The Pen Newspaper

OUR LATEST ISSUE

VOL XXXV| ISSUE 2 | January 1st, 2026

News

San Pedro Gang Crackdown

Emmersyn Hadley • January 1, 2026

On Oct. 7, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a raid in San Pedro targeting the Rancho San Pedro Enterprise, a gang, alleged to have ties with the Mexican Mafia...

Taking Back the Crown

Parisa Bahrami • January 1, 2026

Centuries after the United States won its independence from Great Britain’s monarchy in the Revolutionary War, Americans have once again begun fighting for a country free of kings through a series of “No Kings” protests...

AVID Tutoring

Left on Shakey Grounds

Sophia Shen • January 1, 2026

Portuguese Bend in Rancho Palos Verdes (RPV) is notable for its stunning views – hosting a substantial part of the Palos Verdes Nature Reserve, it offers breathtaking hikes and ocean trails, but beneath its beauty lies a dangerous reality—one that may take millions of dollars to fix...

Photo courtesy of Paul Seo For Assembly

A "Golden Ticket" to College

Khalil Santiago• January 1, 2026

For years, the promise of receiving an offer of admission from a college has been an uncertain milestone for many California students. This is reflected in the rate of degree attainment in the state. As of 2025, 35% of California-born young adults...

Opinion

An Inhuman Connection

Billy Houng • January 1, 2026

As the integration of artificial intelligence into the daily lives of generation alpha is becoming more prominent, children are increasingly turning to AI chatbots as a form of entertainment, gratification and genuine assistance...

Fighting Fire with Fire

Mason Kim • January 1, 2026

A collapsing democracy doesn’t always announce itself with seemingly grand gestures; sometimes the warning signs appear right in the halls of Washington, D.C. The recent government shutdown...

Photography by Esperanza Engle-Tseng

Focus

Focus I2 Enrollment

Gunnar Lee • January 1, 2026

The student body of Peninsula is declining, with eighth graders choosing to enroll at its rival Palos Verdes High School. Peninsula’s reputation as an academically...

Louvre Heist

Sydney Malicse • January 1, 2026

What began as a serious and pressing matter on the news headlines, quickly transformed into a world wide online trend. The aftermath of the robbery at the Louvre Museum...

Title

Celanie Neal • January 1, 2026

Although Peninsula has introduced several measures to make students feel more welcome, high school remains an intimidating environment for many...

Student Life

Alumni

Ingu Batyerruel • January 1, 2026

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School alum Lauren K. Williams has recently joined the nation’s most innovative thinkers after receiving the prestigious MacArthur Foundation...

A Win by the Waves

Briana Ta • January 1, 2026

After a highly anticipated return to Cal State Long Beach’s Math day at the beach, Peninsula's Math Team took home second place in division A. It's a Math tournament hosted by

Clash of Classes

Olivia Kim • January 1, 2026

Cheers, uproars and competitive spirit filled the bleachers as Peninsula gathered at the first class competition in years that included the entire school: the Clash of Classes. Unlike...

Science Research

Alisa Sekine• January 1, 2026

Peninsula is home to a multitude of competitive academic programs, but recently, one program’s success has been the cause of a major change to their course. While Science...

Pictured : Soren Kim

Sports

Freak Show Frenzy

Kyra McGath• January 1, 2026

The Peninsula wrestlers competed in Freakshow 2025, which took place at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on Oct. 18-19, featuring over 6,000 wrestlers from across the United States...

Let's Go Dodgers!

Alissa Luna • January 1,2026

Ever since the weekend of Nov. 1, the Southern California area has erupted in celebration over the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the 2025 World Series. After prevailing in three out...

Girls Golf Swings Into CIF

Noah Vaidyan• January 1, 2026

This season marked a breakout year for the Peninsula girls varsity golf team. After an undefeated season, going 13-0, the team got selected to participate in...

Pictured : Hannah Morgan

Arts & Entertainment

Soul Searching With Caesar

Colin Kim • January 1, 2026

Daniel Caesar reaches a new level of vulnerability 11 years into his career, his heart worn on his sleeve in his latest project. The R&B singer released his fourth studio album, titled “Son of Spergy,’'...

A Catwalk of Change

Savannah Diaz • January 1, 2026

Victoria’s Secret’s (VS) latest fashion show on Oct. 15 was a complete disappointment to many fans, but others praised the show’s inclusivity...

Regretting You

Giana Geerdts • January 1, 2026

Colleen Hoover’s newest film adaptation, “Regretting You”, hit theaters on Oct. 24. This highly anticipated movie is based on Hoover’s 2019 novel of the same name...

“Son of Spergy” Album Cover, licensed under 2025 Hollace Inc., under exclusive license to Republic Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc

“Regretting You” Poster, from Paramount Pictures