December 2020 Issue

Chronicle the harvard-westlake

Studio City • Volume 30 • Issue 3 • Dec. 9, 2020 • hwchronicle.com

HANNAH HAN/CHRONICLE

BURRITO BUDDIES: (Clockwise from bottom right) Felicity Phelan ’21, Ford McDill ’21, Will Lake ’21, Matthew Lee ’21, Alexandria Lange ’21 and Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Ethan Lachman ’21 eat a socially-distanced meal together and chat about their senior year experiences on the bleachers next to Ted Slavin Field on Nov. 13. (Photo spread continued on A8)

On-campus social events suspended after 10 days due to COVID-19 surge

By Hannah Han

Members of the administration and Prefect Council worked in conjunction to host a series of optional on-campus social activities from Nov. 10 to Nov. 20 on weeknights. Because of rising coronavirus case numbers following the Thanksgiving holiday, the in-person events were postponed until after winter break, Head of Upper School Beth Slattery announced in an all-school email Friday.

Introduced by members of the administration in mid-October, the initiative was intended to improve students’ mental health in a time of isolation and increased anxiety due to COVID-19. Participants returned to campus from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to eat individually packaged dinners and play socially-distanced games, such as ‘Mafia,’ charades and Among Us, with their classmates on Ted Slavin Field.

Approximately 100 students from each grade signed up to participate in the activities, and around 50 to 80 students arrived

each night, Head Prefect Jonathan Cosgrove ’21 said. Prefect Council members arranged the attendees into “pods” of about eight people in order to foster connections between students who otherwise would not have interacted.

“We tried to keep sports teams and friend groups together, but we made sure each group has people you’re not necessarily friends with,” Cosgrove said. “One part [of the online experience] that’s missing is the peer-to-peer interaction [with] people that aren’t your closest friends but that you still enjoy seeing in the hallways.”

Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg said students were required to follow strict protocols before participating. After completing a self-certified health screening online, attendees had their temperature taken, switched their masks with school-issued KN95s and filled out a second survey once they arrived on campus. Slattery said she felt the school was prepared to host students on campus.

“I really feel like we are protecting people,” Slattery said. “The main reason we’re doing it now is that you guys are doing remote learning amazingly, but I don’t know how much longer you can do it if you don’t have some outlet.

It feels like if the school can safely provide some outlet, it should.”

Some students raised concerns about gathering on campus and eating without masks. According to a report published by the Center for Disease Control on Sept. 11, individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 were two times more likely to have reported eating at a restaurant than those who tested negative. In response to these concerns, Slattery said the school will not serve dinner in the future but may provide small snacks, such as cookies and hot chocolate.

“I don’t think dinner is the draw,” Slattery said. “We thought that that’s what you needed to do in order to get kids on campus, since they wouldn’t have eaten necessarily, but now I’m not sure that [the dinners] will continue.”

By Tanisha Gunby And Kyle Reims

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a war among the largest streaming services in the entertainment industry.....

HERE’S THE SCOOP: Students reflect on their experiences balancing a part-time job with their academic studies.

— Eli Friedman ’21 Of 124 upper school students polled in a Chronicle survey, 74.2% said they believed the administration’s decision to host on-campus social activities was wise and responsible. Eli Friedman ’21 said the events allowed him to reconnect with his friends in a safe environment.

“I definitely appreciate this more as a senior than I would have in my past two years,” Friedman said. “It is sort of sad sometimes when you think about [the fact] that we might not even all be on campus again when we leave Harvard-Westlake.”

Mathematics teacher Joshua Helston, one of 40 faculty members who signed up to oversee the event, said he was willing to return to campus to supervise students after winter break because he trusted the administration’s guidance.

“Harvard-Westlake is doing a

white’s

very good job of making sure that their first priority is being as safe as possible,” Helston said. “As long as [the administrators] say it’s okay, I’m on board.”

At the time the events were held, however, the COVID-19 transmission rate in L.A. increased from 0.95 to 1.02, and over 2,200 new cases were reported daily, according to NBC News Los Angeles. Mia Hutchinson ’21, who lives at home with her grandmother, said she felt the decision to hold the on-campus activities was ill-advised. She believes the administration’s decision only emboldened students who were already violating social distancing rules outside of school.

“My first thought was, ‘Oh, man, I wish I could [return to campus],’” Hutchinson said. “But I can’t because it’s dangerous.

• Continued on A2

School assesses virtual learning schedule

Issue Highlights:

B4

“

I definitely appreciate this more as a senior than I would have in my past two years. It is sort of sad when you think about [the fact] that we might not even all be on campus again when we leave Harvard-Westlake.”

C1 EMPIRE STREAMS BACK: The school community considers the long-term effects of a booming streaming industry.

The Schedule Committee gave a presentation to upper school teachers Dec. 2 to discuss the findings of a school-wide survey about the new block schedule. The school conducted the survey anonymously in order to ensure honest responses; it garnered over 600 student responses and additional faculty responses.

Science teacher and Schedule Committee Co-Chair Heather Audesirk analyzed the survey to determine general trends in the data. The survey questioned students and faculty on several topics: how stressful school is with classes scheduled every other day, how much homework students are doing and how easy it is to find time to meet with teachers.

Audesirk said these meetings are a monthly occurrence, and in this specific meeting, she tried to help teachers find new ways for students to conduct their work.

“They wanted to know if there’s ways to help with that perception of the homework feeling never-ending,” Audesirk said. “I tried to give some suggestions of, you know, maybe do your homework on paper instead of on computers so that you can get away from your screen, maybe try to assign more podcasts or audiobooks or things like that, to let people give their eyes a rest from reading on the screen.”

In the survey, over two-thirds of the students who responded said they found the new schedule, with classes that meet every other day, less stressful. From what she saw when giving the presentation,

teachers were generally encouraged by the statistics she pulled from the survey, Audesirk said.

“I think that they were happy about how the less stressful new schedule seems to be working,” Audesirk said. “They were glad to see that the amount of homework has slightly decreased, even though students are actually taking slightly more classes on average in the new schedule than they were in the old schedule.”

Student Representative of the Schedule Committee Andrew Reiter ’22 said he also feels that the new schedule has been successful in reducing his stress.

“I really like the new schedule because it allows me to do homework for only half of my classes each night,” Reiter said. “I feel like I focus more and get more quality work done.”

A2 News

The Chronicle

Students returned to campus

Dec. 9, 2020

• Continued from A1

I feel like it’s more important to care about physical health and not be encouraging this type of behavior. Harvard-Westlake kids are just going to keep throwing more parties and keep not caring because the school is endorsing [in-person gatherings] in my opinion.”

Science teacher Heather Audesirk said she did not want to risk her physical health, especially with the winter months approaching.

“The idea of having more gatherings made me slightly nervous [because] I personally have a slightly compromised immune system,” Audesirk said. “There’s a need for the social interaction that [on-campus activities] provide, [...] but it’s really hard to know what safety precautions are good enough for me.”

Despite rising case numbers, Engelberg said he felt the initiative was safe due to greater knowledge about the nature of the transmission of COVID-19, as well as the school’s extensive health resources.

“We feel comfortable having students on campus as long as they’re in that controlled environment,” Engelberg said. “[We hosted the events in November because of the] greater sense of urgency [and awareness of the severity of COVID-19] among students and the need for social programming; a greater understanding of how the virus is spread and how to protect ourselves; [and] the investments that the school has made in personal protective equipment.”

Overall, Engelberg and Slattery stressed that the activities were optional and that families should decide for themselves whether returning was worth the risk.

Though on-campus social activities have been suspended until the new year, Associate Head of School Laura Ross said the school plans to allow students with learning accommodations to return to campus for their classes in accordance with LADPH regulations.

AVA FATTAHI/CHRONICLE

BEHIND THE SCENES: Producer and writer Yahlin Chang (above center) spoke with members of women’s equality club EMPOWER about her experience working on the show “The Handmaid’s Tale” on Nov. 18. The event was hosted by club leaders Maddie Boudov ’21 and Olivia Smith ’21.

TV producer speaks with EMPOWER Club

By Ava Fattahi

The EMPOWER Club hosted a virtual Q&A session featuring TV writer and producer Yahlin Chang (Leo ’24), who answered students’ questions about her Golden Globe Award-winning show, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” on Nov. 18.

Chang graduated from Yale University magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa before writing for Newsweek magazine. Since starting in the TV industry in 2000, Chang has worked on programs including “ER,” “Supergirl,” “Shades of Blue” and “Ed.” EMPOWER Club co-leaders Maddie Boudov ’21 and Olivia Smith ’21 asked Chang several questions about how women are portrayed in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” as well as her thoughts about women’s rights in 2020.

“[Chang] is a really inspiring woman, and her work on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is super engaging to myself and many members of our club,” Boudov said. “It was so cool to hear a woman in the entertainment industry who is a writer on a show like ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ tell such a powerful, challenging story for women about gender roles.”

During the event, Boudov and Smith introduced Chang, asked her questions and hosted a Q&A session. 27 people were in attendance, including students, teachers and parents. Chang talked about how the power of networking allowed her to work on “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

“The creator of the show, Bruce Miller, is someone I met in 2002,” Chang said. “We were both lower-level writers on this show called ‘ER.’ He was a very

kind guy. In 2016 I saw a news article about him in Vanity Fair and the buzz around the show. I congratulated him on the show’s success over Facebook.”

Miller later told Chang that he had an open spot for a writer on the show.

Boudov and Smith also asked Chang about how she feels about the state of women’s rights under the Trump administration.

“While we were writing the show, the Kavanaugh hearings were happening,” Chang said.

“During those hearings, women all over the world were having ‘Handmaid-style’ protests. It was all incredibly symbolic and humbling for us as creators of the show. There are fan Facebook groups that as writers, we check out every once in a while. On those pages, women share stories about their lives that are so in-

credibly frightening, and to hear their stories is shocking yet helpful in the process.”

Chang said she also noticed similarities between the show and present-day America.

“There are many parallels between the country and the show, such as separating children from their parents and limiting reproductive rights,” Chang said.

“The trauma brought upon these children is unforgettable, and it’s ridiculous that the American government continues to do this.”

Asha Haley ’23 is a fan of Chang’s work and said she hoped to learn more about the show at the meeting.

“Hearing from Yahlin Chang was an amazing experience,” Haley said. “‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is a classic, so I was excited to meet her. Her stories about the show and her life were so inspiring.”

In the issue...

A5 CROSS-COUNTRY: Upper school

students work with voting organizations to increase voter turnout in the upcoming Georgia Senate runoff elections.

B4

A10 THE AFTERMATH: An Assis-

tant Opinion Editor reflects on the societal effects of the recent presidential election in the United States.

COUPLES IN COVID-19: A student takes a look at how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students’ relationships and dating lives.

The Chronicle, the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School, is published eight times per year and distributed for free on both the upper and middle school campuses. There are about 730 students at the Middle School and 870 at the Upper School. Subscriptions may be purchased for $20 a year for delivery by mail. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial Board. Letters to the editor may be submitted to chronicle@hw.com or mailed to

C2-3 SPREADING CHEER: Looking

ahead to the holidays, a staffer showcases locations in Los Angeles where holiday decorations have been put up.

D2 UNCERTAIN TIMES: Students

express their concerns about returning to sports practices due to a lack of communication from the administration.

3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format. Advertising questions may be directed to Business Managers Lucas Lee at llee3@hwemail.com and Emma Limor at elimor1@hwemail. com. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.

A3 News

Dec. 9, 2020

The Chronicle

MUN earns awards

By Lily Lee

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA IM

Jones speaks at USC’s Gould Law

By Annabelle Nickoll

Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Associate Director of Admission Janine Jones spoke about implicit bias and microaggressions at a virtual educational event held by the University of Southern California’s (USC) Athletics Black Lives Matter Team on Nov. 17.

The program was hosted by the USC Gould School of Law. Speaking to USC student-athletes and staff on a Zoom call, Jones said implicit biases are stereotypes and views that affect one’s thoughts, be-

liefs and actions subconsciously.

Jones said it is important to recognize and reject those biases.

Students were able to volunteer and ask questions throughout the event as well.

“Our implicit biases are in our subconscious, so it is critically important that we spend the time to take them out of the subconscious and to put them into the conscious,” Jones said.

Jones then described the differences between being non-racist and anti-racist. She shared the dangers of being a bystander and the importance of fighting against racism.

“Being non-racist facilitates inaction, where we sit and we watch the mistreatment of others on the nightly news or on social media without doing anything else, and the problem is, we oftentimes sit there with disgust, and we don’t take that next action,” Jones said.

Jones provided three steps to confront implicit biases: detect, reflect and reject. Then, she urged students to read and educate themselves on the topic of racism.

“We have to continue this work and be continually committed,” Jones said.

18 Model United Nations (MUN) club members at the Upper School won awards at the virtual TritonMUN and BruinMUN Conferences on Nov. 7 and 22, which are traditionally held at Triton College and University of California, Los Angeles, respectively.

The online conferences gave students the opportunity to discuss various topics, such as the regulation of space-related technology, child soldiers, the Rohingya Genocide, youth disarmament and the civil war in Myanmar.

MUN member Rhea Madhogarhia ’22 won an Honorable Commendation at the BruinMUN Conference and said that the school has prepared her for MUN’s fast-paced environment.

“I’d like to think I got the award by being really vocal and making my voice be heard,” Madhogarhia said.

TritonMUN Conference Commendation Award winner Cory Porter ’22 said that she loves the community of people that she has met through the MUN program.

“I enjoy the whole process of researching and learning about all of these different topics that you debate during conferences, but it’s even better to do that with friends,” Porter said.

MUN member Stephen Purdum ’22 received awards at both conferences. Purdum said he joined MUN this year because quarantine gave him more free time throughout the week. He

said that MUN has taught him about the importance of conducting research and learning to speak in front of large audiences.

“The purpose of Model UN is to build useful skills like teamwork and public speaking, as well as making a generation of people aware of important global issues,” Purdum said.

First-time MUN award winner and conference attendee Idalis McZeal ’23 received a Verbal Commendation Award at the BruinMUN Conference.

McZeal said that the award was for being in the top 20% in the committee and also having a well-written position paper, actively participating and demonstrating strong leadership skills.

“I love how I get to collaborate with others and build advocation skills,” McZeal said.

Chronicle Print Managing Editor Celine Park ’21 won the Best Award, Jason Morganbesser ’22 won the Outstanding Award, Porter Comstock ‘22 and Stephen Purdum ’22 won Honorable Awards and Cory Porter ’22, CC Mesa ’22 and Sofia Llevat ’22 won Commendation Awards at the conference.

Purdum, Mesa, Porter, Amanda Korris ’22, Olivia Feldman ’22, Assistant A&E Editor Sydney Fener ’22 and Assistant Features Editor Kate Burry ’22 won Outstanding Delegate Awards, Madhogarhia and Owen Huang ’24 won Honorable Commendation Awards and Jack Moreland ’23 and McZeal won the Verbal Commendation Awards.

Midterm exams canceled

By Sandra Koretz

Due to the updated school schedule, teachers will not be assigning traditional cumulative midterms this school year before winter break. Instead, classes will take place as they normally would proceed, and teachers are permitted to assign regular assessments.

Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said that traditional assessments can be an added burden on students’ lives and may contribute to their anxiety.

“There’s a recognition that big cumulative exams are stressful for students, and I don’t think any of us are super interested in adding stress, especially during [the pandemic],” Slattery said.

Jennifer Epstein ’21 agreed with Slattery and said she is happy midterms were canceled this year in light of the additional stress the pandemic has put on the community and its students and teachers.

“I personally love it,” Epstein said. “I don’t think recalling information in a timed and pressured environment is the best way to prove we know what we’re learning. Especially during

this time of online learning and COVID, midterms could be an added stress that students don’t need. I also think that teachers deserve time off during winter break [to] not have to grade our midterms.”

While some students agree with canceling traditional cumulative midterms this year, Colin Luse ’22 said that assessments allow him to stay prepared for his classes.

“With midterms, you know exactly what is in store for you and can prepare accordingly,” Luse said. “Now, there are random assignments and projects that cause close to or the same amount of stress as midterms cause. Plus, it’s a nice way to end the first semester and leaves you satisfied heading into break.”

Slattery said that although the school can be strenuous, teachers do not want to contribute additional stress to students’ lives during the pandemic.

“We don’t want [school] to be less rigorous, but if we can scale things back and make life a bit easier given what you guys are going through right now, it feels like canceling midyear assessments is one way to do that,” Slattery said.

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

December improv workshops kick off

By Natasha Speiss Performing Arts Teachers Michele Spears and Lisa Frederickson hosted the first improv workshop of the year Dec. 4, during which students played a variety of acting games.

In an email to upper school students, Spears described the improv workshops as a way to relax and have fun every Friday after school. No previous experience in improv is necessary to participate in the workshops.

“This is a chance to see what improv is all about, work out

your improv muscles, play games, create stories on the spot with your classmates and laugh,” Spears said.

While the improv workshops run from 3:30 to 6 p.m., students are able to drop in whenever and are not required to stay for the whole session. Some games included utilizing the whiteboard feature on Zoom to create a story, acting out Zoom calls and creating scenes with dialogue rotating through each letter of the alphabet.

Carter Staggs ’23 said he joined the workshop because

he enjoyed doing improv at the Middle School and said he was surprised about its success.

“I didn’t to see expect how well the workshop would work over Zoom,” Staggs said. “Everyone was willing to participate, even without audience feedback, which makes performing, especially improv, very hard.”

Staggs recommended that other students join future workshops after having a good time.

“I liked my experience at the workshop and would love to go again,” Staggs said.

A4 News

The Chronicle

Slam poets perform on Zoom call

Dec. 9, 2020

By Fallon Dern

Members of Get Lit, a spoken word troupe based in Los Angeles, led a poetry teaser and showcase during Community Flex Time on Nov. 18.

Get Lit Public Outreach Manager Mason Granger, a writer with over 15 years of experience, led the reading, which featured high school performers from across California. Granger said that contemporary poetry blurs the line between traditional styles and experimental forms.

“Even poems that were written hundreds of years ago can be brought to life now, combining new forms of literature, while standing on the shoulders of poets before us,” Granger said.

The teaser featured Get Lit members James Johnson-Brown ’21 and Erzebet Gonzales ’21, a senior at California Crosspoint High School. Gonzales reflected on her racial identity and her experiences as a woman of color growing up in the Bay Area.

Johnson-Brown’s poem examined his identity from various perspectives.

“I’ve slowly come to the realization that while the world may look spherical, in reality, it is a polygon with seven point something billion lives and sides, and I guess now you’ve seen mine,” Johnson-Brown said at the end of his poem.

Following the meeting, 90 students and faculty members attended an optional Get Lit Players’ gathering on Zoom.

NATASHA SPEISS/CHRONICLE

HONORING OUR VETERANS: History teacher Sandra Brasda (top middle), Personal Computer Support Specialist Justin Benson (top right) and Performing Arts Designer Alex Kolmanovsky (bottom right) talk with Reverend Anne Gardner (top left) and Daniel Novikov ’21 (bottom left).

Veterans at school discuss military experiences

By Natasha Speiss

In honor of Veterans Day, faculty members who served as veterans shared their experiences with students in a webinar Nov. 10, followed by a Q&A panel moderated by Chaplain Anne Gardner and Community Time Planning Committee member Daniel Novikov ’21.

Personal Computer Support Specialist Justin Benson, history teacher Sandra Brasda and Performing Arts Designer Alex Kolmanovsky were on the panel and were introduced by Gardner.

Benson, who served in the Marines, set up networks and forwarded locations in avionics.

He commented on his relationships with his squadmates.

“You all start thinking on the same cues, moving on the same sounds—you become part of a collective,” Benson said. “It’s impressive.”

After the Marines, Benson moved to San Diego.

“If not for that soft landing in San Diego with that mellow-beach friendliness, I don’t know how great of a re-entry it would’ve been,” Benson said. “It helped me find that softer part of life that I had forgone in the Marines.”

Brasda said she was inspired to join the United States Air Force after the events of 9/11.

“I couldn’t stick my head in the sand and pretend like nothing happened,” Brasda said. “I felt a deep calling to do something.”

LA Times Editor of the Editorial Pages speaks to history students during webinar

By Natalie Cosgrove and Konnie Duan

LA Times Editorial Page Director Sewell Chan spoke to students in AP United States History and AP Government over Zoom on Nov. 17.

History teacher Peter Sheehy (Assistant News Editor Will ’22, Tate ’24) invited Chan to discuss op-ed writing with his students, including many AP Government students who were tasked to write op-eds for class.

“Who better to come in than the person who runs the editorial

page of the LA Times?” Sheehy said. “This idea is to both introduce them and get them more familiar with op-ed writing, and since we spent a lot of time talking about the role of media politics, [it] was an opportunity to delve further into that subject.”

Sheehy said he particularly appreciated Chan’s discussion of media literacy, as it was relevant not only to history class but also to students’ lives.

“The more sophisticated they are as consumers of media and news, the better off they are going to be as students and citizens,”

Sheehy said.

Chan said media literacy is increasingly important, as websites feed content to users using algorithms based upon users’ previous preferences and data.

“I think that has exacerbated the problem of information silos, or so-called filter bubbles, where you are most likely getting information from people who already think like you, which I think can be quite dangerous,” Chan said.

Chan then discussed the importance of impartiality and publishing op-eds from writers from various demographics, including

Upon entering the military, Brasda went to Texas for training, which she described as both mentally and physically exhausting.

“They break you down, and then they build you up,” Brasda said. “You learn who you are, where your limits are and how to push yourself farther.”

Despite this hardship, Brasda reflected positively on her military experience and encouraged students to serve their communities in the ways they can.

“Everyone should learn there are things bigger than you and how to give back,” Brasda said.

“I don’t regret a single moment of my decision.”

Kolmanovsky immigrated from the Soviet Union to the U.S. in 1977 after he was im-

“

prisoned for refusing to serve in the Red Army. Kolmanovsky said these events inspired him to enlist in the U.S Army.

“I knew the Soviet Union would always be a problem, and I wanted to do my part,” Kolmanovsky said.

Kolmanovsky became a squad leader and served in the line unit patrolling the German border.

He said his squadmates persecuted him for his Russian heritage.

“Being an ex-Soviet citizen in the U.S Army, it created a lot of interest, confusion and problems,” Kolmanovsky said. “They would really find your pain points and try to push you.”

Kolmanovsky said he adapted to life after the Army without too much difficulty.

It was also interesting to learn about how Mr. Chan balances the majority of Los Angeles’s political affiliations and those who wish to write in his section. ” — Maya Mathur ’22 white’s

political affiliation and age.

“I found it interesting how students can get involved in politics by writing op-ed and Sunday Opinion pieces,” Maya Mathur ’22 said. “It was also interesting to learn about how Mr. Chan balances the majority of Los Angeles’s political affiliations and those who wish to write in his section.”

Chan also advised prospective writers to support their opinions

with personal experiences.

“Good writing comes from the ground up,” Chan said in the webinar. “It comes with a sense of detail, a sense of character, a sense of empathy, an ability to observe, some self-knowledge and self-awareness, which is something that everyone is on a lifelong journey to acquire.”

Community Council organizes drive for at-risk seniors in San Fernando Valley for Thanksgiving

By Will Sheehy

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF HW COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY: Carolina Rodriguez ’21 helps organize kits for the elderly with her fellow Community Council members.

The HW Community Council organized a toiletry drive with the Valley InterCommunity Council (VIC) to assist at-risk seniors in the San Fernando Valley on Nov. 7 and 14. Students donated over 400 baskets containing handwritten Thanksgiving notes and toiletries during a contactless drive-thru outside of Taper Gymnasium.

“With COVID cases spiking in Los Angeles this holiday season and many seniors feeling isolated,

Harvard-Westlake’s Community Council wanted to help make their holidays a bit brighter,” Community Council member Carolina Rodriguez ’21 said. “By delivering personal hygiene kits, we hope seniors will have essential items they need and be able to avoid going to busy stores.”

Students donated a combination of six items to be delivered to the at-risk seniors: hand sanitizer, individual tissue packets, body soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant and Thanksgiving notes.

Those who donated all six items

received two hours of community service credit. After the items were collected at Taper Gymnasium, Community Council members placed them into baskets for Dean of Students Jordan Church and Counselor Michelle Bracken to deliver to the VIC for distribution.

The drive marked the Community Council’s second partnership with the VIC, the first being this past summer when the school’s kitchen staff prepared meals for the VIC to deliver to at-risk seniors.

Dec. 9, 2020

hwchronicle.com/news

Heroes of the Election

News A5

Upper school students volunteered as poll workers at their local polling stations in this year’s election amid a shortage of workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I decided to poll work because I have seen many posts on Instagram about the poll worker shortage and how important these people are to the process, so I decided to sign up. This election was also one that needed people to show up and vote, and I wanted to be a part of that process. My favorite part was seeing new voters, young and old, come in and vote for the first time. It was truly heartwarming.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KENNEDY HILL

—Kennedy Hill ’22 PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KENNEDY HILL

SAY CHEESE!: Kennedy Hill ’22 and other poll volunteers take a group photo after a long day of checking voters in at the polling place.

“I wanted to find an active role in the election this year since I couldn’t vote, and I started seeing a lot of other students signing up to be poll workers, which pushed me to apply as well. Even though I was assigned 11 and 15 hour shifts, the experience completely flew by. The inspiring people that I worked with, the engaging conversations that I had and the fascinating things that I learned have motivated me in many new ways.”

—Joy Ho ’22

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JOY HO

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JOY HO

MASKS ON: Joy Ho ’22 poses for a photograph with another volunteer at the Sooky Goldman Nature Center polling station on Election Day.

Students work to increase voter turnout ahead of Georgia runoff

By Tessa Augsberger Members of the senior class are organizing fellow students to increase voter turnout in Georgia in time for the state’s Senate runoff. Allegra Saltzman ’21 is leading Instagram outreach to high school students in Georgia through the nonprofit organization When We All Vote, while Matthew Lee ’21 is spearheading a postcard-writing campaign through a civic engagement organization, The Civics Center.

Because neither candidate won over 50% of the vote in Georgia on Nov. 3, Democrat Raphael Warnock will run against Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler for former Republican Senator Johnny Isakson’s seat in a special election Jan. 5, according to CBS News. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to fill Senator Isakson’s seat when Isakson retired at the end of 2019 due to health complications. Republican Senator David Perdue also faces a runoff

election in January after failing to win more than 50% of the vote for his reelection in November.

He is running against Jon Ossof, a Democrat.

Currently, Republicans fill 50 seats in the Senate, while Democrats have 48. If Warnock and Ossof win their races, the Senate will be split evenly between the two parties. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would have the tie-breaking vote.

Saltzman said the runoff elections in Georgia are unique because the political climate there is representative of the diversity in the country as a whole.

“As we’ve seen, Georgia is kind of a microcosm of the entire United States because it’s politically divided and it’s a diverse state,” Saltzman said. “The races there, in some ways, are representative of the entire American [political] system and political divide, so making sure that there’s no voter suppression going on and that everyone has their voice [heard through] whichever way

they want to vote is really important.”

Saltzman originally established a My School Votes team at the beginning of the school year to register young people to vote in the 2020 presidential election.

My School Votes is a subprogram of When We All Vote, a nonpartisan non-profit organization that addresses race and age disparities in the voting public by increasing voter participation. The school’s team, made up of sophomores, juniors and seniors, is now transitioning to recruiting students in Georgia to various When We All Vote programs and encouraging voter registration for the Georgia runoff elections.

Lee is recruiting students to write postcards to high school students in Georgia asking them to register to vote as part of a nonpartisan initiative from The Civics Center. Lee also worked with The Civics Center to promote voter registration in Arizona by writing postcards before the general election and currently

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

GET THE VOTE OUT: Students reached out to eligible voters in Georgia encouraging them to vote in the upcoming Senate runoff elections Jan. 5. runs a political blog called “On The Fence.”

Lee said he is passionate about politics and civic engagement and believes it is important for students to actively participate in the political process.

“I think it’s really important for, especially people our age, to become aware of what’s going on in the world and know how to use their voice to create change because it affects our lives and it affects others’ lives,” Lee said.

A6 News

The Chronicle

Students celebrate Diwali

Dec. 9, 2020

By Lucas Cohen-D’Arbeloff The South Asian Students’ Alliance (SASA) hosted an online event Nov. 20 celebrating Diwali, the five-day Festival of Lights observed by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the world.

SASA President Mohona Ganguly ’21 began the meeting with a presentation offering an overview of the holiday and its origins. In India, various religions and areas of the country honor different stories during the festival.

Attendees then participated in a round of Kahoot, an online multiple-choice quiz game that tested students on the material Ganguly presented.

“We thought that the Kahoot would be a fun way to make the presentation more interactive,” Ganguly said. “I think that it definitely gave more context behind the many different reasons people love Diwali in a fun and engaging way.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MOHONA GANGULY AND CHIEMEKA OFFOR

STRIKE A POSE: Makeda Neavill ’21 faces the camera as the music plays during the Diwali Festival hosted by the South Asian Students’ Alliance (SASA). SASA played a video of Boot Squad members dancing to “Nagada Sang Dhol” by Shreya Goshal and Osman Mir in honor of the holiday.

SASA Vice President and Chronicle News Editor Tanisha Gunby ’21 and Ganguly played YouTube video tutorials instructing students on how to create makeshift diyas, oil lamps that are traditionally lit during Diwali. Gunby also explained how to create Henna tattoos using supplies at home.

Students were given time to work independently on these projects while Bollywood music played. As attendees finished their creations, some asked the organizers questions about Diwali tales and practices.

Attendee Cameron Herring ’21 said she valued the effort to showcase South Asian culture

through the Diwali event.

“There is very little South Asian student representation at [the school], so having an entire festival dedicated to celebrating such an important holiday within the culture felt extremely empowering,” Herring said. “I think the event was a success and a pivotal step towards increasing South

Asian appreciation on campus.”

To close out the evening, Ganguly premiered a music video featuring members of the Boot Squad, a school dance troupe, in honor of Diwali. “[The performance] was a perfect way to end the night, and I think it really embodied the spirit of the Festival of Lights.”

Latin students take part in S.C.R.A.M.

By Will Sherwood

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

ZOOMING FOR CHANGE: Evan Hamilton ’07 responds to a question posed by Speaker Event Lead Sophia Rascoff ’23. Hamilton was one of four panelists at the event hosted by entrepreneurship program HW Venture.

Venture hosts social impact event

By Sandra Koretz

HW Venture hosted a Social Impact Panel with four speakers working in the community service and entrepreneurship fields Nov. 17. All of the speakers spoke about their work helping others in their surrounding communities and about what inspired them to get involved.

Katlyn Grasso spoke about her organization, GenHERation, a foundation dedicated to empowering and connecting young women with opportunities in business. GenHERation boasts 300,000 members worldwide, according to their website. Some of their featured partners include Netflix, Adobe, Nordstrom and other notable companies.

Taylor Adams ’02 founded The Meaning Foundation, an organization that seeks to break down discrimination in the workplace for people who were formerly incarcerated.

“We partner with several companies and human source organizations and source individuals for outside employment with our

partner employers,” Adams said.

Mike McGinley (Walker ’22), spoke about his experience volunteering at the Alexandria House, an organization that provides housing for women and their children. McGinley said the large number of homeless women and children in Los Angeles who suffer from food insecurity inspired him to volunteer.

The Alexandria House has been in operation for around 24 years and has helped approximately 200 families and single women. About 92% of families assisted by the organization remain in permanent housing.

Evan Hamilton ’07 is currently in the process of receiving his MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management. He is the founder and CEO of Pangea MFG, a platform connecting hardware startups with manufacturers in the Southern California region.

His company works to empower existing companies with available resources and help others find the supplies they need to accelerate prototypes into production.

Speaker Event Lead Sophia

Rascoff ’23 said she was primarily moved by the speakers’ commitments to get more involved in their communities.

“The most interesting part of the [Social Impact Panel] for me was hearing what inspired each of the [speakers] to get into the field and hearing about the impact that all of them have had on the lives of others,” Rascoff said.

Venture participant Amaan Furniturewala ’21 said he was inspired by speaker Alec Katz ’19.

Katz founded Soles4Good, an organization that collects shoes and donates them to communities in Senegal and El Salvador that are in need.

“All the speakers have created [an] immense positive impact through entrepreneurship,” Furniturewala said in a text message. “They are role models that I look up to and hope to emulate. I was particularly happy to hear Alec Katz HW ’19 speak.

He co-founded Soles4Good with and helped spearhead HW’s social impact initiatives during his time on campus. It felt like we’d come full circle!”

done through Zoom, with students typing the word “buzz” to The annual Southern Cali- answer questions. It was the best fornia Regional Amici Madness approximation of the Certamen (S.C.R.A.M.) conference, the experience that we could manage regional Junior Classical League under the circumstances.”

JCL Club co-leader Nicole (JCL) convention for Southern California, went fully virtual to Austen ’21 said the most popular provide students with Classical activity at the convention is usually Certamen and said the executrivia, games, tests and more.

University High School in tion of the game was a good apIrvine hosted S.C.R.A.M. 2020, proximation for the entire event.

“I had a lot of fun playing boasting more than 20 activities during the daylong event. Certamen,” Austen said. “SomeSchools across Southern Califor- times the questions are too hard, or the virtual setting nia attended the event, makes it awkward. But which was organized this time, a lot of the through a combina[Harvard-Westlake] stution of the chat app dents were together on Discord and the vidteams, and even though eo conferencing app I ended up on a differZoom. ent team, I got to play World Languagagainst my friends. Anes Department Head swering questions corDerek Wilairat atwhite’s rectly is still satisfying, tended the conference Avery even over Zoom.” as a chaperone for the Konwiser ’22 Although limited school. Wilairat said compared to past years, the experience immersed students from the school S.C.R.A.M 2020 had activities in the larger Classics community. ranging from Mythology Bingo “It was nice to connect with to esports tournaments.

“I was surprised by how much students from other schools [and bond] over our shared study of there was to do,” S.C.R.A.M Latin and the Classics,” Wilairat attendee Avery Konwiser ’22 said. “I hope that the students said. “Since I was competing in enjoyed a bit of friendly compe- Certamen for a lot of the time [during the conference], I didn’t tition.”

While organizers tried to rec- get to do as many of the activities reate the in-person event to the as I wanted, but there were games best of their abilities, they were like Roman Jeopardy, Kahoot forced to make changes to the and academic seminars.”

Even though many of the usuconvention to ensure all of the activities could be held over Zoom. al activities were difficult to run Wilairat said the S.C.R.A.M. or- perfectly online, students and ganizers worked diligently to rep- teachers said they enjoyed the licate the traditional activities of event and made the most of it.

“I think a lot of the time bethe conference.

“It went about as well as can ing virtual can suck the life out be expected, though Certamen, of things,” Konwiser said. “But [a Latin quiz bowl-style trivia it seemed like all the people game], is probably more excit- there were genuinely having a ing in person,” Wilairat said. “In good time and able to experience person, we play the game with a what would’ve otherwise been an buzzer system. This year, it was amazing in-person event.”

A7 News

The Chronicle

Dec. 9, 2020 KACEY KIM

BAXTER CHELSOM

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KACEY KIM

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BAXTER CHELSOM

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BAXTER CHELSOM

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KACEY KIM

Finalists:

(Writing awards continued)

Classical Music: Allison Park ’21

Felicity Phelan ’21 Spoken Word

Visual Arts: Kacey Kim ’21

Film: Tara Neil ’21

Photography: Baxter Chelsom ’23

Merit:

Writing: Hannah Han ’21 Short Story

Photography: Ayden Chi ’22 Therese Enriquez ’22

Honorable Mention:

Theater: Andrea Yagher ’20

Photography: Penny Juarez ’21 Scarlett Pinkey ’22

Writing: Kieran Chung ’23 Novel

Writing: Aiko Offner ’23 Creative Nonfiction

Voice: Olivia Gubel ’21 Singer-Songwriter

Upper schoolers named as YoungArts Award recipients in multiple categories

By Becca Berlin

14 student artists secured the titles of Finalist, Honorable Mention and Merit across multiple disciplines in the National YoungArts Foundation’s annual competition for teen artists, called the YoungArts Awards.

Baxter Chelsom ’23 won a Finalist title in photography. His portfolio follows his father’s relationship with family and art.

Chelsom said he uses a camera to view these relationships from a third-party perspective.

“When I started this passion project, I personally gave [it] the title ‘Father & Family’ because of the separation the camera caused,” Chelsom said in his YoungArts artist statement. “He always had a camera in front of his face, and [in this project] I was the one with the camera in front of my face.”

Chelsom began studying photography as a freshman, building upon his background in cinematic arts. He developed his skills during his time in the Cinematic

Students to participate in poetry festival

By Melody Tang

Poetry organization Wider Than The Sky and upper school literary magazine Stone-Cutters will host a virtual workshop discussing bilingual poetry Sunday.

Wider Than The Sky hosts monthly writing workshops for students and an annual two-day festival in April. The workshop will be the third event of the year for Wider Than the Sky and their second collaboration with Stone-Cutters.

The workshop will be focused on how cultural connotations

affect the meanings of poetry and will explore what is lost and gained through translation. Students will analyze poems by Julia Alvarez, Rhinia P. Espaillat and Wang Wei. Wider Than The Sky Festival leader Joie Zhang ’22 said she was motivated by her personal background to host the workshop.

“I was inspired by the themes in Julia Alvarez’s poem ‘Bilingual Sestina,’ which is one of the poems that we will be analyzing in the workshop,” Zhang said. “I have also drawn upon my own

experiences as a bilingual second-generation Chinese American writer in the making of this workshop.”

Since Stone-Cutters and Wider Than The Sky will host the event together, Zhang said she coordinated with both groups in order to organize the workshop.

“I am one of the Wider Than The Sky Poetry Festival leaders, and I’m also an editor with the Stone-Cutters Arts Collective, so the organization of this workshop collaboration primarily consisted of me proposing this workshop idea, scheduling a time that fit

Arts Program at Millikan Middle School.

“When I’m with my camera, I’m observant, waiting for something to catch my eye,” Chelsom said in his YoungArts artist statement.

Allison Park ’21 won a Finalist title in the classical music designation. Park began playing the violin at the age of seven but switched to the viola as a sophomore.

“Since the viola is still relatively new to me, I never had the right combinations of repertoire to apply for YoungArts, but this year, especially because I had to prepare for the prescreening requirements for music conservatories, I finally was able to apply,” Park said.

Felicity Phelan ’21 won an Honorable Mention in spoken word. They focus on topics of body image and gender identity.

“I think I’m drawn to poetry for the opportunities to explore and experiment with language,” Phelan said. “I don’t play an instrument, but there’s something

“

musical about the rhythm of spoken word that really excites me.”

Visual Arts Teacher and Middle School Department Head Joe Medina works with visual arts students entering the competition, helping them construct their portfolios.

“As a teacher, it is important to keep an open mind as students bring new ideas to their projects, especially considering that YoungArts is looking for strong individual voices,” Medina said.

Beyond awards, the National YoungArts Foundation provides opportunities for youth artists to make connections to further their artistic careers and endeavors. Visual Arts Teacher Conor Thompson praised the benefits available to YoungArts Finalists.

“Finalists get to participate in National YoungArts Week, which is a program where they meet with other finalists from all over the country and participate in master classes and workshops with professional artists,” Thompson said.

I have also drawn upon my experiences as a bilingual secondgeneration Chinese American writer in the making of this workshop.”

— Joie Zhang ’22 Wider Than The Sky Festival Leader

for both the Wider Than The Sky and Stone-Cutters workshop schedules and then getting feedback from both groups of students to craft this workshop,” Zhang said.

Wider Than The Sky member Dottie Shayegan ’21 said she is looking forward to the upcom-

white’s

ing workshop.

“As I’ve helped revive Wider Than The Sky, I’ve been struck by how radically important it is,” Shayegan said. “Wider is not just a one-time experience; it’s a community, a space for student poets to write, learn and grow, a space that unites us.”

A8 News

The Chronicle

Together Once Again

Dec. 9, 2020

(Continued from A1) Prefect Council, SLIDE, Peer Support and Community Council members led students in a variety of social activities on campus in November.

HANNAH HAN/CHRONICLE

GUAC TALK: Paula Gonzalez ’21, Zane Neelin ’21, Asher Schwartz ’21 and Jake Engelberg ’21 chat on the bleachers while enjoying dinner from Chipotle Mexican Grill.

TESSA AUGSBERGER/CHRONICLE

CIRCLE UP: (Clockwise from right) Chloe Fribourg ’23, Claire Paul ’23 and Chronicle Staff Writers Becca Berlin ’23, Allegra Drago ’23 and Annabelle Nickoll ’23 catch up.

HANNAH HAN/CHRONICLE

PEACE-SUPP: (From right to left) Schwartz, Ford McDill ’21 and Neelin play a game of charades organized by their group leader on Ted Slavin Field as part of the after-school social activities.

Comic

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

The harvard-westlake

Chronicle Editors-in-Chief: Hannah Han, Ethan Lachman

Print Managing Editors: Austin Lee, Jaidev Pant, Celine Park Digital Managing Editor: Kyle Reims

Opinion The Chronicle • Dec. 9, 2020

Studio City • Volume 30 • Issue 3 • Dec. 9, 2020 • hwchronicle.com

editorial

Presentation Managing Editors: Siobhan Harms, Lucas Lee News Editors: Tanisha Gunby, Frank Jiang Assistant News Editors: Tessa Augsburger, Ava Fattahi, Sandra Koretz, Will Sheehy, Melody Tang Opinion Editor: Emma Limor Assistant Opinion Editors: Julian Andreone, Caroline Jacoby, Sarah Mittleman, Alec Rosenthal Features Editors: Ruoshan Dong, Marina Nascimento Assistant Features Editors: Milla Ben-Ezra, Kate Burry, Quincey Dern, Mia Feizbakhsh, Sophia Musante, Katharine Steers A&E Editor: Chloe Schaeffer Assistant A&E Editors: Sydney Fener, Keira Jameson, Mimi Landes, Caitlin Muñoz Sports Editor: Charlie Wang Assistant Sports Editors: Justin Goldstein, Ben Jacoby, Liam Razmjoo, Ryan Razmjoo, Amelia Scharff, Maxine Zuriff Engagement and Multimedia Editor: Marina Nascimento Photography Editors: Crystal Baik, Eugean Choi Broadcast Producers: Alex Amster, Kyle Reims, Charlie Wang Business Managers: Lucas Lee, Emma Limor Assistant Broadcast Editors: Zachary Berg, John Coleman, Ely Dickson, William Moon, Mikey Schwartz Art Director: Evie de Rubertis Junior Art Director: Alexa Druyanoff Freelance Artist: Sophia Evans Layout Assistants and Staff Writers: Grace Belgrader, Rebecca Berlin, Lucas Cohen-d’Arbeloff, Claire Conner, Natalie Cosgrove, Daphne Davie, Fallon Dern, Allegra Drago, Konnie Duan, Georgia Goldberg, Alex Hahn, James Hess, Julia Im, Jina Jeon, Paul Kugan, Lily Lee, Annabelle Nickoll, Andrew Park, Max Ruden-Sella, Leo Saperstein, Charles Seymour, William Sherwood, Josh Silbermann, Natasha Speiss, Harry Tarses, Karen Wu, Vasilia Yordanova, Emmy Zhang Advisers: Jim Burns, Max Tash Layout Assistant: Alexis Arinsburg

The Chronicle is the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School. It is published eight times per year. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial Board. Letters to the editor may be submitted to chronicle@ hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format. Advertising questions may be directed to Business Managers Emma Limor and Lucas Lee at elimor1@hwemail.com and llee3@hwemail.com, respectively. Publication of an advertisement does not imply any endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or school.

A

'Patriot Games'

ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE JACOBY

s the dust (mostly) settles after a tumultuous and divisive election season, the conversations about political division and national unity that began before have persisted. In the months leading up to the election, many voters made it clear which candidate they supported by phone-banking for their political party, posting on their Instagram stories and even wearing a mask with their candidate’s name on it. In these conversations, some claim the United States is the best country in the world and criticize others for their lack of patriotism, while some take the opportunity to point out the nation's major flaws. These discussions have only served to divide us, preventing us from engaging in meaningful dialogue.

Some in our nation hold the belief that any comment critical of our country is unwarranted.

President Donald Trump himself recently unveiled a plan for a more "patriotic" education in response to what he considered negative teachings about the history of America. The academic curriculum, he said, should focus on how "America’s founding set in motion the unstoppable chain of events that abolished slavery, secured civil rights, defeated communism and fascism and built the most fair, equal and prosperous nation in human history."

This statement paints a one-sided view of America. The U.S. does have positive aspects. According to the Human Freedom Index, the U.S. is ranked as the 15th most free country in the world; while not the best, this is a positive. We also have the highest GDP in the world, and the 2015 United Nations

Human Development Report ranked the United States eighth in its Education Index. Arguing that the country is entirely negative ignores key aspects of what makes America what it is.

On the other hand, our country has large, glaring flaws, and criticizing one’s country is not inherently non-patriotic. In fact, criticism is necessary to ensure that a nation stays in check. Countries that suppress internal criticism erase any hope of positive change while exacerbating existing negative traits.

Seeking to better one’s country is patriotic in and of itself, and acknowledging the nation’s shortcomings is an important step toward improvement.

Problems cannot and will not be fixed unless they are brought to light in the first place. These issues, from the racism ingrained in our society to economic inequality, will not just go away with time.

We must draw attention to these issues to achieve any sort of progress. Pretending they don’t exist only deepens our wounds, allowing them to fester.

As we continue to discuss the election and the fate of our nation, remember to keep everything in perspective. Patriotism should not be political. By recognizing all facets of our country, we become more empathetic and open-minded citizens, able to articulate our own viewpoints while understanding the other side.

While living in the United States has many benefits, claiming that the country is flawless is not patriotic; those who do so choose to ignore the numerous issues that plague our nation today.

Our Story

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

PUBLICATION INFO:

Founded in 1990, The Chronicle is the Harvard-Westlake Upper School’s student-led newspaper. In the midst of its 30-year anniversary, The Chronicle strives to uphold its legacy of journalistic integrity and to report stories accurately and fairly. The newspaper is published eight times per year and is distributed to students, parents, faculty and staff at the Upper School. Additionally, the paper is affiliated with two Upper School magazines, Big Red and Panorama.

EDITORIALS:

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of staffers and are written by the seniors on the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editors-in-Chief, the Managing Editors and the Section Editors.

ADVERTISING:

Questions pertaining to advertisements may be directed to Business Managers Emma Limor or Lucas Lee at elimor1@hwemail. com or llee3@hwemail.com, respectively. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or school.

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS:

Letters to the Editor may be submitted to chronicle@hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format.

We are committed to uplifting the voices of marginalized or underrepresented individuals and groups in accordance with our efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Though we always strive to be as accurate as possible, following the publication of each issue, staff members identify inaccuracies and receive feedback from readers. The Chronicle publishes corrections when we discover a factual error within a piece. We will continue to uphold transparency even in the face of mistakes.

PUBLICATION AWARDS:

- Columbia Scholastic Press Association - National Scholastic Press Association - Quill and Scroll Honor Society

- NSPA Pacemaker Winner - CSPA Gold Crown Winner

MEMBERSHIPS:

A10 Opinion

Dec. 9, 2020

The Chronicle

Same city, completely different worlds

By Milla Ben-Ezra

ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE JACOBY

A

lthough many perceive Los Angeles as a diverse and culturally welcoming city, we Angelenos face a critical problem: we are segregated into geographically distant communities based on race and socioeconomic status.

I have experienced two sides of this city myself. As an incoming freshman at the school, I was constantly faced with one question whose answer was consistently met with a blank stare and an empty, half-smiling nod: “Where did you go to school?” Before my arrival at one of the most elite private high schools in the nation, I attended a public Los Angeles Unified School District middle

school located in Los Feliz.

Considering its location, hardly anybody who asked me was familiar with my answer: Thomas Starr King Middle School.

When my classmates were asked about their alma maters, they responded with a series of private, Westside middle schools, an answer that consistently elicited a friendly response. Los Feliz was my life until then, but to my peers, it was distant and unfamiliar. In a matter of months, my life shifted from an economically and academically diverse environment to one that predominantly represents wealthy and gifted students.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles is one of the

most ethnically and socioeconomically diverse cities in America.

This considered, our state government's lack of attention toward the transportation system in the city is inexcusable. As Angelenos, our diversity is unique and is an opportunity to expose ourselves to new cultures, yet we are restricted to our own bubbles, our own geographical realities.

For instance, in a U.S. 2010 study conducted by Brown University, New York is listed as a more diverse city than Los Angeles, and New Yorkers built their subway system over a century ago. Los Angeles, on the other hand, has only begun to build its metro rail system despite its less

diverse demographics. New York’s subway system allows natives to experience cultures all around the city without the financial strain of owning a personal vehicle.

Until 30 years ago, Los Angeles made no effort to construct a system remotely similar to New York's. It is no surprise that our city is so ethnically and economically segregated; we have been decades behind in providing Angelenos with adequate resources to learn about their city.

Los Angeles has lost decades worth of opportunities for progress in cultural immersion and socioeconomic diversity. A lack of transportation resources within the past century has set us

back immensely, and students at the school experience the results of this stagnation directly. To me, Los Angeles is a city in need of a solution when facing crises such as rent fluctuations and oil drilling, issues that my peers are not directly affected by. My classmates may never experience the Los Angeles that I was accustomed to for most of my life if they are limited to their Westside bubbles. Our city's government has years of lost progress that must be made up because Los Angeles is beautiful for its cultural diversity, but our current leadership prevents us Angelenos from experiencing it.

Defining empowerment

By Kate Burry

T

ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE JACOBY

Writing in defense of democracy

By Julian Andreone

O

ur history textbooks characterize the United States government as the prime example of democracy, but if students examine its current state, they will find that Trumpian era politics embody the opposite.

With this election cycle coming to an end, we face a political crossroads. We must decide whether we will uphold our democracy or abandon it by prioritizing our individual political preferences. Our decision will echo for decades.

On Nov. 7, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was named president-elect of the United States by the vast majority of the mainstream media outlets, but Senate and White House Republicans have objected to his seemingly routine path to election. As with any presidential race, nothing is official until each state's elector certifies their vote in the Electoral College this December, but Biden appears to have conclusively won the presidency.

In past elections between a losing incumbent president and his challenger, the incumbent has shown his trust in the American democratic process by conceding in a timely manner and providing the president-elect with the necessary information for a smooth transition to the White House.

President Donald Trump, however, shows no interest in doing so.

He has made it clear in the past few weeks, and quite frankly in

the past four years, that he and his administration have no respect for our democracy or for the American people.

Trump has a history of discrediting processes that don't go his way. In 2004, Trump's show “The Celebrity Apprentice” was nominated for an Emmy and ended up losing. Trump claimed that the award show was rigged against him and that he was cheated out of an Emmy. In 2016, when national polling favored Hillary Clinton over Trump in the months leading up to the election, Trump repeatedly called the election rigged. Trump is a bona fide loser who can't stand the truth that he is the odd man out in a family full of “winners.”

Nothing changed in 2020 for Trump. He was trailing in polls leading up to the election, just as he was in 2016, and claimed once again that the election was rigged.

President Trump quickly rescinded this claim on the night of Nov. 3, when he was leading in Michigan and Pennsylvania, key swing states. The next morning, the President lost his lead in Michigan and returned to his position that the election was fraudulent. It is evident that, as far as President Trump is concerned, a contest is only fair if he emerges victorious. In other words, a process is unquestionably fixed when his ego is damaged by the results. Simply put, Trump is a reality TV star

who cannot accept reality.

Much to Trump's dismay, the presidency is not a reality TV show. In reality TV shows, one's poor decisions do not cost over 250,000 people their lives. I would remind President Trump that he is no longer starring in "The Celebrity Apprentice"; he is the President of the United States of America. President Trump, your allegiance is no longer to NBC but to the American people We cannot allow a reality TV star to distort reality itself. We cannot grant this reality show of a presidency a four year renewal.

The nation's highest office is not a platform that should be used to make fun of dead soldiers and disabled reporters. The nation's highest office is a platform that should be used to unify Americans despite their differences. As Americans, we should have more integrity than to allow our values and morals to be sullied by a racist bully.

We, the American people, have spoken. We have chosen Joe Biden as our next president. This decision is not a matter of opinion or option but one of fact. Regardless of our political affiliations or preferences, we must uphold the democracy that our founding fathers fought so valiantly to obtain by standing up for the voices of Americans who cannot stand up for themselves. They must be heard, and they will be heard.

o a certified feminist seven days a week, the lyrics of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s hit “WAP” (an acronym for “Wet Ass P**** ”) invite the discussion of modern day female empowerment and whether “WAP” is an example of it.

For context, “WAP,” a song recently released by two prominent female rappers, sparked perplexing controversy across the internet for its explicit language and the allegedly self-objectifying tone attributed to its lyrics and music video. Some Americans were enraged by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's open expression of their sexual preferences and encounters, though countless songs performed by male rappers use the same language without criticism. In a male-dominated industry within a patriarchal society, some find it abhorrent for women to embrace their sexualities without filters, while others think it is revolutionary.

Not only does the rap industry favor male performers, but it also consistently dehumanizes women. In 2001, sociologists Charles E. Kubin and Ronald Weitzer investigated the prevalence of misogyny in a large sample of hip hop and rap songs: 49% included shaming and name-calling in their lyrics, 67% sexually objectified women and 18% described acts of violence against women.

Instead of perpetuating this cycle of degradation, WAP encourages women to shift power from men to themselves, break glass ceilings and find success despite societal obstacles. The song itself is an example of this; Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion broke records with its release, reaching No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts and being labeled one of the most successful collaborations in history by the magazine.

Teenage girls particularly feel the effects of societal efforts to shame women for unfiltered self-expression in this age of social media. With the rise of platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, photos and videos have become a prominent medium for social exchanges and interactions. Unfortunately, many girls

face harassment such as “slutshaming” for posting photos of their faces or bodies. Many girls post revealing content with the intention of conveying their confidence or showing off a hardearned body. Some falsely argue that in these posts, women render their objectification permissible.

Many girls' beach posts on social media include comments saying denigrating things like “women are objects” or “this is why I’m never having a daughter.” In a world that sets impossibly high beauty standards for the female gender, women with strong selfconfidence are rare occurrences.

The argument that women who post revealing photos or sing about sex are permitting men to see them as objects is an understandable consequence of the current societal and gender norms. However, this line of reasoning is invalidated when one considers it alongside the fact that women have been objectified since the beginning of human society, regardless of how they present themselves. The difference, therefore, between empowerment and objectification is who is in the position of power. If someone speaks about a woman's body as though it were a piece of meat, that’s objectification. If a woman speaks about her own body or shows it out of pride, that’s empowerment.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion wrote a song that took a stand against the sexualization and objectification of women.

Teenage girls frequently reclaim their confidence in a society that constantly deems them unsatisfactory by posting photos in which they feel beautiful. Under no circumstances do either of these forms of self-expression warrant the objectification of women. In both situations, women empower themselves by taking the predicates used by society to demean them and rendering them powerless.

Both WAP and the rise of social media give all women, especially girls born in Generation Z, a chance to fight back against our patriarchal society and to take control of their bodies, sexualities and beauty.

hwchronicle.com/opinion

Dec. 9, 2020

Opinion A11

When home-work doesn't work

By Sarah Mittleman

W

hen the news first broke that school would continue online for the next two weeks, sounds of joy and excitement echoed across campus.

Students lugged their textbooks home, eager for a much-needed break.

Now, in hindsight, we all recognize that this was false hope.

Clearly, quarantine was not a twoweek-long novelty. Online school has not been the restful alternative many of us imagined; rather, classes have been more mentally exhausting than ever before.

It is not uncommon to hear the grumbling of teachers describing their disdain for Zoom classes.

Technology issues have wreaked havoc on many a lesson, internet problems sometimes find teachers locked out of their own classrooms and that pesky mute button seems to have a mind of its own.

The problem comes in the contradictory assumption that, even though these problems are widespread, they don’t affect students severely.

Online school is drastically different from what we’re used to. However, that doesn’t make it any less rigorous. Just like before, students are being assigned challenging work, waking up early to complete it and facing mental health problems from excessive stress. The only distinction is that students are doing all of this inside their homes.

For some students, online school means spending all day in an environment that isn’t conducive to work. Not everybody has a household with swift internet access, spacious rooms and a quiet ambiance. Requesting that students move to an area of the house with a different background, for example, may seem innocuous; however, it can actually be unintentionally hurtful or embarrassing. When demands pile up, soon students are being asked to purchase new headphones, fix their wireless router and remove their background noise.

Because we are not on campus, we have to make do. We cannot seek perfection, and we especially

T

here is a social phenomenon called the “Tall Poppy Syndrome.” It's the tendency for humans to criticize high achievers, hoping to pull them down. The name originates from the farming practice of cutting down poppies that grow too fast, deviating from the norm. They become too tall for their own good. Often, this can be observed by our love of watching the toppling of the rich and famous from their glorious perches.

But this simple definition ignores a key component: the element of threat. While the farmer may cut all poppies that grow too tall, humans don’t. We only tear down those we believe threaten our physical, mental or social stations. Consider the perceived threats to the latter two worlds in regards to the college admissions process in an era of online learning.

cannot expect everybody to provide it.

It can be easy to lose concentration during Zoom meetings. Assuming that students will produce the same quality of work online as in-person is wishful thinking–– there are too many distractions at home to expect constant, razorsharp focus.

Students cannot spend an entire 75-minute period taking notes, especially without a break.

Similarly, assigning multiple long homework assignments negatively impacts students’ mental health.

Online school may seem easy, but when every class has the same high expectations, the work gets overwhelming.

When students face family and mental health issues, they may not reach out for extensions for fear of unsympathetic responses. Although many teachers encourage students to come forward, others can be unforgiving. Either way, no student

should feel obligated to describe their situation in detail to receive these accommodations.

Teachers occasionally discuss mental health with their classes through polls and surveys, which give them insight into the mindset of their students. When paired with a change in the curriculum, this can be a fantastic way to help.

However, there is a recurring phenomenon in which the teacher displays sympathy and then continues assigning rigorous and imposing work. The fact of the matter is that discussing students’ mental health

issues in class is not extremely helpful unless teachers choose to take action. Asking students to describe their feelings, being met with words such as “exhausted,” “sad” or “stressed” and then immediately discussing an upcoming project benefits nobody.

Teachers should show that they care, and conversations about mental health can be valuable. Worse than ignoring students’ responses is ignoring the topic altogether.

But as it stands, these polls may be more of an attempt at virtue signaling than a way for teachers to understand their students.

After receiving this feedback, teachers should take initiative; for example, some teachers have already elected to assign more asynchronous work. Others have been trying out podcasts and audiobooks to mix things up. With these small changes, classes become less burdensome and more interesting.

Actions always speak louder than words; instead of simply discussing mental health broadly, teachers might give rest days and allot time to do homework in class— things that significantly help a student balance their time.

Teachers must do more than be understanding: they need to facilitate change. It’s not enough to express sympathy if the words are void of meaning.

Some classes have come close to mastering this, with teachers altering the class schedule every once in a while. For others, the disconnect is still there.

Of course, assignments can’t always be changed at the drop of a hat, especially when they’re planned out weeks in advance. This school will always be challenging, and students do not expect teachers—especially those who teach Advanced Placement and Honors courses—to completely alter their classes. All we ask is that, alongside the sympathy that so many teachers have given, change is made when it’s necessary.

A key factor in discussing is also listening, and students’ voices deserve to be heard.

Online school has exacerbated a culture of self-consciousness. High school itself is a period of self-doubt and fear for many students; add in the aspect of isolation, and these feelings are only strengthened. I have talked to many classmates recently about their mental health and have been told many times that online learning has increased their anxiety. I believe this is because we are naturally prone to feelings of inadequacy.

In his book "Sapiens," Yuval Harari writes that humankind’s rapid ascent to the top of the food chain prevented us from properly adapting to our new position: “Having so recently been the underdogs of the savannah, we are full of fears and anxieties over our position.”

Why has online learning heightened these sensitivities within some of us? Consistent contact with others creates

an escape from the constant misleading interrogation of our mind in the manner of Harari’s food chain hypothesis. By engaging with classmates, teachers and friends, we are awakened to a reality where we are loved, valued and affirmed. When we retreat to a corner of our room for most hours of our days and only occasionally see peers, our sense of reality becomes tainted.

We do not receive the attention, care and assurance that we usually get, and we begin to fall back into feeling like “underdogs of the savannah.”

With these heightened feelings, our sense of threat to our social and mental world has greatly increased. College, as usual, has become a major player in our lives. Add the forces of isolation and college rumination, and you get a student who almost becomes their favorite college. I understand that this is

ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE JACOBY

Should the school scale back its intensity and rigor in light of the pandemic?

Yes: 79.5% No: 20.3% *163 students polled

"If the school could find a way to maintain the quality of our education but reduce the intensity of our workload in light of the pandemic, I think it would be beneficial to a lot of students."

Ariana Azarbal ’22

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ARIANA AZARBAL

Samantha McLoughlin ’21 "School should shift towards more, low pressure assignments like projects and homework rather than fewer, higher pressure assignments like tests."

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF SAMANTHA MCLOUGHLIN

"I think teachers should be understanding of the difficulties people are having right now and accommodate them, and maybe lower the academic rigor a bit, but not extremely."

Jack Moreland ’23

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JACK MORELAND

not a new occurrence; every year there are seniors who begin to lose a sense of self in the college process. But this year it exists to a much greater extent.

This year, it is incredibly hard to escape the notion that you are your favorite college because we lack the quantity and quality of social interactions to awaken us to reality. On many occasions, I’ve seen classmates, and even friends, take out their poppy clippers and rabidly attack each other behind their backs because they are applying to the same school. The perceived threat is heightened this year, as a fellow applicant may no longer merely decrease your chances at a school—in the minds of some seniors, it may endanger who they are.

Now, I'm not accusing the entire senior class of such a mindset; most of the people I know have not exhibited this

behavior. In fact, I don’t even want this to be perceived as an attack on any members of our school community. Instead, I simply seek to raise awareness about a phenomenon that I have seen occur relatively frequently so that we can understand it and combat it with empathy.

I would like all of us to remember not to be celebratory at the expense of others. Try to refrain from boasting on social media—asserting your position at the top of the food chain. Let us recognize that for many in our community, this year has been incredibly difficult, and pouring salt on these wounds, even unintentionally, could cause harm to your classmates.

And to those of us who are not accepted to our first choice institution, instead of chopping down the tall poppies in our community, let’s water them and encourage their growth.

Community The Chronicle • Dec. 9, 2020

COVID-19 cases surge in L.A. City

By Josh Silbermann

A recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County has led to more restrictions for citizens and local businesses, especially restaurants.

The United States leads the world in total cases and deaths, and the rate of new cases is on the rise, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Los Angeles has also seen a spike in cases, causing the County to announce Dec. 2 that gatherings of people outside of immediate households are prohibited with the exception of religious services and protests.

Studio City resident Gemma Lippman ’22 said she has not noticed an influx in COVID-19 cases in Studio City but has seen people who have not obeyed the stay at home order.

“From what I’ve seen, COVID-19 in Studio City hasn’t been too bad since its mostly residential, but it’s definitely getting worse in other places,” Lippman said. “Although I saw there was a stay at home order, it doesn’t feel like people have been following it.”

5,025 new cases were reported

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

SPREADING COVID-19: The city of Los Angeles has undergone another rise in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. L.A. hospitals are currently seeing an increase in patients suffering from the illness. In addition, the city has implemented further restrictions on outdoor dining and non-essential businesses. in Los Angeles County on Dec. 3, adding to the total case count of 415,805 and potentially raising the death toll above the 7,782 deaths already reported. Overall, cases are up 8.6% from last week, and deaths are up 2.3%, The Weather Channel reported.

According to ABC7 News, cases are projected to double in the next two weeks, and as a result, officials have urged residents not to hold large gatherings on holidays and to temporarily cease

traveling. These requests may continue through Christmas, the New Year and potentially beyond, depending on case rates.

In response to the rapid growth rate of new cases, Los Angeles County announced a curfew Nov. 21, banning people from leaving their homes from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. In addition, the county shut down in-person dining for three weeks Nov. 25.

Restaurants will still be allowed to provide takeout, drive-thru and delivery.

Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill in Studio City is a common lunch spot among students.

However, due to the ban on in-person dining, the restaurant has moved some of their chairs and tables to the back of the building. They will still continue to provide food by takeout and delivery services.

Studio City resident Derek Schneider ’22 said he has frequently ordered a lot of food to his house during the pandemic and will continue to do so to pro-

tect his own health and to help out local restaurants.

“There are many great local food options, and I would hate to see them shut down,” Schneider said. “Delivery is a great way to support the local restaurants with low risk of getting the virus.”

So far, LA County officials have not announced that they will force the closing of other small businesses, but there will be capacity limits, social distancing and a mask mandate.

Students organize, participate in community volunteer initiatives

By Daphne Davies

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BAXTER CHELSOM

SANDY DAYS: SoCal Beach Cleanup organized several beach clean-up initiatives taking part throughout several Los Angeles County beaches.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BAXTER CHELSOM

HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT: Upper schoolers donning gloves and masks throw out bags filled with litter on the shoreline of the beach.

In light of Thanksgiving, the upcoming holiday season and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, students and clubs are making an effort to give back to their communities.

Some students are adapting and postponing their community service projects, moving them toward the winter holidays due to COVID-19 concerns and rising case numbers in Los Angeles.

Plus One, a student-run club that focuses on mental health and grief, hosted speakers from the Violence Intervention Program (V.I.P.), an organization that works to aid child survivors of violence and assault, during a Zoom meeting Nov. 18.

“As a club that deals with mental health and trauma, it was an eye-opening experience to learn about what V.I.P. does,” Plus One co-president Lola Cortez ’22 said. “V.I.P spoke to us about an array of volunteering opportunities.”

Cortez said she was moved by the work V.I.P does in Los Angeles.

“Plus One had the pleasure of hosting V.I.P,” Cortez said. “V.I.P is an LA-based organization that for the last 30 years has offered asylum and treatment for victims of violence and assault.”

One such opportunity is V.I.P.’s “Santa’s Workshop” pro-

gram, in which volunteers either virtually select gifts for the children V.I.P. works with or wrap gifts in person. Members of Plus One also have the opportunity to partake in V.I.P.’s virtual mentoring and tutoring program.

Other student-run organizations at the school are engaging in community service projects in anticipation of the winter season. SoCal Beach Cleanup, a student-led environmental club that organizes cleanups at Los Angeles beaches and spreads environmental awareness, plans to give back this Thanksgiving and holiday season.

SoCal Beach Cleanup co-president Thea Pine ’23 said the club hopes to host at least one beach cleanup day before winter break but will adjust in accordance with COVID-19 concerns and an uptick in cases in Los Angeles County, as reported by the Los Angeles Public Health Department.

As holiday shopping begins, the club is also aiming to support small businesses by posting short, informative videos about eco-friendly brands on its Instagram account.

“With the pandemic, it is important to not undermine the justice our environment deserves,” Pine said. “We plan to spread awareness through social media, host cleanups when safe and educate people on the importance

of our environment and how to make a positive impact on it.”

Bear Boxes, a school club that aims to donate necessities to orphanages and schools, will host its first fundraiser Dec. 5, organized by co-presidents Julianna Ross ’22 and Kendra Ross ’23.

Club members plan to collect items including blankets, books, toys and school supplies directly from donors’ houses and give them to the Los Angeles Orphanage Guild.

“All children are entitled to a carefree childhood,” Julianna Ross said. “It is vital that we not only support our elders, but [also] our own generation.”

Kendra Ross said that the pandemic has placed an added strain on the orphans the Orphanage Guild serves.

“These circumstances lead to more orphans having very scarce resources,” Kendra Ross said.

“I think it is essential to spread kindness and give to other children who aren’t as fortunate.”

Julianna Ross also encouraged others to help in their own communities due to the stress and burden that the pandemic has caused on others.

“Especially with COVID-19, we hope to make numerous kids live more freely and comfortably,” Julianna Ross said. “It is vital that we not only support others, but, more in particular, also support our own generation.”

Features The Chronicle • Dec. 9, 2020

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ANNABEL ZIMMER

By Milla Ben-Ezra Wildfires blazed across California, torching over 2.1 million acres of land in 2020 alone. The year’s hurricane season consisted of 30 named hurricanes, greater than any year in history. Global sea levels are rising around 3.3 millimeters annually, threatening millions along coastal cities. The United Nations now forecasts over 200 million climate migrants by 2050.

Since his presidential inauguration in 2016, Donald Trump and his administration have left the Paris Climate Agreement, opened up federally protected land to oil drilling and filled countless governmental seats with known climate change deniers. As human industrialization heightens the damaging effects of climate change, the incoming Biden administration must face the effects of global warming, as its actions and legislative initiatives in the coming years will determine the fate of the planet.

Environmental Club leader Helen Graham ’21 said she understands the urgency of this crisis and believes that the longer the Biden administration takes to implement environmental changes, the greater the consequences will be.

“As a lot of our generation is aware, environmentally, things really are not looking good,” Graham said. “Climate change is currently a problem, and it’s getting to be an even bigger problem.

And if we don’t start making changes now, those changes will become increasingly hard to make, if not impossible.”

Graham said that when Joe Biden comes into power, she hopes to see a transition to clean energy usage and a distancing from the utilization of coal and oil for energy, and said that for her, it is critical for large fossil fuel corporations, such as ExxonMobil and Chevron, to take responsibility for the carbon emissions they produce.

“I get frustrated when a lot of environmental change gets put on everyday people rather than big corporations,” Graham said. “Though switching from a plastic straw to [a] paper straw helps the environment, oil and coal and fuel companies are causing a great deal of the problem, so people shouldn’t feel that it’s only on them to change their lifestyles.

These companies have to take responsibility for the damage they’ve made.”

Like Graham, Environmental Club co-leader Maya Mathur ’22 said she be-

lieves it is essential to hold corporations lot of oil and coal companies have startaccountable for their carbon dioxide ed to fund certain politicians in their emissions and that these companies races to power. Those politicians become must be regulated to prevent further incentivized to pass regulations that bendamage. Mathur also said she was great- efit those companies that funded their ly disappointed that during the Trump campaigns. Now, suddenly, we have administration, people in power made politicians in office that have a difficult many inaccurate claims about climate time passing regulations against carbon change. Mathur said this is exemplidioxide emissions.” fied, for instance, when Trump publicly As a Hub Leader of the Sunrise Movedenounced global warming’s legitimacy ment in Los Angeles, Geffen student because daily weather was particularly Simon Aron ’24 said he felt disheartcold on a given day. ened by the fact that Trump discredited “The Trump administration hasn’t been science by overlooking the consequences acknowledging what climate change of climate change and disregarding really is and its really massive effects, and its detrimental effects on the human putting [those ideas] into the heads of population. The Sunrise Movement, a people youth-led, who American are less political educated movement or do working Climate change is not have to comaccess to bat global currently a problem, and it’s proper warming, environis best getting to be an even bigger mental known for problem. And if we don’t eduits massive cation push for start making changes now, [and] progressive, making legislative those changes will become them programs, [think such as the increasingly hard to make, if that] Green New climate Deal. not impossible.” change is “Someless of a thing that – Helen Graham ’21 pressing was really issue hard for than it me to see really is was when was very Trump irresponsible,” Mathur said. came to California during the AP Environmental Science wildfires and met with the teacher Nadine Eisenkolb said scientists, and it was so obvious she, too, felt a sense of disappointpeople were dying, houses were ment with the lack of care for the burning, there was smoke everyplanet that has been on display where, nobody could breathe and during the Trump adminisTrump said, ‘science doesn’t know,’” tration. Eisenkolb said that Aron said. “He was there, he saw because climate change is that people were suffering and he such a large-scale issue, it still totally ignored these human will take mass, corporate experiences.” change to solve it.

Looking forward to Biden’s presi“When the governdency, Mathur, Graham and Aron ment steps in, a probsaid they are fearful that Biden will lem occurs because not prioritize climate change and oftentimes politireduce national carbon emissions in cians are funded by order to appease large energy corporawealthy companies,” tions and his political opposition. Aron Eisenkolb said. “A said he hopes to see Biden reverse some

“

of the Trump administration’s damaging policies.

“I think Biden will be able to re-enter the Paris Agreement,” Aron said. “I’m really worried though because there’s a history in Democratic politics of presidential candidates building up large coalitions and then winning and not fulfilling any promises, unless we push [them] like crazy. [I am concerned that] Biden will forget that it was young people and people of color who fought for him, and now he must fight for them.”

Environmental Club member and activist Idalis McZeal ’23 said she hopes to see Biden prioritize people of color when tackling the climate crisis.

“I’m half Black, a quarter Mexican and a quarter white, so my family did vote for Biden because he promised to prioritize helping communities of color, [who] in the past haven’t been at the forefront of environmental justice, though they are the most affected by environmental inequalities,” McZeal said. “Fracking on reservations and concentrating communities of color in places where pollution is higher is just really common in this nation. People in Detroit, Ohio [and] Memphis are chronically ill due to living in highly polluted areas and near toxic facilities.”

McZeal said she hopes people will make their voices heard and will push Biden out of leniency and towards critical, systematic environmental justice.

“You can call your local representatives and encourage them to push for environmental justice, which voices your concerns to people who have control and tells them what is important to you,” McZeal said. “Signing petitions and participating in protests are also great ways to get your voice heard.”

Aron said that although the effects of climate change have enormous repercussions, he hopes people will understand global warming’s direct effects on their own lives. Aron said this issue is not a matter of politics, but one of life or death.

“Our lives are on the line, and corporations and elites have given us a dying world,” Aron said. “A lot of people on the front lines, especially Black people and Indigenous people, are suffering right now from the effects of climate change. It’s a fight for our lives, and it’s just scary. We’re seeing that politicians and mega-corporations just don’t care, and we need to act now.”

“I’m really interested in environmental activism and also implementing change within the school. [The Environmental Club has started] to transition the school into using less plastics—we got rid of plastic water bottles in the cafeteria which is super exciting. We’re working on re-doing the landscaping on making it more environmentally friendly. Implementing changes within the school, especially under a government that was sort of in denial of climate change, is really important to us.” ­­—­Maya Mathur ’22 PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MAYA MATHUR

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

B2 Features

Dec. 9, 2020

The Chronicle

On Native Land

By Tessa Augsberger 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave. in Studio City, California is the ancestral territory of the Chumash, Tongva, Fernandeño Tataviam and other Native American peoples, according to Native Land Digital. Now, it is the site of the Harvard-Westlake Upper School, where 12 students out of 1,624 self-identify as Native American, according to Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Janine Jones.

November was National Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate Native American cultures and acknowledge the contributions Native Americans have made to the development of the United States. Although the holiday was

established in 1990 under former President George H.W. Bush, Native Americans have advocated for similar forms of recognition for over a century.

In Los Angeles County today, 1.4% of the population identifies as “American Indian and Alaska Native alone,” which is 0.5% higher than the national percentage of 0.9%, according to the U.S. Census. Director of Admissions Aaron Mieszczanski said self-identifying Native American students make up less than 1% of the student body.

He said the admissions department aspires to match the diverse makeup of the county in the students they admit but are limited by admissions factors such as the composition of the applicant pool.

“I [would not] imagine in years past we’ve been much higher than [0.7%],” Mieszczanski said. “I think as a rule of thumb for us, and what we kind of aim for, is to be representative of what Los Angeles County looks like [...] We’re not the only institution or school that would love to be more representative of many different backgrounds, but we’re sort of in line with what’s represented within the county. The other interesting thing, too, is that there are the numbers that represent the county, and then there’s the number of people that have school-age children, and then the number of people that are interested in an experience like [attending Harvard-Westlake], the number of people who apply and then the number of people who get in. That’s not a very big number [to begin with] for that population, and then it gets smaller and smaller and smaller.”

Mieszczanski said the admissions department strives to make those from marginalized groups feel welcome at the school.

“When we do see people who are applying [to the school] who are from really underrepresented

1 133 in

students at the school identify as

Native American

backgrounds, we pay attention to that,” who was surprised by [the image] later Mieszczanski said. “That’s not only Na- ends up thinking about it more, that’s tive American families, but that’s people not a bad thing. That probably is somefrom all different kinds of backgrounds thing that needed to happen.” who we want to feel like this is their Several English teachers include home, too.” works by Native American authors such Since she started working at the as U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo in their school two years ago, English teacher poetry and short story units. Students Dara Weinberg ’00 has included a land enrolled in English III: The Living acknowledgment, which is a written American Odyssey and English III: The recognition of both the ancestral history Living American Revolution, coursand the current claims to the land, in es offered to juniors, have read “There her class syllabi every year. She said the There” by Tommy Orange, a member incorporation of land acknowledgments of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of has become more common as a result of Oklahoma, since the 2019-20 school the school’s anti-racism initiative, which year. the administration accelerated over the Josephine Amakye ’21 read “There summer. Weinberg said she spoke to be- There” in her English class last year. In tween 20 and 40 faculty members for a phone interview, she said the book feedback on the land acknowledgment opened her eyes to the extent to which she wrote this year. However, she said Native Americans are underrepresented her current version is incomplete and in many aspects of society. would require direct communication “I don’t think I know someone who with leaders of California Native Amer- identifies as part of the Native Ameriican tribes can commuin order nity at Harto be truly vard-Westlake finished. or [outside of We don’t focus on their perspective. “ I the school],” We kind of just focus on the fact that think it Amakye said. can take a “We don’t fothey were people who lost their land. while for cus on their It’s just repetitive, the way we cover people to perspective. them. That’s the same story we keep become We kind of comfor tjust focus on telling: they lost land, we settled on able with the fact that their land, it sucks, but we move on. making they were peot h e s e — Josephine Amakye ‘21 ple who lost s t a t e their land. It’s ments, just repetitive, and maythe way we be there’s a fear of, ‘Am I going to say cover them. That’s the same story we it wrong?’” Weinberg said. “But I’ve keep telling: they lost land, we settled also come to believe that, especially this on their land, it sucks, but we move on. year, silence in and of itself can be a kind Reading [“There There”] was definitely of violence or a kind of mistake. So, I the first time that any lesson has acthink it can be important to say some- knowledged the Native American comthing […] I think that that’s better than munity from their perspective and not trying to get it perfect. The next best from our projections on them.” thing would be engaging directly with According to the school’s website, California Native American tribes, but there are no affinity groups for Native that would be a much longer process, American students, alumni or parents and that’s something I hope the school out of the school’s 26 student, alumni will do at some point.” and parent affinity groups. HowevEarlier this year over Zoom, Wein- er, the lack of representation for those berg asked her students to find out who identify as Native American is not which Native American tribes have a limited to the school, but applies to the land claim to cities they are familiar country as a whole. with. After Weinberg posted an image “I don’t think we’re ever really satisthat stated, “We are on Native land” fied with representation [in the admisto her class’s Hub page, the image was sions department],” Mieszczanski said. criticized on the @wokeathw Instagram “We’re proud of the work that we’ve account. done […] [But,] we’re never really satis“It’s interesting that to some mem- fied. I think the group of kids and fambers of our community, this actually ilies who identify as Native American or might appear surprising,” Weinberg American Indian are just so underrepsaid. “These small gestures can have a resented, probably across almost anylarge impact, sometimes in ways you thing. If they’re counted for something, might not expect. But if that student they’re drastically underrepresented.”

“

Illustration by siobhan harms

B3 Features

The Chronicle

Dec. 9, 2020

Making Herstory Community members reflect on the progress of women in politics on the 100 year anniversary of female suffrage and the election of the next Vice President, Kamala Harris.

By Kate Burry

admired or seen as neutral in male politicians are reviled in women politicians. This is really visible fter days of eagerly awaiting the results of the when we consider how women politicians are treated election, Matthew Lee ’21 jumped off his in the media: judged on their looks [and] criticized couch when he heard CNN’s Wolf Blitzer for behavior that would be unremarkable in men.” announce that Kamala Harris had been elected as According to a report published by the Pew ReAmerica’s next vice president. A former volunteer for search Center, the majority of American believe that her presidential campaign, Lee said he was ecstatic to women face more obstacles than men when running see his role model earn such an important position. for high political offices. Many of them say some of “She couldn’t have been more deserving of this, the most prominent reasons for this disadvantage and I know she will work hard to pave the way for are that women face gender discrimination, are less more women and minorities to get into positions likely to garner the same amount of support as men of power,” Lee said. “Kamala is tough, fearless and from party leaders and often must prove themselves principled, and to see her exhibit those qualities on a to a higher extent than men. 42% of Americans national stage will encourage more young women to believe that another cause of the political gender gap develop those qualities.” is that many young women are not encouraged from For many women and people of color, Kamala a young age to aspire for high positions in political Harris’s rise to power is a milestone in the movement leadership. This breach in confidence in young girls for gender and racial equality, as she is both the can affect them later on in life as they are trained first female and first person of color to serve as vice to settle for less, whether it be in politics or in their president. home life, according to Forbes contributor Margie Despite comprising over half of the American Waller. population, women only make up about a quarter of EMPOWER Club leader Olivia Smith ’21 said the elected officials in Congress and less than half of she and other members of the student-led organizamayors, governors and state officials across the coun- tion aim to help teenage girls learn to overcome detry, according to the Center for American Women grading, societally-inflicted biases before they reach and Politics. professional life.

Gabby Odoom “Women and girls “Young women, and all women, need to ’21 said Harris’s have been taught to recent election is belittle themselves know that their voice matters. Diversity especially monuin the same manner isn’t important because it makes us feel mental as a step men belittle them,” better. It’s important because it makes us toward breaking the Smith said. “Inspirsystemic barriers for ing young girls to do better.“ women of color in that narrative is —Dee Dee Myers fight leadership. vital if we hope to see First Female White House Press Secretary more equal represen“I think a lot of women of color tation in leadership in particular have been waiting to see this kind of positions in every field in the future. By recognizing representation in government leadership for a really, the power of strong women, we hope to inspire the really long time,” Odoom said. “Kamala gives me women of the school community to be confident hope that women of color can surmount societal and assertive leaders.” barriers like sexism and racism.”

Smith also said girls must learn their worth and As the first woman to serve as the White House value, which is a development often hindered by the Press Secretary, Dee Dee Myers (Stephen Purdum idea imposed on young women that their power is ’22) said she has witnessed women make immense derived from their physical appearance. This idea strides in the political world throughout her career. dates back to the 18th century feminist Enlight“A lot has changed since my first political conenment thinker Mary Wollstonecraft, yet it still vention in 1984, when Geraldine Ferraro became maintains its relevance in society. the first woman to be nominated to a national “I think they would be concerned about the ticket,” Myers said. “We have a woman Speaker pressure society puts on girls and women to look a of the House, more women in Congress than at certain way—the ‘beauty myth’ as [feminist author any time in our history, four women on the U.S. and journalist] Naomi Wolf described it—that imSupreme Court, more women serving as governors poses unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards on and in state legislatures. But as we celebrate the women,” Lane said. “This emphasis on how women 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, there are still look undermines women’s power, sense of confitoo few women at the highest levels of politics and dence and self-worth.” government.”

In 1920, America passed the 19th amendment, From Susan B. Anthony, the face of the women’s giving women the right to vote. A century later, in suffrage movement, to Hillary Clinton, the first 2020, American elected its first female Vice Presfemale presidential candidate to win the popular ident. While the constant battle for equity in the vote, women have been fighting for their rights since political sphere continues, Myers said young women America’s inception. On the 100th anniversary of especially must fight for representation in governthe 19th Amendment, it is evident the country has ment and politics, as they bring essential perspectives made progress in dismantling the American patriarwhich create impactful change. chy. History and Gender Studies teacher Lilas Lane “Young women, and all women, need to know said she believes that women have more freedom that their voice matters,” Myers said. “Diversity in this age, but they are still not treated equally isn’t important because it makes us feel better. It’s compared to men. Moreover, in politics, women face important because it makes us do better. It changes constant societal obstacles that prevent them from the conversation, opens us to new ideas and leads to reaching their full potential, she said. better outcomes. Gender and generation are hugely “In modern American society, women are not important parts of that process. Young women bring viewed the same as men, especially in spheres that their own experiences, their own perspective, their are traditionally male-dominated, politics being the own vision and values to everything they do, includmost obvious,” Lane said. “The qualities that are ing politics. And that can change the world.”

A

Illustration by Alexa Druyanoff and Siobhan Harms

B4 Features

By Ethan Lachman For Stone Kletecka ’21 and his girlfriend, their one-year anniversary came Oct. 26, but it barely resembled the celebration they envisioned at the start of their relationship. Accustomed to living within a volatile pandemic, they spent their day journeying to Laguna Beach instead of going to the Santa Monica Pier, one of their favorite spots before the shutdown.

Arriving at the shoreline, they found a place to celebrate their anniversary on a hiking trail and in an isolated alcove—places perfect for social distancing.

“It was pretty secluded, but you could see all over the city; it was really nice,” Kletecka said. “After that, we went down to Table Rock Beach. [...] There’s a big rock structure on the right hand side and on the left hand side that basically creates this ‘U shape’ around this little patch of beach. So it’s kind of like you’re on this little private island because you cannot see to your right, you cannot see to your left, and there’s just this chunk of beach that’s maybe 100 to 150 yards.”

Although the coronavirus has

The Chronicle

prevented most in-person interactions, romantic relationships remain a part of the high school experience.

Kletecka, who started dating his girlfriend months before the country shut down, said they limited their social activity primarily to the two of them at the beginning of the closures.

However, as time went on, he said their bubble has slowly increased to include a few close friends.

Because the pandemic allows them to spend more time together and forces them to think outside the box when planning activities, Kletecka said the coronavirus has, ironically, been a bit of a ‘blessing in disguise’ for their relationship.

“There’s just a lot less to do, and as a result, we’re going over to each other’s houses a lot more, just chilling at home watching movies,” Kletecka said. “It’s deceptively nice because with the new schedule and with COVID, you have all this extra time because you have less homework, so you get to hang out more often. But you don’t get to do as fun of things, so it’s bittersweet.”

Echoing Kletecka’s sentiment, Olivia Smith ’21 said the

Dec. 9, 2020

COVID-19 pandemic has allowed “There’s been times when if I go her to talk with her boyfriend more, and visit my grandparents, I have though their situation is different to quarantine for a couple weeks because they started officially dating around them,” she said. “So, obviduring quarantine. Smith said they ously, [quarantining is] still a factor, began talking and hanging out in even if you’re in a relationship, but groups before online school, which I would say just having someone to transitioned into safe and distanced talk to you, especially before school hangouts during during summer the pandemic. Towhen we were realday, Smith said I’m sure there are ly just in our houses they have their own with no interaction great people who have two-person bubble, with people our age dating apps installed as [...] It’s just nice to as she strives to take extra precautions well, but I’m skeptical of have someone to reto protect her famliably talk to.” finding a soulmate by ily members. Smith Online dating swiping left or right.” also said they have has long been an tried many outoption for people —Kacey Kim ’21 to meet each other, door activities, two of her favorites beand according to a ing an open-air aquarium and The WebMD article, dating apps have Huntington Botanical Gardens in become increasingly popular with San Marino. the onset of COVID-19. Kacey Kim “You’re pushed to do things that ’21 said she has explored online datyou wouldn’t have thought of be- ing apps as a means of making confore,” Smith said. “Because I think nections during the pandemic. if we weren’t in the middle of a pan“I downloaded Bumble on the demic and weren’t forced to expand day of my 18th birthday as a way to our ideas of what we can do to find celebrate and check things off of my safe stuff to do outside, then I don’t list that I’m allowed to do as a legal think I would have experienced ei- adult,” Kim said. “I made a profile ther of those.” just for fun and was looking for From online Netflix-partying at nothing too serious. I’m sure there the beginning of the shutdown to are great people who have dating the increased in-person hangouts apps installed as well, but I’m skepthey currently have, Smith said her tical of finding a soulmate by swiprelationship has helped her deal ing left or right.” with the isolation that often characterizes the pandemic.

• Continue reading at hwchronicle.com

“

Double Shift

By Quincey Dern And Amelia Scharff

Mexican Grill. Over the summer, he worked 30 hours a week and has since decreased his hours to 10 due to the When Zen Duruisseau ’22 want- school year. Hartmeier said that strong ed to earn her own money and gain a time management skills are crucial to deeper sense of responsibility, she took balancing school work and his job.

“It takes a lot of time management; matters into her own hands and sought out a job. She put on her suit and went I just know that I have to finish my to local establishments, speaking direct- homework before I leave for work because when I get home, I have ly to managers about hiring to go to sleep,” Hartmeier opportunities. said.

“When I went to Cold Hartmeier, who once reStone [Creamery], they ofceived a 20-person order five fered me an interview the day minutes before closing time, after, and I was hired on the said he has learned how to spot,” Duruisseau said. quickly adjust to new circumShe began her job in stances. mid-August and now works “It has taught me a lot six to 15 hours a week during white’s about adapting to situations, the school year. Though her Paisley but also the service indusjob can be difficult when inKandler ’22 try,” Hartmeier said. “I have teracting with disrespectful customers, Duruisseau said she has learned many skills that I probably learned the value of hard work and the wouldn’t learn otherwise, and [I have pride of earning money and providing learned] how to deal with different people’s needs and adapting to them.” for herself.

While Hartmeier feels safe at work, Like Duruisseau, other students at the school have jobs in public establish- he said surges of customers can create COVID-19 concerns. ments.

“I feel pretty safe because we get Out of 145 students surveyed in a Chronicle poll, 14.5% answered that health screenings and are required to they currently have jobs, and 31.7% re- wear masks,” Hartmeier said. “It does sponded that they had jobs in the past get a little stressful when there is a rush but do not at the moment. The remain- of customers because we’re one of the ing 53.8% replied that they have never only places open in Brentwood.”

While both Duruisseau and Harthad a job.

After the pandemic led to the cancel- meier hold positions in the service inlation of his crew season, Jack Hartmei- dustry, Paisley Kandler ’22, a book ener ’22 applied for a position at Chipotle thusiast, works at her local bookstore,

DIESEL. Kandler, who has been working at DIESEL for five months, said she loves her job and feels connected to her work community.

“I think the most rewarding part is sharing my favorite books with customers, especially those with nostalgia attached,” Kandler said.

“Honestly, nothing beats the days when I sell little kids their first Harry Potter book, or when I heard a mother read ‘Madeline’ to her daughter for the first time.”

Kandler said communicating with customers at DIESEL has helped develop her sense of confidence. Before her job, Kandler said phone calls were nerve-wracking for her; however, DIESEL requires her to take numerous calls. One particular call held the greatest impact, Kandler said.

“The very familiar voice on the other line said, ‘Hi, DIESEL. This is Tom Hanks,’” Kandler said. “I had a ten-minute conversation with Mr. Hanks, who was incredibly friendly.

After that moment, I was determined to get better at phone calls. I’ve become a lot more confident now and will make a call without trying to text first out of fear.”

• Continue reading at hwchronicle.com photo illustration by siobhan harms

Arts &Entertainment The Chronicle • Dec. 9, 2020

As an increasing number of streaming services emerge, consumers and industry professionals grapple with the potential consequences.

By Sydney Fener

expectations from viewers for content production.

When Netflix was originally “Although there is a greater defounded, it struggled to the point mand for more shows, which means that the company almost went bank- more deals for artists and for me, rupt. Now, just two decades later, it because the show needs to ‘hit’ so has set a worldwide trend in enter- quickly, it is very difficult for a show tainment distribution leading to the to find its legs,” Heller said. “A lot of development of over 200 streaming shows go off the air after one season. platforms. The resulting competi- So that typically means less lucrative tion between the services has culmi- deals for most artists because upnated in what has been dubbed the front fees are less per project.” “streaming wars.”

The rapidly increasing number of For actors and streaming platforms executives in the impacts not only inentertainment industry professionals With streaming but also consumers, dustry, these deservices, a consumer is Olivia Feldman ’22 velopments in the able to watch a show said. market have created shockwaves in from their phone or iPad “My family is subtheir professionscribed to most major without a need for TV.” al environment. streaming platforms, —Daniella Goldrich ’23 which is very conveWendy Heller, an entertainment lawnient because I can yer who represents usually find the movNetflix and several other produc- ies or shows I want to watch on one tion companies, said her work has of them,” Feldman said. “The fact changed significantly due to the that there are so many makes finding increase in different streaming plat- a movie more inconvenient, though, forms. and I generally have to look up which “Everyone in our industry is vast- platform it’s on because trying to find ly affected by streaming services,” a specific movie on each individual Heller said. “[The] need for content platform takes way too long.” has greatly increased, so there are History teacher Peter Sheehy many more buyers than a couple of (Assistant News Editor Will ’22, years ago, when the buyers were gen- Tate ’23) said he, too, believes that erally just the four networks: HBO, switching between so many streamShowtime and a few basic cable com- ing services can be unwieldy. panies. All of them need shows and “I can’t imagine needing any movies, so for a transactional lawyer, more platforms, and I am sure my that means a huge amount of trans- life would be fine with just Netflix actions.” and Amazon Prime Video,” Sheehy Heller also said the boom in cus- said. “I do find figuring out what tomer demand has resulted in higher platforms to search for shows a bit

“

confusing.” of numbing to watch all of those Sheehy, who said he subscribes shows in a row. There was something to six different streaming platforms, special about waiting a week to see is among the 62% of adults in the what happens. People would talk United States who subscribe to a about shows more. Now, you watch service. The average American house- them and forget them the next day,” hold is subscribed to four different Heller said. streaming platforms, and 70% of Daniella Goldrich ’23 said that American households are subscribed she agrees that the popularity of conto at least one. tent streaming has led to a more conSheehy and Feldman are not venient viewing experience. She also alone in their experiences. According said that the portability of media has to an article in The Rolling Stone, impacted consumer habits. which details how users According to Axios, teens are affected by the inspend 38% of their video conveniences of streamtime watching Netflix as oping services, many other posed to traditional TV. In consumers are dissatisfied fact, teenagers spend just 9% with how the streamof their video time watching ing industry is evolving. cable.

Others, like Aiden Schil“The most significant er ’22, said they are indifdifference between steaming white’s Olivia ferent to the changes. and TV is the portable aspect Feldman ’22 “We subscribe to Netof streaming,” Goldrich said. flix and Hulu,” Schiller “With streaming services, said. “I don’t really mind switching a consumer is able to watch a show between the two. I am definitely nos- from their phone or iPad without a talgic of the old days where Netflix need for a TV.” had everything, but I do think that In addition to the benefit of even with as many streaming ser- convenience, Westflix co-leader Tara vices as we have today, it’s better and Neil ’20 said she believes that the cheaper than what we used to have to streaming industry will encourage pay for with services like Dish.” innovation in entertainment.

The convenience of streaming “I think that the increase in services as opposed to navigating ca- streaming services is actually quite ble television or other similar services beneficial to the entertainment inis certainly a selling point, Schiller dustry,” Neil said. “The fact that said. However, Heller said the ac- there are now so many platforms to cessibility of content can be a dou- make content has only created more ble-edged sword for users. opportunities for directors, actors “It’s great in a way because we are and producers. I truly feel like the seeing so much, and there is some- movie-going industry will never go thing for everyone, and it’s on-de- away, so having so many more sermand,” Heller said. “But it’s also sort vices is a really great addition.”

illustration by sydney fener and chloe schaeffer

The Chronicle

C2 A&E

COVID-19 has put a damper on the holidays, but communities across Los Angeles County are coming together to continue holiday decoration traditions.

By Caitlin MuĂąoz

With the holidays fast approaching in the midst of a pandemic, one remnant of normalcy will be the brilliant holiday lights and decor around Los Angeles. Although the pandemic has led to the cancellation of many holiday events, communities around Los Angeles County have come together to ensure that other long-standing traditions continue to brighten the holiday season. Viewing festive light arrangements and tree lighting events is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit, so members of The Chronicle staff went searching around the city to find this season’s best and brightest holiday attractions.

For the past century, the Altadena community has come together every holiday season to bring Santa Rosa Ave. to life with over 10,000 lights. Although COVID-19 delayed the process, 2020 is no exception. Individual homes up and down Christmas Tree Lane deserve their own recognition, adorned with glowing candy canes, light-up reindeer and inflatable holiday figures. However, the most enchanting attraction, which earned the boulevard its name, is the massive array of multi-colored string lights wrapped

around the enormous deodar trees, illuminating the road for nearly a mile. These festive decorations do not disappoint, and it comes as no surprise that visiting the drive-through Christmas Tree Lane is a holiday tradition for many. This year, the experience of driving beneath the sparkling canopy will be best accompanied by holiday music and a thermos of hot chocolate.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHLOE SCHAEFFER

Dec

c. 9, 2020 hwchronicle.com/AE

A&E C3

Hastings Ranch may not be widely recognized for its festive decor, but this holiday season, the community has impressed amid the pandemic with a neighborhood-wide effort in creating what can only be described as a “winter wonderland.” At every turn of a corner lies another street of houses illuminated by enough holiday lights to double the year’s power bill, and with each new block comes a different winter theme. Many residents have taken themes and brought their front yards to life, developing scenes with Arctic animals, holiday characters and even snow-inspired props. Because the traditional walk through the neighborhood is discouraged due to COVID-19, the event is best enjoyed by taking a leisurely drive in the neighborhood, which has done an exceptional job in reigning in holiday cheer.

The Americana at Brand has always been a tried and true holiday hotspot for shopping, entertainment and winter season decor. While many of its events have been canceled this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Americana has outdone itself with its annual winter decorations, providing visitors with much-needed holiday cheer. As always, the iconic trolley is decked out in colorful garlands and ribbons, illuminated by trees and wreaths beaming with ethereal holiday lights. Perhaps the greatest attraction is the 80-foot tall white fir tree, decorated from the base all the way up to the golden star with red and gold ornaments and white lights. This stunning tree evokes amazing holiday spirit and is a must-see attraction for anyone seeking cheer during these unprecedented times.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHLOE SCHAEFFER

C4 Arts & Entertainment

Dec. 9, 2020

The Chronicle

Students from all walks of life share their unique family traditions and favorite activities to do during the holiday season.

By Sydney Fener

“My family and I like to make Borscht for the holidays. It’s an activity that takes the whole day, so it’s a good time for us to bond. It brings us together, and it’s a great way to connect with our Ukranian heritage.”

“My family celebrates Hanukkah, and one of my favorite holiday traditions is eating and making latkes, which are fried potato pancakes.

Another one of my favorite traditions during Hanukkah is playing dreidel, which is a spinning-top game.”

“My family and I get a tree every year. We have a holiday tradition where we play remixes of holiday songs on the way there and back, and at home we name the tree something cute. I also have to carry the entire tree by myself.”

Raffaella Rubenstein ’21

William Ruden-Sella ’21

“Every year I go to El Paso for Christmas to see my family, and my grandma always makes her homemade tamales. She makes her own masa and renders the fat, so it’s all made completely from scratch, and they are so good.”

“My favorite holiday tradition is skiing with my friends on Christmas Day. We all dress up as something, like a snowman, Santa or reindeer, or just put on our favorite jersey and ski from sunrise to sunset. Every year I make so many great memories.”

“No one in my family is allowed to listen to any Christmas music until the drive home from Thanksgiving dinner, when we collectively blast it on the radio. We believe celebrating the Christmas season should always come after Thanksgiving.”

Sophie Ramirez ’22

Jack Rosenberg ’23

CC Mesa ’22

Lola Cortez ’22

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SYDNEY FENER AND CHLOE SCHAEFFER

Sports The Chronicle • Dec. 9, 2020

STEALING THE

SPOTLIGHT O

9

athletic teams practice on-campus

0

performing arts returned

Photo Credits: Woo Sim Article by Justin Goldstein

from

PERFORMING ARTS

n a Wednesday afternoon, Shanti to campus in small groups for specialized Hinkin ’22 listened to a combinaservices and social-emotional wellness tion of voices that comprised the Champrograms.” ber Singers as they sang Brahms’s “Der Although many students are displeased Gang zum Liebchen.” However, this with their inability to meet in person year, something was very different: she for performing arts activities, improv was sitting alone, watching her choral performer Sophia Haynes ’22 said she members through a computer screen. This has enjoyed her experience on Zoom and is because choir, along with every other does not feel a rush to go back to campus. performing arts ensemble and student-led “We finished the school year doing group except for sports teams, has not [improv] online and even had a show been allowed to convene on campus due through Zoom,” Haynes said. “I thought to the pandemic. Hinkin said she feels that improv wasn’t really affected as much frustrated by the school’s decision to not as I expected it to be when we switched allow choir to rehearse in person. from in-person to online. Everything “I’m aware these decisions aren’t entirely was super doable and still fun online, up to Harvard-Westlake and that they are so I think it’s fair that we’re not the top decided by the county in many ways, so priority in terms of activities returning to this isn’t me being upset with administracampus.” tors,” Hinkin said. “That being said, it Chamber Singers Vice President Billy is definitely hard Johnson ’22 to see athletes said he feels practicing when choir has been “It’s super difficult to wrap my head arts isn’t, mostly less enjoyable around any child’s joy being weighted just because I’m on Zoom. heavier than another’s.” jealous and want “Choir has to be pursuing been a frac—Shanti Hinkin ’22 what I love while tion of what Chamber Singer it should be my classmates get to pursue what because the lag they love.” makes it impossible for us all to sing toHinkin reflected on her inability to fully gether, which really sucks because one of engage in her passion, while athletes get my favorite aspects about choir is hearing to participate in their sports. satisfying harmonies just really settle into “This isn’t the first time athletics has place,” Johnson said. been put before arts in terms of fundBecause of rising coronavirus cases, ing or resources, which definitely doesn’t Johnson said no activities should be held make this feel any better,” Hinkin said. on campus right now.

“It’s super difficult to wrap my head “Frankly, I don’t think that any activiaround any child’s joy being weighted ties should really be allowed to meet in heavier than another’s, especially because person just because of how severe the arts play a big role in everyone’s life just as virus is getting, but if sports meet the remuch as sports do.” quirements, choir definitely should too,” Unfortunately for non-athletes, the Johnson said. “I absolutely think that guidelines issued by the Los Angeles choir could adhere to the social distancCounty Department of Public Health ing guidelines if only the administration (LADPH) have made it difficult for stuwould let us.” dent groups to convene on campus. Head Members of sports teams share a of Communications and Strategic Initiadifferent perspective on why they are altives Ari Engelberg said county guidelines lowed to meet on campus whereas other are a major reason for the decision to only student groups cannot. bring sports back to campus.

Wide receiver Alex Mogollon ’22 said “The Los Angeles County Departit is easier for teams to adhere to COment of Public Health issues guidance VID-19 guidelines than the arts. to schools about the activities that are al“I think that when considering sports, lowed on campus during the pandemic,” we usually practice in a large open area, Engelberg said. “Currently, LADPH has which gives us a lot of flexibility to allowed youth sports activity and has also practice safely, whereas that might be allowed schools to bring students back more difficult for performing arts,” Mo-

gollon said. “Especially at the stage that we’re at now, without contact, we take extra precautions to ensure we maintain COVID-19 guidelines. In my mind, for performing arts, whether it be singing, dancing or theatre, it would probably be more difficult than football to maintain those same guidelines.”

Varsity Cross Country runner India Spencer ’21 has had her athletics and other extracurriculars affected in both regards, as her cross country team is allowed to practice on campus, while her Peer Support group is not. Spencer said she believes if teams can practice, then her student-led group should be allowed to convene in person as well.

“I think that Peer Support should be allowed to meet on campus when there are countless teams practicing together on campus right now,” Spencer said. “Also, a lot of those teams do not take the COVID-19 guidelines seriously, which is even more frustrating because that is what is causing us to not be able to do more things on campus.”

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, there is no telling the future for in-person

athletics, as President Rick Commons stated in an email Nov. 18, when the school shut down all on-campus activities until Dec. 4. However, Hinkin said she feels the arts should be taken into further consideration.

“I knew everyone wanted to have their turn living normal life, but it was just a shock seeing how normal life is for some people,” Hinkin said. “Frankly, I was jealous. I was hurt. And I hope the administration will be our advocate as much as they can as soon as possible.”

D2 Sports

inbrief

Dec. 9, 2020

The Chronicle Covid-19 Update

Twins to join Princeton field hockey team in 2022 Twins Bella Ganocy ’22 and Ella Ganocy ’22 committed to play women’s field hockey at Princeton University this past month. The Ganocy’s helped the school's field hockey team win its third consecutive undefeated Los Angeles Field Hockey Association (LAFHA) Championship title.

The team had an 18-0 overall record, sweeping Newport Harbor High School 5-0 in the LAFHA Championship game on Nov. 2.

—Charlie Seymour

Kaplan recruited to play Northwestern baseball

Marty Kaplan ’22 committed to play baseball for Northwestern University on Oct. 23.

Kaplan has played outfield for the school's varsity baseball team since he was a sophomore. He will be continuing a familial tradition of attending Northwestern. His brother, Leo Kaplan ’16, currently plays baseball for the Wildcats. ­—Danny Johnson

Ally Lynch commits to play soccer at Clemson Ally Lynch ’21 signed her National Letter of Intent to continue playing soccer for Clemson University’s women’s team Nov. 11. Lynch played goalkeeper for her club team Real So Cal throughout high school and never played for the school's squad. Her club team was a participating member of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

As a three-star recruit, Lynch is currently the fourth highest ranked goalkeeper in the region and 16th in the nation, according to Top Drawer Soccer.

— Charlie Seymour

On-Campus Sports

printed with permisson of woo sim

NO ANSWERS: Members of the boys water polo team, one of the squads allowed to return to campus, exercise in the pool. Despite the school's inability to disclose information regarding COVID-19 cases contracted on campus, players continue to focus on winning another CIF title.

School maintains COVID-19 confidentiality

By Maxine Zuriff

The athletics department, which has allowed students to continue practicing on campus, has not notified families if any athletes have contracted COVID-19, though Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg said he is not aware of any positive cases.

“It is the school’s responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of student and employee personal health information, so we generally do not answer these types of questions,” Engelberg said. “That said, I can tell you that, to date, we are not aware of any [COVID-19] cases among athletes who have been on campus.”

In a recent athletics meeting focusing on the boys tennis team's upcoming schedule, students and parents asked Head of Athletics Terry Barnum how many athletes have been infected with COVID-19 since starting practice at upper school athletic facilities. Barnum said he was unable to disclose the information due to concerns over

the confidentiality of the players.

“All data and information about [COVID-19] cases in the Harvard-Westlake community is collected and communicated by the Community Health Office, which works very closely with our Communications Office and Mr. Engelberg,” Barnum said. “It would be inappropriate for me to give any information, including general numbers, to anyone outside of school administration.”

Collin Assil ’22, a junior varsity tennis player who attended the meeting, said he feels uncomfortable participating in the practices when the athletics department isn't fully transparent about the number of infections within the community.

“COVID-19 obviously does not affect kids our age as much as it does other immunocompromised demographics [and] groups, but I do find it a little concerning that they are not disclosing if any kids in the program currently have the virus,” Assil said.

Assil, who contracted COVID-19 in June, said he has concerns about the risk athletes have of infecting the larger

community, potentially creating a super-spreader event.

“I personally hate quarantine and think it is ruining the country, but I do think people should be aware if they are going to be exposed,” Assil said. “I’ve had COVID-19, and even though I’m not concerned for my life, I’m concerned that if one athlete has it, they can pass it on to others.”

Barnum said he does not receive news about whether athletes have contracted COVID-19.

“The Community Health Office is under no obligation to notify me of positive cases, even when it involves an athlete,” Barnum said. “So while I, too, am not aware of any cases involving athletes, I could not say that with any level of certainty because not all positive cases are communicated to me.”

Varsity football player Mark Cho ’22 said he feels it is necessary for the athletics department to be clear with athletes about whether students have gotten COVID-19 for reasons regarding the health and safety of the players and coaches.

“The athletics department should be transparent about these things, especially for the safety of other athletes participating at school right now,” Cho said. “The least they can do is just disclose how many athletes or what team they are a part of if they do indeed have [COVID-19] for the safety of the athletes, coaches and staff members currently working or practicing on campus.”

Micheal Lapin ’22, another member of the junior varsity tennis team, said that unlike Assil, he isn’t worried about training on campus.

“Personally, I am not nervous to return to practice in any sense,” Lapin said. “[The school] is doing a great job of preventing COVID-19 on campus and as of now, I haven’t heard of any cases.”

Even with the possible threat of COVID-19, Lapin said he is still excited to go back to practice.

“Even though we haven’t received clear answers about students-athletes receiving COVID-19, I am excited to get back on the court and start practicing with my team,” Lapin said.

As cases rise, future of on-campus athletics appears to be in jeopardy

By Amelia Scharff

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF WOO SIM

COVID-19 CONCERNS: Despite the football team's efforts to conduct socially distanced practices, the school is still reevaluating participant safety.

With COVID-19 cases at an all-time high in California according to the Los Angeles Times, new restrictions may affect on-campus sports practices.

In an all-school email sent

by President Rick Commons, the school announced the cancellation of all on-campus activities from Thanksgiving Day to Dec. 4 in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during the holiday.

“Consistent with state guidelines, we will ask anyone who travels out of California to remain off-campus for a period of 14 days starting from the date of their return,” Commons said in the email.

Even though the school has yet to further cancel any oncampus sports practices, all inperson evening activities have been canceled at least until

after winter break, according to an all-school email sent by Head of Upper School Beth Slattery.

Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg said that due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, the school will have to pivot to ensure the safety of students.

“We are likely to make some modifications to the on-campus activities that are currently taking place given the recent rise in [COVID-19] cases in Los Angeles,” Engelberg said.

“Those modifications will be announced later this week and may continue to change as prevailing conditions change.”

Girls basketball player Krista Semaan ’21 said she doesn't think the school will continue to hold practices on campus given recent circumstances but trusts the school to make good descisons about her health and safety. “[The school] has been

doing a good job scouting and anticipating the virus and truly puts the safety of every student first,” Semaan said.

In addition to the school making changes in light of the surge in COVID-19 cases, as of Dec. 1, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) put a hold on all upcoming fall sports as health officials continue to update health guidelines. Because CIF doesn't expect updates until at least Jan. 1, all sports will be delayed pending updated measures.

Girls water polo player Lena Bagley ’22 said she feels worried about her upcoming junior season as plans continue to change.

“I think we all feel pretty uncertain about whether there will be a season this year,” Bagley said. “It’s hard to just wait and not know when there will be a definitive answer.”

Dec. 9, 2020

hwchronicle.com/Sports

Sports D3

inbrief

Opinion

School announces boys soccer program head

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

A child’s role model: do as I say, not as I do

By Liam Razmjoo

With the rise of social media activism, athletes feel increasingly pressured to be leaders on and off the court. This past year, many NFL and NBA athletes, including Malcolm Jenkins and LeBron James, have become more vocal on public topics, explicitly taking stances on issues ranging from election rights to social justice.

These actions put a greater responsibility on them, as they are now starting to become ingrained as influencers in our society.

While one might feel that athletes are getting paid for their performances, it has become clearer that they are also public figures.

The actual games are a small piece of a larger industry that capitalizes on the public personas of sports stars, from television airtime to brand sponsorship. Companies such as Wheaties market athletes as role models and influencers to

attain wealth and recognition.

Franchises pay athletes significant salaries because these athletes have a major presence in American households. Children watch more than just the game; they idolize these athletes. They see them as role models, dreaming of growing up to be like them. Children take mental notes of what they observe in these athletes’ behavior, which become guiding principles.

“I don’t think we can accept all the glory and the money that comes with being a famous athlete and not accept the responsibility of being a role model, of knowing that children and even some adults are watching us and looking for us to set an example,” former NBA superstar Karl Malone said to the media in 1993. This moral obligation has heightened in the past year, since athletes have become more vocal regarding their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and other

social justice causes in press conferences and on their social media accounts. Players also wear slogans on their jerseys on the court such as “I Can’t Breathe” and run campaigns off the court advocating for historically marginalized populations. Athletes are no longer seen as people who are just gifted in their sport, but as leaders who use their followings to amplify social movements. However, for these athletes’ messages to be effective, their personal lives must align with their messages. They use their platforms to promote ideologies that support the rights of underrepresented parts of the population. Thus, it is essential that sports stars recognize what is expected of them as leaders and role models.

While they live in the limelight, not all can live up to the pressure. Even non-criminal mistakes can alter fans’ behavior. The recent scandal with Justin Turner

of the Los Angeles Dodgers shows how one poor decision can tarnish an athlete’s image. Turner tested positive for COVID-19 during the 2020 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays and initially left the game to isolate. After the Dodgers won, he returned to celebrate without a mask. While Turner’s desire to celebrate was understandable, this decision set a bad example, especially for children who idolize him. As a result, fans may have disregarded COVID-19 regulations when celebrating the win.

Ultimately, with great power comes great responsibility, and mistakes by professional athletes show the damage that can occur when role models fail to recognize their influence.

Athletes have the ability to positively change society when they embrace their roles as leaders, and we should encourage them to rise to the occasion.

A Coach’s Life

COVID-19 influences athletic coaches’ lifestyles

By Ryan Razmjoo

When tennis program head Bo Hardt checked his email and saw that the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) had announced the cancellation of the spring season, he was overcome by emotion.

“As a coach, it was frustrating to miss the team bonding and teaching moments that each season brings,” Hardt said. “The memories on the bus, the postmatch meals and the lessons learned from each season.”

The Wolverines’ athletic programs felt the impact of the pandemic in many ways. For example, the nationally ranked boys tennis team was unable to continue their past success.

“We were poised to have an undefeated season,” Hardt said.

“We missed making memories on and off the court that build culture and team traditions. We missed opportunities for our younger players to improve. The effect was greater than just losing a season. We lost a lot of teaching moments as coaches, and players lost moments that help build them as players and as men for

the rest of their lives.”

Although Hardt was disheartened, he said he was able to pick up new hobbies that will allow him to be a better coach when the season begins again.

“I was able to continue my own personal tennis training and had a lot of time to grow as a person,” Hardt said. “I started my own personal therapy and started playing golf.”

Similar to other Wolverines squads, the girls basketball season was postponed.

Assistant coach Terrell Lewis spoke about the guidelines for practices, in which players are only allowed to pass the ball to one person, and coaches have to wear masks throughout practice.

“Social distancing practices are not the same as normal practices, but it’s still better than online practices,” Lewis said.

Ultimately, Hardt said he encourages athletes to learn from this pandemic.

“COVID-19 was the ultimate example of a saying we have in the program,” Hardt said. “Sometimes you catch a bad break, but you have to learn something and move on.”

Michael Erush was named the new boys soccer program head in October.

Erush was previously the assistant coach of the men’s soccer program at Cal State University, Los Angeles, and coaches for the Los Angeles Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles’ coaching staff was named the 2019 California Collegiate Athletic Association Coaching Staff of the Year after the team made it to the NCAA Division II National Championship game.

Before coaching at Cal State LA, Erush was the Associate Head Coach at Loyola Marymount University at the NCAA Division I level.

He served as the recruiting coordinator and recruited consecutive top 20 classes.

Erush also helped coach the LA Breakers youth soccer club boys’ team to the number one ranked team in the country during the 2019-2020 season.

Erush will replace Kris Ward, who is now a member of the technical staff of the Washington Spirit club team as of Aug. 25.

—Claire Conner

Fried brings home his first Gold Glove award Max Fried ’12, pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, was recently

awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove for his performance in the 2020 Major League Baseball season.

Fried is the first Wolverine and the fourth Braves pitcher ever to receive this honor, joining predecessors Mike Hampton, Phil Niekro and Greg Maddux.

Fried tallied five defensive runs saved in 56 innings of play, first among all pitchers in the major league. Also, over the course of his 11 regular season starts, Fried recorded a 2.25 earned run average. Additionally, Fried tied the major league high with four pickoffs and had only one error out of 17 possible chances.

—Alex Hahn

New softball program head coach announced

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BO HARDT

ON- AND OFF-COURT PROWESS: Tennis program head Bo Hardt trains on a red clay court with his coach and hitting partner during the summer.

Leesa Harris was appointed the softball program head.

Harris was previously the head softball coach at Inner City Education Foundation View Park Preparatory Charter High School, where her team won three consecutive CIF City Section championships. Harris was also named the National Federation of State High School Association’s California Coach of the year for the 2018 season.

Harris was named to the AllCIF team three times during her softball career at Westchester High School. During her collegiate career at Cal State University, Fullerton, Harris set the record for fielding percentage.

Harris’s stats as an outfielder at Cal State University, Fullerton, include a batting average of .347, 20 RBIs, 35 runs and seven stolen bases.

Harris will take over for Cheyenne Coyle, who resigned as interim softball program head due to personal reasons Aug. 20 after a year.

—Claire Conner

The Chronicle

D4 Sports

WOLVERINES ONLY

BY

Dec. 9, 2020

THE QUINTERO SISTERS PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF DANIELA QUINTERO

Daniela Quintero '22

S

occer was our first sport for a long time. Natalia and I started playing when we were 3 and 4-years-old and later decided to join a club running team when we were 7 and 8 respectively. My parents and coaches always knew we had some sort of talent in running, but I personally was not totally sold on the sport. It made me so nervous. I was so scared to lose, and as a soccer player, the sprints we did at the end of practice always seemed like a punishment; the idea of putting myself in that type of pain for a long time did not sound convincing. But our dad insisted that we try it.

We started to see some success in our running immediately, but we knew we were still doing it as a way to build endurance for soccer. For a long time, I really saw no future in running just because my whole life had revolved around soccer, and it was something that I never imagined stopping.

The first time I realized running was my sport was in seventh grade when I set a national age group record in the 3K. I have never looked back from there. It came to my surprise, but I realized how passionate I was for the sport. We stopped

playing club soccer a few years ago to dedicate most of our athletic endeavors to running.

For me, the most special part about my running journey has been my family’s involvement and my ability to do it with my sister. Ever since we first started running, my sister and I have always trained together, and that has become a big part of why we love it. We are both pretty competitive, and although we still have that competitive edge, we know how lucky we are to be training partners. Being able to work together and help each other has been a major reason for our successes.

We know when we are each having a bad day and try to motivate each other through workouts and races. It definitely helps when we encourage each other. We are so lucky that we share this similar passion because it brings out the best in each of us. We love ranking our pre-run kombuchas, finding new trails to run on together, eating açai bowls and drinking smoothies after a sunny, long run. This past year, running has been the highlight of most of our days. Running is our outlet, allowing us to disconnect from school and our social lives each day.

The second-most special part

about running is the community; there is nothing like it. It’s truly a privilege to be a part of such a supportive community. Regardless of what team you are on, how fast you are going, what place you are in, there is always someone rooting for you. It is unusual to have that in other competitive sports. Aside from being fortunate enough to receive medals and ribbons through running, we have met some of our closest friends. This year has been a struggle for everyone trying to navigate the new realities, but having a team to lean back on and feel supported by is irreplaceable.

Natalia Quintero '21

T

here are so many reasons why I love running. I like how strong I feel most days after a good run and how humbled I feel after the tough ones.

This sport is just as much mental as it is physical; there is a sense of inner peace even while I am trying to balance the turmoil of external pain. The moment you start running, you have the opportunity to escape your daily life no matter how great or bad it may be.

You are responsible for how well you run. You are your own cheer-

leader. You get to explore the Golden Retriever side of yourself. Then come all the benefits after those runs—the feeling of achievement, the physical high, mental calm and the surplus energy I feel the rest of the day and into the next. Lastly, but most importantly, I love to run because of the people I am surrounded by.

Having your best friends on the line next to or behind you is a source of comfort that is inexplicable, and when life gets difficult or stressful, having teammates is such a valuable support system.

It makes this sport so worth it when you're able to socialize and have fun with them after a long day but also work hard together to achieve a common goal. It’s honestly the best to have a sister I am both incredibly close to who also happens to run.

Whenever one of us is going through a tough time athleticswise, it is always great having each other for encouragement when it is needed. Since the very beginning of this pandemic, it is easier to go and work out because we hold each other accountable when feeling unmotivated. I also absolutely love having someone to run with while listening to music and discovering new trails.