Issue 6 by The Pen Newspaper

VOL. XXXIX ISSUE 6 MARCH 15, 2019

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL www.pvphsnews.com

SAILING THE HIGH SEAS Peninsula sailing team places fourth at local competition SPORTS PAGE 11

HOLD THE PHONE

THE PRICE IS WRONG

CLASS CLOWN

New cell phone policy takes effect in classrooms

AP test prices create tension among students

Sophomore participates in stand-up comedy routines

NEWS PAGE 3

OPINION PAGE 4

STUDENT LIFE PAGE 8

Caitlyn Lee

alex yoo / the pen

Administrative Regulation 5131 (AR 5131) went into effect in the Palos Verdes Peninsula School District (PVPUSD) on Feb. 13. AR 5131 is the district’s first universal guideline informing students of the official policy regarding when to appropriately use phones in class. It also established districtwide repercussions such as the confiscation of students’ cell phones if these rules are violated. This new procedure stemmed partially from the district’s belief that the use of devices with recording abilities will potentially violate students’ privacy, lead to the abuse of personal information and compromise learning environments at PVPUSD schools. The PVPUSD school board implemented the new policy after a committee of Peninsula teachers voiced their opinions about the proper use of cell phones on campus. According to Algebra teacher Linda Kurt, who was involved in the process, the district previously had no official overarching policy on cell phones. Due to the lack of clear guidelines, teachers established their own policies and consequences for students to follow inside their classrooms. Teachers also would not confiscate a student’s phone due to the liability risks involved if the phone was lost, damaged or stolen while in the teacher’s possession. Now, under AR 5131, the PVPUSD cannot be held responsible for any damaged or stolen electronic device on campus. In order to take teachers’ opinions into consideration during the creation of the new cell phone policy, Kurt and Advanced Placement (AP) Art History, AP Studio Art, Digital Animation, Graphic Design and Video Production teacher Brendan Karg surveyed 82 Peninsula faculty members to determine their opinions regarding the extent of students’ cell phone use in class. 35 percent of the faculty members surveyed favored a policy that

news

PVPUSD INSTITUTES DISTRICTWIDE CELL PHONE POLICY

completely banned phones during class and 49 percent preferred a policy less restrictive than a complete ban, like allowing cell phone usage during free time in class. The faculty appreciated that the school board considered their suggestions and included them in the policy. Academic counselor Adam Wolven believes that the policy provides tolerance for students to access technology when the teachers feel it is appropriate, but that it also allows teachers to confiscate phones when they become a legitimate distraction. “I really appreciate the district’s thoughtfulness and the time and effort they [put] into [devising] the policy,” Wolven said. “I appreciated the lengths that they went to include [the input of] teachers who put in a lot of hard work to thoughtfully make [suggestions].” However, AR 5131 has sparked controversy among students, leading one group to start an online instagram account, digital petition and newsletter. On Feb. 19, anonymous Instagram account @ambassadorpvpusd began posting pictures to advocate against the cell phone policy and to encourage students to sign an online petition, which currently has 52 signatures. In their first newsletter, the anonymous group described the policy as an infringement on students’ rights. Since the policy was implemented recently, there is still uncertainty among faculty regarding how to interpret and implement certain rules in AR 5131 correctly. According to Kurt, this uncertainty provides teachers with some flexibility to use AR 5131 as a standard guideline in their respective classrooms. “Because it is a brand new policy, [teachers] have lots of questions,” Kurt said. “There are some gray areas. Just like lots of the school rules, there are [different] interpretations of the rules, so I think we are still trying to figure out [how to interpret them].”

DISTRICT ADJUSTS ENROLLMENT POLICIES REGARDING GRANDPARENTS tiffany cha and yaseen el-magharbel The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) Board of Education approved a new permit on Feb. 27 granting students enrollment within the PVPUSD district if they have grandparents residing within the district boundaries, even if the student lives in the perimeters of another school district. The PVPUSD plans to begin accepting applications under this new permit on March 15. According to the PVPUSD website, the application process for the interdistrict grandparent permit will require students considering applying for enrollment to receive permission from their current school districts to transfer to the PVPUSD. Students who have been suspended or expelled during the current or preceding two school years or have displayed unsatisfactory citizenship and behavior during the current or preceding semesters might not qualify for enrollment in the PVPUSD. Additionally, the student must have maintained an unweighted grade point average of 2.0 or higher for the current and previous semester in their district to avoid possible denial of enrollment. Students, if permitted, will be placed at a PVPUSD school based on availability, which may result in students not attending the schools of their choice. “[The permit] is a nice way for the

PVPUSD to pay back senior citizens of Palos Verdes,” junior Pierson Cai said. “This will not only be beneficial to the community, but also to the children enrolling in classes here.” Previously, according to the PVPUSD enrollment policies, the district only allowed the enrollment of students whose legal guardians lived in the district, whose parents were employed within the district boundaries or who suffered from extreme cases of bullying within their district of residence. In a public statement released on Feb. 28, PVPUSD superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss stated that he believes the new permit will allow community members to become more connected to the PVPUSD by allowing the grandchildren of residents to enroll in district schools. According to the Daily Breeze, Cherniss cited the recent decline in enrollment in the PVPUSD as a motivating factor for the change, as the size of the district has decreased 500 students in the last five years. Each year, the district receives money from the state government that correlates to the amount of students enrolled in PVPUSD schools. Five years ago, the district received an annual budget of $120 million due to the higher enrollment rate. However, the recent decline has caused a 10 percent reduction in this budget. The money provided by higher levels of enrollment financially supports programs,

classes and teachers offered across PVPUSD schools. Although Cherniss estimates that the district will receive only a small amount of applications, he believes that it will help to resolve the issue of declining enrollment. The recent change has created some controversy among PVPUSD residents. According to the Daily Breeze, PVPUSD Board of Education president Linda Reid claimed that since enacting the new policy, she has received emails from some residents who were unhappy with the decision. Some residents feel it is unfair that students living outside the district can enroll in PVPUSD schools

without having to pay for the higher cost of living in the Palos Verdes area. “The permit could be bad because people in Palos Verdes are a tight community,” junior Kenny Lee said. “People from elsewhere living with a different culture may negatively affect interactions.” However, both Cherniss and Reid insist that allowing these students to join the district is beneficial. “I believe that students outside of our community who attend our schools improve the culture of our schools through expanding diversity,” Cherniss said. connor tumelty / the pen

THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nina Li Emily McGinn MANAGING EDITOR Alison Kim DESIGN EDITOR Connor Tumelty Alex Yoo NEWS EDITOR: Olin Osborne III WRITERS: Tiffany Cha Yaseen El-Magharbel Caitlyn Lee OPINION EDITOR: Liana Korotzer WRITERS: Fiona Andersons Amira Belhedi Saffy Laurio Alexandra Perez Imogene Tomicic FOCUS EDITORS: Rianne Aguas Asumi Shuda WRITERS: Keila Bara Brianna Cho Kaitlyn Ho Minji Jeun Osame Osayande Fiona Yang STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Chris Guanzing Ana Willoughby WRITERS: Jacci Engler Helen Huang Kristen Lu James O’Dea Christine Youn SPORTS EDITOR: Anne Lee WRITERS: Jacey Gibaldi Mitchell Lin Tilly Safavian Aidan Sun Casey Syal GRAPHICS Josh Kim Rachel Liu BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Elana Ho Lina Kugaya ADVISER Jaymee Johnson “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 Johnson’s mailbox. Copyright © 2019 Cover Photo by Volker Corell

ASB ELECTION FAILS TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE STUDENTS editorial staff Colorful posters. Catchy slogans. Creative flyers. Up and down the hallways, students know it is election season. Each year, the Associated Student Body (ASB) holds elections to determine who will assume leadership positions for each grade level the following year. This year, from March 6-8, students watched candidates’ speeches and presumably voted for the candidate they believed best fit the position. Elections are meant to be platforms that allow students to voice their opinions and elicit change on campus. However, in reality, many students fail to take ASB elections seriously and instead vote for candidates based on factors such as popularity rather than the content of their speeches. When choosing people to represent the student body, it is imperative that we fully understand the scope of each candidate and what he or she can contribute to the school. In high school, we are prone to succumb to the social hierarchy that exists on campus. In ASB elections, a student’s social status contributes to their likelihood of being elected for a position. In a poll of 132 Peninsula students, 52.3 percent decided who to vote for based on whether or not they knew the candidate beforehand. This poll suggests that popularity plays a major role in the final outcome of the election. We must realize that popularity does not correlate to a student’s ability and eagerness to complete the duties of his or her position. Students who may not be well-known among their peers can still be very involved and dedicated if they are elected. If we do not have an open mind about all the candidates

and if we do not take the time to listen to every candidate’s speech before casting our votes, we are not giving everyone the fair chance that they deserve. Along with being popular, many students who run for ASB positions tend to focus their speeches more on entertaining the audience during speeches rather than actually outlining their platform in the time given. As a voter, we have the ability to improve our campus through the election of candidates with whom we agree. However, in the poll of 132 students, 12.1 percent stated that they simply voted for the person who they felt had made the most amusing speech. In contrast, only 2.3 percent of the students polled reported that they voted for a candidate because they agreed with his or her platform. As a result, it is understandable for candidates to highlight comedy in their speeches in an effort to gain more votes. While charisma is an important quality in a leader, it is also necessary for the candidate to display maturity and the ability to positively influence students. We must look beyond the persona portrayed by the candidates and instead analyze the words they are saying and how they can impact us. The lack of interest that we demonstrate during ASB elections will not only influence life on campus, but can also translate into apathy in future and more impactful elections. During high school, we are approaching an age when we gain more responsibilities such as being an active and informed citizen who is engaged in the current political climate. The way we currently view ASB elections sets a dangerous precedent for the way we interact with government and carry out

our civic duties in the future. ASB elections might seem trivial compared to national elections, but we must take them seriously. When we cast our votes, we are learning how to express ourselves and how to use our opinions to shape the world around us. Developing this essential skill will shape the way in which we perceive elections throughout our lives. Similar to how we possess a civic duty to vote according to what we believe is best for our nation, we must uphold that same obligation on our campus. Student government is an opportunity for us to make a true impact on our school and to influence decisions made by administrators. To combat the lack of active student participation in the voting process, the school should consider having candidates present speeches in an assembly rather than through videos, which will encourage more students to focus on the speeches and take the election seriously. Instead of simply maintaining the current system in which popularity and humor are the major characteristics that we value, we must turn ASB elections into an important event that contains meaning. If we do not change our perceptions, the only people we are hurting are ourselves. a l e x yoo /

t he p e n

STUDENTS PAY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY FOR AP TESTS SAFFY LAURIO According to reports from College Board, in 2018, approximately 2.8 million students took at least one Advanced Placement (AP) test, resulting in students taking a total of five million tests worldwide. Many Peninsula students will take AP tests from May 6-17, and each was required to pay a $100 charge per test. The school receives $9 of those $100 as a rebate, and $6 of the $100 fund proctors administering the tests. The remaining $85 go directly to College Board. This means College Board profited about $425 million last year from AP tests alone. There are no official reports explaining how the funds are used, but according to reports by Cable News Network and American for Educational Testing Reform, College Board allegedly pays its CEO more than $1 million. The test prices are unreasonably high, and, considering that College Board is a self-proclaimed nonprofit organization, it should reduce prices so that tests are more accessible to all students. Many students take multiple AP classes over the course of their high school careers. The cost of these tests results in students spending several hundred dollars. However, because the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District has generally wealthier families, parents typically pay for their children’s test expenses, an advantage

many Peninsula students take for granted. If students were not in this position, many would most likely not take multiple AP tests. “I am spending $400 this year, so I am coming up on a total of $700 [from the tests I have taken throughout high school],” junior Elizabeth Zhang said. “My parents pay for my tests, but before now, I have never really considered [the cost]. If I were buying something else for my personal use, I would definitely hesitate before spending several hundred dollars.” Although there is a reduced price of $54 for identified students, to be eligible the student must be in foster care, homeless or qualify for food stamps. If a student is struggling enough financially to fall into this category, it is still unreasonable to expect them to pay $54 per test. Furthermore, the reduced price option should have a wider scope since many students who do not qualify as identified students still struggle to pay the full price. College Board should lower prices to give students from all backgrounds an equal opportunity to take AP classes and tests. “As an affluent community, it is easy for us to say that $54 is not a large amount of money, [but] unfortunately this might appear as a financial stretch for families of identified students,” senior Beatrice Albino said. “Each identified student has a different circumstance obviously unknown to College

Board, so while it may be payable for some identified students, others may struggle to still pay that fee.” Many feel that the high price tag is reasonable for a more challenging class and the possibility of earning college credit, which can save students more money in the future. “[AP classes cover] more material than a regular courses and potentially allow you to learn more,” senior Wyatt Chang said. “[They also] convey rigor to college and could help with admissions. Overall, the learning experience is well worth $100.” Though many students would be grateful for more rigorous classes, the price of the tests can discourage them from taking these classes, especially if the school, like Peninsula, has AP classes that require students to take the corresponding AP test. It is unfair that poorer students, regardless of intelligence, cannot pursue higher levels of education due to high costs. College Board’s mission statement claims that the organization was designed to increase opportunity for higher education. However, this statement is difficult to truly believe when the AP system very clearly favors children of wealthier families. To truly follow its own mission statement, College Board must lower test prices to make them accessible to all students and to promote academic equality.

Possibility of a vegan menu on campus leads to controversy

students’ diets by encouraging students to eat more vegetables and fresh foods. Veganism, a diet excluding animal “The education system promotes products of any kind, has been spreading healthier lifestyles for its students, exceptionally quickly in recent years. To which is hypocrisy because the food our adapt to this change, the Los Angeles cafeteria serves is unhealthy,” junior Unified School District has adopted a and Vegan Club co-president Victoria vegan lunch menu. Peninsula has also Crawford said. “The vegan menu been experimenting with vegan menu [would] include healthier options that options by introducing a vegan bowl as would cause more people to eat it, even the March lunch special. However, the [those] outside of the vegan population.” need for a vegan menu at Peninsula is Although more nutritious and plantminimal because there is an extremely based products make it a healthier small percentage of vegan students on alternative to the school’s current campus. Peninsula should not allocate lunches, a vegan menu would be an money and time to a menu that will incredibly large addition to cafeteria ultimately garner little attention. expenses. According to Lin, money Peninsula currently has an inclusive for these expenses would be drawn range of meal options for those who do from the school’s overall cafeteria not eat meat, including vegetarian meals funds received from both cafeteria such as the garden veggie burger and earnings and government subsidies salad. With these extensive choices, it is given to schools based on the size of not a necessity for vegan lunches to be the student body. This funding would part of the menu. not increase with the addition of a new “We have not had many requests menu, meaning that the funds would be from students for a vegan menu,” Palos extracted from money currently used Verdes Peninsula Unified School District to pay other cafeteria expenses, such Food Services director Christina Lin as the costs of main school meals and said. “We have more requests for utilities like water and electricity in the vegetarian options, which we provide cafeteria. A vegan menu would be an daily. If there is a demand for vegan unnecessary cost using funding better options, we would be happy to start spent on other, more essential items featuring more vegan options. It just and services. comes down to how many students will Instead of introducing a vegan menu, buy those options.” the school should include healthier There are approximately ten options in its current menus by replacing consistent members of the school’s some meats with plant-based products Vegan Club and only two students while abiding by the cafeteria budget. frequently utilize the current preIn doing this, the menu would be more ordered vegan option, according to inclusive and improve diets without cafeteria manager Roberta Shreeves. taking away from other necessities, as A survey of 230 Peninsula students the high cost and low demand for a indicated that 73.9 percent of students vegan menu makes it too impractical to expressed that they would not utilize implement. an openly served vegan menu if it was “We are trying to open up to as offered. As displayed by this statistic, many options and as many variations a vegan menu would not receive a as possible, [but] there are not a lot significant response from students and of people who have shown interest would waste resources on food that in a vegan menu,” senior Holden would not be sold due to the lack of Dahlerbruch, who helps coordinate the general interest in a vegan menu. Peninsula cafeteria menu, said. “People Some students believe that a who have dietary restrictions generally vegan menu option would improve bring their own food.”

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MIXING UP THE MENU? imogene tomicic

86.5 percent of students were not aware of the existing, Pre-ordered vegan options in the cafeteria*

83.5 percent of students would not be willing to pay more for a vegan option than a regular option in the cafeteria*

73.9 percent of students would not frequently use a vegan menu if it was added to the cafeteria*

*according to a poll of 230 students rachel liu / the pen

JEWISH COMMUNITY PROPOSES NEW DISTRICT HOLIDAYS would result in the school year extending farther into June. While many advocate giving students On Feb. 15, members of the Jewish community a one-week break for each of these holidays, presented a proposal to the Palos Verdes Peninsula some disagree with this proposal due to the fact Unified School District Board of Education that these extended breaks would lead to the promoting the addition of the Jewish holidays shortening of summer break and other possible Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah as official changes to the school calendar. Despite these school holidays to the district’s yearly calendar. potential obstacles, Kuykendall feels this new To celebrate Yom Kippur, many Jewish students proposal holds value. miss school from Oct. 8 to 9. Students also miss “[We need] to honor and listen to all our school from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 to celebrate Rosh different stakeholders, and if taking days off is Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The Jewish helpful [to them], then I think that is an important community hopes that the inclusion of these days part of the conversation,” Kuykendall said. as districtwide holidays would provide students Senior Rachel Edelstein is an active member with time to celebrate their religion without the within the Jewish community and has been part of need to stress about make-up work from school the Jewish youth group program United Synagogue days that they missed. Principal Brent Kuykendall Youth from a young age. For all four years of her understands the Jewish community’s concerns time at Peninsula, she has struggled with the issue and believes that the district should consider of having to complete make-up work after missing implementing this proposal. school because she was celebrating Jewish holidays. “The measure to implement Jewish holidays “Peninsula is accommodating enough, but was created because [the district] had expressed since we get Christmas and other holidays off, interest in taking those days off,” Kuykendall said. it would be nice to receive the same treatment “It is important to hear from all students who for the Jewish holidays,” Edelstein said. “[I would attend our school and choose what appreciate] not having to miss that work just will be best for our students’ because I am practicing my religion.” success.” Senior Ben Aviel is part of the same youth However, the program as Edelstein and shares similar sentiments proposal has faced some about how practicing their religion affects school controversy as the life. He devotes much of his time to practicing addition of these holidays his religion and feels the time spent celebrating

oSAME OSAYANDE AND FIONA YANG

Jewish holidays has had an impact on his academic life, as his workload often doubles during these holidays. “I feel like I am treated equally to my peers 178 days of the year, until those holidays come around,” Aviel said. “Since we are missing valuable learning time for our religion, it feels like we are being punished for [practicing it].” During Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah, Aviel’s rabbi communicates with the school about lessening the workload during the holidays. Although Aviel’s teachers understand his circumstances, they cannot change an entire day’s worth of curriculum for a few students. As a result, students like Aviel struggle to keep up in class after missing school. “Our temple communicates with the school, and the school says they will not give tests the day after,” Aviel said. “Even if [the teachers] do not give us tests, we are still missing a whole day’s [worth] of notes, classwork [and more].” As a result, both Aviel and Edelstein support the proposal to add Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah to the schedule as official school holidays. However, because both students are seniors, they will not be able to experience the effects of this new proposal if it is implemented. They hope that future Jewish students will be able to reap the benefits of this potential policy. “I am optimistic for the future Jewish students who will hopefully not have to deal with the same problems that I have had to deal with,” Aviel said.

REPRESE

LANGUAGE DEPARTMENTS UNITE TO KEILA BARA AND KAITLYN HO For this year’s World Language Week (WLW) at Peninsula, all of the National Language Honor Societies collaborated to create two murals to display on campus. The idea to create the murals had been in place since the end of last school year, and students involved in the National Language Honor Societies put the plan into motion in October by creating a committee to plan the design and logistics of the murals. Inspired by the large murals painted for homecoming week, the members of the Spanish, French, Latin, Japanese, Korean and Chinese National Honor Societies held monthly meetings throughout the school year to discuss and plan the designs of the murals. Members from the various language societies, along with some members of the National Honor Society, volunteered to help paint the murals in exchange for volunteer hours. They began painting at the beginning of February and worked on the murals every weekend until their completion during the first weekend of March. The final outcome included one mural hanging from the second floor railing of the S building showing the famous landmarks of each nation corresponding to each language featured during WLW, including landmarks such as Mount Fuji, the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. The mural on the H building included paintings of people representing each culture, and each is dressed in the traditional clothing of the culture the person represents. Senior and National Japanese Honor Society vice president Emily Chu was one of the students overseeing the

production of the project. She was of the murals, as well as sending ou and coordinating a painting schedul creating the murals ran smoothly. T was able to use her past experienc murals as a part of the Associated process. She hopes the murals pos view them by informing them more taught at Peninsula. “[When students see this mural reflected in it,” Chu said. “We real so it is something [everyone] can b Chu believes that the murals pro display how the language classes th She feels that this opportunity allow express the cultural aspects they e while educating others about differ world. Junior Lauren Kim is a French N who helped paint the murals. Kim f project was an enjoyable and uniqu the language department. “It was a fun activity that [stude instead of grading or filing papers,” able to decorate and paint and it w could use to have fun with friends.” With the creation of these two hope to showcase the unique back different cultures and add to the ex

BRIANNA CHO AND MINJI JEUN The HEADstrong Challenge, created by the HEADstrong Foundation, is a social media trend in which athletes post pictures or videos of themselves participating in their respective sports and nominate three other athletes to do the same. The challenge has garnered attention online since its launch in early February. Many of Peninsula’s student-athletes were nominated by friends to participate in the challenge. The HEADstrong Foundation was founded in 2006 by the late Nick Colleluori when he was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, a blood cancer affecting the lymphatic system, at the age of 19. In order to raise awareness for people affected by cancer, Colleluori started the HEADstrong Foundation and built it around his personal story to raise funds for emotional support groups and scheduled entertainment services such as sporting events for patients. He ran the organization until his passing on Nov. 28, 2006, when his family took charge of the foundation in order to carry on his legacy. Today, this nonprofit organization aims to improve the quality of life for those affected

by cancer. Through Nick’s House, a facility run by members of the HEADstrong Foundation in Philadelphia, the foundation provides housing for cancer patients. The organization plans to continue opening Nick’s Houses in additional locations. Community engagement specialist Caitlyn Durning, who has been working with the foundation for six months, explained that upon Colleluori’s diagnosis, he found that his cancer prevented him from doing everyday activities that he enjoyed, such as playing lacrosse. “Being given an opportunity to make an impact on people’s lives who have been affected by cancer was more rewarding than I anticipated for my first job out of college,” Durning said. Durning helped launch the social media campaign to publicize the HEADstrong Foundation. Through the HEADstrong Challenge, the organization hopes to spread knowledge about the foundation’s message and goals through an activity in which athletes from around the world can participate. Since Colleluori was a lacrosse player, this campaign was designed to focus on studentathletes and encourage athletes affected by cancer to share their stories. “After launching the challenge, the nominations spread like wildfire,” Durning said. “It has been amazing to be a part of a viral campaign, but [being] a part of a campaign that [brings awareness to cancer] makes it much more rewarding.” Junior Daniel Meyerhoff participated in the

HEADstrong Challenge when he was nominated by a friend. He has been playing both football and lacrosse since the seventh grade and joined the Peninsula varsity teams for both sports last year. “It is a cool feeling being nominated because you know you are a part of [a movement] that is bigger than you,” Meyerhoff said. “The challenge shows the good [side] of social media and the positive effect of people uniting through one cause.” Senior Justin Kim, a member of the varsity basketball and football teams, was also nominated to post a picture of himself playing his part for the challenge. “When I found out I was nominated, I was a bit confused and unsure of whether or not I should do it because I was not completely sure what it was all about,” Kim said. “[When a friend explained the HEADstrong Foundation’s message], it all made sense and I posted [in response to] the nomination and nominated three other friends as well.” Despite his initial confusion, Kim supported the cause fully once he learned more about the work the foundation does to support patients and became one of the many athletes who participated in the challenge. “I did not know about the foundation at first, but I love their cause and think it is great that an act as small as this shows support for those affected by cancer,” Kim said.

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ONLINE CHALLENGE RAISES AWARENESS FOR CANCER

ENTATION

O MAKE INTERNATIONAL MURALS

s responsible for sketching one ut a sign-up form for volunteers le to ensure that the process of Throughout this project, Chu ce with preparing homecoming Student Body to help with the sitively affect the students who e of the cultures and languages

l], I hope they see themselves lly tried to showcase diversity be a part of.” ovided a way for students to hey take have impacted them. wed students to artistically enjoy and channel creativity rent cultures from around the

National Honor Society member feels that working on the ue way to volunteer and support

josh kim / the pen

ents] could do for service hours ” Kim said. “We were instead was a good outlet that [students] ” murals, the language programs grounds and personalities of xperience of WLW for the

student body. The murals also gave students from different language societies the opportunity to connect and interact with each other. “The creation of these murals is something that has unified the language department and has created a sense of collaboration and togetherness among [the language honor societies],” Kim said. Japanese National Honor Society adviser and Japanese teacher Sachiko Iwami observed the whole process of creating the mural and was excited about how it impacted the campus. According to Iwami, the goal of the murals was to benefit both the school and the students who volunteered their time by better informing students about various cultures and by adding more liveliness to the campus. “This is the first time [the department] has collaborated across all the languages,” Iwami said. “[The project] is just a start [of many more integrated projects] and is a big milestone for [the school].” This project allowed students to gain a better understanding of working together for future projects. The language department plans to reuse the murals at future WLW celebrations, but is also considering adding new elements to the murals. “Teamwork, cooperation and team bonding skills are especially important because everyone is welcome to contribute to the mural,” Kim said. “The whole purpose of [creating the murals] is to have fun and to be able to express your culture and your language to the school.”

STRIKING COMEDY GOLD Team AEIC

rachel liu / the pen

Sophomore Jack Fischer performs stand-up comedy Sophomore Jack Fischer has taken his love for telling jokes to the big stage by performing stand-up comedy at the Flappers Comedy Club, which is a restaurant and comedy venue in Burbank, Calif. known for featuring locally and nationally famous stand-up comedians. Among the notable comedians who perform at the club are Dana Carvey, who is best known for being a former cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” and Jeff Garlin, who is an actor recognized as Jeff Greene from the Home Box Office Inc. show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Fischer began his career in comedy in sixth grade when he trained in improvisation at The Second City, a comedy school in Hollywood, which he continued to attend until eighth grade. Fischer was recommended to the Flappers Comedy Club by a teacher from The Second City last year and he began participating in the stand-up classes provided at the club. Fischer still attends classes at the Flappers Comedy Club, where he learned how to improve the structure of his jokes and entertain audiences. The final project in one of his stand-up comedy classes at the club was to create a fiveminute comedy set and present it on the Flappers Comedy Club stage. This project motivated him to begin officially performing at the club last June and he continues to perform there on a monthly basis; so far he has performed six shows. Fischer

attempts to create comedy acts that resonate with audiences through his style of incorporating selfdeprecation and personal experiences. He achieves this by reflecting on his own life and selecting relatable moments to narrate. “I usually try to plan my jokes around what is real,” Fischer said. “The key to a successful joke is finding the truth in something and then exaggerating it immensely.”

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encourage them to pursue comedy. Sophomore Russell Chuang is the vice president of Fischer’s Stand-up Comedy Club. Chuang had never attempted stand-up comedy prior to joining the club and initially became involved in the club because of his interest in exploring a new hobby. “Jack is an inspirational leader,” Chuang said. “He motivates us to make great material and quality work. I am glad he is [our] president and that he supports us.” Sophomore Kareem Shaheen joined the Stand-up Comedy Club to learn more about comedy and to support Fischer’s passion. “I am amazed that someone who I am good friends with is able to entertain and work [among] such huge names in the [comedy] industry,” Shaheen said. “When [Fischer] discusses stand-up comedy, it is evident that he works really hard and cares about his work.” Fischer plans to continue maintaining his club throughout high school and hopes to find stand-up comedy programs to join in college. However, he does not plan on pursuing comedy as a career. Fischer also intends to perform at different venues to further connect with people through his jokes. “In order for most jokes to ever work, you need to show the audience you care about what you are saying and their response,” Fischer said. “This idea [applies] outside of comedy [and] in [my] everyday life. I have become more caring of other peoples’ [lives] and my own life.”

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helen huang

In order for most jokes to ever work, you need to show the audience you care about what you are saying and their response. -SOPHOMORE Jack Fischer

Fischer also runs the Stand-up Comedy Club at Peninsula, which he created this year when he noticed that the school lacked a stand-up comedy program. Club meetings are meant to teach students about the various styles and applications of stand-up comedy; Fischer would show examples of performances by professional comedians. Through his club, he hopes to introduce standup comedy to more students on campus and

a substantial amount of time planning, networking and establishing various fundraisers and activities with the Sophomore siblings Mia and Joel Yamada established help of AbilityFirst participants. The Yamadas also Team Advocating for Empowerment and Inclusion in feel that they acquire practical skills, including website Communities (Team AEIC) in the summer of 2017 construction and maintenance of the AEIC website, in order to combat what they saw to be a pervasive through participation in Team AEIC. issue in every community: the exclusion of individuals For Joel Yamada, the lessons he has learned with disabilities in society. To promote the inclusion of about philanthropy and the experiences he has had individuals with disabilities, the team focuses primarily collaborating with AbilityFirst have been the most on raising money for programs that assist them and rewarding aspects of establishing Team AEIC. One of the their families. most gratifying moments he experienced stemmed from “A lot of times children with mental disabilities are when he and the four other members of Team AEIC neglected or looked down upon in society, when in attended an AbilityFirst Halloween party with children reality, [they] are just kids like us,” Joel Yamada said. who have mental disabilities. “My sister, my friend and I all brainstormed ideas of “The party was so much fun,” Joel Yamada said. how we could do something for our community. We “We got to meet all these kids who were not afraid of created the team, [where] kids with cognitive disabilities being who they are and there was so much acceptance [are given] an opportunity to do activities we do every everywhere. Although we might complain a lot about day, such as swim, play games or even buy groceries.” homework or school, we do not usually have trouble [in] Team AEIC is currently focused on its collaborative finding friends or [in the socializing] aspect of school. effort with AbilityFirst, a Los Angeles nonprofit We do not realize that we have so much in our lives to organization that aims to assist families who have be grateful for, and I just feel good trying to give back to children with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities someone who is not as fortunate and in the same health.” (IDD). Team AEIC’s primary short-term goal is to The team’s future prospects entail raising more provide financial support for three families that have a money to assist individuals with disabilities and further member with IDD. promoting inclusion of these individuals into their “During my visit to the AbilityFirst facility, I learned respective communities by raising awareness about the that [they] fall short $1,500 for every family they serve,” team’s effort. They have already begun spreading their Mia Yamada said. “We are eager to do what we can to message through the creation of their website and telling help out at least three families by refining the $4,500 friends and family members about the organization’s they need to close these funding gaps so they can stay goals. Fonda Tokushige acts as an adviser and mentor in the program. It makes me feel good to know we are for Team AEIC’s members and helps them develop making a difference [by] helping out our community and courses of action to resolve social problems they want the people who truly deserve it.” to confront and execute philanthropic projects. As a life During their monthly meetings, Team AEIC spends coach and psychotherapist, Tokushige recognizes the

kristen lu and james o’dea

student life

TEAM AEIC ASSISTS STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

value of participation in projects like Team AEIC. “I think it is important for us to realize that we are not limited to just ourselves,” Tokushige said. “[It is also] important to recognize that we have a responsibility to help each other, [because that is] what makes stronger communities. My goal is for [Team AEIC’s members] to be able to take these life lessons they have learned and recognize that no matter how big or how small they think their contributions are, every contribution makes for [a better] community.” Photo courtesy of Fonda tokushige

team aeic holdS their first meeting with abilityfirst to discuss their goals and how they can help those in need. the team continues to meet monthly with abilityfirst to plan various upcoming activities. JOSH CHAN, EMMA KAWASHIRI, CHRIS OTERO, JORDAN QUENUN, JOEL YAMADA AND MIA YAMADA

COMEDY CORNER WORD BANK CLUB COMEDY FUNNY HUMOR JOKES LAUGHS PUNCHLINE QUIP RIDDLES STAND UP connor tumelty / the pen

Elle Babich

BABICH RECEIVES MS. STREET DANCE AWARD AT NATIONAL COMPETITION Sophomore and varsity coed choreo member Elle Babich won the Ms. Street Dance award on Feb. 9 at the annual National Street Dance USA competition in Tustin, Calif. According to Babich, she is excited about winning the award because she won against 21 other performers. Babich was evaluated based on routine, execution and showmanship and won with a score of 94 out of 100 possible points, beating the runner up by three points, which is considered to be a large margin in dance competitions. At the competition, Babich performed a two-minute solo dance in the hip-hop category, which she started working on over winter break and perfected the week before the competition. During this time, Babich would meet once a week in the Peninsula dance room with the junior varsity coed choreo coach Danyel Moulton, who choreographed her solo. At the beginning of the process, the pair would only meet for a few hours, but as the competition neared, the sessions gradually increased in time and eventually reached six hours per week. During these sessions, Babich learned the choreography and Moulton helped her perfect movements, facial expressions and timing. Moulton was enthusiastic about Babich winning the title of Ms. Street Dance and was proud of how their hard work paid off at the competition. “Elle is able to do many styles of dance, but when she does hip-hop, she shines,” Moulton said. “She is a talented individual who picks up choreography very quickly and is always a joy to work with.” Babich has been dancing for 12 years and has participated in dance competitions

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for nine of those years. She did not expect to win the award, especially since she was competing against more experienced dancers. “After receiving the award, I was genuinely in shock,” Babich said. “[Never] in a million years did I think I would win.” Babich tends to become extremely nervous before performing at dance competitions. However, with the loud cheering of her teammates and the music blasting through the speakers, she was able to overcome this obstacle and gain a sense of comfort and exhilaration before completing her routine. She believes this atmosphere contributed to her success at this competition. “I just became more and more excited,” Babich said. “I wanted to show the judges, my coaches and my parents how hard I worked.” Babich’s teammates feel proud of her accomplishments. Sophomore and teammate Keala Kato claims that she was close to tears when Babich received the award. “I think she deserves it because she is such a hard worker and her dance was just amazing,” Kato said. “Both her music and facials [expressions] were so cool.” In the future, Babich plans to continue participating in the coed choreo program at Peninsula and hopes to become a captain on the varsity team. She is prepared to work harder in years to come to defend her title as Ms. Street Dance in the following years. She hopes to dance throughout the rest of her high school career and to continuing dancing in college. “The biggest takeaway from this experience would be the motivation and the drive it gave me,” Babich said. “Although winning seems like everyone’s final goal, my coaches wanted me to be proud of myself and the experience helped me finally see how pushing myself pays off.”

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Jacey gibaldi and Tilly safavian

ELLE IS ABLE TO DO MANY STYLES OF DANCE, BUT WHEN SHE DOES HIP-HOP, SHE SHINES. SHE IS A TALENTED INDIVIDUAL WHO PICKS UP CHOREOGRAPHY VERY QUICKLY AND IS ALWAYS A JOY TO WORK WITH. -JUNIOR VARISTY COED CHOREO COACH DANYEL MOULTON

Sailing team wins fourth place at Cal-20 Mid-Winter Regatta Casey syal The Peninsula sailing team captured a fourth place finish at the 2019 Cal-20 Mid-Winter Regatta, a series of six races in the Long Beach Harbor that took place on Feb. 16-17. In sailing regattas, a committee creates several courses of varying lengths for competitors to complete. Each team is assigned a point value after each race, with the first place team receiving one point, the second place team receiving two and so on. At the end of the series of races, the team with the least number of points is the victor. The three-member crew representing Peninsula consisted of juniors and captains Matthew Sun and Cyrus Khaleeli and senior and captain Kaitlin Chan. Normally the team races 13-foot boats against other high school teams, but this race pitted them against professionals racing 20-foot boats. The team initially heard about the competition through the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club (CBYC), the location where the team practices. They entered this more difficult event to prepare for the Keelboat Challenge, a high school event that takes place on Sept. 28-29 involving larger boats than those to which the team is accustomed. This change in boat type posed a challenge for the sailors, given that they only had one day of practice on the new boat to adjust to the different sailing style required on larger boats. Sailing coach Alex Smith spent that practice teaching the team how to control a larger boat so that the sailors would be prepared to properly handle any issue that might arise during the race. “We prepared for the race by practicing and mastering the [skills we perform] on the boat, like

Josh Kim / the pen

turning and handling the sails, as well as understanding how the new boat works,” Chan said. During the actual event, the team was ahead of many other competitors at the beginning of the race, but they faced difficulty when their jib sail, one of the two main sails on the boat, ripped midway through the race. “We had to decide whether we were going to withdraw from the race or finish it with the ripped sail,” Khaleeli said. “Knowing that we were almost finished, we made the decision to continue racing because we would be going downwind for the rest of the race.” However, the sail damage did have an affect on their performance, as they could not execute certain maneuvers out of fear that the sail would rip more and further hinder their performance. These limitations slowed them down compared to the other competitors. Despite the difficulty with the sail, the team was able to finish in fourth place out of 11 teams, although they withdrew from the next race to avoid damaging the sail further. The team members admit that they do not have much experience with 20-foot boats, and they hope to master the controls of this new boat type as the season continues. “The biggest takeaway [from this race] was that we want to race bigger boats like this one a lot more in the future,” Khaleeli said. Khaleeli has been sailing since he was seven years old. His experience and Peninsula’s location spurred him to join the sailing team once he entered high school. “Southern California is one of the most competitive places for high school level sailing,” Khaleeli said. “I thought it would be fun to compete against other high school sailors.”

sports

SMOOTH SAILING

Sun was introduced to the sport in sixth grade by Khaleeli and has been sailing ever since. “I joined the team because I liked the challenge and because I thought representing our school in a lesser known sport was really cool,” Sun said. Chan began participating in the sport during her sophomore year when her parents encouraged her to try a new activity. She joined the CBYC and after sailing for a few weeks, she decided that she wanted to be part of the Peninsula team. The team practices at the CBYC twice a week for four hours in the afternoon. During practices, the team works on techniques ranging from the best ways to start and finish a race to the completion of races in an environment that simulates a competition environment. The team sails either individually or with different groups, so they sometimes find it difficult to adjust to the crew they sail with for events during competitions. Chan believes that more strategic preparation and communication will lead to more success in future races. “I noticed while racing that the crew, [who are] good friends off the water, felt [frustrated] at each other when they wanted to do different things strategy-wise,” Chan said. “[We knew that] during the race we all just had to keep our cool because getting heated on the water will lead to bad racing.” After the race, the team discussed their ideas for different tactics, which Chan believes will lead to a greater understanding of each other and future success. The sailing team will race next in the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association Gold Pacific Coast Championships on Apr. 13-14.

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