Issue 4

VOL. XL ISSUE 4 JANUARY 24, 2020

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL www.pvphsnews.com

Collegiate athletes push to be paid by the NCAA OPINION PAGE 5

TRUMP ON TRIAL

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

FRASSO ON FIRE

House of Representatives approves impeachment

Alumni further their passions after high school

Senior named Daily Breeze Boys Athlete of the Week

NEWS PAGE 2

FOCUS PAGE 6-7

SPORTS PAGE 11

=

2

A PRESIDENT IMPEACHED President Trump Impeached by the House of Representatives

Sofia Lauro

4% OF AMERICANS HAVE NO OPINION ON IMPEACHMENT

unsuccessful, because she believes Senators often vote along party lines.

Only two presidents, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, and one Supreme Court Justice, Salmon Chase, have had

*ACCORDING TO SSRS

4% 45% 51%

45% OF AMERICANS ARE AGAINST IMPEACHMENT

51% OF AMERICANS ARE FOR IMPEACHMENT

SHAI BECKER / THE PEN

On Dec. 18, 2019, The U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach the incumbent president Donald Trump on two articles: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Voting was close and split between party lines, with most Republican members of the House of Representatives voting against impeachment and the majority of Democratic House Representatives voting in favor of impeachment.

Congressional inquiries began in September 2019 after an anonymous whistleblower, an insider to the White House, leaked information that President Trump allegedly pressured Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in telephone conversations to start open investigations into Democratic presidential candidate Joseph Biden and his son. The whistleblower expressed concern that Trump abused his power to solicit foreign aid to discredit his political rival Joe Biden in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

On Jan. 15, the House of Representatives appointed the impeachment managers and approved the articles of impeachment to be sent to the Senate. The Senate then began conducting a two-week trial with witnesses on Jan. 21 after voting on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposed trial limits.

McConnell’s resolution increased the hours spent per day on opening arguments and included the provisions for a vote on whether to summon witnesses or documents after opening arguments. Only after this trial can the Senate vote on whether to convict the president on these articles of impeachment. Any conviction based on the impeachment articles will require

a two-thirds vote in the Senate, which currently has a Republican majority.

Students such as junior Mallory Cibort believe that this Republican majority will lead to Trump’s conviction being

ALEX YOO / THE PEN

NEWS

impeachment trials resulting in none of the three being convicted.

Contrary to the political studentactivists on campus, junior William Dunn is among those who take no firm stance on this ongoing issue. However, he does believe that the Senate will try to do its best to impeach Trump for reasons beyond his alleged political corruption.

“Trump has done some good things, like helping foreign policy,” Dunn said. “However, I feel that the [congressional] Democrats fight for Trump’s impeachment because they do not like him as a person. When you talk to some moderate Democrats and they tell you they want Trump to be impeached, they will say it is because they think he is racist as a person, not because of what he is being accused of.”

On the other hand, Cibort believes that Trump’s impeachment was bound to happen, stating that she believes President Trump has been engaging in questionable behavior during his term.

She believes that this impeachment is a historical event and that many Peninsula students will realize this.

“This [is] an eye opening experience for a lot of Americans,” Cibort said.

Many students at Peninsula hold views on the issue of Trump’s impeachment.

Thus, Don Frazier, Advanced Placement European History and World History teacher, recommends that Peninsula students on both sides of the issue make a decision about their political beliefs right away. He believes that now is the time in which Peninsula students are growing from children into adults and that they must learn to become politically involved.

“Think about what you believe, get informed about the issues in which you are interested and then act accordingly,” Frazier said.

PVPUSD ASKS VOTERS TO APPROVE $398 MILLON BOND 3 NEWS Voters in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) will decide on a $389 million bond called Measure PV this year on March 3. If at least 55 percent of voters in PVPUSD approve the bill, the funds from Measure PV will be used to modernize and remodel many of the facilities, such as bathrooms, in PVPUSD schools including Peninsula.

Peninsula’s staff and students pointed out many problems around the campus including crumbling concrete and electrical and plumbing issues throughout the school. Senior Kennedy Hilario believes that this bill would not only be beneficial, but is also necessary for Peninsula’s campus.

“The infrastructure of [Peninsula] is subpar, with multiple facilities lacking doors to their stalls, and [overflowing] with various objects,” Hilario said.

Sophomore Rhys Moon PATRIC identified additional K CHAN

/ THE P

issues, particularly with the men’s bathrooms, in parts of Peninsula’s infrastructure.

“The school is in dire need of repairs. The locks on bathroom stalls do not work, and mirrors are missing.

Pipes under the sinks leak, and the toilet does not flush properly,” Moon

“

statewide school construction bond, Proposition 13. According to the PVPUSD website, the district does not have control over the allocation of state funding and can expect to receive very little of that money.

The measure intends to remodel every bathroom throughout the district, along with water fountains and plumbing

THE SCHOOL IS IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIRS.

“

KRISTEN LU, JACK SEDILLOS AND LYNN TANISAKA

THE LOCKS ON BATHROOM STALLS DO NOT WORK, AND MIRRORS ARE MISSING. SINK PIPES LEAK, AND THE TOILET SOMETIMES DOES NOT FLUSH PROPERLY. - SOPHOMORE RHYS MOON

said. “By remodeling the restrooms, we [would] feel secure and more comfortable using them. Incorporating hygiene into our lives is [not only] important, [but also] necessary.”

This measure is meant to do more than the recently passed $15 billion

systems. The district will also update schools without heating and air-conditioning, resurface playgrounds and repair leaky roofs.

Over the course

EN

2019-20

DEMEYER’S

ISSUE 5 (2/21) ISSUE 6 (3/20) ISSUE 7 (4/24) ISSUE 8 (5/22)

of six years, two of Peninsula’s main buildings are projected to be renovated.

Campuses are planned to be retrofitted in order to be more resistant to earthquakes and updated to comply with accessibility standards mandated in the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Two new gymnasiums will be added to Ridgecrest Intermediate School and Palos Verdes Intermediate School, along with renovations to the Miraleste Intermediate School pool.

Other improvements such as repair of sports fields and replacement of grass with turf are also expected at Peninsula. Intermediate schools will also now have upgraded STEM classrooms with proper furniture and equipment.

According to Peninsula’s principal, Dr. Brent Kuykendall, this provision would address the state of Peninsula’s 60-year-old facilities.

“If this measure is passed, there are some substantial projects that would be held at Peninsula which would affect this school and our students positively,” Kuykendall said.

Editorial THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Rianne Aguas Asumi Shuda MANAGING EDITOR Ana Willoughby DESIGN EDITOR Alex Yoo HEAD OF BUSINESS Elana Ho NEWS EDITORS: Kaitlyn Ho Kristen Lu WRITERS: Sofia Lauro Alex Perez Jack Sedillos Lynn Tanisaka OPINION EDITORS: Fiona Andersons Jacci Engler WRITERS: Maddy Christen Anna Mytko Imogene Tomicic FOCUS EDITORS: Minji Jeun Fiona Yang WRITERS: Caitlyn Lee Emma Mulligan Tilly Safavian STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Keila Bara James O’Dea WRITERS: Rosalie Burich Yaseen El-Magharbel Abigail Shane SPORTS EDITOR: Casey Syal WRITERS: Jeremy Kim Marcus Kim Angelina Mendoza GRAPHICS Shai Becker Patrick Chan Helen Huang Alicia Jeong Ashley Kim Jihee Seo Maddie Yeh BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Ashley Deng Caroline Horn Lina Kugaya ADVISER Jaymee DeMeyer “The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced journalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directed to Advertising Manager Elana Ho at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editor, which are accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or to Jaymee DeMeyer’s mailbox.

Copyright © 2019 Cover Design by Alex Yoo

4

WE MUST INCLUDE HOME-ECONOMICS COURSES IN OUR CURRICULUM

editorial staff Every day, students learn about ionic bonding, integrals, syntax and American history. Yet, some still do not know how to cook dinner or manage their academic stress.

While furthering our understanding of such advanced topics like calculus or Shakespeare, the education system seems to forget how to teach students to function practically in a working society.

Today, common sense is not something that is taught; it is something many are simply supposed to “know.” However, skills previously thought to be common sense, like doing laundry or making a bed, are no longer taught to our youth.

There have been efforts to educate students on these basic life lessons. For instance, in spring 2019, two undergraduate students from the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) created a 12-week course on topics related to home-economics called “Adulting.” These actions pose questions about whether such efforts should be continued on high-school campuses.

Peninsula, along with other high schools across the nation, must make these homeeconomics classes available in order to provide students with the solid foundation they need to become functioning adults.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified

School District (PVPUSD) course handbook currently lists similar courses such as Creative Cooking, Economics for Living and Survival of Singles. All of these classes instruct students on the skills that traditional home-economics classes teach and would benefit students in the future. However, Peninsula does not currently offer any of these courses. Since PVPUSD already has a structured curriculum for these classes, Peninsula should be working toward creating the infrastructure to offer these courses.

It is imperative for Peninsula to promote these potential classes to the student body while also generating sufficient funds for the materials and resources needed for the classes. If we want to be prepared for our futures and beyond, it is necessary that this curriculum be taught on our campus.

Despite the importance of providing courses that teach practical, fundamental skills prior to stepping out of the education system, Peninsula may be hesitant to offer such classes due to the extensive process that comes with creating this availability.

From generating interest in the possible curriculum to hiring additional staff, there are multiple steps that Peninsula could take toward making home-economics or adulting classes a reality.

Possible roots of the disinterest in home-economics or adulting courses may

be because these classes have a reputation of being less academically rigorous. Many students in today’s education system are fixated on taking courses that would impress colleges rather than gaining a multifaceted educational experience. Thus, students and faculty alike could promote these classes as an opportunity to gain “adulting” skills for college and beyond.

Our community is currently working to pass a bond called Measure PV that will allocate $398 million to improve the infrastructure and curriculum of PVPUSD schools. If this measure is made available for our schools, Peninsula could section a portion of these funds to create homeeconomics or adulting classes.

If implementing entirely new courses is not possible, home-economics components can still be incorporated into classes currently offered on campus. For instance, Peninsula could include topics on budgeting in its economics courses, cultivating business and social relationships in its psychology courses or practicing fitness in its physiology and anatomy courses. We can continue the same level of academic rigor in our classes while also teaching students the skills they will need to succeed as adults. Although we have not been taught these skills so far in our education, it is important that we continue to cultivate them as our education progresses.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS SUE JUUL LABS CORPORATION DUE TO THE VAPING EPIDEMIC anna mytko On Oct. 29, 2019, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) filed a lawsuit against electronic cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs, claiming that the company intentionally put the health of over 600,000 students at risk. According to LAUSD, Juul Labs began the “vaping epidemic” that is currently spreading throughout the nation, hurting students’ school attendance and resulting in the loss of district money. Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) also filed a lawsuit against Juul Labs on Nov. 26, 2019, and on Jan. 8, 2020, San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) did as well. Both districts stated that Juul Labs is directly advertising their products to teenagers. According to GUSD superintendent Vivian Ekchian, the primary goals of these lawsuits are to ensure that Juul Labs can no longer advertise to teenagers and to require Juul Labs to compensate these school districts for the money that they spent attempting to address vaping prevention. While filing a lawsuit might seem like the right method to attack the issue of vaping, it is not cost-efficient and cannot guarantee success.

Vaping is an issue that extends to other school districts beyond LAUSD, GUSD and SDUSD, including Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD). PVPUSD attempts to deal with vaping by educating the community and enforcing strict restrictions on school campuses. However, the problem continues to affect Palos Verdes High School,

Peninsula and PVPUSD middle schools.

According to Peninsula’s principal Dr. Brent Kuykendall, the question of a lawsuit has previously been considered in PVPUSD. However, while filing a lawsuit may seem like a good idea, there is no guarantee that the main issue of vaping will decrease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 5 million youth across the nation use vaping products.

This statistic stresses how big this problem is becoming and the need for more school districts to take direct action toward finding a solution. However, a solution to this problem must begin with Palos Verdes banning the sale of electronic cigarettes.

“Vaping is a major problem both in our district and across the nation,” associate principal Michael Wanmer said. “While I would be in support of a lawsuit, I am more confident that city officials can make necessary changes quickly and cost-efficiently.

If they banned electronic cigarettes in our city, it would indicate that we do not support vaping, and it could become more difficult to access such devices.”

Winning a lawsuit against Juul Labs would allow LAUSD and GUSD to be compensated with the money that they lost from dealing with vaping in recent years. This may seem like an important step toward ending vaping, but according to Randall Kiser, a principal analyst who advises clients on litigation decisions, 80 to 90 percent of plaintiffs in lawsuits end up settling. Kiser states that this occurs because of how difficult proving

the defendant guilty can be and also how expensive such trials can get. Therefore, based on statistics and cost, PVPUSD should not file a lawsuit and instead look for alternative ways to address vaping.

There are several other ways to deal with vaping that do not involve such high risks.

For example, the city of Manhattan Beach passed a law on Oct. 5, 2019 banning all sales of electronic cigarette devices without a tobacco-retailer license. Kuykendall believes that the city of Palos Verdes and PVPUSD should do something similar.

“I think that companies such as Juul Labs are predatory and aiming their products at youth,” Kuykendall said. “However, I also believe that there are more effective ways of dealing with vaping, [such as] doing what [the City of Manhattan Beach] has done. Banning all sales of electronic cigarettes would implement change by taking away access to vaping devices currently being used.”

PVPUSD should continue to educate people on the dangers of vaping, but also consider working with the city of Palos Verdes Estates to ban sales of vape devices.

PVPUSD should realize the best way to enact change is to begin changing laws in the city.

This is all in hope that Peninsula can decrease electronic cigarette use in a cost-efficient way and remain focused on education.

“It is important to look at what other districts have done in the past to combat the sale of electronic cigarettes,” junior Layne Oschman said. “I hope that [the district] can make the necessary changes for Peninsula.”

PLAY FOR PAY

5

Opinion

NCAA plans to start paying their players by 2021 MADDY cHristen According to the Business Institute, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) total revenue reached $933 million during the 2018-19 school year. Since student-athletes are at the core of the NCAA’s revenue, many questioned why they were not receiving any portion of this income. Well-known college athletes, such as the University of California Los Angeles basketball player Edward O’Bannon, made attempts to argue that NCAA athletes should be paid like employees. After many lawsuits against the NCAA, politicians in various states introduced bills that allowed endorsement deals for college athletes. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill to allow collegiate athletes to hire agents and make money from endorsements starting in 2023. However, these efforts are not enough. Because of the dedication and time student-athletes devote to their sport, the NCAA needs to continue to take the right steps to provide wages for college athletes nationwide. Many students at Peninsula have put in a vast amount of effort in order to play sports at the collegiate level and therefore deserve to have the opportunity to play the sport they love with a reasonable salary.

“The NCAA is making a large profit off of the performances of their athletes, so it seems unfair that athletes are not receiving any of this profit,” Long Beach State University volleyball commit and senior Clarke Godbold said. “The amount of time [a studentathlete] spends in the gym or on the field should be

reciprocated with money, as it is basically a job.”

Prior experience is needed for one to pursue the goal of playing a sport at the collegiate level. This includes participating in high school teams, club teams and tournaments. The monetary cost to play with such experience, on top of the cost for materials and equipment needed for the sport, can add up quickly.

According to a study conducted by Ohio University, parents spend an average of $671 annually to cover the expenses of equipment, uniforms and various fees, including registration, lessons and coaching for their child. Not only this, but the National Student Financial Wellness Study conducted in 2017 stated that out of the 19,000 college students that were surveyed, nearly 70% find their finances stressful. If athletes are provided a salary during their college years, they would have the opportunity to use this funding to repay the various expenses from their high school years. This will prevent financial stress during their college years and will allow them to focus more on their education and sport.

“To play sports at a collegiate level takes many years of crafting and developing your sport which can add up to a lot of money, especially if there is travel involved,” Pomona College women’s soccer commit and senior Summer Hasama said. “If collegiate athletes were paid, they [could] gain some of the money back that they spent during their high school years when they paid to join teams, receive training, go to tournaments and attend college showcases.”

Additionally, some athletes are more focused on the financial burdens that may lie ahead as they

play throughout their college career. Although there are scholarships available for Division I and Division II athletes, there is only a slim two percent chance that a student would actually be awarded an athletic scholarship to play in college, according to the NCAA. Not only this, but Division III colleges do not give out any athletic scholarships, even though in many cases the large amount of time and effort put into playing for a Division III team can equal or exceed that for a Division II team. According to the Study of College Outcomes and Recent Experiences (SCORE) conducted by the NCAA, Division II student-athletes likely spend approximately 33.5-35.9 hours each week and Division III athletes spend 30.3-39.1 hours each week on athletic activities during their season. When these Division II and III athletes are given the opportunity to have an income, the hours they commit to the team would additionally benefit themselves. When the NCAA lets Division II and Division III athletes earn income for the first time, the effort and money these individuals have spent in order to play on a college’s team will show profitable results.

“Many Division I and Division II athletes are paid for playing their sport through athletic scholarship money,” Pomona College women’s soccer commit and senior Evelyn Hasama said. “If athletes were paid, this would especially benefit Division III athletes who legally cannot receive athletic scholarships due to the NCAA regulations. As a future Division III soccer player, being paid to play the sport I love would relieve the financial burden that accompanies attending [my] college.”

Ashley kim / the pen

FOCUS

6

ALUMNI PENINSULA ALUMNI MAKE WAVES IN THE COMMUNITY Caitlyn Lee and Emma Mulligan

WYATT CHANG

In August 2019, Peninsula alumni Joshua Kahen and Wyatt Chang created a website called The Student Wave utilizing the talents of high school and college students like babysitting, tutoring and sports training.

When Kahen and Chang first started, they primarily hired high school students from Peninsula. Kahen was inspired to create his own professional networking service after hearing parents request for a professional networking site in Palos Verdes.

“We [try to] provide students with a way to gain valuable work experience,” Kahen said. “Plenty of students our age are stuck working minimum wage jobs that underutilize their talents. We strive to empower students to earn an income while using their many talents to help out the community.”

It took months for Kahen and Chang to start planning The Student Wave. Although they have had the idea of starting a business like The Student Wave since high school, actually establishing a stable business and a website with little-to-no experience was a struggle that they worked to overcome.

“We started off by creating a business plan and setting goals,” Chang said. “We had to teach ourselves everything. We spent countless hours researching and experimenting in [website designing]. Trial and error, as well as self teaching through YouTube and other services, helped us succeed.”

At first, their site was flooded with many student applications, but a deficiency in client requests. Thus, Kahen began advertising on social media and putting flyers around Palos Verdes to inform the public about their site. “[We used] Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and even [went] to houses and [left] flyers in people’s mailboxes,”

JOSHua KAHEN

Kahen said. “We set out to make sure everyone knew about The Student Wave. Eventually, we saw a major increase in business in October and November.”

Since its startup, junior Julia Kahen has been an active event photographer for The Student Wave. Julia Kahen continues to support the site by posting flyers at local businesses and encouraging more students to join the staff by reaching out to potential students.

“Joshua is very determined, and when he is passionate about something, he makes sure it gets done,” Julia Kahen said. “I hope that Joshua will be able to expand The Student Wave. It has a lot of potential, and I am sure it will become a huge success.”

Both Joshua Kahen and Chang strongly believe that The Student Wave is a convenient way for students to find jobs. With easy access for both students and parents being exposed to the website, they plan to continue to improve The Student Wave.

“In the future, we hope to expand our service to low income areas,” Chang said. “In these areas, there are many families that cannot afford tutoring and other services offered by other companies. The Student Wave hopes to provide affordable services that are [better] than current services and can help level the playing field for people living in these areas.”

Currently, Joshua applied for The Student Wave to join Berkeley Skydeck, a six-month startup accelerator that will fund and invite Silicon Valley professionals to advise their site. By maintaining The Student Wave, Joshua Kahen hopes to expand the business to other school districts while providing communities with affordable services.

“We eventually want people to be able to type in their zip code and search for a student nearby, which will increase the efficiency of our business,” Joshua Kahen said. “The Student Wave is the future.”

7

FLY HIGH Madison YEH / The Pen

STEVEN HALLING SINGS FOR HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN Tilly Safavian Peninsula’s Class of 2018 graduate Steven Halling was recently featured in Pantene Hair Care’s “Power to Transform #BeautifuLGBTQ” holiday campaign. The campaign consists of three videos: one showcasing the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles and two focusing on the stories of individual members in the choir, including Halling. He was selected for this role after a series of interviews with directors and producers from Pantene Hair Care.

The first video begins with the camera panning across a room, showing the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles singing “I’ll be Home for Christmas” by Perry Como. Halling can be seen singing with the chorus while clips of him spending time with his boyfriend are shown. The second video is a camera interview of Halling in which he shares his story of being home during the holidays.

“To me, being home is being somewhere where you do not have to worry about the identity you broadcast to the world and you can just be yourself,” Halling said.

Halling then introduces himself and relays the story of his first holiday with his family after he came out. He explains that he was grateful that his family made him feel at home and included, even when he did not have answers to some of their questions about his identity.

“I would like for trans folks to realize and know that they do not have to have it all figured out,” Halling said.

“I know parents and families have a lot of questions, but it is okay to say ‘I don’t know,’ and it does not make you any less valid in who you are.”

The video was released on Dec. 5, 2019 on Pantene’s YouTube channel and was broadcast across various television networks. The goal of the campaign was to break the standard of gender stereotypes in the hair care industry and to celebrate self-expression and self-confidence.

According to Pantene’s official website, the campaign is meant to redefine what ‘beautiful’ looks like in today’s world by featuring a range of people within the

LGBTQ community and their stories of transformation.

For Halling, however, the campaign means much more than that. He explained that the videos are meant to show the world the sheer normality of life during the holidays as a transgender person and inspire the transgender youth to envision what their future could look like.

“This commercial is something that transgender youth can look at and realize that there truly is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Halling said. “I want to be the [supportive] person that I needed when I was growing up, and this gets me so much closer to that.”

When he was a student at Peninsula, Halling was an avid member of the choir program. Halling’s love for singing in a choir was built through the program and led him to eventually join the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles.

“I was in the choir program for all four of my years at Peninsula, and I can easily say that it was my favorite part of high school,” Halling said. “Not only did it help me grow as a musician, it also really solidified a sense of chosen family for me. I am so lucky to have found that family in high school because when I graduated, I was able to open up and find something similar.”

When asked about Halling’s success, Choir and AVID teacher Daniel Doctor said that he was extremely proud of him in every aspect of life.

“I would say that the most important thing [our choir program] did for Steven was to provide an environment where he could be who he is,” Doctor said. “All of the success Steven has had is solely because of his abilities.”

The experience of filming for Pantene was a new one for Halling, as he had never filmed a commercial before.

Halling particularly enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere and busy environment.

“My favorite part has been all of the messages I have received from family, friends and strangers, all telling me how positively this commercial has affected them,” Halling said. “I am so glad that I could be a part of something that lifts people up enough so that they can see themselves shine too.”

STeven halling

FOCUS

STUDENT LIFE

8

DEDICATION TO MEDICATION course Sophomore enrolls in pharmaceutical training course

rosalie burich Since Sept. 1, 2019, sophomore Onyenauchea Ajufoh has been enrolled in a pharmaceutical training class at the Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SCROC) in Torrance. SCROC is a highly accredited program offered to adults and high school students in the South Bay, and it provides students a hands-on experience with electrician skills, mechanic skills and techniques needed to be a pharmacist. The class Ajufoh is enrolled in is called “Intro to Pharmacy Technician.”

The course is partnered with the Health Organization Student Association (HOSA), which helps to fund the class with materials necessary for the class, such as pill bottles. HOSA also provides students opportunities within the pharmaceutical fields.

These opportunities include working at a SCROC-sponsored Red Cross blood drive and a Christmas health supply donation for the Harbor Interfaith Service homeless shelter in San Pedro. To be eligible for this program, applicants must earn a C or higher in all of their math and science classes at their high school. This class interested Ajufoh because it caters to

her interests and aspirations.

“I decided to join the class to get a better understanding of the pharmaceutical lifestyle since I plan to be a pharmacist in the future,” Ajufoh said.

During this course, students learn skills relating to pharmacology, medical terminology, medical laws, physiology and anatomy and filling prescriptions. Students are also able to participate in various pharmaceutical activities such as counting pills, making capsules, using online programs to file prescriptions

“I discovered the program through the daily school bulletin, and it seemed interesting because it caters to my interest in the pharmaceutical business,” Smart said. “This class has familiarized me with this line of work.”

From this course, students receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification, which Ajufoh plans to use to work at a blood bank as a phlebotomist. In addition, students are informed about the basic rules of the hospital.

The class teaches the basic details and physical layout of a pharmacy, as well as the medical laws hospitals must abide by, such as the cleanliness a hospital must maintain in order to stay running.

“Before joining the course, I did not know many small facts that SCROC taught me, such as how clean a pharmacy must be to run,” Kim said.

Ajufoh plans to use the skills she learned in this course for her future studies in the pharmaceutical field and hopes to work an internship.

After high school, Ajufoh aims to work at Convenience, Value and Service pharmacy or Torrance Memorial Hospital.

“From this course, I have learned the ins and outs of the pharmaceutical business and feel well-prepared for the future,” Ajufoh said.

THE CLASS TEACHES THE SKILLS NEEDED FOR FUTURE MEDICAL WORK AND INSPIRES ME TO STUDY MORE IN THE FUTURE FOR A CAREER. -SOPHOMORE ONYENAUCHEA AJUFOH and making prescriptions.

“This class helps for future internships and jobs because the class teaches the skills needed for future medical work and inspires me to study more in the future for a career,” Ajufoh said.

Juniors Christina Kim and Michael Smart also take this course and enjoy working with Ajufoh in class. Prior to the class, Smart was already intrigued by the medical field and found the class to be a great opportunity to further his knowledge and gain experience for the future.

Jihee seo / the pen

9

STUDENT LIFE

REPRESENTING HER COMMUNITY Freshman writes for popular Korean-American newspaper

abby shane Freshman Alana Cho began writing for the local magazine called The Korean Times in 2019; however, her love for writing started years before. Cho has had a passion for writing since the first grade and decided to pursue this interest in the seventh grade by applying for Time Magazine for Kids. Although she enjoyed being on their staff, she wanted to further her writing skills by joining the local Korean newspaper, The Korean Times, in eighth grade.

With the encouragement of her mother and grandparents, she decided to submit a tryout article and was accepted as a reporter two weeks later.

Cho’s articles were mainly focused around current events relating to the Palos Verdes Korean-American community.

During the period that she wrote articles for The Korean Times, she submitted one article about every three months.

As a writer, Cho highlighted underrepresented, communitybased stories in her magazine and newspaper articles. For example, she wrote about child authors and cancer survivors in the area for The Korean Times. She believes these stories are important to cover because most publications often forget about stories away from the spotlight but hold equal importance. “[Writing about uncommon topics that cover random people] highlights things in our community that would not usually be highlighted,” Cho said. “It shows the heroes that would have been a secret in our community if no one wrote for them.”

Cho’s sister junior Lauren Cho Helen Huang / the pen

also submitted an article to The Korean Times. The topic discussed wax worms and their ability to break down plastic, featuring an underrated story Alana Cho would highlight. Furthermore, Lauren Cho looked over Alana Cho’s articles before she submitted them to both publications. She would read them over and give critiques to improve the articles’ flow and correct formatting for proper journalistic writing.

“Alana possesses a natural talent for writing,” Lauren Cho said. “She is self-motivated and holds a strong work ethic, and she has improved greatly since she first joined The Korean Times.”

Alana and Lauren Cho’s mother, Linda Baek, also looked over some of their magazine articles. She occasionally corrected minor structural errors but was most impressed by Alana Cho’s writing abilities.

“I am often blown away [by the way she writes], as she thinks about to come up with these insightful stories and perspectives,” Baek said. “I love sitting back and reading her articles. It is fascinating to see how much she has improved.”

While Alana Cho does not write for The Korean Times anymore, she appreciates the opportunity she received to further her writing skills. She also liked re-opening her ties to her Korean heritage through her parents. “[One of my favorite parts of writing for The Korean Times was] being able to reconnect with the roots of my family,” Cho said. “I love how I get to represent the Korean-American community here [in Palos Verdes], and how I get to share the stories of people which would not get told otherwise.”

SPORTS

10

TAKING THE COMPETITION BY THE REINS

jeremy kim For the last six years, senior Olivia Gray has been participating in horseback riding competitions. Her discipline is equitation, where riders are judged on their form while going around a course of jumps.

Gray began riding when she was six years old, and since then it has developed from just a hobby into a competitive sport. She trained locally at Maverick Farms until 2019, when she was invited to train at a national horse training academy called Elvenstar in OLIVIA GRAY OLIVIA GRAY

Moorpark, California.

Some people travel weekly from out of state to participate in this high-level program, so Gray considers herself lucky that her commute is only two hours. Last year, Gray competed in the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Maclay National Finals in Kentucky, which is one of the most prestigious horse competitions in the country. Gray says qualifying for this competition was the proudest moment of her equestrian career. “[In addition to a decade of training], I spent all year riding to qualify for Regional Finals and National Finals,” Gray said. “Placing in the top of Regional Finals and qualifying for National Finals reflects a decade of my dedication to the sport.”

Gray has overcome her fair share of adversity during her time as a rider. Her performances showcase her skills no matter what horse she is riding.

“At Olivia’s most recent medal final, her horse got injured halfway through the competition,” Olivia’s sister and fellow equestrian Elizabeth Gray said. “However, she was determined to finish, so she borrowed a horse she had never ridden before and still managed to place in the top ten.”

Riding has taught Olivia Gray that she should

not care too much about the end results of her competitions. Instead, she believes it is more important to value the entire process leading up to the trophy presentation.

“I learned that the journey and my personal happiness matter more than the color of my ribbon,” Olivia Gray said. “Sometimes I make mistakes that cost me championships, and judges are unpredictable most of the time, but I get over it. Once I look back at how far I have come, a simple mistake is just another thing to learn and improve from.”

Junior Cleo Eyquem, an equestrian who also trains at Elvenstar, believes that this mindset is a large part of what makes Olivia Gray successful.

Eyquem says that Olivia Gray’s positive attitude spreads to others and motivates her to carry that same positivity herself.

“Olivia stays calm and happy no matter what, and there is never a moment when I do not see a smile on her face,” Eyquem said. “This really inspires me to not let anything get in the way of me being happy.”

Olivia Gray’s competition career is now coming to an end, as she has decided to focus on academics in college. However, she will be participating in competitions until her high school graduation. Her next competition, the Horse Shows in the Sun Thermal International Horse Show, will take place in February 2020 in Coachella Valley.

Alex yoo / the pen

Want to advertise with The Pen? Contact us at thepen.business@gmail.com for more information.

KEEPING HIS HEAD IN THE GAME

11

SPORTS

Senior wins Daily Breeze Athlete of the Week Award MARCUS KIM AND ANGELINA MENDOZA On Dec. 16, 2019, senior and varsity boys’ basketball player Luke Frasso was named the Daily Breeze Boys Athlete of the Week. This title can be accredited to his performance at the Mira Costa Pac Shores Tournament held in Manhattan Beach on Nov. 21, where he led Peninsula to a third place finish. During the three tournament games Frasso scored 17 points and 10 rebounds against Chadwick High School, 15 points and 10 rebounds against North Torrance High School and 17 points and 11 rebounds against Venice High School.

These three consecutive double-doubles propelled Frasso to the award. A double-double happens when a player has a double-digit tally in two of the five major basketball categories of either points, rebounds, assists, steals or blocks. In basketball, recording a doubledouble shows one’s overall skill in the game, showcasing a player’s prowess in not just one category of performance, but also in various other categories as well. Recording a double-double is a major accomplishment for professional players, so when Frasso did so in three consecutive high school games it caught the eye of the writers at the Daily Breeze.

“That week was one of my most solid weeks, with the doubledoubles definitely being the highlight,” Frasso said. “Regardless, I will try to continue improving every aspect of my game each day and hope that what I bring to the team can benefit [the team].”

Frasso’s skills have been showcased at several local tournaments throughout the season and have allowed him to stand out from other athletes in the South Bay. “I am honored to be named Athlete of the Week because there are so many great athletes in the South Bay for every sport,” Frasso said.

“If you have a good game, you can easily find yourself being featured in the Daily Breeze, but I was definitely surprised when I found out I was Athlete of the Week.”

Frasso’s contribution to the team extends beyond just his statistics on the court. His teammates value his ability to motivate others as well as his dedication to the program.

“Frasso helps the team with his much needed size on the court and his ability to contribute to the team’s chemistry,” senior and varsity boys’ captain Troy Simpkins said. “I have known Luke for a very long time, and it was exciting to see him be acknowledged in the Daily Breeze for his hard work.”

Although the Daily Breeze recognized Frasso’s efforts on the court for one particular week, varsity boys’ basketball coach Ryan Quinlan recognizes his continued success throughout the season. He has been coaching Frasso for two years now and is grateful for the effort Frasso continues to give.

“It is great to see Luke recognized for all the hard work he has put in this year and he definitely deserves this award,” Quinlan said.

“Frasso really improved his overall game, hitting three-pointers more consistently and becoming our best offensive rebounder. You can see that his overall confidence has been building with each game based on what he has been able to achieve.”

The team hopes to make a deep playoff run after losing in the quarterfinals of last year’s Division 2 CIF Playoffs. With Frasso’s development playing a key role in this team’s success, the team is looking to win Bay League for the first time since 2011.

“My goal with basketball at Peninsula is to first win Bay League, and then have a deep run in the playoffs,” Frasso said. “I believe that this year we have a very good chance at winning Bay League, and I hope that if I play hard enough good things will happen for this team.”

LUKE FRASSO JULIA KAHEN

ADS

12