October 2021 Issue

Harvard-Westlake • Studio City • Volume 31 • Issue 2 • October 12, 2021 • hwchronicle.com

Commons develops new Visions

The school administration released its Visions progress report and survey.

By Tessa Augsberger and Milla Ben-Ezra The school published its first Visions progress report and broad-based Visions survey for its next report in an all-school email Sept. 15.

The report highlights five categories of goals set in 2015: Happiness and Balance, Commitment to Inclusion, New Ways to Serve Los Angeles, Commitment to Character and Engaging Pedagogy, Curricular Innovation and Professional Growth. Each theme includes 7-10 steps the school has taken in the last five years to fulfill each Vision.

President Rick Commons said the school’s Visions report is similar to a strategic plan but is more idealistic and allows for flexibility. He said using periodic progress reports, as opposed to a single strategic report, allowed the school to adapt to online learning during the pandemic.

“In March 2020, there was only one goal, [which was] to deliver school as best as we could [through] Zoom,” Commons said. “But we were thinking about [our] Visions, like happiness and balance in the student experience, new pedagogy and purpose beyond ourselves. [We thought,] ‘How can we do these things on Zoom school?’ and we

IN THIS ISSUE

A10 OPINION: Abortion ban in Texas limits women’s rights.

C4 A&E: Staff members review their top Halloween movies.

D3 SPORTS: Fanatics gather for Homecoming athletic games.

LEO SAPERSTEIN & HARRY TARSES/CHRONICLE

REPORTING IN PROGRESS: HW Visions Progress Report released Sept. 15 highlights five administration goals set in 2015 and how the school will to implement change based on student opinions in the community to better student life, local communities and diversity, equity and inclusion. had the Visions there [to help].”

Student Leadership for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (SLIDE) co-chair Lauryn Milburn ’22 said the school has made visible progress in its commitment to inclusion during her time as a student.

“I feel that the school has definitely made strides to improve the overall experience of students of color and Black students,” Milburn said. “I appreciate the changes, and also I really liked that the school sent out things like surveys to hear from stu-

dents themselves. [One way] that burn said student leaders should the school has improved is that be more involved in the Visions they’ve definitely hired process and that the admore teachers of color ministration should be in their departments more transparent about [who are] safe people the implementation of you can go to if you’re its Visions goals. dealing with anything, “The school can if you’re having a tough improve [by] letting time or if you just need students know what someone to talk to.” is being done behind white’s Although she said the scenes because I she values the changes feel like what is actualPresident Rick Commons the school has implely being changed and mented in alignment improved is sometimes with its Visions document, Mil- hidden from students until it

actually happens,” Milburn said.

“Having those talks with administration and having more outlets to directly share how students feel and what we think could be better at the school, and also along with that, [for students to learn] how the school is fixing that actively, [would be beneficial to the school community].”

Peer Support trainee Max Thompson ’23 said he appreciates how the Visions initiatives integrate the Studio City community into the school’s future expansion plans.

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Instagram account ‘wokeathw’ critiques school’s revised history curriculum and Anti-Racism Plan

By Caitiln Muñoz and Melody Tang

Instagram account @wokeathw, created Sept. 7, 2020 by a group of anonymous community members disapproving of the school’s anti-racism initiatives, uploaded a post commenting on the Upper School History Department’s emphasis on critical race theory (CRT) Oct. 1.

Since its creation, the account has posted 69 testimonials against the school’s culture, policies and curriculum changes, such as the restructuring of the 11th grade U.S. History curriculum.

Harvard professor Derrick Bell developed the academic framework for critical race theory in the mid-1970s. The framework holds that racism is perpetuated through American institutions rather than through beliefs held by certain individuals. Critical race theory suggests that modern-day racism is not an isolated phenomenon. It is ingrained in American history and culture.

Over the past year, the integration of critical race theory into school curricula across the nation

sparked controversy. Many discussions have escalated, attracting federal attention and leading Attorney General Merrick Garland to order the FBI to prevent future threats made toward schools and educators who teach critical race theory Oct. 4, according to The Washington Post.

The account’s most recent post criticizes the Anti-Racism Plan the school released last summer that aimed to prevent racial discrimination on campus.

“While some schools have tried to obfuscate whether Critical Race Theory guides their curriculum, Harvard-Westlake boasts about it,” the account wrote in the post’s caption. “As you can see in the attached excerpt from HW’s ‘Anti-Racism’ manifesto, HW has decided to ‘redesign the 11th grade US History course from a critical race theory perspective.’ Has HW reconsidered this terrible decision in light of the well-deserved national controversy that has erupted over [critical race theory]?

Unlikely. We suspect the school will take the ‘full steam ahead’ approach, consistent with its track

record of running roughshod over any objections or concerns raised by the community.”

Junior Prefect Simon Lee ’23 said the controversy surrounding critical race theory has made it a trigger word, particularly in the media. He said he attributes this to the lack of information people have about the subject.

Lee said the account percieves the inclusion of a range of perspectives in discussions about race as “woke.”

“Framing the debate [in the way that @wokeathw has] is so damaging because it turns the whole conversation as soon as someone incorporates the perspectives of those who are traditionally excluded from history, [such as] people of color, women, LGBT people, etc.” Lee said.

“They are pursuing a certain political agenda rather than pushing for a more full and complete narrative of history.”

The founders of @wokeathw declined to comment.

The original post has since been edited to omit a statement on the Upper School History Department referencing two new

teachers hired this school year, Erik Wade and Hijoo Son. “Unfortunately, the school has doubled down on CRT by hiring two new upper school History teachers who we understand to be very, very woke,” the account wrote. “Where is the ideological diversity in the Upper School History Department?

HW=CRT.” Wade said the posts that target him and the History Department revealed the account owners’ lack of information.

“I felt disappointed when they [said] the people who were just hired by the history department were ‘very, very woke’,” Wade said. “It suggests that part of [that statement] is tied to our race and ethnicity [with me] being a Black man and Dr. [Hijoo] Son being Korean American without [the account] even knowing our politics or who we are.”

Fiona Gillearn ’23, a student in Wade’s Advanced Placement U.S. History class, said his classes are structured as open discussions addressing reading assignments that introduce multiple historical perspectives.

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A2 News

Administration announces Visions

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

• Continued from A1

“I think that [the adminis“I would love for [the admintration is] doing a good job of istration] to engage with students connecting with the Los Angeles in [the Visions] process, and that’s community as a whole,” Thomp- hopefully what that survey startson said. “[Take] the River Park ed to do,” Barker said. “I would project, for example. [I think] love for students to really get inthe fact that they’re trying to im- volved in it because it’s important plement ways that the whole Los to remember that adults have an Angeles community can get in- idea [around] what’s happening volved with it is great.” at the school, and then there’s a Commons said unlike the whole world that [only students] school’s mission statement and experience that you create as a tactical initiatives, which are student here. You would hope more implementation-based [the school’s] Visions speak to and for the long term, that student experience results from the latest as close as possible.”

Visions report provided Work-life balance the school with longwas one of the centers of term goals that can be attention for the school’s worked on over the last visions phase. Barknext several years. er said he hopes the “One [part of ] our school keeps its focus mission [statement] is on relieving stress and diversity and inclusion, bringing stability to white’s [so one of our Visions students’ lives.

Laura determined in 2015] “We are asking Ross was a commitment [what] we want to ento giving every member of our vision for Harvard-Westlake in community an equal sense of the future, [and] what are the belonging,” Commons said. “I things that are really important like that phrase so much I have to the hearts and minds of the a hard time imagining [a] Visions students, faculty and people that [report] for the next several years are here every day,” Barker said. that does not include that phrase, “In the future, we are going to but it doesn’t say what we’re go- have visions around happiness ing to do with regard to financial and balance, with a new set goals aid, what we’re learning from the continuing to help students deal [SLIDE board] or what we’re with stress.” learning from students who are Associate Head of School Laupart of underrepresented groups. ra Ross said she is optimistic that Those are things that I don’t see the Visions progress reports will written into the Visions. I see have a positive impact on the them [instead] as an implemen- school’s future. tation in pursuit of giving every “A big piece of my work in my member of our community an office is thinking, ‘What should equal sense of belonging.” the school focus on next?’” Ross Director of Institutional Re- said. “Because those Visions are search Michael Barker, who really powerful, they help guide spearheads data collection for us to think, ‘How can we achieve the Visions project, said he hopes these [goals]?’ especially if [they to see increased student involve- are] something we think we ment and interest in the school’s should do as a [whole] school, so goal evaluation process. it’s really exciting.”

NATASHA SPEISS/CHRONICLE

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM: After receiving her first two doses earlier in the pandemic, middle school Latin Teacher Mercedes Barletta receives a COVID-19 booster shot at the school’s vaccination clinic.

Health department organizes clinics to administer vaccines

By Natasha Speiss

Elements Pharmacy partnered with the school to hold booster shot and flu vaccination clinics at both the Middle School and Upper School campuses Oct. 4-8.

The booster clinics were open to faculty members, and the flu vaccine clinics were open to students and faculty.

The Community Health Office said the flu vaccine clinics are meant to maximize campus safety and prevent confusion resulting from the overlap of symptoms with the flu and COVID-19.

Daniella Goldrich ’23 said although she has already gotten a flu shot at her doctor’s office, she is appreciative of the school’s efforts to prevent the spread of illnesses on campus.

“It’s great that the school is doing its part to keep our community safe,” Goldrich said. “I’m

particularly grateful that they’re making it easier for students to have access to the flu shot by distributing it at our school.

This will make it much easier for our school community to stay healthy during these stressful and uncertain times.”

Andrew Eitner ’23, who received his flu vaccine from the school’s clinic, said the school’s decision to hold the clinics made getting vaccinated more accessible to the community.

“The shot is free [at school], as opposed to other places, so it seemed like the best option,” Eitner said. “It’s a free shot. It was fast and it was easy.”

Administrative Assistant Patricia Nolte said that she receives the flu shot annually but that she used the school’s vaccine clinic this fall.

“I get vaccinated for the flu every year and have taken [getting

vaccinated] for granted so many years now that I would’ve [gotten vaccinated] either way,” Nolte said. “For the most part, I feel comfortable that I’ve done enough to protect myself and others.”

Although she did not go to the school’s vaccination clinic and opted to receive the flu vaccine from her own doctor, Charlotte Hogan ’24 said she welcomes and encourages the school’s efforts to prioritize student health. She said the pandemic has changed the way students and teachers treat mild cold symtoms.

“It’s completely unusual because usually if you’re sick you just power through [and] you get through the day,” Hogan said.

“It’s definitely out of the ordinary [for the school to say], ‘If you have a cold, don’t come to school,’ but I think it’s great that the school is offering vaccines to the whole [school] community.”

Instagram account shares student car collisions in school parking lot

By Julian Andreone

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

Slattery said she acknowledges the troubles students face in the A student-run Instagram ac- parking lot but cited student decount resumed posting pictures mand for parking as the reason of unsuccessful parking jobs and they cannot widen spaces. She car accidents in the Upper School said the River Park project will lot in August after an 18-month- open more space for future stulong hiatus that started when dents to park.

“Those parking spots are really campus closed Mar. 11, 2020.

In the first few weeks of small, [but] we couldn’t accomschool, students reported several modate the demand if we made instances of scrapes and collisions them any wider,” Slattery said. in the parking lot to the school “Long-term, I would think that River Park will actualto @hw.parking. Upper ly change [the issue].

School Student DisciRiver Park changes the pline and Attendance need for the use of athCoordinator Gabriel letic facilities on camPreciado said security pus, and so many things guards informed him will be able to be moved of around three to four to River Park.” accidents this school In October 2017, year, but he approxiwhite’s the school faced opmates there have been Terence position from the Stuaround 15-20 collisions Mathews II ’23 dio City community that students have dealt for plans to build a with themselves.

Head of Upper School Beth parking structure on Coldwater Slattery said she was unaware of Canyon Avenue. At the time, the account’s increased activity President Rick Commons said and was not informed of acci- he acknowledged the residents’ dents in the parking lot. She said concerns about the school’s parkit is possible, though, that these ing plans. Eventually, the City incidents are occurring without Planning Committee rejected the school’s plan, limiting students her knowledge.

to on-campus parking lots and street parking.

Shanti Hinkin ’22 said accidents should be expected with new drivers but are exceedingly common this school year. She said although a bigger parking lot would solve some of these issues, it may not be plausible considering the lack of space to renovate on Coldwater Canyon Avenue.

“I think the parking lot accidents are certainly not a new occurrence, and frankly [they’re] to be expected,” Hinkin said.

“We are all new drivers, so I can’t imagine there wouldn’t be scratches here and there.”

Terence Matthews ’23 said students will inevitably park poorly and cause accidents because he said the school parking lot is inconveniently constructed and needs more space.

“I feel like the parking at the Upper School sets students up for failure,” Matthews said. “There are very narrow roads leading into the parking lots and a lot of parking spaces that are difficult to get into because of a lack of space. The school would do its students a great service by adding more places for students to park.”

Oct. 12, 2021

hwchronicle.com/news

News A3

Account criticizes curriculum

• Continued from A1

WILL SHERWOOD/CHRONICLE

FUNCTIONAL FACE SHIELDS: HW Venture Teacher Anne Wellington displays the face shield she helped manufacture at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center as part of a HW Venture presentation in Ahmanson Lecture Hall. While at Cedars-Sinai, she also helped produce hand sanitizer.

Venture teacher describes role at Cedars-Sinai

By Abigail Hailu and Will Sherwood

In its first in-person event of the 2021-22 year, HW Venture invited Cedars-Sinai Accelerator Managing Director and Directed Study: Venture teacher Anne Wellington to speak with club members in Ahmanson Lecture Hall on Oct. 6. Wellington discussed the importance of entrepreneurship skills and using creativity to design solutions in the healthcare world.

Wellington, who previously worked at medical equipment supplier Stanson Health and as an independent health technology consultant, said her journey to her current position at Cedars-Sinai was unexpected. She said students’ work paths may not always be clear, especially when one pursues entrepreneurship.

“When I tell people my career path, everyone says it sounds like it was really well thought out,” Wellington said. “It makes

sense only in retrospect, but at the time, it felt like chaos and like I did not know what I was doing next.”

Wellington said the pandemic put pressure on the supply chain for healthcare products and that Cedars-Sinai needed items such as hand sanitizer and face shields.

“For a lot of hospitals, this was a scary time,” Wellington said.

“We didn’t know how many patients we were going to get at the time, and there [were] a lot of supplies that we needed that suddenly were really hard to get.”

Wellington said the ability to adapt is an asset in the workplace because it can help with tackling difficult problems.

“Oftentimes at work you are faced with a challenge or adverse events,” Wellington said. “Being able to think that you can handle and solve the problem can be very empowering.”

HW Venture co-leader Sophia Rascoff ’23 said Welling-

ton made the presentation more personal by providing examples from her own life.

“She did a great job bringing in real-world examples and her own experiences into her presentation,” Rascoff said. “I hope the students who attended the event are inspired by her work and see the potential for innovation in their own lives.”

Rascoff said HW Venture plans to invite other speakers to join its 2021-22 speaker series in the coming months.

“Throughout the year, we hope to bring in more speakers who highlight the importance of utilizing entrepreneurial skills and demonstrate the intersection of their respective industries,” Rascoff said. “In [Wellington’s] case, [these industries are] medical care and business.”

HW Venture marketing co-leader Ava Weinrot ’23 said she appreciated the importance Wellington placed on remaining determined even when success

seems out of reach.

“The most meaningful piece of [Wellington’s] presentation for me was her emphasis on being persistent,” Weinrot said. “I think that usually when people don’t get the result they want right away, they give up, but [Wellington] showed how beneficial failure can be in finding the most successful solution. If she hadn’t failed in some of her efforts, she would have never created some of the innovations that her team made.”

Weinrot also said she enjoyed Wellington’s discussion of humility and welcoming criticism.

“I think the way she spoke about asking for feedback was super valuable,” Weinrot said. “I think people are afraid to ask for feedback because they are afraid of criticism, but criticism is so much more helpful than praise in designing items that actually help people and achieve goals in the real world. I learned a lot from her in that regard.”

“I know my teacher tries to keep a really open environment and is very respectful,” Gillearn said. “He even has a policy called ‘No Cancel Culture.’ So if anyone ever raises a different perspective, or tries to see something from a different point of view, no one in the class would be disrespectful.”

Wade said he strives to foster a classroom environment that makes students feel comfortable while sharing and analyzing a variety of perspectives.

“I want [students to know] that [their ideas add] value to the conversations we’re trying to hold,” Wade said. “I know some students feel like [their opinions] are going to be shut down, but I don’t want my class to be a space in that way. Now, if [what students bring up is] problematic, I’m going to shut that down. But if it’s adding to the conversation, I want everybody to jump in.”

In response to the post questioning the ideological diversity of the History Department, Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said the school does not factor in a candidate’s political views in the hiring process as the school strives for impartiality in the classroom.

“History is not objective,” Slattery said. “There’s no way to be completely apolitical, but I [have] never and I’m not going to start asking people to identify themselves with a [political] party just to make sure we have ideological diversity, because their ideological diversity shouldn’t have a huge place in the classroom.”

Slattery said the work of upper school history teachers in ensuring the representation of all student voices within their curriculum successfully reflects the school’s core values and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“I’m incredibly proud of the way our history department has [revised the curriculum] to honor all of our students,” Slattery said. “This is about making sure all students feel known and seen, both in the curriculum and in the classroom. I would make the argument that many more of our students feel a sense of belonging at our school based on changes that we’ve made, compared to when I began here.”

National Merit Semifinalists named

By Kriste An

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation selected 16,000 National Merit Semifinalists across the country, including 44 members of the Class of 2022, based on students’ SAT or PSAT/ NMSQT scores.

Semifinalist Andrew Choe ’22 said he is glad to be designated a National Merit Semifinalist and is thankful for the school’s support throughout the standardized testing process.

“I am honored to be named a National Merit Semifinalist,” Choe said. “In a year where standardized testing was made difficult by the pandemic, the school did an [extraordinary] job working to provide testing opportunities for students. [Go-

ing forward,] I hope to advance in the competition for the Merit Scholarship award [and earn] a scholarship for college.”

Semifinalist Olivia Feldman ’22 shared a similar sentiment and said she is honored to share this achievement with her peers and the school community. “[The designation] felt like a pay-off for the time I spent studying for the test,” Feldman said. “I am truly glad to be able to share this honor with my classmates. I think the [fact that 43 other students were named Semifinalists] goes to show how [academically] strong Harvard-Westlake students are, as well as how well the school manages to prepare students for standardized testing.”

With 44 Semifinalists, the Class of 2022 contains one of the

greatest number of Semifinalists, second only to the Class of 2014’s record of 54 Semifinalists.

Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said she is pleased with this year’s results, especially given the obstacles COVID-19 presented to seniors.

“I am beyond proud of the students’ achievements, considering the circumstances of the challenging year,” Slattery said.

“This year, we had [one of ] the largest numbers of Semifinalists in the past decade. When I look at other schools [that] have more qualifying Semifinalists, they are mostly larger public schools across the country. The fact that we were able to produce so many Semifinalists within our community is even more incredible.”

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

A4 News

KAPA hosts outing at Dodger Stadium

By Kriste An

The Korean American Parents Association (KAPA) hosted an event for sophomore families to commemorate Korean Heritage Night, an annual celebration at Dodger Stadium dedicated to spreading Korean culture Sept.

29. K-Pop star AleXa, former Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park and American actor, voice actor and producer Daniel Dae Kim participated in the celebrations.

Students and KAPA parents gathered to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play the San Diego Padres while socializing and learning about Korean culture.

KAPA president Jennifer Kim (Sterling Kim ’21, Fiona Kim ’24, Sullivan Kim ’26) said given the success of this recent event, she is excited to organize more bonding experiences for students and parents.

“This is our second time celebrating Korean Heritage Night at Dodger Stadium, our first being before the pandemic, and it was a great experience,” Kim said.

“We got to watch dancers perform a Korean-style fan dance, and Dodger Stadium handed out exclusive baseball caps for attendees. We look forward to hosting a wide variety of events, including one outdoors sometime in De-

cember. Of course, we will not be able to celebrate as we would have prior to the pandemic, but we remain optimistic that we can find ways to accommodate and continue our work.”

Luke Collins ’24, who attended the event with a friend’s family, said he enjoyed interacting with his friends and delving into his Korean American culture in greater depth.

“The event was extremely well-organized given the fact that it was one of KAPA’s first in-person events since the pandemic hit,” Collins said. “It was great to be able to interact with my friends in person, without a computer screen. Since all of our seats were close together, it was easy to talk to both the students and adults in KAPA. The conversations, combined with the general atmosphere fostered by Korean Heritage Night, created a sense of belonging and respect for Korean American culture.”

Claire Park ’24 said the event heightened her appreciation for her culture and that she looks forward to attending more events in the future.

“I enjoyed going to Dodger Stadium and reconnecting with friends,” Park said. “I would absolutely love to attend a similar event in the future.”

The Chronicle

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JENNIFER KIM

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME: Members of the Korean American Parents Association pose in their Los Angeles Dodgers hats as they watch a game against the San Diego Padres from the stadium stands.

School holds dodgeball tournament

By Chloe Park and Natasha Speiss

Prefect Council announced the middle school dodgeball tournament will come to the Upper School in an email Oct. 5. The tournament will have two rounds, with games held during Community Flex Time and lunch Oct. 11 and Oct. 22.

Teams will consist of eight players, with a maximum of one faculty member on each team.

Sophomore Prefect Dillon Ring ’24 said he feels the dodgeball tournament will be

a great opportunity to celebrate the school community.

“A dodgeball tournament is such a fun activity that incites school spirit and is great for getting students and teachers involved,” Ring said. “The dodgeball tournament is an awesome way to celebrate our school’s amazing community and how we can make the best use of that through fun new events.”

Lena Bagley ’22 said she is thrilled to participate in the dodgeball tournament.

“I entered the tournament once in seventh grade, but my

Oct. 12, 2021

team got eliminated in the first round,” Bagley said. “When I saw the email [about the tournament], I was in the locker room with my [water polo] teammates and just got really excited about the idea of us all playing together. I think the games will be a little more exciting [than those at the middle school] — hopefully with more spectators.”

Annabelle Mass ’24 said although she is not participating in the tournament, she predicts a high participation turnout for the event.

“Personally, I have never

“

[I] just got really excited about the idea of us all playing together. I think the games will be a little more exciting [than those at the middle school] — hopefully with more spectators.”

— Lena Bagley ’22 Dodgeball Player

participated in dodgeball, but I know of a lot of friends who have and miss it at the upper school,” Mass said. “In the middle school, students would get really competitive about it and it was overall a super fun event for everyone, even if you weren’t participating. So a lot

white’s

of my friends and I were very sad when we found out it wasn’t going to happen at the upper school. Now, I’m so glad Prefect Council is bringing it back because I think it will be pretty popular and be a really great way to get the community involved this fall.”

Dall’Olmo makes sports analytics app

By Alex Hahn

SANDRA KORETZ/ CHRONICLE

MATTEO’S MACHINERY: Matteo Dall’Olmo ’22 points out data featured on his app to his fellow water polo teammates after their game.

App Development Club leader Matteo Dall’Olmo ’22 created a sports analytics app for the boys water polo team over the summer. The software, called HW Water Polo, synthesizes and stores various game data for team members and coaches to review.

The team is not currently using the app, but plans to make use of it in the near future.

Dall’Olmo said although the app can serve a variety of functions, it is exclusive to the boys water polo team.

“Coaches can list who took what shot on what team, where they shot from, where they shot towards, what type of shot it was and what the outcome was,” Dall’Olmo said. “But [the app] is not really for everyone to use.

You need a password to use it, and only people on the team know it.”

Dall’Olmo said he got his start in app development over quarantine, during which he created a tip calculator app.

“Because I was still learning [the fundamentals of app development], [the app] really wasn’t that great,” Dall’Olmo said. “But I did learn some helpful things that would definitely be useful to me later on.”

Dall’Olmo, an attacker on the team, said he was encouraged by his coach to begin production on his water polo app.

“I was injured over the summer for a couple weeks and had to sit out of practice, and one of the coaches mentioned to me that the way we had been collecting this data was very inefficient and that I should look into making an app,” Dall’Olmo said.

“I started one day while I was sitting out of practice, and I just kept going.”

Dall’Olmo acknowledged the difficulty of this task and said once he started working on the app, the development process proved to be frustrating. “[The process] involved a lot of data collection, which I wasn’t very familiar with,” Dall’Olmo said. “There also [isn’t] a teacher

I can go to when I run into an issue, so I have to use the internet and trial and error to figure things out.”

Center Jeffrey Koretz ’23 said the app will be helpful to both players and coaches.

“When we use the app, we’ll use all of the data we collect to make ourselves better and prepare for our opponents more effectively,” Koretz said. “[The app] will give us a better understanding of where players like to shoot and how they like to shoot so that we can have more of a competitive advantage.”

In addition to undertaking projects of his own, Dall’Olmo said he instructs his peers as part of meetings for the App Development Club.

“I have some PowerPoints and lessons that I start off with in the beginning of the year, and after that, people start working on their own projects,” Dall’Olmo said. “I just serve as a resource to answer any questions [members] have whenever they’re confused.”

A5 News

Peer Support reaches new sign-up record

By Claire Conner

After receiving a record number of sign-ups, Peer Support gathered for its first meeting of the school year Oct. 4. Peer Support meets once weekly to share social and academic issues and bond with group members.

According to Peer Support Coordinator Milo Kiddugavu ’22, nearly 650 students signed up, contrasting the program’s typical participation rate of 300 to 500 members per year. Kiddugavu said he attributes this increase in engagement to students’ excitement for the full return to in-person school.

“I think many students wanted to experience the full length of what Peer Support offers, whether that is because they have only done it online or they just have

never participated in the club before,” Kiddugavu said. “I believe that Peer Support is especially important after a year in quarantine. On top of the support and inclusion that Peer Support represents, the social aspect will prove very helpful in building community between grades and create new, lasting relationships.”

Peer Support Program Head Tina McGraw ’01 said group meetings provide students with friendships that will help ease their transition back to school.

“Everyone is very excited to have Peer Support resume in person on campus, and I think we can all agree that we are starved for human interaction and connection after a year and a half apart,” McGraw said. “It has also been a time when more students than ever have needed extra social

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

WILL SHERWOOD/CHRONICLE

PEER-ING AT THE CROWD: Peer Support Coordinators gather members in order to disperse them into groups. Prior to receiving their group assignments, students enjoyed food and drinks in the Student Lounge. support as an antidote to the distress they have felt over the long course of this pandemic.”

After participating in the organization’s virtual meetings as a sophomore, Junior Prefect Yoshimi Kimura ’23 said she looks forward to another year of

bonding with her peers and socializing in person.

“I really loved the community atmosphere of Peer Support and how flexible it was,” Kimura said.

“It was like a structured break in our daily lives where we could just be teenagers for the sake of

being teenagers. I think that is why I signed up again this year.

Even though I could be spending those hours doing homework, studying or practicing, having that moment to take a step back and just have fun makes the rest of my week so much better.”

Teachers host Back to School Day COVID-19 vaccination

rates increase on campus

By Lucas Cohen-D’Arbeloff

The school hosted a virtual Back to School Day for upper school parents Sept. 25. The event helps parents learn more about their children’s courses, teachers and learning experience.

Although students returned to in-person school this year, President Rick Commons said in an email Sept. 3 that a Zoom event was the most reasonable format for Back to School Day in order to avoid COVID-19 safety issues.

“This important chance for parents to meet their children’s teachers is not quite the same without meeting in-person and moving from classroom to classroom as students do, but with well over 1,000 parents attending both [the middle and upper school Back to School Days], we have decided that it is prudent to use Zoom once again,” Commons said.

During the event’s opening webinar, Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said the online format of this year’s Back to School Day allowed for easier movement between classes, even if some personal interactions were lost.

“Despite wishing you could see the view of campus that I currently have, and despite missing the community that this day offers, last year’s online version was quite successful,” Slattery said. “No trouble parking, no navigating dozens of stairs and I‘m glad to have so many [parents in attendance].”

Slattery said the new upper

By Natasha Speiss

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

school block schedule has been successful and more teaching has been able to take place.

“Things are going swimmingly so far,” Slattery said. “One of the best things about our new schedule is the ability of our students to take advantage of our amazing curriculum. In particular, the 75-minute blocks allow students and teachers to take a deep dive into their content and use a variety of modalities in a way they simply couldn’t with 45-minute periods.”

Parents then joined 10-minute meetings for up to seven of their children’s class blocks, where teachers introduced themselves and discussed their courses. Parents whose children take a Directed

Study course were able to attend these additional sessions.

Inna Effress (Raisa Effress ’23, Abe Effress ’25, Jake Effress ’27) said she enjoyed the brief interactions she had during the event despite the virtual format.

“The teachers came highly prepared with highly professional presentations, and in some cases, the warmth and humanity shone through from the screen,” Effress said. “At the same time, of course, nothing beats being able to look around at the classroom walls, the evidence of students [and] the way the desks are arranged. On the flip side, if not for Zoom, we would not have been doubly won over by an inspirational teacher with an amazing pajama top.”

“There is overall a greater level of comfort with trying to do more The COVID-19 vaccination and more to bring our communirate among students has risen ty back to the way it was before.”

While Engelberg said there from approximately 94% to 98% from the start of the school year has only been one reported case to now, the Community Health of COVID-19 at the Upper Office said. All students who had School this school year, he said only begun the process of getting the Community Health Office is vaccinated when the school year remaining vigilant by continuing commenced have now completed to implement safety measures.

“We’re also running these their vaccinations.

The Community Health Office programs like vaccine clinics mandated that all students and and testing that are designed to employees receive a COVID-19 try to keep everybody healthy vaccination to attend in-person and keep [COVID-19] off-camschool. Exceptions were given to pus in the first place,” Engelstudents who have documented berg said. “Some of it is dealing medical reasons, sincerely held re- with individual-specific situations, ligious beliefs, age-related vaccine symptoms as they come up or exeligibility issues or were in the posures as they come up. People process of receiving both doses feel generally more comfortable knowing that everyof the vaccine when the body around them is school year began. vaccinated, because it Head of Commujust significantly reducnications and Strategic es the likelihood that Initiatives Ari EngelCOVID is bouncing berg ’89 said while the around the classroom.” vaccination rate of stuHope Hsieh ’23 said dents and employees the community’s adhermay not reach 100%, ance to health and safehe believes having the white’s ty protocols has made majority of communiCharley her feel more comty members fully vacZinn ’24 fortable when walking cinated increases the sense of safety from catching the around the school.

“I don’t think there’s been a virus at school. “[The high COVID-19 vacci- huge shift [in comfort overall benation rate] means that the peo- cause of the increase in the vacple on this campus are less likely cination rate] on campus, but in to catch COVID-19 and that terms of myself, I used to wear [the virus] is less likely to spread my mask outside, even though on this campus,” Engelberg said. they didn’t force us to, because I “For the most part, it would have just felt safer,” Hsieh said. “I feel to be a breakthrough case [be- more comfortable now knowing tween vaccinated individuals] that the vaccination rate has bejust to get onto campus. And come so high.”

Charley Zinn ’24 said she while that’s obviously theoretically possible and has happened thinks people have grown too in the world, it’s not as likely as comfortable on campus, and as a result, have begun disregarding a spread.”

Engelberg said the emphasis the essential safety protocols they on campus safety has created op- deem unimportant.

“People are taking off their mask portunities for more community events to take place, including when they’re not supposed to and those that occurred before the then getting in trouble [by teachers],” Zinn said. “I think some pandemic hit.

“We’re doing a lot of the kinds kids have gotten reprimanded on of events that we used to do be- my bus because they’re all just so fore [COVID-19], but we’re used to being unmasked and evdoing them with masks on and erything, but overall, it’s [now] a we’re doing them with other safe- lot easier to be around people and guards in place,” Engelberg said. feel safe on campus.”

A6 News

By Lucas Cohen-D’arbeloff Students explored a variety of clubs and student interest groups at the Activities Fair on Sept.

22. The event, hosted by Prefect Council, featured 106 club booths lined up along the track of Ted Slavin Field.

Prefect Council introduced a distinction this year between traditional clubs and Student Interest Groups (SIGs), a new activity category with fewer restrictions.

SIGs cannot be rejected by the Prefect Council and do not have to report attendance. However, they are ineligible for Prefect Council funding.

Junior Prefect Simon Lee ‘23 said the SIG category will allow for more activities at the school without exhausting the Prefect Council’s resources.

“Instead of cutting all the clubs

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that we didn’t have room for in our schedule, we decided that this year, we could designate them as [SIGs], thus allowing them to recruit at Activities Fair, have a room on campus, have a faculty sponsor and otherwise operate within the school while taking care of the logistical concern of funding,” Lee said.

Many club leaders decorated their booths and arranged signup sheets for the fair, while others created QR codes, each linked to a Google Form, for students to scan. Some clubs handed out food to students; for example, the Westflix film festival club offered popcorn, and Community Council provided snow cones and Diddy Riese cookies. Members of Prefect Council also offered Krispy Kreme donuts to students attending the fair.

Clean Technology Club

co-president Konnie Duan ’23 said running a booth at the fair allowed her to engage with students with whom she could discuss important environmental issues.

“I think the fair went well,” Duan said. “[The Clean Technology Club] got a lot of sign-ups, and I felt encouraged because a lot of people seemed interested in topics like renewable energy.

These ideas are so current and important, and it felt really gratifying [to discuss them.]”

Best Buddies secretary Ava Weinrot ’23, whose club works with neurodivergent children, said managing the club’s booth for the entire event was challenging but also exciting.

“Someone always needed to be manning the club table,” Weinrot said. “Since most [students] are part of multiple clubs, [some of us did not] have time to walk around

Oct. 12, 2021

because we were managing tables.

That was difficult, but it was a fun experience nonetheless.”

Samuel Hines ’24 said he signed up for four clubs—Harvard-Westlake Outreach Performers, Model United Nations, Peer Support and Babel, the foreign language magazine. He said he enjoyed strolling around the field with friends and learning about new opportunities on campus during the fair.

“I thought [the activities fair] was really well put together,” Hines said. “Having this communal event of walking around the track was an interesting experience and was really enjoyable. All of the club leaders were very energetic and truly wanted people to join their groups. I loved getting to meet new people and signing up for as many clubs as I could in the time alotted.”

Club Leader Spotlight

NATALIE COSGROVE/CHRONICLE

Entertainment Art Club Leader Chiara Umekubo ’23

Novelty Book Club Leader Eloise Stoddard ’23

NATALIE COSGROVE/CHRONICLE

Blockchain Club Leader Ryan Pinsker ’23

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF YUTOPIA ESSEX

AFFINITY FOR INFINITY: Asian Students in Action (ASiA) leaders (left to right) Fallon Dern ’23, Joy Ho ’22, Anabelle Kang ’22, Avery Kim ’23 and Julia Im ’23 stand by their snack-filled booth while collecting digital sign-ups from interested students at the Activities Fair.

NATALIE COSGROVE/CHRONICLE

Novelty Book Club Leader Eloise Stoddard ’23

NATALIE COSGROVE/CHRONICLE

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MOVIE CLUB

MOVIE STARS OF ACTIVITES FAIR: Club leaders Hannah Yanover ’22 and Aiden Schiller ’22 pose by their handmade poster for the fair.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ROHAN MADHOGARIA

TABLE TENNIS TIME: Adam Schiller ’24 poses, smiling for a photo while playing table tennis at the Ping Pong Club booth with friends.

Investment Club Leader Asher Burstin ’23

Oct. 12, 2021

Fashion Club

hwchronicle.com/news

Novelty Book Club

News A7

MIXD

By Ava Fattahi

By Davis Marks

By Nathalie Leung

Fashion enthusiasts Kathryn Lin ’22 and Kara Duke ’22 founded Fashion Club for Upper School students to meet weekly and discuss, design and analyze fashion in contemporary society.

Lin said starting the club was an obvious choice given her love for clothing. She said she looks forward to future club meetings.

“I love fashion, and I’m so glad that I created the Fashion Club with Kara,” Lin said. “Our members love engaging in conversations about everything from trends to fast fashion, and I can’t wait to keep working with them for the rest of the year. We hope to eventually buy fabrics and design clothes together.”

Fashion Club’s Activities Fair booth featured a poster and treats for those who signed up. So far, the group has watched videos of fashion week shows and vintage designer collections at its meetings. The club meets during lunch once per cycle and welcomes all community members regardless of experience in the fashion world.

The Novelty Book Club introduced in this year’s Activities Fair aims to spark interest in reading among the student body and Generation Z as a whole. The club will read novels written in different time periods to explore the changing depiction of women in literature. Club leader Eloise Stoddard ’23 said she seeks to foster an inclusive environment through conversations about books’ relevancy to readers’ daily lives.

Stoddard said her goal in the club is to inspire students to have important conversations and make change in their communities.

“The Novelty Book Club strives to inspire teens to find fulfillment in reading again,” Stoddard said. “We want to combine reading for pleasure with current social topics in order to make the novels we choose to read more relevant in today’s world. Therefore, through the power of books, we hope to spark meaningful conversations and change in our society.”

The club meets Day 4 during lunch in RG208.

Organized by Chiara Umekubo ’23 and Lyric Walker ’23, the MIXD club promotes diversity and focuses on students who identify as multiracial.

Walker said she was inspired to start the club because many students of multiracial backgrounds feel out of place at clubs that are part of Student Leaders for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (SLIDE).

“In trying to join other affinity groups, we both felt [that we didn’t fit into any single club],” Walker said.

“Obviously this was not because of other SLIDE groups being non-inclusive, but it’s more internalized doubts we think a lot of mixed people could have.”

Meetings are held each Day 2 during lunch in room KC201. Umekubo and Walker said they look forward to having open group discussion that may provide a safe space for students of mixed races.

“We want to create a place where people of all kinds can comee together and take about their thoughts, opinions and experiences,” Walker said.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

Photography Club

Ping Pong Club

Eco Swaps Club

By Chloe Park

By Grant Park

By Davis Marks

Photography Club is a new club organized by Cheery Chen ’23 that is starting this fall. Chen said she is excited to launch the club, which will focus on learning and applying photography techniques. She said students will use newly learned skills while taking photos around the Los Angeles area.

“I decided to start this club because I’m not in the photography class at school and I wanted a time to pursue my interest in photography with other people with similar interests,” Chen said. “The photography class also does not go off campus to take photos, so I wanted to make a club where we could go occasionally on outings to take photos on a weekend or after school. My goal for the club is to learn to take photos and have fun.”

During club meetings, Chen said she plans to teach proper photography techniques and fundamental skills. She said she plans to visit locations around Los Angeles so that students can explore different subjects to take photos for the club.

Photography Club welcomes students of all levels of experience and will host hands-on workshops open to all members. The club meets during morning break on Day 4 in Weiler 104.

Rohan Madhogarhia ’22, Kevin Kwak ’22 and Bill Baker ’22 said they are excited to launch the Ping Pong Club at the Upper School this year.

Madhogarhia said he was inspired to start the club because he and his friends played Ping Pong over the summer. He said they realized it would be more fun if they had people from school to play with.

“Over the summer, I bought a ping pong table and got really into ping pong. I played a lot with my friends and we all liked ping pong and we thought there would be more people who would want to play at school,” Madhogarhia said. “We think it’s a very inclusive sport and we could really play at any time.”

Madhogarhia said he plans to set up all-school tournaments and get rankings for players in these competitions.

“Our plan is to have two all-school tournaments and one final end of the year tournament with the top 8-16 players,” Madhogarhia said. “Our goal is to get these streamed by HWTV and just have players enjoy playing and also win prizes, hopefully.”

The leaders of the Ping Pong club are currently working with members of Prefect Cuncil to organize and schedule events. The club is set to meet Day 6 during the first half of lunch on the Quad.

Eco Swaps is a new club dedicated to decreasing the amount of waste the school and greater community produces. In weekly meetings, the members of Eco Swaps discuss products they could “swap,” or replace with other products that are ethically sourced and produce no waste. By swapping harmful products for sustainable ones, Eco Swaps aims to make positive and lasting change.

Club leader Layla Payman ’23 said she strives to make an impact outside of her club, emphasizing the importance of conscious consumerism to the community and making it clear that sustainability is about progress, not perfection. She said she attempts to show the community that small changes, like recycling or grabbing fewer napkins at lunch, can benefit the community and make a impact.

The club meets Day 5 during lunch in Munger 203.

Payman said she is enthusiastic about creating change in the community.

“I’ve never been more excited about something,” Payman said. “I am confident that our club will make eco-friendly changes and influence the greater Harvard-Westlake community to do the same. It is an important issue and I hope to spread awareness [about it].”

A8 News

The Chronicle

Popping the Question

Oct. 12, 2021

Upper school students performed a variety of elaborate proposals on the Quad to ask their prospective dates to the annual Homecoming Formal dance held Saturday.

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

ALLEGRA DRAGO/CHRONICLE

A THROWBACK ASK: Tommy Park ’22 poses with Ethan Rose ’22 after performing a Katy Perry-themed homecoming ask to the music of Perry’s hit song “Firework,” complete with red body paint and tear-away pants.

A SWEET SURPRISE: Brando Fuqua ’23 and Lavinia Tyagi ’23 pose together with Fuqua’s poster following his secretly planned homecoming ask.

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

DYNAMIC DUO: Senior Prefect Jason Thompson ’22 smiles alongside Head Prefect Jade Stanford ’22 after an athletic commitment-themed ask in which Thompson signed a contract to attend Homecoming Formal together.

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

ALLEGRA DRAGO/CHRONICLE

SCHOOL SERENADE: Gabe Yaron ’22 and Bella Ganocy ’22 embrace after Yaron’s performance of an original song asking Ganocy to homecoming.

SWIFT ACTION: Following his homecoming ask, Avi Carson ’22 poses with Lily Saada ’22, who holds Carson’s Wolverine-themed handmade poster, which is scattered with various Taylor Swift-inspired references and puns.

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

Opinion The Chronicle • Oct. 12, 2021

Studio City • Vol. 31 • Issue 2 • Oct. 12, 2021 • hwchronicle.com

Editors-in-Chief: Tessa Augsberger, Milla Ben-Ezra Print Managing Editors: Will Sheehy, Caitlin Muñoz, Julian Andreone

editorial

Digital Managing Editors: Katharine Steers, Amelia Scharff Presentation Managing Editors: Melody Tang, Ava Fattahi, Kate Burry, Mimi Landes Executive Editors: Sydney Fener, Sophia Musante, Quincey Dern News Editors: Sandra Koretz, Josh Silbermann Assistant News Editors: Natalie Cosgrove, Lucas Cohen-d'Arbeloff, Natasha Speiss, Will Sherwood, Alex Hahn Opinion Editors: Sarah Mittleman, Caroline Jacoby Assistant Opinion Editors: James Hess, Daphne Davies, Claire Conner Features Editors: Mia Feizbakhsh, Alec Rosenthal Assistant Features Editors: Lily Lee, Fallon Dern, Harry Tarses, Emmy Zhang, Allegra Drago A&E Editor: Keira Jameson Assistant A&E Editors: Becca Berlin, Lily Lee, Jina Jeon, Vasilia Yordanova Sports Editors: Maxine Zuriff, Justin Goldstein

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

Assistant Sports Editors: Charlie Seymour, Danny Johnson, Paul Kurgan, Leo Saperstein, Andrew Park Multimedia Editors: Ava Fattahi, Julian Andreone Photography Editor: Sandra Koretz Broadcast Producers: Chad Bacon, Zach Berg, Jack Coleman, William Moon, Mikey Schwartz Business Managers: Kate Burry, Justin Goldstein Assistant Broadcast Editors: Andre Birotte, Audrey Yang, Hunter Bridgett, Bill Coleman, Jack Limor, Aaron Milburn, Rayaan Rao Engagement Editors: Liam Razmjoo, Ryan Razmjoo Art Director: Alexa Druyanoff Freelance Writer: Davis Marks Freelance Artist: Sophia Evans Layout Assistants and Staff Writers: Jackson Mayer, Christopher Mo, Chloe Park, Grant Park, Averie Perrin, Tate Sheehy, Jackson Tanner, Ella Yadegar, Jaden Bobb, Nathalie Leung, Kriste An, Madison Baffo, Grace Coleman, Dylan Graff, Abigail Hailu, Eleanor Koo, Iona Lee Advisers: Jim Burns, Max Tash Layout Assistant: Alexis Arinsburg Publication Information: Founded in 1990, The Chronicle is the Harvard-Westlake Upper School’s student-led newspaper.

Now in its 31st year, The Chronicle strives to report stories accurately and fairly and to uphold its legacy of journalistic integrity. The newspaper is published eight times per year and distributed to students, parents, faculty and staff. The paper is affiliated with two upper school magazines, Big Red and Panorama.

From Seaver to Shining Sea

In the Sept. 14 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, several members of the senior class cast their first-ever ballots, making their first contribution to a democratic system beyond the borders of our Studio City campus. Our senior class's involvement in school and statewide elections is part of a greater six-year trend of increased youth voter turnout in the state.

In the 2018 general election, 27.5% of Californians aged 18-24 voted, compared to only 8% in the 2014 general elections, according to the office of California Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

Moreover, University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy reported that 47.4% of Californians in the same 18-24 age range turned out to vote in the 2020 general election. This uptick in civic engagement among youth voters is encouraging and begs the question: What type of voter is a Harvard-Westlake student?

With only 10 months until current seniors depart for college, we are confident they will bring the values attained in annual Prefect Council elections and election-related class discussions to different states across the country. These in-school experiences shape students' habits and principles.

They spur student action in our community, and ensure that we will be a part of change on a national level.

As students embark on their post-high school journeys, we are confident they will continue to reflect the prevailing values they have learned and practiced as members of our school community. Most, if not all, of the students in the current senior class will be eligible to cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm congressional elections.

Attending various colleges across the nation, these students will cast votes from a wide array of states and play a significant role in the future of our federal government. In 2024, they will have the opportunity to vote in a presidential election for the first time.

Our mission statement says that the school “strives to be

a diverse and inclusive community” and is “united by living with integrity and purpose beyond ourselves.” Looking back on last year's Prefect Council election results, we can deduce that students vote with the school’s fundamental values in mind. This election marked the first time in school history that two women, both of whom self-identify as women of color, were elected as Head Prefects.

Each vote marked a commitment to our civic duty and contributed to change in our community. We participated in a free and fair election, voted with integrity and made school history. We can and will advance this positive change on a larger scale.

At The Chronicle, we strive to reflect this rectitude, commitment to inclusion and informed decision making. We report on a broad range of issues that affect all members of our community: We are committed to covering any elections, whether it be for Prefect Council or the highest office in the land, independently and impartially.

We are inspired by the prospect of the school community using the information we publish to make more informed civic decisions. We acknowledge the importance of this role, and will prioritize transparency to ensure students are able to exercise their rights in a thorough and mature way.

Our generation has the potential to continue making history as we embark on our college journeys, and it is likely that several members of our school community will contribute to these historic decisions and moments.

As a school, we are inclusive, we value diversity and we act with integrity, serving a purpose beyond ourselves by fulfilling our responsibilities as Americans and Wolverines to participate in democratically held elections.

Courageous decision-making and historic reform is the Wolverine way. These interminable values shape our character as a community, and they stay with students throughout their lives. When it is time to check their ballot boxes, Wolverines will make choices that reflect them.

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DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION:

The Chronicle strives to be a diverse and inclusive community that welcomes all who wish to contribute. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee works to ensure that every member of the Harvard-Westlake community is recognized, included and given a voice. The Chronicle's publications will aim to represent this diverse community and provide a variety of perspectives on the topics they cover.

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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, Managing Editors and Section Editors.

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Letters 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 to conform to Chronicle style, space 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.

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A10 Opinion

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

Stop conflating female objectification with liberation

By Natalie Cosgrove SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

W

hether it be in Playboy Magazine or sexual education courses, women are often put in the position where they are confused on whether to hyper-sexualize themselves or do the exact opposite. From a young age, women are constantly objectified by the media and are then blamed for putting themselves out there in the first place.

Women being sexual is not inherently bad. Promiscuity and wearing "revealing" clothing are not shameful actions, but self-sexualization is not the key to breaking free from patriarchy.

Indeed, it is working within it.

In this age of social media, hyper-sexualization of girls is

pushed and promoted as empowerment. Popular phrases like “owning my body” connote a sexpositive meaning, but the question still remains: Are girls and women really in the driver's seat of the push for empowerment?

Conforming to patriarchal ideas can never be considered sexual liberation or empowerment because it reinforces the roots of misogyny and objectification.

On TikTok and Instagram, there is a circulation of sexual trends and even videos promoting sex work to an impressionable audience of tweens and young teens. Many of these videos have been taken down for endangering "minor safety." A third of TikTok users may be 14 years old

or younger, according to the New York Times.

Pushing the idea that women must be seen as sexual objects puts a lot of pressure on the younger generation to feel fully accepted by society. It is dangerous for minors to present themselves in this manner, especially on the Internet, where oftentimes the audience includes viewers beyond the intended scope.

Before young girls decide how to act, they have to be fully informed, but it is not possible to be completely aware of the implications of one's actions at a young age. Even if women can feel empowered by sexualizing themselves, there is absolutely no way to be empowered if that em-

powerment involves the sexualization of minors.

The inclination to rebel against societal norms like dressing conservatively is natural given the objectification of women's bodies in the past. A woman can profit from her sexuality by possessing free will over her own body, but selling sex or commodifying one's body only further objectifies women.

Although the goal is to break free from societal pressures influencing women to look or act a certain way, structuring appearance around society’s narrow standards for women only advances the idea that a woman's worth is directly related to how physically attractive she is. As a

result, objectification can never truly be in a woman’s best interest, because it is centered around male validation.

As women continue to search for ways to empower themselves in a society catered to men, they are forced to resort to what they find familiar: External validation.

Even when self-imposed, sexualization results in objectification and dehumanization.

Attempting to escape the patriarchy is a natural instinct for women and young girls, but self-sexualization is a step in the wrong direction. In objectifying themselves, women are unintentionally conforming to the mold they have historically worked to break free from.

Alliances, Claire-ified

By Claire Conner

F

ILLUSTRATION BY SYDNEY FENER

Restore women's right to choose

By Daphne Davies

S

ix weeks ago, a text message from a classmate broke the news to me: Texas legislators enacted a new law banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. More texts and calls lit up my phone screen, prompting me to research the law for myself.

The more I learned, the more I understood its harm. Countless women could be put at medical risk simply because they didn’t know they were pregnant at six weeks, and others’ lives might be threatened by a non-clinical abortion because a professional one was illegal. I have never been to Texas, yet I felt the impact of the law a thousand miles away.

This limitation on abortion rights is unjustifiable, first and foremost, because six weeks is far too early. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Equity Transformation Lead Dr. Jennifer Villavicencio said it is extremely common for women to reach six weeks of pregnancy before realizing they are pregnant, according to the New York Times. The average time period between conception and the discovery of the pregnancy was 5.5 weeks, according to a study by the U.S. National Library of Medicine analyzing pregnancies from 1990 to 2012. Assuming they find out by that point, the 7 million women of childbearing age in Texas are left with a mere three days to have an abortion,

or, in the case of minors, obtain parental permission to have one. The smoothest version of this process exists for financially privileged women who can easily pay for a pregnancy test and often have insurance to cover the cost of an abortion.

Additionally, the law disproportionately impacts women of color and low-income women.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), AfricanAmerican women are nearly five times more likely and Latina women are two times more likely to have an abortion than white women. Low-income women are also five times more likely to experience an unintended pregnancy than affluent women, according to the Brookings Research Institute—yet they have more limited access to abortion due to financial barriers.

There are no exceptions to the law for rape or incest, and medical exceptions only apply if the mother’s life is in danger. Evidently, the politicians who voted to enact the law care more about the potential of an unborn fetus than the existing life of a girl or woman—yet many of those politicians do not care about that fetus’s life the moment after it is born. Texas ranked No. 46 out of 50 states for child well-being, factoring in poverty rates, access to education and health insurance, according to the Annie E. Casey

2021 Kids Count report, which provides data on child welfare in the U.S. Texas must aid its existing children before forcing new ones into the world.

Although the law allows Texans to sue anyone who performs an abortion after six weeks, abortions are simple procedures and will continue to be performed after the law goes into effect. But the law severely limits women’s opportunities to seek safe, professional abortions. Abortions will not stop simply because they are banned; instead, they will continue to occur in unsafe ways.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that nearly all abortion-related deaths and disabilities are preventable by measures including sex education, accessible contraceptives and legalized abortion. Moreover, the Texas ban serves as yet another attempt by male politicians to restrict the autonomy of women.

As White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a press conference Sept. 2, men who have never been pregnant nor faced the immensely personal choice of abortion are making the choice for women. Texas is just one state, but its verdict sends a resounding message: The rights of women, even to things as personal as their own bodies, are still constantly challenged. For our whole country, this law is a definitive step in the wrong direction.

rench President Emmanuel Macron has never been known to shy away from his own chutzpah.

From the moment he stepped under the effulgent glow of the Louvre pyramid to deliver his 2017 election victory speech, Macron embraced a fiery optimism that reinvigorated the French electorate and helped him become one of the most powerful leaders in Europe.

For all of his courage and defiance, though, Macron understood the necessity of maintaining strong diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Europe, as did most American presidents.

But in the past five years, Americans have neglected this commitment, instead attempting to pursue aggressive policy goals without the support of foreign allies. The dangers of this trend were on display during the week of U.N. General Assembly meetings last month.

Macron, a consistent champion of multilateralism, refused to attend the meetings after Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. secretly ended Australia's nuclear submarine deal with France. Regardless of the decision’s potential benefits, the Americans' lack of open consultation was reprehensible. Under orders from Macron, France recalled its ambassador to the U.S. for the first time in history and condemned American “lies,” “duplicity,” “brutality” and “contempt” in a televised interview.

Fear surrounding this historic decision and extreme language dominated the news cycle throughout the U.N. session.

The assembly intended to shine a light on global solutions and peace, but it was consumed by the repercussions of betrayal.

The chaos that ensued could not be more inopportune. After former President Donald Trump questioned the alliance’s value and hung our foreign partners out to dry, President Joe Biden was tasked with reviving relationships and organizations that serve as the lynchpin of global problem-solving.

Initially, this effort was headed down the right path: Biden rescinded Trump’s decision to leave the World Health Organization and supported a pat-

ent waiver for the COVID-19 vaccine to alleviate low-income countries’ suffering from health inequity. Biden also facilitated America’s return to the Paris Climate Agreement and agreed to extend the New START treaty on nuclear weapons with Russia.

This was a necessary shift from four years of disastrous foreign policy during the Trump administration, but simply looking in the right direction does nothing if we continue to jettison our alliances and refuse to take bold, unified action.

Right now, numerous international threats like climate change, COVID-19, tensions between great powers and poverty jeopardize billions of lives.

In an increasingly globalized world with increasingly globalized problems, we cannot afford to succumb to division. Biden needs to recover U.S. credibility and leadership on issues that require multilateral initiatives.

It is time for him to fulfill his campaign promise of intelligent diplomatic policy that reinvigorates international organizations.

In the short term, this means restoring our relationship with France and continuing to regain the trust of our NATO allies.

In the long term, the U.S. must use these connections to mend the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement body and turn adversaries like China into partners in the fight against climate change.

If Macron retains power for a second term, he may stand in front of the Louvre once again to deliver a message at the start of the 2024 Olympics.

The world will gather along the banks of the Seine River to hear a familiar opening ceremony speech likely dedicated to global solidarity and hope.

But there is a terrifying risk that this optimism and unity will reveal nothing more than a fleeting glimpse into a world we refused to build. We are standing at a crossroads in foreign policy. As we move into the second year of Biden's presidency, it is imperative that we face our challenges in a new era of cooperation.

hwchronicle.com/opinion

Oct. 12, 2021

Reconstructing the Honor Board

By Georgia Goldberg

O

ur student government is tasked with the unique role of sitting on the Honor Board. The Honor Board was established to adjudicate academic and social infractions, often through enforcing disciplinary actions upon students.

It was created in order to include peer advocates in each disciplinary tribunal, so that the resulting consequences would serve as opportunities for students to learn from their mistakes. This role puts a great deal of pressure on the Prefects, but also gives them immense power over their peers.

The Honor Board and Prefect Council were separate entities until a merger was proposed during the 2004-2005 school year and implemented during the 2006-2007 school year.

The student body was not offered any say in this decision; only the Prefect Council and Honor Board, who were presented with the plan, had the opportunity to modify it and vote on its approval.

Just as the structure of the Honor Board has changed over time, its image and impact within the school community has evolved as well. Instead of acting as a safety net for students, the Honor Board is used by the administration to fearmonger and deter students from cheaing. The school can begin to

solve this problem by separating the Prefect Council from the Honor Board.

Having the Prefects sit on the Honor Board seems to make it fairer by giving students peer advocates; however, when those advocates are elected on the basis of their honor it puts more pressure on the student being judged. The Honor Board process seems more daunting when your judges are your most virtuous peers.

With a separated Honor Board and Prefect Council, students can elect peers with their own shortcomings, making the Honor Board more sympathetic and equitable in decisionmaking and less intimidating overall. Students should be able to cast votes for candidates who they think would adjudicate most fairly.

Separating the Honor Board and Prefect Council would also produce rulings that are not influenced by prefects’ worries about re-election. Imagine what would happen if city council members were also the judges in local courts and had to make decisions about contested parking tickets—why would we allow candidates to adjudicate cases that affect people whose votes they need?

This conflict of interest is entirely avoidable. Apart from their Honor Board duties, Prefects run student life,

plan events, coordinate with the administration and advocate on behalf of the student body.

This is the more traditional role of high school student government. Separating Honor Board and Prefect Council would not only promote integrity and democracy but would also provide more students with leadership opportunities.

Furthermore, the Honor Board would be greatly improved if students were prohibited from serving on cases trying people in their own grade. This would reduce conflicts of interest because it is unrealistic to hold Prefects to a standard of total impartiality. High school students who carry an enormous amount of power at school are unlikely to recognize their biases about every student who comes before the Honor Board.

The student body's voice was ignored in the decision to combine the Prefect Council and the Honor Board in 2006. This was a grave mistake, but the school now has the opportunity to correct it. The administration and Prefect Council should outline a proposal to separate these bodies.

We need to return the Honor Board to its original function and allow the student body to vote on members.

Opinion A11

HW VOICES Do you think Prefect Council should be separated from the Honor Board?

Manu Markman ’23

“Reforming the Honor Board so that it's a jury of randomly selected students with no prior offenses themselves would naturally make it less prosecutorial.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MANU MARKMAN

Liana Wadhwani ’22 “Having student input is important. However, I also think that prefects judging people in their grade is problematic. To me, having different grade levels judge different grade level cases will always be better.”

JAMES HESS/CHRONICLE

Andrew Gutierrez ’23 “There should some comfort in an Honor Board case knowing you'll have students your age there. But it can also lead to problems, especially when people are competing against each other.”

JAMES HESS/CHRONICLE

Bill Coleman ’24 “I think Prefect Council does well with the Honor Board.

Allowing the administration to see things from a different perspective is really important, especially if the issue is already complicated for teachers.”

JAMES HESS/CHRONICLE

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

Judging classics by their covers

By James Hess

D

espite their archaic grammar, complicated prose and out-of-date representation, classic novels continue to find themselves on our curriculum and bookshelves. We spend much of our English courses reading them for their plots and themes, our History courses for their supplementary context and our foreign language courses for their literal translations. Entire electives focus their year on the work of one ancient author; others use various writers to guide them through a semester.

Throughout all the time we have read them, our teachers and parents have assured us that these novels are essential to our development as people.

Why should we believe them? As teenagers in the 21st century, it seems that books written by authors thousands of years ago would be unimportant to us. After all, we are separated from them by centuries of social, political and

technological changes that have redefined the human experience. Oftentimes their authors have completely different social and religious identities than us, and hold political views we would today consider reprehensible. Knowing this full well, we spend our class time in the humanities close-reading these novels word-by-word, considering exactly how their themes can add meaning to our lives.

When analyzing their most frustrating pages, we ask ourselves if teachers make us read them only because it's what "educated" people do: if they have no other reasoning than vague adherence to tradition.

And yet, setting aside their challenging and often irritating nature, classic novels can bring immense value to our lives. Like all great art, they force us to develop an eye for detail, confront new ideas and empathize with characters unlike us.

Regardless of the mystique surrounding them, classics are

exactly as they appear: text bound by pages to convey a central message. If you strip away the polysyllabic words and page-long sentences from "1984," you will find themes and questions that make up our contemporary politics. And if you take the time to read "Frankenstein" with all of its complicated grammar intact, you will uncover beautiful descriptions of the natural world, ones that simply cannot be replicated by our colloquial language.

At their best points, the universal themes and complex writing of these novels work hand-in-hand: they convey ideas valuable to our everyday lives in unique and engaging ways. Their pages add flavor to the dates and footnotes of history, life to destroyed ruins and individual stories to broader political movements. Most importantly, they help us to develop compassion for people

Chronicle Assistant Opinion Editor reflects on the significance of classic novels and their relevance in English, History and foreign language classes. we would generally not think twice about in a history textbook. Rather than understanding the working conditions of 19th century London through colorless government statistics, we see them firsthand through the eyes of young orphan Oliver Twist. And instead of distantly associating political authoritarianism with danger and instability, we clearly see its effects unfold in the dystopias of "Fahrenheit 451."

In this way, classic literature accomplishes something unique among all novels: the ability to convey complex historical themes through relatable characters. Their authors have lived through the wars, speeches and laws that make up our understanding of the past, and are able to write about them with more clarity than any contemporary research paper or academic thesis. Armed

with traits that span centuries, their characters guide us through these difficult waters and heighten our senses for the people we have the least in common with.

Classic novels aren't perfect.

They can be clunky, overly complicated and rife with archaic depictions characteristic of their time period. But they can also serve a unique purpose in our lives, helping us to appreciate the features of history and the lives impacted by them. If we diligently sift through their pages, carefully choosing the messages we can keep and those we can do away with, these novels help us better understand the world in which we live. We should therefore read them not just as functions of their historical moment but as works we can learn from and cherish. After all, they've survived this long for a reason.

ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE JACOBY

Community The Chronicle • Oct. 12, 2021

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NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE: Before homecoming, signs objecting to the River Park recreation project appeared along streets near the Upper School. It is unclear whether each sign was placed by a different community member or whether the local campaign was the work of a single activist.

Administration faces backlash over River Park

By Lucas Cohen-D’Arbeloff

Members of Save Weddington placed signs along Coldwater Canyon Avenue to protest of the school’s River Park plan. The organization, whose goal is to preserve Weddington Golf & Tennis, posted signs to coincide with increased activity on campus during Homecoming on Oct. 2.

Save Weddington Board Member Teri Austin said the organization acted in anticipation of Homecoming because they feel many families in the school community do not fully understand the school’s proposal. They used the event as an opportunity to communicate their message.

“It has been very difficult for us to communicate with the families and students of Harvard-Westlake in order to explain

our position on the proposed development,” Austin said. “The opportunity to have several hundred people see the signs and inquire about them [would] give us an opportunity to be able to interface with the community. As I understand, about 3% of the students who go to the school actually live in Studio City. We [normally] don’t have access to a lot of these people.”

The signs include a link to Save LA River Open Space, a sister organization of the Studio City Residents Association, and read, “It’s not a done deal!” According to Austin, this means the school must finish the conditional use permit application process and perform more community outreach before breaking ground on the project.

“What Harvard-Westlake needs

to do is prove to the city that this is a benefit to the community, [the] 13,600 who signed our petition and [the] over 1,000 individual [letter-writers] to the Department of Planning so far,” Austin said. “These are from residents of not just [Studio City], but Sherman Oaks and Panorama City.”

Grace Hudson ’23, a Studio City resident who owns an anti-River Park sign, said most of her neighbors support Save Weddington’s campaign and are hesitant about the project.

“The signs are very representative of what my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods feel,” Hudson said. “From what I’ve heard, people don’t want an Olympic-sized swimming pool next to their house.”

Studio City Residents Association President Alan Dymond said

the River Park proposal would uproot the lives of many longterm residents and eliminate a largely popular recreational opportunity for those living in the San Fernando Valley.

“Concerns are being raised across the valley because a lot of people, [especially] a lot of elderly people, go [to Weddington] and play golf,” Dymond said.

“What [the school is] trying to do is take away a facility [that] people have used it for over 50 years.

After [President] Rick Commons [said] that they won’t do anything to disturb the peace and tranquility, it has just grown and grown and grown from there. And what we’re looking at right now, it’s too much to me.”

Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg ’89 declined to comment.

Follow The Chronicle on Social Media: To stay informed on academic and athletic events, follow The Chronicle on Instagram, @ hwchronicle, and on Twitter, @hw_chronicle. In addition, check out our redesigned website at hwchronicle.com for breaking news and updates.

Governor authorizes mail-in ballots

By Alex Hahn

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a piece of legislation making universal mail-in ballots permanent Sept. 27; California is the eighth state to do so. According to Newsom’s office, the law, detailed in assembly bill No. 37, aims to strengthen the integrity of the election process and increase voter accessibility.

The state first implemented mail-in ballots in early 2020 to combat COVID-19-related issues in the presidential election.

As a result, voter participation rose to record-breaking numbers, and according to Newsom, this influenced his decision to sign the policy into law.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber said the bill will ultimately benefit U.S. citizens.

“The bill will permanently expand access and increase participation in our elections by making voting more convenient and meeting people where they

are,” Weber said. “Vote-by-mail has significantly increased participation of eligible voters. And the more people who participate in elections, the stronger our democracy and the more assurance we have that elections reflect the will of the people of California.”

Assemblymember Marc Berman, who authored the bill, also said voter turnout will increase following its ratification.

“When voters get a ballot in the mail, they vote,” Berman said.

“We saw this in the 2020 General Election when, in the middle of a global health pandemic, we had the highest voter turnout in California since Harry Truman.”

Ceerous LeSage ’23 said he supports the bill because it improves voter accessibility.

“People who are in different situations could simply not have the same access to voting booths as others do,” LeSage said. “Giving these people equal opportunities is paramount to maintaining the democracy of the United

States and thus also the validity of future elections.”

Jack Coleman ’22 said he is neutral toward the legislation and people must work to consider its upsides and downsides.

“Frankly, democracy is about people voting, and if this bill will increase voter turnout, that’s a good thing,” Coleman said.

“However, my major concern with this bill is the likely increase in ballot harvesting. This can often lead to party activists filling out the ballot for the person to whom the ballot was sent.”

However, Coleman also said he wants to stress that the issue of mail in voting is not necessarily a partisan one.

“I don’t think this law will have much real impact on the legitimacy of California elections,” Coleman said. “It will increase potential claims of voter fraud, and the likely increase in ballot harvesting is worrying, but I definitely don’t think that this bill will have much impact either way.”

TESSA AUGSBERGER/CHRONICLE

BIG-TIME BALLOTS: Students eligible to vote had the option to mail in their ballots for the Sept. 14 California gubernatorial recall election.

Features The Chronicle • Oct. 12, 2021

Time is Up, Pens Down

Students who have testing accommodations struggle to adjust to in-person school.

Students discuss the controversy regarding the celebration of Columbus Day versus Indigenous Peoples’ Day in America.

By Fallon Dern and Lily Lee

By Natalie Cosgrove Cole Hall ’24 circled the final multiple choice problem on his spring biology exam and released a deep sigh of relief before handing it to his teacher.

Hall said he realized he had never before experienced a comparable sense of calm or focus after taking a test. Originally diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in eighth grade, Hall said the virtual 2020-2021 school year proved a difficult hurdle to overcome.

Hall said he struggled to study for and take exams prior to quarantine but developed a new sense of focus and serenity during online learning . He said he has applied new study skills to in-person school this year and has noticed improvement in his ability to concentrate. “[On my first test back in person], instead of needing the extra time like I normally did, I actually finished early,” Hall said.

“The rest of the time I spent looking over my answers. For taking tests, it used to be about going fast, [but] quarantine has allowed me to quiet my mind and just focus on the work. Coming back to school, I am really just focused on what is being asked of me.”

While Hall said his time learning over Zoom ultimately allowed him to develop efficient learning strategies, Learning Center Director and Learning Resource Specialist Grace Brown said other students with testing accommodations reported adverse impacts from online learning. Brown said she has observed a decline in the general conditions of students previously diagnosed with anxiety or ADHD as a consequence of the new test-taking environment.

“I saw a lot of students who already had accommodations in place, and quarantine exacerbated their symptoms,” Brown said. “So either because they’re staring at the screen so much or just sort of the emotional impact of all that, it slowed their processing down.

[Some] students who normally were fine with [150% of normal test time] needed more breaks.

• Continued on B7

“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Lessons on Columbus are taught in several schools around America. However, as students learn history at higher levels, they are exposed to what the nursery rhyme ignores: genocide and misconception, according to The Washington Post. Now, both students and teacher reevaluate what the holiday celebrates and all that it overlooks. According to Forbes, New York City public schools replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Three hundred years after Columbus initially arrived in

North America on Oct. 12, 1492, a national holiday is now celebrated in his honor. One hundred and eighty-five years later, Indigenous Peoples’ Day was created to honor Native American Indigenous people.

President Joe Biden is the first president to officially acknowledge Peoples’ Day, according to The Washington Post.

History teacher Peter Sheehy said as a child growing up in New York, he grew accustomed to a day off from school and large Columbus Day celebrations such as the Columbus Day Parade. He said after moving to California, he noticed ambivalence toward the holiday and disdain toward

Columbus himself. Sheehy said he acknowledges the differences between how Columbus is celebrated and provided historical examples of many events that disrespected Native Americans by idolizing Columbus.

“There was Chicago World’s Fair called the Columbian Exposition in 1882,” Sheehy said. “It had stations displaying indigenous Native American people like zoo animals, setting up Eskimo tribes and bringing them in. They were treated like curiosities of a more primitive way of life, and this continued even in attempts to include them.

There’s all this weird history of colonization that was going on

and reduced Native American people into some fascination.”

Sheehy said he has yet to encounter any student who strongly advocated for the preservation of Columbus Day, but has taught several students who advocate against it.

Ava Weinrot ’23 said she disagrees with the positive representation of Columbus in American classrooms because creates misconceptions and feels the holiday should not continue to be celebrated.

“Columbus did not do anything for America, so I don’t know why we consider him an integral part of the American foundation,” • Continued on B2

Members of the community reflect on the ways in which racial stereotypes can invalidate achievements and create self-doubt.

Sprawled out on the floor of her living room, Idalis McZeal ’23 passed a bowl of popcorn back and forth with a friend while “Legally Blonde” played on the TV

screen. As Elle Wood’s law school application video began to play, McZeal paused the movie to talk about her own dreams for the future. She began sharing her aspirations to attend an excellent college but said her enthusiasm came to a sudden halt when her friend stated, “You have nothing to worry about. You’re going to get into every school you’re applying to, you know, because you’re Black.”

McZeal said her friend’s comment was both hurtful and racist and that she continues to feel its impact on her self-perception today.

“That racist remark is still ingrained in my own thinking and the way I view

myself,” McZeal said.

“It started a cycle of self-doubt that often causes me to ask myself, ‘Am I [successful] because I deserve it, or am I here because of my skin color?’”

McZeal said she feels her personal competence and academic efforts are significantly discredited when others define her solely by her race.

“When I’m told the only reason I am where I am or the only reason I’ll ever achieve anything is because of my racial identity, which isn’t something I achieved or worked at but [is] something completely out of my control, it invalidates all of my achievements,” McZeal said.

• Continued on B6 ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF AND SYDNEY FENER

B2 Features

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

Lesson 1: Re-navigating Columbus Students and teachers discuss Christopher Columbus and his role in contemporary discussions of America’s complex history.

• Continued from B1

Rethinking Columbus

“Columbus did not do anything for America, so I don’t know why we consider him an essential part of the American foundation,” Weinrot said. “Indigenous people are a group of people who were oppressed at the expense of America’s foundation and success. It is wrong to ignore that piece of our history.”

Cheery Chen ’23 said Columbus should not be celebrated on Columbus Day and international schooling impacted her opinion on the holiday.

Chen, who moved from Hong Kong to Los Angeles at age 12, said she learned about Columbus’s voyage in China, but she never understood why it was so important. After learning about American history in various U.S. classrooms, Chen said her opinion on the matter has not changed: While the discovery of America is noteworthy, Columbus does not deserve a holiday.

“You can somewhat separate achievements with people when you look back on history,” Chen said. “We could celebrate some things that he has done rather than celebrate him as a person because he has done undeniably heinous things.

It is hard to completely stop celebrating any achievements by people who have done terrible things. I have never really understood why we celebrated him as a person, but I think it wouldn’t be bad to celebrate the achievements of people who have done dishnorable things as well.”

Chad Bacon ’22 said he agrees

that Columbus’s achievements should not be overlooked. He said he grew up learning about Columbus’s accomplishments.

“I absolutely do [think Columbus Day should be celebrated] because he was the first person who did not originally come from the continent of North America who discovered North America or South America,” Bacon said. “He was the first person who wasn’t part of that large island who actually discovered it. There is something still to be celebrated.”

Bacon said Columbus Day probably will not be recognized in 10 years, but he does not agree that it should not be celebrated on Oct. 11, 2021.

“Just because people did atrocious things doesn’t mean you should fail to recognize the wonderful things they did,” Bacon said. “It’s a very naive perspective to look at the world as black and white and say, ‘well these people did bad things, so therefore we can’t celebrate the good things that they did.’ It is a naive perspective not to acknowledge and celebrate Columbus Day, while also being aware of the fact that we are not celebrating the fact that he was a perfect person. There is no debate. He accomplished several great feats as a person.

I understand the arguments against Columbus Day. I just don’t think that they are good arguments.”

Haruka Endo ’24 said Americans should not acknowledge Columbus Day, even though she has been taught to celebrate it countless times.

“My whole life people have just mentioned Columbus Day and never acknowledged the Indigenous com-

munity, so I have been influenced is the creation of a whole new group by that in how I see that day,” Endo of people. Christopher Columbus said.“It’s horrible that Americans is acknowledged, but it is not called still celebrate it, but I think the rea- Christopher Columbus Day. Celeson why the holiday came into be- brating [Christopher Columbus] is ing is because back then, white supremacyway more common than it more of a U.S. thing.”

History and Social Studies is today, because of that they wantteacher Erik Wade said Canada is an ed to honor him and example of a country look past the other the U.S. should bad things he did. learn from.

He does not deserve If w e ar Wade said the e go in g an entire holiday.” to ha ve U.S. has a long a re al , honest Elysia Philhistory of ignorco nv er sation about lips ’24 said she ing Indigenous this, we need to inclu acknowledges de people because Indigenous indigenous voices.”

Americans are Peoples’ Day often uncomfort— Erik Wade and believes it able with acknowlHistory Teacher should be the edging the brutality sole holiday and injustices which celebrated their ancestors had on Oct. 11, inflicted upon Nareplacing Columbus Day tive-Americans. entirely.

“Essentially you have “Some people celebrate Coto acknowledge the fact that the lumbus, but by now we should just celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ forefathers and the founders of the Day,” Phillips said. “It’s about time United States trampled over, killed, that Columbus Day should not be raped and took over people’s land,” acknowledged. Some of the people Wade said. “That is not easy work in government respect Columbus to do, but I think if you actually acand what he has done and those who knowledge Indigenous Peoples’ Day have less power do not have as much and the complexity of that day and authority in America’s holidays.” our past, we can do a lot in the way How Other Countries of healing as a nation and we can do a lot in serving Indigenous people View Columbus Day who remain here with more justice, Spanish teacher Joaquin Fernantolerance and inclusivity.” dez-Castro said, while Spain does Wade said it is necnot have an official Columbus Day, essary for educators to include indigenous there is a celebration to commemvoices in historical orate Spanish accomplishments conversations. throughout history.

“We need to “On October 12th, it is el include folks in Dia de Hispanidad [the Nacommunities tional Day of Spain], and around us that the concept is to celebrate could shed everything Spanish,” more light to Fernandez-Castro said. this conver“It is not just the dissation,” covery of the New Wade World, but it said.

“

More on Indigenous Peoples’ Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated each year on the second Monday of October, is an annual holiday dedicated to honoring Indigenous people, history and culture. The holiday originated as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day. The holiday angered many people by representing the violent history of colonization in the Western Hemisphere, including the enslavement of numerous Native Americans. The notion to replace Colum-

bus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first introduced in 1977 at a United Nations conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

Fourteen years later, the holiday was implemented in Berkeley, California, in 1992, on the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the Americas. Two years later, Santa Cruz, California, instituted the holiday, and today, thousands of states and cities across the U.S. celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. illustrations

by Sydney Fener and Alexa Druyanoff illustrations by sydney fener and alexa druyanoff

Oct. 12, 2021

The Chronicle

Features B3

Community members discuss the mental toll and societal implications of objectification and sexualization at school.

By Allegra Drago Eager to cool off in the late summer heat, Sam Plageman ’23 took off her sweatshirt, revealing the tight, low-cut spaghetti-strap tank top she was wearing underneath.

A close friend approached her and adjusted the shirt to cover her cleavage. Plageman said this seemingly helpful gesture by her friend left her feeling disrespected and uncomfortable.

Plageman said she wondered if her friend wanted to protect her from sexualization or if she had just been sexualized by her own friend for merely showing some

skin. Although she said she understood both possibilities, she felt offended.

“It makes me feel like [my friends] don’t trust my judgment and my own opinion of what is appropriate,” Plageman said. “At the same time, I appreciate that they care enough about me to want to protect me or make sure I am doing the right thing.”

Rhea Madhogarhia ’22 said while it feels like society is attempting to combat issues surrounding LGBTQ and racial equality, the same cannot be said about body positivity. She said she struggles with accepting her body image and separating others’ opinions from her own. She said women are constantly sexualized, which makes her feel selfconcious and

leads her to cover her body. “[Since I have] a different body [type] than some of my friends, if I wear a tank top to school, I [always bring] a jacket in my car or backpack to cover up,” Madhogarhia said.

“I think [criticism] hits harder when it is from another girl,” Madhogarhia said. “It is harmful because these discussions are being made to be more comfortable to talk about, but at the same time, the normalization of body types can be unsettling to some people, especially if you are insecure in your own body or somebody that is struggling with body issues. I think that everybody is at a different place with body image and I think that people need to respect that not everyone is on the same page.”

Madhogarhia said some students’ comparisons form other students’ insecurities. Companies like Brandy Melville that only make

from discussions at school, but the impact of societal norms regarding the matter can be seen in one’s everyday life.

“I think people feel uncomfortable talking about [their bodies] because it is so normal in today’s world [to show offtheir bodies] that there really isn’t a point in discussing it,” Marley said.

Naalah Cohen ’23 said girls should be able to wear what they feel comfortable in, especially since the school’s dress code allows it. She said it is difficult for students to express themselves through fashion because they are so routinely judged.

“I think that showing off your body comes from social pressure,” Cohen said. “I feel like there is a lot of emphases put on looks especially at school.”

Cohen said these conversations are important and they should be discussed at school .

clothing catered to one body type distort reality, she said. “[At Brandy Melville,] everything is made for a specific body type, and if you do wear it, then [girls at school] will think that you are trying to fit in with skinny girls,” Madhogarhia said.

Ruby Kemper ’24 said she chooses to wear sweatpants and hoodies to school, because she prefers to be comfortable and ignore the physical competition among her peers at school.

“I think that at school in general, girls are so competitive in wanting to always be skinnier than each other and impressing more guys,” Kemper said. “I find that girls rarely support each other and are constantly judging, and being judged based on their body types.”

Judah Marley ’23 said she notices a social pressure to show off her body at school. She said students put a lot of emphasis on their looks each day.

“I think the pressure comes from society and more specifically, pop culture,” Marley said. “Kids, especially girls,have been exposed at a young age to movies and shows that depict the ‘cute and popular’ girls wearing short skirts, and cropped tops, while the ‘nerdy,’ or ‘loner’ girls wore more full coverage pants and tops or sweaters. This creates the idea that in order to be ‘cool’ or ‘popular’ you need to wear small tops and bottoms.”

Marley said comments about body image are often omitted

“I think people feel uncomfortable talking about [sexualization] because they do not want to recognize their own bias or work to fix it,” Cohen said. “People put out this message that if you don’t want to be sexualized that you just shouldn’t dress a certain way. I should be able to wear what I want without the fear of being sexualized based on the body that I have.”

School Counselor Michelle Bracken said there is progress being made against sexualizationrelated stereotypes.

“In the ’90s on [the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) for example, you would see commercials of women modeling for beer companies, and it would just be a woman’s back to thighs exposed trying to sell a beer,” Bracken said. “That is not a part of beer; it is sexualizing and objectifying so that women become objects and are being made profits off of.”

From a mental health perspective, Bracken said she sees certain body types being sexualized, and this prevents students from being able to explore their identities.

“Society has developed an image of what men and women should look like in order to be desirable,” Bracken said. “If you are not thin, blond, have flawless skin, [etcetera], then you are not desirable. We know that

cognitively to be true, but it is hard to overcome the stereotypes.”

Kemper said while she is glad some people can express themselves through fashion, society often sexualizes young adults based on their clothing, something she has been subject to fisthand.

“Personally I think it’s great when people wear what they want while expressing themselves,” Kemper said. “But sometimes, I think it could get to a point where girls begin to be sexualized by others.

I definitely have experienced feeling uncomfortable in situations and constantly noticing myself pulling up my tank top.”

She said this stigma causes girls

to obsess over their physique and their general apperance.

“Words like ‘slut’ and ‘hoe’ are thrown around so commonly these days that I’m hyperaware of how I present and portray myself [to others],” Kemper said. “I choose to not expose myself out of fear that I will be sexualized by others. I do not want to be called these negative names just because of the clothes that I am wearing on my body. It frustrates me that I mentally have to go through [all of ] this before deciding [that I’m going] to put on a tank top.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF AND CAROLINE JACOBY

The Chronicle

B4 Features

Students of color share perspectives on the negative impacts of racially offensive and culturally appropriative Halloween costumes.

By Fallon Dern

campaigns include virtual advertisements, informational videos and historIndian American student Anika ical education on cultural insensitivity.

Kumar ’23 said she never understood For instance, Laurier Students’ Public why some students choose to wear oth- Interest Research Group (LSPIRG), er cultures’ garments as Halloween cos- a nonprofit that sponsors student actumes. Kumar said, given the variety of tivism, began the hashtags “#IAmoptions to choose from, dressing as an- NotACostume” and “#NotYourCosother race is unnecessary and offensive. tume,” two social media campaigns “Halloween costumes based around sharing information about costumes culture are inherently problematic, as that misrepresent people of color. you diminish an entire culture to a Colombian American Venture leadcostume,” Kumar said. “A person’s her- er Sophia Rascoff ’23 said no busiitage isn’t something you can or should ness should profit from glamorizing dress up as for fun. These costumes harmful stereotypes. She said while are based off of a stereotype. There is businesses capitalize on these images, no way to be another race the propagation of these ideas while being respectful. It is the root of the problem. isn’t possible. Just don’t “White-owned companies do it, especially when should definitely not profit [there are] tons of other from stereotypical costumes options that aren’t racist.” from characters,” Rascoff said.

Halloween costumes “This problem goes higher that impersonate marthan costume companies–it ginalized communities is incredibly important that represent an aspect of culas diversity is added into our white’s tural appropriation, which media, writers and creators Cionnie Webster’s Dictionary deare especially cognizant and Pineda ’22 fines as the reclaiming of avoid playing into stereotypes another culture’s idenand offensive characteristics.” tity and failing to credit its origins.

Rascoff said she hopes children Often, these costumes emphasize can enjoy Halloween without unsexualized elements of traditional gar- knowingly perpetuating racist imagments, such as lingerie-qipao hybrids ery. She said much of the ignorance or skin tight Native American outfits. in the media could be avoided by Attire relating to terrorism, Islamapho- encouraging people of color to play bia and the Holocaust is also readily larger roles in the creative process. available for purchase. For example, “When it comes to [children’s] costume manufacturer Candy Apple characters, as long as people of color sells a children’s Anne Frank costume. are involved in the creation process, For the last ten years, resistance it’s great to create these cosagainst stereotypes and culturtumes for all kids to dress up al tragedies has led to si g n i f ic a nt change in the Halloween costume m a rketThese

in,” Rascoff said. “The main problem culture as a costume without reduccomes either when the character itself ing the meaning of the culture, and is a stereotype or when the costume it’s especially wrong to mock margincompany makes a generic costume alized communities for fun. This case that in itself is a racial stereotype.” was an example of that, in which these While Rascoff highlightcostumes were meant to be ed the importance of corpojokes, which made them rate awareness and cultural even more disrespectful.” sensitivity, Student Leaders While Pineda and Asemofor Inclusion, Diversity and ta both encountered students Equity (SLIDE) and Latin dressed as cholos, they highAmerican Hispanic Students lighted other ways that people Organization (LAHSO) appropriate Latino culture on co-leader Cionnie Pineda Halloween. The costumes ’22 said she hopes students in question continue to be white’s understand the impact these sold online and in person, Eghosasere costumes have on each perdonning names like “MexAsemota ’22 son of color. Pineda shared ican Hot Tamale,” “Saucy an experience from her first Hallow- Senorita” and “Bandita Shot Girl.” een after transferring to the school Cultural appropriation on Halas a new ninth grader: she said she loween appropriates more than Latwas taken aback and disappointed by inx culture: before encountering any her peers’ costume choices that year. traditional Asian garments, searching “I remember this one time a kid “Asian Costume” into Google provides almost got in trouble for dressed up results such as “Sexy Japanese Geisha,” as a cholo [Mexican American gang “Sexy Asian Girl,” and “Sexy Oriental member],” Pineda said. “He told the Cosplay.” Asian Students in Action deans he was dressed up as a rapper, (ASiA) co-leader and Senior Prefect but culturally, that is what a cholo Joy Ho ’22 said these outfits diminwould wear. I don’t know if the ad- ish the increased rates at which womministration was aware of which cul- en of color experience sexual violence. tures wear what, but they didn’t give “Sexualized race costumes for Halhim detention or any punishment. For loween are incredibly detrimental and me, it was really upsetting that noth- problematic for those cultures and ing happened because the kid is white.” communities,” Ho said. “These outfits Nigerian American Black Lead- neglect the painful histories of sexual ership Awareness and Culture Club violence and further dehumanizing ste(BLACC) co-leader Eghosasere Ase- reotypes women, reducing them to sexmota ’22 shared a similar experience. ual objects. One big issue is that, even Asemota said he grew up taking note with so many campaigns fighting for of his peers’ costume choices. He an end to targeted racial costumes, said, often, he didn’t like what he saw. we tend to separate this advocacy “I would see white students from defending the communities dress up as cholos or Black themselves. One major example of people,” Asemota said. “It is very hard to use a

Oct.

12, 2021

hwchronicle.com/features

this is the lack of attention on violence against Indigenous women even with backlash when it comes to people wearing Indigenous peoples’ costumes.”

According to VAWnet, a database from the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of sexual assault in comparison to women of all other races, and 34% of Native American women are raped in their lifetime. Ho said she is deeply disturbed by the continued production of sexualized Native American costumes and the violence costume wearers perpetuates.

Japanese American student and Junior Prefect Aiko Offner ’23 said she is upset by all race-based costumes but finds the sexualization of Japanese uniforms particularly pedophilic and disturbing. Offner said she spends nearly half the year with friends and family in Tokyo, and she was surprised and mortified by how foreign industries interpret Japanese culture.

“To sexualize what students actually wear is disturbing and disrespectful to Japanese culture and people,” Offner said. “If I were going to a Japanese school and saw that foreigners were wearing sexualized versions of my school uniform, I’d feel violated and objectified. These shortened skirts and tops aren’t actually what students wear but kept the same design elements to specifically sexualize young Japanese girls. I know these outfits are also based off of sexism and [the] general weirdness of certain anime, but we don’t see as many sexualized Western or European schoolgirl outfits. It’s all pedophilic, but [it] particularly reflects the perverse ideas about virginity and innocence associated with Japanese and East Asian culture.”

Chinese American student Joshua Cheng ’23 said he is more concerned with the actions of the wearers of the Asian-inspired costumes rather than with the costumes themselves. Cheng said, while he understands that many people born and raised in Asia love when foreigners wear traditional garments, he takes issue with the racist accents and gestures that ensue.

“I’m all for a white kid dressing up as Bruce Lee,” Cheng said. “I dressed up as Bruce Lee. He’s awesome, but if a kid starts squinting his eyes and doing racist accents, he’s gonna turn into the type of person that Bruce Lee would beat up.”

Features B5

Cheng also said, while physical Kardashian wear a similar one. Pergestures like eye-pulling are often sonally, my everyday outfits are heavclearly racist, the subtleties in one’s ily inspired by many trends from the intentions are often equally revealing. 2000s, and particularly Black stars I “Dressing up as an ethnicity or na- love and admire. Beyoncé, Lil Kim, tionality feels very wrong, but dressing Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Kimora Lee up as Asian American characters is Simons and so many more laid the fine,” Cheng said. “It’s really the intent blueprint for the trends we see now.” that matters. Is this person dressing up Huang said, while these celebrities as this character to make fun of the have influenced his wardrobe, there are character or are they genuinely a fa- certain aspects of their style he cannatic of their story and background?” not adopt, like hairstyles. He said he African American student Sam- hopes others can recognize the culturuel Hines ’24 said heritage is more al significance of an article of clothing complex than one night of dress up, before impulsively appropriating it. and he encourages students to explore “It’s important to note that some culthese cultures in considerate ways. tural pieces of clothing are not meant “I believe that a [group] that is not to be worn by others and that somesubject to the cultural, times the best way to ethnic or religious appreciate anbackground of other culture’s the culture-oriclothing is ented Hallowto simply een costume admire it, they are wearnot wear it,” ing is very inHuang sensitive and in said. “Often many cases, offenpeople have sive,” Hines said. good intenThese costumes “As someone who tions when are based off of a enjoys expressing paying hommyself with clothage to a culstereotype. There is no ing, I would sugture, but if way to be another race gest [that] those your actions while being respectful. It who are interested end up hurtin wearing cosing people just isn’t possible.” tumes that reprefrom that —Anika Kumar ’23 sent other culturculture, then al backgrounds the intenand ethnic groups tions don’t seek relation to matter because them in other forms.” harm was done.”

Chinese American streetwear Huang said dressing as another brand ShopJaydenHuang owner race is wrong and unnecessary, givJayden Huang ’23 said incorporating en how many other Halloween costume traditional Chinese details in his de- choices are available. Huang said stusigns and learning from other cultures dents should stick with outfits the charin developing his fashion sense has acter wears and not attempt to alter their become second nature. Like Hines, appearance to match a character’s race.

Huang said clothing is an essential as“Do not try to emulate the features pect of his self-expression. He said he that any character of color might have,” strives to be inspired by other cultures Huang said. “Don’t use darker foundain the most responsible way possible. tion or use eyeshadow to try to make “While the conversation for what yourself have smaller, more slanted is appropriation and what is appre- eyes. If the character you want to dress ciation is highly debated, I think one up as has an afro, don’t curl your hair to major rule is to always make sure you make it look like you have an afro too. If are crediting the right people,” Huang you do, or if something happens, make said. “Don’t wear a qipao from [clothsure to be undering company] DollsKill and call it a ‘silk dragon dress’ just because you saw Kim

“

standing that some people will find things offensive that you did not think of, and that it’s okay to admit you’re wrong and learn from your mistakes.”

Mexican American LAHSO member Fernanda Herrera ’23 said she also condemns people altering physical attributes to dress as another race.

Hererra, who didn’t grow up trick or treating and attended predominantly Hispanic schools, said she became aware of culturally insensitive costumes fairly recently. She said the imitation of another culture is both confusing and disrespectful given the various options on the market. She said she does not understand why someone would glamourize struggles they do not face.

“Now that I’m older, seeing these costumes just makes me angry,” Hererra said. “I don’t see my culture differently, [but] it makes me upset that others would think my ancestry can be put on and taken off [through costuming]. These people can be a ‘drunk Mexican guy’ for one night and then continue to live their privileged lives. Actual Hispanic people who are stereotyped that way cannot go home and take their skin off.”

Hererra, a member of the Get Lit Players, said she tells many stories about her culture in poetry. She said heritage is not something that should be encapsulated in a Halloween costume but instead honored in more comprehensive ways.

“I think culture is art,” Hererra said.

“Everything, from our unique celebrations, to the way my grandmother kneads dough, to the bead necklaces indigenous communities make is art.

Culture and art don’t just intersect.

They are almost always indistinguishable from one another. The way my grandparents talk to me, the early morning masses I hated attending as a child, the loud chatter of aunties gossiping: it’s all poetry. That poetry is written on the architecture of our buildings, the way our food looks in pots and pans and of course, our traditional garments. It’s all art.”

ILLUSTRATION BY FALLON DERN

B6 Features

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

Students of color reflect on racially motivated comments devaluing their academic success. zero-sum when it comes to minority groups, that one minority Other students of color said group can only succeed at the exthey have been in similar situa- pense of other minority groups.” tions where their accomplishments Fernanda Herrera ’23 said she were dismissed. Black Leader- has been strongly impacted by misship Awareness and Culture Club conceptions regarding affirmative (BLACC) leader Eghosasere Ase- action. She said her former middle mota ’22 said as a person of color, school classmates alleged she was he feels that people immediate- only accepted by the school in orly credit his academic success to der to fill a diversity quota. special treatment “When I told and extra help. other people that “I feel I have People at the top I gotten into Harto defend my acv a rd-We s t l a k e , like to propogate this complishments,” they said, ‘Oh myth that everything is Asemota said. yeah, don’t they zero-sum when it comes take in a certain “Many people think that if [stuto minority groups.” number of students of color] —Simon Lee ’23 dents of color each do well, we must Junior Prefect year? Are you part have received of their diversity special guidance program?’” Herand help, or that our position as rera said. “As I sat there, doubts minorities makes us less capable started creeping in. I thought mayof achieving success on our own.” be they did pick me because they Like Asemota, Junior Prefect want the school to look diverse.”

Simon Lee ’23 said there are Head of Admission and Enmyths about minorities receiv- rollment Aaron Mieszczanski ing special treatment that should said all students are admitted be debunked, particularly those for their character, regardless surrounding affirmative action. of their ethnic backgrounds.

“I’ve been told that affirmative “We do not have a diversiaction is theoretically screwing me ty quota at Harvard-Westlake,” over because I’m Asian, which is a Mieszczanski said. “In our work huge oversimplification,” Lee said. in the Admission Office, we “People at the top like to propa- aim to attract, enroll and celgate this myth that everything is ebrate students who are kind, • Continued from B1

“

open-minded, ambitious and themselves,” Pineda said. “It’s hard engaged from all backgrounds.” to truly see your own potential Women of Color Club co-lead- in a world that oppresses you.” er Cionnie Pineda ’22 said she Head of Diversity, Equity and initially lost confidence in her abil- Inclusion (DEI) and Associate ities when faced with condescend- Director of Admission Janine ing comments suggesting that she Jones said purposeful action is the has received special academic help most effective way to eliminate reas a woman of color. She said she marks that belittle people of color. now copes with these insensitive “The erasure and invisibility of remarks by focusing on appreci- people of color is a common pheating herself and her nomenon and one that will unique contributions only be eradicated with as a woman of color. awareness and intention“At first, I doubted al action,” Jones said. “If myself a lot,” Pineda people aren’t aware of the said. “But now, I’ve damaging effects of their learned that the people disparaging comments, who make such comthe chances that they will ments can never ungo away are less likely.” white’s derstand the narrative Pineda said the key Fernanda of being a woman of to change on campus Hererra ’23 color [or] how systemis to educate everyone ic racism inherently through honest and open holds us back from opportunities. conversations about the experiAlthough it comes with negatives, ences of people of color at school. like lack of opportunities, being a “As a school, I feel like we woman of color is beautiful. I have should have presentations and grown so much in the last couple of workshops that educate other years and have learned to love my- people about what people of color self and celebrate my differences.” go through and [encourage peoPineda said that she is eager to ple of color to] spread the truths boost the confidence of all students of color and to ensure they of their challenges,” Pineda said. acknowledge their self-worth. “I think Harvard-Westlake has “I want to inspire other people come a long way, but there are alof color not only to fight for wom- ways going to be ways to create an en of color but also to believe in even more inclusive community.”

graphic by grace kosten and fallon dern

B7 Features

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

Students discuss their learning differences and extended time arrangements following quarantine and the return to school. vironment, I’m [going to] have to start taking tests in “Coming back to school, a separate room, so I won’t I am really just focused on feel [as] pressured by the fact what is being asked of me.” that my peers are also there.”

While Hall said his time While Duruisseau said learning over Zoom ultimate- she tends to have trouble ly allowed him to develop concentrating primarily in efficient learning strategies, overstimulated classroom enLearning Center Director and vironments, Rowan Jen ’23, Learning Resource Special- who uses extra time on tests, ist Grace Brown said other said his ability to concentrate students with testing accom- directly correlates with the modations reported adverse amount of time he spends impacts from online learning. on social media. Jen said Brown said she observed a throughout the COVID-19 decline in the general condi- pandemic, he spent signifitions of students previously cantly more time on social diagnosed with anxiety or media, which he said lowered ADHD as a consequence of his attention span and conthe new testing environment. sequently increased his need “I saw a lot of students who for extended time on exams.​​ already had accommodations “I think [quarantine] defiin place, and quarantine ex- nitely had an effect on [my] acerbated their symptoms,” focusing skills,” Jen said. “I’m Brown said. “So either be- spending much more time on cause they’re staring at the social media, which is inherscreen so much or just sort ently shorter form content. of the emotional I think that I wasn’t impact of all that, focusing for long peit slowed their riods of time, [instead processing down.

I was] just sort of [Some] students scrolling away. In that who normally regard, [COVID-19 were fine with has] 100% had an [150% of normal impact [on our learntest time] needed ing], just because we more breaks. We were around techsaw an increase nology all the time. white’s in the severity of It definitely hurt, or Zen-Mara symptoms [for definitely [had] the Duruisseau ’22 students that repotential to hurt, peoquire accommople’s attention spans.” dations].”

Jen said his peers strugZen- gle to maintain focus in M a r a school or on tests because D u - of excessive internet usruisseau age during quarantine. ’22, who ”A result of our [technor e qu i r e s logical] generation is just cona c c o m - stantly being stimulated and modations, never really having enough said she time,” Jen said. “We’re alhas struggled ways watching things on with adapting our phones, so in that way, to the classroom I would say a broader poptesting environ- ulation as a whole is losment after a year of tak- ing their ability to focus.” ing assessments from home.

Gavin Goldsmith ’23 “Coming back has been said he believes that havhard because I haven’t really ing extra time accommodabeen in school or [taken] actu- tions helps him harness his al tests since maybe 10th focus and reach his full grade, two years ago,” academic potential.

Duruisseau said. “I “Having extra think to slowly get time on tests, quizback into that zes and other asnormal testsessments has helped ing en-

• Continued from B1

me significantly,” Goldsmith having extra time are invalid said. “The accommodations or will spur negative judgehave allowed me to focus on ment from his peers. Unlike answering questions to the many students, whose accombest of my ability while also modations are due to learning feeling confident that I can differences, Perkins’ accomget through the entire assess- modations are because of the ment within the time allotted. panic he feels during tests. He Without extended time, most said he hopes that other stuassessments felt nearly impos- dents can know when to ask sible to finish in time without for help instead of giving into a very noticeable decrease the stigma that surrounds in the quality of my work.” having accommodations.

Assistant Director of Learn“I have extreme test anxing Center Ramon Visaiz said iety, and without that extra the school received an increase time, I’ll have panic attacks,” in applications for accommo- Perkins said. “The anxiety dations throughout and after gets to the point where it gets quarantine. He said learn- too hard to focus on being ing challenges became more able to read even the simapparent during this time. plest sentences. I don’t think “We have a greater number people are weak to apply or of students who now require lucky to be accepted. These accommodations and support, are kids that need to have a but that’s not the way to look fair shot at taking tests at the at it,” Visaiz said. “The way to same level as everyone else.” look at it is that we’ve identiPresident Rick Commons fied that these students need said online school affectthis specific support. Whether ed each student differently it be reading and that or organizahe believes tional skills We’re all evolving qu a r a nt i ne implementbecame a from the pandemic and time for the ed, that’s a hopefully discovering good thing community to identito reflect how to be better fy because on learnlearners.” now those ing abilstudents ar—Rick Commons ities and en’t [strugobstacles.

Head of School gling with] “I the anxthink iety or the frustration of all of us in the school [whatever] they were [be- have discovered an ening] challenged [by].” tirely new way of going Visaiz said the school’s to school,” Commons learning specialists noted a said. “For the month frequent overlap between [before] the school students with learning dis- year, we discovered abilities and students strug- things about our gling with mental health, learning styles, learnmade more apparent by the ing preferences and conditions of quarantine. learning differences.

“We noticed there were a There [are] students lot of mental health concerns [who] depend essurrounding students or fam- pecially upon the ilies not knowing they need- in-person, coled accommodations,” Visaiz laborative aspect said. “A lot of what we recom- of learning that mended was [learning accom- was absent for modations] testing through- so many months out that process. This year, [...] We’re all we have a lot of students who evolving from [were given additional] sup- the pandemic port, but that support came as and hopefula result of those challenges.” ly discovering Dylan Perkins ’23 said he how to be betoften worries his reasons for ter learners.”

“

PRINTED WITH PERMISSON OF GRACE KOSTEN

B8 Features

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

Students drink coffee and other caffeinated beverages to cope with sleep deprivation, school stress and social situations.

By Lily Lee

P

iercing through the silence in her bedroom, Liana Wadhwani’s ’22 alarm clock jolted her awake.

Wadhwani overcame an urge to hit “snooze” and dragged herself out of bed in order to begin her 4 a.m. morning routine. She poured herself a large cup of hot, black coffee. Wadhwani said she started drinking coffee in her junior year and now relies heavily on her morning coffee to get through the school day with only five hours of sleep.

Wadhwani recently began drinking Trader Joe’s Instant Cold Brew Coffee, which she said tastes stronger and has more concentrated amounts of caffeine than traditional black coffee.

“I’m hooked on it,” Wadhwani

said. “It’s like a drug. [With] the stress of school, especially this year with college applications and the amount of work my teachers are giving me, coffee has become a daily part of my life.”

Gemma Lippman ’22 said she

drinks at least one cup of coffee daily, either before or during school. Like Wadhwani, she said she attributes her caffeine addiction to the amount of homework she is regularly assigned.

“I have a horrible sleep schedule,

by my own fault, like a lot of Harvard-Westlake [students],” Lippman said. “It’s difficult to not use coffee as a way to combat not getting enough sleep because the amount of schoolwork from Harvard-Westlake is just so constant.”

Lippman said she purchases coffee from the cafeteria because it is accessible but said she would continue drinking coffee from home or from a coffee shop if the school discontinued caffeinated beverages.

“The cafeteria makes it easier to

get [coffee] in the morning, but if it wasn’t in the cafeteria I would probably still be drinking it from somewhere else,” Lippman said. “I think that is just the product of Harvard-Westlake students already having caffeine addictions because I see plenty of kids coming to school with Starbucks coffee cups and coffee from their house.”

Lippman said she observes

some students drinking from Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee and Philz Coffee on Ventura Boulevard, while others bring home-brewed coffee or purchase caffeinated beverages from the upper school cafeterias.

Cafeteria Manager Nipa Boo nyamas said the school offers caffeine in a variety of drinks, including coffee brewed by the school, bottled Starbucks Frappuccinos and iced tea. She said caffeine consumption among upper school students has increased sig-

[the cafeteria to carry].” nificantly in recent years and said While Coleman said he knows

students should get more sleep raththat many of his peers regularly purer than depending on coffee to get chase caffeinated drinks, he said he through their academic work. does not drink coffee because consum“Students think they need some

ing caffeine to make up for sleep can be kind of caffeine, but actually, I think detrimental to students’ health. they just need enough rest,” Boon“I am definitely not against peo much so have yamas said. “They ple drinking coffee if they want to homework [that] they can’t wake drink coffee,” Coleman said. “I have up. They just feel like they need never really liked coffee, and I see some caffeine to help them wake [that] a lot of my friends seem [to] reup in the morning.” ally need coffee, but I didn’t want to Like Boonyamas, Upper School have that reliance.”

Counselor Michelle Bracken said The American Academy of Child

she has noticed increasingly higher and Adolescent Psychiatry recomdemands for caffeine throughout her mends teenagers limit their caffeine intime working at the school. take to 100 milligrams per day, which Bracken said she believes the easy

is approximately one cup of coffee or access to mulitple, new Studio City two caffeinated sodas. Bracken said coffee shops contributes to students’ criticism of the school’s current cafconsumption. excessive caffeine feine sale is similar to the criticism it “The opening of places like Star received for its longstanding sale of bucks, Coffee Bean and Peet’s [Cofsoda and candy bars. fee] has created “Parents were a culture where upset that their kids drinking coffee is I’m hooked on it. It’s were making those different than it like a drug.

[With] the stress of choices [of buying was 20 years ago food school, especially this year with unhealthy when really only at the cafeteria],” drank adults college applications and the Bracken said. “We coffee,” Bracken amount of work my teachers could have the same said. “Students are giving me, coffee has issue with caffeine at can go to Starbecome a daily part of my life.” some point, recogbucks on the way —Liana Wadhwani ’22 nizing that caffeine [to school], so why can interfere with not have [caffeinsleep and biological rhythms. In genated drinks at school]?” eral, everything in moderation makes Bracken said while caffeine may

sense. It concerns me if students are be readily available in the cafeteria, she relying on caffeine to wake them up in advises students against drinking coffee the morning to get to school. Maybe it an is caffeine said She in high school. is masking other problems.” addiction that works similarly to Ava Weinrot ’23 said she drinks

recreational drugs. coffee in moderation and makes her “The longer you delay [drinking dark roast coffee in the morning becoffee], the better it would be before school three to four times a week. cause your brain is developing in She said she does not like the caffeine your adolescence and [throughchoices in the cafeteria.

“The said. out] your 20s,” Bracken “I don’t think coffee gives me

side effect of caffeine is that it gives that much energy, but it makes me jityou a false sense of focus. When you tery around 12:30 p.m.,” Weinrot said. put caffeine into your body, you are “I realized I should either drink decaf not even aware of the effects it is havor drink coffee every other day.” ing, like your heart racing and getting Nicole Lee ’24 buys the Star [conquantities, large In headaches.

Frappuccino drinks and the boba bucks suming too much] caffeine can actually drinks sold in the cafeteria. In the cause hallucinations.” past, she said she drank caffeine to Senior Prefect Jack Coleman ’22

gain energy after not getting enough said although he understands the upsleep the night before. per school cafeteria will continue sell“I noticed a frequent dose

ing coffee due to its high demand, it affected my mood, concoffee of for interest best students’ may be in centration and overall health,” Lee the school to limit accessibility to said. “It was giving me headaches caffeine on campus. and increased my levels of anxiety.

“I don’t blame the cafeteria for I tend to only drink [caffeinatd having the drinks there because I drinks] if I’m craving them.” think a lot of students would be Lee said she thinks the cafete upset if they didn’t sell those,” caffeinated drinks to stuselling ria I again, then Coleman said. “But dents can improve their performance don’t think [the cafeteria] sells all during the elongated class periods in kinds of soda and [other unhealthy the new block schedule. options] that students would like

“

“It’s a good idea to have caffein ated drinks sold at the cafeteria because especially with the new schedule of having long block periods, it’s important to be awake and alert for long periods of time,” Lee said. “If I feel sleepy before my class, drinking and having caffeine is very convenient and a great temporary solution.”

Kai Do ’24 said she drinks at least one cup of coffee every day and, at most, gets six hours of sleep each night.

Do also said she prefers drinking matcha and espresso over coffee.

“I honestly think that the Ito En green tea is a godsend and a great boost between my afternoon classes when I am feeling tired,” Do said. “I recently switched to matcha for health concerns. As someone who used to be addicted to espresso for giving me my energy, I can drink matcha in good conscience. Plus, it tastes great.”

Kiki Cooper ’23 said that she drinks coffee while socializing with friends and that she enjoys going to Starbucks and Café Luxe after school.

“It can be a fun activity

to do with friends to just go get a cup of coffee,” Cooper said. “I have never been one to feel the effects of caffeine because I have been drinking it for a while.”

Although the upper school cafeteria carries bottles of Starbucks Frappuccino available for student purchase, Cooper said she prefers visiting the Starbucks on Ventura Boulevard after school.

“I go to Starbucks so often that I have become friends with the barista,” Cooper said. “I enjoy going out to drink coffee with friends because coffee shops are good for fostering conversations and creating a comfortable and chill environment.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JULIA IM

Arts &Entertainment The Chronicle • Oct. 12, 2021

Students and faculty weigh in on diversity in the media and contemplate how pressure for “progressive” writing leads to inauthentic representation.

By Jina Jeon

depth beyond just school on one of my favorite shows.”

Hinkin said a character Fernanda Herrera ’23 flipped through the channels on her whose entire personality is based television, wondering why she on their ethnic identity is disindid not look like any of the char- genuous portrayal. She said that acters on screen. Could she ever true diversity should both inbe like the princesses and super- spire those who identify with a heroes in her favorite movies? character and educate those who Or was that a possibility only af- come from other backgrounds. forded to her caucasian friends? Hinkin said ethnically diverse and LGBTQ characters Growing up, Herreare often portrayed in a ra said she felt aliendehumanizing manner ated by this lack of and are given stereotyprepresentation and ical names and traits. was resentful of her “For a long time, own ancestry. characters of color Herrera said her or characters in the main issue with the LGBTQ community lack of diversity in white’s were used as comic rethe media is that the Fernanda lief, and [these portrayfew people of color Herrera ’23 als] upheld the idea that portrayed are reprethose groups are to be sented inaccurately laughed or negatively.

“There were never, and still a t , ” aren’t, very many TV shows Hinkin with Hispanic characters,” Her- s a i d . rera said. “A lot of the Hispan- “ T r u e ic characters that did show up r e p r e were token characters who were s e n t a either really Americanized or t i o n whose only traits were speaking serves to dismanSpanish and eating tacos.”

Herrera said the only rep- tle steresentation she could find as a reotypes child was harmful or stereotypi- a n d cal, since the shows she watched empowamplified common misconcep- er peotions and racial tropes as a form ple of of comedy. She said Olivia, a all ages Hispanic girl from the teen dra- w h o ma “On My Block,” feels like w a n t an offensive and unsuccessful to see someattempt at representation.

“In ‘On My Block,’ [Olivia] one that spoke Spanish with an Amer- looks like them on a ican accent, which makes no screen or a stage.”

History teachsense because she was born to immigrant Mexican parents,” er Erik Wade Herrera said. “Ronni Hawk, said diversity in the actress, is non-Latine white the media should and has played Latina characters stem from a on other shows as well. Can’t g e n u i n e , they find any Hispanic actress- p o s i t i v e es? I thought that if [my cul- place and ture] wasn’t showing up on the s h o u l d big screen, then there must be i n s p i r e something wrong for people to t h o s e w h o not demonstrate it.”

Shanti Hinkin ’22 said the identify lack of minority representation with the in the media is worsened by c h a r insensitive racial tropes and ste- a c t e r reotypes. She said the inaccurate portrayals of these groups also appear in some children’s shows.

Hinkin said Baljeet from the children’s show “Phineas and Ferb,” who is characterized as highly devoted to his studies, is a specifically relevant example of misrepresentation in the media.

“Growing up, I wasn’t disturbed by [Baljeet’s portrayal], but I never felt connected to it either,” Hinkin said. “Now, I see how offensive it is. I loved [‘Phineas and Ferb’] as a kid, and it would have been cool to see an Indian character who had

shown. Wade said actors of color are often pushed aside in the media to make room for their white counterparts.

“People of color want to see themselves in different roles that they see white men and women in,” Wade said. “Why can’t we play all kinds of roles? Why do we have to be stuck in problematic, minimal roles that only make white folks shine? Why can’t we be the superheroes who are going to save the day?”

Wade said the representation in the movie trilogy “Fear Street,” directed by Leigh Janiak, felt inaccurate and avoided racial discussions despite including two Black characters.

“The writer could have added the texture of the erased experience of the Black kids within that context,” Wade said.

“If you’re not going to actually grapple with [race], why not just make these kids white? It didn’t match experiences I had being Black and being a kid in 1984. If you’re going to [include diversity], then you’ve got to write it with as much authenticity as possible.”

Hinkin said to her, tokenism is the inclusion of a diverse character to create the illusion of inclusivity.

She

said it is easy to tell when a character beyond their basic character was included soley to traits and physical attributes. avoid criticism.

They’ll give the characters ho“Tokenism is lazy, conde- bies, emotions and interests.” scending and super obvious,” Rustom Malhotra ’24 said Hinkin said. “It reflects bad writers who depend on tokenwriting and thus [creates] a bad ism fail to create diverse stories, show or movie. It’s so easy to and said he believes they should have well-written diverse char- establish the character’s role beacters, and the answer is to have yond their race. diverse writers.”

“It’s obviously important L i k e to be diHinkin, Herverse, but It’s so easy to rera said toyou shouldn’t have well-written diverse [feed stereokenism is often noticeable and types] just to characters, and the shows a lack say you have answer is to have diverse of authenticity. one diverse writers.”

She said toc h a r a c t e r,” ken characters’ alhotra —Shanti Hinkin ’22 M stereotypical said. “I renames and permember seesonalities clue ing shows into a writer’s lack of research and movies when I was younger and reflect with characters of my own ethan inability nicity that I saw as stereotypes, to charac- and I bet that occurs for people terize a per- of all races and genders.” son beyond Additionally, with the rise their racial of cancel culture, Hinkin said or sexual she believes writers feel pressure identity. to diversify their casts for the “ O f t e n , public, leading to poorly-writwriters who ten characters. She said cancel [include di- culture is ineffective in achievverse char- ing its original purpose and may acters] for benefit the “canceled” person. ‘clout’ de“Celebrities’ names being in scribe their the news helps them,” Hinkin characters said. “I can’t think of a single stereotyp- person who was ‘canceled’ for ically and something trivial that didn’t end s e p a r a t e up bouncing back in some cathem from pacity, even if it meant making their hu- money off of their infamy.” manity,” HerOfek Levy ’23 said cancel rera said. “I can tell when an culture is unproductive even if author is being genuine because it stems from social awareness. they don’t bother to put in those He said cancel culture restricts stereotypes, and debate and leaves little to no they actual- room for nuanced discussions. ly devel“Cancel culture doesn’t set o p t h e up a productive environment for conversation,” Levy said.

“It sets strict rules on what is acceptable and what is not, and anything outside of those is not even open for discussion. It leads to silencing more people than it [leads to] creating and encouraging diversity.”

Levy said increased visibility of marginalized communities in the media can help them feel included in society. He said although the effects of negative representation are not always obvious, addressing them can uplift underrepresented groups.

“The thing about lack of representation is that you don’t realize how it has negatively impacted you until you find great representation,” Levy said.

“Positive representation creates a sense of empathy with one another. The feeling of finding someone you can connect to in the media and TV is a wonderful feeling, and you miss out so much when you can’t do that.”

“

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SYDNEY FENER AND ALEXA DRUYANOFF

C2 A&E

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

Korean drama series “Squid Game” rapidly gains international popularity through Netflix, depicting the extremes of capitalism in a compellingly playful format.

By Sophia Musante and Fallon Dern Within the first five days of its release, Korean survival drama “Squid Game” reached No. 1 on Netflix in 22 countries and territories. Six days later, Netflix coCEO Ted Sarandos predicted the show may become Netflix’s biggest success yet at a Los Angeles Code conference.

Written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk and running nine episodes for 485 a total of minutes, the show follows Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a divorcee and gambling addict who takes care of his estranged young daughter. Desperate for money, he agrees to partake in a series of six games to pay off his debt.

The games, which are twisted interpretations of popular children’s games, offer a prize of 45.6

billion won in Korean currency (equivalent to about $39 million) to the victor—and the price of death to all other players.

Full of bright aesthetics, colorful rooms and exaggerated shapes, the games reflect a childlike dream in a direct contrast to the gray streets of Gi-hun’s home in Seoul, South Korea, the gruesomely violent games themselves. The show somewhat follows a game show format, weaving together flawed yet likeable characters.

The series sets up compelling moral dilemmas, prompting the viewer to ask themselves questions such as, ‘Would I be willing to sacrifice a friend’s life to save my own?’

Hwang’s writing explores relationships

between rich and poor. He poses a dark and satirical critique of capitalist society that is both compelling and grounded in reality. “Squid Game” seeks to highlight extremes in every way possible: from the dramatic lighting shifts to the juxtapositions between small characters and towering sets, the show’s eye-catching imagery furthers the script’s anti-capitalist messaging.

The show was inspired by Korea’s extreme wealth gap; among the 38 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), South Korea ranks 32nd in economic disparity ILLUSTRATIONS BY SOPHIA MUSANTE AND SYDNEY FENER

between rich and poor citizens, according to The Borgen Project.

“I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society, something that depicts an extreme competition, somewhat like the extreme competition of life,” Hwang said to Variety.

Such powerful social commentary infuses itself throughout “Squid Game.” As stonecold pickpocket Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), who escaped North Korea in hopes of a better life, says in the show, she found life in South Korea to be just as desolate as in North Korea.

“Squid Game” is a powerful show of gore, loss and heartbreak, all wrapped together in a shiny bow. Yet, throughout the violence and the chaos, one message remains clear: Don’t grow too attached to anyone.

Community members discuss the increased turnover of clothing trends as prominent fashion magazines compete with social media.

By Vasilia Yordanova As Jayden Huang ’23 sorted through racks of clothing at a thrift store looking for items that fit his style, he noticed pieces from notorious fast fashion brand SHEIN lining the racks; each piece of clothing had been trending just a few months prior. Huang said seeing these items so quickly discarded by consumers reinforced his long-held assumptions: He said he feels many teenagers shop at fast fashion brands that quickly adapt to social media’s ever changing fashion trends, regardless of the unethical working conditions associated with the companies.

Huang said social media has largely promoted the fast fashion industry, with platforms such as Instagram and TikTok quickly replacing magazines as the main spearheads of popular fashion trends.

“Due to social media allowing more people to find trends faster, everyone starts to hop on trends,” Huang said. “The trends are no longer new and fresh. Also, due to the way social media works to try to keep us scrolling, it needs to constantly catch our attention.

This overconsumption of the media we see on platforms like TikTok also results in us getting bored of certain trends a lot faster.”

Ari Ogden ’22 said the nature of social media allows platforms to cycle through trends at a faster rate than ever before.

However, Ogden said the fashion world is broader than teenagers’ day-to-day clothing, extending into the realm of haute couture and luxury fashion. She said she believes magazines like Vogue will remain relevant by focusing on high fashion rather than fast fashion.

“Fashion is a culture and art form of its own, and it has its own history,” Ogden said. “People contribute to fashion from all over the world. It is still a somewhat newer medium, which has been thriving so far. Therefore, fashion magazines will definitely stay relevant. I have very little doubt about that.”

While Ogden said she only occasionally flips through fashion, art and culture magazines, French Teacher Karine Bruno said she regularly enjoys browsing Vogue Paris or ELLE, especially while she is visiting France.

Bruno said she appreciates the experience of reading a print magazine, but believes social media is replacing physical fashion magazines.

“I’m old-fashioned,” Bruno said.

“When I go to Paris, I buy a magazine, but I think the magazines will be replaced by social media. It is happening for newspapers as well. [Fashion magazines] will still influence through social media instead of people paying for [physical copies of ] magazines.”

However, Bruno said she does not think so-

cial media is at fault for the rapid turnover of trend cycles. Instead, Bruno said the issue is rooted in the marketing strategies of fast fashion brands.

“When I was living in Europe 20 years ago, Zara was the first brand to release a new collection every three months,” Bruno said. “At this time, we d i d n’t h a v e

Instagram, we didn’t have any social media [accounts] and there were already fast fashion companies. [These companies] give us the feeling that we want fashion to change constantly.”

Natasha Clement ’24 said teenagers feel pressured to constantly purchase new clothing articles that follow relevant fashion trends. She said they stop wearing those clothes as soon as the trend has become obsolete.

Additionally, Clement said she worries about the environmental repercussions of fast fashion. “[Social media has] given rise to these micro -trends, which didn’t exist when fashion magazines and celebrities were the main way people were exposed to fashion trends,” Clement said. “Now that fashion inspiration is much more influenced by social media, where more content can be included in a single post, the trend cycle is moving faster than ever. Preventing our fashion habits from destroying our planet is more important than ever before, and hopefully, we can all become more aware about how we are influenced by trends.”

Huang said in order to combat fast trend cycles, he avoids using social media as a fashion inspiration and instead focuses on creating his own personal style.

“Companies absolutely adore fast trend cycles because faster trends mean more new clothes [and] increased sales,” Huang said.

“This is sad because faster trend cycles

mean more money spent, and to deal with that, people have started to shop at fast fashion stores such as SHEIN.” Like Bruno, Huang said he believes brands’ marketing strategies cause clothes to move in and out of fashion faster. He said companies acknowledge that people are more likely to buy a product they see a celebrity wearing and therefore, the companies send out public relations (PR) packages to influencers who create social media posts of themselves unboxing or wearing the items. “[Clothing brand] House of Sunny sent PR packages of their infamous green knit dress to a massive group of influencers right as the dress was released,” Huang said. “The dress immediately became trendy, but it also quickly became boring to everyone. As soon as everyone received their own green dresses in the mail, they were already considered ugly and basic.”

Huang said everyone should dress how they please rather than emulating fashion trends from social media or fashion magazines.

“Don’t let marketing tactics or the hype around these brands and clothes affect the way you dress,” Huang said.

“We literally only live once. Dress the way you want to.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JAYDEN HUANG

C3 A&E

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

The new season of “Survivor” following the show’s year-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic leads into a new era for the show.

By Georgia Goldberg A new era of “Survivor” has begun. “Survivor” is a reality game show on CBS where

players are divided into ‘tribes’ and have to survive off of natural resources with the only supplies provided–bags of rice, pots and tools.

Only one tribe can win “Immunity” at each challenge, meaning two tribes must go to Tribal Council after each event.

At its core, “Survivor” is a show intended to hold the viewer in suspense as the gameplay evolves and players face elimination; however, this season’s excessive and unnecessary sappiness distracts from

the thrill of the game. Each player introduced themselves with a different sob story, and every challenge loss resulted in at least one person crying.

If one wanted to watch people whine and cry on a beach, “Bachelor in Paradise” would be a safer bet.

While each season of “Survivor” includes a few new changes, the general structure of the show remains the same season after season, so how do the showrunners keep it fresh?

This season, host and executive producer Jeff Probst directly addresses the audience, taking them behind the scenes to see the game at work. Also, viewers get to play the new “Game Within the Game,” in which they have the opportunity to solve rebuses and word scrambles, becoming part of the game.

Additionally, each player receives a ‘Shot in the Dark’ die.

If a contestant feels they are in great danger of being sent home at Tribal Council, they have one opportunity to play this die, forfeiting their vote and drawing from a bag for a one-in-six chance at Immunity for the night.

The season premiere also featured a dilemma for three players dubbed “Protect or Risk Your Vote.” A boat arrived at each camp and each tribe had to choose one player to be sent

away on the adventure. The three chosen contestants each had the option to protect or risk their vote at Tribal Council. If all three “protected,” nothing in the game changed, but if all three “risked”, they all lost their votes.

If the decisions were split, those who chose risk would gain an extra vote at any Tribal Council of their choosing, and those who chose to protect their teammate would not gain or lose anything.

In the premiere episode, the “castaways” were introduced in a challenge where they had to collect six paddles, jump into the ocean, climb onto a raft, paddle out to a buoy and come back.

Yase, the yellow tribe, could not even manage to collect all their paddles. They spent the entirety of the challenge frantically searching for one paddle, but they were not alone in their confusion.

Luvu, the blue tribe, managed to collect all their paddles and board their raft first but forgot to unclip the raft. They rowed and rowed, unable to move as they were anchored to the ocean floor.

Quarantine was hard on all of us, but it clearly took a much bigger toll on the mental ability of the people who could not even realize their boat was still anchored in place.

With the green tribe Ua’s unequivocal win, Yase and Luvu had to complete another challenge back at their respective camps to earn their supplies. Both tribes

were given a choice for their challenge: “Savvy” or “Sweat”. In the Savvy challenge, the entire tribe had to solve a “count the triangles” problem involoving the counting of triangles-one that is surely ripped straight out of an Algebra 1 textbook. In the “Sweat” challenge, only two players from the tribe could participate. They had to fill two giant barrels with ocean water using small pots in a limited amount of time. Both tribes, remembering their trainwreck performances in the previous challenge, opted for the smarter “Sweat” option.

Season 40 was composed of possibly the 20 greatest “Survivor” players of all time, all previous winners, so it was surprising how impressive this new cast was.

We have only recieved a slight glimpse into the players, but so many of them already show strong promise. Evvie from Yase will prove to be an incredible player in this game. She is currently getting a doctorate in the study of human behavior, and there is really no better way to become the “Ultimate Survivor” than understanding how your competition will act and react.

JD, the resident “Survivor” superfan from Ua, knows the game

inside and out.

This is an obvious advantage, but it will also place a huge target on his back.

This is the magic of the show: finding interesting and compelling contestants, literally casting them into the wild and making us feel attached to their journey. Another great season of “Survivor,” long overdue after the pandemic blues, is ready for your viewing pleasure. No risking anything here by giving Season 41 of “Survivor” your vote.

Benjamin Alire Sánez’s novel “Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World” will continue his coming of age series.

By Becca Berlin “Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World,”

by Benjamin Alire Sánez is set to be released Oct 12. The novel is the sequel to Sánez’s novel “Aristotle and Dante Discover the

Secrets of the Universe” and is expected to further develop relationships and character arcs introduced in the first novel.

Ari and Dante first meet in 1987, in a Texan town and develop a romantic relationship. The novel’s inclusion of LGBTQ and Latino representation provides insight into the experiences of marginalized teenagers throughout the

iconic 1980s.

While the first novel in the series follows Ari and Dante’s early teenage years, the highly anticipated sequel will document their senior year of high school.

In light of this, readers can expect the book’s subject matters to mature along with the characters.

Sánez’s writing realistically portrays teenage life, showcasing both its thrilling and uneventful moments. Working in tandem with his lyrical writing, his novels are deeper relatable.

This writing style should be used in the sequel as well, allowing the novel to feel like a worthy

continuation to its predecessor. Creating a sequel to “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”, especially after so many years, is a risk. Hopefully Sánez’s sequel will honor his past work and enhances the best qualities of the series.

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” will be a tough act to follow. If Sáenz writes with the same eloquence and truthfulness he offered in the first novel, his sequel will meet the exceptionally high standard he has set for himself.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SYDNEY FENER AND ADISON GAMRADT

C4 A&E

Oct. 12, 2021

The Chronicle

Chronicle staff shares their favorite Halloween movies, TV episodes and songs.

“Girl vs. Monster”

“The Nightmare Before Christmas”

“It’s a modern classic that deserves credit for its incredible soundtrack. I watch it every October.”

- Keira Jameson ’22

“Always and forever my favorite movie has been ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ by Tim Burton. It is a Christmas movie, it is a Halloween movie, it is a movie I would watch on my birthday, I would watch it on Thanksgiving, I would watch it on Valentine’s Day. It’s a timeless classic. Danny Elfman, who made the soundtrack, is like a father to me.”

- Fallon Dern ’23

“Epidemiology”

“In this episode of ‘Community,’ a ridiculous zombie outbreak happens while ABBA is playing. It’s lampooning the horror genre, while being a really scary, fun, action-packed episode. It’s effective and hilarious, and you really can’t ask for much more in an episode of television.”

- Harry Tarses ’23

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” “Charlie Brown Halloween edition might be the best Charlie Brown episode there is because the Thanksgiving one sucks. Wait, the Christmas one might actually be the best.”

- James Hess ’23

Scream

“Scream is an intenionally cheesy satirical horror movie. It pokes fun at the cliches of the genre while also giving the viewer a scare.”

- Sarah Mittleman ’22

“Calling All the Monsters”

By China Anne McClain

“Halloweentown”

“‘Halloweentown’ was a staple of my childhood. I feel inspired to this day by the amazing witchy outfits that are in the film, specifically the grandma’s.”

- Mia Feizbakhsh ’22

“I have been enjoying this song since the Disney Channel era. I think China Anne McClain’s harmonies are beautiful and the song is truly timeless.”

- Ava Fattahi ’22

“What We Do in the Shadows”

“‘What We Do in the Shadows’ is an absolutely hilarious TV show styled as a mockumentary about four vampires living together in modern-day New Zealand. It parodies the documentary genre and every vampire trope in the book, while being this truly clever, offbeat show.”

- Georgia Goldberg ’23

“Thriller”

By Michael Jackson

“My favorite Halloween song would probably be Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ because in elementry school the entire grade learned a dance to it so it holds a special place in my heart.”

- Alex Hahn ’23

“Hocus Pocus”

“Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker are absolutely hilarious, and the witchcraft vibes are exciting.”

- Lucas Cohen-d’Arbeloff ’23

“House” (1977)

“So glad I took the time to watch gay Lizzie McGuire on acid; however, dissapointed there were no party rockers.”

- Sophia Musante ’22

“Heads Will Roll”

By Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

“You can argue with a wall if you think this isn’t a Halloween song.”

- Mimi Landes ’22

The D’Amelio Show: Dissecting the Drama

By James Hess Starring the most viewed TikTokers in the world and their parents, season one of Hulu’s “The D’Amelio Show” is a mishmash of reality TV tropes and attempted lessons.

It is half “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and half PBS bullying documentary with sprinkles of high school drama for good measure.

The eight-episode show focuses mainly on Charli D’Amelio’s rise to fame. The 17-year-old, whose TikTok account leads the social media platform with over 125 million followers, is plucked from the suburbs of Connecticut to the mansions of Beverly Hills after her dancing videos blow up overnight on the platform.

Her life becomes filled with fancy awards shows and red carpets, yet the teenager soon finds out that fame isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.

The plot is as old as reality TV itself, and it is one

that grows even more basic with the characters we view it through. The show features confessionals from the D’Amelio family, where not much is said in many words.

A sad Charli speaks about the downsides of her fame; her sister Dixie tears up looking at hate comments on her Vogue video; and their parents look dully into the camera and said they hope things will change.

Despite their perceived authenticity, all of these moments are somehow caught in perfect lighting. In a page ripped right out of the Kardashians’ playbook, the family sits in front of white walls and wear their own clothing and makeup brands. Sometimes the screenwriters will have them go to the beach or throw a party, where a collection of semi-famous TikTokers–everyone from Lil Huddy to Noah Beck–arrive to provide entertainment through personality and conflict.

There are, however, scenes

that stumble on real emotional impact. Charli describes her past four years as a “constant anxiety attack,” and the first episode ends with Dixie crying on her bed because of the hate comments. It may be easy to write these scenes off sarcastically, but they do offer some insight into the other side of wealth and adoration. Unfortunately for the audience, these moments are promptly ruined by the cheesy music and crude editing that characterizes reality TV–at multiple points throughout the show, hate comments Dixie and Charli think about pop onto the screen as they are thinking about them.

In these emotional-turned-emotionless scenes, “The D’Amelio Show” tries to live in two worlds. If you come into the show expecting drama-filled love triangles and telenovela arguments, you will be sorely disappointed. And if you come expect-

ing a well-made docuseries on the effects of fame on family life, you’ll be just as let down. The show instead lies squarely in the middle: it serves as a mildly entertaining soap opera with glimpses of unfiltered emotion.

If you can make it through a mountain of overly produced scenes filled with teenage dialogue distinguished by the word “like,” you’ll find a show about the rocky emotions of a family who turned famous overnight.

Illustrations by Alexa Druyanoff

Sports The Chronicle • Oct. 12, 2021

Committed athletes discuss the pressures they face in the years leading up to college and the common misconceptions associated with athletic committment.

By Harry Tarses

son said. “I think it kind of put more pressure on me and my sister, [StanWhen Duke University offered Grace ford commit Alyssa Thompson ’23], to always play our best and to be the best Thrower ’23 a spot on their volleyball on the field.” team, she said her work had just begun.

Thompson said she holds Thrower said although her peers expect her to experience less academic pressure, herself to high standards as a committed athlete. the process athletic commits undergo is “I feel like I always have not necessarily less stressful. to be at my best,” Thompson “People come up to me and say, ‘It said. “If I’m not, then it not must be so easy knowing where you’re only disappoints my going to go [to college],” family but also me.

Thrower said, “But it’s really If I’m not succeeding, not. [In fact,] it’s anything I’m kind of letting myself but that.” down.”

Mac Bailey ’23, who is not Pitcher Duncan Marsten ’23, a committed athlete, said he who committed to Stanford believes committed athletes University to play baseball, said experience less stress than he consistently feels pressure to students who are not commitperform well academically in ted athletes.

VOX order to maintain his commit“There are times when Gisele ment plans.

I wish I was a committed Thompson ’24 “That’s the whole thing with athlete due to the security of the pressure of academics,” knowing where you will be Marsten said. “Especially here, you have attending college,” Bailey said. “Havto [get] everything done or else you’re ing a strong sense of where you will be attending school [would alleviate] stress gonna do summer school and lose your [commitment offers]. [That is] always a in the application process.”

Although Bailey said he imagines the subconscious thought.”

Thompson said she believes academresults of the commitment process are a ics are just as important as athletics. relief to student-athletes, Thrower said “I think academic success the reality is more complex, and is vital,” Thompson said. she said she has experienced “[Once] my soccer career is mixed emotions after comover, what am I supposed to mitting to play volleyball at do? I feel like my academDuke University. ics will definitely help with “It was a moment of relief my future.” for a few minutes, but since Athletic Director Matt then the pressure [to succeed] LaCour said that having a has gone up,” Thrower said. mindset that does not solely prioriThrower said for a college coach, inviting a player to their program tize sports is extremely beneficial to a young athlete. LaCour said he has witis a long-term process. nessed firsthand the uncertainty inher“It’s two years in advance. They ent to the recruitment process. expect you’re going to keep developing “The reality is, nothing is secure in and getting better,” Thrower said. “It’s a college commitment,” LaCour said. never really done until you actually [at“You can be the most elite athlete at our tend the college].” school and make a commitment your Like Thower, midfielder Giselle freshman year to go and play at whatThompson ’24 said her experience has ever university you want, but it doesn’t also been stressful after committing to mean a thing until you’ve put that name Stanford University to play soccer. on a piece of paper and signed it.”

“In seventh grade, [coaches] started LaCour said the recruitment menreaching out [to me] more,” Thomp-

tality of college coaches can strongly impact student commits without consequences for the college coaches in any way.

“These college coaches are doing their job, and they are paid to win,” LaCour said. “If you commit as a freshman, and by the end of your junior year you don’t factor into that formula of them winning more games at the collegiate level, they can pull that scholarship offer, they can walk away, no harm no foul.”

Ashley Waco ’18, a current senior at the University of Pennsylvania who originally committed to play softball there, said she experienced a feeling of insecurity throughout her recruitment process comparable to that of a non-athlete college applicant.

“You see everyone committing around you, and [once] those spots are taken, they’re gone [for good],” Waco said.

“You don’t really have control over a lot of it, whether a coach happens to see you on the field or happens to be at your tournament. I think my recruiting process was stressful compared to [the non-recruitment route of ] being able to choose where you apply and knowing that these admissions officers are going to see your application.”

Waco said that even after the University of Pennsylvania offered her a place on their softball team at the beginning of her junior year of

high school, she still felt pressure to maintain a high level of athletic and academic performance.

“The coaches come out once a year to see you,” Waco said. “You have to perform or else you’re going to have to have a tough conversation [with them].”

Waco said the difficulties of being a student-athlete continued even while attending the University of Pennsylvania. She explained that upon arrival, student-athletes were not given special support from the school administration and were treated just like any one of her classmates.

“At the Ivy League schools you’re expected to be a normal student,” Waco said. “We get no early registration, even though we are working around a practice schedule. Teachers will not make exceptions for missed absences, even if you have to travel for a game. When we’re accepted, we’re expected to maintain the same things [other students] do and if we don’t, we have the consequences of not being able to play.”

Waco said the stress of maintaining academic excellence was heightened by the attitudes of her peers who had not been accepted on athletic merit.

“There’s a ton of people that do look down on us because we got in using athletics,” she said.

Thompson said her peers’ focus on her athletic abilities often detracts from their ability to perceive other aspects of her personality.

“I feel like there’s always a big spotlight on us,” Thompson said. “It’s kind of hard to get away from it. Sometimes, I don’t really want to tell people [I’m committed] at all, I just want people to see me for me.” illustrations by alexa druyanoff

D2 Sports

The Chronicle

Field Hockey

Facts & Figures

20

Oct. 12, 2021

year boys tennis win streak broken

Girls volleyball players committed to D1 schools

100%

3

Girls tennis league win percentage

.83

Boys water polo overall win rate

Meet to Watch Boys and Girls Cross Country OCT. 22 at 2:00 p.m.

The boys and girls cross country team will compete at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational on October 22, 2021. At the competition, runners will face off against league opponents. The team came off a second place finish Sept.

28 in the first Mission League Cluster at Pierce College and looks to keep up momentum.

Team captain Gabriel Levin ’23 said the team plans to capitalize on their success in the Mission League Cluster. Levin said the team has been training extensively for the competition since before the school year began.

“We began our cross country training back in early July, and everyone has made significant progress since then,” Levin said.

“After months of training, a week in Big Bear doing altitude training and countless workouts and miles, we are ready.”

Levin said runners have performed very well in recent competitions, and he looks forward to seeing more high-level play in the Nov. 2 CIF Finals.

“I’m very excited for the CIF finals,” Levin said. “Our team has come a long way over the past year, and I’m confident that we will see our hard work pay off.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KYRA GOLDSTEIN

DRIVING THE CHARGE: After six straight wins at the start of the season, Fiene Oerlemans ’22 scans the field in a loss against Bonita High School on Ted Slavin Field on Sept. 23. The team bounced back from the loss with a 6-0 closeout win against Edison High School on Oct. 1.

Field hockey wins four games after historic loss

By Charlie Seymour

The girls field hockey team’s successful season continued, reaching a 6-0 overall record until a 2-0 loss to Bonita High School on Sept. 23 ended their winning streak. The team beat Bonita 1-0 last year, finishing 3-1 in a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The team’s only loss in the previous season came in a 2-0 defeat against Huntington Beach High School. The squad’s record is now 10-1 after winning consecutive games against Chaminade High School 2-1 and 6-0. The team also won against Edison High School and Marina High School in the past two weeks.

In all of the six games before its loss to Bonita, the team won by a margin of at least two goals. Although the loss ended the team’s near-perfect record, forward Lily

Saada ’22 said she believes this adversity will ultimately benefit the team. “[The loss] can ground us and make us become a closer team,” Saada said. “It also reminded us that we still have lots of work to do, something we haven’t really learned from other games, where we’ve dominated.”

Field Hockey Program Head Erin Creznic said the players still have certain aspects of their games that they need to improve upon throughout the season.

“We need to continue to work on our defense and our ability to move up and down the field as a team,” Creznic said. “Since many of our players play the entire game, they are still working on improving their condition and endurance so that they can give a 100% [effort] for the full 60 minutes of a game.”

Saada said while talented and committed athletes like Bel-

la Ganocy ’22, Ella Ganocy ’22 and Fiene Oerlemans ’22 have allowed the team to dominate the league in the past, beating harder opponents like Bonita require a full team effort.

“The team we played was so good that our top three players couldn’t carry us by themselves,” Saada said. “Since one thing we really have to work on is using the whole team, we weren’t able to beat [Bonita] the way we normally can beat other teams, which is by relying on [Bella Ganocy, Ella Ganocy and Oerlemans] and a few other really strong members of the team.”

Defender Dylan Perkins ’23 said the team’s mental toughness and emotional strength will help it to regain its footing as the end of Mission League play approaches Oct. 20.

“We have a really positive attitude about everything and no matter what’s going on in our

own personal lives or with school drama or anything like that, we always come onto the field and support each other,” Perkins said.

“When someone has something they need to work on, we work on it together. Knowing that we have the support of each other [both on] and off the field has really helped us to trust one another [during games].”

Perkins said he hopes his teammates will treat themselves with the same positivity that they treat each other with.

“I think because we are so good and work so hard, we can be overly critical of ourselves and our little mistakes,” Perkins said.

“Even though we are all incredibly supportive of each other, we need to make sure we keep the same energy for ourselves.”

The girls field hockey team will play its next league match against Bonita High School on Oct. 12.

Girls Tennis

Tennis follows consecutive losses with back-to-back competition victories

By Paul Kurgan

KATE BURRY/CHRONICLE

SERVING IT UP: Mimi Rhee ’25 tosses up the ball before serving it across the court during practice at Weddington Golf & Tennis on Oct. 6.

After winning six consecutive games and moving to an 8-2 overall record, the girls tennis team moves forward from its mid-season success toward the end of the season.

The team defeated Calabasas High School 10-8 in its first game of the season. Leading 9-8 in the third round, the squad needed one set to secure a win. Singles player Margaret Piatos ’23 closed out the match with a 6-4 set win.

She said she was relieved to secure victory for her team. “[The] pressure was on early and I had to deliver,” Piatos said.

“I knew I had to be super focused so the team could win.”

After facing physical stuggles throughout the match, the team faced a 4-2 score deficit late in the set, but Piatos went on to win four straight games for the Wolverines. Piatos said her team’s support ultimately willed her to a 6-4 set win.

“Everyone has been supportive of each other and encouraging

on and off the court,” Piatos said.

“I’m proud to be a part of such a loving team, and I always look forward to them cheering me on when I play.”

The squad lost to Mira Costa High School 11-7 and Westlake High School 12-6 in its third and fourth games. Although the team lost twice in a row, singles and doubles player Annabelle Nickoll ’23 said she has high expectations for the rest of the season.

“Our season has gotten off to a really great start,” Nickoll said.

“We need to continue to sharpen up our doubles strategies and keep practicing hard to become the best team we can be.”

The squad bounced back from its losing streak over the past three weeks, defeating Campbell Hall, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Valencia High School and Chaminade College Preparatory.

Doubles player Sam Plageman ’23 said the team’s practice habits have fueled its recent success.

“In our past three games everyone has stepped up and played

well,” Plageman said. “We all want to compete and leave it all on the court. I think that training super hard in practice, coming up with new strategies, and working on our mental game has helped us start the season off strong.”

The team’s overall performance during the regular season will determine its seeding going into the CIF championship tournament after a match versus Marlborough High School on Oct. 19. Team Captain Jade Zoller ’22 said the girls need to stay focused and enjoy every moment on the court for the rest of the season. “[We want] to make the most out of our time together, especially since last year was a total mess with [COVID-19]restrictions,” Zoller said. “We put a lot of emphasis on having fun and relaxing when we play, which I have noticed helps our game so much, as nerves are a big factor for us [in how we perform] and of course, getting ourselves a [CIF] ring [is our ultimate goal].”

Oct. 12, 2021

hwchronicle.com/sports

It’s a knockout!

By Andrew Park

The leader and faculty advisor of Boxing Club elaborate on their goals and activities as well as what cause they will be assisting with this year.

Former Boxing Club leader Charles Connon ’18 said the club, and the sport of boxing in general, teaches participating students important life skills.

“We used to do some sparring sessions focusing on technique, and that really helped me to get into t h e

When Michael Lapin ’22 tore the wrapping paper off of his final birthday pre sent, he uncovered a new pair of box ing gloves.

Lapin said at the time he had no idea this gift would mark the beginning of a lasting passion.

Although Lapin said he watched his older brother box growing up, it was not until he received his own pair of gloves that he became interested in pursuing the sport himself.

“I started boxing when I received [the gloves] on my 10th birthday,” Lapin said. “After that, [my interest in boxing] really [took] off and has really just com[grown] from there.”

Lapin resumed the Boxing bat menClub this school year after the tality,” ConCOVID-19 pandemic prevented non said. “Keeping the proper the Boxing Club from meeting form, teaching other students during their usual weekly time. and working out weekly defiHe said his love for the sport in- nitely helped me with discipline, spired his decision to continue which is an important skill.”

Connon said he is also proud the club this year now that COVID-19 guidelines have been of the extent to which the Boxeased by the Los Angeles County ing Club helped the community during his time as leader.

Department of Health.

“Not only was the Boxing “During my junior year, [Boxing Club faculty sponsor Gabriel Club a great club to work out Preciado] and I started work- with a bunch of friends and maintain that camaraing on club ideas and derie, but we were able how [the club] would to raise money for charwork during my senior ity through a few funyear,” Lapin said. “I draisers,” Connon said. have been boxing most “The Boxing Club just of my life, and I think does a lot for the comit is a great source of munity as well as the exercise because it restudents that join, so it’s ally takes my mind off a great club for all.” of other things.” white’s Preciado said stuLapin hopes he Michael dents share their passion is able to teach new Lapin ’22 for boxing at weekly members the imporclub meetings, but said tant basics on how to defend themselves when it is absolutely the group also serves a greater crucial. He said he also wants purpose–combatting growing to spread awareness to the other homelessness in Los Angeles.

“We use our club for a cause. positives about boxing that many It’s not just about training,” people tend to overlook.

“Teaching beginning fight- Preciado said. “We fight for a ers how to defend themselves in cause, and our cause is LA Fama situation [where] they would ily Housing. [The club is] always need to is a major goal for me,” based off of character, discipline Lapin said. “Many other skills and fighting for a root cause of can also be learned through the all things. It is not just all about just boxing and sparring.” sport of boxing as well.”

Preciado said when the club process of learning how to do was first created, he was con- basic techniques,” Preciado said. cerned that the student interest Preciado said the gender in the club would be low. He said makeup of the club has diversihe is now proud to see the club fied in recent years. running with a group of active, “We had all boys to start off,” dedicated members.

Preciado said. “Now [gender] is “[When] we started the club, [broken up] almost 50-50. Last [it] had a nice turnout,” Pre- year’s captains were both [girls], ciado said. so I was really ex“I thought it cited for that.” would dissiBoxing Club Boxing is like a pate after [oldmember Chloe game of chess. It helps Cho ’23 said she er] students graduappreciates that sharpen your mind ated, more girls are because it requires a but delving into the lot of mental thought. male-dominated of boxing.

— Charles Connon ’18 sport “I think it is great that there are basically just there was a [new] as many girls as guys,” Cho said. generation of “This is something that is very students who positive because I think many joined the club people tend to associate boxing [after its incep- with men, but the Boxing Club tion] and wanted is showing that this is not the case, and that many girls actually have an interest in boxing.”

Cho hopes that by joining the Boxing Club, she will benefit from the life skills that the leaders have mentioned.

“I think discipline is a very

“

to keep it going.”

Preciado said he initially learned the sport as a form of self-defense, but that he has also benefited from boxing in other ways.

“The background that I grew up in was a very tough neighborhood. I knew I needed something to help me survive,” Preciado said. “[Boxing] really helped me [improve] my self-esteem and lessened my sense of doubt, and I just love how confident I am around others [now].”

Preciado said although he has not boxed professionally, he takes pride in his ability to teach club members fundamental skills in their journey as boxers.

“I was trained when I was young, and I know a few skills, so I help students through the

Sports D3

inbrief

Ava-Marie Lange ’23 to join Harvard Volleyball

By Grant Park

Volleyball player Ava-Marie Lange ’23 took to social media to announce her commitment to play Division I volleyball at Harvard University on Oct. 1.

Lange said she has a special passion for volleyball that has allowed her to stay persistent and take her volleyball career to the next level.

“The process is very stressful and I’m not going to go and sugarcoat it,” Lange said. “I knew the potential I had, and my parents really believed in me at that point, [so] I decided to take volleyball very seriously and started to think of college at such a young age.”

Gasparino ’23 commits to University of Texas

By Dylan Graff Will Gasparino ’23 committed to The University of Texas at Austin for baseball Sept. 19.

“When deciding [where to commit], I was looking for a team that could win, had a good coaching staff that would develop me, had nice facilities and would play in a big environment with a lot of fans, good academics and lastly a town that I would want to live in,” Gasparino said.

Gasparino said he is thankful for his family, friends and coaches.

“I’d like to thank my parents for giving me the support and help I needed to where I am,” Gasparino said. “The HW program has helped me grow both as a person and player.”

Claire McLean ’23 will attend Duke University

By Leo Saperstein

important [life skill] that helps people of all ages,” Cho said.

Lapin said he hopes to one day see boxing offered nationwide as a high school sport.

“I think [boxing] should definitely be offered by all schools to students,” Lapin said. “I strongly believe with proper training and equipment, boxing should be a sport at high schools just as much as football is.”

Swimmer Claire McLean ’23 announced her commitment to Duke University’s Division I swimming and diving program Sept. 30. McLean competes in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle sprints, leading the Girls Swimming and Diving team to a 3-1 overall record. McLean said she is grateful for the support of all her coaches and teammates in the training process.

“Going to practice everyday and working hard with the support of my teammates and coaches is such an amazing feeling,” McLean said. “They push me to be the best version of myself each and every day, in and out of the pool.”

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY SYDNEY FENER

ILLUSTRATION BY WILL SHEEHY ILLUSTRATIONS BY SOPHIA EVANS

The Chronicle

D4 Sports

Oct. 12,

Fall Teams Emerge Victorious

By Danny Johnson

Members of the school community watched as Wolverines sports teams won all of their games during Homecoming on Oct. 2.

Varsity girls volleyball played two games at Homecoming, the first against Providence High School and the second against Bishop Garcia Diego High School. Both games ended in 3-0 sweeps.

Co-captain Sophia Lindus ’22 said she was thrilled to be back in a gym of cheering fans and high energy.

“Homecoming is always one of the most fun days of the season for fall sports because the school spirit on the court and in the stands is so passionate and energizing,” Lindus said.

“I feel like our team really feeds off the vibe of the crowd, and having the Fanatics there cheering us on put us in this focused yet excited mindset, which helped us crush our opponents.”

The field hockey team won their homecoming match against Marina High School, shutting out the Vikings 9-0 and bringing the team to a 10-1 overall record this season. Center forward Bella Ganocy ’22 led the team with five goals in the game.

Other scorers on the day included right forward Ella Ganocy ’22

AMELIA SCHARFF/CHRONICLE

FANATICISM: Lead by their head fanatics, Wolverine fans of all grades pose for a picture before the start of the second Homecoming volleyball game. with two goals and, midfielders Fiene Oerlemans ’22 and Sarina Smolev ’22 with one goal each.

The boys water polo team won its Homecoming match against Newport Harbor High School 8-7. According to the Oct. 5 CIF-SS Boys Water Polo polls, the Wolverines, Newport Harbor Sailors and Huntington Beach High School are tied for second in Division I, behind Mater Dei High School. The Wolverines

played the Sailors three weeks ago in the South Coast Tournament, but lost to them twice with scores of 11-13 both times.

Co-captain and center Ilias Stothart ’22 said he thinks the team’s improvement is a product of the hard work of the underclassmen on the team.

“I’m really proud of all the progress we’ve made as a team and of the individual progress a lot of our juniors and sophomores have

made,” Stothart said. “I think that if we can keep improving like we have been, we have a really good shot at a championship.”

Culminating the day’s events, the football game against Mary Star of the Sea High School took place in the middle of the Homecoming festivities on Ted Slavin Field. Starting quarterback Henry Wendorf ’23 was injured, so wide receiver Aidan Greenfield ’24 filled in as the team’s signal-caller.

In his first start as quarterback, he led the team to a 27-10 victory.

Linebacker Ian Lee ’23 said he could feel the school spirit throughout the game even though he was unable to play due to injury.

“It was great to hear so many fans in the bleachers,” Lee said.

“Being injured, I was on the sideline cheering on the team as well, but feeling all of their energy made watching the game really enjoyable, even from the sidelines.”

“I loved playing with my team at such a large event, and I’m really glad we were able to get the win at the end of the day. My favorite thing about Homecoming as a whole was standing on the bleachers with all of the fanatics and cheering on the football team. Everyone was so excited and I even lost my voice the next day.” white’s

— Fiene Oerlemans ’22 Field Hockey Co-Captain

JULIAN ANDREONE/CHRONICLE

JULIAN ANDREONE/CHRONICLE

“It was definitely great to get my first home start at HOCO and get the win with my teammates. The energy was electric and it was a crazy experience leading the offense that night. I’m very thankful for my coaches and teammates who continuously put me in a position where I can succeed and execute our game plan. That being said, we have a lot of work left to go get that league title, so onto next Friday night.”

— Aidan Greenfield ’24 Football Wide Receiver/Quarterback

white’s

2021

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D5

Homecoming Moments

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

Students cheered on various sports teams as they swept their competition at the annual Homecoming event.

LEO SAPERSTEIN/CHRONICLE

SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Quarterback Aidan Greenfield ’24 lines up for a snap from center William Ehrlich ’22 before the play during the Homecoming game against Mary Star of the Sea High School.

JULIAN ANDREONE/CHRONICLE

DOUBLE TEAM: Field Hockey forward Bella Ganocy ’22 and defender Lily Saada ’22 team up against an attacker from Marina High School.

JULIAN ANDREONE/CHRONICLE

SPECTATORS: Head Fanatics Ridley Berger-Sacks ’22, Rohan Mehta ’23 and Sports Section Editor Maxine Zuriff ’22 intently watch a game.

JULIAN ANDREONE/CHRONICLE

DYNAMIC DUO: Sophia Lindus ’22 tosses up a set to her fellow co-captain and Northwestern commit Kennedy Hill ’22 during the first set of their morning homecoming game against the Providence High School Pioneers.

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

ANTICIPATION: The Water Polo squad lines up in their team robes for the national anthem before getting in the pool for their homecoming match against their perennial rivals, Newport Harbor High School.

HARRY TARSES/CHRONICLE

A SPECIAL HONOR: Johnny Hooper ’15 and Chad Kanoff ’13 are inducted into the school Hall of Fame at halftime of the Football game.

Sports D6

hwchronicle.com/sports

Oct. 12, 2021

Girls Volleyball

Squad’s success at Durango Fall Classic boosts overall ranking

By Paul Kurgan

JULIAN ANDREONE/CHRONICLE

SERVE IT UP: Staring down the rival team, pin hitter Grace Thrower ’23 prepares to serve in the team’s win against Bishop Diego Highschool.

Football struggles after injuries diminish roster

By Leo Saperstein

After opening the season with three wins, the football team lost three consecutive games to St. Genevieve High School, Pasadena High School and Burroughs High School. These defeats came after injuries to wide receiver Jason Thompson ’22, starting quarterback Henry Wendorf ’23 and running back and outside linebacker Josh Dixon ’23.

As he dove for a tackle during the game against St. Genevieve High School on Sept. 10, Dixon said he felt a pop in his hip. Dixon said he would soon discover that this feeling was the result of an avulsion fracture and said injuries like his have left the team short-handed at many positions.

“All the injuries have left our team [moving] a lot of people around, especially some of our younger guys,” Dixon said. “I would definitely say it’s been tougher with a lot of guys banged up, but we [are] still pushing.”

The team lost 56-28 against St. Genevieve High School, 5213 against Pasadena High School and 21-20 against Burroughs High School. Football Program Head Aaron Huerta said both wins and losses shape the team’s new perspective on the season.

“Getting some wins under our belt helped us gain some confidence,” Huerta said. “I think sometimes you learn more about yourself after a loss. We scheduled those games to challenge ourselves, and I think it’s going to pay off down the road.”

Huerta said the teams pontetial going into the rest of the season is high, as younger players grow into larger roles.

“We have some explosive players,” Huerta said. “On any given drive, we have a number of young guys that can make big plays. It is great to get those guys some experience.”

Looking back on the losses against St. Genevieve High School and Pasadena High School, Thompson said team morale issues and injuries contributed to the recent defeats.

“We just played some talented teams and also had some key players go down,” Thompson said. “[St. Genevieve High School and Pasadena High School] had a few talented players, and

The girls volleyball team finished 5-1 in the Vista Murrieta Durango Classic in Las Vegas on Sept. 17-18. As the end of the regular season approaches, the squad currently ranks No. 17 on the MaxPreps state rankings and looks to capitalize on its success in tournaments.

Going into the tournament, the team had lost four consecutive games to Redondo Union High School, Village Christian High School and Marymount High School in league play.

The team lost its first game to Palos Verdes High School 2-0 at the tournament. The squad then defeated Vista Murrieta High School in two sets — winning the first 25-20 and the second 25-16. Outside hitter Sophia Lindus ’22 said that the squad performed best when they played with confidence.

“We played together as a team,” Lindus said. “Everyone was focused on winning and we all had energy. We played well allaround and each position worked

hard to keep our opponents out of system, which allowed us to capitalize on their mistakes.”

The team dominated the rest of the tournament, winning four straight matches. The squad defeated Foothill High School, Pleasant Grove High School and Lincoln High School, all by a score of 2-1. Losing the first set 25-20 against Lincoln High School, outside hitter Ava Lange ’23 said she was especially proud of the resilience the team demonstrated in coming back from its early loss in the tournament.

“I think we first were scared of Lincoln because we heard a lot about a single outside that was committed to [University of Oregon], a very good volleyball school,” Lange said. “Once we started playing, though, I think we knew our potential and [had confidence in our abilities].”

The squad capped off the weekend by defeating La Costa Canyon High School 2-0. The Wolverines took the first set with a score of 25-19 and won the second set 25-23.

Lindus said the tournament

gave the team extra confidence heading into the postseason.

“With our success came a higher state ranking and a solidified trust between teammates and coaches,” Lindus said. “It also set a higher bar for our playing which pushes us to work harder and improve. We always say ‘Cheer like Durango’ when our energy as a team is down, and bringing back these good memories helps us celebrate the fun aspects of the game when the going gets tough.”

As the team nears the end of the season, Hill reflected on her squad’s season so far. She said that the teams tight bond will help them as they look to put together a convincing run at the CIF championship tournament.

“I attribute our success to the strong connection and friendship between our team.” Hill said. “I am most proud of our perseverance throughout tough matches and our trust that we have in each other as well. I am looking forward to continuing our hard work in practice and reaping the rewards in future games.”

Football

LEO SAPERSTEIN/CHRONICLE

RUN IT BACK: Surrounded by defenders, Mark Cho ’22 weaves his way through the opposition, running the ball down the field in the team’s 52-13 win against Mary Star of the Sea High School at Homecoming. as a team, we were not playing play up to our competition and with the same effort and energy stay physical. I think that will be after going down.” the name of the game.”

Lineman Kai FauFaucher said the cher ’23 said the team squad came off a proneeds to increase its ductive offseason, competitive attitude during which players to start a new winning focused on football’s streak as the end of the mental challenges. season approaches.

“The team, if any“We have played thing, is tough mentalwhite’s two very physical teams ly,” Faucher said. “More Kai in the past two weeks, than in any other year Faucher ’23 and we simply have not of football for me, this been able to match that inten- past offseason’s focus has been sity,” Faucher said. “For the back on blocking out the voice in half of the season, we need to your head that tells you to quit,

whether that be because of heat, frustration, pain or any other [range of ] emotion.”

Faucher said if the proper adjustments are made, the team could push for an undefeated record in its remaining games of the season.

“During midseason, it can be easy to lose the vision and goals that we had at the beginning of the season,” Faucher said. “Most importantly, we need to get over our injuries, of which there are many, and to continue improving and building as the season [comes to a close].”

Oct. 12, 2021

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D7

Girls Golf

Team participates in Mid-Season League Tournament

By Leo Saperstein

With an overall record of 4-1, the girls golf team earned second place in the Mid-Season League Tournament, beating Chaminade High School and Marlborough High School and losing to Notre Dame High School.

Ellie Koo ’24 led the team with an individual score of 35 in the Mid-Season League tournament.

New student Madi Ushiba ’24 said the encouraging environment created by her teammates contributed to the team’s recent success in the tournament.

“Overall, we’ve played well,” Ushiba said. “After the midseason tournament, we learned that everyone plays an important role on the team, and if one person isn’t playing their best, they have an amazing support system around them who will always cheer them on.”

In its most recent match Sept. 30, the team beat Marlborough High School with a score of 177-189. Previously, the team beat Chaminade High School and Marymount High School in league play with scores of 201225 and 220-264, respectively.

The squad lost to Notre Dame earlier in the season, and Girls Golf Program Head Branden Augustus said his team took the loss as an opportunity to continue to improve as a unit.

“Notre Dame High School has a very experienced and talented squad,” Augustus said. “Counting league tournaments, we get a chance to play them four times

this season. I think that experience will benefit us tremendously as we move toward the postseason, where we may get a chance to play them yet again.”

Augustus said even though the team is performing well, he believes players should push for a stronger performance as a unit.

“Although we have put up some pretty good scores, I don’t think we have played our best golf collectively yet this season,” Augustus said. “Every member of our varsity team can play some really good golf and would be a top player on most teams in the southern section. I’m very proud of how supportive all of our players have been for one another.”

Claire Young ’24 said her limited experience playing during the shortened 2020-2021 season has made it difficult to keep up with the quick pace of this year’s play.

Like Ushiba, Young said mutual encouragement has been fundamental to the team’s success in overcoming consequent issues.

“One of our key strengths as a team is our ability to encourage one another, which has helped us keep momentum after each victory,” Young said. “After [the midseason league tournament], we know we have it in us to continue building each other up to end the year on a good note.”

Preliminary rounds of playoffs are set to begin Oct. 18, following the team’s last league match of the season against Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy on Oct. 14.

Individual finals will be held Oct. 21.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BRANDEN AUGUSTUS

SENIOR FESTIVIES: On Senior Night the team gathered on the golf course to celebrate its season.Captains Alexa Sen ’22, Marine Degryse ’22 and Sports Section Editor Maxine Zuriff ’22 were gifted roses as a tradition.

Boys Water Polo

Boys team continues its domination of the Mission League in 2021 season

By Danny Johnson

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

PASSING IT FORWARD: Attacker Jaaziah Mczeal ’25 looks to pass the ball forward in the second match of the annual Elite 12 Tournament.

Attacker Daniel Mnatsakanian ’23 said he expects the The boys water polo team has team’s hard work throughout the started the 2021 season with an year, helping the team achieve its overall record of 15-3, going 3-0 goal of winning a third CIF-SS in Mission League play. Over the title in three seasons. first 17 games of the season, the “We all work incredibly hard team has had an average point every day in both the pool and in differential of over six goals per the weight room,” Mnatsakanian game, outscoring their oppo- said. “We pride ourselves on benents by a total of 112 goals on ing the most disciplined team out the season. there; this is what has brought Center Jeffrey Koretz ’23 said us success in the past and what the team’s commitment to im- I believe will continue to bring provement is essential us success if we commit to their success. to it. We all also spend “I think our prepalots of time on our own ration over the sumand as a team watching mer was really integral videos, whether it be to the way we’ve been our own film [to see] playing,” Koretz said. what we can improve “We had practices on or [other film to predaily over the summer pare] for our opponents, white’s and each and every which has really helped Jeff one of us put in more us succeed.”

Koretz ’23 work on our own time, However, center deso as a whole, our work ethic as a fender Jaxson Tierney ’23 said he team has been especially solid this believes there is still room for the year.” All of us work hard togeth- team to improve. er but also are great friends out“One thing that is currently side of the water, which I think holding us back is our lack of has been another large contribu- commitment to the way Coach tor to our strong performance.”

Flacks wants us to play,” Tier-

ney said. “If we can play the way we’ve been taught without straying from it, it will be a great season for us.”

Tierney said this is even more true on the defensive side of the ball. “Another thing that is currently holding us back is our lack of fully buying in to the the defensive philosophy of our coach,” Tierney said. “I think if we mend our defensive woes, we will be back in the CIF championships in no time.”

Attacker Matteo Dall’Olmo ’22 said he thinks this team has the potential to go far in playoffs.

“I think we have a great set of guys, and a good variety of skill sets,” Dall’Olmo said. “It is up to the seniors on our team to lend some expierence to our pretty young team, but overall I think our team has potential to go very far in CIF’s.”

The team played in the 2021 Elite 12 Tournament at Copses Family Pool from Oct. 7-9 and then the team looks to continue its five-game winning streak in its next league match against Campolindo High School on Wednesday, Oct. 13.

D8 Sports

The Chronicle

Oct. 12, 2021

WOLVERINES ONLY

BY

GRACE & CAM THROWER

JUSTIN GOLDSTEIN/CHRONICLE

I started playing volleyball when I was 10 years old and I have never looked back. I grew up in Manhattan Beach, where volleyball is very popular, so I started playing with friends. I played a lot of different sports when I was younger, including basketball, tennis and soccer, but I didn’t find one I truly loved until I started playing volleyball. At that age, since I was so much taller than my peers, I had an advantage in the sport.

I immediately fell in love with the game when I started playing.

It was so easy for me to continue playing the sport because I was constantly having fun, and I was genuinely enjoying it.

I love everything about volleyball, especially being on a team, forming strong connections with my teammates, the competitive environment and traveling for tournaments. I realized this is what I want to do with my life and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I went from being a little 10-year old who just wanted to have fun with my friends

to a high schooler who can not imagine her life without volleyball.

My biggest goal over the last six years has been to play volleyball at a great Divison I school. I have worked very hard and have made many sacrifices trying to achieve this goal. I have played both beach and indoor volleyball for club teams, and I have spent many of my weekends over the past six years playing in tournaments. I have spent hours in practice sessions, private lessons, weight lifting and conditioning.

As a result of my hard work and with the support of my family, coaches and teammates, I am fortunate enough to have recently committed to attend and play volleyball for Duke University. It is an awesome feeling knowing that I am so much closer to achieving my goal.

My parents have definitely helped me toward this goal because they have constantly supported me and pushed me to be the best student, player and teammate that I can be. They have always been there for me, especially throughout my volleyball journey. They have helped me whenever I’ve needed it.

I definitely would not be where I am today without them.

Basketball has always been a huge part of my life. I have always been around the game and I have had a basketball in my hands since I was a baby. My dad introduced me to the game at a very young age, and I fell in love with it. My dad has supported me through thick and thin and has pushed me to this point in my life.

The journey hasn’t always been easy, but we made it through. I feel lucky that I have an incredibly supportive dad who never gave up on me. He and my mom always knew I would end up in a great place both athletically and academically. Because of my dad, I love the game.

I crave its high intensity and cherish the chance to compete at a high level in each and every game.

Each game is a different challenge, and I learn something new, win or lose. Basketball has many ups and downs, and I’ve had my fair share of both. When I committed to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), it was such a relief because I worked so hard for the opportu-

nity and it has always been a goal of mine to play Division I basketball at a great school. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and I am truly blessed to be able to compete at the next level and continue my passion.

I have set some goals for myself as a recruit for UPenn. I will work to grow as a basketball player, leader and student. I hope I can lead my team to multiple Ivy League championships and NCAA tournament appearances. My academic goal is to graduate from the Wharton School of Business, where I plan to apply.

I have always been fascinated with business, whether it be dealing with money or making connections. I feel that the Wharton School community, alongside the UPenn student body, will teach me new information and how to apply it to situations in the real world.

With the knowledge and relationships that I will form at UPenn, I hope to start my own business and use my platform to help others.

I have high expectations for my time at UPenn, and I believe this will be a great experience that will change my life forever.