The Point, Issue 3, Volume 26 - December 10, 2021

THE

POINT

PALOS VERDES HIGH SCHOOL - ISSUE 3, VOLUME 26 - DECEMBER 10, 2021

Seniors Stomp at 2021 Class Comp

The Return of Ramirez

By Aidan Sun editor-in-chief

As the first semester comes to a close, a new face has stepped into the principal’s office here at Palos Verdes High School. Dr. Trista Ramirez began her term as interim principal on Nov. 29 taking over for Carter Paysinger, hoping to oversee the remainder of a successful 2021-22 school year.

Unlike Paysinger, however, Ramirez is no stranger to the PVHS campus and the Palos Verdes community. After graduating from Cal State Dominguez, Ramirez began her work as a school counselor at Palos Verdes Intermediate School (PVIS) more than two decades ago in 1999. Since then, she’s continued serving PVPUSD as a counselor at Ridgecrest Intermediate School, principal of PVIS and associate principal and head of counseling at PV High.

During her time at PVHS, Ramirez worked to open the wellness center, something uncommon at the time for high schools in the South Bay. She also worked to improve the counseling department and the college and career center (CCC).

For the last few years, Ramirez took a step back from on-campus administration to work as the district’s Coordinator for Student Mental Health and Support.

“I worked directly with the counseling programs, [grades] 6-12, about how we are supporting students’ mental health and wellness,” Ramirez said. “[I] also worked with student support specialists, our schoolbased therapists, on the programs that they deliver oncampus. I oversaw a lot of other things at the district office [too]

By Lucia Ruiz features editor Students excitedly file into the gym. Posters scatter the walls and members of ASB set up the games. After over a year without a class competition (comp), Sea Kings are restless for school spirit.

“Class comp is when we get the entire school together, usually in the gym and students sit in their classes and they are assigned colors and we’re decked out in those colors,” ASB director Jama Maxfield said.

“Then we compete in various games to try to win ‘Best Class.’

Teachers come down. They perform or do some of the games and it’s just a fun thing to get everybody in one spot.”

Everyone, staff member or student, can enjoy class comp.

“I think the goal of class comp is to get the entire school involved in trying to do something with their class and create some sort of fun memory,” Maxfield

said.

Class comp was yet another activity that had to be postponed due to COVID-19 and the student body felt the repercussions.

“I don’t think we all felt very connected with our school,” ASB Commissioner of Spirit and Athletics Danielle Fullerton said. “We kind of just felt like we were doing our own thing. Like half of the school are complete strangers. It’s a weird feeling.”

However, there are still silver linings within this cancelling situation. “[Now] I think everyone is really eager to participate because we haven’t been on campus for the past 18 months,” Fullerton said. “I think it’s going to be really fun.”

Now that class comp is back, students in ASB had to meticulously plan everything that went into the event.

“The ASB Spirit Commissioners will put together a list of games and ideas and then the presidents and vice presidents of every class go out and they’re

supposed to recruit people to do the games and explain the games so that they know what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, what they need to wear, et cetera,” Maxfield said. “And then that’s really it. Then we go over it with ASB and make changes if something won’t work or if we think we can’t do that game, that’s too dangerous or whatever.

We usually try to do it around some sort of a theme. So the first one is usually holiday-based since it’s in December.”

This year, the games chosen were Battle of the Exes, Finish the Lyric, Human Tic Tac Toe and One Item in the Trash Can​​​.

“After quarantining and being in lockdown for so long, it was fun to be with the entire school and see everyone’s faces,” junior and song team member Caeden Kim said. “My favorite part was performing with Song because I’ve never performed at class comp before.”

Although the seniors won, all classes participated and had fun.

related to basically what would be called student services [like] attendance, discipline, other support services for parents and coordinating a lot of those activities and then some.”

Ramirez appreciated her time spent working within other schools and at the district offices. After getting her master’s degree from Loyola Marymount University and doctorate from the University of Southern California, she used what she learned to work extensively to implement wellness programs, crisis response and improved college counseling.

“I actually wrote my dissertation at USC on student mental health, and mental health and wellness programs in high-performing school districts and best practices for administrators,” Ramirez said.

“When I moved to the district office it was an opportunity for me to work district-wide to put some programs and practices in place.”

Despite her success at the district, however, Ramirez missed working directly with students and teachers and is happy to return, although temporarily, to PVHS. “I’m excited to be back,” Ramirez said. “[PVHS] is a place that I consider my home and I spent a lot of my career here so just being able to come back and help and provide support to the teachers and the staff and the students and the families [is] really something I’m excited to do.”

Outside of work, Ramirez enjoys cooking, gardening, reading and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

She will remain as principal until June with a permanent principal set to be chosen by the district before the 2022-23 school year.

(Photo by Aidan Sun)

NEWS

Parents React To Future Vaccine Mandate

By Ayla Torres reporter District board members continue to adjust their COVID-19 protocols and mandates for students.

The PVPUSD vaccine clinics are eligible for students aged 5 to 11, and are now available with four dates and a thousand available appointments. The board has also lifted the requirement to wear masks outdoors.

Emily Wilcox, a parent of a PVPUSD student, expressed her gratitude for lifting this mandate at a recent school board meeting.

“I wish I had a video of how excited my daughter was when I shared the news with her,” Wilcox said. “Since then I’ve actually had the chance to see her teacher’s face for the first time across campus and these things are small but they’re meaningful.”

Wilcox also expresses her

stance on the vaccine becoming mandatory in the near future for PV students.

“The decision of whether or not to vaccinate should be between the parents, the children and their own doctor,” Wilcox said.

Despite some parents within PVPUSD being against the vaccine soon being mandatory, many are in support of vaccinating their children for the sake of continuing in-person schooling and preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Wei Wong, parent of two PVPUSD-attending students, expressed her support in the vaccination of students.

“I want my children to be able to stay at school with zero interruption from [COVID-19] and at some point to be able to not wear a mask the whole day and wash their hands over and over,” Wei said.

“I have no problem if we add [a] vaccine on the yellow immunization card. Look [in] the

past, we won the battle over polio and smallpox because of vaccine mandates. We also brought back measles because we let the antivaxxers do whatever they want.

I’m glad that Dr. Cherniss and the [board] are going to follow the state mandate. That is the only way to keep everyone safe in my opinion. I [hope] their stances on this issue won’t change over time and pressure. I personally do not want my children to be in the same room with an unvaccinated person.”

The arguments about whether to vaccinate children or not is rather polarizing; all stances on the matter are being deeply considered by the PVPUSD school board.

The newest variant, Omicron, raises an urgent concern in the medical field to encourage more people to receive the vaccine. T heir stress on the importance of taking necessary precautions against the unknown harms of the newest variant is prominent.

Annual Painted Turtle Walk Returns

(Graphic by Chloe Choi)

Celebrating Human Rights at PVHS

By Naomi Gan reporter

Students walk around Sea King Park in 2019 to raise money for The Painted Turtle organization (Photo courtesy of Caroline Secrist)

By Ella Sherry web editor National Honor Society, also known as NHS, is a program at PV High that recognizes students with achievements in scholarship, character, service and leadership.

One of NHS’s main activities throughout the year is putting on the Painted Turtle Walk.

This year, the walk is being held on Dec. 12, in Sea King Park.

“It’s our sixteenth annual walk,” senior and NHS Board President Brianna Kunich said.

“Whoever signs up gets a free T-shirt and then it has all [of the walk’s] sponsors on the back. We walk around Sea King Park, listen to music, there’s food, there’s

games, there’s drinks.”

NHS sponsors The Painted Turtle, an organization that runs a camp for chronically ill children.

“The Painted Turtle is a camp in Los Angeles County that supports sick children, and allows them the opportunity to have a camp experience,” English teacher and NHS advisor Caroline Secrist said.

“The campgrounds are by Lake Hughes, and it’s set up to handle [medicational needs] that sick students might have.

They’re able to go up there for a week, surrounded by other kids that have the same health complications that they have, and they’re able to continue their treatment, and have fun and forget that they’re sick for a

Editors-in-Chief Alycen Kim Aidan Sun Adviser Cynthia Mindicino

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while.”

The Painted Turtle Walk isn’t the only service activity that NHS does throughout the school year.

“For just the basic involvement, students are asked to do ten hours of community service per semester and then our group community service project of the year, The Painted Turtle Walk,” Secrist said.

“We do tutoring throughout the year sometimes,” Kunich said.

“I really like being able to meet new people because I wouldn’t have been able to before,” Kunich said. “But now, being in this organization with them, it’s definitely brought me closer. You get to meet new people and do service opportunities like our Painted Turtle Walk.”

Dec. 10 marks the United Nations International Human Rights Day. Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 while celebrating advancements in human rights and igniting new fights against global injustices.

Cultural performances, educational events, public meetings and seminars are held on this day to promote human rights. This year, the worldwide celebration will be extended to the Sea King community as well.

The PVHS Human Rights Coalition, which includes CARE, GSA, BSU and PVOW, are hosting an Orange Ribbon Week from Dec. 6-10 on campus in commemoration of the holiday.

“We use this week to celebrate the diversity of different peoples and cultures and bring light to the fight for social justice on campus and in our country,” said CARE co-president Will Sasaki.

“This year every club has a day where they are going to host a fun meeting or event to highlight different peoples.”

Besides taking part in Orange Ribbon Week, there are a multitude of ways students can become involved

Editors & Leadership News: Vikesh Dheeriya Features: Lucia Ruiz Opinion: Amber Chen Sports: Jonathan Liu Design: Andrew Carpenter

Photography: Sierra Namvari Online: Ella Sherry Social Media: Kelly Donahue and Reddin Kehrli

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(Graphic by Aidan Sun) in advancing human rights and equality.

“Examine your own privilege and biases and educate yourself on the struggles and perspectives of marginalized people,” CARE co-president Camila Jongsma said.

Students can find organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) or the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to learn about current issues and find ways to contribute to mitigating these issues.

“It is vital to be aware of social issues which are prevalent in your community by staying up to date with current events and researching prevalent topics using reliable sources,” Jongsma said.

“Most importantly you can change your own attitudes and treat everyone with compassion and understanding regardless of their differences to encourage a more empathetic humanity.”

Staff Luka Ardon, Chloe Choi, Isabella Firmani, Naomi Gan, Quinn Kearns, Eva Mayrose, Victoria Nolan, Aaron Paik, Meeka Rahimi, Sophie Stoddart, Ayla Torres, Natalie Wang

Follow us on Instagram! @pvhspoint

DECEMBER 10, 2021

NEWS

Mammoth Mountain Re-Opens Slopes

By Isabella Firmani reporter Toward the end of summer, Mammoth Mountain set a tentative opening date for Nov. 13. Though this time of mid-November is typical for when skiers and snowboarders should expect the ski lifts to start running for the winter season, things were a bit different this year.

The Mammoth Lakes area was hit with many heavy storms earlier than expected, which brought quite a bit of fresh powder to the mountains with them (18 inches to be exact). As this weather and snowfall continued, a decision was made to open the mountain two weeks earlier.

Just a little over a month ago, on Oct. 29, Mammoth celebrated its opening day with its annual banner breakthrough at Broadway Express. This was one of only nine other times that Mammoth had ever opened in October.

The ski resort has been up and running for a number of weeks now, however, more runs are expected to open later on in the season as they continue to receive more snow.

Junior Mafi Corral is one student who visited Mammoth in late November with a few of

Snowboarders descend Mammoth Mountain (photo courtesy of Mafi Corral) her friends. While talking to her about her time on the mountain, she mentions “there were only five or six lifts open, but it snowed the week before we went so the snow was surprisingly good.”

She adds, however, that “because it was around sixty-five degrees in the day, the snow did turn a bit icy at the top of the runs and slushy at the bottom of the

runs toward the end of the day.”

Weather reports predicted that this season would be one with record-level snowfall, sparking excitement for all of Mammoth’s annual visitors, yet, with no snow on the forecast for the following weeks and temperatures in the high fifties, recent weather reports expect otherwise.

While there have been some

students who already took their trips up to Mammoth, Winter Break is only a few weeks away and is a time many Sea Kings use to travel up north to hit the slopes. This year more than ever, getting up to the mountain as soon as possible may be the way to go for those looking to experience the fresh snow this season.

Senior Jake Danon went to Mammoth over Thanksgiving break and commented on this.

“The snow is definitely limited,” Danon said. “Some runs are harder than others because there are exposed rocks, but the snow machines are on so if you do go up soon, it should still be a great experience.”

Parking Causes a “Lot” of Problems

Campus Supervisor Olivia Carrasquillo patrols the parking lot.

(Photo by Andrew Carpenter)

By Andrew Carpenter design editor Upperclassmen are faced with many stresses of life, college apps, school and, most surprisingly, parking?

From new drivers packing the lot and taking up every open spot as the year goes on, to erratic new drivers and poorly designed ramps, the parking situation at PVHS has become a headache for many.

Senior Reese Tillson has noticed that as the year has gone on, there are less and less spots to park. This is due to new drivers getting their licenses during the year. More students are getting their licenses but the number of parking spaces remains the same.

“Some days when I don’t arrive early enough there are no spaces to park,” Tilson said.

“This leads to me parking by the baseball field or off campus and walking to school and becoming tardy. I don’t think that it is right for sophomores to drive to school. There is not enough parking for everyone to park and they are more reckless drivers than upperclassmen.”

DECEMBER 10, 2021

Security guard Olivia Carrasquillo has worked at PVHS for six years, and she has seen these issues firsthand.

“I think that sophomores should not drive to school,” Carrasquillo said. “They want to be cool but they are the worst drivers.

They are more likely to recklessly speed and get into unnecessary accidents.”

Carrasquillo has dealt with several parking lot crashes this year, most of which were caused by sophomores.

“One kid side swiped a whole row of cars to fit in the lot and park where he is not supposed to park,” said Carrasquillo.

This shows a lack of driving experience and awareness that you gain as you become a more experienced driver.

Sophomore Michael Mackiewicz feels that sophomores have every right to drive to school.

“I think sophomores should be able to drive because once they’ve passed the test,” Mackiewicz said.

“They’ve proved that they are responsible enough to be able to drive.

It is a lot easier on parents as they don’t have to take us to school and instead only have to worry about younger siblings.”

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FEATURES

Top Albums of 2021

By Luka Ardon reporter This year was packed with new music from many different genres and artists. But I will be looking at what I believe were the most talked about albums of 2021 and ranking them.

The albums I thought had the biggest impact on pop culture were Sour by Olivia Rodrigo, Planet Her by Doja Cat, Donda

by Kanye West, Certified Lover Boy by Drake and Montero by Lil Nas X. To start, at the bottom of the list is Certified Lover Boy. In my opinion, this album is nothing special.

The only highlights of the album are “Way 2 Sexy” and “Knife Talk.” All the other songs sound and feel the same. Drake raps about nothing interesting and there is nothing unique about this album.

The features on this album are either way better than Drake. His album is just filler for the three songs with features that are only listenable because of the guest artist.

In my opinion, Sour is also very boring. However, I think the biggest highlight is the song “Deja Vu.” The production and unique sound of “Deja Vu” are great. It gives a break from

just listening to Rodrigo’s voice because there are no features, but the guitar and drums take a little of the spotlight and it’s great.

Not to say the music isn’t good throughout the album; the guitar and drums are the best part of the album but they especially shine through in “Deja Vu.” 30 is a very interesting album.

The listener can hear what the theme of this album is very clearly, which, simply put, is heartbreak. In my opinion, the highlight of this album is “Woman Like Me.” This song is directed towards Adele’s ex-husband and the emotional turmoil of her divorce.

But most of the other songs are misses for me. I appreciate how professional this album is and how good Adele’s vocals are, but this is just not for me.

Planet Her is very surprising.

There are so many hits on the album like “Woman,” “Payday,” “Get Into It,” “Need to Know,” and “Kiss Me More.”

These songs are hits for a reason: they are catchy. It’s not a long album and none of the songs are skip-worthy. The hits are all over the album and keep you engaged.

The only downside is although it is a montage of good songs, there is no overarching theme to the album. So, this album is just

Personality or Placebo?

By Sierra Namvari photo editor Our generation has created new ways to understand and categorize people’s personalities based on just tests or birthdays. While some people do not believe in zodiac signs or MBTI types, other people mold their personalities around these judgments on their character.

Zodiac signs include sun, rising and moon signs. Your sun sign represents your personality.

Rising sign is how you appear to other people. Moon sign is how you react emotionally on the inside.

“Personally, I’m a Gemini and that says a lot about me. I think it’s cool to know your sign because, for example, your moon sign shows your emotional side and that’s cool to know about other people and it tells us about them,” junior Grace Gulcher said.

“I’m an Aries, and I heard they are an angry sign,” junior

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good.

MONTERO was very well done. The album starts off with the song “MONTERO (Call Me

By Your Name).” Listeners do not expect the last five songs to be filled with so much emotion.

The transition of the songs in the beginning to the end is seamless.

I believe that the last five songs are the highlights. Lil Nas X proved his musical talent with these songs. And, of course, “MONTERO” and “INDUSTRY BABY” are mega hits.

This album has it all: the popular hits, songs that prove how great Lil Nas X‘s vocals are and an amazing theme.

Donda, in my opinion, is the best album of the year. It has all the components of an album of the year. It has the mainstream songs like “Off the Grid,” “Hurricane,” “Praise God’’ and “Moon.” It contains a combination of church music and West’s older music.

West puts so much emotion into this album, which is clearly shown in “24” and “Come to Life.”

But it has its faults with the unnecessary second parts of songs and some songs that don’t go along with the theme of the album.

Overall this album is levels above any album of this year that I have listened to.

30 Rating - 7/10

Sour Rating - 7.1/10

Montero Rating - 8.1/10

Planet Her Rating - 7.1/10

Certified Lover Boy Rating 4.2/10 (Illustrations by Chloe Choi)

Friend, Mentor, Custodian: Shawn Kim

By Victoria Nolan reporter

Brynn Ottolia said. “I don’t feel like I am, but by the way I make decisions and maybe react to things, I can tell how I might relate to an Aries.”

There are also 16 MBTI personality types. Each one represents a different group of people, based off of a test. In the simplest of terms, they categorize people into traits of leaders, artistic, enthusiastic, creative, smart, organized, entertaining, shy, caring and many more.

“I believe in the MBTI test a lot,” Ottolia said. “I’m an ENFJ, which makes a lot of sense with my personality.”

Donda Rating - 8.5/10

It’s easy to forget how much it really takes to keep a school in shape. Between PV High’s wellkept campus and overall positive community, it’s important to keep in mind that these things don’t just happen. With an inspiring backstory, stellar work ethic, and beautiful view on life, custodian Shawn Kim is an incredibly valuable member of the Palos Verdes community.

Kim has come a long way to be where he is now.

“I left my country away from my parents when I was twelve years old, so I didn’t know what the outside world was like,” Kim said. “I escaped from Cambodia to Thailand and I came to the United States in 1990. Then in 2001 Palos Verdes High School reopened, and I’ve worked here to this day.”

The physical work of a janitor is demanding and often overlooked.

English teacher and soccer coach, Derek Larkins, expresses how vital Kim’s work is to the school.

“Hopefully he’s given a little more visibility to some of my colleagues and some of the people I teach with who overlook what actually makes this school happen… which is what happens at night- otherwise it would just be chaos here,” Larkins said.

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“He’s cleaning the bathrooms, he’s getting stuff set up for the sporting events...he does a lot of what people don’t see.”

Even with all this work, Kim finds immense gratitude and joy in coming to school every day.

The delightful environment and opportunity to help others fulfills him.

“Where I came from I never saw anything like this beautiful, beautiful school,” Kim said. “I get to see kids grow up every day and there’s a lot of PV sports so I really enjoy my job. School just makes me very happy. And It does not matter what my job is- I just try to do the best I can to help kids, staff, and parents.”

Outside of work Kim spends his time collecting coins, working around the house, and being with his family.

He has a twentysix year old daughter and a twenty-four year old son.

“If I have time I take my family shopping at the mall. Now I have my

granddaughter and take care of her on the weekends,” Kim said.

Possibly Kim’s most admirable asset is his joyful energy and wise soul. Larkins expresses how wonderful it is to work with him.

“It’s uplifting. Seeing him makes my day because he’s always positive and he’s always excited; especially when it’s soccer season. Like he’s so excited right now, he comes to all of our games,” Larkins said.

“But he really is a bright spot in anyone’s day or in anyone who’s lucky enough to know him. It’s inspiring, too. Working with him reminds me to be grateful.”

Kim carries a heartening perspective on life.

“I think if there’s one thing I could tell people it would be if you do good things, good things will come back to you.

As we all grow up we all make mistakes... No one’s perfect you know, no one’s perfect. But if we recognize ourselves, we know that we did wrong, and then we correct ourselveslife is gonna be good.”

(Photo by Victoria Nolan) DECEMBER 10, 2021

FEATURES

Cooking with Creativity TikTokker Emily Mariko and Others are Reinventing Our Perception of Food

By Reddin Kehrli social media editor Diet culture, defined as “a rigid set of expectations about valuing thinness and attractiveness over physical health and emotional well-being,” has seized social media platforms, and the lives of teenagers and young adults across the world.

Image-based platforms such as Tiktok, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are being critiqued for their promotion of toxic diet habits and unrealistic body standards with improbable associations of popularity, success, and happiness.

“My entire For-You Page consists of the truth behind Victoria’s Secret models’ diets and girls starving themselves to the bone trying to just eat one meal a day,” Junior Ceci Brown said.

These destructive videos are influencing everyone, especially teenage girls.

Another junior Gabby Grillo added, “social media, unfortunately, creates a toxic environment when it comes to diet culture and topics that follow.”

A study conducted by the National Eating Disorder Association studied women between the ages of 18 and 25 and demonstrated a link between Instagram and increased self-objectification and body

image concerns, especially that food is about the taste, and among those who frequently how cooking and eating are able viewed body-image-related to be enjoyable experiences, and content. not something to fear,” Brown “Most people don’t understand said. that almost every single teenage With her viral salmon, white girl struggles rice and ice with body cube meal, image and Mariko has eating detested disorders, diet culture but with the as she influence of soothingly mainstream de-villanizes media, this normal (dieting) foods such is all we as regular know,” pasta and Brown said. white rice.

Flooding In the the feed past, of every staple food social media including platform, various low-calorie carbs foods, and dairy ‘thinspo’, products how to lose have been weight, revamped and media by diet advocating influencers for the ‘ideal who body’ have encourage negatively (Graphic by Reddin Kehrli) their viewers infiltrated the comfort of to simply home cooking. replace these staple products Like a breath of fresh air, with “healthier” choices such influencer and PVPUSD as zucchini noodles for pasta, graduate Emily Mariko has cauliflower for rice and nutritional taken TikTok and YouTube by yeast for cheese. storm with her ‘diet-culture free’ While these alternatives may home cooking videos. be necessary for those with “Emily is showing the world dietary restrictions, diet culture

has framed these changes as ‘ways to get skinny’, ultimately villainizing foods and promoting portions not even sustainable for toddlers.

“Everything is about calories and I see how food is more of a number than the actual nutrition it provides,” Brown said.

So what makes Mariko’s videos so capturing that she boasts over two million followers on Tiktok?

Perhaps it’s her clean, puttogether look? Or maybe it’s her soothing methods for preparing foods.

Grillo believes, “The way she cooks, her recipes, and her overall lifestyle is a really good example of someone who’s trying to change the culture of food and routines on social media. She’s a great influence especially for a younger audience on the app.”

The future of social media and the health of influenceable teenagers and young adults depends on the morality of power-holding ‘influencers’ such as Emily Mariko.

In an effort to try and reverse the negative content circulating around social media, developments including the body positivity and body neutrality movements have commenced and called for “the acceptance of all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender and physical abilities, while challenging present-day beauty standards as an undesirable social construct.”

Holiday Gift Guide

By Natalie Wang reporter

Calvin Barnum: Triple Threat

By Meeka Rahimi reporter

Senior Calvin Barnum is everywhere: leading Tradewinds meetings, swimming in the pool, and conducting the band.

Chances are you’ve seen him on campus or at games, but how did he get to be such a triple threat?

Q: How did you get into poetry?

A: I got into poetry because I took Ms. Pavelka’s English 2H class and learned that she taught the poetry class. I really loved how Ms. Pavelka taught a class and pulled the best out of her students.

Q: Why do you enjoy poetry?

A: I think I really got into poetry last year when I just sat down and experimented with putting some experiences onto the paper. I remember really loving the way I could spend a couple hours and weave together 10 lines that carried like five pages of meaning, and it’s been a way I process my emotions ever since.I definitely channel any hardship I’m experiencing. This is what feels the most natural to write, probably because it feels best to get that out of my system.

Q: What do you enjoy most about swim team?

A: I think a deeper reason I enjoy being on the swim team is the mental health benefit.

Swimming has been unparalleled in that I can get into the pool and whatever was on my mind will be pushed out so that I can focus on the workout. It’s amazing for managing stress and shifting my perspective from “I’m behind on X number of deadlines” to “Okay, what’s next on the to-do list?”

Q: What do you enjoy most about being drum major?

A: I most enjoy when the students play a song really well.

We’ll get these moments in the stands or on the field when a phrase we’ve struggled with for a while sounds amazing, and the look on their faces is fantastic.

They get really into the music and start dancing while they’re playing, and the moment just ingrains itself in my head.

DECEMBER 10, 2021

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PAGE 5

To Do fo

Sea Kings Set Their Res or n f I o i t h. lu eso 5 benc days R 6 r’s 22 Yea to a lifting t year w s e la by get y N l “ M is to e this lution e po o I . v 2 h o e 2 s t s i ri t k 20 o re ch l a . My ck int my w ng bac l i w i n a k o my ee ett t b a w to ge urger y s by g inuing t s hi was r my d t d con e h e s n a aft mpli ool o r.” acc the p caree o o t in ol 2) erp s (1 s wat o n R tha a n -Jo

“I would like to get an A in physics. I’d also like to study more- I feel like I’ve been slacking on studying. And, second of all, I want to work out more, like find more time to work out after school, by running, so I can get better on that spectrum. I’m gonna achieve this by studying more, and finding more time in my day to work out.”

-Kyra Schmid (11)

“My New Year’s resolution for 2022 is to be more productive with my school work and get good grades.

I also would like to keep my room clean more because I think I will feel more productive in a cleaner environment. To achieve my goals, I will start to make a schedule and have everything be more organized.

I am going to start studying and working harder so I can get good grades. Lastly, I will sleep earlier and wake up earlier to get ready for school.”

-Truth Skeldon (9)

“My main resolutions are to eat healthier and read more, and get into my top college. I am going to try and be more disciplined with my diet choices and get more books for Christmas so I can read during second semester. I also want to get better at basketball for my senior year.”

-Carson Kim (12)

or 2022

solutions for the New Year

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To Do:

Eat healthy Don’t procrastinate Travel more Get good grades Sleep Get into college Read The Point!!

“Some resolutions I have for 2022 are to work harder at school and tennis, and to become more organized. To achieve my goals, I will make sure to stay on task when I’m studying and don’t procrastinate. I’ll practice tennis more often at the tennis club and I’ll use my planner more.”

-Lucienne Jassy (9)

“ This N until ew Year’s , I w the l a a ho me work s t minute nt to not . I ca by do w t n ach o s tart m ait i y ieve recei ng my ho th ve it mewo an rk th is goal day b e day efore d not s ta rting I it’s d ue.” it the -Joaq uin B ejara no (1 0)

“I want to travel somewhere interesting and fun this coming year. I will achieve this by trying to convince my family to take us somewhere during break. I haven’t accomplished any current New Year’s resolutions, but in past years I have accomplished my New Year’s resolution of getting good grades.”

-Sydni Bednarek (11)

“A New Year’s resolution that I always try to reach is to stop procrastinating on everything I do. Although I’ve attempted to do this so many times in the past, this time, I will make sure to reward myself if I get the things that I need to do done. Hopefully, this tactic will finally motivate me to stop procrastinating! I had the same resolution last year, and unfortunately, I did not achieve it. but 2022 is going to be a different year, I can feel it.”

-Hayleigh Liu (11)

OPINION

Holiday Spirit Does Not Depend on Make-Believe

By Amber Chen opinion editor When the holidays roll around, many children are overjoyed by the magic they feel from believing in their favorite holiday characters, Santa Claus and his flying reindeer. However, an equivocal question plagues many parents’ minds every time the holiday season approaches: how do they preserve their children’s belief in holiday magic?

To avoid the possibility of ruining the holiday spirit for their children, many parents continue their facade. Although they have good intentions, they are only avoiding the inevitable complication of their child learning the truth, be it from school or from the Internet.

According to responses from 103 PVHS students, around 58 percent of students found out the truth from sources other than their own parents, such as the Internet, peers and other adults aside from their parents.

Oftentimes, parents try to do everything they can to keep their children believing in Santa. After all, their belief has benefits: parents can use Santa to motivate their children to “be good.”

Furthermore, parents worry that their children will feel betrayed upon learning the truth, and won’t feel the holiday joy anymore. So, they spin story after story. They stress themselves out worrying about when their child should learn the truth, wonder whether they should be the one to shatter their child’s innocent belief and ponder if their child will resent

them for their well-intentioned lies.

Although these worries are valid, an overwhelming majority of the students surveyed responded that they did not lose trust in their parents after learning that Santa Claus is make-believe.

That being said, it is advisable for parents to emphasize that although Santa Claus is significant to childhood holiday traditions, his significance extends past belief in his physical existence: he also helps create the abstract existence of the exuberant holiday joy.

Ultimately, telling the truth doesn’t mean destroying holiday spirit. Children are surprisingly resilient and exceptionally imaginative. Just like those of adults, children’s creative minds give them the ability to hold two ideas in their minds at once: the knowledge that Santa isn’t real, as well as the notion that he inspires real joy within their communities. They can still leave cookies and milk for “Santa”, eagerly anticipate their gifts “from” him and decorate the house festively all while knowing he only exists in their imaginations.

The lessons kids have learned from believing in Santa, such as respecting their parents’ household rules and being kind to others, are what really matter.

Children can learn to emulate Santa’s generous nature and do their best to make everyone cheerful during the holidays.

Holiday spirit and magic doesn’t depend on belief in real magic; rather, it runs on the delight and gratitude felt during the holiday seasons.

Pint-Sized Stories

PAGE 8

The Most Useless Useful College Essay Writing Tips

(Graphic by Chloe Choi)

By Vikesh Dheeriya news editor 1. “Don’t be cliche!”

Remember seniors, if you write about a common topic that means you will be autorejected from your favorite college. Instead, what you should be doing is finding an obscure, random topic that is sooo unique and quirky that it will stand out compared to your peers. Admissions officers clearly would rather you write about the shape of a McDonalds chicken nugget than something meaningful yet common. Realistically, choosing a topic is the hardest part of applying to college, but living by “not being cliche” is the wrong approach when tackling an essay.

2. “Show, don’t tell!”

Would you rather us submit a Netflix documentary on our whole life story? We are supposed to be writing an essay to highlight our

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accomplishments in our four years of high school. Telling a student to show what they are saying rather than “tell” it is extremely frustrating because we aren’t professional creative writers.

Aside from the topic, how is my writing “voice” going to be uniquely different from others? Is eliminating the oxford comma in my essay finding my “true voice”?

This tip makes it sound like I need to go on some deep, adventurous trip to Tahiti to find 3. “Use all 5 senses!” my true voice, but really it’s been Ah yes, because describing inside me the whole time, and the how your mouth tastes during an real lesson is the friends I made MUN meeting tells your admission along the way. officer SO MUCH about why This advice really needs to you are qualified to attend listen to Tip 1 and not be so their college. Your admission cliche. reader will love it when you say “My perspiration gleamed as a 5. “You Should Have Started result of the intransigent torridity Early!” originating from the cerulean sky.”

Well, it’s a little late for that.

The secret to college admissions There isn’t a more iconic is obviously to fill your essay with duo than teenagers and so much flowery description and procrastination. After all, here we intense vocabulary that not even are again at 2 a.m., scouring the you can understand what you internet for the best way to write are saying. Turn your essay into our essays due in a week. an exciting search for your main But starting early is difficult point! That way, you prove how when you keep deleting the first intelligent and advanced you are, sentence you write and stare at so they HAVE to admit you! a blank Google document for days on end during the summer, 4. “Find your true voice!” worrying about “not being cliche” This isn’t a singing class. and “finding your true voice.”

DECEMBER 10, 2021

A Letter From the Editors

Palos Verdes High is full of unique students, but here are the ones that most people have had encounters with, good or bad.

Editors-in-chief Aidan Sun and Alycen Kim summarize the best and worst types of people on our campus.

Best People

Worst People

The GOAT This person bought Quizlet Plus after Slader was shut down. They share their account with you (shhh don’t tell the teachers) and make Quizlets before the test that they send in the Snapchat group chat. The Greatest of All Time.

The Roadblock Construction on PV Drive West will never compare to the monstrosity that is underclassmen walking in the hallways. They walk at a leisurely pace; never mind the surge of people rushing past them. Be warned.

The “I Volunteer as Tribute” When the teacher asks for one person to present, this person steps up to the plate. “I’ll do it,” they say to your group. You breathe a sigh of relief and sink back into your chair, knowing from now until the bell, all you have to do is listen.

The Personal Postmates You’re sitting during quiet reading time in English when suddenly your stomach growls loudly. Face beet red, you whip out your phone to text your bestie without a 6th period asking them to bring you Chipotle. They say yes, of course, and don’t even have to ask what your order is.

The Mom Their backpack is more stocked than Rite Aid. Colored pens, tissues, paper, snacks: anything you need, they have. The Promenade on the Peninsula could never.

The Great California Shakeout You feel a sudden vibration.

Your pencil starts rolling. Is it an earthquake? Should you stop, drop and roll? Nope. It’s just the person behind you, bouncing their leg on the back of your chair.

The Rapunzel Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair… but not all over my math notes. Reminder: this is Calculus, not a Pantene commercial.

The “What’d you Get” You get back the physics test.

62%. You sigh before checking Aeries to see how much your grade dropped, about to cry.

But someone two desks over taps you on the shoulder. You brace yourself. “What’d you get?,” they ask. “I did so badly.”

You barely suppress a scream as you stare at their circled 92%.

OPINION

Stop Romanticizing Criminals

By Alycen Kim editor-in-chief Harry Styles, Cole Sprouse, and Ted Bundy. What do all of these men have in common?

They are all adored and worshipped by teenage girls all over the world. Yes, you read that right. Even Ted Bundy.

In recent years, true crime has been a point of interest and popularity in the media. Serial killers, especially, have been boosted to stardom, with fame seemingly blurring the extent of their heinous crimes.

Ted Bundy, an infamous killer who murdered and raped countless young women during the 1970s, is one of these socalled “celebrities.”

After his arrest, Bundy amassed a twisted fan base of young girls, who called him “handsome” and “charming.”

These fans flocked to his 1976 court hearing by the hundreds, even sending him love letters in prison.

The atrocities didn’t stop in the 70s, however. Scroll onto the wrong side of the TikTok FYP or the Instagram explore page, and one will bump into actual fan

The Education System is Outdated

By Sophie Stoddart reporter If students had more control over their methods of learning and teachers had more control over the material they teach, both parties would be more inspired and motivated to do their jobs.

Education is key to living a long, prosperous, and successful life. Every person comes into the world with the desire to learn, engage, and explore.

However, most students dread the idea of sitting in a classroom, listening to a lecture, or experiencing the average school day. Every student needs to take into account that, for the most part, everything they learn in school is vital information.

On the contrary, it is difficult to maintain that hunger for knowledge when they have no say in how they learn a subject, how the information is presented, and how students demonstrate their understanding of the content. School, for countless kids, has been turned into an experience they need to endure, instead of enjoying the fact that they have the opportunity to become a knowledgeable and well-rounded individual.

Many students are left with the questions, “Why are we learning this?” and “Why is this important?”. This is because they are unable to see the connection to the world beyond the classroom, making them less driven to attempt to grasp the concepts of the content they are learning. These questions must be suppressed in order for

DECEMBER 10, 2021

a student to do well, since they still have to continue studying to maintain their grades even if they cannot understand the material’s importance.

Furthermore, students who have difficulties understanding the importance of the material they are taught may only focus on getting a good grade in the class by cramming for tests and memorizing information, which barely scratches the surface of the content.

In addition, students are not taught multiple sides of history, like the stories of socially oppressed groups, which many students can identify with. They are only taught information that the organizations responsible for creating the curriculum feel is important enough, disregarding the fact that all history is indeed important.

They are also often not fully taught how the government functions until senior year, because teachers are told not to include political discussions in class to prevent showing their bias and inciting heated debates.

Mere surface-level knowledge about the government makes it harder for students to grasp bureaucratic concepts taught in history classes prior to twelfth grade. This is a good example showing that the rigid education system limits students’ understanding of the significance of their academic content, since many don’t realize that analyzing bureaucratic circumstances from the past can help them form educated political opinions and cast informed votes in the future.

If teachers could find their own

ways to impartially teach younger students about the way different sections of government function, students could become more informed at an earlier age, and therefore be able to draw more connections between the past and the present government in subsequent history classes.

There are teachers who want to give their students all of the resources and freedom they need to forge their own curiosity and paths of interest, but are hindered by a lack of support, and are limited by the law. According to Public School Review, many states are still issuing funding that is lower than it was before the Great Recession. This means fewer teachers, fewer programs, and less resources.

As a student who is frustrated with the limitations of the education system, I can only imagine the burden teachers carry when creating their lessons.

Teachers deserve to have more resources and control over what they teach, so they can be motivated to teach their curriculum. Students deserve to have inspired and motivated teachers, and be free to learn and present their understanding of class material in whichever manner works best for them.

The world deserves more curious minds who are excited to receive knowledge and share it with others. It is those who are constantly present in classrooms, the students and the teachers, who should have control over the future of education and to maximize subsequent generations’ potential achievements.

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(Graphic by Alycen Kim) edits of the heinous criminal. Log onto Netflix and one will also see the vast amount of movies and documentaries made about him, the most recent being “Extremely Wicked”, “Shockingly Evil” and “Vile” starring Zac Efron.

A bigger problem lies with the fact that these criminals receive attention not for their violent acts, but for how their crimes don’t match up with their attractive faces.

Take the Netflix show “You,” for example. The popular series debuted in 2018 to over 43 million viewers. The main character, Joe Goldberg, is portrayed by Penn Badgley, whose good looks spin the show’s narrative into a whole different direction.

Goldberg’s various love interests cause him to stalk, torture, and even kill, all under the guise of “love.”

Goldberg’s looks create a kind of halo effect to the audience, portraying him as “handsome” and “charming” (sound familiar?), instead of focusing on his clear lack of empathy and sociopathic tendencies.

On the other hand, some may argue that attention to these criminals may be a good thing.

Learning about these crimes may be educational and help prevent things like this from happening again in the future.

But, there is a fine line between learning from the past and romanticizing evil people.

The Importance of Casting LGBTQ+ Actors as LGBTQ+ Characters

By Eva Mayrose reporter The majority of us find inspiration in the media through shows, movies and social networks. So what happens when what is portrayed on TV isn’t as harmless as it seems?

Although LGBTQ+ representation in the film industry has significantly increased since its slow integration in the late 70’s, there are still problematic aspects today, especially pertaining to the disadvantageous casting process for queer and transgender actors, since many directors have heteronormative prejudice.

The issue is not necessarily with the new characters themselves, though some have been reportedly stereotypic, but more so with the actors portraying them. The majority of film projects cast cisgendered, straight actors to play openly LGBTQ characters. Not only does this further the job availability gap between straight and LGBTQ actors, but it also takes away the opportunity for LGBTQ media activism and for directors to produce an authentic TV persona.

However, “Grey’s Anatomy” casting directors took a step in the right direction when casting nonbinary actor E.R. Fightmaster as the first openly nonbinary character on the show, Dr. Kai Bartley. Introduced in the latest season eighteen, Dr. Bartley is a neuroscientist working on

(Graphic by Chloe Choi) stem cell research at Mayo Clinic.

This character not only displays a non-binary person in a position of intellectual authority, but also is an encouraging representation of friendship, collegial esteem and romance.

Another inspirational LGBTQ actress, especially for the youth, is Kai Shappley. Shappley plays a transgender 9 year-old-girl named Bailey in Netflix’s hit show “The Babysitters Club.”

Not only is Kai also a transgender girl herself, but the show accurately shows some of the issues faced by transgender youth including misgendering, questioning of gender and pressure to label oneself.

The Babysitters Club smoothly integrates real life issues faced

by LGBTQ people, broadening the minds of young children and encouraging them to express themselves.

Because of these promising contributions, nonbinary people finally can see those within their community being positively represented in the media to the public, helping to end prejudice against the LBGBTQ+ community.

PAGE 9

SPORTS

By Quinn Kearns reporter

PVHS Fall Sports Review

(Photo By Victoria Nolan)

(Photo courtesy of Brian Shapiro)

Should Thursday Night Football be Eliminated?

As Player’s Rest Periods Are Cut Short, Opportunities for Injuries Are on the Rise

By Luka Ardon reporter Can Thursday Night Football be canceled? Thursday Night Football first started in the 2008 season.

On paper it seems like an amazing thing for fans, another day of football.

“It’s nice to watch football [for] three days a week,” junior Thomas LaPine said.

But the questions that are raised with Thursday Night Football are whether the players have enough time to rest from their last game.

“They’re coming straight from a Sunday game,” junior Joseph Di Leva said. “They have less time to recover.”

The players only have four days of rest between Sunday and Thursday.

Many players believe that isn’t enough time to rest.

In 2017, the NFL acknowledged that players did get more injuries on Thursday than other days in the 2017 season.

But the NFL said that the injury increase was far too small to lead to the cancellation of Thursday Night Football.

The data supports the NFL. 2017 was an outlier year all over years it has been shown that players are less likely to be injured on Thursdays.

Yet the conversation is always being brought up. In 2017 it was brought up when Richard Sherman ruptured his

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achilles in a Thursday night game.

This points to an interview Sherman had in 2016 where he describes Thursday games as a “poopfest” and “terrible.”

Same with this 2021 season Christian McCaffrey suffered an injury in a Thursday night game.

And the conversations started up again.

McCaffrey and Sherman were the one of best in their positions going into their seasons.

Big players being injured on Thursday games seem to be the common factor in these conversations starting.

But the players’ voices should not be silenced. Sherman voiced his opinion on Thursday night games.

Many players have shown their unhappiness with Thursday games. Fans should not be angered by these players.

Fans will never understand the struggle of these players.

Same with the NFL. Truly the NFL’s biggest reason they will most likely never stop Thursday games is money.

The NFL is making $450 million from CBS and NBC for Thursday night games.

This isn’t about player safety. This is about the lack of caring from the NFL. Players make the NFL not money.

“But when it comes down to it, it’s not the players that the NFL protects,” Sherman said.

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DECEMBER 10 , 2021

SPORTS

PVHS Track Star Takes it to Next Level Senior Anna Terrell Commits to UW

By Kelly Donahue social media editor Senior Anna Terrell announced the exciting news that she had committed to the University of Washington for track and field this past October.

This amazing accomplishment was the result of Terrell’s dedication and her aspiration to run at the next level.

Terrell had her sights set on running in college shortly after she began running.

“I knew that I wanted to run in college in 7th grade after running for a year,” Terrell said The University of Washington is part of the PAC-12 conference, which includes many very competitive Division I schools, and has one of the top track and field programs in the country.

Aside from being one of the top programs in the country, many other factors also contributed to Terrell’s decision to choose the University of Washington.

“I chose UW because I think it’s going to give me the best opportunity to thrive as a whole person,” Terrell said.

“The coaching staff is amazing and I’m really excited with the way that they want to coach and develop me. The program is going in an extremely positive direction and I wanted to be a part of that. I also fell in love with the campus and how much there is to do in the area.”

Achieving her current level of success has been no easy feat. A lot of work has gone into Terrell’s success.

“I practice every day for about 1-2 hours depending on how long the run is and I also go to the gym and lift about 3-4 times a week,” Terrell said.

Terrell’s teammate, senior Greta Norris, has loved being on her team.

“It’s been amazing running with her,” Norris said. “She’s a key part of our team

because she’s super fast and because she’s always super supportive. Anna shows that she cares a lot about the sport and the individuals on our team.”

“She’s a great teammate and friend.

During practice, you can always have a good laugh with her or have a serious conversation.”

Terrell’s coach, Brian Shapiro, who has been coaching her since her freshman year and has gotten to know her as both an athlete and a person, has nothing but great things to say about her.

“As an athlete, Anna is probably the most athletic kid on campus,” Shapiro said.

“She would be a MVP caliber player in any sport. She’s tall so she’d be great at basketball and volleyball, she’s fast and she’s strong. She’s one of the top kids in CIF at the short distance sprints and at the long races so what a great athlete. In addition, she’s an amazing student, off the charts good at everything and then she’s a great kid. The other day we had a playoff water polo game and I was here watching with my children who obviously have been around Anna a lot and my four year old ran and sat next to her in the bleachers and she hung out and took care of him during the game while she was hanging out with her friends. She’s got it together and is excelling in all aspects.”

Shapiro has also enjoyed watching Terrell’s progress throughout the years.

“It’s always a lot of fun when you have an athlete that grows and develops and ultimately achieves at a high level,” Shapiro said.

“It’s also great to see somebody who has persevered through a really challenging two years [with the pandemic] and still navigated the athletic journey.”

Terrell is excited about what’s to come in the future and is looking forward to running at the University of Washington.

(Photo by Aidan Sun) “What I’m looking forward to most about running in college is the competition and team camaraderie,” Terrell said. “Being in a competitive environment with teammates

who all have the same common goal is something that is really appealing to me and is a great aspect of being a college athlete.”

Athletes Gear Up for Winter Sports

By Jonathan Liu sports editor

Boys Basketball “I like the chemistry and energy surrounding the team this year. I like how we were able to play preseason games this year and play in tournaments. We are all really excited to finally play games and show what we can do as a team on the court.”

- David Maemoto (12)

Girls Basketball “My favorite part about the preseason process has been getting to know my teammates and being part of a hardworking and determined team.” - Flavia Corral (9)

Senior JJ Udeani played a strong defensive game at PV’s home opener against Long Beach Wilson on November 30. The Sea Kings won 1-0.

(Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Mindicino)

Girls Soccer

Girls Water Polo

“My expectations for this year are to work hard and enjoy my last year. We hope to win Bay League and have a great season competing for a CIF title. I love this year’s team so far! We have great team chemistry and are all working hard to make this season great! My favorite part of the preseason process has been team bonding and getting ready to start season. We are super excited to start season after preparing. We are excited for a normal season without limitations due to [COVID-19] and are excited to start competing.”

- Elizabeth Manth (12)

“This season we are rebuilding our program so I expect there to be a lot of growth and learning experiences. I love my teammates this year with all my heart. We are a family and can always rely on each other. We are all extremely excited to finally play games. As a team we don’t count last year as a true season because of [COVID-19], so it’s a huge deal for us to have a real season again. It’s going to be a tough year but we are all ready for the challenge.” - Sophia Wattson (10)

Surfing

Boys Soccer

“We have a great team this year, I expect we’ll win most of our competitions. The people on our team are super cool and supportive of one another. The atmosphere is always fun and lively. My favorite part has been getting to know the new members of the team.” - Nathan Chavira (10)

“This season we expect to play against some good teams but we also expect to do well because our whole squad is willing to work hard to win. For my first year on this team I like how the older players are positive about playing with us.” - Gavin Montgomery (10)

DECEMBER 10, 2021

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FEATURES Jazz Band and Orchestra Swing Back in Winter Concert

Jazz Band performs at their Dec. 5 concert (photo by Chloe Choi)

By Chloe Choi reporter This winter, jazz and orchestra both have concerts. The jazz concert was on Dec. 5 and the orchestra concert is on Dec. 12.

Now that we are back to school in person, many activities on campus are back to our new normal. After a year of virtual classes, the jazz musicians are extremely grateful to be back on campus with their peers.

Sophomore Braden Colli enjoys the in-person jazz band experience because it’s a

creative outlet for him.

“You can use the twelve notes in infinite ways to express your emotions through the music,” Colli said.

Sophomore and saxophone player Austin Jones also thoroughly enjoys the class and believes that jazz band is the best music program. He likes that you can improvise your own unique sound in jazz.

Orchestra also has a winter concert on Dec. 12. All members of the orchestra have been practicing very hard each morning during zero period.

Although it’s early and many Sea Kings are tired, sophomore and bassist Rose Feng believes that orchestra is a therapeutic class.

“I do enjoy it,” Feng said. “It’s something in the morning that helps me wake up in zero period because I’m waking up early and doing something fun. I think it’s very satisfying when your hard work pays off and it’s very fun.”

Senior and concert mistress Viviana Hsiao described the daily rehearsals for the winter concert as intense yet rewarding as well.

However, as concert mistress

Hsiao has extra responsibilities to ensure the orchestra is organized.

“As a concert mistress, I tune up the orchestra and I lead the first violins,” Hsiao said. “I also correct bowings and fingerings to ensure consistency within all the musicians.”

The music played at the winter concert will include pieces by Bach, Wienawski, Handel and more. Being in person is a much better experience than online according to all the students.

“The basis of jazz is playing off of each other,” Colli said. “This is

the first year I am actually playing jazz because last year we were playing with recording. It wasn’t the same thing.”

This isn’t strictly related to Jazz. Feng and Hsiao both agree that practicing with the whole orchestra improves the experience.

“Well I am actually playing in an orchestra everyday,” Feng said.

“At home I just did the playing test to get the grade. It’s a lot more fun this way in person since we get to play together as a group.”

How Students Invest at PVHS

By Aaron Paik reporter With the rise of cryptocurrency and NFTs (non-fungible tokens), according to many Sea Kings, now is the perfect time for teenagers to start investing.

“I started investing last year in March,” sophomore Hugo Wayner said. “I felt like it was a good time to start making money without even working.”

Many in their youth have already taken advantage of lucrative investments in the past two years.

When COVID-19 struck the planet, many were concerned about their income during lockdown as many were unable to work. This led to many pouring money into stocks and crypto, evidently ending the “Recession of 2020.”

For the first time investors in 2020, a large percentage were teenagers. Plenty of new investors invested in stocks such as Amazon, Gamestop

and AMC, and were excited to see such a quick profit in such little time. Despite what many people believed was a trend, cryptocurrency has proven its worth in long term investments.

“So far, I have made profit, and I am happy with the trending direction of younger investors,” Wayner said. “I am also excited to see how far crypto goes because I am currently invested.”

Even here at Palos Verdes High School, many students have decided that it is an optimal time to start investing.

“I started [investing] on July 22 of this year,” sophomore Jadon Watts. “I began to put my money into the stock market because I viewed it as profitable, and very convenient. This worked out though, because I was able to make a decent profit despite the short time of investing. I think it is a positive thing that investors are becoming younger and younger; however, I think it will be harder for these young investors to understand work ethic.”

(Graphic by Aidan Sun)