, illustrates the idea that women are more than their appearance. The phrases “Women do not owe you their time or conversation” and

“Stop telling women to smile” are written on the prints below drawings of strong, independent women of color who stare directly into the viewer’s eyes.

These pieces align with the overall message seen throughout the exhibit, as their serious faces depict their readiness to promote the topic of feminism in a modern society and fight for equality for women.

“Tag Bag,” created in 2011 by Susan Bolles, instantly catches viewers’ attention. The print depicts a trash bag that appears to have been put in a copier machine and reproduced. The unusual but captivating image created by the printing of the bag strives to show viewers the different ways to make interpretive prints in a nontraditional way.

“TMI (For Love or For Money)” by Susan Silton causes viewers to question their ethical and moral beliefs on love and money. With the question “For Love or For Money?” written on the piece, viewers are challenged to decide if their love or their money holds more value.

Viewers should definitely make the journey to downtown Los Angeles and see the exhibit before it closes next month.

“B.A.T. State II” will be at SoLA until Feb. 9 and the gallery is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit southbaycontemporary.org.

ARTS

January 25, 2019

La Vista 15

‘A Dog’s Way Home’ moves viewers to tears with its heartfelt storyline Viewers follow the intense and emotional journey of a lost dog named Bella

By Mckenzie Sussman Staff Writer

H

eart-wrenching and emotional, “A Dog’s Way Home” is a must-see story about a dog’s journey to make it back home to her best friend.

“A Dog’s Way Home” is both touching and extremely heartfelt, reminding viewers of the unwavering loyalty shared be-

Illustrations by Natalee Park

tween humans and dogs and of the importance of a man’s best friend. The dog named Bella, traveling hundreds of miles to find her owner, faces many challenges and makes genuine friendships along the way, taking the viewer on an emotional roller coaster filled with endless laughs and tears.

“A Dog’s Way Home” stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Bella, Jonah Hauer-King as Lucas, Ashley Judd as Lucas’s mom Terri and Alexandra Shipp as Lucas’s friend, Olivia. Charles Martin Smith directed the film, and W. Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon wrote the screenplay.

Based on the best selling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, “A Dog’s Way Home” illustrates the incredible and special bond between Bella and her owner, Lucas. Lucas finds Bella on a street in Colorado as a puppy and takes her to live with him at his house. Soon after, Bella is separated from Lucas because of the state’s zero tolerance policy on pit bulls and finds herself on an ambitious 400-mile journey to

make it back to her safe, loving home with Lucas.

The film tackles serious issues such as the abandonment of animals, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in veterans and homelessness. It perfectly addresses the significance and seriousness of these topics, making the film valuable to viewers. The movie shows how dogs can positively affect war veterans and the lives of homeless people. It also depicts how dogs play an emotional and important role in veterans’ recovery and life improvement.

Each friendship Bella makes along her challenging journey is so pure and precious and allows viewers to form an attachment to the dog. Every time Bella has to leave her newest animal friend behind, it creates a painful separation for the two characters and the audience, keeping the viewer emotionally engaged and on the edge of their seats.

The vibrant and picturesque scenery immediately captivates viewers. Bella’s journey takes her through the breathtaking

Rocky Mountains and unique forests along the way, and the film captures the extraordinary views. Filmed in locations across western Canada, including Vancouver and Ladner, British Columbia, “A Dog’s Way Home” impresses viewers with the quality of the outdoor scenes.

Along Bella’s journey, she encounters a baby cougar who becomes her companion. The baby cougar is entirely comContrary to what some viewputer generated, yet still looks ers believe, “A Dog’s Way extremely authentic and real. Home” is not related to the simThe special effects are highly ilar movie “A Dog’s Purpose,” impressive and give the illusion which was released in 2017. that a real cougar was used to This movie, however, is superifilm the movie. or to “A Dog’s Purpose” due to The bond that Bella and Lucas the cinematography and overall share from when they first meet better plot. acts as the motivation for the “A Dog’s Way Home” is a story. Many viewers share an touching, memorable film poramazing and unique bond with traying unconditional love and their dog and the relationship compassion. The story illusbetween Lucas and Bella is no trates the adventures of ownexception. The sensational and ing a dog and all the humor, sentimental relationship includ- drama and emotion that come ed in the film allows viewers to with Bella’s monumental and relate to Bella and Lucas and action-packed journey. have empathy for their heart“A Dog’s Way Home” is rated breaking situation.

PG and was released on Jan. 11 in theaters nationwide.

16 La Vista

ARTS

January 25, 2019

New Year, New Me!

La Vista takes a look at three popular and quality gyms in the South Bay community just in time for the most popular New Year’s resolution: getting in shape.

COMPILED BY SKYLAR JONES/ARTS EDITOR, LINNEA WEE/SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

24 -Hour FItness wins

losses

✻ Locations in Hermosa and Manhattan Beach ✻ Always an opportunity for equipment use ✻ Friendly and helpful staff ✻ Affordable: the regular membership is $50 per month ✻ Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

✻ Parking structure is compact and overcrowded ✻ Isolated location ✻ No racquet ball court ✻ Equipment is sometimes dirty or broken ✻ Locker rooms are not routinely cleaned ✻ Pool is unsanitary and looks dirty

“The gym equipment is in good shape and if there is damage, it’s usually fixed in the next day or two.”

Members on the24 Hour Fitness’s ellipticals. Courtesy of Facebook.

-Bailey Borowsky (11)

=Equinox wins ✻ High quality equipment ✻ Modern design and layout ✻ Enthusiastic and hard-working staff ✻ Luxury spa with professionally trained masseuses ✻ Wide variety of athletic and motivational instructors

“My favorite part of Equinox is the friendly employees. They know everyone’s name and never forget to greet you when you’re coming or leaving the gym.”

-Abbey Allen (10)

Bay Club

Equinox

24 Hour Fitness

24 Hour Fitness, Equinox and Bay Club’s locations are all within five miles of each other, which is perfect for South Bay residents. Courtesy of Google.

Bay club Wins ✻ Social spot for residents of Manhattan Beach ✻ Offers two basketball courts, a racquet ball court and a swimming pool ✻ Accommodating staff ✻ Offers family membership at $340 per month and individual at $170 ✻ Healthy food choices offered in Cafe Vida

Losses ✻ Parking spaces are small and compact ✻ Gym is often overcrowded ✻ Limited to no parking spaces ✻ Mats and weight machines need to be cleaned and updated

losses

One of the best features of Equinox is the swimming pool. Courtesy of Equinox Wesbite.

✻ Regular membership is $170 per month ✻ Overpriced workout apparel in retail shop ✻ Traffic near entrance because of proximity to freeway

Bay Club members play against each other in a one-on-one basketball game in one of the two basketball courts. Courtesy of Bay Club.