The Point, Issue 5, Volume 28 - March 28, 2024

THEPOINT

The Brilliant Blue Era Team Stix and Stone take first place in the 2024 Scholar Quiz

By Kate North reporter

Scholar Quiz has been uniting Palos Verdes High School students in their academic pursuits since 2007.

Through friendly competition, it encourages higher state testing scores and it builds camaraderie amongst students.

This year’s championship game was between a team made of upperclassmen, Stix and Stone, and the youngest team to make it to the finals, The Innovators, which was made up of three freshmen and a sophomore. The hour-long lunch event brought out a big crowd and was made even more exciting with lights and a DJ.

Stix and Stone (Gavin Eades, Rohan Gianchandani, Mikey Mackiewicz, and Kaden Stone) came out on top and won first place, while The Innovators (Aman Agandi, Malia Tamilin, Alan Wu, and Timothy Yang) took second.

The game started off close until Team Stix and Stones pulled ahead at with multiple Lightning Round questions. The final score was 50-30.

“Scholar Quiz is a time to have fun, but also to remind us that we’re creeping up to several weeks that are extremely important for both students, as well as the high school itself, our reputation,” Tecia Barton,

Scholar Quiz coordinator said.

“Scholar Quiz has become important because we use it to kick off the dreaded testing season, which will start when we get back from spring break in April and May.”

In the past years, PVHS students have done outstandingly well on state testing, reaching the “blue era” of academic excellence.

“I see people training for this— they spend their lunches doing this,” Gianchandani said.

“And I honestly think it’s really funny. It’s this weird phenomenon where you’re getting all different types of people to come and compete and get excited about stuff like this.”

This year, a new round was introduced between the two teams knocked out in the semifinal round to determine a third and fourth place.

“Very often competitions are more athletic,” Mark Lin said.

“But this is one of the academic competitions that everyone knows about.”

After 20 years and this academic victory, Barton will be handing over the reins of the Scholar Quiz to teacher librarian Ashley Brockman

“I’m not going to let Scholar Quiz go to the wayside,” Barton said.

“I will hand it over with the knowledge that anybody and everybody can come to me.”

PVHS Presents Heathers Musical this Spring

By Kelly Bojorquez reporter

Get ready for the upcoming spring musical, Heathers

This play includes amazing choreography, songs and actors who have put a lot of effort into their performance.

Unlike previous PVHS plays, Heathers includes material for more mature audiences with scenes including drug usage, murder and suicide.

The Heathers musical is about common teenage issues, like popularity and bullying, and how they affect teenagers.

The main character Veronica moves into a new town and becomes a part of the most popular clique but starts to rebel against the Heathers once she realizes just how bad they really are. Veronica gets a boyfriend JD who starts manipulating Veronica into helping murder the Heathers and other people and pinning them as suicides.

Senior Rachel McGinty who stars as Veronica says her character struggles with popularity the most.Veronica soon finds out that popularity is not what’s important in life and that there’s other things that are

more important, like her true friends.

“It’s really just about high schoolers and what they go through and how important it is to be true to yourself and to do the right thing,” McGinty said. Due to the nature of the play, there are many mature scenes involved.

“A lot of precautions are being taken to make sure that this production is safe for people to watch and safe for us to be a part of,” McGinty said.

“It’s very different from the original in the sense that it’s not as vulgar or as shocking per say. It still tells the story and includes everything that is very important to the story.”

As the Drama Department is putting on a performance about common teenage issues, students on campus have

found the topic of the play very interesting as it can relate to their own lives.

“It promotes the reality of high school and explains how students in today’s society have to deal with bullying, stress, grades, and much more,” freshman Olga Mangual said.

Plays, movies, books, shows, and podcasts can play a big role in how people see life today.

For the Drama Department, producing Heathers for the school to see is a great way to spread more awareness about these issues.

Support the Drama Department who puts all this hard work into their performances by attending the performances April 12-14 and 18-21..

Visit PVHSDRAMA.COM for more information.

WASC Visits Campus

A look at our school’s accreditation process

By Aaron Propst reporter

WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, visited the Palos Verdes High campus from Monday through Wednesday, March 11-13.

The purpose of the WASC accreditation is to monitor student learning and set school improvement goals.

WASC lead, Chloe Schofield, was a big part of planning and preparing for the arrival of WASC.

“Are we a real school, does real learning take place, when students come are they safe and happy?” Schofield said, referring to what the WASC team looks for.

“That accreditation makes the (students) high school diplomas mean something,” Schofield said.

Around the school, staff members prepared in many different ways for the arrival of WASC.

Schofield and Associate Principal Jason Ito were prominent in the preparation.

“We’ve been preparing for the WASC visit for at least a year,” Schofield said.

“Mr. Ito and I spent a lot of time grinding out essays and writing reports.”

Teachers were also excellent at preparing students making sure that our school was well represented as a serious campus that cared about learning in respective classes.

“This isn’t a horse and pony show,” Gailene Lancey said.

“Just be yourself and answer truthfully. You’re great kids.”

Students did a great job at staying on task in class and working together to make a good impression.

WASC recognized the joy of student life on campus at different lunchtime activities and during in class activities.

Overall, Palos Verdes High School made a lasting impression on WASC and showed the true nature of our school as the school has received a lot of positive feedback.

The visiting WASC team will share their comprehensive report and findings later this Spring.

(First place team from left to right: Gavin Eades, Kaden Stone, Scholar Quiz Coordinator Tecia Barton, Mikey Mackiewicz, Rohan Gianchandani. Second place team bottom left: Malia Tamilin, Aman Angadi, Alan Wu , and Timothy Yang. Third place team bottom right: Michelle Nikmehr, Clarence Lin, Cayden McGuire, Mark Lin, and alternate Alex Naehu. (Photos by Natalie Dardon)

(Photo by Chloe Choi)

From ZZZ’s to Zing: A Look Into Teenagers’ Energy

By Valerie Villegas reporter

The CDC recommends that teenagers should sleep eight to 10 hours per day, but what happens when students aren’t getting the recommended hours of sleep per night?

Many teenagers resort to consuming energy drinks in order to compensate for the sleep they lost.

“I get four hours of sleep, so I drink energy drinks because I need caffeine, [but] I don’t like the taste of coffee and energy drinks taste good,” senior Austin Roach said.

Aside from providing a boost of energy that students need, some say that they enjoy the taste of the drinks, further drawing them back in for the flavor of the beverages rather than the energy they provide.

Because of their widespread availability and accessibility, many often overlook the risks and implications that can come with consuming these beverages on a frequent basis.

These refreshments put consumers at a higher risk of developing heart problems, anxiety and insomnia, and in 2011 the CDC reported that increasing numbers of students have gone to the hospital due to energy drink related emergencies.

“I stopped drinking energy drinks due to the fact that there have been a lot of recent stories of people around my age that are getting hospitalized,” junior Jenyne Ebreo said.

“I never really took it seriously before, but just knowing that [there are] very possible health risks for something I do so often in my everyday life was scary.”

In addition to the use of energy boosting drinks, many teens turn towards using melatonin as a sleeping aid.

(Graphic byAriana Valenzuela)

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that causes individuals to feel drowsy or tired, but over the counter supplements have since been produced.

“I have some sleeping problems, especially when it comes to school, so I take melatonin in order to calm my nerves…and to get a good rest,” junior Ariana Valenzuela said.

It is important to note that in the past few years, Poison Control has received more calls due to pediatric melatonin overdoses in comparison to other substances, according to their data.

“[Knowing this] makes me very concerned,” Valenzuela said. “I don’t take it too much, but at the same time I have to make sure that I don’t take a lot of it or else I could have severe health problems.”

As students consume energy drinks and melatonin, they should be aware of health implications that could rise over long term usage and abstain from using these aids frequently.

“Despite some of the disadvantages that come with melatonin, such as feeling nauseous and disoriented, I would say that getting my eight hours of sleep dismisses most side effects and I feel more energetic during the day,” Valenzuela said.

The Return of Required Test Scores

By Olivia Kao features editor

In early February, Dartmouth College announced that it will be requiring applicants to submit standardized test scores for the next round of admissions.

Highly competitive schools such as Yale, Brown and University of Texas at Austin have followed suit.

With the shutdown of SAT and ACT testing sites due to the pandemic, many students were unable to take these national exams. Thus, hundreds of colleges across the country shifted to being “test-optional,” where applicants may report test scores if they choose to, or even “test-blind,” where admissions officers will not consider test scores as part of their application evaluation, in the case of the UC schools.

Although established initially to remedy the gap created by testing unavailability, universities’ implementation of these new policies stirred public debate. The importance of standardized tests and their accuracy in measuring a person’s intelligence was called into question, causing many schools to keep their “testoptional” status.

Indeed, the role of standardized test scores in an applicant’s college admission is not completely conclusive of a student’s capabilities.

Many colleges examine an application holistically, meaning admissions officers assess “an applicant’s unique experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement such as grades and test scores” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing).

However, Dartmouth and many other school’s reinstatements of requiring test scores may change many students’ decisions of whether or not to take the SAT or ACT.

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the various testing opportunities the College and Career

Center provides.

“Every student should take a practice test of each test to see their baseline score and get a feel for which test they do better on or feel better taking,” CCC Director Joanne Lewis said.

“Then it’s a conversation with me or their counselor to get an idea if their test score is anywhere in the realm of the mid-range scores for the colleges they are wishing to apply to.”

Current juniors—the next class to go through the complicated college application process—have mixed feelings about the recent changes in some universities’ testing policies.

With the sudden change in test score requirements, the time students will be able to prepare for standardized exams has been cut short.

“It was very sudden that they announced this,” said junior Michael Fu. “For all of high school we were led to believe the SAT was optional…I think it only benefits a small group of students.”

The altercations in admissions offices’ test score policies are not the only change made to standardized exams, however March 9 marked the first SAT taken online. Gone are the days of frantic page-flipping; the SAT’s brand new, completely digital format changes much of the original test.

The questions of the reading and writing sections of the test are now based upon one to two paragraph passages, as opposed to the one to two pages long texts used in the original exam. In addition, the exam is “adaptive,” meaning the difficulty and rigor of the questions changes with your performance.

Navigating the college application process is no simple task, and new, sudden changes to a notable aspect of applying such as standardized testing makes it no less difficult. Throughout the complex and often confusing process, it is important for students to keep in mind that a single number, whether it be a test score or GPA, is not definitive of who they are.

Female Autonomy in the States: Updates on Abortion Rights

By Sophie Sun reporter

The 19th Amendment, which constitutionalized women’s suffrage, was ratified in 1920. Abortion bans only started seeing reform by the late 1960s. The landmark Roe v. Wade took place in 1973, protecting the right to abortion across the US. It was then overturned in the 2022 case Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

On February 16, Alabama passed a ruling that equated frozen embryos to children, effectively banning IVF and shutting down in-vitro clinics. Part of the basis for this bill came from former legislation passed to prevent child abuse and labor.

In light of recent legislation, Missouri’s statute requiring disclosure of pregnancy status when petitioning for divorce has garnered attention. This statute effectively prevents pregnant women from getting divorced. Its original purpose was to ensure women and children received appropriate support postseparation. Similar statutes are in place in Texas and Arkansas.

Throughout Mid-Western and Southern states, the US has seen a slurry of IVF bans and regulations being passed. Nearly two years after the landmark Dobbs case, abortion and female autonomy continues to be a point of contention in politics.

A different approach to abortion takes place across

the Atlantic Ocean. While the US was overturning the right to abortion, in March of 2024, President Emmanuel Macron led France to become the first country to constitutionalize abortion.

On the other hand, many American politicians continue pushing against abortion. Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley sided with Alabama’s IVF ruling, yet openly shares her experience and success using IVF. Much of the language she uses to discuss IVF is reminiscent of what many pro-choice advocates have been saying for decades.

“The policies that they’re creating end up resulting in fewer people having families. If you’re struggling with infertility now, IVF isn’t an option for you,” said Leanne Nemeth, PVOW advisor.

Due to the ban, organizations like the University of Alabama have shut down fertility treatments and research.

The treatment of frozen embryos as children is where medicine and law intersect. Oftentimes abortion bans with “exceptions” end up being blanket bans on all cases.

“The legislation often says

(Graphic by Sophie Sun) that there will be exceptions for medical emergencies and to save the life of the mother, but they’re politicians writing the legislation and not medical doctors. What is the criteria for saving the life of the mother, how sick does she have to be? Those things aren’t fleshed out in the legislation,” said Nemeth.

Beyond the issue with abortion itself, childcare costs have skyrocketed in the past few years. TOOTRIS Education Center states that child-care for preschoolers is roughly $12,000 annually. Statistics from Pew Research indicate that as income level decreases, the impact of childcare increases. Since much of US childcare isn’t subsidized, parents see higher and higher costs each year.

Nemeth says, “While it seems [abortion] only impacts women or trans men, it impacts families.”

For more information on abortion in California, visit https:// oag.ca.gov/reprorights.

The Effects of Land Movement in PV

By Sophie Stoddart sports editor

Land movement has been occuring in Palos Verdes for decades, roughly since the 1950s. Unfortunately, as of late, the phenomenon has been quickly growing worse and is putting homes and lives in danger. It is not uncommon to see cracks in sidewalks and streets as a result of the land movement.

“The Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex goes back thousands of years but it was activated in 1956 prior to the city incorporation in 1973,” RPV CIty Council Manager Ara Mihranian said.

“The main area of concern is the Portuguese Bend Complex. It is 800 acres and is made up of five landslide zones.”

Residents are instructed to always be alert and prepared in the event that there is a landslide or danger related to land movement.

“First, they need to be vigilant of what is happening on their property and in their neighborhood. If they are experiencing cracks or trouble opening doors or foundational cracks, notify the city so we can help,” Mihranian said.

Recently, the rainy weather and storms are worsening the landslide conditions.

“What happened last year was that there was so much water and pressure, it triggered a significant spike in land movement, and hasn’t slowed down since,” Mihranian said.

“It takes months for the rain water to get into the soil and hit the bentonite. City Hall knew within a few months they were going to see the consequences of that rain. ... We are probably not going to see the consequences of the most recent rain for another few months.”

There are different platforms and channels PV residents can join to stay in touch and updated with news regarding landslides in their area.

“We have channels in terms of communicating with the public in case there needs to be an evacuation…We have these emergency preparedness platforms, so if there is an emergency or a road closure we know how to get in touch with them,” Mihranian said.

In the Shadows: Art Students Display Their Work at PV Library

By Kate North reporter

The Advanced Student Art Show In the Shadows began March 22 in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Library and will continue through April 7. It explores the hidden and literal shadows of our world, from photographic manipulation of light to animal cruelty to decay.

The show has been a 13 year long tradition headed by Kristy Jimenez, the photography and animation teacher and Visual Performing Arts Chair. She established the show to “give wings to artists to not wait around and just become themselves as an artist at their pace.”

She hopes that “when they go to college, they see that empty wall in that cafe, or in that office, they can know how to the pros who to approach, who to talk to, to set up their own exhibition, and reception and know what it takes from beginning to end without having to wait for somebody to offer an opportunity to do it.”

“As an art teacher, we have to take that risk to back up our students and give them the confidence to be able to put themselves out there and say things that are not popular, but make people think.”

The students agree and appreciate this support.

“Art is all about evoking emotion amongst other people, whether it’s negative or positive,” said junior Hanna Kao

Every year, the public comes to view students’ work and leaves comments.

“Some of the comments that the community writes are, are very affirming, but then there’s some people that are very upset with some of the work,” Jimenez said.

However, they hope to also share a broader, positive message.

“It’s also a way of speaking without having any real communication,” Kao said.

“I think in the shadows means to take things that are usually hidden from people, things that don’t people don’t really talk about. And I’m approaching it by mainly doing it about animal cruelty—things like animal testing on rabbits for humans, makeup products, and shampoo bottles, etc.”

Senior Eva Yancheson, who used her piece to explore light and depth, says that she is “most excited just to see my peers’ pieces and learn from their skills and talent, and just experience the lesser known side of our school.”

AP Art and ceramics teacher, Matthew Jaurequi added that “it ends up being a very formidable and formative experience.”

(Photo by Ella Hansen)

Breathing New Life Into Education:

AP Students Combat Indoor Air Pollution

By Hailey Kim reporter/social media

Service learning has emerged as a powerful tool for enriching education, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application.

WE Service is a dynamic program that revolutionizes traditional education by infusing service learning into AP coursework. Through partnerships with educators and community organizations, WE Service empowers students to become agents of change in their communities while deepening their understanding of AP curriculum objectives.

Marie Kuhn, AP Environmental Science teacher, integrated WE Service into her curriculum inspired by the desire to instill environmental stewardship in her students.

to pollution,” said sophomore Ariena Thurairajah. “I learned a lot about the effects that indoor air pollutants can have on people, so I really wanted to try and make sure that our classes were safe.”

Recognizing that particulate matter was in classrooms and adversely affecting both students and teachers, the group devised a plan to take action.

“I wanted to implement what I learned in class in the real world

“I think that when I went to the classrooms to help clean, a lot of teachers never realized how much dust was in the corners of their bookshelves and on the desks, and this helped them realize that it’s good to clean their classroom every once in a while to protect themselves from indoor dust particles,” Thurairajah said.

The impact of the service project extended far beyond the act of cleaning classrooms.

“I often mention the ‘Power of One’ in AP Envi Sci and how each one of us can make a difference,” Kuhn said. “This service learning opportunity seemed like a perfect way to engage students and get them some additional recognition.”

Following a comprehensive unit on air pollution, Kuhn and her students decided to address the issue of indoor air quality within their school.

“In class, our past unit was about atmospheric pollution, and we did a few labs relating

to see what impact we can have on our communities,” junior Allison Yu said Armed with newfound knowledge and passion for sustainability, the students arranged to clean classrooms across the school. Over the course of two days, over thirty classrooms were cleaned and dusted. These efforts not only improved indoor air quality but also raised awareness among teachers and students about the importance of maintaining a healthy learning environment.

Stellar Science Olympiads

By Ethan Sung reporter

Science Olympiad, a 7th period course, is a small team composed of students passionate about competing in science contests. The team attends a regional competition each year with 60-70 other teams, where students participate in a variety of competitions to receive points for their respective schools.

The competition offers a wide array of events from Scrambler, in which students produce a mechanical device to transport an egg, to Forestry, where students are tested on their knowledge of trees, plants, and other botanical topics.

Although the events and tasks are difficult and require critical thinking and planning skills from students, they do enjoy the process and all the learning that comes with it.

“I would recommend SciOly to new members because it is a fun way to learn new science topics,” Science Olympiad President Christine Xie said.

“Throughout these four years, I feel that I have been able to better exercise scientific and logical knowledge outside of the classroom by participating in SciOly. My favorite part is actually going to Rio Hondo and blending into the excited buzz of competition.

I participated in Experimental Design, Fermi Questions, and Write it Do it. All three events were challenging but fulfilling, since they all required team effort for completion. Personally, Experimental Design was my favorite to do, but Fermi Questions come in as a close second.”

This year, the team underwent a change in leadership, as science teacher Marissa Salgado stepped in as the advsier.

“[This year] we met more often than previous years, had sweatshirts, and more excitement at the competition,” said Xie.

“I learned a lot that way so that next year we can be better and be more prepared,“ said Salgado. “Specifically, getting our builds done and making sure we’re studying early, trying to prepare for those things that we can bring to the event.”

On March 1, the team went to Rio Hondo College for the regional competition. In 20 out of 23 events, PV finished 32nd overall in a 61 team race, with high scoring tests in both the Optics and Astronomy competitions.

“I think it’s really a fun environment,” Salgado said. “Whatever you’re interested in, we can find a place for you to excel and be part of the team.”

Compact Class Dynamics

By Ella Gardner reporter/social media

Across campus, most class have every desk occupied by a student, but some classes have minimal numbers of students.

Gina Calescibetta’s 2nd-period class, AP Spanish Literature, has eight students.

“I’ve had classes of twelve or fifteen, but eight is the smallest class I have ever had,” Calescibetta said.

Through hands-on experience, students deepened their understanding of the link between air pollution and health, reinforcing key concepts from their course curriculum.

“It made me realize that environmental activism isn’t as scary as I thought it was, small steps can make a big difference in improving the health of our planet,” Yu said.

The integration of WE Service into AP coursework exemplifies the transformative potential of education when coupled with real-world application.

Through their service project, students in Kuhn’s AP Environmental Science class not only enhanced their understanding of course content but also became catalysts for change within their community.

are many benefits to this kind of learning environment in such small classes with a small teacher-to-student ratio.

“Almost everybody sits in the front of the class, so just having everyone physically closer makes a big difference in their focus level,” Mogilefsky said.

Throughout the two-hour class period, students may not get the chance to talk to their teachers one-on-one.

“I can get around to everybody and check in with everybody when I see that it’s needed, whereas, with a class of 32, there are maybe three kids you can connect with. In a class of eight, I hear everything the students say and can connect with all of them.”

Another benefit of small classes is that students can form stronger relationships with their teachers and classmates. Students also feel more motivated to learn when the teacher has fewer students to manage.

Angie Mogilefsky’s 6th-period English class has 25 students, her smallest class compared to her usual 35+ class. There

“A lot of my other students come in at lunch or nutrition to talk to me, but we can get it done in class with my sixth-period.”

Mogilefsky said.

One of Calescibetta’s students, Julia Westman, commented on her experience in the class.

“I feel motivated to do my best in class because Ms. Calescibetta pays close attention to everything each student does,” Westman said.

With fewer students to keep track of, teachers can manage classes better, and students are more prone to wanting to succeed. Connections between classmates also increase with smaller class sizes.

“All class activities are grouprelated, so there’s more student interaction,” Westman said.

“It’s a change from most of the classes I have at PV and a unique experience that I have really enjoyed.”

Are Our Attention Spans Doomed?

The Effects of Doomscrolling on Social Media

By Ella Hansen reporter

The rise of social media has impacted all generations and has created a new way of communicating with friends and family and passing the time.

However, these new platforms have complex algorithms that can draw anyone in and before you know it, you have been scrolling all day. Although social media is for all age ranges, its algorithms mainly target young kids and teens who are more likely to spend all day scrolling through their phone.

The short videos that we are so used to now have severely decreased our attention spans with many people claiming that they cannot do things like reading a book or watching a movie because it cannot hold their attention for long enough.

“I’d rather watch TikTok than read a book because with books I don’t get the immediate thrill that I get with TikTok,” freshman Niki Kostarias

“It’s a new thing every time I scroll on my phone but with a book every time I flip a page it’s

the same things.” Popular social media platforms instantly connect you to millions of videos that can grasp your attention. With a world full of knowledge at your fingertips, it becomes really easy to get sucked in and spend your day scrolling on TikTok.

“I think it’s bad that scrolling on TikTok is one of my hobbies but I don’t want to stop because it’s entertaining,” Kostarias said.

Social media has also affected the way all people interact in person. Junior Avery Tydlaska co-founded the club Screentox with her sister freshman Paige Tydlaska to encourage in person interaction for students as well as to raise awareness on the effects of teens’ usage of social media.

“I appreciate not having social media because it allows me to be less absorbed in my phone,” Tydlaska said.

“Not having social media allowed me to avoid artificial and short term friendships and helped me find my people.”

In person interaction is becoming a lost art as having phones throughout the school day is becoming more normalized.

It is up to the teachers to determine if they would like to allow students to keep their phone or if they would want to enforce a no phone policy.

Allowing students to keep their

phone could lead to students scrolling instead of paying attention to the lectures or lessons being taught to them.

On the other hand, giving students the option to choose whether they can keep their phone will give them the decision which would determine their overall success in the class.

“The students are old enough to know what’s right and wrong and know when to take out their phone and when to put it away. I wanted to give them the responsibility and have them learn,” Biology and Chemistry teacher Young Min Kwak said.

Social media platforms have had a major effect on how many of us develop; from mindlessly scrolling for hours, a shift in our attention spans or having regular in person interactions, it is up to us to spread awareness of the effects of these new technologies. Scan

(Graphics by Ella Hansen)

(Photo by Hailey Kim)

(Photo by Ella Gardner)

The Pets of Palos Verdes

By Chris Vasey reporter

Squeaky, 13-year-old Cockatiel Parrot

“My sister named him Squeaky when we were little, because he would not stop chirping when we first got him,” senior Melina Acuna said.

“Squeaky was originally my grandfather’s bird, but he gave him to my sister and I when we were younger,” Acuna said. “I’ve had him for so long I don’t know my life without him!”

Squeaky enjoys listening to rap music.

“Squeaky loves Eminem. He bops his head up and down to his favorite song,” Acuna said.

Bella, 11-year-old Teacup Yorkie

“Bella was a surprise from my mom when my sister and I were in elementary school,” senior Lauren Peckovich said.

One of Bella’s favorite activities is to lie in the sun.

“Everyday when I come home from school, I see Bella in our backyard lying in the sun,” Pekovich said.

“Whenever Bella runs, she always sticks her tongue out,” Pekovich said.

While most bunnies stay in their cage all day, the Hashemys chose to let their bunny roam free.

“We don’t keep Oreo in a cage,” Hashemy said. “We let Oreo run and hop around the house just like any dog would.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better pet than Oreo,” Hashemy said.

Training with Tahbaz:

Impacting Sea King Soccer and Special Education

By Zara Deen reporter

From a dedicated boy’s soccer coach to a special education assistant, PVHS alumnus Ryan Tahbaz really is a jack of all trades.

“PV High has always felt like home, so it’s a blessing to be able to serve the community that served my family and I so well when I was in high school,” Tahbaz stated.

As he was previously a student at PVHS, he was later encouraged to carry on at his “second home” as a coach and a special education assistant.

A special education assistant is someone who provides support to students during the school day.

“In addition to my role as a Special Education Assistant at PV High, I am a private trainer for young athletes who love playing The Beautiful Game,” Tahbaz stated.

Soccer is one of the passions he would like to carry on with his students. Over quarantine, this passion led him to create the popular Instagram account LA Goat Farm.

“LA Goat Farm is my training ‘brand’. Soccer is my first love, so I use the account to market my private trainings, while also giving me an outlet to share my passion for the game with the world,” Tahbaz said.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were limited opportunities for youth sports.

“I was being contacted by some parents in the community to do some private trainings and maintain their kids’ footballing development,” said Tahbaz.

“Word had caught on and suddenly dozens of parents were reaching out to have their kids try a training session so I could show people the kind of drills I like to do.”

Over his career, Tahbaz hopes to create “a self-sustaining model of athletic training, where kids are taught the technical skills used by professionals in a fun context to promote learning while also learning the tactical know-how to influence their teammates positively and promote their own passion for the game.”

With his account on the rise, and over 400 followers growing by the day, Tahbaz and his passion for his work, are sure to make this happen.

FEATURES

A Penny for Your Thoughts

By Natalie Dardon reporter

Junior Penny Kimberling has started her first year at PVHS with a bang.

Kimberling has managed to balance academics along with her passion for art. Her story of dedication and resilience has inspired many students in her community here at PVHS and coming from Chadwick High School.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been entrenched in music,” Kimberling said.

“I sang, I played piano, I did various solos for school performances and I even planned on going into music as a career for a while.”

When Kimberling was ten years old, she joined the National Children’s Chorus, or the NCC.

“I’ve very much grown up with the program,” Kimberling said.

“The NCC provided me with one-on-one training on a regular basis, essentially growing my range and teaching me to understand music on a deeper level. It was then that my love for the piano began to dwindle in favor of singing.”

Kimberling emphasizes the importance of passion in music and the role it can play in your life.

It highlights an engagement to achieve excellence, the need for both individual and collective effort.

Kimberling also acknowledges the beauty of the art her team has created.

“Rather than being inspired, music is a passion,” Kimbering said.

“Choral music in particular is about

having the entire ensemble emotionally, spiritually and physically in tune with one another.”

“You have to be incredibly focused and engaged to perform well.” Kimberling said.

“It’s that feeling that I find myself chasing after rather than feeling necessarily inspired,” Kimberling said.

“All the work we perform is incredibly beautiful and complex but the real beauty is not written by the composer on the paper in front of you but rather how you as the performer and your conductor choose to convey the emotions, story and passion of your music.”

Kimberling has a lot of commitment to her music as it has a great place in her heart.

Sea King Style

Fashion Icon Abigail Lowenstein

By Sierra Hickey reporter/social media

How would you describe your style in one word? Eclectic.

What inspires your style?

My grandmother definitely inspires my style. She gives me most of her clothes and a lot of them are very vintage…She definitely inspires me to learn more about fashion and teaches me about its importance.

What is your favorite outfit?

I have a few nice sweaters that I enjoy wearing. I also wear this long red leather jacket that I wear occasionally and I

enjoy.

Do you repeat outfits?

(Graphic by Sierra Hickey)

I wear the same pieces but I never repeat the same outfit. If you stick to neutral colors/basics…you can make a lot of outfits.

Where do you buy your clothes?

I mostly receive them from my grandmother. However, I also do a lot of vintage thrifting, there are a lot of cool places in LA as well as Beverly Hills. Return Style is one of my favorites. I also really like brands such as Mage, Vince and H&M.

Why do you enjoy having a unique style?

It’s very fun and you can really express yourself in ways that you couldn’t otherwise. It is also a way to leave an impression.

Do you plan to pursue fashion as a career?

It’s a hobby for me, I do enjoy it and it’s a large part of me but there are other things that I want to pursue at least for now.

What advice would you give to people who want to experiment with style?

Stick to the basics. When people think about experimentation they think about being bold but you don’t need to do that…

Photos courtesy of MelinaAcuna (12), Lauren Pekovich (12) and Rayan Hashemy (12)

(Photo courtesy of Penny Kimberling)

Kimberling performs with the National Children’s Chorus at Walt Disney Concert Hall

(Photos courtesy of Ryan Tahbaz)

Oreo, Dwarf Holland Lop Rabbit

Oreo is senior Rayan Hashemy’s bunny.

Health Advice from Hell: How Diet

Transcription

“I was able to go off of pharmaceuticals and medication for mental health issues only through a good diet..I’m off pharmaceuticals, but I take 32 supplements to fill the gaps in my nutrition.”

Supplementing your diet with a medley of pills or capsules if you’re ingesting a diverse and healthful diet isn’t necessary. Supplements are encouraged if the vitamin or mineral cannot be naturally introduced through a healthy diet, and do not cure mental illness. There is no reason to leave key foods out of your diet and take them through supplement form, unless you have allergies or dietary restrictions. This is backed by an NIH (National Institute of Health) webinar hosted by Carol Haggans, a registered dietician. A well rounded meal plan will have you feeling physically healthy, which can improve your mental health.

Additionally, misusing vitamins may have side effects especially if taken before surgery or with other medications. Vitamins come in two forms; fat and water soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are more frequently excreted out the body through urine, so overdoses are less common. However, taking megadoses of water-soluble vitamins can lead to potentially dangerous side effects. For example, taking very high doses of vitamin B6 can lead to potentially irreversible nerve damage over time.

Social media influencers/ models without a certified medical background have been promoting harmful and misleading lifestyle advice backed by their personal “health coaches.” This a major reason to steer clear of health advice on social media and to do your own research or consult a registered dietician before making major dietary changes.

Brandon Carter (@bigbrandoncarter), a social media bodybuilder and fitness influencer, promotes eating over 300 grams of protein per day in order to build a muscular physique. Although almost any informed nutritionist would find this quantity of protein excessive, Carter’s dietary philosophy is shared by many online. Protein builds muscle, therefore more protein must equal more muscle, right?

Although this line of thinking is fundamentally flawed, its prevalence throughout social media prompts the need for a definitive answer to the question: how much protein should I eat in a day?

Research suggests that the amount of protein (in grams) one should consume on a daily basis is highly dependent on bodyweight. The World Health Organization recommends roughly 0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to meet basic nutritional requirements; protein is essential for muscle and bone recovery, hormone production, and certain physiological processes. For those seeking to maximize muscle gain, a recent meta-analysis of sports nutrition research found that a range of 0.8g/lb to 1.1g/lb was sufficient, and importantly, that anything beyond that range would not result in an additional increase in muscle, certain genetic outliers exempt. Thus, unless Carter weighs at least 375 pounds, his protein intake is preposterous.

Another relevant factor to consider is the source from which protein is consumed. Although protein powders, bars, and shakes can certainly aid in meeting daily protein goals, they should not be used in lieu of more natural sources. Meats, dairy products, and certain grains provide nutrition alongside protein. Always remember, a healthy diet balances macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) to support not only muscle growth, but overall physiological function and well-being.

Misinformation Circulates the Internet

Transcription

By Nathan Chavira, Eva Yancheson reporter centerspread editor

The Liver King on Tik Tok has gone viral time and time again for eating raw meat as a part of his “ancestral diet”. Liver King could be putting his viewers in genuine danger as eating raw meat puts humans at risk of over 40 foodborne illnesses, including but not limited to Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter.

A more followed and slightly less extreme version of the ancestral diet is the carnivore diet, which primarily consists of animal products such as (cooked) meat, fish, eggs, animal fats, and small portions of low-lactose dairy. The carnivore diet is characterized by its high protein and fat content, alongside minimal carbohydrates.

This dietary approach excludes all other food groups, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. Due to the lack of research and evidence to support the carnivore diet, it is generally regarded as unbalanced and likely detrimental to overall health.

Given prevalent dietary advice advocating for increased fruit and vegetable consumption, prioritizing plant-based eating, and limiting red meat intake, the carnivore diet is not typically endorsed for longterm health.

While individuals may experience short-term benefits, scientific backing for its prolonged safety and efficacy remains scarce. Health professionals caution against adopting such a restrictive diet due to potential nutrient deficiencies and associated health hazards.

“I eliminated basically everything that I thought would be inflammatory to my body. I started this out by doing a 24 hour water fast to basically give my gut microbiome a full reset. Then I went into intermittent fasting. Then I would have celery or cabbage juice to detoxify my gut and stomach.”

@elevateyourselfwithemma on TikTok, with over 50k followers, is promoting unhealthy habits that actually have nothing to do with “healing your gut”. Users like these gain traction because the hashtag #guttok alone has over 3 billion views on tiktok, making information under this hashtag subject to exploitation.

Tik Tok pays around $0.02 and $0.04 for every 1,000 views, so many influencers will post videos just for their shock value, even if the information is false or misleading. Many influencers say peg themselves as “gut gurus”, “gut health scientists”, and “gut health coaches” to relentlessly advertise that good gut health is the key to a flat belly, a mood boost etc.

These are terms, however, coined by everyday people — some with zero medical training and others with somewhat of an medical/nutrition background. Celery juice, fasting and bone broth are not the key to a healthy stomach an gut, and it is important to realize that influencers are not scientists. Users like these gain traction because the hashtag #guttok alone has over 3 billion views on tiktok.

If you’re looking for actual ways to support gut health, eat fibrous foods (avocados, lentils, nuts, oats, apples…), probiotic rich foods (yogurt, kombucha, kefir, kimchi...), and talk to your doctor if you are having ongoing or extreme issues with bloating, stomach pain, or indigestion.

The gut microbiome, or the bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, that live in your gut, can become unbalanced. Prebiotics (flax, soy, cabbage, almonds, asparagus…), help regulate the gut microbiome as the feed probiotic bacteria which improves digestion and metabolism, blood sugar regulation, and lower inflammation.

OPINION

More Than A Score: How Standardized Testing Prepares Students

By Jaden Kim reporter

MIT, Georgetown University, Florida State University, and all the U.S. military academies.

All of these schools are excellent examples of prestigious and well renowned schools. All of them require the SAT to apply.

Personally I think that the SAT is very important and feel that it should be required for all colleges and universities.

This is because the SAT is a great way to prepare for college level academics, as it gives a good measure of intelligence.

In high school, if you are currently a sophomore or junior this could affect your admissions into colleges as now colleges that may not have had SAT requirements would now have them.

The requirement ensures that you are ready and prepared for college level academics.

Next the SAT is a great way for colleges to quantify your intelligence and compare it to other applicants.

The SAT can be a lifesaver in situations where your application is terrible while others’ are ok, as if the others’ have terrible scores while you have an excellent scores they will see you in a better light.

They may even take you over the others’ solely based on scores.

This leads to my third point, which is that the SAT requirement makes sure that people that are not qualified are not given admission the school.

This is because people with very low SAT scores are generally rooted out of the system for acceptance.

If you can learn strong test-taking

strategies, you can definitely improve your score and chance of getting into your dream school.

When it comes to the SAT requirement, it is quite beneficial because it is a great way to prepare for college level academics, gives a good measure

Why

We Don’t

By Makayla McNeill reporter

Need The SAT Back

With the end of COVID-19 and schools going back to normal, colleges have been thinking about bringing back a required SAT/ACT score in student applications.

There are numerous reasons why standardized tests do not properly measure academic performance.

For starters, if students are not good test takers the requirement can restrict students from colleges that may be a good fit for them. This can then negatively impact students’ mental health because of the stress and pressure of doing well on these tests.

Overall a student can be extremely intelligent, but be an anxious test taker which can result in a bad SAT/ACT score. Even though a student has a good GPA, the SAT grading system shows that a student is less intelligent than one who is a good test taker. SAT/ACT don’t necessarily measure intelligence, in a sense it measures how wealthy a student is based on if they can afford tutoring or not. Places that offer test prep prepare the students to memorize not to demonstrate what they have learned.

(Graphic by Makayla Mcneill)

student’s intelligence.

A more reasonable way of determining a student’s academic performance would be by looking at their transcripts and seeing a list of rigorous classes like honors, AP, or IB classes.

A better way to predict achievement is by looking at past grades and the courses, and test scores.

These are tests where students have to study specific information.

Essentially the test is how well and you memorize and regurgitate information.

This can negatively affect students of lower economic status restricting them to specific schools or learning opportunities. The SAT is a good tool for measuring a students privilege and advantage in society instead of their intelligence.

(Graphic byAidan Shen)

Wealthier students are able to receive the most support with tutoring, test prep, and therefore lead them to be better equipped for the SAT leading to higher scores.

In addition to the memorization of these standardized tests it does not depict a

These classes better measure academic performance because they are usually year long courses with notes, homework, tests, and end of year tests like the AP test.

IQ allows colleges to predict future school achievement because they are tests based on knowledge and skills students have mastered and used over time in everyday life.

In the end, whether SAT/ACT test scores will be required I think that it is best if they are left optional to give students a fair advantage during their application process to let their personality, intelligence, and other personal aspects shine through.

Don’t Turn the Page on Indie Bookstores

By Ella Sherry news editor

If you’ve walked into a Barnes and Noble before, there are a few things you notice immediately: the two extensive floors connected by a glaringly industrial escalator; a crowded Starbucks tucked behind shelves of the non-fiction and politics sections, where people sit at tables and read their newly-bought novels; and rows and rows of books that seem endless, all categorized by genre.

The six or so tables at the front of the store display books you’ve probably seen on your phone multiple times—“The Love Hypothesis,” “It Starts With Us,” “Red, White, & Royal Blue,” “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” “Fourth Wing.”

But if you walk into an independent bookstore, things look a little different.

It is not two stories tall (unless you’re at The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles), there is probably no coffee shop inside and there are most likely only one or two more copies left of the books you’ve seen on TikTok or Instagram.

Instead, you’ll see employees walking around and talking to customers, giving them enthusiastic and whole-hearted recommendations, and you’re guaranteed to find at least one obscure book written by an author you’ve never heard of before, hidden beside two more books you didn’t know existed.

While there might be some similarities between large, corporate bookstores and smaller indie bookstores—such as the books being categorized by genre and them both being beloved centers of the

literary world—indie bookstores ultimately offer one thing that places like Barnes and Noble do not: lasting community.

The first and perhaps greatest benefit of indie bookstores is that they support local economies and provide more job opportunities for locals, especially high school students.

According to research performed by Dr. Ryan L. Raffaelli at Harvard Business School, indie bookstore owners “were some of the first to champion localism: the idea of supporting a community’s economic interests by shopping at neighborhood businesses” (Raffaelli, 2020).

By promoting the development of local economies through shopping at indie

bookstores rather than places like Target, Amazon or Barnes and Noble, consumers are creating an environment where locals are supporting locals, ultimately strengthening the ties of the community and bolstering the economy.

Secondly, indie bookstores are incredibly beneficial for authors, but they particularly are good for self-published authors.

Smaller bookstores often host author talks and signings, bringing in an audience that genuinely appreciates the written word and understands the importance of attending these kinds of events.

Because of the way the publishing industry operates, it has become increasingly hard for self-published authors to promote their books—in an

age of extreme online marketing, bigger publishers (such as Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, etc.) have a leg up on social media, mostly because they are already well-established online and have large followings.

It is possible for lesser known authors to go viral and be noticed by the greater reading community, but they are very much at a disadvantage and in-person events can be incredibly effective in promoting their books.

Lastly, indie bookstores have environmental benefits.

Amazon has become increasingly competitive in book selling because of its quick shipping, but people often fail to realize that buying books from Amazon is more detrimental to the environment than most other bookstores.

Air shipping and Amazon trucks release millions of metric tons of CO2 each year, and commercial trucks used to transport the goods are worse for the environment than passenger cars because they use diesel rather than gasoline, producing “four times more nitrogen dioxide pollution and 22 times more particulates than petrol,” the University of Washington Supply Chain & Logistics Center found.

In contrast, a short drive to a local bookstore will emit less greenhouse gases than if the same book was ordered online and shipped to the front door.

While it might be easier to click a few buttons on a computer, taking the time to go to an independent bookstore and buy a book has immense benefits— economically, socially and environmentally.

(Graphic by Ella Sherry)

OPINION

A Letter From the Editors

The clock strikes 3:15pm and hundreds of students rush to the student parking lots in order to escape academic responsibility.

This flurry of students often leads to the dreaded after school traffic rush that causes parents to grumble, as it takes longer to vacate the school with their freshly picked up teenager.

While many often blame all ‘creative’ after school driving techniques on student drivers, they aren’t the only ones causing havoc near school.

Rather, frantic parents are also responsible for a decent amount of traffic violations as they are frequently spotted blatantly disobeying traffic laws each afternoon.

For example, countless parents entering the intersection of Cloyden Road and Dalton Road drive on the wrong side of the road to turn left onto Dalton Road, in order to pick up their children quicker at the large staircase at Via Pacheco.

Not only do these drivers cut off others who were patiently waiting their turn to drive on the correct side of the road, but they may crash directly into students or other parents who are going up Cloyden trying to leave the school.

In addition to driving on the

wrong side of the road, some parents will enter the back of the school from the teacher parking lot to try and pick up their child along the road behind the football field.

Steps have been taken to reduce after school chaos and boost safety for student drivers and pedestrians.

Occasionally, there are police cars parked outside of the main stairwell outside of school leading to a noticeable improvement in the civility of after school drivers and traffic flow.

School Resource Officer, Robert Watt, and security guard Daniel Timmerman have also tremendously improved the flow of traffic at the school pickup line outside of the OAR.

We should continue our commitment to the safety of our students, parents, and community members by having a crossing guard or police officer monitor traffic in the intersection of Cloyden Road and Dalton road.

Parents should also be more careful and mindful as they drive around the school to pick up their children.

This would help mitigate after school traffic and relieve stress on student and parent drivers alike.

Starvemaxing: The Worst New Diet Trend

By Ruby Mayrose reporter

For years, women and men alike have been held to toxic beauty standards that society has created for them. These standards are those that promote a narrow definition of beauty, often praising skinny, model-like body types.

With the introduction of social media to the vast public, these trends and beauty standards are an ever-changing factor of our lives. The effort to conform to these standards has become increasingly toxic, causing feelings of inadequacy across all age groups.

Teens all over the world have developed mental health problems and lower self-esteem. This can lead to the formation of harmful behaviors like dieting, eating disorders, and weight monitoring.

Anorexia nervosa is a disease that affects 22% of children and adolescents worldwide.

It’s caused by an intense fear of gaining weight or an altered perception of weight. Patients often stop eating foods from certain food groups and start counting calories in every meal, causing an unhealthy or abnormally low body weight.

Bulimia is another common eating disorder that has become

From “For You Page” To Center Stage

By Aidan Shen Opinion Editor

Do Tik Tokers deserve to be put on the same pedestal that we reserve for the Hollywood A-listers?

As someone who often follows different content creators online to entertain myself, I firmly believe that Tik Tok creators deserve recognition and praise, the same treatment given to traditional Hollywood celebrities.

The realm of social media has become a prominent stage for modern-day storytelling and entertainment.

Gaining fame through Tik Tok is often perceived as the “easy way,” a misconception that fails to capture the complexities and strategic maneuvers involved in other areas of business.

Like any entrepreneur, Tik Tok creators must employ clever marketing techniques to effectively promote their content to their target audience.

From the timing of posts to catering to specific audience preferences and adhering to trending themes, the process of content creation on Tik Tok requires meticulous planning.

The content that consistently appears on users’ “For You’’ pages is there for a reason—it resonates with audiences and captures their attention amidst other competing content.

A recent clip from the People’s Choice Awards of Billie Eilish has gone viral. Eilish made a gesture towards well-known YouTubers like Tana Mongeau, Chris Olsen, Alix Earl, and James Charles, questioning their presence at the event.

The condescension displayed by established artists and actors towards content creators reflects a broader misunderstanding of the challenges they face.

It’s important to recognize that many of today’s most influential Hollywood personalities started from humble beginnings, much like their counterparts in social media entertainment.

Even Eilish herself, who was pulled into the spotlight at a young age, had dreams of fame like any other kid before achieving success.

The original stars of TikTok, such as the D’Amelio sisters and the other members of the Hype House, may have initially captured the public’s attention, but maintaining relevance in the fast-paced world of social media requires continuous adaptation and innovation.

Just as actors and actresses shoot for coveted roles in movies and television shows, TikTokers must stay attentive to social, fashion, and content trends to remain in the spotlight.

What most actors and actresses consider an audition, is what content creators consider

Editors-in-Chief

Chloe Choi Jonathan Liu

Adviser Cynthia Mindicino

their everyday life.

While traditional Hollywood celebrities continue to command respect and admiration, it’s essential to acknowledge the significant contributions made by online content creators.

As the lines between traditional and digital entertainment blur, embracing and celebrating the diversity of talent across all platforms, for a more inclusive and dynamic entertainment industry, is a better goal opposed to gatekeeping fame which should be an available opportunity to anyone.

(Graphic byAidan Shen)

Editors & Leadership

News: Ella Sherry

Features: Olivia Kao

Opinion: Aidan Shen

Sports: Sophie Stoddart

Design Editor: Quinn Kearns

Centerspread: Eva Yancheson

Online: Ethan Sung

Social Media: Holly Alexander, Hailey Kim, Ella Gardner, Sierra Hickey

more common during recent years. People who develop bulimia lose control of their eating habits, eating large amounts of food- binging- in short periods of time. They feel guilty and ashamed leading to a process called purging.

One toxic beauty standard that affects teens the most is the stigma around acne and facial blemishes. The beauty industry promotes the idea that “clear skin” is the only acceptable look, providing expensive creams and serums to achieve it. For teens, this is especially harmful, as the pursuit of perfect skin can cause unhealthy money spending habits and even depression or suicidal thoughts for those who believe they are not “beautiful enough”.

One other trend on social media is the process of “looksmaxxing” or trying to maximize one’s physical attractiveness and bone structure.

Social media and the beauty industry also promote a complex body standard that is hard to live up to.

Eurocentric features and body types are viewed as superior, causing those who don’t fit this mold to feel left out and looked down upon. Slender bodies, sharp jawlines, and petite noses have been highlighted by the industry for centuries, promoting a subtle racial bias, as people with darker skin tones or different body types are constantly excluded and disrespected.

Young men and women are adopting habits to change their face and bodies according to models and famous celebrities. These trends of creating the “perfect face” or body have had a terrible effect on the mental health of thousands of teens who often create hard-broken habits such as constant exercise or dieting.

Over the years, it has become more necessary to readdress the standards we hold ourselves to and promote healthy, inclusive, and culturally diverse values for everyone.

The State Shouldn’t Decide if We Can Have Social Media

By Claire Auer reporter

Florida has recently attempted to pass a bill that would ban social media for every Florida resident under the age of 16.

However, on March 1 the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, vetoed the bill for many reasons. His main reason was to come up with a better, more powerful bill that highlights the authority of parents.

However, there shouldn’t be a bill about this. DeSantis wants to keep the authority of parents because that is who should have control of whether their kids can access social media or not. This should be a personal opinion and not something that is up to the government. This is an infringement on the First Amendment of US citizens. They are abridging freedom of speech because Tik Tok is a very popular platform that gives people a voice to the younger audiences it has. DeSantis shared that he thought the bill crossed the line when it overruled parent’s authority. The bill was designed for social media companies, like Tik Tok and Instagram to verify the age of the user, and prevent kids under 16

from creating an account.

Regardless of those doubts on March 6, Florida Legislature passed a new, similar bill that is banning children 13 years old and under from accessing social media. The bill will ensure this by having the social media apps verify the user’s age using facial recognition or scanning an ID.

On March 25, DeSantis signed a bill that would prohibit kids under 14 from having Tik Tok and other online platforms. Kids that are 14 or 15 need parent’s consent to join, which goes along with what DeSantis earlier stated, keeping the parents with some authority over their kids.

Social media companies that are found with users under 14 can be fined up to 50,000 dollars. All the accounts with underage users will get deleted immediately and if there are any remaining, the minor could get a reward of 10,000.

Those kids need to cram in as many posts as possible before January 2025, when the bill takes effect. This bill could cause a chain reaction in other states to also limit users and it could possibly cause them to restrict social media use overall.

Claire Auer, Zoe Barton, Kelly Bojorquez, Nathan Chavira, Natalie Dardon, Musa Deen, Zara Deen, Ryan Fuerte, Ella Hansen, Enna Hosoi, Sloane Houterman, Jaden Kim, Jason Lee, James Lew, Ruby Mayrose, Makayla McNeill, Aaron Propst, Sophie Sun, Chris Vasey, Valerie Villegas, Shazmah Zahra Staff

Follow us on Instagram! @pvhspoint

(Graphic by Ruby Mayrose)

Girls LAX: D1 Bound

Riley Padian, Naomi Gan, and Grace Moore have their sights set on the future

By Holly Alexander reporter

Girls lacrosse has emerged as a prominent sport, leaving a presence both locally and nationally. Ranked sixth in California and 26th nationally, the sport has secured its place in D1/ D2 athletics.

Notably, the team secured the title of All Year Academic Champions, showcasing their skills not only on the field but also in the classroom.

With an impressive record of 10-3 this season as of March 27, girls lacrosse continues to shine, propelled by the talents of exceptional players such as seniors Riley Padian, Naomi Gan, and Grace Moore

These athletes, bound for Division 1 schools on lacrosse scholarships, have exemplified dedication and skill, setting records and making a mark in the sport’s history at PVHS.

Padian, heading to Towson, holds the PVHS all-time school record with 243 career goals.

Moore going to SDSU, holds the all-time saves record at 541, while Gan who will be attending Berkeley has achieved an impressive 123 career goals.

Their achievements reflect not only individual excellence but also the strength of the team as a whole.

Given they play at such a high level, the girls have a rigorous training schedule.

“We have 6th period and after school practices with 5-6

practices a week with about two club practices and then about two games a week during school season and nationwide tournaments on varying weekends for club,” Padian said.

For Gan, the decision to join Cal was an easy one.

“From the beginning I was set on wanting to play at a high academic school, so that narrowed down my choices quite a bit,” Gan said.

“Seeing how the school supports their student athletes, the lacrosse team culture, and how strong their academic departments are, I knew that the student athlete experience at Berkeley would allow me to thrive and set me up for the future after college.”

Towson is a perfect fit for Padian’s competitive nature.

“I knew I wanted to do everything I could to go to a Division 1 school because a competitive nature is important

to me so I did ample college camps, showcases and even played on a high-ranked club team based in Maryland for my prime recruiting summer in order to get all the exposure possible,” Padian said.

“I was very excited that my work paid off when coaches started reaching out, and found that Towson was the best choice for me.”

According to Padian, team atmosphere plays a strong role in the lacrosse program.

“I have absolutely loved being on this team for the past four years,” Padian said.

“I have learned to love and appreciate every year and can’t imagine having devoted so much of my time to anything else during high school.”

As they embark on the next chapter of their journey, Gan, Moore, and Padian serve as inspirations to their team and to PVHS athletes who strive for excellence in their sport.

PVHS March Madness Championships After Spring

By James Lew reporter

March Madness has been one of the best traditions in sports since 1939; there are 64 college teams in a single elimination bracket during March, with one team coming out on top as the National Champion.

PVHS ASB has brought their own version of March Madness to the school and has had a March Madness tournament of its own since before 2020.

As of Tuesday March 26, the March Madness tournament is down to just four teams, with the championship game set to be played after Spring Break.

So far, students from all grades have participated with friends and have had a great time.

PVHS students have had a great experience playing in the tournament so far.

Sophomore JT Bodensteiner, who is playing with fellow sophomores Keegan Gilmartin

and Michael Oreb has really enjoyed himself.

“Overall it was a fun experience just to be able to play some basketball at lunch with some of my friends even though we didn’t make it too far,” Bodensteiner said.

Junior Leyton Wolfe who is currently in the final four of the March Madness tournaments and is playing with fellow juniors Aaron Propst and Brooks Myhre, is hopeful for his team.

“I’ve had a great time playing in the March Madness tournament so far, we are a scrappy team and I think we have a chance to win the whole tournament,” Wolfe said.

Senior Tate Rioux who played with senior Michael Decker reflects on his team’s experience.

“I had a lot of fun playing March Madness,” Rioux said.

We made it to the semifinals and barely lost. Our team was very scrappy, but very determined.”

Fencing Her Way to the Top

By Zoe Barton reporter

Whether it’s on or off the strip, sophomore Charmaine Andres is very familiar with the work it requires to achieve something in a particular sport.

Andres, a fencing phenomenon, got her start in fencing when she was young, and was introduced to the sport by her aunt.

“I thought it would be a unique sport, and I really liked the environment, and just fencing in general,” Andres said.

“I like how I can show my personality on the strip, I can show who I really am.”

Since then, Andres has dedicated much of her time to fencing, often spending 15 hours fencing in a week. She’s excelled in multiple tournaments, and has traveled frequently all around the world to fence.

“I go to tournaments about three times a month,” Andres said.

“Since I’m on the USA National Team, I go to Europe, I went to Brazil maybe two weeks ago, and I travel around the US a lot.”

Over the years, Andres’ work ethic has shined through in many areas of her life.

“I’d say Charmaine is extremely

determined and focused on her goals,” teammate and sophomore Rainie Yao said.

“She always takes training seriously and tries her best to improve and actually push herself.”

This dedication is reflected in Andres’ accomplishments, as she has won several national competitions in her age division, in addition to getting 3rd in Pan-American games and 3rd in Cadette World Cup.

However, after all that success, Andres says that her “proudest accomplishment” is qualifying for World Championships, and winning the North American Cup.

Andres’ success has also inspired others off the strip (the field of play).

“Honestly, watching Charmaine succeed in fencing is inspiring since even though Charmaine’s already in such a great position fencing-wise, she still pushes herself to do better,” Yao said.

Andres has plans to continue fencing, and has aspirations to play in college.

(Photo Courtesy of PVHS Girls LAX)

(Photo by James Lew)

(Photos Courtesy of Charmaine Andres)

Kicking It Up a Notch

Dean Choi’s Experience as a Highly Competitive Martial Artist

By Shazmah Zahra reporter

Dean Choi, a freshman at Palos Verdes High School, is one of the top ranked taekwondo competitors in the nation who has been practicing the sport for the last seven years.

Growing up, Choi played several sports from basketball to soccer, but when he started training at K.S. Choi Taekwondo, he knew that this was the perfect sport for him.

“My dad introduced me to taekwondo [and] I stuck with [it] because of the community that was there, the quality of instruction, the quality of time I was able to spend with other people and improve the relationship with my dad,” Choi said.

“It made me connect with my dad on another level I didn’t really have before. The people at taekwondo have really impacted me in a way that brought a lot of joy and positivity into my life.”

Although taekwondo originated in Korea, the core values it teaches beyond self defense allow the sport to be universally appreciated.

“There are five tenets of taekwondo which are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and most importantly, indomitable spirit. Indomitable spirit is never giving up and really having that drive and mentality to conquer and be successful not only in taekwondo but in whatever you do. I feel like those lessons and tenets have been really important to me in my life, not just in taekwondo, but in

anything I set my mind to,” Choi said.

Currently, Choi is a second degree black belt and throughout his years of rigorous training the studio has evolved from a place to develop his athletic skills and fitness to a place where he can mature and grow.

“I believe the most important part of my journey was understanding and maturing to be the best form of myself possible, and then gaining my black belt status [after learning those lessons],” Choi said.

“I feel that a lot of the journey is about perseverance and more importantly working towards that goal and not just being handed it.”

Choi takes the skills he has learned far beyond the studio, competing in national competitions and tournaments in states across the country.

Some of his achievements include being a national medalist, a federal taekwondo champion and being ranked fourth in the

New Volleyball Rules Set to Shake Up the Game

By Ryan Fuerte reporter

Pro Volleyball is implementing new rules that are sure to change the way the game is played for many years to come.

The biggest changes coming to the sport include the addition of double touches and teams having the ability to designate two liberos instead of one each set of the match. The addition of double touches are going to impact volleyball in a big way because this means that players can designate two liberos per game, not just one.

“It takes away from all the setters who have worked hard to perfect their setting,” Varsity setter Mallory LaBreche said.

Double touching was a violation most commonly called during sets, but with this upcoming rule, it will no longer be called a penalty, but instead be a fair play.

“I don’t think these rules will help in the long run because it takes away the skill aspect of setting so more people can set instead of people who have worked hard to be a setter,” Mallory LaBreche said. Her sister and teammate

agreed that it will change up the game significantly.

“Going forward I think it will make the setting spot more competitive as now setters don’t have to worry much about doubling their sets. I think this new rule will always stay controversial to many, especially those at the college level,” Varsity player Molly LaBreche said.

The addition of the rules are going to help encourage people to become setters, but it will expedite the amount of skill needed to become a setter.

The other rules being added to the league include interference above the net being listed as a play that teams can challenge and the home team crowd can now be given a red card if they’re encroaching.

Being able to challenge interference above the net is going to help clear close plays and being able to give penalties to the home crowd is going to help keep players safe from fans and also keep fans from getting too hectic.

These rules are sure to spice up the NCAA volleyball league for the upcoming season and only time will tell if these rules will end up benefiting volleyball players for years to come.

USAT last year.

“The most important thing I’ve ever learned from taekwondo is to always try my hardest and always do my best. No matter what the outcome, having a good performance is the most important, not just winning or losing,” Choi said. Phil Choi, Dean’s father, originally introduced him to the sport in elementary school and is the person that Dean looks up to the most. In high school, Phil was also a second degree black belt and earned a silver medal at the US Open when he competed.

“I think he has, in terms of medals and achievements in tournaments, gotten pretty close to [me] and in some aspects of it has exceeded my personal best,” Phil said.

“But this has become more than just trying to see what he can do or following [my] footsteps, but he has started to carve his own path and that’s what every athlete should strive to do.”

Prancing with Pearce: The rigorous world of rodeo

By Quinn Kearns reporter

Students dominate sports both on and off campus, and with such easy access to stables, Palos Verdes is the perfect destination for riders.

Among equestrian and other forms of horse riding, rodeo racing has become prominent in the lives of many.

“I became interested in rodeo through my love of horses,” sophomore Ashley Pearce said.

“It started with lessons and soon grew into the sport I could not live without.”

Horses have always been a part of Pearce’s life, with her passion for horses steering the way.

However her sport requires more than just a love for horses. Pearce’s growth and determination within the sport shows the type of athlete she strives to be.

“I have been competing in rodeo since 8th grade but I started riding and participating in the South Bay gymkhana series when I was 10,” Pearce said. With her practices and competitions being off campus, school and rodeo racing have not always been a perfect pair. With the tremendous time commitment, Pearce has found different way to balance her academic life with her life within the stables.

“Balancing school and rodeo can be tough especially when I have to leave early for competitions and practice, but I find I usually try to do homework in the car on my way to rodeos,”

Pearce said.

Rodeo racing is an extremely physically demanding sport with the rider not only having to control their own bodies but an entirely separate animal.

Pearce has been able to create a bond with her horse through intense training and time spent strengthening the special connection between her and her horse.

“Rodeo is a huge time commitment,” Pearce said.

“I practice every day and have competitions almost every weekend during the season.”

Although rodeo racing is a very demanding sport, Pearce continues to set goals for herself, pushing her towards a bright future in racing.

“After high school my goal is to rodeo at the college level and see what opportunities that brings from there,” Pearce said.

By Enna Hosoi reporter

Evan Teshima Climbs to New Heights

Going where the force of gravity has no bounds, senior Evan Teshima is an avid rock climber who has a passion for conquering.

From the thrill of climbing to new heights to the bonds he has created with other climbers Teshima has found a love for the sport.

What made you interested in this hobby/sport?

My parents used to climb from time to time, and their gear was great to start with, but I’ve also always loved climbing stuff since I was super little, and the climbing community in general is super welcoming to new climbers.

When did you start?

I started a long time ago, probably when I was like 8, but it was never a focus of mine till last year when I decided to start going consistently, maybe early to late October.

How do you feel when you’re rock climbing?

When climbing, there’s always gonna be failure, it’s kind of a guarantee that you’re gonna fall, so honestly a

majority of the time I’m thinking about my move order or keeping the focus on one project and not losing motivation to keep falling.

When do you do it?

I used to go to more conventional gyms prior to climbing at Hangar 18. I like to think of climbing like any other gym but at least for me, I’m able to enjoy my time much more climbing rather than a traditional gym.

But Hangar 18 is a great gym. The worst is just the roughly 4060 min drive every time. I tend to go like 2-4 times a week for an hour to two at a time working on boulders, or strength training.

What about it makes you like the sport?

First I love the act of climbing stuff in general. It’s kind of a strange thing to enjoy, just climbing over a wall. It’s probably some old survival instinct, but it’s

really enjoyable to me. Second is how it opens up opportunities to climb outdoors, hike, camp, etc. getting to go outdoors and climb is one of the most fun things to do while camping.

Teshima finds joy on the climbing wall, and every wall he conquers shows the determination he has. Rock climbing has made him stronger physically and mentally.

Dean Choi, right, spars against his opponent at a tournament over Spring Break in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Dean Choi)

(Photo courtesy of EvanTeshima)

The Spectacular Mr. Swatek

A “wizard of words” with many talents

By Jason Lee reporter

With many teachers and supervisors on campus, it’s often hard to know or meet everyone; yet, Michael Swatek is one teacher who’s well known by staff and students alike.

From teaching multiple AP courses to writing the Scholar Quiz questions, Swatek is a vital part of Palos Verdes High School.

Though originally from Saint Louis, Missouri, Swatek felt like he didn’t really grow up there.

“Saint Louis is really insulating, it’s in the middle of the country and it’s kind of just there,” Swatek said.

“Boston was the first place where I really experienced different kinds of people, different kinds of music, different things. I was out on my own and that’s where I grew up.” said Swatek.

Growing up, Swatek wanted to become an engineer and he began his journey at a worldrenowned college in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“My undergraduate degree is in Computer Science and Engineering, which was part of the Electrical Engineering Department at MIT. They also had a requirement that one focuses in some sort of humanities discipline, so I also took a number of courses in musical history and theory,” said Swatek.

A man of many talents, Swatek has one very unique hobby: ballroom dancing.

First exposed to the dance style by his parents who were ‘recreational dancers’, Swatek enrolled in ballroom dancing to fulfill his physical education requirements at MIT.

“One of the classes was ballroom dancing and I thought

‘Oh I’ll do that, there’s probably girls there,’” said Swatek.

“My university did not have so many women there at that time. Things have changed. I like music and moving to music, when done well it’s good.”

Although a teacher now, Swatek originally had different plans after graduating.

He began as an engineer in Boston, Massachusetts and then moved to El Segundo, California to work at Xerox.

“It was September, 1985, the leaves started turning. The weather was getting colder. I could tell that winter was coming again,” Swatek said.

“It happened that I was between jobs and so I took that opportunity to follow the sun to Southern California, where winter wasn’t going to come the same way that it did in Boston with the icy wind, slushy streets and all the other mess that goes along with winter.”

Yet, he decided he wanted to make a more meaningful change in the world.

“I got tired of working in front of the computer for 8-10 hours a day, so I started looking around for something more meaningful than providing the world with another printer/copier machine.”

Swatek initially believed that he would teach students history, but he eventually settled on teaching math.

“There is a lot to be said for thinking abstractly and incorporating logic and mathematical concepts into decision making,” said Swatek.

“I really enjoy teaching Statistics, which is probably the most useful math class the average person can take, because it can apply to just about everyone’s daily life, if they know how to use it.”

Does Oversampling Reduce Credibility?

By Musa Deen reporter

Is Kanye West’s frequent sampling of other songs reducing his credibility as an artist?

This is a question asked by many music enthusiasts due to the fact that in recent years artists have opted to incorporate music from other artists into their own songs.

In this case with Kanye, some people have said that he is doing too much sampling and is causing him to lose credibility because it is not really his music. Now, this is only some peoples opinion and the majority of people say that taking another song and using aspects of it in your song is a good thing and it adds depth to the original song, and in this case I fully agree.

Kanye may sample many songs in his music, but he often takes those songs that he samples and he improves them and makes an incredible song out of the original one.

An example of a song that he has a sample on is “Father Stretch My Hands Pt.1’’ where he samples “Do Not Pass Me

One distinctive feature of Swatek’s classroom is the “Swatek’s favorite students wall” where each of his students that year gets to take a photo in Sea King Park and have it displayed on his wall.

This tradition began when one of his mentor teachers put up photos of her students on her wall to help the students ‘own the classroom’.

“I enhanced it, I decided to do a regular picture and a goofy picture. And at some point someone said ‘Are those your favorite students?’ and I said ‘Yea, those are my favorite students,’” said Swatek. Swatek’s droll humor is another signature that leaves an inspirational impression on his students.

Scholar Quiz.

“I was looking at Scholar Quiz when I first got here and I noticed the questions were awkward and could be way improved,” said Swatek.

“There was one time I wasn’t super engaged, that was my fault it was early in the morning, and we were working on some math problems and Mr. Swatek did an especially great proof and yelled “Now we’re cooking!”,” said senior Tim Keroles “I pulled out the notebook and pulled out the pen and got back to writing.”

Another interesting trivia about Swatek is his involvement in the school’s cerebral competition,

By” by Pastor T.L. Barrett.

Originally “Do Not Pass Me

By’’ was an unknown song until Ye sampled it on his album “Life Of Pablo’’ after which it received much more recognition. This benefitted Ye and Pastor Barrett because Ye’s song reached almost 1 billion streams and Pastor Barrett got more recognition.

Another argument that can be used in the case of Kanye over sampling music is that because he uses samples in his music it doesn’t make the music his, but this is a ridiculous argument considering that he has never actually done a remake of a song and he always writes his own lyrics and uses his own beats.

In conclusion, Kanye West is not over sampling other songs meaning that his music is still credible and he should receive the respect that he has earned along with his music. So, yes he has a tendency to sample other songs in his music but all of his songs are still fully his and his samples benefit the original song as much as they benefit him.

“They used to be really long and it would take a long time to read them and Scholar Quiz is supposed to be fast. I hope they realize that knowing stuff is fun [after playing Scholar Quiz].”

Swatek’s favorite part of teaching is seeing his students succeed.

“At my previous school, Hawthorne High School, it was a really big deal when a first generation immigrant went off to

MIT, Harvard, or Princeton,” said Swatek.

“Here at PVHS, many kids in my classes don’t have much confidence in their math skills, yet they end up passing their AP exams anyways,” said Swatek.

“As for kids going off to college, take advantage of the opportunities, especially if you are going away to some other city.”

Swatek’s best piece of advice for success in college is to “seek out professors to build relationships with, and get off campus to explore the culture of wherever you are.”

A Goodbye to Mr. Ito

By Ella Gardner reporter

After two years here, Associate Principal Jason Ito has found a new opportunity to move to another district, Paramount Unified School District as a Coordinator of CTE and College and Career. He has been the associate principal of the counseling department and special education for PV High for two years. He is greatly appreciated and admired by his colleagues and students. He has never failed to lend a helping hand and makes PV High a better place.

Principal Dr. Trista Ramirez, a close colleague and friend of Ito’s said, “The contributions he gave to our school the last few years have been very important. He’s helped us so much with his leadership and steady approach to everything he does.”

Ito has a few favorite memories from his time here at PV High. “My favorite couple memories have been the class competitions and school dances. Mrs. Maxfield does an

amazing job of having school culture shine through at homecoming, formal, and prom.”

Ito will never forget the remarkable people he has met at PV High. “I’m going to miss working with Mr. Hill, Dr. Ramirez, Mrs. Maxfield, and Mr. Shapiro, along with all the welcoming and bright-eyed students I’ve known over the past few years.”

As we say goodbye to one of our best counselors, Ito gives Sea Kings great advice.

“Things will work out. We try to micromanage how we want our life to be, but life doesn’t work out that way. Keep doing

what you’re doing, and life will unfold how it’s meant to.”

We look forward to his future accomplishments as we know he will continue to help others wherever he goes.

(Photo by Chloe Choi)