Issue 2

The Pen Newspaper | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL | VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 2 | FRIDAY JAN. 1, 2026 |

UNDER THE U N C E L E F

IN

TRENDS GALORE “Heist Turned Humor” “A Silent Crisis”

SEE MORE ON: FOCUS PG 9

2

The Pen Staff

opinion

Fighting Fire with Fire | Mason Kim | 9

D

emocracy fares best when every voice matters. Such is achieved when districting maps are drawn just and accurately. On Nov. 4, Californians voted on Proposition 50 (Prop. 50) which allowed state legislators, instead of the Citizens Redistricting Commission, to redistrict the congressional map for the 2026-30 elections (California Secretary of State).

This shift came in response to nationwide fights over gerrymandering, the practice of manipulating district lines to advantage a political party, as well as efforts to counteract extreme maps in Republican-led states (Brennan Center for Justice). In California’s case, Prop. 50 was also pursued to maximize Democratic representation in Congress in response to Republican-led states increasing their own party’s seats. Yet, granting redistricting power to legislators through Prop. 50 endangers the map system California currently has by allowing politicians to shape districts in ways that could underrepresent non-Democratic populations and weaken fair representation.

California has historically looked to the Citizens Redistricting Commission to ensure that politicians cannot select their own constituency by being in charge of drawing their own voting district. California residents created the independent commission in 2008 because the state legislatures could not be trusted to draw up representative and constitutional electoral maps (Brennan Center for Justice). However, the belief behind the state’s commitment to fair representation was based on the understanding that for democracy to be the most functional and beneficial, elected representatives should be responsible to the people and not to the boundaries of the districts they represent. In 2008 the impartial comission was established in California when residents finally realized that their elected representatives could not be trusted to draw the representative electoral district (Brennan Center for Justice).

Prop. 50 occurred at a time when gerrymandering nationwide was at its highest, as states such as Texas had already redrawn their maps in ways that strengthened Republican control. This was because the congressional district maps that were being drawn at this time would directly affect which party was going to hold the political power within Congress leading into the next election cycle (New York Times). This explains the reason why California put Proposition 50 on the ballot with the objective of balancing the possible Texas gain of Republican seats by gaining more Democratic seats within Congress through redistricting.

As a result, this shift risked reducing representation for certain communities. For example, in Huntington Beach, a more conservative city compared to surrounding areas, residents’ interests were split across multiple districts after redistricting, making it more difficult for constituents to have their voices heard (Los Angeles Times).

While the question remains as to whether Prop. 50 does or does not enhance democratic representation, reactions amongst students at Peninsula remained mixed. Prop. 50 has ultimately resulted in weakening democratic representation, as it has given more importance to political gains rather than the emphasis against biased redistricting. Going back on that progress could lead to a diminution of voter faith in the electoral system, Edited by Mason Kim | 12

Prop. 50 Risks Silencing Californian Voices

during a time when the faith of the people in democracy is vulnerable. Freshman Mark Segal offered insight regarding this view.

“I think the independent commission has done a fair job overall,” Segal said. “Letting lawmakers take over again just makes it easier for politics to get in the way [of districting]. I [do not] think that would be fair for communities that rely on proper representation.”

On the other hand, proponents of Prop. 50 claim it will give California more influence throughout the nation if other states were using unfair maps. However, this argument implies that California is merely doing the same thing that it finds fault with, rather than treating the non-partisan system as distinct from the political system that California finds to be flawed.

Although Prop. 50 is characterized as a temporary measure, there is a concern that the change will remain. After the responsibility of map-drawing is put into the politicians’ control, history shows that it is very difficult to go back. For instance, in North Carolina and Wisconsin, once legislators regained redistricting power following the 2010 census, the maps remained skewed for multiple election cycles despite public opposition (Reuters). This risk provides politicians the chance to exploit what is expressed as a short-term solution.

Because concerns existed about whether political interests would influence the redistricting process, some individuals questioned whether Prop. 50 would produce outcomes that truly benefited the public. Junior Sam Garcia expressed uncertainty about the proposition.

“If the legislators start drawing their own maps again, it just feels unfair,” Garcia said. “The current system already works fine, so I [do not] see why they would want to change it. It seems like they are putting political advantage above community needs.”

Fair lines, which mean district boundaries drawn to accurately reflect population distribution and community interests without partisan bias, carry importance that transcend party politics. They influence the way communities are represented when it comes to matters such as public transport, the quality of schools and local infrastructure (Los Angeles Times). When the lines are manipulated, like how they are under Prop 50, vulnerable communities, such as low-income neighborhoods and immigrant communities, are the first ones to be impacted (Brennan Center for Justice).

Since public confidence in democratic institutions is already low, maintaining independent oversight of the redistricting process is increasingly important to preserve voter trust. So, some students feel that in order to ensure voter confidence, it is necessary to continue with having electoral maps drawn by an independent watchdog. With this in mind, sophmore Oscar Perry offered his input on the steps Californians need to take.

“In the long run, if we want to work toward a truly democratic and free country, then we have to say no on this,” Perry said. “Keeping the maps drawn by an independent group based on the census every ten years is the only fair way to go forward. It ensures that every community has an equal voice in elections.”

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Haylie Kim Sivan Stoler HEAD OF DESIGN Esperanza Engle-Tseng HEAD OF BUSINESS Melina Ajami EDITORS Selah Hartman Mason Kim Elyssa Lee Adam Lu James Pan Elena Thomas Thanh Vuong WRITERS Parisa Bahrami Ingu Bat-Yeruul Savannah Diaz Giana Geerdts Emmersyn Hadley Billy Houng Colin Kim Mason Kim Olivia Kim Gunnar Lee Alissa Luna Sydney Malicse Kyra McGath Celanie Neal Khalil Santiago Alisa Sekine Sophia Shen Briana Ta Noah Vaidyan DESIGN Brian Hong Jiayu Tang Matthew Yi Cayden Speck Kaelyn Choi Laila Garibo BUSINESS Halynn Campos-Lara Allison Kumamoto Sayuri Shibata Haley Wong Elise Vu WEBSITE Wendy Hu Alyssa Kwok Yully Seo SOCIAL MEDIA Asher Brunski ADVISER Jaymee DeMeyer

The Pen jan. 1 2026

opinion

An Inhuman Connection potentially younger audiences. Ranging from an undisclosed function meant for illicit use to a s the integration of artificial intelligence massive oversight and lapse in protocol, the ca(AI) into the daily lives of generation al- pabilities of chatbots far exceed their face value, pha is becoming more prominent, children are and should be considered a legitimate threat. increasingly turning to AI chatbots as a form Steps toward safety have been made, including of entertainment, gratification and genuine notifications that pop up every three hours to assistance. With novel technology on the rise, remind the user that they are not conversing the functionality of AI has only exponentially with a real human (American Bar Association). expanded within the past decade, leading many Although a reminder is a crucial step in the people to question and fear its potential to right direction, it does not take three whole overpower the human race in terms of intellect. hours to be led down a path of no return.

This concern is valid, as AI alone has shown the Though there are some superficial nuances capability to recite virtaully any fact, generate between the bond of AI chatbots and humans, artifacts, repair and code itself — and, by far AI has witfully committed itself to replicating the most frightening of all, mimic its creator, the more noticeable human traits that a breaththe human. Certain human-made organizations ing friend would share: the abilities to listen, have taken note of this, and are adamant on remember, reply and suggest. The latter, as seen exploiting this newfound ability to its maxiwith the tale of Sewell Setzer III, should arouse mum through the service of highly-cognitive AI the most alarm. Such capacity for chatbots to chatbots. take on human characteristics threatens genuine Senior Zephyr Strom, a loyal Google Gemconnection. It is vital that an impressionable ini user, reflects on what risks are taken when adolescent becomes aware of the pitfalls of false considering the companionship of a digital AI gratification and simulated emotional bondchatbot. age that are inherent in the use of AI chatbots.

“For friendship purposes — at the end of If one were to rely on such resources so often, the day, [the bot] knows nothing in terms of they would become too accustomed to the gift emotional intelligence,” Strom said. “But, it can of instant delight and would ultimately fail to gather some good, [convincing] information fully integrate themselves into real life — where from the internet. I feel like for everything right everything matters. With so much of themselves now, the government is always watching; cominvested into a mere screen, it is inevitable that panies are always asking for cookies — is [there they would give up presence in the real world to really] anything [such as] a safe space? You have compensate for their excessive online practices. to pick and choose what you feel like is good Similarly, this concept coincides with the behavand what makes sense to you. [To stay safe,] ior of obsessive video gamers. The negative imyou have to do some due diligence on your own pacts of the usage of AI chatbots are spotlighted part.” by surveys depicting the decrease of social interTo what extent these chatbots will mimic hu- action in individuals who utilize AI chatbot sermanlike behavior has up until now been largely vices; a study conducted by the National Library ignored, leaving fallible, gullible children to ab- of Medicine found that, out of 496 Replika — an sorb the harmful impacts of a chatbot’s unlimAI chatbot platform — users questioned, 428 ited restriction. This was the unfortunate case reported increased social isolation due to their with a 14 year old boy, Sewell Setzer III, from routine conversations with AI chatbots. StatisOrlando, Florida. According to his mother, tically, it is far more beneficial to mental health Megan L. Garcia, her son had become emotion- to confide in real-life interaction as opposed to a ally bonded to a digital persona via a chatbot pixelated monitor (PsychologyToday). provided by CharacterAI — a renowned entity The recent veto of the Leading Ethical AI in the field of artificially-intelligent chatbots —, Development (LEAD) for Kids Act was issued and subsequently took his own life after being

by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who coerced by the mechanical fiend. Grief-strickbelieved that the possible handicaps to children en, she took her outcry to court in an attempt benefiting off of chatbots outweighed the pros to remedy the situation, indirectly amassing that the bill imposed. There is a common misan immense online following (NBC News). conception regarding his alleged prioritization Preceding this court ruling, platforms such as of “Big Tech” over “families” as the bill’s author, CharacterAI did not implement proper safety Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, asserted upon the govmeasures to prevent the user from forming ernor’s denial of her proposal (KQED Media). a genuine relationship with the bot. Many of Newsom’s arguments against the bill are not these chatbots would respond with inappropri- in disagreement with the subject addressed, ate innuendo when prompted — even toward

Billy Houng | 11

A

Edited by Mason Kim | 12

but rather, he proposes an alternate solution with a less restrictive boundary that would still ensure their priority and purpose: child safety. The aforementioned solution — Senate Bill 243, along with many others, have already been signed into law; specifically, these documents safeguard the youth from gravitating toward AI chatbots under the premise that they are real. By inflicting pop-up warnings of non-human interaction at least every three hours, maintaining certain protocol in the event of a suicidal user and consenting to third-party checks to enforce the law, Newsom hopes to foster a safe, but free environment for chatbot users without outright banning the use of AI in this way. Allowing children to interact with such systems will certainly refine their knowledge of the scope of AI’s outreach when it becomes ubiquitous in future society.

Still, some people present reasonable skepticism of AI’s supposed limited accessibility in light of the new legislation being signed into law. Aerospace Engineering student junior Diego Gallegos sheds his perspective on the current government intervention in the chatbot ecosystem.

“I think the [current precaution] taken is quite weak at its purpose and function,” Gallegos said. “An easy click of [the] ‘X’ [button] just gets rid of [the pop-up] and you [could] just continue with what you were doing before.

I don’t see how that can be annoying to the user.

It should be annoying enough to the user so that [they remember]. The interval between pop-ups should be reduced [further].”

With the dawn of the digitalized era approaching, students must not be lured into the defects that AI potentially provides, but instead, leverage it as a tool. AP Computer Science student junior Jian Lee articulated his interactions and fears of the upcoming rise of AI chatbots.

“The experience was impressive and slightly unsettling,” Lee said. “It really amazed me how natural the conversation between me and the [chatbot] was. I don’t think we’re doomed as a species, but for sure, we’re losing a little bit of our social depth. Society has this positive connotation toward using chatbots, and that might coerce a kid into using [them]. If basically everyone is using it, then you’re more inclined to use it yourself. Overreliance on them can negate [and] weaken our communication skills — making us emotionally numb. Kids [are] young; [they] don’t really know what is right or wrong.

I would primarily hold companies [who manufacture AI] accountable [for] building [a] system [that] is powerful enough to overtake someone’s emotions.”

3

The Pen jan. 1 2026

opinion

An Inhuman Connection potentially younger audiences. Ranging from an undisclosed function meant for illicit use to a s the integration of artificial intelligence massive oversight and lapse in protocol, the ca(AI) into the daily lives of generation al- pabilities of chatbots far exceed their face value, pha is becoming more prominent, children are and should be considered a legitimate threat. increasingly turning to AI chatbots as a form Steps toward safety have been made, including of entertainment, gratification and genuine notifications that pop up every three hours to assistance. With novel technology on the rise, remind the user that they are not conversing the functionality of AI has only exponentially with a real human (American Bar Association). expanded within the past decade, leading many Although a reminder is a crucial step in the people to question and fear its potential to right direction, it does not take three whole overpower the human race in terms of intellect. hours to be led down a path of no return.

This concern is valid, as AI alone has shown the Though there are some superficial nuances capability to recite virtaully any fact, generate between the bond of AI chatbots and humans, artifacts, repair and code itself — and, by far AI has witfully committed itself to replicating the most frightening of all, mimic its creator, the more noticeable human traits that a breaththe human. Certain human-made organizations ing friend would share: the abilities to listen, have taken note of this, and are adamant on remember, reply and suggest. The latter, as seen exploiting this newfound ability to its maxiwith the tale of Sewell Setzer III, should arouse mum through the service of highly-cognitive the most alarm. Such capacity for chatbots to and advanced AI chatbots. take on human characteristics threatens genuine Senior Zephyr Strom, a loyal Google Gemconnection. It is vital that an impressionable ini user, reflects on what risks are taken when adolescent becomes aware of the pitfalls of false considering the companionship of a generative gratification and simulated emotional bondAI chatbot. age that are inherent in the use of AI chatbots.

“For friendship purposes — at the end of If one were to rely on such resources so often, the day, [the bot] knows nothing in terms of they would become too accustomed to the gift emotional intelligence,” Strom said. “But, it can of instant delight and would ultimately fail to gather some good, [convincing] information fully integrate themselves into real life — where from the internet. I feel like for everything right everything matters. With so much of themselves now, the government is always watching; cominvested into a mere screen, it is inevitable that panies are always asking for cookies — is [there they would give up presence in the real world to really] anything [such as] a safe space? You have compensate for their excessive online practices. to pick and choose what you feel like is good Similarly, this concept coincides with the behavand what makes the most sense to you. [To stay ior of obsessive video gamers. The negative imsafe,] you have to do some due diligence on pacts of the usage of AI chatbots are spotlighted your own part.” by surveys depicting the decrease of social interTo what extent these chatbots will mimic hu- action in individuals who utilize AI chatbot sermanlike behavior has up until now been largely vices; a study conducted by the National Library ignored, leaving fallible, gullible children to ab- of Medicine found that, out of 496 Replika — an sorb the harmful impacts of a chatbot’s unlimAI chatbot platform — users questioned, 428 ited restriction. This was the unfortunate case reported increased social isolation due to their with a 14 year old boy, Sewell Setzer III, from routine conversations with AI chatbots. StatisOrlando, Florida. According to his mother, tically, it is far more beneficial to mental health Megan L. Garcia, her son had become emotion- to confide in real-life interaction as opposed to a ally bonded to a digital persona via a chatbot pixelated monitor (PsychologyToday). provided by CharacterAI — a renowned entity The recent veto of the Leading Ethical AI in the field of artificially-intelligent chatbots —, Development (LEAD) for Kids Act was issued and subsequently took his own life after being

by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who coerced by the mechanical fiend. Grief-strickbelieved that the possible handicaps to children en, she took her outcry to court in an attempt benefiting off of chatbots outweighed the pros to remedy the situation, indirectly amassing an that the bill imposed. There is a common misimmense online following (NBC News). conception regarding his alleged prioritization Preceding this court ruling, platforms such as of “Big Tech” over “families” as the bill’s author, CharacterAI did not implement proper safety Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, asserted upon the govmeasures to prevent the user from forming ernor’s denial of her proposal (KQED Media). a genuine relationship with the bot. Many of Newsom’s arguments against the bill are not these chatbots would respond with inappropri- in disagreement with the subject addressed, ate innuendo when prompted — even toward

Billy Houng | 11

A

but rather, he proposes an alternate solution with a less restrictive boundary that would still ensure their priority and purpose: child safety. The aforementioned solution — Senate Bill 243, along with many others, have already been signed into law; specifically, these documents safeguard the youth from gravitating toward AI chatbots under the premise that they are real. By inflicting pop-up warnings of non-human interaction at least every three hours, maintaining certain protocol in the event of a suicidal user and consenting to third-party checks to enforce the law, Newsom hopes to foster a safe, but free environment for chatbot users without outright banning the use of AI in this way. Allowing children to interact with such systems will certainly refine their knowledge of the scope of AI’s outreach when it becomes ubiquitous in a future society.

Still, some people present reasonable skepticism of AI’s supposed limited accessibility in light of the new legislation being signed into law. Aerospace Engineering student junior Diego Gallegos sheds his perspective on the current government intervention in the evergrowing chatbot ecosystem.

“I think the [current precaution] taken is quite weak at its purpose and function,” Gallegos said. “An easy click of [the] ‘X’ [button] just gets rid of [the pop-up] and you [could] just continue with what you were doing before.

I don’t see how that can be annoying to the user.

It should be annoying enough to the user so that [they remember]. The interval between pop-ups should be reduced [further].”

With the dawn of the digitalized era approaching, students must not be lured into the defects that AI potentially provides, but instead, leverage it as a tool. AP Computer Science student junior Jian Lee articulated his interactions and fears of the upcoming rise of AI chatbots.

“The experience was impressive and slightly unsettling,” Lee said. “It really amazed me how natural the conversation between me and the [chatbot] was. I don’t think we’re doomed as a species, but for sure, we’re losing a little bit of our social depth. Society has this positive connotation toward using chatbots, and that might coerce a kid into using [them]. If basically everyone is using it, then you are more inclined to use it yourself. Over reliance on them can negate [and] weaken our communication skills — making us emotionally numb. Kids [are] young; [they] don’t know what is right or wrong. I would primarily hold companies [who manufacture AI] accountable [for] building [a] system [that] is powerful enough to overtake someone’s emotions.”

3

4

editorial

Illusive Ideals Haylie Kim & Sivan Stoler | 12

L

ately, it has seemed like nobody is actually afraid of needles anymore.

Or at least that’s how it feels when celebrities and social media influencers treat botox, lip filler and micro-needling as just a part of a self-care routine.

These procedures have become so pervasive that even groups historically unlikely to get them have started to receive them at record rates. Young people in their twenties and thirties have begun receiving small doses of botox, nicknamed “Baby Botox,” as a way to stave off the effects of aging before they even occur (National Public Radio).

Experts have theorized that this has occurred, in part, because of social media creating an ideal of beauty that can never be truly achieved. It is not uncommon to see a video of a perfectly ageless influencer posting about their morning “de-sheds” in which they take off layers of de-aging face gels, red light therapy masks and face tape, or an Instagram carousel promoting a straw-like contraption that does not cause smile lines, or a Tweet that praises how a twenty five year old actress has “aged” gracefully. This creates a cyclical phenomenon. People see videos and posts of celebrities and influencers that venerate remaining ageless, so they use products and procedures that will reward them with such appearances, further incentivizing other people to obsessively conquer the impossible feat of having an ageless face.

Much of the marketing surrounding these

products and procedures specifically target women. When this is combined with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reporting that most plastic surgery procedures are done on women and the exorbitant cost of much of these less-intensive procedures, it is clear that society’s obsession with avoiding aging hurts women specifically. As corporations benefit off of feeding into women’s insecurities, women become more trapped by them.

The culture that leads to social media villainizing aging is not organically created by individual’s actual wishes for themselves, it is pre-manufactured and pre-planned by corporations who care about revenue, not personal autonomy. By profiting off of making people, especially women, feel that there is something wrong with the natural way their body ages, these companies directly hurt women. Beyond this, companies’ success in marketing products that aim to defy aging takes on an especially dangerous hue when it spreads to children.

In recent years, pre-teens have flooded beauty stores like Sephora and Ulta with hundreds of dollars on trendy, retinol-ridden, skincare. Of course, however, they do not need these products, but they have been influenced to spend their parents’ money on them because of social media. Aside from the mental ramifications of young people already feeling as though there is something wrong with their face that can only be fixed by purchasing a trendy skincare line, these products also pose a physical threat.

There have been numerous cases of Retinol and other harsh ingredients designed to tighten, hydrate

and brighten aging skin causing rashes and other skin issues when used on young skin (USA Today).

In order to avoid this while still allowing children and pre-teens to use skin care, actress and model Shay Mitchell released a children’s skincare line, called Rini. The line included face masks which, according to the Rini website, are designed to “hydrate” and “recover” young skin, leaving the question of why exactly a child’s face needs to be tightened by hydration and what exactly young skin needs to recover from unanswered.

Although they claim to offer a safer alternative to physically harmful skincare, Rini, and child-friendly skincare brands like it, do nothing but teach children that there is something inherently wrong with their face, or that there will be something wrong with it, that can only be fixed with a skincare product. This does nothing but lead a new generation into the harmful cycle of consumerism and self doubt that leads young adults to fear and villainize a natural part of life.

Instead of focusing on “repairing” already healthy skin or avoiding aging, we must repair the damage already done by societal pressures to remain ageless and avoid its encroachment on younger generations.

Aging is natural. It should not be feared and its pull on women should not be dictated by faceless corporations or vapid social media posts. It should not lead to young girls learning things to hate about themselves before they learn pre-algebra. Only when we are able to freely age into imperfections, will we be free from these pressures.

A Letter From the EICs Dear Readers, People are easily influenced.

Obviously.

But lately this influence, this constant pull, has felt different. More constant, more inescapable. People are stirred into frenzies over blind box plushes because a TikToker told them they should be or they recite meaningless social media phrases without knowing their origin, simply because they heard their peers do so. More and more young people say that they want to be “influencers”, without a thought about how exactly they will be wielding this influence.

In order to understand why this is the case, in this issue we discuss how quickly (and ephemerally) social media creates universally understood jokes and why students are so easily influenced by their peers that they refuse to even participate in class (page 9).

We hope you enjoy this issue, but most of all we hope you let some of the ideas explored in these pages influence you in some way.

With Love, Haylie Kim Sivan Stoler

The Pen jan. 1, 2026

news

Left on Shakey Grounds

Newsom’s veto raises concerns for RPV Residents

Mirosavich shared his thoughts on the situation.

“For the past 20 years of me living in the area, there has always been land moving every ortuguese Bend in Rancho Palos Verdes year,” Mirosavich said. “We’re going to have a (RPV) is notable for its stunning views harder time from now on [if it is not considered and hosting a substantial part of the an emergency]. In situations like this, Palos Verdes Nature Reserve. It offers when people’s property is involved, breathtaking hikes and ocean trails, it becomes much more complicated, but beneath its beauty lies a danger‑ because you have to pay for that prop‑ ous reality—one that may take mil‑ erty, or maybe get rid of it.” lions of dollars to fix. The ground has Unsurprisingly, Portuguese Bend been slowly shifting and has recently remains a primary concern due to its become worse, damaging roads and ongoing landslide activity according to homes. The movement is creating seri‑ the Los Angeles Times. Entire houses ous safety challenges for homeowners have shifted, cracked or been lost as and making it difficult for them to the ground moves. With this bill being maintain a secure place to live. vetoed, the area might keep facing Despite this, on Oct. 1, Governor damage from heavy rains and unstable Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly soil without any government interven‑ Bill 986 (AB986), which would have tion. Reflecting upon this reality, Girls qualified landslides and unstable and boys’ varsity water polo coach, ground movement, such as the ground US History teacher and RPV resident, movement in Portuguese Bend, as Charles Kim, shared his opinion on state or local emergencies (California what the government should do in Emergency Services Act). With the bill regards to the land movement. vetoed, impacted communities may “Overall, I think that people who face more damage to homes and infra‑ grew up on the Peninsula often see structure and may be forced to handle their homes damaged or destroyed “Portuguese Bend, Rancho Palos Verdes, California” by Ken Lundy from Flickr, it on their own. School Resource Offi‑ used under CC-BY-SA 2.0 by [land movements] and then they cer Steven Barber shared what the bill feel that something should be done to could mean for Palos Verdes residents. disaster. The area is notorious for heavy rains, prevent it,” Kim said. “I think [in that case], the “I think that the bill would have helped people climate change and water‑saturated clay and rock. government should step up, [and] maybe help out in case their property got damaged,” Bar‑ However, these damages caused by these condi‑ out with some kind of relief so there is kind of an ber said. “With the bill getting vetoed, it will tions could be mitigated with active government assurance that there is backup. I do not think that be a harder for people to get help. From what it intervention and further preventative measures this was the right decision that he made. I believe sounds like, it is supposed to help people who live – vetoing the bill could worsen the challenges there should be a time where the government in areas where they could be in devastation or already faced by Portuguese Bend residents. AP must step in and help out the affected families with a lot of property damage. I do not think that Literature and English 3 Honors teacher Jeffrey and homes.”

Sophia Shen| 9

P

Edited by Adam Lu & Thanh Vuong | 12

this was the right decision that he made.”

The proposal of AB986 intended to provide a more effective way for disaster recovery to reach communities affected by land movement through classifying landslides as a type of natural

5

news

Taking Back The Crown

Parisa Bahrami | 11

Political Demonstrations Erupt across America

our own beliefs that we have the right to express.”

The idea of the law being the only “king” in the U.S. resonated with many who attended the enturies after the United States won its No Kings protest. Slogans like “Democracy not independence from Great Britain’s monMonarchy” and “The Constitution is not Optionarchy in the Revolutionary War, Americans have al” were circulated throughout the event (Britonce again begun fighting for a country free of ish Broadcasting Corporation). These slogans kings through a series of “No Kings” protests. showcase how protestors aimed to highlight their The protests, held on June 14 and Oct. 18, were freedom of speech and assembly as well as their a part of a nationwide movement that sought to fight against Trump’s idea of the Constitution, in defend First Amendment rights and fight against which he is uncertain whether the values should President Donald Trump’s administration which be upheld or not (NBC). protestors believe is unfairly detaining immiThere has still been some confusion on what grants without warrants, increasing the cost of the actual living and objective of threatening the No Kings to overtake protests was. elections (No Junior MadaKings). Over lynn Olmos, 7 million who did not Americans attend the attended protest, felt more than that the spe2,700 procifics on what tests held the protest across the was initiatcountry, with ed for were 2 million unclear in the more promedia. testors than “Protests the previous are definitely No Kings a great way to Day on June make change 14 (National in the United Broadcasting States, but Company). you should Those who be clear on participatwhat you’re ed in the trying to protests “Announcement of the Guidance on the Constitutional Prayer” from Trump White House Archive via Flickr, used under Public Domain | change,” Olexpressed feelings of in- Cropped from orginal dignation tomos said. “So far I haven’t seen any other context “[The atmosphere] was really positive– obviward the Immigration and Customs Enforcement ously the signs [we were holding] were [expresson the protest except for the title, “No Kings”. If [protestors] made it more specific on what they ing] large topics, but it felt like everyone was were trying to accomplish, it would be easier to happy and enjoyed being there. I wasn’t scared at comprehend their goals.” all, especially because I was protesting in Torrance, and it was overall a great experience for However, the main goal of the No Kings protest, to emphasize the importance of democracy [all the protestors].” in the U.S. and to protect the rights of the people Beyond the surface-level aspects of the prowho make up the country, can be readily found. test, there were still deeper values for why many students attended. For instance, Senior Isaac Kim, Based on this, many critics are warning Trump who attended the June protest, described how he that his actions are threatening this democracy’s saw the meaning of the protest’s title, “No Kings.” survival through these protests (BBC). As the “When I think of the phrase ‘No Kings,’ I think country faces troop deployments in cities and -Isaac Kim | 12 the government shutdown, No Kings protestors of Thomas Paine,” Kim said. “He wrote in [his persist in fighting for their rights as American pamphlet] Common Sense that in America, only the law is king. I believe that the slogan really citizens (CNN). The No Kings protests stood as a (ICE) raids and National Guard deployment that embodies what America is and what it stands for. peaceful way for people to declare their opinions, flooded across the U.S., as well as cuts to federal and continue to stand as a message and lasting It was established in the country’s founding that programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid (CNN). On the people have the ability to rule themselves and symbol for those who are affected by the measures of Trump’s administration (No Kings). that we, as citizens, have our own autonomy and the other hand, Trump and his administration

C

“ I believe that [‘No

Kings’] really embodies what America is and what it stands for.

“

6

Edited by Adam Lu & Thanh Vuong | 12

have defended these actions by saying they are necessary for the country in times of economic hardship and crisis, dismissing protestors that claim him to be a king or dictator. These issues are sparking political unrest as more individuals feel obligated to fight and protest against these changes (NBC).

People of all ages, including students at Peninsula, participated in one of the thousands of No Kings protests across the country. Junior Abigail Choi, who was present at both the October and June protests, shared what the atmosphere was like at the October protest.

The Pen jan. 1, 2026

news

A “Golden Ticket” to College Khalil Santiago| 9

F

or years, the promise of receiving an offer of admission from a college has been an uncertain milestone for many California students. This is reflected in the rate of degree attainment in the state. As of 2025, 35% of California-born young adults hold a bachelor’s degree. In turn, Governor Gavin Newsom has set a goal for 70% of California’s students to earn a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030 (Public Policy Institute of California). To achieve this, the California senate has introduced Senate Bill 640 (SB 640). Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, SB 640 will guarantee that every California high school student who completes the A-G courses, the set of college preparatory courses needed to meet the CSU eligibility requirements, and maintains at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) will be guaranteed acceptance at a CSU campus with available capacity (California State University).

SB 640 was introduced by State Senator Christopher Cabaldon and signed into law on Oct. 6, 2025 (California Legislative Information). Lawmakers designed the policy to make college more predictable for students, especially first-generation and underrepresented students who may not have guidance navigating admissions. The law aims to reach students who already qualify for CSU but never apply, often because they lack support, are unfamiliar with the process or assume college is out of reach (California Senate).

The law originated with CSU’s 2024-25 direct-admission pilot program in Riverside County. The pilot automatically considered 17,000 Riverside County students for the Fall 2025 admission cycle, successfully increasing the amount of students who enrolled in college by 3,000 (California Senate). This success gave lawmakers the confidence that expanding direct admission could open doors for thousands of additional students (California State University).

As California adopts this approach, it joins a growing number of states who offer some form of direct admissions (Los Angeles

Art by Brian Hong

New Law Guarantees CSU Admissions for California High School Students

Times). In Texas, students in the top 10% of their high school class are guaranteed admission to public universities within the University of Texas and Texas A&M University Systems (Texas Education Agency). Illinois has also created a “One

feel like their hard work mattered.”

Yang’s experience emphasizes why successful integration matters. To ensure SB 640 is implemented successfully, the state will use californiacolleges.edu to identify eligible students and

Click College Admit” program that offers admission based solely on GPA, with no essays, recommendation letters or any application fees required (Illinois Student Assistance Commission).

These models help put California’s new approach into context. While the law guarantees admission into at least one CSU campus, it does not guarantee entry into a specific major or campus, nor does it apply to every campus. Campuses labeled “impacted,” such as Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal State Fullerton, will continue using the traditional application process, as their demand exceeds available space. Aside from impacted campuses, the exact CSU campus eligible students receive acceptance to will depend on the campuses’ availability (Los Angeles Times).

However, as the new policy aims to open doors for students in California, it also raises questions for out-of-state applicants. Junior Taewoo Lee expressed support for the new policy, but acknowledges how it reduces opportunities for outof-state students who want to apply to CSUs. “I feel like it’s a good change because the majority of applicants to CSUs are already California residents, and this means they have a guarantee [of] a good education,” Lee said. “I know this means fewer admissions and more selectivity for out-of-state applicants, [but those students typically already have several college options ready and their own state schools to be accepted to].”

College students are also paying attention to the change. Cal State Fullerton student Sunny Yang, reflects on how SB 640 would change many students’ approach to college applications.

“When I was in high school, I saw a lot of people feel discouraged because they thought college was out of reach,” Yang said. “If something like this had existed back then, it would’ve helped students

automatically issue an official physical letter sent via mail (California State University Office of the Chancellor). Selected students can choose to reject or accept the offer and enroll at the assigned CSU campus. State education officials will also track who enrolls and monitor their overall success, then evaluate long-term outcomes such as graduation rates in order to refine the direct admissions program as needed. The state plans to ensure that SB 640 not only expands opportunities for deserving students but also supports them throughout their studies (California State University).

However, education experts have raised concerns about CSU capacity, noting that enrollment increases due to the program may require additional housing, staffing and student support services (Los Angeles Times). Currently, the CSU system houses 13% of its students on campus, with wide variation across campuses (EdSource). Recently, it has been discovered that CSU’s housing planning has relied on outdated or incomplete data, underestimating unmet demand (California State Auditor). To remedy this, CSU officials have stated that the system will monitor campus capacity and direct students toward campuses with available space, aiming to prevent any overcrowding and ensure adequate student support (Los Angeles Times). As SB 640 begins to open doors for students across California, it helps students better understand the options available to them. Career and College Center specialist Julie Arico reaffirms the reasoning backing this new initiative.

“It’s a way for Cal States to let students know there are opportunities available for them in college,” Arico said. “Cal States are [taking this opportunity] to tell California students that they are eligible and they do [have a chance of getting in]. There are lots of places for students to be and lots of ways to make that more affordable.”

7

8

news

San Pedro Gang Crackdown

Emmersyn Hadley | 9

O

n Oct. 7, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a raid in San Pedro targeting the Rancho San Pedro Enterprise, a gang, alleged to have ties with the Mexican Mafia. The raid resulted in multiple arrests. The LAPD and FBI believe that this is one of the most active and violent gangs in California. After many years of investigating the group, the LAPD finally acted on their findings, arresting 13 individuals who are currently facing legal charges. So far, 17 more warrants for arrest have been published. However, the gang is still believed to have over 500 active members.

This recent raid is part of a much longer history of criminal activity in the area. This gang is not new to the San Pedro area. It is a multi-generational criminal enterprise with records of gang activity dating back to the 1970s. The gang is divided into six subsets. Each subset operates under its own leaders.

In turn, those leaders answer to higher-ranking figures connected to the Mexican Mafia. They are “a U.S.-based prison gang and criminal organization” (FBI) that sometimes deals with Mexican cartels for drugs and has many leaders who are incarcerated in state prisons. The San Pedro gang, as the FBI calls them, pays taxes to the Mexican Mafia in exchange for protection from other gangs.

As police investigations give way to arrests and criminal charges, these alleged ties to the Mexican Mafia are coming under scrutiny. The arrested members have been charged with a form of racketeering under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) which allows prosecutors to charge individuals involved in a gang enterprise.

Lauren Sopko, a lawyer at the Los Angeles-based firm Kirkland and Ellis, which handles both defense and prosecution in criminal cases, such as this one,

described RICO and what it can mean for this gang. “[RICO] is an anti-racketeering law, which makes it illegal to do Ponzi schemes and other financial/ fraud crimes,” Sopko said. “Prosecution will have to prove their connection to the Mafia through clear evidence in order to charge [gang] members.”

While prosecutors use RICO to prepare their case, they will face challenges in proving the gang’s connection to the Mexican Mafia. Although the LAPD spent years investigating the gang’s activities, much of that information focused on crimes within San Pedro, rather than direct communication chains to Mafia leadership. This means that there is little direct evidence that the gang is affiliated with the Mexican Mafia, despite assumptions and community suspicions that they are. Since any evidence in a criminal case must reach the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard rather than the lower “preponderance of evidence” threshold used in civil cases, it could be difficult for the prosecutors to ascertain that the gang is, in fact, affiliated with the Mexican Mafia.

Another worry for the LAPD is how they will stop the gang altogether. With over 500 members still active in the gang, the few arrests have only momentarily left them without leadership; it is unknown at the moment whether these arrests will make San Pedro safer, or only cause another outburst of violence in retaliation (Fox 11 Los Angeles).

These uncertainties have left many residents worried, as the gang’s ongoing presence directly affects daily life. The gang is known to be involved in activities such as narcotics trafficking, distributing and trafficking psychoactive drugs like heroin and robberies to generate revenue for their criminal enterprise (Fox 11 Los Angeles). Some locals living in the gang’s territory were victims of violence and intimidation, forced not to alert authorities in fear of being beaten or even killed. The gang is known to have competed in drag races, races in which cars

Apathy Runs A Silent Crisis| Student Rampant Celanie Neal | 11

A

lthough Peninsula has introduced several measures to make students feel more welcome, high school remains an intimidating environment for many. Fear of embarrassment pervades despite pep rallies, clubs and events, driving a chronic lack of participation. This raises an important question: why are students so reluctant to raise their hands in class or dress out for a spirit day? How did something as simple as speaking up in class become a source of anxiety? English teacher and Link Crew coordinator Rebecka Dibble shared her thoughts on the issue.

“I think kids, in general, are afraid; whether it be participating in class and sounding stupid, or being the only one dressing up and thinking that they look stupid,” Dibble said. “They believe everyone is Edited by James Pan | 10 Edited by Adam Lu & Thanh Vuong | 11

looking at them and everybody is listening to them when in reality that is not true.”

On a different note, it is easy for students to become used to not participating when it is not something done on a regular basis. When teachers fail to be engaging, students lose interest in the content being taught. Many students become apathetic about what is being taught in their classes because their teachers do not spend enough time working with students or explaining the content in an exciting way.

Lack of motivation to participate fosters classroom environments where minimal participation becomes the norm. Thus, junior Andrew Pacheco believes effort by teachers is critical to increase participation.

that are modified to drive as fast as possible compete in short distances, which could become reckless and dangerous when not performed in areas meant for such activities (ABC 7 Los Angeles). San Pedro resident and algebra teacher John Buda provided his knowledge of previous gang activity.

“I know there have been previous issues with gangs in San Pedro,” Buda said. “There have been drag races, fireworks, classic gang activities and drug use with fentanyl.”

Beyond their violent presence, the gang has normalized a climate of fear for those who call San Pedro home. These issues with gang activities and their violent acts are not isolated incidents, but a pattern that has cycled on for many decades. With the gang having existed since the 1970s, many of its activities have become dangerous traditions that affect the community. Their pervasive presence has caused many to feel unsafe in San Pedro. Residents are afraid to walk around at night and are cautious to inform police of criminal activity in fear of antagonizing the gang (Daily Breeze). Freshman Joey Moakley shared his perspective on how the gang’s presence has shaped the atmosphere in the community.

“In general [I do feel] a little [unsafe],” Moakley said. “There has been one shooting by [another student’s] house. I do feel a lot more safe now, though, as the police crack down on [activity related to the Mexican Mafia].”

While the LAPD and FBI are making progress in deconstructing parts of the gang’s leadership, the entrenched nature of the gang will make it hard for them to stop the issue altogether. Still, many residents hope that law enforcement will help end the fear and destruction caused by the gang (Daily Breeze). As investigations continue, residents and officials alike are watching closely to see whether the recent raids can signal a turning point for safety in San Pedro.

“I think that low participation often comes from fear of being judged and not feeling confident, but the classroom environment definitely affects student comfort,” Pacheco said. “[For example], some

“Empty classroom” by hectorir is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

focus 9

The Pen jan. 1, 2026

Heist Turned Humor Sydney Malisce | 10

O

bold amateurs. The footage had also captured the robbers dressed in neon construction vests walking near the location of the heist (CNN). Using a stolen construction truck with an extendable ladder, the thieves broke into the museum’s Apollo gallery and stole France’s crown jewels. Two members of the heist smashed two glass display cases before descending down the ladder, and fleeing the scene on motorcycles which they had planted outside the museum prior (BBC). Authorities launched an immediate investigation, trying to find any clues that could lead back to the culprits. The almost action-movie-like speed and spectacle of the heist had the internet infatuated, meaning that the first time many people heard of the heist was through social

Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram were quick to turn the Louvre Heist into an internet-wide inside joke. Many fan accounts have created edits and multitudes of posts romanticizing the thieves as rebellious and charming anti-heroes.

For example, Jason Saperstone, a verified TikTok creator with 171,200 followers, made a post about the Louvre robbers being “iconic” for pulling off the heist. The post received 41,800 likes and more than 243,700 views. For many, the appeal came not from the crime itself, but rather the aesthetic and suspense surrounding it. Due to posts like these, many teens soon began to spread the trend offline with Halloween costumes based on the thieves. Teens and adults alike dressed in black clothing, construction vests and fake jewelry, calling themselves the “Louvre robbers.” The transformation of the Louvre Heist from a serious crime to an online joke shows how social media can blur the line between news and pop culture. This rapid dissemination can make people perceive serious news as a joke or as entertainment, and can make them believe false information. Sophomore Lilah Gonzalez spoke up on how to deal with the false information the internet provided.

“This is just part of modern media,” Gonzalez said. “As we advance in society, especially technologically, we are going to see processes like the spreading of news speeding up. People do not know what the internet is feeding them and that means having to learn how to adapt and converge it into our own understanding.”

The real impact of the heist was beyond simply what occurred inside of the museum, but the reaction that subsequently formed online. Social media shaped a different perspective on the robbery and compelled people to follow along with the trend without taking into consideration what had really happened. People will continue to share news online, but when serious crimes and disasters, like the Louvre heist, are turned into jokes and trends, it steers attention away from real issues in the world and can lead to further misinformation (Euronews).

“ I think kids, in

ing participation, teachers and students alike agree that participation is important for the environment in a classroom. It allows students to proactively connect with the material by articulating their understanding of concepts verbally and provides a means by which teachers can track students’ grasp of content. When students are engaged, they can learn more in class, make connections with teachers, make new friends on campus and find places where they can feel comfortable. Despite participation’s myriad benefits, Peninsula is plagued by chronic lack of participation as students fear the possibility of embarrassment. The efforts of both teachers and their students are critical to create the positive environments necessary for engagement. Teachers can employ creative ways to encourage student behavior and participation while students can break free from fear by getting to know their peers and teachers better. It takes everyone to work towards an ideal classroom environment where students’ opinions and thoughts are respected and welcomed.

n Oct. 19, a major heist took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris. What began as a serious and pressing matter on news headlines quickly transformed into a worldwide online trend.

The aftermath of the robbery at the Louvre saw a tremendous spread of memes and jokes regarding the heist and its perpetrators online. Instead of fading from attention after its appearance on the news, the story became an internet-wide joke, influencing many to create online trends, dances and mood boards inspired by the heist. Many even dressed up as the robbers for Halloween. The rapid spread of the heist’s popularity online can be seen as showcasing the power the internet has to re-envision news stories as entertainment and spectacle, making it difficult to understand which parts of the story are real and which are fabricated. Junior Tyler Clark explained the increasing difficulty of telling fact from fiction online.

“With how fast things spread [on the internet] people may not always see the full story,” Clark said. “There may be lies mixed in with the truth and someone [may] say something that is completely unreliable. Because [information] spreads across the globe in less than a day, people might not know if what they are seeing is [false]. By the time it’s out there it has already been cemented into their brains “Lourve Pyramid” by dynathi is licensed under CC BY 2.0. that it is the truth.”

The frequent disconnect between real life and the internet’s representation of events became clear in media. Sophomore Josephine Makpayo explained the case of the Louvre heist. Reality was very differhow she found out about the heist. ent from the information disseminated online. The “I came across the heist while scrolling on TikTok Louvre Heist itself occurred in only seven minutes. and initially thought it was just a joke from how A small group of masked individuals slipped in people were speaking of it,” Makpayo said. “Once I and out of the French museum while it was filled saw it on the news I was in disbelief to see that the with visitors. Security footage released after the perpetrators were able to pull off a heist in such a heist showed the robbers moving with confident short amount of time. Stealing jewels worth about and skilled coordination, causing people to wonder $102 million is an extremely hard task and that bewhether they were experienced professionals or just ing done in seven minutes is unbelievable.”

Edited by James Pan | 10

general, are afraid; whether it be participating in class and sounding stupid, or being the only one dressing up and thinking that they [will] look stupid.

“

teachers cause [students] hesitation [if] they seem unapproachable or strict, and this lack of encouragement can make students stay quiet.”

Many teachers at Peninsula have recognized this issue. In order to increase participation within their classes, a number of teachers have introduced graded participation. Speaking up no longer becomes a choice, but a necessity if students want to achieve academic success. Mrs. Dibble believes this incentive system helps foster an environment where participation is seen as something positive. If everyone has to speak up to receive a good grade, no one feels embarrassed because participation is a shared obligation rather than an unnecessary display that singles out individual students. A grade incentive can also help build confidence in participation-averse students, making them feel more comfortable participating in other settings. However, sophomore Sophia Bass shared a different perspective.

“Graded participation lowers morale and reduces [retention of] the information,” Bass said. “Anytime

-Rebecka Dibble I know I have to participate, I stress [about] making sure I get called on and making sure I have the right answer rather than remembering the [material].”

Despite disagreements over methods for increas-

10

arts and entertainment Soul Searching with Caesar

Other notable tracks on “The Son of Spergy” include “Have a Baby (With Me)”, a melodic, R&B tune that discusses a dying relationship and “Root of all Evil”, a reference to the Bible verse 1 Timothy 6:10, incorporating themes of temptation to be a sinner. Senior Mia McKiernan shared her thoughts on the subjects of these tracks.

“I could see these songs not being for everyone; they’re slow paced and quiet, but Caesar’s voice is beautiful,” McKiernan said. “I think [many people] can find a lot of peace within these songs as they talk about one’s spiritual journey” Sonically, Caesar uses pleasant choir-like vocal stackings that are harmonious and soothing. The opening track, Rain Down, does this technique best as its topic of accepting God’s blessings fits the warm sound of his voice and the song’s reference

Another wonderful aspect of the album Caesar’s laid back production, with Caesar’s soft voice Colin Kim | 12 allowing the reflective lyrics to take center stage Caeaniel Caesar reaches a new level of vulnerasar’s voice blends perfectly with Bon Iver’s deep and bility 11 years into his career, his heart worn melodic tone of voice. The song ‘Sins Of The Father’ on his sleeve in his latest project. The R&B singer has an understated feature from Bon Iver that gets released his fourth studio album, titled “Son of outshined by Caesar’s voice. This is a recurring issue Spergy,’’ on Oct. 24. On this album, Caesar’s artistry throughout this album. The track ‘Moon’ could’ve is more raw and reflective than ever, showing treespecially benefited from Bon Iver’s feature being mendous growth from some of his previous projects more prominent because the lyrical content depicts such as “Case Study 01” and “Never Enough”. The a relationship that Iver’s voice could’ve added a new title alludes to Caesar’s father, pastor Norwill Simperspective on. Caesar sings about the complex relamonds, who was nicknamed “Spergy” throughout tionship between him and his father: once he makes his life. This name was short for “Spurgeon”, referpeace with Spergy he does with God as well, roundring to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a baptist in the ing out the album’s theme perfectly. Senior Dakota 1800s who shared Simmonds purist and religious Pflieger agreed with this sentiment. values. Caesar writes about having an estranged “As a fan of Bon Iver my favorite songs on the relationship with his dad, discussing their album are ‘Moon’ and ‘Sins Of The Father’’’ complex relationship and his inability to Pflieger said. “The harmonizations between meet his father’s expectations. Despite the two are really good. I wish there was a being a gospel singer, Spergy was disappart in the song though where it was just Iver proving of Caesar’s dream in becoming a because his voice is kinda faint in some parts. musician. At the age of 17 Caesar left his Same for Yebba’s features. I also thought it was home to pursue his music career and scrap cool he included his dad, Simmonds, on the for cash. Despite these hardships, Caesar track ‘Baby Blue.’” began writing his debut EP Praise Break On a negative note, “The Son of Spergy” and released it in 2014 and became homesuffers from a lack of relatability to those less. Throughout the 12 tracks, Caesar who aren’t religious. Although love is not a uses Spergy as a motif to explore themes new subject for Caesar, his latest album has of masculinity, faith and self-discovery. taken a tonal shift by going from discussing Singles “Have a Baby (With Me)”, “Moon” romantic relationships to inner conflicts and and “Call on Me” all tonally represent the faith. Conceptually, it is very one-dimensional album’s spiritual theme while featured artin theme, but it is made up for with Caesar’s ists like Blood Orange, Bon Iver and Yebba soothing voice. For listeners who do heavily add depth to this introspective album by follow religion, his introspective journey may layering vocals, as if multiple perspectives resonate with that demographic. are being told.

Although thematically, ‘Son of Spergy’ may “The Son of Spergy” exhibits intimacy feel exclusive, his live pop up concerts are a through its lyrical content — nostalgic, creative way to bring people together, advovulnerable and reflective, the album decating for the community that our country so picts Caesar’s personal relationships with deeply needs. Since Sept. 27th, Caesar began God, Spergy, lovers and himself. Caesar performing a free to the public, promotional uses a combination of both references tour drawing large crowds of local fans from “Son of Spergy” Album Cover, licensed under 2025 Hollace Inc., under exclusive license to Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc. from the Bible and direct quotes. For the cities he performs in. Starting with Trinity example, in “Touching God”, feature Blood Bellwoods Park in Toronto, Canada, Caesar Orange quotes 1 Corinthians 13:11 stating, “When to religion. In the single ‘Moon’, Caesar repeats the played 11 acoustic versions of “Son of Spergy” songs I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a line, “Who’s gonna be my Jesus? Who will advothen, performed in parks in cities such as, Vancouchild, I reasoned like a child; but when I became a cate?”, throughout the verses. This shows how Caesar ver, Montreal, Bozeman, Los Angeles, Houston, man, I put away childish things.” Caesar reclaims his begins to question the relationships around him finally concluding the tour in Atlanta. These shows faith in Christianity after publicly sharing his views as he seeks intimate love. Bon Iver’s accompanying were announced immediately before they occurred of not believing in God in 2023. His new found subtle harmonies help to create the song’s dreamy on Ceasar’s instagram, leading many fans to rush to faith allows him to embrace his father’s passion for atmosphere. Caesar uses the album’s features very the concert venues. With just a five minute notice Christianity despite previously rejecting it. Unforsparingly with his existing vocals. Bon Iver neither for the LA pop up, fans had to contend with tretunately, this subject comes across as out of the blue takes away or adds tremendously to this track. The mendous crowds to make it to the concert in Elysian and forced throughout the album. The way Caesar features make for beautiful harmonies, however Park (FortheSpeakers). discusses faith is oversimplified and is discussed as if because they were subdued, it’s lackluster for there The album release and its accompanying promohis new beliefs have suddenly healed his whole life. were no standout vocals. Senior Emily O’Neill tions have been engaging, thought provoking and Acknowledging his father’s imperfections and previ- shared thoughts on some of the album’s tracks. interactive. By allowing his album to build commuous disputes, Caesar uses this album to make peace “I thought the song ‘Rain Down’ was a really good nity in the real world instead of simply making fans and inspire forgiveness. Caesar’s personal journey is opening track,” O’Neill said. “Caesar’s calming voice interact with a social media ad, Caesar created a new quite admirable and it is clear he has put effort into set the tone for the album and made it clear that way to promote his music and engage a fan base. rebuilding his relationship. In the single ‘Baby Blue’, religious themes would be discussed throughout More artists should take inspiration from these acSpergy is featured on the track which comes across the album. I also liked the song ‘Moon’ because Bon tions in order to create a more spirited and original as a healing catalyst for Caesar.

Iver’s was featured on that track.” industry.

D

Edited by Elena Thomas | 11

arts and entertainment

The Pen jan. 1, 2026

A Catwalk of Change Savannah Diaz | 10 & Elena Thomas | 11

V

ictoria’s Secret’s (VS) latest fashion show on Oct. 15 was a complete disappointment to many fans, but others praised the show’s inclusivity. The lingerie and beauty product company is well-known for holding these popular fashion shows, the first being held in 1995 (Vogue). With flowing hair, bedazzled outfits and humongous wings, VS created a brand identity rooted in fantasy that quickly became beloved by both the fashion world and women in general. After a four year hiatus the show officially returned in 2023, with “Victoria’s Secret World Tour” on Amazon Prime. This new show included models of all body types and was intended to begin a new era for the lingerie retailer. However, fans were upset that the aesthetics of the new show did not align with the glamorous and fantastical image that VS had cultivated. While the recent show has made great strides towards inclusivity, as audiences had requested, the brand still continues to face backlash.

In the early 2000s, the show had a clear aesthetic that consisted of bombshell models with glamorous blowouts and huge, sparkly wings; aspects that this year’s edition attempted to continue. Also featured were top models, including stars of past shows like Gigi and Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio. The models’ walks were accompanied by live musical acts only by top artists and groups such as TWICE, Karol G, Madison Beer and Missy Elliot, all striving to leave a memorable performance as past shows with stars like Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift have done. While succeeding in continuing many of the shows long held traditions and features, VS, for a while now, has begun attempting to appeal to more audiences with overall inclusivity. In past shows prior to the hiatus, VS underwent controversial comments criticizing their lack of body diversity and their tendency to hold their models to a flawless and slim standard. In their efforts to change and reform, they made great steps, such as opening the show with Jasmine Tookes, a pregnant model. VS also decided to bring in athletes and influencers like Suni Lee, Angel Reese, Quen Blackwell and Gabi Moura, instead of having the runway consist of professional models. Rather than being made up of intricate beading, lace, wire and feathers, the wings this year were made with 3D-printing technology and PETA-approved. Originally, VS did not allow transgender models to walk the runway due to a former executive’s beliefs and strict regulations, but this year, the VS fashion show featured transgender model Alex Consani, making her one of two transgender women to ever walk the VS runway (Teen Vogue). These immense differences set this show apart greatly from those that came before it.

Despite VS’s progress and positive change in its image, fans have

Art by Jiayu Tang | 10

found many things to complain about after watching the fashion show. New and returning fans have expressed distaste about the inclusion of inexperienced models and the wide range of body types the fashion show had to offer this year, including the plus-size models and athletic additions as well. Amid these negative reviews, positive ones still stand, like sophomore Samaire Pantaleon-Bledsoe shared.

“The ‘glamour’ [of the show] has improved from 2023,” Bledsoe said. “For example, during that show, one girl had to walk out onto the runway without wings. She was [infuriated]. This year, things like that [have been solved].”

Due to inclusion of athletes and influencers walking the VS runway this year, the company has recieved lots of backlash. Some may argue that having inexperienced models on the runway is a step toward progress, giving opportunities to these women to take on the career. However, the large majority of the fanbase unanimously agree that this inclusion of athletes and influencers is generally unprofessional. Sophomore Samantha Lam criticizes VS for this unprofessionalism.

“I think it’s genuinely [confusing] that VS allowed influencers and athletes in [the show] this year. I agree with the rest of the majority of the fanbase that this is very unprofessional, these girls have [no experience] in the first place,” Lam says. “I can see why some fans find it to be a [progression in modeling].

It is nice and all, but is purely unnecessary.”

Fans have the right to be irritated when seeing the inclusion of non-professional models on the VS runway. Just because influencers like Quen Blackwell are popular and recognized for their beauty, doesn’t automatically give them the right to walk the runway as it takes away from the the stage strutting countless others for their hard who have worked letes, Athspot. other on the

hand, are a completely different matter. While they may not be professional models, they have already achieved the flawless image of one through the intense effort and dedication they put into their sport and bettering their body. Senior Gianna Barbieri confirms that watching Olympic gymnast Suni Lee walk in the show was a win for girls involved in sports who often areas included in the beauty industry.

“I play a sport here and there but I can see how [important it is] for athletic women to be seen or represented,” Barbieri says. “I think that they could’ve included [more] athletic women in the show instead of having two, whereas there was a bigger amount of influencers in the show.”

Within the audience where many seem to dislike the influencers and athletes that walked the runway, some viewers are also adamantly against the inclusivity because they cling to what was presented to them in past shows where they had no plussize models, transgender models or athletes. Despite this change not being fully welcomed by the viewers, it is very significant as VS has the power to set and send messages to its audiences through the types of individuals they choose to include. Lack of representation in influential events such as this one are dangerous as younger watchers are especially susceptible to notions that certain looks or figures are not normal and, therefore, less desirable. With the variety of changes made this year, however, VS has been taking many steps toward creating a more inclusive brand image.

The musical performances at this year’s VS show were eye-catching and glamorous. Most of them received overall positive feedback from the VS’s audience, however TWICE, a Korean-Pop girl group, seemed to disappoint most. Fans found their performance, tainted by off-key vocals, underwhelming, and for a group that is known for their high energy and consistency, it was. However, it did not take away from the show too much, and if anything added to the energy and hype surrounding other acts like Karol G and Missy Elliot. And despite all critiques, these performances, like almost always, made the VS show much more enjoyable.

Although their inclusion of body types in the show was done well, and the fashion met the expectations of the brand’s classic shows, many of their choices like having influencers walk the catwalk was unnecessary. As a pillar in style and beauty for women, young and old, VS sets the standards and ideas reflected throughout the industry. To be that positive figure that they seem to want to be, they should continue the way they are going, but also listen to suggestions and complaints held by fans so VS can continue to be the glamorous spectacle of fashion that it is.

11

student life A Win by the Waves Briana Ta | 9

A

be placed as a whole and individually through students receiving rewards for high scores. Peninsula’s team competed in the highest level: Division A. Only 6 teams qualified for division A. Math Day at

fter a highly anticipated return to Cal State Long Beach’s ‘Math Day at the Beach’ Peninsula’s sophomores, juniors and seniors took home second place in Division A. 34 total teams participated in the 2025 event yet only six qualified for Division A. The battle took place on Oct. 11 at Cal state Long Beach. The tournament was “a problem-solving festival for Southern California high school students who want to have fun with mathematics and enjoy a day of camaraderie with university mathematics students and professors” (Long Beach Math and Statistics). The event is sponsored by the Jerry Cassaday Family and LBS Financial Credit Union who ensure it stays free for every participating school. Furthermore there were several parts of this event, as Math Team adviser Kashmira Vijaiyan explained. “[Its] team on team [mostly, however] Photo courtesy of Kashmira Vijaiyan | Pictured: Peninsula Math Team there are individual rounds too,” Vijaiyan said. “The high schools’ [placement] is a The Beach had lots of anticipation especially since combination of teams and individual [scores. ” last year the event was cancelled due to scheduling Throughout the event, contestants solve algebra, issues; now the competition is set to be held every trigonometry, number theory and probability probOctober. This cancellation led to even more excitelems, participate in relays and face off teachers in a tournament style competition. Moreover schools can ment from the Panthers. To prepare for the high

stakes tournament Peninsula’s math team held its own competitions at lunch, consisting of short timed tests with different kinds of math problems. These tests ranked students’ skill levels against each other.

Additionally, to prepare for Math Day at the Beach, members also practiced individually using previous years tests, Senior Yejun Kang reflected on how the team prepared for the competition. “[One way we practiced was] individual preparation,” Kang said. “[Since] most of us had done math competitions in the past, we built upon that [knowledge]. For Math at the Beach, we also did the tests from previous years’ tests to practice.”

Peninsula’s math team placed second in their division.

Aside from the team’s success as a group, Aaron Luo placed 4th overall through his individual score. Sophomore Aaron Luo commented on this personal achievement.

“It felt good because I got some cool prizes,” Luo said. “Also,[Ms. Vijaiyan] is definitely proud of us.[I enjoyed competing because] I love problem solving”.

This sense of achievement is carried by everyone on the team who are all proud of their ranking.

Science Research Rises Alisa Sekine | 10

P

eninsula is home to a multitude of competitive academic programs, but recently, one program’s success has been the cause of a major change to their course. While Science Research has been popular in prior years due to the numerous benefits of participating, interest has surged to an unprecedented level. Interest in the program this year has grown so rapidly that there is now a cap on the number of participants. But how is this change impacting students in Science Research?

Science Research is similar to most science classes in that it involves research and discussions. However, unlike a typical science course, Science Research is a 7th period class that focuses on independent projects. Throughout the year, students have the freedom to research topics that interest them, either alone or with a partner. In addition, they also have opportunities to meet respected researchers, giving them Edited by Elyssa Lee | 11

the ability to make professional connections before even starting college. Other highlights of the program include the opportunity for awards and the ability to gain a deeper understanding of scientific topics students otherwise would not be able to research. Junior Avery Yu, who has been involved with the Science Research program since middle school, discussed how these qualities are what truly makes the program unique.

“In Science Research, you get to learn whatever you want to,” Yu said. “There’s a large range of things you can do. Also, a less well-known aspect that’s important is being able to develop presentation skills.”

While the flexibility of the course may be a benefit, it also means that students must be very self-driven in order to succeed. Since students are required to meet with their teacher only once every two weeks, much of the work is done independently. Therefore, participants must manage their time well to ensure progress de-

spite the lack of daily check-ins. However, this does not seem to be an issue for Peninsula’s Science Research team, as it has won more awards than any other school at the Los Angeles County Fair, along with numerous awards at regional, state, national and international levels.

“Students] can pursue a

personal passion project on their own schedule, learn something new [and] work on life skills.

“

12

- Mark Greenberg | Science Research Adviser Moreover, Peninsula has also sent 9 students to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) throughout the course of its Science Research program, which is more than

The Pen

student life: alumni

jan. 1, 2026

13

MacArthur Grant for Lauren K. Williams Ingu Batyerruel | 10

F

rom classrooms of Peninsula, to groundbreaking discoveries, Peninsula alumni Lauren Williams has recently joined as one of the nation’s most innovative thinkers after receiving the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship award. It is also known as the “Genius” Grant by the media because it recognizes extraordinary originality and dedication. Each year, the MacArthur Fellowship is awarded to a select group of individuals who have shown exceptional originality and dedication in their work. The MacArthur Fellowship is unique in that recipients cannot apply or be nominated directly.

Instead, they are chosen anonymously by rotating experts across fields and the country who identify individuals whose hard work demonstrated their success. Williams, who graduated Peninsula in 1996, has been recognized for her groundbreaking work in connecting the positive Grassmannian, a topic in pure math, with the study of shallow water waves and scattering amplitudes in high energy.

Her achievements place her among the leading innovators whose work is actively shaping the future and discovery.

Beyond the prestige of the award, Williams’ work reflects creativity and perseverance that she continues to bring to her field and to students around her. For Williams, the award represents more than just personal recognition. It is a testament to the value of creativity, perseverance and lifelong learning that Peninsula aims to teach their students.

Williams praises the Peninsula school system that allowed her to accelerate in math classes by letting her take Geometry at the high school when she was in 7th grade, as well as Peninsula’s math teachers

and classes that gave her a solid foundation in her interests and pushed her to continue her work. Lieila Wiliams, mother of Williams, shares that outside of her interest in maths, she was also interested in writing, reading and music.

“Lauren has always been self-motivated, not just in math, but in all things that interested her.”

Williams said. “For one, loving to read and to write, Lauren honed her writing skills and regularly entered her poems in the annual PTA Reflections Program. She also loved music and studied the violin with Gail Gerding Mellert from ages 4-18, becoming concertmaster of Peninsula High School orchestra.”

Aside from classes, Williams was also very involved in school activities and clubs. Together with her friends, Williams created the Literary Club in which they spend time discussing books that they read. Williams was also active in the school’s Math Club. She shares that one of her vivid memories from her time at Peninsula was competing in math competitions such as the American Regions Math League in Las Vegas. Through these competitions, Williams says she learned and had fun as the team generally did very well.

Beyond her professional achievements, Williams has made it a priority to give back by sharing her knowledge and experiences with others.

“I think that at the beginning of my career as a mathematician, success meant discovering and proving the best possible theorems,” Williams said. “Once I had tenure, I started to also prioritise mentoring students and postdoctoral fellows. By now I’ve advised 16 PhD students, many of whom are themselves math professors by now.”

While regularly mentoring students to help them find their own voices and ideas, Williams is also involved in the Cambridge Math Circle as well as the

Girls’ Angle, two local non-profit math organizations that provide children with creative mathematical experiences. Her dedication to these programs and mentorships reflect her beliefs that learning should be inclusive and exploratory and that it grows stronger when it’s shared. Through her continuous sharing of knowledge, her work shows her belief that true success comes from helping others discover their own potential.

As Williams’ story comes full circle, her accomplishments reveal how determination and purpose can transform curiosity into lasting impact. Her path from a Peninsula student to a Macarthur Fellowship recipient was shaped by years of exploration and commitment to making learning accessible for others.

While the MacArthur Fellowship recognizes her extraordinary accomplishments, her continued dedication to sharing her love for mathematics shows that true success lies in inspiring others to grow and learn.

By celebrating her accomplishments, one also celebrate creativity, generosity and the belief that true knowledge can and should make the world a better place.

for a variety of reasons,” Greenberg said. “They can pursue a personal passion project on their own schedule, learn something new [and] work on life skills. Universities [also] look quite favorably upon students who put full effort into science research.”

The changes in Science Research do not end at simply enrollment. Another major alteration this year is the new location of the annual PVPUSD High School Science & Engineering Fair (PVPSEF). PVPSEF is the district-wide science fair that takes place at the end of every school year. Winners of the fair are able to advance to other regional or even international science fairs. While the fair generally has 100 projects and over 100 judges, this year may include more due to the increased participation. Therefore, instead of its longtime former location at the Los Verdes Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, PVPSEF has been moved to AltaSea, an ocean institute and research center in San Pedro

in order to account for the higher number of participants. The expanded venue is expected to create new opportunities for students, offering more space for displays and presentations.

Despite the perceived changes that come with the increase in participants, it has not affected the coursework of Science Research very much.

In fact, many students are excited for the new opportunities that come with more like-minded peers joining the class. Senior Leila Gheysar, who has been in Science Research for three years, explained her perspective on the matter.

“It can definitely get overwhelming sometimes, but I think it’s really cool because more people equals more projects,” Gheysar said.

“Everyone thinks about things differently and comes up with cool ideas. I think it has really improved the diversity of the fair in terms of project ideas and the groundbreaking research being done. [I am] so excited to be back [this] year, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.”

Photo by John D. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation, used under CC 4.0 | Pictured: Lauren Williams

the rest of Los Angeles County and Orange County combined. Each year, only 1,600 students worldwide are able to participate in ISEF, which means only the best projects are selected to compete. This makes last year’s first place ranking in the Physics and Astronomy category even more impressive for Peninsula senior Aiden Kwon.

These accolades and opportunities have led a large influx of students to want to participate in Science Research, leading the program to limit the number of participants for the first time ever. The waitlist to join the course is long— as soon as a student drops the class, another student replaces them immediately. Due to this high demand many who wish to take part in this course have not been able to. AP Physics 2 teacher and Science Research Adviser Mark Greenberg shared his ideas as to why the number of applicants has increased.

“Students [want to] join Science Research

The Pen

15

student life

jan. 1, 2026

Shifting School Spirit C

heers, uproars and competitive spirit filled the bleachers as Peninsula gathered at the first class competition in years that included the entire school: the Clash of Classes. Unlike past pep rallies which were held in the gymnasium with a double-assembly bell schedule, on Oct. 17, Associated Student Body (ASB) brought the entire school together on the football field for a lively inter-class competition and pep rally. In August, ASB was told that the bleachers in the gym were broken, preventing the usual pep rally schedule and location. While they discussed different ideas about what they would do with the rallies, they ultimately landed on the possibility of doing this pep rally. ASB saw this change as a way to foster spirit and school involvement in a new, exciting way.

With games, dynamic dances and booming music all packed into one class period, the rally presented ASB with months of work and preparation. Regular class competitions typically take only three to four days to organize, but the huge increase in numbers of students and the change of location made the Clash of Classes take around 2 months to plan. Due to the location change, ASB could not include the vibrant, colorful lighting that normally helps create the atmosphere in indoor pep rallies. To make sure that the

Clash of Classes still felt energetic and spirited, ASB installed sound systems, microphones and speakers for music and announcements and spent hours making class banners and blowing up balloons in the class colors. Aside from this, ASB posted countdowns and promotions on Instagram and TikTok in order to fuel excitement for the rally.

Sophomore class representative Charlise Caoile described how ASB’s teamwork helped this rigorous planning go smoothly.

“I’m very lucky to be working with such hard

Art by Esperanza Engle-Tseng | 12 Edited by Elyssa Lee | 11

working ASB students, as we were able to accomplish lots of work, with top productivity and efficiency.

It’s easy to work so diligently when your peers are so helpful,” Caoile said. “Everyone is really on top of all their jobs, and the speed of the work this year is really good. [The rally made us all] come together. It’s a good way to have fun, but we are also working [hard] while we are doing it.”

Although the pep rally did go smoothly, a challenging aspect of planning was recruiting student representatives, who competed in the class games and finding the time to run-through the games.

Unlike past rallies where participants were simply selected from the current seasonal sports, each grade had a group of selected students and teachers who participated in the games along with the class representatives for their class. With the larger space of the football field, the games were bigger in scale and required many more participants. This brought forth another challenge because it proved difficult for ASB to successfully recruit spirited students due to communication issues or sudden drop outs from the rally. Despite this, the Clash of Classes generated plenty of positive reactions from students such as, sophomore Chloe Cao who enjoyed competing in the competition.

“The pep rally was my favorite.

Not only because I participated, but also because of the participation from [other] students. Participating in the balloon popping contest was really exciting,” Cao said.

“I also loved cheering on the class of 2028 in the stands because there was so much enthusiasm from the students.”

Along with the students, teachers also participated in the class competition games. By incorporating teachers like the football kickoff competition into the games, ASB hoped to boost enthusiasm among the students by watching their teachers compete. ASB also had the teacher class representatives in the front of the bleachers to hype the students’ spirits. Many

students were excited to take a break from classes and see their teachers win points for their class and participate.

“Our whole goal this year

was to make [the rally] really inclucive and to bring the spirit and fun back into high school.

“

Olivia Kim | 10

- Sasha Skyar | 12, ASB President

As the Class of Clashes rally came to an end, students had an exciting time watching students and teachers compete in games and cheering alongside their classmates. Many students felt connected to Peninsula and eager to participate in school events and spirit. ASB president senior Sasha Skyar reflected on what she wanted students to get out of the pep rally.

“I think what makes high school more fun is the fact that you have all these events that you get to do with your friends and make memories,” Skyar said. “Our whole goal this year was to make it really inclusive and to bring the spirit and fun back into high school. It started with having our outdoor movie night, and then it transitioned into this huge pep rally where I literally saw the most people dressed out. It is really cool.”

16

sports

Freak Show Frenzy Kyra McGath | 10

T

or more wrestlers. So, wrestlers typically end up competing in four to eight matches per day. To handle the intensity of the competition, wrestlers focus on more than just technique. Sophomore Victor Rueda explained how he prepared for the Freak Show tournament.

he Peninsula wrestlers competed in Freakshow 2025, which took place at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on Oct. 1819, featuring over 6,000 wrestlers from across the United States competing for glory. Although it was a tough competition, Peninsula had multiple wrestlers place in the top five: senior captain Leila Witzerman placed third, junior Gianna Lopez placed fourth and senior captain Efosa Osayande placed fifth.

Including the three, every Peninsula wrestler did exceptionally well in their brackets, placing high with a positive win rate. Peninsula has competed in this tournament before, with the entire wrestling team attending each year. Freakshow is a national wrestling tournament that occurs every October in Las Vegas. It is one of the biggest wrestling tournaments in the country, open to anyone who registers online, since there are no qualifiers.

At Freakshow, the wrestlers compete in folk style, which is a match consisting of three two-minute periods. In each period, the wrestlers must score the most points.

When signing up for Freakshow, wrestlers must enter their age division and weight Photo courtesy of Peninsula Wrestling | Pictured: Gianna Lopez| 11, class. The event began on Friday, Oct. 17, Leila Witzerman | 12, Efosa Osayande | 12, Ryan Faintich | Coach with official weigh-ins to confirm everyone’s “I prepare myself for a tournament by eatclass before the competition. The actual wresing right two days before and being in a good tling started on Oct. 18 and continued through mindset,” Rueda said. “I also try to stay focused, Oct. 19, with wrestlers competing in large brackets against athletes from all over the Unit- disciplined and trust myself and block out ed States of America. Each bracket is usually set distractions so I can perform my best no matter who I’m going up against.” up in a double-elimination format, meaning a When Peninsula wrestlers knew an importperson is not eliminated until they have lost two ant competition, such as Freakshow, was coming matches. The exact number of matches a wresup, they upped the intensity of practice. Practice tler ends up competing in depends on how far they advance in the bracket and how many par- usually begins with a warm-up and stretching period. Then the team moves into drilling with ticipants are in it. Each bracket usually has 128

a partner, while focusing on technique, which makes up the bulk of the practice. Practice then ends with live wrestling, where the wrestlers go full speed and try to apply everything they’ve been working on in real match situations. These consistent practices not only helped the team feel confident going into Freakshow but also set the goals they have for the rest of the season. While focusing on their goals, kept in mind the things that inspire them to work hard. For Witzerman, watching her sister train to be a better athlete inspired her to do the same. “[My sister] just started wrestling two years ago and she’s already really good, and I want to push myself as hard as she does,” Witzerman said. “[My sister] inspires me to work hard so I can [compete] in the semi-finals at State this year.”

In order for a wrestler to become a medalist or an All-American, like Witzerman, wrestlers must have won every match backto-back. To make sure that as many Peninsula wrestlers as possible achieved such a high ranking, strong leadership was essential when the team was preparing and practicing for the tournament, like Freakshow.

Thankfully, Peninsula’s team was not lacking in such leadership. Coach Ryan Faintich emphasized the importance of leadership within the team, especially during preparation for high-level tournaments like Freakshow. He highlighted how a strong work ethic helps set the standard in the wrestling room. “[Witzerman] is a great role model, in terms of setting the tone with work ethic. Her goal is to outwork everybody in the room,” Coach Faintich said. “Guys like Osayande make it hard for her. Osayande wants to be the hardest worker in the room, too, and so to have both of those people in a room together, you really have wonderful leadership.”

Girls Golf Swings Into CIF Noah Vaidyan | 9

“I’ve been doing it for about 24 years, and it’s been really fun working with kids and seeing his season marked a breakout year for the them get better over a season and over their four-year career,” Van Enk said. “We have had Peninsula girls varsity golf team. After success with our girls and boys, but especially an undefeated season, going 13-0, the team got with the girls early on. We have done a handful selected to participate in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the highest level for of state championships, many league titles and participated in the playoffs most years. To see organized high school sports in the state. The the kids succeeding is the best part of coaching.” players exhibited teamwork and commitment One of the key leaders on the team, senior throughout their journey to CIF and were led by and co-captain Sophia Lu, has demonstrata passionate and successful coach. Head coach ed exceptional individual success throughout and math teacher Glenn Van Enk shared the her competitive golf career. She was one of six joy he finds in coaching and seeing the team’s juniors to be named a Rolex Junior All-Amerigrowing successes.

T

Edited by Selah Hartman | 11

can and Rolex Scholastic Junior All-American honoree in 2025 by the America Junior Golf Association sponsored by Rolex. The Rolex Junior All-America Honors recognition focuses on athletic performance, primarily based on player rankings, while the Rolex Scholastic Junior All-America honors combines athletic performance and academic success to determine honorees. She has also been selected to participate in the Tiger Woods Junior Invitational where she was a finalist for the Girls 13-15 Division.

Lu shared her origins of engaging in the sport golf and her love for her team.

“I started playing golf when I was seven years

The Pen jan. 1, 2026

sports 17

Lets Go Dodgers!

Alissa Luna | 9

E

ver since the weekend of Nov. 1, the Southern California area has erupted in celebration over the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the 2025 World Series. After prevailing in three out of the seven nerve-wracking games, the Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays for the fourth time on Saturday night. Dodgers fans from all over the world were ecstatic for the ninth World Series victory for the Dodgers. That weekend, any person walking in the SoCal area could see at least one person wearing a Dodgers baseball cap or a jersey with their favorite player’s number. Neighborhoods and restaurants turned into celebratory parties over the victory as well. Peninsula students and staff are among these fans. But it seems that no matter how different every fan is, everyone is blissfully united under the victory of the Dodgers.

This year’s World Series games have been some of the longest in history. The record for the longest game ever recorded was in 2018, a game between the Boston Red Sox and the LA Dodgers. It lasted for eighteen innings and timed in at seven hours and 20 minutes (CBS Sports). This was more than extremely unusual. A typical MLB game consists of nine innings, and usually lasts around two and a half hours. This run time has never been close to being beaten until the extremely long game on Oct. 27th. The third 2025 World Series game contained 18 innings, lasted 6 hours and 39 minutes and ended in the Dodgers’ victory of 6-5. Some fans came to either school or work the next day groggy for this reason. Sophomore Chelsea Rhoades shared her own experience watching the game. “[The game] was extremely long. I was watching it while with my friends,” Rhoades said.

“Let’s just say that [the] whole restaurant was really loud. I didn’t get to stay for the whole game, but from what I saw, it was pretty good. I watched at least until the 15th [inning], but then I was really tired. I tried listening to the game, old, along with a handful of other sports,” Lu said. “Soon enough I was competing in a top junior circuit in Southern California called the Toyota Tour Cup. Along with that, I also started playing at the national level where I won two major tournaments, including the FM Junior Championship this past summer. Here at Peninsula High School, I joined the varsity team as a freshman and have been part of a group [of golfers] who work hard and push others.”

Another key leader behind this team’s success is senior and co-captain Hannah Morgan. Morgan first discovered her love of golf from her father. When she was a child, she would watch

but I fell asleep because it was so late.”

Many fans saw the matchup as fairly equal.

Most of the games in the 2025 World Series had relatively close scores, and the final game ended with a score of 5-4 (MLB Scores). However, the Blue Jays had much higher winning scores compared to the Dodgers. The final scores in the games where the Blue Jays won were very far apart. In the first game, the Blue Jays beat the Dodgers 11-4.

Photo courtesy of Hannah Morgan | Pictured: Hannah

The Blue Jays had also won the fourth and fifth games with high winning scores. Based on these victories from the Blue Jays, it became very reasonable to conclude that the team would win the World Series. Sophomore Gavin Manuel shared his own thoughts about the odds of the Blue Jays winning the World Series.

“Well, I thought we had our odds,” Manuel said. “The Blue Jays have incredible offense, [and] a very good defense. That first [victory] for the Blue Jays was kind of expected. The matchup was pretty even. But, in the end, I think what was really important was pitching.”

What Manuel articulated resonates with the opinions of many other fans. Who would be him hit plastic golf balls around their yard. One day her dad let her have a try. Soon after that, she was forever hooked on golf. While Morgan values coaching and teamwork, she also recognizes the challenges that come with balancing her academic life and her athletic life. Morgan shared how she manages to balance being a strong leader for her team while still maintaining excellent grades.

“Balancing academics and athletics is definitely tough, especially in golf,” Morgan said.

“Practice can be up to three hours and tournaments are even longer. Staying organized, setting priorities and managing time well is

pitching during the games was a very vital point in the World Series. This was especially evident with Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who gave an outstanding performance that earned him the title of Most Valuable Player for the 2025 World Series. He was in as the reliever pitcher for the final game. A reliever stands in for the main pitcher when they are exhausted, in bad shape or simply replaced as a strategic move. Yamamoto then got two outs to secure the winning title for the Dodgers. His role as main pitcher and reliever led to some of the Dodgers’ previous victories in the World Series.

After some exciting victories, tragic losses and long games, it all came down to Saturday night, Nov 1. In the 11th inning, Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit a homerun, scoring a point for the Dodgers. After one final hit by Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, the Dodgers successfully managed to get two outs on first and second base. Those last few moments made the victor clear. Both players and fans were cheering and hugging each other, ecstatic over the triumph.

The celebration in person quickly carried over to online. All over social media, fans were posting videos about their personal celebrations.

Junior Graziella Saccomanno shared her own experience on the night the Dodgers won the World Series.

“I was at home when the Dodgers won,” Saccomanno said. “I live in [San] Pedro, so there [were] a whole bunch of fireworks that were going off, [and] I got to watch them from my balcony. I got to celebrate the World Series by going to the parade on Monday in Downtown LA, [which] was a cool experience, and [I will] definitely do it again next year when they win the World Series.”

This early November has been celebratory for the Dodgers and their fans, who hope to see more victories in the future and already anticipate many more World Series wins. For Dodgers fans at Peninsula, it is within their best wishes and hopes for the Dodgers to win again. crucial. Never be afraid to ask for help. If you need things like extra time for school work, talk to your teachers. Golf is a time commitment but with time management skills, it can be done.”

Ultimately, the varsity girls’ golf team has been able to win throughout the season due to their dedication both on and off the course.

Morgan and Lu have set an example for the rest of the team through their exceptional work ethic, despite hours of additional practice, their focus on nutrition and teamwork and their ability to balance both school and golf as student-athletes. With the recent CIF selection, a passionate coach and two successful leaders in Lu and Morgan this program has a bright future .