The Point, Issue 3, Volume 27 - Dec. 15, 2022

From Touchdowns to Theater

Josh Munoz’s journey to acting

explore the possibility of theater.

“I’ve always wanted to become an actor, so I followed that passion. I also figured out that football was just not the sport for me and I wanted to try something that I had a real passion for,” Munoz said.

Although Munoz has only recently started experimenting with the facets of his longtime interest, he hopes his high school debut will pave the way for a professional career.

“I definitely want to become a professional actor and do any sort of entertainment because that’s what I love doing. I hope I become successful at it and am able to be at the very top of my craft,” Munoz said.

Munoz shared that his favorite part of his involvement in the play was “being able to join the amazing drama family and make tons of new friends.”

“I love every single one of them,” Munoz said.

From just one show, Munoz has already learned his fair share of valuable lessons that he will take with him for the rest of his high school career and beyond.

“I learned that I could do a lot more things without being scared or nervous, and I will continue to keep learning more about myself as time goes on as a theater person.”

Slang Words Redefined by Teachers

In the digital age, teenage slang spreads as rapidly as wildfire across social media. With new phrases popping up like weeds, have teachers been keeping up?

The Point staff put PVHS teachers to the test. We asked them to define some popular slang words.

A Q&A with psychology teacher Mr. Stoddart gives us a sneak peek of our teachers’ humorous interpretations.

By Eva Mayrose opinion editor

Having been a football star for the majority of his high school career, theater would seem to be the last place that senior Josh Munoz would fit in.

Though Munoz definitely made good memories with the football team, he

realized that his true passion wasn’t on the field, but instead on stage under the spotlight.

After making his acting debut in PVHS’s fall play, “One Man, Two Guvnors,” Munoz rediscovered a longstanding passion: acting.

As a senior, Munoz finally felt inspired and had the confidence to branch out and

Though he joined the drama department later than he had hoped, Munoz remains positive in starting “better late than never.”

His first show is just the beginning, for Munoz has found a whole new family within the drama department, all of which has been very supportive of his new endeavors and are excited to see where his growing talent takes him.

Q: How confident are you in your slang word knowledge?

A: “Twenty years ago, I had my hand on the pulse of the youth… not anymore, though.”

Q: What does “It’s giving” mean?

A: “Compassionate and understanding, merciful, me!”

Q: What does “drippy” mean?

A: “His clothes don’t fit. His pants are sagging.”

Be The Change Hosts Wellness Week

Students receive support and destress before finals week

By Chris Vasey reporter

Mental health being negatively impacted by stress among high schoolers is a growing problem, and finals week only makes these struggles worse for many students. To combat this, Be The Change is putting on a “Wellness Week” from Wednesday Dec. 14 to Monday Dec. 19 before finals to help students deal with upcoming stress.

Wellness Week aims to help students relax and get them into a focused and balanced mindset before beginning finals week.

“Wellness Week is the week before finals where BTC works to allow students to relax and destress,” BTC Executive Board Member and senior Hayleigh Liu said. “We want to ensure that the student body has a healthy mind before diving into finals.”

BTC wants to help students relax and destress by offering several fun weeklong events all students can participate in “including coloring pages in the library and a Spotify study and relaxation playlist readily available on the @PVBTC

Instagram,” according to Commissioner of Activities and junior Sedona Ding

“There will also be activities for each day of the week,” Ding said. “We plan to have a sensory items table during a lunch period, full of little toys such as stress balls and pop-its to give to students to help release tension.”

BTC will be giving complimentary treats as well as stress-relieving activities.

“Another event is delivering free hot cocoa to any student who would like a cup! In addition to a warm cup of hot cocoa, we will be giving out donuts as a sweet treat for students who have been working hard to get ready for finals,” Ding said.

“And last but not least, we invite teachers to sign up for 15 minute sessions during 5th period to release students’ stress by meeting licensed therapy dogs that BTC will bring to PVHS.”

With finals week coming up very soon and seniors in the midst of college applications, stress among PVHS students is at an all time high.

“BTC puts on Wellness Week each year to help students relax and ease their stress before the upcoming finals week,” Ding said. “We want PVHS to be as comforting as possible for students, especially before such a stressful time.”

BTC’s primary main goal for Wellness Week is to help PVHS students get in the right mindset for finals.

“Final exams cause a lot of stress for

many students, and BTC aims to relieve as much mental strain as possible,” Liu said. “A clear mind before taking final exams is a big step toward success.”

Josh Munoz (left) performs in “One Man, Two Guvnors” alongside senior Neela David. (Photo courtesy of Josh Munoz)

BTC hands out marshallows and makes hot chocolate for PVHS students.

(Photo by Chloe Choi)

Pediatrician Offices Overwhelmed with Patients

By Chloe Choi centerspread editor

Pediatricians across the US have been overwhelmed with the early flu season and nervous parents on top of the already stressful fall scheduled with patients’ physicals.

“My friend and I were saying this is the worst winter we’ve had in our 18 years of practice,” pediatrician Dr. Marjorie HsuMoon said.

The flu season typically occurs during December and January, because many families travel for the winter holiday season. Over the past several months travel plans have been postponed due to the pandemic and many Americans went to social gatherings for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

One factor contributing to the unusually potent flu season is the lack of time to immunize the pediatric population.

“I would say probably around 50% [of my patients have been vaccinated against the flu],” Hsu said, “but it would be more if the flu had hit later.”

Although most pediatricians’ offices and

(Graphic by Sophie Sun)

pharmacies had received their flu vaccines on time this year, the early flu season decreased the amount of time people had to get immunized against the flu before they could catch it.

Due to the pandemic, many people’s exposure to germs has decreased and weakened their immune systems.

“People have been used to their kids not being sick, but in reality when kids go to daycare or go to school they get sick every two weeks. Over the past two years people haven’t been getting sick at all,” Hsu explained.

The large numbers of flu-related patients have been added on top of the regular fall physical exams that many kids have annually. Many parents and children didn’t feel comfortable coming into the doctor’s office for regular checkups during the pandemic over COVID concerns.

“When it was COVID times nobody wanted to come in for their physical at all because they didn’t want to get sick. But life goes on. People need their physicals for school sports, for their jobs, for their classes so that’s why they’re coming in for their physicals now,” Hsu said.

Because many patients waited a couple years to get their physicals and the environment is safer, many are visiting now, some waiting months just to get an appointment.

Now, with so many people getting sick, it’s important to keep symptoms in mind.

Common flu symptoms include a fever lasting longer than five days, urinating three times or less in 24 hours, diarrhea, vomiting, breathing hard and fast, and blue lips in young children. If symptoms worsen, talk with your pediatrician.

“Teenagers are notorious for not drinking enough liquids when they get sick,” Hsu said. “They don’t want to eat, they just want to lie there. The main thing is that you stay hydrated. If they’re not eating, they have to drink something with salt and sugar. … It’s really important to get the fluids in.”

To help reduce overcrowded doctors’ offices, staying healthy is more important than ever. Getting vaccinated is one way to stay protected against various diseases. Stores such as Target, Rite-Aid, or Ralphs all offer flu vaccines and will accept insurance to get the vaccine.

PVPLC to Open Wildlife Corridor

By Zara Deen reporter

The Palos Verdes Land Conservancy is adding 96 acres of land in order to restore and preserve the native plants and animals in the Palos Verdes area.

In a Daily Breeze article published on Aug. 25, conservationist Adrienne Mohan described the project as having “nearly 100 acres of undeveloped land, set aside for conservation, connecting to already-preserved land and creating a corridor for rare and endangered wildlife.”

The land will help prevent the extinction of species native to Palos Verdes, such as the monarch butterfly.

“We are just so excited to embark on the protection of this land,” Mohan said, “and to restore it since it’s been so used and degraded over decades, to bring health back to the land and ultimately, to provide habitat for wildlife.”

The wildlife corridor will also aid in shielding the area from development and preserving its beauty.

“The benefit would be connecting populations back so that they can interact with each other and reproduce with each other,” biology teacher Marie Kuhn said.

“It’s a way to help biodiversity by increasing the ability to reproduce.

Otherwise, you get reproductive isolation, and that could start changing the population, so we want to make sure to bring them back together.”

Students are also supportive of the project.

“I think it is great this is happening in order to keep the land natural, overtime, Palos Verdes has become more modernized, and it’s great that this will keep some land natural,” freshman Sarah Huang said.

The conversation effort is scheduled to begin in late spring of 2023.

“This project aims to conserve 30% of its natural land and coastal waters by 2030,” governor Gavin Newsom said in an LA Times article published in September.

According to development director Susan Wilcox, “grazing goats will be brought in, probably in January or February,” in order to clear the land for planting.

The land cleared by goats will aid in clearing out invasive plants and preventing wildfires that could be started by the highly flammable shrubbery.

The Palos Verdes Land Conservancy is proud to have already raised a total of 12.6 million dollars, over half of their original goal.

“We are excited to open in spring of 2023,” Wilcox said.

(Graphic by Chloe Choi)

(Photo by Zara Deen)

Who’s New? Part Two

By Enna Hosoi reporter

Kristin Jones Counselor M-R

What was your favorite subject in school?

“My favorite subject in school was English. I am an avid reader and I love Shakespeare.”

Do you have any siblings?

“I have a large family! I have two younger brothers, and one sister. Now most are married, and I get those bonus siblings too.”

Where are you originally from?

(Photo courtesty of Kristin Jones)

“I’m from Fresno, California, about four hours north of PV. Fresno is a really awesome place to grow up if you like the outdoors; it’s only 45 minutes to Yosemite National Park. I’ve lived in SoCal now for 10 years.”

Daniel Timmerman Security guard

Where are you originally from?

“I’m from Torrance, California. I grew up in Torrance and went to West High School.”

If you were a baseball coach/security guard before, what school were you working at and for how many years?

“I’ve been a baseball coach for the past seven or eight years and this is my first experience as a security guard at a school.”

What do you enjoy most about working on campus?

“It’s a good environment and the kids are well behaved for the most part. The staff and faculty are awesome and I’m still pretty new so I am still getting to know everyone, but my first month so far has been great!”

From A.R.M.Y to Army

BTS to enlist in military

By Amber Chen editor-in-chief

BTS, the biggest boy band in the world, has finally announced its enlistment in the South Korean military.

Four years into their career, in 2017, the seven band members rose to the top of the K-Pop industry by distinguishing themselves through their self-written, sincere song lyrics.

“The lyrics of my favorite [BTS] songs, such as ‘Magic Shop,’ really helped me realize there’s people out there who are just like me and are willing to help pick me up again,” senior and BTS fan Mia Harley said. “[I realized] I’m not alone.”

The K-Pop group’s tens of millions of supporters, who call themselves A.R.M.Y., have voiced conflicted feelings about the band’s conscription.

Although serving for a minimum of 18 months is mandatory for Korean men, the law allows military exemption for select individuals such as athletes, musicians, and others who heighten the nation’s prestige.

Some feel that BTS should be completely exempt from military service due to their immense economic contributions, as they bring in an estimated four billion dollars per year to South Korea. However, others appreciate the members’ dedication to South Korean customs.

“[The military] is a bonding experience for all men in Korea,” senior Jae Lee stated. “Once people are released from the army, it becomes a shared conversational topic.”

Knowing the importance of serving in the Korean military, many fans wholeheartedly support BTS’s decision to enlist.

“I knew their enlistment was coming, and sure, it’s a little sad, but I respect their choices,” Harley said. “I’m very proud of them for being good representatives of Asian culture. They were given the choice of not enlisting, but they chose to themselves. It’s very respectable.”

BTS has also introduced the world to Korean lifestyle and customs beyond pop culture.

“[I admire] their ability to communicate across cultures without even speaking a [universal] language,” Lee said. “[Before], no one really knew much about Korea; the only things that were well-known were Korean music and dramas. However, BTS really showed that Korean culture is much more than that, and a lot more kids are being introduced to my culture because of them.”

In 2021, the members were invited to speak and perform at the United Nations General Assembly as ambassadors of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

From advocating for mental health in their lyrics to addressing the prevalence of anti-Asian crimes with President Joe Biden, BTS has inspired millions across the world.

“I admire their passion and drive to reach what they dream for. They work really hard,” Harley stated. “I hope to have that much drive to get where I want in life, like them.”

The seven members are set to reconvene as an active group in 2025.

“When they all get back together, it’ll be nice to look back and remember everything,” Harley said. “It’ll be a very sweet reminder of when I first started listening to them. It’s like a little time capsule.”

Greg Clarke Security guard

Where are you originally from?

“I am from Delaware and I grew up with Ms. Klabe. I moved out here in 2011 with my wife.”

Have you worked at a high school before?

“Yes, I have worked at PVHS in the past. I am the varsity basketball coach at PV. I was the head coach in 2014 to 2015 and then I moved down to the South Bay.”

What’s The Flush?

By Chloe Choi centerspread editor

There are a variety of news sources for students at PVHS such as The Point, Live from 205 or the Daily Bulletin, but the most mysterious and accessible news source is The Flush.

Found in bathrooms across campus, The Flush is a printed list posted in each stall that tells students about school events happening throughout the week.

Former student Viv Volpicelli came up with the idea when she was a sophomore in ASB around 2010. The Flush has been posted frequently in the bathroom stalls ever since.

To choose which school events are listed each week, the ASB communications group looks at the Sea King Sunday update and talks with other student groups on campus about their events. These events then get DM’d to the PVASB Instagram account to be

compiled and printed.

Students across campus have found The Flush to be an extremely helpful resource to notify them about school events.

“Every single time I go to the restroom I look forward to looking up from my urinal and looking at this week’s events,” The Flush’s self-proclaimed biggest fan Luka Ardón said.

(Photo courtesy of Jama Maxfield)

(Photo by Enna Hosoi)

(Photo by Enna Hosoi)

PVHS Hosts Private School Shadow Day

By Lucia Ruiz editor-in-chief

On Dec. 7, students from local private schools enjoyed the annual Private School Shadow Day, during which ASB provided students a glimpse into the campus culture through tours, classroom sit-ins, and activities in the gym.

“It’s been really fun so far,” prospective student and current eighth grader Amelia Accardo said. “There are a lot of cool clubs and different opportunities. I have a lot of friends that go here and I think it would be a lot of fun [to attend PVHS].”

In the past, ASB held a Shadow Day for each of the PVPUSD schools, which caused massive amounts of students on campus. They began to alter the tradition as a result.

“We’d have 15 students coming into the classrooms for the entire period and it was huge,” ASB Director Jama Maxfield said. “We started whittling it down to our current format about 7 to 8 years ago and have stuck to that format with a few adjustments along the way.”

Now, ASB focuses on one Shadow Day, rather than multiple, allowing for a more smooth and calm day. Public school eighth grade students still have the opportunity to get to know the school better through Open House in the spring. For

now, Maxfield and ASB prepare for the day by advertising to local private schools, preparing activities, and organizing which classes students will sit-in.

“They will start with an activity fair in Senior Park and then go to various classrooms and or see things that they have a particular interest in,” Maxfield said.

“We match the students up with ASB students who share the same interests or can answer questions about the programs that the eighth graders have shown interest in. The parents will meet with the administration and there is a question and answer session at the end that will finalize any lingering questions they might have.”

Through the adjustments though, the day has remained an exciting event for private school students and their parents.

Freshman Hadley Schmitz transferred to PVHS from Chadwick School and recalls how her experience at Shadow Day has influenced her high school career so far.

“I saw cheer perform at the shadow day and that’s why I decided to try out,” Schmitz said.

“[My first impression was that] PV was big and a bit scary. I started cheer practices over the summer so that was good to get me [acclimated] into the school.”

Students may have a variety of reasons for transferring from their private school to PVHS, including

Schmitz’s desire for a larger school with more students.

“Since it’s bigger, there are more [opportunities] to figure out what you want to do and where you fit,” Schmitz said.

There are many programs at PVHS which interest prospective students.

““[I’m looking for a school that is] academically challenging,” eighth grader Ajuia Reddy said.

New Club Highlights Jewish Traditions and Culture

By Olivia Kao reporter

As a wave of new clubs arise this year, one particular club, the first of its kind, celebrates and brings awareness to Jewish culture on campus.

With no apparent club surrounding Jewish culture, two students decided to found the JCC, or Jewish Culture Club, to shed light on the importance of Jewish representation.

As one of the founders and presidents, sophomore Julia Stein remarks on what initially drove her and her co-president, sophomore Patrick Lowenstein, to start the club.

“We wanted to create a sense of community for the Jewish people in our school and to educate both Jewish and non-Jewish people about our culture,” Stein said.

Lowenstein remarks on how the JCC brings awareness to campus.

“As a club we gather generally around Jewish holidays where we talk about the origins, meaning, and cultural significance of the current holiday, and of course eat food representative of the

holiday,” Lowenstein said.

Because of the lack of an establishment focused on Jewish culture, traditions and holidays have the tendency to be overlooked, no matter how big or small.

The simultaneous occurrence of Hanukkah and finals can leave some members of the Jewish community overwhelmed with studying for finals when they should be able to spend time with family, stress-free.

“Even though Hanukkah is kind of the only holiday people really know, it’s actually one of the least important,” Lowenstein said.

“However if it was something like Yom Kippour which is the most important, then it would be [a bigger deal],” Lowenstein said.

“Hanukkah is actually a relatively minor holiday…But it would be nice to spend that time with family instead of studying,” Stein said.

With the establishment of the Hewish Culture Club, sophomore founders Stein and Patrick Lowenstein hope to the appreciation and recognition Jewish culture deserves.

“I [also] hear that PV is known for sports and I play softball so I’m really curious about the softball team.”

After weeks of preparation, Maxfield and ASB “feel rewarded” to see their work come to fruition.

“My biggest hope is that they love our home and see how amazing our school is and how many opportunities we have here to offer our students,”

Maxfield said. “I really believe this is the best high school in the country and anyone can find their passion here and have a wonderful high school experience where they meet lifelong friends and really get to do it all. If they can meet current students and see how fantastic they are.....and what they can become as well..... then we’ve done our job in showing off our home.”

What is the Human Rights Coalition?

By Sierra Namvari photo editor

The Human Rights Coalition at PVHS was formed many years ago in order to bring together various clubs, all with the objective of encouraging diversity and supporting the fight against discrimination.

The Human Rights Coalition consists of the Latin American Student Association (LASA), Black Student Union (BSU), Middle-Eastern Student Union (MESU), Coalition for Advancement of Rights and Equality (CARE), Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), and Palos Verdes Organization of Women (PVOW).

“I am a member of all six, and I’m co-president of GSA,” senior Audrey Munro said. “Overall, all of the clubs just want to promote inclusivity and diversity on campus.”

“I think it’s great, if we can keep on adding [clubs] because it makes us more diverse, covering a wider range,” Munro said.

This year, two new clubs were created. The Human Rights Coalition expanded in order to include Latin American students and Middle Eastern students, creating LASA and MESU.

Regardless of what club students are participating in,

everyone will occasionally attend Human Rights Coalition meetings to form meaningful bonds between supporters of various minority groups.

On Dec. 6, the Human Rights Coalition hosted a cookie decorating party in the MPR that anyone was welcome to attend, providing a fun and unique way to get people involved as a group.

“I’m a member of all the clubs, but I’m president of PVOW,” senior Ella Brinderson said.

“Our goal is to create a bigger group on campus of people who want to see change, and also have a passion for human rights and getting more done.”

“Specifically with PVOW, we are working on a few projects,” Brinderson said.

“One [project we are currently working on] is getting feminine hygiene care products in the bathroom. It might be harder to get our goal done [if we work alone] than if we work together as a whole club. We’ve been thinking about having all the presidents of the clubs go to a school board meeting [to make this happen].”

“People who have a passion for activism should definitely join HRC to help create a more inclusive environment on the PVHS campus,” Brinderson said.

Private school students see the programs PV High has to offer. (Photo courtesy of Cynthia Mindicino)

(Graphic by Sophie Stoddart)

From Sweden to the States

Concerts with a Camera

Student finds passion in concert photography Exchange student speaks on her experience at PVHS

By Sophie Stoddart reporter

Elsa Sjo is an exchange student from Sweden and is currently a junior here at PVHS.

She grew up in Norrkoping, Sweden and will be staying at PVHS for one year, continuing to pursue her interests.

“I love sports,” Sjo said. “I do club surfing and water polo, and I’m hoping to do a Spring sport as well. Before I got here, I did handball and horseback riding.”

Sjo shared that her school year here doesn’t count in Sweden because the subjects and grading are different.

Elsa explained the countless differences between the Swedish and American schooling system. These differences include perception of different grade levels, “Here you pick and choose subjects, while in Sweden everybody has the same classes up until ninth grade, which is when we finish our middle school years. Our high school is kind of like college. That’s already when you pick and decide what you’re going to do in life.”

Elsa shared that when you go to high school in Sweden, you have to make a list of what high schools you want to go to. The one you prefer the most is at the top, as well as what package of studies you would like to study at that high school.

Swedish students “compete to get into these schools with points you get from your grades in middle school.”

Elsa explained the process further, by sharing, “When picking your package of studies, there are two different categories you can choose from. One is preparing you for higher education, so going to a university. The other one prepares you for work. It is not expected of you to go to a University at all.”

In addition, she explained, unlike in the US, Swedish high schools don’t have sports and electives.

Sjo had to go through a long process before being accepted for the exchange program.

“When I decided to go, I signed up as an interest for their exchange program,” Sjo said. “Then I got accepted and filled out a full application with a bunch of stuff about myself.”

Surprisingly, Sjo wasn’t allowed to pick one specific city or country where she would like to have stayed.

She chose the USA and Canada as her top choice, and it happened to be where she ended up. She was very excited about being placed at a school and with a family

that is so close to the beach.

There were some difficulties with coming to a brand new country.

“The hardest part was leaving my best friend and my dog. I do miss my parents, but I talk to them a lot. My friend, she’s like my sister, we’re really close and I miss her a lot. I just want to hug her.”

One thing that was unexpectedly hard for Elsa was applying for and receiving her visa, which was partly because of COVID-19, “In Sweden, to get a visa, there was a waiting line of 100 days when I was applying for it, to get to the embassy and get the interview.”

Due to COVID there weren’t enough people working, and there were numerous restrictions. Elsa shared, “there was so much to fill out to get a visa. I actually went to Oslo, Norway to get my visa because the wait time in Sweden was too long.”

Before moving to the U.S., Sjo was mostly worried about possibly not fitting in with her host family because every family is very different.

“My host family right now is pretty good. We have our differences, but you have to see beyond those differences,” Sjo said.

Sjo was most looking forward to trying different activities.

“I was really excited about going to concerts, because there are so many more opportunities for going to concerts here. [I was also really excited about] surfing. When I figured out where I was going to end up I [knew I] wanted to learn how to surf,” Sjo said.

Sjo contemplated whether or not she would like to come back to the U.S. after completing her year with the exchange program.

“I would probably like to visit. Maybe visit my host families that I stayed with and any good friends, or just vacation,” Sjo said.

Sjo is proud she took the opportunity to come to the U.S., and regards the experience of studying abroad highly.

“I feel like it’s a great opportunity, and I feel everybody who has the opportunity should definitely [take] it. You learn another language, or in my case develop it even more,” Sjo said. “I think I have more of an understanding of other people...there is a lot more diversity here,” Sjo said. “So even though most of the USA’s culture is the same as Sweden’s, I learned a lot more about people. I have already grown a lot during my experience here.”

By Luka Ardón centerspread editor

Denzel Curry, Kid Cudi and Metro Boomin. What do all of these rappers have in common? They have been photographed by senior Damon Pourmohsen

“I got into photography kind of by accident. I had always been taking pictures of my friends,” Pourmohsen said. “Over quarantine I saw people have disposable cameras and post on their Instagram. I was like ‘Wow that’s pretty cool and I feel like I do that better.’”

That’s when Pourmohsen decided to turn his passion for music into concert film photography.

“So I bought my first camera and Denzel Curry had an event in Long Beach,” Pourmohsen said. “I had been a Denzel Curry fan for a super long time and was like ‘you know what screw it, I’m going to take my camera and act like a professional photographer.’ Which I was not at all.”

So Pourmohsen with just confidence and a camera made his way to Mr. Curry

and an amazing opportunity.

“I sneaked my way in and I talked to him and met some of his team, really cool people,” Pourmohsen said. “Then they invited me to tour with Kid Cudi.” Kid Cudi is a two-time Grammywinning artist. He is a legend within the rap community, most known for his songs “Mr. Rager’’ and ‘‘Pursuit of Happiness’’ among many others.

“That was a really cool experience. Meeting Kid Cudi and being on tour with them was really sick,” Pourmohsen said.

Pourmohsen started his film photography halfway through 2022 and hasn’t stopped. Most recently on the Dec. 5, he was taking photos for Metro Boomin.

“Photography is kind of like a rush,” Pourmohsen said. “Especially concert photography because it can be super chaotic.”

Photography isn’t all Pourmohsen works on. His passion is mostly music and anything related to it.

“I know I want to do something in the music industry and I have my own music that I’m working on, but if that doesn’t play out I’m still in the industry with my photography. I just want to grow my brand and maybe start a clothing brand with my photography on clothing,” Pourmohsen said.

He loves “being on stage and just seeing the crowd react to the performer, trying to get your shot, trying to be creative, do something new, find new angles, step outside the box of what everyone else is doing. Just making cool art,” Pourmohsen said.

(Photo courtesy of Damon Pourmohsen)

No Cap, PV Teachers

Cap

“That is like the best. That is top notch. That is like.. Can’t top that one because it’s a cap on your head”

- Ms. Kuhn (Science Department)

Teachers Gen Z Slang

Hits Different

Caught in 4K

“A picture of you, a selfie but the resolution is too good so you can see all your blemishes. Every zit, every mole. You’re caught in 4K.”

- Mr. Stoddart (Social Science)

“Something has a different emotion. So if you’re drinking something full sugar you would say that hits different than sugar-free.”

- Ms. Palosaari (Math Department)

Periodt

“A couple years ago we got a girl from Philadelphia and she would always end sentence by saying periodt so one day asked her and she said that it means deal, like boom, done, sentence stopped conversation.”

- Coach (Security)

Caught Lacking

“Caught

- Ms. Gerling (Math Department)

- Ms. Wei (Language Department)

Ate

Simp

Wrapped: Music App Edition

By James Lew reporter

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons between Apple Music and Spotify, to finally settle the debate and determine which audio streaming service has better value considering its price and quality.

Apple Music features a variety of assets, including their library size of over 100 million different songs as well as 5.3 million podcasts, and ability to download up to 100,000 songs. Spotify stills provides fair competition with benefits such as offering a free plan (with ads and limited song skips), suggested playlists based on your music preferences, better social features, and good layout design.

Both do have some disadvantages.

Those of Apple Music include its lack of free plans, its demand of different apps just to listen to podcasts, and its required login with an active Apple account in order to listen.

However, Spotify has a smaller music library with 20 million less songs, and is also more expensive per month for a yearly plan.

Financially, the prices are similar, but Spotify has a better monthly value, since it only costs $9.99/month compared to Apple Music’s $10.99/month. However, Apple Music offers a $109 yearly plan, which is a better value overall.

Furthermore, the main area in which Apple Music is clearly one step ahead is the sound quality in terms of kilobits per second (kbps). Apple Music uses 9,216 kbps compared to Spotify’s 320 kbps, displaying a drastic difference between the two.

In conclusion, Apple Music is overall better than Spotify because of the modernized and reasonably priced yearly plan, as well as the superior quality of music and podcasts due to the increased number of kbps used on the app.

2022 Album Review: Hits and Misses

By Quinn Kearns social media editor

This year has been full of new releases and new hits. Some of our long time favorites like Beyonce and newer artists like Rosalia, have come out with albums that helped us power through 2022.

Starting the year off strong, the Weeknd released his fifth studio album “Dawn FM.” It explores a more euphoric tone while also incorporating a more tranquil side of the Weeknd. “Dawn FM” is an homage to night time radio where the songs switch from a hyper nightlife to more of a slumber. He features well known artists like Tyler the Creator and Lil Wayne, which helps enhance the darker aesthetic of the album with rap.

Initially, “Harry’s House” didn’t stand out to me. I normally wouldn’t consider myself a Harry Styles fan but after listening to the entire album I grew a deeper appreciation of his music.

His previous album “Fine Line” may have had some popular songs but the album as a whole is repetitive with its lyrics.

Although some of the songs from “Harry’s House” are still repetitive, lyrically, he went a lot deeper not only with the writing but with the themes. We got to explore more of his vocal range and creativity incorporated in the aesthetic of the album.

“Her Loss” is a collaboration between Drake and 21 Savage, which sparked interest among fans. Although Drake has made better music, his album didn’t disappoint. Some of his individual

songs are really well done but the rest of the album comes off as repetitive, making it hard to listen to the entire album at once.

Overall the album is a people pleaser and didnt make an immediate mark in the music industry. Although it is a well written and produced album it’s nothing particularly special.

Drake wasn’t the only rapper to release music this year. Kendrick Lamar released “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” long before “Her Loss.” Although it is still classified as a rap album it definitely goes a lot deeper than most.

The album is an expression of Lamar’s life through extensive therapy sessions in his journey to better himself. We travel through his childhood, his pains, and most importantly his personal traumas.

Because of how obviously personal this album is to the artist, listening to it is more of an experience than anything.

Even if nothing can be quite as iconic as Beyoncé in the early 2000’s, she definitely made a comeback with “Renaissance.” It incorporates some very popular names in the industry like Jay-Z and Drake. It’s a good album but it just falls short of great. Along with some catchy songs, the album also includes a lot of music

that feels like fillers in a sitcom. They really don’t do much but they’re there.

Ending our year on a high note, SZA released her second studio album, “SOS,” after a long five year wait and she definitely did not disappoint. You know it’s a good album when you struggle to find the worst song. The album art and entire vibe of the album gives off the energy of loneliness. Not just the bad parts of being alone, but the peaceful and enjoyable parts of it as well.

A California Weather Update: Nothing’s Changed

By Eva Yancheson reporter

It’s the holiday season on the California coast, where the only snowfall you can count on is the occasional ash storm from one of our yearly fires! Ranging from 6070, California winters are pretty intense. The sunny skies, gentle breezes, and intermittent drizzles make our coastal climate difficult to acclimate to, especially if you aren’t used to inconsistency.

Once the weather hits 70, don’t feel ashamed to wear a puffer and a beanie. In fact, it’s the custom! For a state that claims to love our perfectly moderate climate, we sure are eager to pretend we have seasons.

That golden range of 20 degrees holds true every year, yet it prompts an important question. Doesn’t anyone get sick of it? It’s like eating your favorite meal over and over again, it starts off amazing, but

after a while just the thought of it is gag-worthy.

Not to say we don’t have our share of anomalies every once and a while. I yearn to experience that five hours of dumping rain just to see that the temperature climb to 70 by the end of the day! I smile when remembering those chunks of muddy hail that dented my car! My heart skips a beat at the thought of the nosebleeds from those dry polluted winds!

California’s moderate climate is one of our main crowd pleasers. People just can’t get enough! It keeps that famous Californian ego flowing. My only concern is this: what will we do when climate change puts us out of business?

Once the rest of the country catches up to our warm winters, we lose our most decisive edge in the everlasting battle for the best state. Forget the polar bears; Californians have the most to lose here. Have a good break and keep that sunscreen handy!

Actress Letitia Wright’s Talent Shines in New “Black Panther” Film

By Aidan Shen reporter

Actress Letitia Wright has big shoes to fill. After the premier of Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” on Nov. 11, 2022, fans have eagerly scrutinized her performance in hopes that she upholds the legacy of her co-star and friend, Chadwick Boseman.

The movie has an ideal balance between honoring the late chief of Wakanda, Boseman and introducing Wright to the spotlight as Wakanda’s new protector.

Boseman played the role of superhero Black Panther in the first “Black Panther” movie.

Having been diagnosed in 2016, with colon cancer, Boseman battled the disease for a significant portion of his Marvel career. The illness progresed until it became stage four colon cancer while he was filming in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The announcement of his sickness came as a shock to all Marvel

fans, who had been unknowingly watching Boseman fight a silent, years-long battle alone.

Tragically, Boseman passed away on Aug. 28, 2020, not long after the premier of his last movie, “Avengers: Endgame.”

The latest movie in the Marvel timeline, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” is a beautiful

tribute to Boseman’s legacy.

Since the first “Black Panther” movie, the franchise has featured rich culture which is infused into the movies with many architectural and artistic ideas coming primarily from the African country Lesotho, along with surrounding countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

As shown in the trailer, Shuri, playing T’Challa’s sister, supposedly takes on the mantle of Black Panther. The film utilizes the storyline to allude to events during Chadwick Boseman’s battle against cancer.

In addition to the massive amounts of support for Boseman, Wright brought a piece of him to the premier of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” fashioning an outfit almost identical to the one worn by Boseman at the 2018 Academy Awards.

Wright and the rest of the cast mourn the death of their friend, but honor him perfectly with the continuation of what he started.

(Graphic by Eva Mayrose)

(Graphic by Quinn Kearns)

(Graphic by Eva Yancheson)

(Graphic courtesy of Google)

A Letter From the Editors

In an effort to alleviate the stress that comes with menstruation, the Palos Verdes Organization of Women plans to provide free sanitary hygiene products in girls’ bathrooms across campus through regular donation drives.

PVOW is arranging a preliminary trial by putting up baskets with sanitary products in the girls’ bathrooms.

As long as students are not wasting the products, PVOW plans to collaborate with district administrators to install a constant supply of menstruation products throughout the year.

The project will save students the panic of loudly digging through their backpacks for a pad or tampon in the middle of class, only to realize they forgot to restock their supply. Instead of having to go around asking people for feminine products, students would have free access whenever necessary.

Unexpectedly getting your period at school is extremely stressful and the added uncertainty of finding sanitary products in such a time of need only worsens the situation.

A supply of feminine hygiene products is exactly what students need to feel supported during what often is an agonizing week.

In the age of the Pink Tax and dancing around the taboo topic of periods, entering a bathroom with free products normalizes a natural cycle that, unfortunately, many people are embarrassed to talk about. The baskets of products would serve as a daily reminder that menstruation is normal and is nothing to be ashamed about.

Although girls’ bathrooms have dispensers with sanitary products, they are hardly ever used because each product costs 50 cents and may not even be the appropriate absorbency for each person, increasing the risk of bleeding through it. The obsoleteness of these dispensers highlights the need for an updated, more reliable system.

However, concerns over student behavior are keeping this vital resource from being freely stocked in our bathrooms.

From wasting bathroom resources to constantly littering the stalls with trash, it is evident that student bathroom etiquette is subpar.

Not only is considerate bathroom behavior crucial for this to happen, but it is also important to show respect for the custodians cleaning the bathrooms. Translation: no sticking pads on the walls and absolutely no flushing tampons down the toilet.

On a global scale, countries such as Spain, England, and Scotland already provide educational institutions with free period products. Assuming that students use them responsibly, taking initiative at PVHS could lead to a district-wide movement for accessible products possibly beginning at earlier school levels.

Exposing younger students to student-implemented systems could foster respectful bathroom habits and normalizes having a period.

Ultimately, providing free sanitary products builds a safe and supportive bathroom environment, leading to less stressful period experiences.

Just Stop Oil: Controversial Climate Protests Are Unproductive

By Olivia Kao reporter

From making decorative posters with meaningful sayings, such as “There is No Planet B!," marching through streets, boycotting certain environmentally harmful products, or even going vegan are all common and relatively effective forms of protesting for the safety of our planet that most people have at least heard of or seen.

However, when climate protesters begin to throw cans of soup at centuriesold paintings, as well as smearing and destroying other visual masterpieces with chocolate cake and mashed potatoes in hopes of grabbing the attention of well, the world (which they certainly did), the question arises of just how effective these absurd methods of protest are.

In late October of 2022, a viral video circulated the internet: two protestors from Just Stop Oil, an organization dedicated “…to [ensuring] that the government commits to ending all new licenses and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels…” (JustStopOil. org), threw cans of soup on Van

A Literary Tragedy:

By Ella Sherry news editor

Some of the most widely read high school core texts are novels like “The Catcher in the Rye,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Lord of the Flies” and many of Shakespeare’s plays. What do these all have in common?

They’re written by straight, white, cisgender men and largely feature straight, white, cisgender men.

Even though they do contain important messages, it’s also vital that education expands beyond the traditional Eurocentric curriculum that has been taught for so many years.

Literature is incredibly beneficial when it comes to developing empathy, understanding and respect for different cultures and ethnicities. It allows readers to spend time in someone else’s mind and experience the same emotions, cultivating an appreciation for unique opinions.

If we only read novels and plays written by and about a singular race, culture or gender, we lose the opportunity to

engage with and learn about diverse experiences.

At PV High, there are 75 possible books and plays offered as standard curriculum for all four grade levels, found in the Course Handbook.

Each grade level has one required reading book, regardless of whether the English

Gladwell’s “Outliers” in addition to “Beowulf,” 15% of the texts are written by non-white authors: 11 books.

Because of the lack of author diversity, we don’t get to learn as much about the effect of slavery in the south, of the nationwide legalization of abortion in the 70s (and the recent loss of the right), of Japanese internment camps in California during WWII, of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s, of the cultural traditions of modern Native Americans and so many other stories that are necessary to the history of our world and its people.

Gogh’s famous oil painting, Sunflowers.

These protestors claimed that works of art like Sunflowers, among other various uses for oil, are harming the environment.

While it is true that oil presents a major issue in the earth’s climate, to voluntarily destroy works of art worth millions of dollars is simply unproductive and impulsive, to say the least.

In addition to Van Gogh paintings being damaged, paintings by Andy Warhol among other well-known artists and their works of art have suffered the consequences of these controversial climate protesters. It is rather inaccurate of the Just Stop Oil protestors to attribute these modern environmental issues to paintings that are multiple centuries old.

While the initial intentions of these radical climate protesters were morally right, there are certainly less destructive methods of protest that would bring about the same worldwide attention surrounding issues of oil and climate change.

Simply throwing cans of soup at famous works of art gives a negative reputation to climate change advocators and only makes the public less sympathetic to the cause.

class is a regular, honors, or AP level course. Freshmen read “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, sophomores read “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, juniors read “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and seniors read “Hamlet,” also by Shakespeare.

Combining and excluding “Beowulf,” which was written by an unknown author(s), 20% of the total 74 books are written by women: 15 books. Of 73 books, excluding biracial Malcolm

Editors-in-Chief

Amber Chen Lucia Ruiz Adviser

Cynthia Mindicino

Instead, we’re learning about an angsty teen in New York City and a wealthy, obsessive man who can’t get over his former lover in the midst of the Roaring Twenties.

This doesn’t mean we should completely eradicate the malewritten, Eurocentric works from school curriculums—they still examine significant themes and messages. But we do need to start making space for other cultures, ethnicities and gender or sexual identities if we want to build a community that respects and appreciates one another.

Editors & Leadership

News: Ella Sherry

Features: Kelly Donahue

Opinion: Eva Mayrose

Sports: Jonathan Liu

Photography: Sierra Namvari

Centerspread: Luka Ardon Chloe Choi

Online: Ella Sherry

Social Media: Quinn Kearns

Zara Deen, Enna Hosoi, Olivia Kao, Hailey Kim, James Lew, Aaron Propst, Aidan Shen, Sophie Stoddart, Christopher Vasey, Eva Yancheson, Sophie Sun

(Graphic by Ella Sherry)

(Graphic by Olivia Kao)

What students are losing by reading euro-centric works

Star Athletes: Some of PVHS’ Best Athletes’ Future Destinations

By Kelly Donahue features editor

Senior Tatum Lane committed to playing division one volleyball at the University of San Diego this past June.

Lane knew she wanted to play volleyball in college after watching her sister play at UCLA and seeing the high intensity environment of college volleyball.

Lane began playing when she was only eight years old and it was one of three sports she played at the time. She had been familiar with the sport since her sister also played at the time and her mom had played in college.

“What really drew me to USD was the amazing coaching staff and team,” Lane said.

“They have really spent so much time creating a family dynamic that is so rare and I knew that that was what I wanted to be a part of.”

Another aspect that drew Lane to USD was its location because she knew she wanted to stay in California.

Lane’s recruitment process started when she could talk to coaches the summer after her sophomore year.

“It was my first time being able to talk to coaches on the phone and schedule visits, and it took just under a year to find the perfect place for me,” Lane said.

Senior Meg Walsh committed to playing division one volleyball at Texas Christian University in April of 2022.

She had originally played both soccer and basketball, but they were played during the same season so she had to make a decision between the two.

“I stopped playing soccer and then tried out for the volleyball team at PVIS because it was a different season which meant I could play both basketball and volleyball,” Walsh said.

Walsh decided she wanted to play volleyball in college during the COVID lockdown.

“When everything got shut down my volleyball season also stopped for a while,” Walsh said.

“Those months without volleyball showed me how much I love playing and that I want to continue [to play] at the college level.”

Walsh decided TCU was the perfect fit for her for many reasons such as the people, location and campus.

The recruiting process itself was definitely stressful at times, but it was so worth it and I’m very grateful that I was able to commit to TCU,” Walsh said.

Dribbling Into a New Season With Girls Basketball

By Hailey Kim reporter

The girls basketball team is excited for their 2022-2023 season, and it is evident in their practices, teamwork, and team chemistry.

This season, with a multitude of new team members and a new head coach Daniel Rho, they are mainly focused on learning how to play and work well together.

The players truly illustrate what being on a team is all about.

Many of the girls’ favorite aspect about being on the team is the strong friendships they’ve formed due to tough circumstances they’ve had to deal with.

They became close through a variety of events, including games and trips, but going through numerous coaching changes together was definitely the biggest bonding experience.

Senior captain Bella Hokama

said that her main goal for this season is to be a leader and to support her teammates.

She’s been playing basketball ever since she was young, so she understands the importance of great leadership and team comradery.

“Our team is mainly underclassmen, so it is a building year,‘’ Hokama said.

“No one is super-serious so that makes us work well together.”

Additionally, the team has some new members who joined from Cross Country, who are looking to make this season the best it can be.

All of the players acknowledge that they are getting better and evolving more with each game.

They are able to do so because of their support, cooperation, and trust. The team this year is a special one, and they can’t wait for the rest of the season.

“I started playing soccer when I was three years old, [but] It wasn’t until around fifth grade when my love for soccer started,” Freebury said.

“Ever since then, I’ve been completely obsessed and fully invested in the sport.”

Freebury had a dream to play in college when she was young, but the dream became reality last year.

“My club team attended a college showcase in Nashville about a year ago,” Freebury said.

“At my first game, there were 70 different colleges on the sidelines watching our game. After the showcase, all of the emails from different schools that were interested came through.”

Freebury at first had a tough time deciding what school to attend, but a visit made it particularly easy.

“I was not really sure what I wanted, and I was talking to all different kinds of schools,” Freebury said.

Then, I eventually went on a visit to the school and fell in love with the town, athletic facilities, and the team’s style of play,” Freebury said.

Artificial Turf Affecting NFL Players and Their Health

By Jonathan Liu sports editor

As young athletes around the world sign up to play football, there’s always one catch: injuries.

While injuries have been a part of sports for the longest time and specifically football, fans and players around the country are wondering if the playing surfaces could be affecting these injuries.

Around the country, most of these football games are being played on artificial turf, for many reasons.

Turf can resist three thousand hours of heavy foot traffic every year, compared to grass which can easily get worn down due to a lot of movement on the field.

“Personally, I have only played on a grass field once and I enjoyed playing on it,” varsity football player and junior Niko Tsangaris said

“It felt like the surface made it easier on my feet and joints.”

In the NFL, 16 out of the 30 teams play on natural grass surfaces, which may seem like a lot, but the players want it to be all 30.

NFL players in recent months have taken their opinions to social media, trying to persuade owners to change their team’s playing surface to natural grass.

“I’d rather practice in sleet, snow, thunderstorm with a chance of getting struck by lightning than run inside on the turf,” Kansas City Chief’s tightend Travis Kelce said.

“I believe that we and all the teams should be playing on grass,” LA Rams wide-receiver Cooper Kupp said.

“This is an age-old issue, and I believe the time to address the problem is now! Let’s have the conversation,” Kupp said.

These players’ concerns about

playing surfaces have been backed up by studies performed recently.

A study from 2012-2018 directed by the NFL stated that players have a 28% higher rate of non contact lower injuries when playing on artificial turf.

Along with the 28% higher rate, NFL players have a 32% chance of suffering a non contact knee injury while playing on artifical turf.

Additionally, up to 69% of foot and ankle injuries occur on turf fields opposed to natural grass.

“I honestly prefer to play on turf, just because I haven’t played on grass in a while,” varsity football player and junior Luke Gayton said.

“I think the difference with the NFL is that their turf is always going through new paint jobs and stuff like that so the surface is harder to play on,”Gayton said.

Senior Ella Freebury committed to playing division one soccer at the University of Houston in May of 2022.

(Photo courtesy of Tatum Lane)

(Photo courtesy of Meg Walsh)

(Photo courtesy of Ella Freebury)

Who will Win the World Cup? Argentina vs. France

By Luka Ardón center spread editor

The World Cup needs no introduction. The biggest sporting event. The best soccer players playing at the world’s largest stage filled with the passion of playing for their nation. The 2022 World Cup has been held in Qatar and for the very first time in the winter.

“[It] has been a fun experience watching all of my friend’s rooting for their national teams,” said senior Parham Seyedshakeri

This year, there were amazing games and results. To name a few, in the group stage Japan upset Spain, which knocked out Germany who needed a Spanish win to advance. Same for South Korea beating Portugal, sending them to the round of 16 and knocking out Uruguay.

Another surprise was Morocco topping their group which had Croatia and Belgium. However, a disappointment for Mexican fans was when they failed to make it out of the group stage for the first time in 40 years.

“I really wanted Mexico to move on to the next round, obviously, because I’m Mexican. We ended up losing to Argentina, no surprises there. It came down to Saudi Arabia and we were asking for a lot. But we came up short, “ senior Eli Munoz said.

The knockout round didn’t fail to entertain either with Morocco’s miracle

run to the semifinals, knocking out the European giants Spain and Portugal.

“It was really exciting to watch Morocco make it to the semifinals since they’re the first African team to reach the semifinals; they earned respect from other teams.” Seyedshakeri said.

In the quarterfinals, Croatia knocked out the most successful nation in the World Cup, Brazil, when the game finished with a penalty shootout. And in what people expected to be the best match of the tournament, France beat England 2-1.

“My favorite game so far was England vs France. It kept me on my toes the whole game with many goals and it was two great teams going against each

PVHS Basketball Overcoming Preseason Obstacles

By Aaron Propst reporter

The boys basketball season started this November, but this season is not going to be like the rest with many changes to the coaching staff.

Brian Edelman took a leave from his role as varsity head coach this year, needing rest during his battle with cancer.

However, Edelman is still active in the program as he is serving as the Program Director.

Former JV coach John Schweisberger has retired after many years coaching at Palos Verdes High.

Former Freshman and Sophomore coach Emmett Thomas left the program to pursue an opportunity in Alabama.

“It was definitely different having a new varsity coach, but it doesn’t really make a difference,” senior Will Bengston said.

“Our goals dont change and our values as a team don’t change, so it doesn’t make a difference in terms of team morale and the overall team composition.”

Although this sudden change is a struggle, the program has found new coaches to step in quickly.

Coach Greg Clark, who coached at Palos Verdes before Brian Edelman took

over, is back to coach the varsity team again.

Assistants, former players, and inexperienced coaches have also stepped up to help the program.

These coaches include new Junior Varsity coach Blake Goldstein and Freshman and Sophomore coach Israel Passmore

“It gives us someone to play for,” Bengston added.

“Now we play for each other, but we also play for Brian.”

Last year was a inconsistent year for Sea King basketball, but the team is ready and motivated to flip the script and contend for a Bay League championship this season under the help of the new coaching staff.

other. The missed penalty kick by Harry Kane cost them the game but England was very close to tying it and taking it to penalty kicks,” Seyedshakeri said.

This edition of the World Cup has been packed with surprises, miracle runs and heartbreak but it has all led to the final: Argentina vs. France.

Both are looking for their third World Cup trophy. Argentina is the current champion of South America, winning the 2021 Copa America. On the other hand, France is the current champion of the World, winning the 2018 World Cup. France is looking to be the first nation in 60 years to go back-to-back as winners of the World Cup.

Argentina and France met in the last

World Cup where France beat Argentina in the round of 16. But Argentina has proven in the semifinals that the past doesn’t matter since they beat Croatia 3-0 this year after losing to them in 2018.

“The moment the final whistle blew, I felt a sense of relief. It was really such a heartfelt moment knowing and believing my country could make it this far. I also felt so much happiness for my inspiration Messi, apart from wanting Argentina to win it. I’ve looked up to Messi all my life. This win brought me so much joy,” senior Lolo Bury said.

On the other side of the bracket, France beat Morocco 2-0 and reached the final two World Cups in a row.

The two best nations face off on Dec. 18th, as do the two best players this tournament. Mbappe of France is looking to claim a spot in the best players in history with his second World Cup, while Messi is looking to win his first World Cup, adding what will be the most precious award to his large trophy cabinet.

“To be honest, both are good teams. I think Argentina can definitely win if they play like a team,” Bury said.

Many want Argentina to win solely for one player: Messi, who many consider the greatest player of all time.

“I want Argentina to win because this is Messi’s last World Cup before he retires. France already won the last World Cup and it wouldn’t be as exciting for soccer fans if they won again because I’m sure a lot of people want Argentina to win,” Seyedshakeri said.

(Graphic by Luka Ardón)

The Marvelous Ms. Mog

to live in a penthouse, woo! But I stayed in Washington and that was a really good choice. I would never move back there, but Seattle is a good place.”

College life came as a shock to Mogilefsky. For a student who had breezed through high school with straight A’s and barely had any homework, the sudden onslaught of readings, papers, and deadlines was jarring.

“I got into some really bad habits, I skipped class a lot and I crashed and burned.”

Despite this tumultuous era, Mogilefsky worked hard to regain her spot at the top of her class. She settled down and got more serious about her education. She ended up graduating with a business degree with a concentration in marketing.

“It was a strange first job, but I got a job at the Federal Reserve as an account manager in Seattle… I was making decent money at the time, I paid off my debts, and things were good.”

group, where she met her current husband.

“The timing was right and the chemistry was right and we just hit it off.”

Mogilefsky moved to West Hollywood and got engaged to her husband, where they managed an apartment building for a while. In 2006, she married her husband and three years later she got pregnant. With her husband having a stable job as a script analyst and Mogilefsky working at a software company, the couple began developing a grand plan. Mogilefsky was unhappy at her unfulfilling software job so she planned to slowly get her teaching credentials at Loyola Marymount University and start teaching when her daughter was in kindergarten. However, the timeline was moved up by a few years when her husband was laid off from his job. As the young couple struggled to maintain their life, Mogilefsky tested into a teaching program as her husband worked as a contract-based script analyst.

By Sophie Sun reporter

Angela Mogilefsky, English teacher and BSU advisor nicknamed “Ms. Mog”, was born in Evanston, Illinois, but Mogilefsky’s father received a job offer in Washington when she was one year old. So, the family packed up and moved west, where Mogilefsky grew up in the small rural town of Ferndale, Washington.

“When I was a kid we would run around in the woods and build forts and we just had a lot of independence…We had a bookmobile that came around once every three or four weeks which was a very big deal at the time.”

A rather tomboyish girl, Mogilefsky lived a peaceful and happy life in her idyllic town until she hit age 12.

“I realized that I was stuck in the middle of nowhere… and I festered.”

She suddenly found herself spending time reading books, sulking in her room, listening to depressing music, and writing “really terrible poetry.” Throughout high school, which Mogilefsky described as “painful,” she kept her head down and dreamed of leaving the small town she felt trapped in. She craved freedom. The saving grace in her high school career was sneaking up past the Canadian border into Vancouver, where Mogilefsky found respite from her small town life.

“I went to the University of Washington in Seattle, partially for financial reasons… I did apply to a few places in New York too. I was gonna get the heck outta here and be in New York! I was never going to get married, never going to have kids, going

Mogilefsky then switched from her Federal Reserve job into the finance world, where she was brought into a startup technology company by her former boss. When the small startup was bought out by a larger company, Mogilefsky faced a crossroads: take a nice severance package or start over with a new company. At the same time, Mogilefsky was getting out of a 6-year marriage, so she decided to take the severance package and make the big move she had been dreaming of. Initially, Mogilefsky thought she would move to her dream city, New York, but the few weeks she spent there didn’t give her the sense of belonging she had been searching for ever since she turned 12.

Mogilefsky came back to Seattle and took a road trip down to Los Angeles.

“I remember coming through Oregon and Northern California through Mt. Shasta… it was like moles being exposed to lights.”

Soon, Mogilefsky settled down in sunny Southern California. She got a job and began working with a political volunteer

“There was another student and he was great. He and I were neck and neck for top student…he missed a couple points on a paper and I just barely beat him. I still have the plaque hanging up at home.”

For her student teaching job, Mogilefsky was assigned to Santa Monica High School, where she was hired full time. However, the long commute on top of teaching three prep classes pushed Mogilefsky to find alternate teaching options.

“After a year [at Santa Monica], my neighbor, a chemistry teacher, let me know about an opening at PVHS and I jumped at it. I was so excited to be able to apply for the position. I was hired at the same time as Ms. Palosaari and Mrs. Mindicino.”

As of 2022, Mogilefsky has been teaching at PV High for eight years. Her husband signed on permanently with Sony and her daughter attends PVIS.

“You never know where life is going to take you. It’s always good to be kind and keep learning. There’s always more to learn, as I found out, sometimes the easy way and sometimes the hard way.”

Pint-Sized Stories: The Christmas Party