December 2019 Issue

CHRONICLE the harvard westlake

Studio City • Volume 29 • Issue 4 • Dec. 11, 2019 • hwchronicle.com

A DECADE IN REVIEW: The Harvard-Westlake community experienced several important changes during the 2010s. This timeline is a recap of the occurrences of the decade.

School to revise 2020 testing requirements

By Ethan Lachman and Austin Lee Beginning next year, the school will eliminate the mandatory mid-year assessment testing week and will allow teachers of specific Advanced Placement courses to decide whether their students must take the AP exam at the end of the year.

President Rick Commons said the changes will coincide with next year’s new schedule as a part of the administration’s larger goal to create a more effective and dynamic learning environment.

Head of Upper School Laura Ross said that due to the administration’s trust in the faculty, she is confident in its decision to enact more flexible testing options.

In addition, Ross said the administration decided to do away with the December testing week because many teachers found the timing awkward or difficult.

“We did a bunch of surveying, and it’s a minority of classes that wants to give a more cumulative exam at that point,” Ross said. “Everyone was stopping everything to give an exam because they felt they had to give an exam.

That’s not organic.”

Commons agreed with Ross, saying the scheduling changes are an at-

tempt to help students balance their workloads and maximize efficiency.

“If we took every other week off, we would be very relaxed, but I think we would not be able to achieve as much,” Commons said. “On the other hand, if we never took a day off, I think we wouldn’t be able to achieve as much as we do with a more balanced approach.”

Ross also said the school is considering a testing calendar that would span over several weeks and would designate certain dates for each subject to gives its tests.

“We’re looking instead about if we should have some kind of [testing schedule] like the middle school, which has an assessment calendar for ninth grade where science can give an exam on these dates, math can give an exam on these dates and so on,” Ross said.

“Maybe we’d do something like that, but that would stretch from December through the end of January.”

Commons added that the school wants to aid students in their studies by promoting general health and wellness.

“We’re most capable when we are well-rested, well-fed and when we have

ISIR Department established

Kutler Center created

Commons named Head of School

Mission Statement implemented

90-minute exams replaced midterms

First all-gender bathroom installed

Diversity task force created

Ross named Head of Upper School

Mental health emphasized

• Continued on A7

Block schedule announced

A2 News

The Chronicle

Students celebrate holidays

Dec. 11, 2019

By Quincey Dern During the annual Winterfest held by Prefect Council, upper school students participated in a variety of holiday-themed activities, such as cookie decorating, movie screenings and dress-up days, from Dec. 2 to 6.

This year marked Prefect Council’s first Winter Market, during which students sold homemade goods at tables on the quad throughout Dec. 2. During the Winter Market, Prefect Council held a performance that featured the Activities, Recreation and Care for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (ARC) Bell Choir, as well as musical students including Shanti Hinkin ’22, Ford McDill ’21 and Alec Davila ’20. The cafeteria also provided complimentary hot chocolate and cider both Tuesday and Thursday.

“My favorite part of Winterfest is always pajama day because I don’t have to worry about what to wear and I can be comfortable all day,” Camryn Williams ’22 said. “Also, the environment at school is very warm and cozy when everyone is wearing their pajamas.”

Head Prefect Grace Burton ’20 has helped plan Winterfest for the past three years and was involved in organizing the inaugural Winter Market.

“I think [Winterfest] makes the time before finals that would be stressful a little more fun,” Burton said. “I like decorating [too] because I think it makes the school feel more inviting, and it’s a cute tradition that we have to have the school decorated when everyone comes to class on Monday.”

FRANK JIANG/CHRONICLE

MARKETPLACE MAGIC: Upper School Dean Sharon Cuseo and Eli Friedman ’21 converse at the Winter Market on Dec. 2. In addition to selling food at the sale, many students chose to sell an assortment of goods, such as crocheted hats, handmade pottery and bracelets.

Handcrafted goods sold at the Winter Market

By Tanisha Gunby Students sold homemade goods including jewelry, ceramics, glass cups and baked goods at the first-ever Winter Market on the quad throughout the day Dec. 2.

Members of Prefect Council organized the Winter Market to increase community engagement by providing opportunities for students on campus to show off their interests, Head Prefect Michael Lehrhoff ’20 said. Students who sold items were able to keep the profits they made. All transactions were made through Venmo, a mobile payment service.

“We found that at Harvard- around campus and display Westlake, students have such her handmade goods. a large range of hobbies, so we “I think the Winter Market tried to find a way for them to was a really good idea because express themselves through it encourages entrepreneurtheir crafts,” Lehrhoff ship, and it was a said. “I loved how space where you can students received sell anything no matsuch positive encourter what kind of exagement for expressperience you have,” ing themselves and Shin said. “I had a lot sharing their interof fun because it was ests with the school nice to show off somecommunity.” thing unique that I Grace Shin ’21, do outside of school ’ who sold crocheted that not everyone may Khyra hats, banana bread know about, but that Stiner ’21 and pumpkin bread, I enjoy doing.” said the Winter Market allowed Khyra Stiner ’21 said she her to interact with students enjoyed walking through the white s

Winter Market because she learned more about the hobbies and extracurricular interests of other students within the school community.

“I think the Winter Market was a good idea, as the students were able to show off their work and had the opportunity to support their friends and fellow students,” Stiner said. “Before the Winter Market, I had no idea about all of the unique projects and skills of the other students on our campus, and I just think the Winter Market was a great way for students to get a chance to showcase their skills and possibly make an earning from it.”

In the issue...

A4 AND THE AWARD GOES TO: 10 artists and writers received recognition from YoungArts for their artistic achievements.

A11 SADNESS IN CINEMA: A

student reflects upon the harsh realities and false stereotypes that the holiday season brings.

B1 COMMERCIALIZATION OF CHRISTMAS: Students contemplate the focus on gift-

giving during Christmastime.

The Chronicle, the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School, is published 8 times per year and distributed for free on both the upper and middle school campuses.

There are about 730 students at the Middle School and 870 at the Upper School.

Subscriptions may be purchased for $20 a year for delivery by mail. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial Board. Letters to the

C2-C3 TURNING UP THE HEAT:

An amateur baker provides a multitude of holiday recipes for treats, including gingerbread.

D1 FAST BREAK: Holden McRae

’20 drives the ball up the court as the team attempts to score in the final minutes of the game.

editor may be submitted to chronicle@hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format. Advertising questions may be directed to Zack Schwartz at zschwartz1@hwemail.com. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.

Dec. 11, 2019

hwchronicle.com/news

News A3

Acclaimed artist offers studio tour

By Frank Jiang

SIOBHAN HARMS/CHRONICLE

SAVING THE FORESTS: Stephen Purdum ’22 sells baked goods to Micah Gold ’22 on the lower quad

Friday while explaining that proceeds from the bake sale will be donated to the Rainforest Action Network.

Club supports climate strikes

By Siobhan Harms The Environmental Club hosted a fundraiser on the quad in conjunction with the Los Angeles Global Climate Strike downtown and the United Nations Climate Conference in Madrid on Dec. 6.

During the event, students purchased items from a bake sale and a vegan burger cookout to support the Rainforest Action Network, a organization that focuses on reforestation.

Environmental Club President Guy Hartstein ’20 said the

event was an opportunity to encourage students to be involved with the environment.

“We hope to make people excited about living sustainably while rallying support for further change,” Hartstein said. “We hope to instill within [students] the message that they, too, can lead sustainable projects at our school.”

Student volunteer Chandace-Akirin Apacanis ’21 said the fundraiser helped students understand the bigger picture instead of day-to-day school work.

HWSAA expresses thanks for alumni

“It was a nice break from class to just focus on things that are important,” Apacanis said. “I loved that our school is always trying to make a change.”

Spanish teacher Margot Reimer, whose class volunteered, said she decided to get involved with the event because she thinks climate change is an issue that needs to be addressed.

“I think it is the [primary] issue [that faces] our generation,” Reimer said. “If we don’t do something about this now, there won’t be a future for us, for our children or for our students.”

it was inspiring to see the hard work that Wood puts into his Seniors in AP Studio Art art and how it has paid off for and visual arts teacher Conor him. Price said she usually Thompson visited acclaimed puts herself under a lot of unartist Jonas Wood’s art studio neccesary pressure that stems from her belief that artwork in Silver Lake on Nov. 26.

Thompson said that the should have a deeper meaning. idea of visiting Wood’s studio She felt that Wood refrained began when one of his stu- from placing this negativity dents, Oscar Montanez-Garay upon himself during his cre’20, mentioned that some of ative process and it had, in his paintings were influenced fact, helped his artwork.

“He didn’t really put presby Wood’s works. “[Oscar and I] had been sure on creating,” Price said. talking about it, and a light- “It kind of just came from him, bulb kind of just went off,” and I just thought about how Thompson said. “Because my it was really cool for him to exwife is a personal cook for press himself and end up being so successful.”

[Wood], I kind Attendee of had a conBerry Nakash [Wood] provided nection with ’20 said that him, so I sent generous information because she him an email about the behind-thetended to be to see if he was a little more scenes process of how open to give us messy when a tour and he his art gets made.” she paints, it was.”

—Conor Thompson was very unUpon arrivexpected to al, Wood gave AP Studio Art Teacher enter such an the group a organized stucomprehensive dio. Nakash said that Wood’s tour of his entire studio, which meticulousness was reflected consists of smaller rooms and in his painting process, which is populated with numerous differed significantly from her studio assistants. own. “[Wood] was incredibly gen“I learned that it’s largely a erous with his time and really process and that [Wood’s] has gave us a tour of everything,” steps to everything and that he Thompson said. “He really works on paintings not individtalked in depth about not only ually, but rather all in one go,” how he makes his work, but Nakash said. “For some artists, also how he thinks about it. He organization is everything, and provided generous information I didn’t think that was the case about the behind-the-scenes for all. In fact, I thought it was process of how his art gets the opposite, but for him, it’s a made.” like factory process, which was Attendee Ella Price ’20 said really interesting.”

“

By Mimi Landes

[Harvard-Westlake] community and I feel like as students we forThe Student Alumni Asso- get that a lot of the time,” Konciation (SAA) hosted its second vitz said. “I always love thanking annual Thankathon on Dec. 2. them for their work. I hope to do The Thankathon is a way it again in the future because it’s for students to connect with the a really fun group who attends larger school community and to and I love giving back.” express gratitude, SAA member Jenna Kronenberg ’20 said Cory Porter ’22 said. she has attended numerous “The Student Alumni As- Thankathons since sophomore sociation allows us to not only year. reach out and get in touch with “I really like writing the [alumni], but to provide opportu- thank you notes and sharnities and experiences ing about my life at for students with the Harvard-Westlake alumni,” Porter said. through my notes,” The SAA holds Kronenberg said. “As Thankathon a few a member of HWSAA times every year. SAA I interact with alumni Chair Jane Sidon ’20 at various events like helped organized this the HW Alumni with event. young kids Halloween “[Thankathons] ’ party and the reunion create a bond between Cory days. I enjoy particialumni and students Porter ’22 pating at the events at the school so that and will continue to the alumni can always [remain a part of] Harvard-Westlake,” attend Thankathons for the rest of the year.”

Sidon said.

Chronicle Broadcast ProLily Saada ’22 also took part ducer Yoohan Ko ’20 said she in the Thankathon.

“It’s nice that we get to in- thinks Thankathons are a great dividually thank them to really way to stay in contact with show our appreciation,” Saada alumni. “[Alumni] are huge supportsaid. ers of our school and it’s only SAA Co-Chair Kate Konvitz ’20 said that it is important to right that we thank them for recognize the role alumni play in their help. I love that HWSAA allows us to think about the our school community.

“I really enjoyed going to benefits we gain from alumni as Thankathon because the alum- well as gives us an opportunity ni play such a critical part in the to give back to them.” white s

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KATIE MUMFORD

ROBOTICS REVOLUTION: Robotics subteams 62A and 62X pose with their robots at the VEX tournament in Long Beach after winning the Create Award and the title of tournament champion, respectively.

Robotics team continues success

By Alice He Seven upper school robotics teams participated in the CAMS VEX robotics tournament at Cabrillo High School on Nov. 23. Katie Mumford ’20 led team 62X to victory, going undefeated throughout the competition.

During the finals, team 62X, represented at the tournament by Mumford and Isaac Dienstag ’21, defeated team 62A, which is comprised of Jake Futterman ’21, Yvette Copeland ’21, Reggie Kim ’21, Chris Ladreyt ’21 and Isaiah Jeter ’21. The two-person team won the tournament and qualified for the State compe-

tition. Additionally, team 62A received the Create Award for its innovative engineering solutions, while team 62K won the Judges Award, which the judges grant to one team that has been defeated.

Team 62X originally qualified for States after receiving the Build Award for the design of its robot at the 2019 Pan Pacific VEX EDR Championship on Nov. 9. However, robotics teams’ advisor Andrew Theiss said that a last-minute rule change prevented teams that won the prize from qualifying for the State competition.

Therefore, team 62X needed to requalify through the tournament on Nov. 23. While two

original members were on temporary leave, Dienstag was recruited and Mumford led the two-person team.

Since the beginning of the school year, the upper school robotics club has increased its number of members. Three new sophomore groups have formed, bringing the total number of teams up to eight.

The new sophomores’ teams are very diverse in both their goals and robot design, Futterman said.

“This year we have a lot bigger program than we have ever had,” Futterman said.

“It’s great to see [the Robotics program] continue to grow and get more people.”

A4 News

The Chronicle

Dec. 11, 2019

SASA organizes Diwali festival

By Tessa Augsberger

TANISHA GUNBY/CHRONICLE

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: Events Engagement Editor Madison Huggins ’20 and Nikha Sylbert ’20 serve

themselves traditional South Asian cuisine, such as samosas and pilaf, at the upper quad at the festival.

Students volunteer to create lanterns at Luminaria event

By Ethan Lachman and Emma Limor Seven students crafted handmade lanterns alongside Studio City residents at the ninth annual Luminaria Event held by the Studio City Neighborhood Council’s Cultural Affairs Committee at Campo de Cahuenga on Saturday.

The lanterns were used during Sunday night’s free family event celebrating the holiday season and the history of Campo de Cahuenga.

YoungArts Winners: Classical Music: Jane Meenaghan ’20, Finalist – Composition Photography: Caitlin Chung ’20, Finalist Penelope Juarez ’21, Merit Abe Kaye ’20, Honorable Mention Mimi Offor ’21, Finalist Santiago Salazar ’21, Finalist Voice: Jake Schroeder ’20, Merit – Popular Visual Arts: Oscar Montanez Garay ’20, Finalist Writing: Hannah Han ’21, Merit – Short Story Andrea Yagher ’20, Merit – Play or Script

According to the Studio City Neighborhood Council Facebook page, the celebration featured arts and crafts, live music and refreshments.

Students made lanterns by filling paper bags with sand and inserting lights to illuminate them. Director of Community and Public Affairs Stacy Marble said the festival created a welcoming atmosphere for attendees.

“It’s a great event for the public to come out and experience a holiday event in our

community,” Marble said. “The paper bags are all lit up and illuminated, and [they create] a warm ambiance and a special feeling in a historic spot here in Studio City.”

Community Council member Noah Aire ’20 said the event was a great way to for the school to support its neighbors.

“I would have, of course, loved to see more people from Harvard-Westlake there,” Aire said. “But it’s nothing against our community. I think it’s

By Sarah Mittleman

recorded in any location,” honorable mention recipient Jake Schroeder ’20, who initially planned to submit a monologue for the Theater category, said.

“I was floored when I placed. I don’t even sing pop, but I guess I do now.”

Finalists will attend the annual National YoungArts Week, a program that offers masterclasses and in-person evaluations in Florida from Jan. 5 to 12. Throughout the week, finalists will be evaluated and will be eligible for prizes of up to $10,000 for their achievements.

“I am looking forward to meeting other passionate, young artists [at National YoungArts Week] and hopefully pushing myself out of my comfort zone to experiment more with photography,” finalist Mimi Offor ’21 said.

YoungArts winners announced for 2020 The YoungArts Foundation recognized 10 students for their accomplishments in music, photography, writing, visual arts and singing Nov. 26. Five were named finalists, two were chosen as honorable mentions and three were commended as merit winners.

The annual competition grants artistically-talented high school students opportunities to attend regional programs in Miami, New York City and Los Angeles to continue developing their specific disciplines.

Though approximately 7,000 students from across the country apply to YoungArts every year, only 700 win, according to the foundation’s website.

“Pop voice presented an easier application, requiring the submission of four songs

The South Asian Students’ Alliance (SASA) hosted a festival celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights observed primarily on the Indian subcontinent, after school Nov. 15 on the Seaver courtyard.

SASA founder and event organizer Mohona Ganguly ’21 said that she chose to celebrate Diwali on campus because it is a popular holiday in South Asia.

“Because Diwali is one of the holidays that all of the [Indian] subcontinent can enjoy together, we wanted to bring it to [Harvard-Westlake],” Ganguly said. “We thought that it would be wonderful to have our first festival and first big event as a club be [Diwali].”

Ganguly said Diwali traditions typically vary across regions, but there are a few traditions that are common throughout South Asia.

“It depends on which area of the subcontinent you’re from,” Ganguly said. “The main part of the celebration is lighting the lamps, and, of course, the food and the dancing.”

At the festival, students danced, got henna tattoos and made small oil lamps called diyas, which are typically lit

“

around the home during Diwali. The event also featured traditional Indian cuisine.

SASA member Isa Sylbert ’22 said the festival allowed her friends to experience her Indian culture firsthand.

“When I went, [my friends and I] all came together,” Sylbert said. “It was really fun, and they got to learn a little bit more about India, which was cool.”

Ganguly said SASA plans to make the Diwali festival an annual occurrence, in addition to hosting more similar events in the future.

“For next year, we’re planning on doing it again, so we’re very excited for it,” Ganguly said. “As for later this year, we’re planning on doing fundraisers for charities on the subcontinent that are still dealing with the aftermath of the Kerala storms, and we’re also planning on doing festivals for both Holi and Eid [alFitr], but we’re still working on the format of those festivals.”

Ganguly said that for next year’s Diwali festival, she hopes to incorporate new elements that would increase student involvement.

“We had a pretty good layout for a festival, but we think that next time we can incorporate more live performances,” Ganguly said.

I would have, of course, loved to see more people Harvard-Westlake there.

I think it’s really important for Community Council and for Harvard-Westlake to show that it cares about the local community.”

— Noah Aire ’20 Community Council Member

really important for Community Council and for HarvardWestlake to show that it cares about the local community.”

For the last several years, students have worked alongside community leaders to help set up the event. Marble said that through her volunteer work, she has developed

white’s

many relationships.

“It’s really special to be able to give back to your community, especially during the holiday season,” Marble said.

“It’s great to meet the community leaders of Studio City and build a relationship by working together for a common purpose.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MIMI OFFOR

SHOWTIME: Mimi Offor ’21 was designated a finalist in the competi-

tion for her photography portfolio, which included the piece “Showtime.”

Dec. 11, 2019

hwchronicle.com/news

Youth activists convene

News A5

By Crystal Baik

Several students from the Junior State of America (JSA) club attended the Fall State Convention at the Hyatt Regency Orange County from Nov. 23 to 24. Attendees took part in fairs, panels and debates that focused on various political issues and activism initiatives.

Discussion topics included Medicare, policies regarding eligible undocumented immigrants and British Parliament’s plans to finalize Brexit.

“There was lots of backand-forth between debaters, and I learned a lot more about the candidates,” attendee Will Farhat ’21. “Overall, it was a great time, serious and fun at the same time.”

Muthee Githara ’20 won the Best Speaker award in debate, and JSA president Abraham Gallardo ’20 spoke to fellow students about prison populations receiving minimum wage.

The school’s JSA also received a certificate for its achievements relating to civic engagement in Southern California.

“I have been attending conventions since sophomore year and have loved it since then,” Gallardo said. “I felt extremely proud because I have put a lot of time, love and effort in this club, and I love seeing it flourish.”

In addition to student-led debates, the convention held a panel featuring professional women in media and a political fair where interest groups such as the Libertarian Party convened.

“Seeing such passionate people [as guest speakers] is always inspiring, and the only-women panel seemed like a statement,” JSA member Kayla Choi ’22 said. “This is my second year at JSA, and I’ve grown from last year. [Before], I would listen and stay silent even when I had something to say.

Now, I have more organized notes in case I want to be more engaged.”

QUINCEY DERN/CHRONICLE

The Perfect Blend STRUMMIN’ ALONG: Lauren Juzang ’20 and Lucca Dohr ’20 perform “Wallowing Trees,” an original song, at the first Coffeehouse of the year Nov. 18 in Chalmers East. The original show was cancelled due to the October fires in Bel Air, Westwood and Brentwood. Students displayed their talents by performing musical acts in a variety of styles, including folk, rap and acoustic.

Model UN attends UCLA conference

By Sophia Musante Members of the Model United Nations club participated in the UCLA United Nations conference Nov. 16 to 17.

Students represented countries such as Japan and the United Kingdom and separated into committees to debate topics ranging from malnutrition to the use of technology in aiding humanitarian crises. Each participant wrote and presented a paper stating their country’s stance on various issues.

At the conclusion of the event, the school won the Best Small Delegation award. Additionally, Chronicle Layout Assistant and Staff Writer Jason Morganbesser ’22, Maria Oxyzolou ’22, Kate Konvitz ’20,

Chronicle Assistant Sports Edi- educational and was able to tor Lucas Lee ’21 and Daniel Ju improve his rhetoric as a result ’22 won Best Delegate awards. of his experience.

Oxyzolou said she enjoyed “Over time, I have gotten the experience and learned so much better at getting my many useful skills point across in a sucwhile at the convencinct way and maktion. ing friends with other “This was my first delegates,” Lee said. experience in Model “I think that making U.N.,” Oxyzolou said. sure everyone feels “I met a lot of realcomfortable around ly nice people, and it you is the key elewas a really fun expement of Model U.N., rience. Going into it, I because it helps add didn’t know how the to your potential net’ whole system worked. work of allies [who] Maria Now that I do, I defiyou can collaborate Oxyzolou ’22 nitely would want to with.” prepare more so that I can parMatthew Lee said the UCLA ticipate more fully.” conference stands out as one of Participant Matthew Lee ’21 his favorites, and he looks forsaid he found the convention ward to future conventions. white s

Debaters win rounds, speaker awards

By Hannah Han and Ethan Lachman Four members of the debate team won top speaker awards at the Glenbrooks Speech and Debate Tournament hosted by Glenbrooks High School in Chicago from Nov. 23 to 25. Debater Olivia Feldman ’22 said she felt the group was successful in presenting convincing arguments, regarding the elimination of subsidies for fossil fuels, at the Lincoln-Douglas style tournament.

In the competition, Samantha McLoughlin ’21 and Chronicle Broadcast Director Alexandra Mork ’20 placed in the top eight, Chronicle Presentations Editor Spencer Klink ’20 placed in the top 16 and Andrew Gong ’21 placed in the top 32. In addition to these achievements, Mork earned the title of fifth speaker for accruing the fifth most

speaker points during prelim- ties,” Gong said. “Whenever I inary rounds of the competi- lose a debate round, I make tion. Klink was recognized as sure to ask the judges for the eighth speaker in the tour- detailed feedback and try to nament, Gong as the 10th and improve myself so that I can McLoughlin as the 18th. avoid those losses in the fuGong said ture. Every loss that, in addiI had this tourtion to parEvery mistake you nament made ticipating in a better make is truly a learning me two-hour team debater, and experience, and I think practices every these experiweek, debatences will help [it] applies to debate ers conductme a lot in the more than anything.” ed research future.” on each topic, Similarly, —Andrew Gong ’21 prepared their Mork said she Debater found that the rebuttals and practiced their tournament speeches. Gong also said that was useful to prepare for the the Glenbrooks tournament team’s long road of compegave him the opportunity to titions ahead, especially the learn from his mistakes, help- spring Tournament of Chaming him improve his oratory pions. skills.

“All of the best debaters in “It sounds cliché, but ev- the country are [at the Glenery mistake you make is tru- brooks Speech and Debate ly a learning experience, and Tournament],” Mork said.

I think that applies to debate “It’s a good experience for us more than many other activi- because it allows our team to

“

learn and adapt to different styles of argumentation and judging that we don’t usually encounter when we attend the tournaments on the West Coast.”

Although he wishes that he performed better, Gong said that the experience was worthwhile because it allowed him to spend more time with his fellow teammates and further bond as friends.

“In the end, I wish I could have debated better and won more rounds, but just having time to hang out with friends and put all your preparation into practice is a great experience,” Gong said. “The debate team is not only a group of teammates competing alongside one another but also a close-knit friend group, which is why my favorite memories from these tournaments are almost never the debates themselves but the fun moments we spend together in the downtime between rounds.”

“Model U.N. is extremely meaningful to me because it gives an opportunity to learn and talk about issues that affect everyone in the world, and it has also helped me become a better speaker in both formal and informal settings,” Matthew Lee said.

Participant Cory Porter ’22 said despite struggles during the conference, she enjoyed debating with her peers and enjoyed learning about global issues.

“I enjoyed being able to research and attempt to resolve real-world issues from another country’s perspective,” Porter said. “Not only did my partner and I make speeches during the debates, but we formed many alliances, which was fun.”

Corrections Please visit The Chronicle at http:// hwchronicle.com/ for the corrected version of “Astronomy students visit Mount Wilson” by Sarah Mittleman ’22. The article misreported the itinerary of the astronomy class’s field trip to the Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, which took place from Oct. 25 to 26.

A6 News

Faculty members display art pieces

By Tanisha Gunby Faculty and staff displayed their art in Feldman-Horn Gallery from Nov. 4 to 20. Students in Video Art II and III also created media art with the theme “Time Over Space” for the first 3D media art showcase, which is being displayed from Dec. 9 to 13.

Visual arts teacher Nicole Stahl said she was excited to see that faculty outside of the arts department were willing to participate in the showcase because many members of the community have creative sides which are not shown at school.

“One of the aspects I enjoy about showcasing my work to the school community is that it exhibits to students and faculty what is possible to create within our Harvard-Westlake art studios,” Stahl said.

Computer science teacher Andrew Theiss created a dodecahedron for the art show out of multiple two-way mirrors and LED lights to give the appearance that objects inside it seem farther away than they are in reality.

“I love art and spend the majority of my productive free time creating things with lights, mirrors and sound that I feel may be interesting,” Theiss said. “Sharing it with the school community is a great way to hear feedback, as well

as understand ways in which art can be more captivating to participants.”

Sophia Nuñez ’20 said she was motivated by the work presented by the faculty to create her own art.

“I loved being able to see what the teachers make when they’re not here,” Nuñez said.

“This show inspired me to experiment with new mediums and try new styles.”

In the past, students involved in 2D and 3D visual arts exhibited their artwork in the gallery throughout the year, whereas video and film students showcased their work on projectors in lecture halls. This year, visual arts substitute Reb Limerick said they wanted to inspire their digital art students to think beyond the 2D plane of the computer or projection screen and expand video art into the 3D space of the gallery.

“I think it’s important to celebrate creative experimentation and to bring what we create in the classroom to a larger audience,” Limerick said. “Students put so much of themselves into their artwork, it would be a shame for their videos to rot unwatched on Youtube. These students are working within an expansive view of time-based arts, and I’m excited for their mentors to have their minds blown.”

The Chronicle

Dec. 11, 2019

TANISHA GUNBY/CHRONICLE

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS: Sophia Nuñez ’20 watches a video art installation created by Anna Katz ’20

called “Rorschach” in Feldman-Horn Gallery. The installation showcased work by both students and faculty.

Visual arts students visit Big Rock Beach

By Ava Fattahi

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KYLE REIMS

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!: After eating lunch, photography students Lucy Ingold ’21, Capri Woss

’21 and Penny Juarez ’21 set up their tripod and camera. They prepare to take photos of the Salton Sea.

Video art and photography classes visit Salton Sea for storytelling trip

By Mak Kriksciun As part of an HWGo! Water: A Storytelling Adventure trip, photography and video art students traveled to the Salton Sea and surrounding towns Nov. 9 to 10, and visited the Wilmington Oil fields and Los Angeles River from Nov. 16 to 17. Chaperoned by visual arts teacher Jesse Chehak and visual arts substitute Reb Limerick, students focused on exploring bodies of water around Southern California.

HWGo! trips are planned to raise awareness about many social issues, Limerick said.

“We feel that climate change and our relationship to [the environment] is something urgent that we as teachers and we as people want our students to dig into,” Limerick said.

Allie Landecker ’21, said her favorite part of the trip was exploring a sound bath inside the Los Angeles River. “[The sound bath] was a really unique experience and I had a lot of fun being able to play with my voice in that way,” Landecker said. “It was also a great way for us to bond later on as we continued to sing what we learned through the rest of the trip.”

She said the sound bath trip was led by Odeya Nini. Odeya Nini is an up-and-coming artist.

She said that Odeya Nini continued to lead vocal exercises throughout the experience.

Capri Woss ’21 said that the most memorable part of the storytelling adventure was seeing the community that encompasses Wilmington, a town near the Salton Sea. Wilming-

ton, a predominantly minority-populated community, is one of the few communities negatively impacted by the several large oil refineries adjacent to it, she said. “We took a bus ride through the streets of neighborhoods that were next door to the refineries,” Woss said. “It was really awful.”

Limerick said visiting Bombay Beach, the beach of the Salton Sea, was his favorite part of the trip.

“We were the only ones [filming] on this huge beach at sunset,” Limerick said. “[It was] kind of an alien landscape.”

After returning to campus, students edited their films and photography works into short films of a variety of genres, ranging from documentary to surrealist. The projects will be on display in January.

of whom are participating in their first year of photography In the first of many trips at the school, attended the exthroughout the year, photog- cursion. raphy students visited Big Photography I student and Rock Beach in Malibu to take attendee Colin Yuan ’22 editpictures and videos of the ed a video montage with clips landscape Nov. 15. The trip from the outing and posted it provided a variety of on his Instagram. creative opportuni“I loved phototies for students, ingraphing with my cluding learning how classmates,” Yuan to use 35-millimeter said. “It was both a film and Nikon digital great bonding and cameras. learning experience.

“The trip was an We shot portraits, excellent opportugorgeous landscapes nity for students to of the beach and videxplore and learn ’ eos. I created a timenew photography Colin lapse video of the techniques, many Yuan ’22 striking sunset that of which involve new equipment and meth- day, plus countless photos. ods which they have not yet Each of us shared our camera covered in class,” visual arts knowledge, and by the end of teacher Alexandra Pacheco the day, I think we all learned Garcia said. something new.”

Pacheco Garcia chaperYuan’s classmate, Scarlett oned and planned the excur- Pinkey ’22, also went on the sion along with photography trip. Pinkey is a second-year teacher Jesse Chehak. Al- photography student, having though this was the first time previously taken Introducthe photography department tion to Photography in her has gone on a field trip to Mal- freshman year. She used the ibu, Pacheco Garcia said she opportunity to shoot on large hopes to make the trip an an- film strips with a film camera, nual event. which she tarted using during “Big Rock Beach is one of “The Everyday” unit in her the best locations near school Photography I class. for students of all experience “Once I heard about the levels to practice shooting landscape and nature pho- opportunity to shoot in Malitography. I think the students bu, I was really interested and really seemed to have a great wanted to go on the trip for time exploring Malibu and many reasons,” Pinkey said. experimenting with various “I was especially excited about photo styles,” Pacheco Garcia the chance to take photos in said. “Hopefully we can con- a place that I was unfamiliar tinue taking students on this with, because I’m so used to shooting photos at the Upper trip in future school years.”

Mostly sophomores, many School.” white s

Dec. 11, 2019

hwchronicle.com/news

Midyear tests to be cancelled

News A7

• Continued from A1

a social aspect of our lives that is fulfilling to us,” Commons said. “Research shows that people who are feeling happy in their social lives and family lives, have had enough sleep and have had adequate or better than adequate nutrition are better able to learn.”

According to Niche.com, the school currently ranks as the sixth best private school in America. Commons said he is not concerned about next year’s changes affecting the school’s prestige. Rather, he said that the school’s main focus is to optimize students’ experiences by striking a balance between learning and personal well-being.

“It’s not our intention to make the Harvard-Westlake experience relaxing, it’s to make it appropriately challenging,” Commons said. “I think my experience as a student and then as a teacher was that when we can get that challenge to the right level, achievement is at its very highest. We know that Harvard-Westlake’s academic experience and reputation is precious. We’re not trying to throw it away, we’re trying to make it evolve positively for everyone.”

Ross said departments are still determining how their courses will be designed next year in wake of these new policies, and more plans will be finalized in the coming months.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF SEPHORA ESCARPETA-GARCIA

BREAKING THE ICE: Members of LAHSO engage in a team bonding activity in which students attempt to recreate a sculpture using balloons

without referencing the original structure. The affinity group gathered together in Mudd Library on Nov. 22 for its first sleepover of the school year.

LAHSO members attend fall sleepover

By Hannah Han The Latin American and Hispanic Student Organization (LAHSO) hosted its first fall sleepover from Nov. 22 to 23, during which students discussed their experiences as people of color on campus and engaged in team bonding activities.

The affinity group began planning for the event in early November and aimed to provide attendees with a space to interact with other Latinx and Hispanic students outside of LAHSO’s weekly in-school meetings, LAHSO leader Diana Castellanos ’20 said. The club hosted its first sleepover independent

of the Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club (BLACC) in late April last year.

“We knew we wanted to do an early sleepover this year so that we could start off the club right to make sure that our members were comfortable with each other,” Castellanos said. “I really hope that they feel more comfortable and that that bond will allow us to have deeper conversations during our Monday meeting time.”

During the sleepover, attendees danced to Latin music and participated in a series of leadership activities in order to foster a sense of community among the students, Castellanos said. Additionally, partici-

Stone-cutters hosts workshops, prepares for winter publication

By Sandra Koretz Stone-cutters hosted its second creative writing workshop, where students developed their writing skills and received feedback from peers Nov. 20.

Stone-cutters plans to host one workshop per month, beginning in January. Members of the publication aim to increase the presence of the club on campus and give more students the ADVERTISEMENT

opportunity to take part in the magazine, writer and junior editor Nicole Austen ’21 said.

“Overall, [the workshops are] enjoyable, relaxing and a great way to meet and be inspired by other writers at [the school],” Austen said.

The collective will also publish a tabloid in January, a tradition that began last year in order to provide students with an opportunity besides the annual spring magazine to share their

work, Austen said.

“Stone-cutters is continuing our goal of expanding our presence as a club by not only having workshops, but also by having multiple [issues],” writer and junior editor Maya Doyle ’21 said.

Stone-cutters inspires students to be creative and create relationships with others, senior editor Emma Poveda ’20 said.

“Being able to interact with student work for three years

pants engaged in an unsupervised, student-led conversation about their individual experiences as Hispanic and Latinx individuals at the school, faculty sponsor and upper school dean Celso Cardenas said.

“The chaperones aren’t in that space while the students are having their conversation, so it’s really great because [the students] can be honest and vulnerable with one another,” Cardenas said. “It can be emotional, and there can be tears, but it can be a really great space for them to get things off their chests. While I wasn’t there to observe it, I heard that that went really well and that students pushed themselves to

“

share.”

Attendee Sarah Rivera ’21 said she most enjoyed participating in a Zumba dance with other members of LAHSO and that, overall, the sleepover allowed her to forge friendships with students that she did not usually interact with on campus.

“One of the most exciting moments at the sleepover happened in the middle of the night when we gathered to play Zumba, which was really fun because no one cared that you were dancing,” Rivera said. “We all got a dance partner, who was someone in LAHSO that [we] don’t know very well, but by the end, we were all good friends.”

My favorite part of the workshop was when we shared our writing. It was amazing to see how [students] gained confidence in their writing when they felt supported by the people around them.”

— Nicole Austen ’21 Junior Editor of Stone-cutters

now has given me an invaluable connection to the creative pulse of our community,” Poveda said.

Austen said that the workshop was extremely beneficial because it allowed students to receive constructive criticism in an encouraging, supportive en-

white’s

vironment.

“My favorite part of the workshop was when we shared our writing,” Austen said. “It was amazing to see how [students] gained confidence in their writing when they felt supported by the people around them.”

A8 News

The Chronicle

Snow Much Fun in December

Dec. 11, 2019

The school community celebrated the winter season with a week of festivities Dec. 2 to 6. The community dressed up for two pajama days, a twin day, an ugly sweater day and an Ugg boot day. Student activities included cookie decorating, watching movies and the new Winter Market.

FRANK JIANG/CHRONICLE

HANNAH HAN/CHRONICLE

RINGING IN THE HOLIDAY SEASON: To kick off Winterfest, the ARC Bell Choir performs a selection of holiday songs and traditional carols, while students and faculty browse the first-ever Winter Market.

CHRISTMAS CHEER: Community News Engagement Editor Sarah Healy ’20 and Emma Walther ’21 show off their holiday sweaters.

FRANK JIANG/CHRONICLE

CRAZY FOR HOT COCOA: Students gather by the cafeteria to drink free hot chocolate and apple cider on pajama day. Prefect Council provided these beverages for a couple of days during the week of Winterfest. Additionally, free candy, assorted donuts and other treats were available for students throughout the week.

FRANK JIANG/CHRONICLE

DECK THE HALLS: Allie Landecker ’21 and math teacher Andy Stout explore a jewelry stand at the Winter Market, where students sold homemade items including art, baked goods, clothing and pottery.

FRANK JIANG/CHRONICLE

JOY TO THE WORLD: Joy Ho ’22 and Hayley Rothbart ’21 display their winter boots and smile for the camera on Ugg boot day.

C HRONICLE the harvard-westlake

Editors-in-Chief: Tammer Bagdasarian, Lindsay Wu Print Managing Editors: Kyra Hudson, Casey Kim, William Seymour

Opinion The Chronicle • Dec. 11, 2019

Los Angeles • Volume 29• Issue 4 • Dec. 11, 2019 • hwchronicle.com

editorial

Digital Managing Editors: Luke Casola, Jessa Glassman Presentation Editors: Spencer Klink, Keila McCabe Executive Editors: Jeanine Kim, Will Mallory News Editor: Luke Schneider Assistant News Editors: Crystal Baik, Hannah Han, Tanisha Gunby, Frank Jiang Opinion Editors: Emma Shapiro, Amelie Zilber Assistant Opinion Editors: Ethan Lachman, Austin Lee Features Editors: Joanna Im, Lauren Nehorai Assistant Features Editors: Lauren Cho, Ruoshan Dong, Siobhan Harms, Marina Nascimento A&E Editors: Jordan Murray, Sarah Reiff Assistant A&E Editors: Emma Limor, Celine Park, Chloe Schaeffer Sports Editors: Zack Schwartz, Eugene Wyman Assistant Sports Editors: Eugean Choi, Lucas Lee, Jaidev Pant, Kyle Reims, Charlie Wang Multimedia Editor: Annie Beckman Photography Editors: Caitlin Chung, Jay Lassiter, Astor Wu Broadcast Producers: Coleman Katz, Yoohan Ko, Alex Mork Business Manager: Zack Schwartz Community News Engagement Editors: Sarah Healy, Zoe Redlich Events Engagement Editor: Madison Huggins Assistant Business Managers: Lucas Lee, Emma Limor Assistant Broadcast Editors: Alex Amster, Alice He, Kyle Reims Junior Art Director: Evie de Rubertis Senior Staff Writer: Lee Nichols Freelance Artist: Hannah Mittleman Freelance Writers: Allie Landecker, Anusha Mathur, Valerie Velazquez, Mak Kriksciun Layout Assistants and Staff Writers: Tessa Augsberger, Julian Andreone, Milla Ben-Ezra, Katherine Burry, Elise Chen, Marine Degryse, Quincey Dern, Alexa Druyanoff, Ava Fattahi, Mia Feizbaksh, Sydney Fener, Justin Goldstein, Jane Hamilton, Caroline Jacoby, Keira Jameson, Sandra Koretz, Gemma Lippman, Sarah Mittleman, Caitlin Munoz, Jason Morganbesser, Sophia Musante, Liam Razmjoo, Ryan Razmjoo, Amelia Scharff, Katharine Steers, Melody Tang, Maxine Zuriff Broadcast Assistants: William Moon, Zachary Berg, John Coleman, Ely Dickson, Benjamin Jacoby Layout Assistants: Alexis Arinsburg, Brittany Brahn Advisers: Jim Burns, Max Tash The Chronicle is the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School. It is published eight times per year. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial Board. Letters to the editor may be submitted to chronicle@hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format. Advertising questions may be directed to Zack Schwartz at zschwartz1@ hwemail.com. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or school.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

Climbing the steps toward unity Haven’t we come a long way? Today, on the threshold of 2020, society enjoys more access to technology, traditionally underrepresented groups have made progress in both government and general society, and the economy rests comfortably on top of historicallylow unemployment rates and a strong stock market.

By the metrics, this past decade has been one of the most monumental in recent history.

After emerging from the 2008 Great Recession, the U.S. experienced a decade of landmark events: the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 and the widespread #MeToo movement beginning in 2017. Certainly, society has taken important steps, yet many more remain ahead. As a new decade approaches, we cannot revel in these individual successes; rather, we must pave the way for the establishment of true progress. Real change does not stem only from the mere passage of legislation from Capitol Hill, but more importantly, from the willingness of the nation’s people to embody the ideals of collective progress.

Currently, however, numerous cleavages divide the nation: political views, racial differences, generational gaps, the list goes on. Yet, with every reform enacted, polarization only continues to intensify. Piles of paper, covered in blocks of optimistic text, can filter through government doors, but a more comprehensive picture of our communities tells a bleaker story, one fraught with disconnect, uncertainty and fear.

One of the most dangerous developing trends is the increasing militarization of interest groups across the country. Violence and hate crimes transform our news cycles into scenes of chaos, almost indistinguishable from Orwellian tales of perpetual war without an end in sight. Though we live in the society of 2020 and not the fictional world of 1984, Orwell’s lesson burns brighter than ever: division inhibits effective change.

We teeter on the brink of a trap similar to Orwell’s “proles” who, though free of the ruling Party’s influences, were unable to unify to transform their broken society. No matter the raw energy and ability of a

single group, without a sense unity in the hearts and minds of constituents, accomplishments will almost always be susceptible to shifting political tides. With one fell swoop, almost every last bit of the seemingly monumental progress our country has made during the past decade could be erased if we do not reach stable consensus.

Progress starts in small communities—neighborhoods, religious organizations and schools—places where constructive discourse is achievable. Progress builds when we recognize that tempering judgments of those with opposing viewpoints and unfamiliar backgrounds signifies courage, not weakness. Progress culminates when our country realizes that achieving complete ideological homogeneity is not the path to harmony but rather that it takes the union of people bound by fundamental principles to move forward together.

This kind of change will not flash across millions of television screens around the country; it is not material nor sensational, but it will linger after the news cycle ends and the anchors return home. This kind of change is resilient, it is precious, and it is real.

With the impending 2020 presidential election, our country will be presented with yet another concrete opportunity to unify. We have a chance to drive our society forward in alignment with popular opinion, to create the future we want to experience. And, we have the chance to promote progress beyond our own nation in efforts to contribute to good in the larger world.

In 2015, the United Nations created its Sustainable Development Goals, a collection of 17 interconnected global improvements, intended to be met by 2030. The U.N.’s ambitions are certainly lofty — including objectives to alleviate poverty, inequality and environmental degradation in addition to promoting peace and justice for all — but its message in calling for collective international participation to accomplish these goals is certainly achievable. With the emergence of the new decade, the results of these two dates will clearly demonstrate where we stand, between progression and regression.

A10 Opinion

The Chronicle

Dec. 11, 2019

Stress should not be in style

By Jessa Glassman

I

t was Black Friday, and with dozens of tabs open on my overheating laptop, I scoured my favorite online shops for the best deals.

In my hunt for savings, I noticed a troubling trend— more troubling than what I perceived to be this season’s lack of good discounts.

Shirts touted phrases like “sleep-deprived,” “anxious” or even “depressed.”

I was shocked to realize that the fashion industry was not just making light of these serious and important issues, but also using them to make stylistic statements.

Completely snapped out of my sale-induced hypnosis, I started to think more about my problem with the shirts. I realized that the belittlement of mental health issues and stress is pervasive even outside of the web stores I was shopping on.

Oftentimes, students compete on the basis of who slept

the least, who consumed the most coffee or even who experienced the most mental breakdowns.

Stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation have become terms that students use as social currency to prove they are working hard when in reality, they should not be valorized.

Exhaustion from school and stress have become strictly performative. Without a doubt, students are overwhelmed with college applications, looming tests and upcoming report cards.

In response to this stress, students should rest and surround themselves with supportive people, but due to social pressure, students often validate their overwhelmed feelings tangibly by bragging about all-nighters, coffees or mental breakdowns.

Students are constantly reminded to take care of themselves, yet somehow

still face a ubiquitous culture that pushes them to prove their work ethics by boasting unhealthy practices.

Broadcasting extreme fatigue and wearing eye bags like badges of honor can endanger students. According to the Mayo Clinic, long-term activation of the stress-response system can cause weight gain, heart diseases, headaches, digestive problems and a slew of other health issues.

Similarly, according to the Medical News Today Knowledge Center, sleep deprivation can lead to forgetfulness, lack of motivation, increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes, moodiness and inability to concentrate.

Using comedy to poke fun at feeling overwhelmed can also be used as a crutch for students who are trying to find ways to cope with the tumult of high school.

While they may seem funny in the moment, these

jokes reinforce a dangerous and unhealthy culture in which students believe that extreme exhaustion or emotional turmoil are comedic and laudable, resulting in the normalization of excessive and damaging stress.

While it is impossible to alleviate all the stresses of being a student, we should work toward establishing a culture that appreciates and recognizes positive habits instead of perpetuating one that incentivizes students to push themselves as hard as possible.

We should commend people for relaxing more, not less, and make it clear to those who brag about their stress levels that unhealthy habits are not cool and can in fact be dangerous to the student body’s well-being.

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Only once our school community recognizes the importance of taking self-care seriously can we take the steps necessary to truly address the stress students face.

To lighten our burdens, we must stop glamorizing the sleep-deprived, caffeineaddicted student and understand that these habits can be incredibly harmful.

Ultimately, it is time for students, the fashion industry and society at large to recognize that bragging about stress is not in style.

Into Adulthood

By Casey Kim

A ILLUSTRATION BY SYDNEY FENER

Hopeful for Hong Kong

By Austin Lee

A

s pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong continue to escalate in frequency and violence, the Chinese government is forcing many American businesses to either comply with censorship demands or face penalties.

The mass demonstrations, which initially demanded the withdrawal of a bill that would allow for the extradition of criminal suspects to mainland China, quickly evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement following the Chinese government’s refusal to withdraw the bill after the first protests.

In the midst of the raging trade war between the United States and China, most businesses have chosen to acquiesce to Chinese Communist Party demands rather than deal with the consequences of refusing to comply. Ultimately, by choosing profits over human rights, these companies have set a worrying precedent to consumers throughout the world.

In early October, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey took to Twitter to support Hong Kong protesters in a pro-democracy message, which he was forced to delete and apologize for shortly after.

The NBA quickly distanced itself from Morey’s views in an attempt to preserve business in China, but the Chinese

Basketball Association and several Chinese sponsors suspended their work with the team. The NBA’s response drew ire from American and Hong Kong citizens alike, and U.S. senators from both parties issued statements condemning the association’s actions.

Several days later, American video game developer Activision Blizzard announced that it would suspend a professional player of Hearthstone, a digital card game, for a year and confiscate his winnings after he used the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time” in an interview. The severity of the penalty drew heavy backlash from more senators and Blizzard’s non-Chinese player base, with some stating on Twitter and Reddit that they would boycott the company’s products.

While corporations have previously censored art in movies, television shows and video games to comply with Chinese demands, Blizzard’s actions show that major companies are no longer simply working within the confines of Chinese censorship; they are acting as its agents.

Around the same time, American jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. withdrew an advertisement featuring a model covering one eye after Chinese

consumers accused the company of using a pose adopted by protesters. Vans pulled a sneaker design competition entry that made several references to the demonstrations, and Apple and Google have removed protest-related apps from the App Store and Play Store, respectively. This disturbing trend should be wakeup call to consumers, revealing companies’ willingness to comply with and even support the systematic oppression of their consumers in exchange for permission to market their products.

American boycotts against firms that undermine Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests could stop or limit such actions. Although the AsiaPacific region is becoming an increasingly large source of revenue for many industries, the established European and American markets still often carry significantly more influence than those in mainland China. Buyers in the U.S. and other liberal democracies wishing to support the Hong Kong movement should consider using their significant leverage to prevent the spread of Chinese censorship and oppression. The fight for democracy is no longer confined to small parts of China.

As one protester’s sign put it, “Today Hong Kong, tomorrow the world.”

lready 18.

Throughout my childhood, I have always dreamed of what life would be like as an adult; after coolly swiping my own credit card to pay for groceries, I drive myself home with windows down, music blasting, shades on and wind in my hair. When the streets are empty, I press the acceleration harder as I sing my heart out, not having a single care in the world.

The reality of it, however, seems a lot less glamorous: failing multiple driving tests, waiting for time to pass by in stand-still traffic with an almost-expired permit, barely enduring discussions about college with my parents and struggling to keep up with classes.

And even though last year Lucas Gelfond ’19 advised seniors to not succumb to senioritis, I am definitely guilty of spending many hours after school making rainy day playlists instead of working on my overdue physics labs.

Turning 18 has placed an extra mental burden on me, and the more I refuse to recognize that I must now figure my life out, the more I seem to be neglecting my responsibilities.

Aside from having to face legal repercussions as an adult, I realize that now is the time to seriously think about and plan my years beyond high school.

My life thus far has been a bubble, secured from the harsh realities of the outside world.

And soon, whether I like it or not, I must become more self-sufficient and independent than I’ve ever been.

But at the end of the day, I am only a student, a title so precious yet fleeting.

As students, we are so lucky to be holding a title that serves as a universal badge of innocence and growth.

We learn, ask questions, fail miserably, learn more and fail again.

Moreover, every cliche applies to us: the world has endless possibilities, the sky is our limit, we are unstoppable. And no matter how devastating a bad grade or heartbreak may seem at the moment, we can pick ourselves right back up and begin again, maybe after a bucket of Häagen-Dazs ice cream or two.

Though we will always be students at heart, learning something new every day for the rest of our lives, the combination of our young, fiery, passionate minds and cravings to discover ourselves in the world is only temporary.

Soon, that title will only be a part of our pasts, and we will each take on new titles as we branch out into different roles in society: doctor, president, teacher, mother, dog-breeder.

Furthermore, in the midst of pop quizzes, weekend hangouts and college applications, it can be easy to lose sight of how fortunate we are: to have supportive friends and caring family members, a variety of accessible resources and understanding teachers.

It is a scary thing to be an adult, but let’s not allow this to stop us from asking questions and making mistakes. Let’s not let this time go to waste.

With less than a year left of holding the title, ‘high schooler,’ let’s make the most out of a time in our lives that will never return but will always be remembered.

Let’s study for our tests, make lasting memories with our friends, laugh about relatable meme accounts and cry over our grades.

Let’s be the best students we can be and enjoy the ride, because it’ll only last so long.

hwchronicle.com/opinion

Dec. 11, 2019

Opinion A11

The season for sad films

By Spencer Klink

I

t is Saturday evening, and I am rewatching Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie “Magnolia,” fully knowing that I will cry multiple times throughout the film’s threehour runtime.

Watching sad films like “Magnolia” is a weekend routine of mine. With the holidays coming closer and closer, I have been finding increasing emotional value in these films, especially when confronted with the superficially happy media that seems to define this time of year.

Although winter is the season full of bright lights on suburban houses, hot chocolate for cold hands and excitement for the fast approaching holidays, it is also excessively glorified in pop culture.

Many wintertime movies and songs present an idealized vision centered around family values and romances.

Holiday entertainment touts the season as the most wonderful time of the year. However, these holiday classics oftentimes completely ignore the harsh realities of the holiday season, such as the flu, midterms and rising gas bills.

Despite its seemingly harmless nature, this glorified, often unattainable image of a perfect winter season has a real and lasting impact.

One such consequence comes from “cuffing season,” when individuals feel pressure to find a romantic partner during winter to conform to the societal expectations that come with the holidays.

Additionally, these films and songs present such a bright, cheery world that contrasts the cold, short days of winter, compounding the impact of the “winter blues” that many individuals experience.

Both the implicit and explicit messages viewers receive on a screen or in a song matter, and overlyfestive holiday movies

perpetuate false stereotypes that can negatively impact mental health.

The most obvious solution to this problem is to completely reject the notion that winter is the perfect season, but such a demand is equally as idealistic as the films that maintain this myth.

That said, individual recognition of the holiday season’s false promises can help mitigate the emotional impact of cuffing season, the winter blues and other similar phenomena.

To contrast the oversaturation of happy movies and songs in the media during the wintertime, individuals should accept the wide range of emotions they face and work to overcome the negative aspects of the season.

Embracing alternative forms of entertainment, especially those that express sentiments other than happiness, is one way to do so.

Although I personally have found value in tragic cinema, this does not mean that everybody will. An important part of the holiday season should be for individuals to figure out their own

emotions, which necessitates that they watch movies to which they are best able to relate.

In the face of the empty facade of happiness presented by traditional wintertime media, embracing one’s feelings as opposed to shying away from them is ultimately a better method of finding value in the holiday seasons.

Although it would be nice to live such a glorious life as one in a holiday movie, this is unfortunately not a possibility for most individuals.

This is not to say that one should hate every aspect of the holiday season or reject all holiday movies and songs.

In fact, I appreciate Jon Favreau’s classic film “Elf” and Wham!’s hit single “Last Christmas” just as much as the next person. Rather, I believe it is necessary to dispel the impossibly perfect visions of winter as defined in seasonal holiday songs and movies.

As the winter season starts to unfold, it is important to keep in touch with one’s true emotions, especially in the face of unrealistic holiday entertainment.

No: 42.4% Somewhat: 22.5% *196 students polled

Meera Burghardt ’20 “A lot of times when I watch sad movies, personally, it feels really good to cry about it because you get so invested, and every once in a while I feel like you need a good cry.”

AUSTIN LEE/CHRONICLE

John Szijjarto ’21 “I think that the value that sad movies carry is somewhat underrated because it’s an emotion that a lot of people struggle with.”

Shanti Hinkin ’22 “I think [sad movies are valuable] because whenever I have an emotional, visceral reaction to something, I’m more likely to remember it fondly.”

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

AUSTIN LEE/CHRONICLE

Chronicle Opinion Editor writes about the historic presidential impeachment hearings and the trial’s possible effects on the upcoming election.

By Emma Shapiro

vided scathing new evidence to House Democrats in their investigation against Trump.

However, despite the eye-opening, incriminating testimonies of former United States Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch and many others, the hearings will likely prove inconsequential since Republicans hold a majority in the Senate.

Prior to the hearings, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated that the impeachment trial would not lead to Trump’s removal, according to NBC News. McConnell is using the Nixon impeachment hearings as the framework for Trump’s impeachment process, even though Trump’s crimes are significantly worse and could actually be considered treasonous. Influential Republican leaders need to understand that these hearings mean more than simply throwing someone from the GOP under the bus, and are, in their entirety, about deal-

ing with a president who has broken the code of law through the obstruction of justice.

Trump has tweeted threatening messages to the whistleblower and about Yovanovitch’s incompetence as a U.S. Ambassador during her testimony. Trump’s ego will cause him to be reluctant to resign, especially when he believes he can alter facts of a public trial by launching slanderous tweets at Democrats during the hearings. He holds his executive power as a threat, neglecting the fundamental aspects of the American system of government and overlooking the process of our democracy.

The House Intelligence Committee has issued subpoenas to many White House officials, but they have all declined to testify in order to cover for Trump and to avoid perjuring themselves in the process. This only makes Trump look more guilty in the public’s eye, but tainted news and unwav-

ering partisan support proves difficult to surmount.

California Republican Representative Devin Nunes and Ohio Republican Representative Jim Jordan have actively tried to shift the narrative away from Trump and onto those testifying by undermining their credentials and experience. However, they need to stop wasting time with irrelevant questions that do not help exonerate the president.

Their actions in these trials do not reflect positively on the Republican Party but instead indicate that they are grasping at straws to prove Trump’s alleged innocence.

Even more concerning, during Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland’s testimony, Vice

ILL UST RAT ION BY CEL INE PAR K

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Yes: 35.1%

AUSTIN LEE/CHRONICLE

The dire need for impeachment fter years of testing his executive power through numerous corruption scandals, Trump is finally under investigation for engaging in an illegal quid-pro-quo with Ukraine. With the 2020 election fast approaching and incumbent President Trump likely to be the Republican Party nominee, these recent trials could hopefully prove influential in determining whether Trump serves a second term.

The impeachment hearings were sparked by the leaked transcript of a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by an anonymous whistleblower. In the transcript, Trump threatened to withdraw military aid from Ukraine unless Zelensky provided harmful information on Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President and current Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The testimonies of former ambassadors and State Department employees pro-

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President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and lawyer Rudy Giuliani were accused of playing significant roles in the quid-pro-quo with Ukraine. This proves problematic, because should Trump be removed from office, Pence is equally as culpable as his successor, as is Pompeo.

Despite hearing evidencebased testimonies, Republican congressional members seem to remain supportive of Trump, and their blind loyalty will be our downfall. It is not worth the destruction of our democracy to appease our president and stick with party loyalty over the preservation of our nation’s values and virtues.

Trump’s actions should not be dismissed or ignored but should be dealt with promptly.

Even though it is unlikely that the president will be removed from office, hopefully this trial will act as a deterrent in his bid for reelection.

Community The Chronicle • Dec. 11, 2019

There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays Local shoppers and employees of popular stores on Ventura Blvd. share their favorite holiday activities in the Los Angeles area.

4 1. PAPER SOURCE Employees from Paper Source will run holiday workshops at their location on Ventura

C O L D WAT E

2. URBAN OUTFITTERS

ber. These workshops include holiday gift

Urban Outfitters employee Sakari

wrapping, snow globe making and crafts for

notices that shopping is a very pop-

younger participants. Paper source is also

ular activity and sees more people

willing to help find holiday gifts for those

visiting shops on Ventura Blvd.

not interested in participating a workshop.

during the holiday season. Urban Outfitters, located on the corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon,

N E

V

has new promotions every week.

U T A

R

N AV E.

R CA NYO

Blvd. throughout the entire month of Decem-

.

D

V BL

ESTLA

2

3. BARNES & NOBLE

4. LOS ANGELES ZOO

Barnes & Noble customer Greg shops for

Through Jan. 6, the Los An-

holiday gifts with his son. Aside from fam-

geles Zoo illuminates each

ily reunions and work parties, he will be

night with light-up animals,

showing his holiday spirit at performances

tunnels, a water show and

with the Gay Men’s Chorus at the Alex The-

other

ater in Glendale from Dec. 21 to 22. Barnes

are able to take self-guid-

& Noble also fosters the holiday spirit with a

ed tours for 60 to 90 min-

gift-wrapping station set up outside the store.

utes around the property.

displays.

Visitors

.

N BLVD CANYO

HARV ARD-W

3

LAUREL

KE

1

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SYDNEY FENER ADVERTISEMENT

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Features The Chronicle • Dec. 11, 2019

Merry Cash-mas Students discuss their opinons on how winter has changed from the season of giving to the season of consuming.

• Continued on B4

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SIOBHAN HARMS AND MAK KRIKSCIUN

B2 Features

Dec. 11, 2019

The Chronicle

Fleeting Dreams Students and staff discuss the difficulty of achieving the American Dream and share their thoughts on the current immigration laws.

By Hannah Han

but to learn English at California State University, Northridge and When cafeteria staffer June obtain a Bachelor of Economics (last name held upon request) degree. However, once in the U.S., thinks of home, she pictures rows she was forced to become a waitof closely spaced houses, swarms ress to support herself financially of motorcycles and sheets of hu- instead of working to fulfill her mid air pressing against her skin. initial Dream.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Most of all, June said she thinks of her mother and her sister, who of “The Sympathizer” and Profesmanage a small, family-owned sor of American Studies and Ethadvertising business in Bangkok, nicity at USC Viet Thanh Nguyen said that, while the U.S.’s reputaThailand.

“I miss my family and my mom tion as a land of increased social the most,” June said. “[They are] mobility has persisted, the idea of still in Thailand and [have] never the American Dream is primarily been to the United States because founded on misconceptions. In fact, according to a 2014 Global it’s hard to get a visa.”

When June immigrated to Attitudes Survey published by the the U.S. alone at 27 years old, Pew Research Center, 94 percent she was struck by her newfound of Thai individuals interviewed sense of independence and isola- believe that their children will tion, she said. In order to cope find more opportunities for sucwith separation from her family, cess at home, compared to four percent who say that June immersed herself future generations will in the large Thai comexperience more social munity in Los Angeles, mobility elsewhere. which has a popula“The American Dream tion of 27,000 people, says that everybody according to the Pew wants to come to the Research Center.

U.S. and that we have June later found more possibility for upemployment as a fullward mobility than any time waitress at a Thai ’ other country,” Nguyen restaurant in HollySamantha said. “Academic studies wood, before Healthy McLoughlin ’21 show that some other Choice Catering hired countries, in fact, have greater her as a member of the school’s cafeteria staff. She said she pre- possibility for movement between fers working at the school over the classes than we do. But the powrestaurant, as she feels uncom- er of our mythology endures, even fortable engaging in small talk as economic inequality grows ever but still enjoys seeing the same deeper and makes the Dream less possible.” faces each day in the cafeteria.

Like June, cafeteria staff“I don’t talk well [in English], so [working at the school is] good er Phairot Janthep was born in for me because I don’t have to talk Bangkok and immigrated to the a lot,” June said. “I love the kids, U.S. at 14 years old.

In the cafeteria, a gold-rimmed and I like to serve and work. I didn’t like working at a restaurant plaque hangs on the wall above as a waitress because I don’t like the salad bar, next to a pot of orchids. The plaque commemorates meeting a lot of different people.”

June said she came to the U.S. the life of Janthep’s godfather, Thiak Lor, who encouraged Jannot to find employment, thep to come to the U.S. after he immigrated in 1955.

Lor hired a Thai-speaking tutor to teach Janthep and several other immigrant students how to speak English in an effort to provide his godson with a thorough high school education, Janthep said.

“I came here just by myself, and [Lor] came to pick me up,” Janthep said. “I came to America for more education because in order to have a good education in Thailand, you have to have a lot of money and go to international school. [In America], there’s more education for everyone.” white s

Growing up, Janthep said he most all non-white people.” lived with Lor in America and flew Samantha McLoughlin ’21 said back to Thailand every summer she believes that opposition to imto visit his mother in her open- migration is based on the deeply front sewing shop near Phuket. entrenched racial hierarchy in During the school year, Janthep the U.S. and the fear that immiaccompanied Lor to the Wolver- grants are taking jobs from Amerine cafeteria after class but only ican-born citizens. In order to started working full-time after his combat xenophobia and encourgodfather died in 2008. Janthep age immigration into the United said that working in the cafeteria States, McLoughlin said the govand conversing with members of ernment should lessen the severthe student body has allowed him ity of President Donald Trump’s to fully integrate into the commu- immigration policies, which call nity. for an increase in ICE agents and “I love all the students,” Jan- non-citizen deportations. thep said. “My friend works at “Although such desire for Hawthorne High School. I’m lucky harsh regulations on immigration that I work here because I know is often simply a desire to protect that if you were to work at a dif- one’s family, lifestyle and country, ferent school, it’s hard to handle.” I think that arguments against inAlthough Janthep spent most creased immigration often suffer of his adolescence in America, from implicit xenophobia and rache said he still faced discrimina- ism,” McLoughlin said. “Persontion due to his ally, I think that Chinese-Thai dequotas should scent. be increased,

I don’t think the “When I came the process for [to America], I American dream exists applying for citcouldn’t speak anymore just because izenship should English at all, so the world has become be shortened people tried to and less rigorous too convoluted.” make fun of me,” and deportations Janthep said. “I of undocumentcould read a little —Sarah Rivera ’21 ed immigrations bit, but I couldn’t should be maspronounce the sively decreased.” words right. [My peers] were not Despite the U.S.’s reputation mean, though; they were kids, as a haven for immigrants, Sarah and kids are just kids.”

Rivera ’21, a child of two immiJune said she also felt unwel- grants, said the American Dream come in America, as some individ- is drifting out of reach for refuuals have openly dismissed her gees and people of color. due to her accent.

“Immigration is crucial not “I felt bad sometimes because only socially to enrich cultures I don’t fully know English,” June but also to keep healthy econosaid. “Some people don’t listen to mies and international relations,” me [because of my accent]. When Rivera said. “However, I don’t I went to a meeting for my son at think the American Dream exists school and asked something from anymore just because the world the officer, they said, ‘I don’t un- has become too convoluted, and derstand you,’ and they left.” at this point, it’s more of a distant The subject of immigration has vision that under the right lucky deeply divided the United States, circumstances can become a resplitting the country up along ality.” party lines and resulting in the In a political climate that quesspread of extremism and xeno- tions the value of immigrants phobia against minorities, Nguy- and their contributions to socien said. ety, June said she holds onto her “[The current administration] memories of her homeland as a has separated families at the bor- means of comfort. Despite living der, thrown children into camps in America for over a decade, both and lost track of separated chil- Janthep and June said they idendren,” Nguyen said. “Its ambition tify themselves as Thai. is to roll back immigration policy “My godfather wanted to fulfill before the 1965 Immigration Act, the American Dream,” Janthep which sought to correct nearly said. “A lot of Asians want to come a century of racist immigration to the United States to have a good policy beginning with the 1882 life, and [my godfather] wanted Chinese Exclusion Act and culmi- me to have a good future. But I nating with the 1924 Immigration miss Thailand; it’s my hometown.

Act that closed immigration to al- I am proud to be Thai.”

“

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF AND EVIE DE RUBERTIS

Dec. 11, 2019

hwchronicle.com/features

Features B3

Double Tap Students and influencers share how the new Instagram like policy will affect their everyday lives online.

By Siobhan Harms

[influencers’] whole backgrounds and their whole basis of success Emma Topp, an Instagram is [based on] likes, they are not influencer with over fifty thou- going to be as successful if they sand followers, scrolled through don’t have that same backing.”

Dees, who manages a personher morning feed to discover Instagram will be hiding likes al account with over 10,000 folfrom other users. Topp began lowers, said she thinks the new to wonder how her career would plan will benefit those who use change, particularly how she the app recreationally. The plan would gain sponsored content, will allow Instagram to return to if Instagram’s policy were to be its original goal of being a free and creative space, rather than implemented.

“I think it’ll affect the influ- a place for business, Dees said.

“I think [the plan] promotes encer community greatly,” Topp said. “Instagram is such a huge more of what Instagram was initially attempting to be, business tool for a vawhich is a place where riety of people, and you show what’s going taking away a variable on in your life,” Dees such as likes that is a said. huge part of measurAlanah Dakar ’22 ing engagement leaves said she is also in favor you with just visible of Instagram’s new policomments.” cy because she believes Product of Compeople will be more willmunications Lead at ’ ing to post without the Instagram Seine Kim Taylor added worry of a like said that the plan will Dees ’21 count. change how users see “I like the idea of getting rid likes on Instagram. With this change, users will only be able of likes, [and] I think it will give to view their own like count, but posting on Instagram a new not the that of other users on the meaning,” Dakar said. “Instead platform. Instagram is currently of posting for likes and to show beta testing the change around off how many [you] can get, it will be more about posting more genthe world, Kim said.

“We are testing this with a uine content that doesn’t necessmall number of users globally sarily need tons of likes.”

With the new change, people because we want Instagram to be a place where people feel com- will be more willing to post phofortable expressing themselves,” tos as a way to connect with othKim said. “This includes helping ers, Dakar said. However, she people focus on the photos and said she would still be apprevideos they share, not how many hensive to post because of other concerns. likes they get.”

“I don’t think the removal of Taylor Dees ’21 said she feels that taking away likes raises likes will have any effect on my many questions as to how in- willingness to post because my fluencers will continue to make worries that come from who likes my picture will just be replaced their livelihoods.

“I don’t know how [the plan] with worries of who is seeing will work,” Dees said. “I feel like if it,” Dakar said. “[For example,] white s

would they have liked [the post] that she is concerned about if likes were there?” fraudulent users who will take Matthew Lee ’21, who runs opportunities from real influencthe political commentary Ins- ers by purchasing followers. tagram account ‘On the Fence,’ “Anyone [can] buy followers, said he believes that the plan will and look like they have a way alleviate some of the pressures larger following on a surface levassociated with reaching a cer- el,” Topp said. “[Then] if a brand tain number of likes. truly wants to determine your “I think that getting rid of engagement, you’d have to send likes does a lot of good because it them your individual business gets rid of some social pressures analytics, which requires an esto get a lot of likes,” Lee said. tablished relationship. It makes “It will [also] help mental health the whole transaction more difon the platform because it gets ficult and allows the possibility rid of the pressure to get a lot of of fraudulent accounts to come likes.” into play.”

Lee said he Addressing does not think the influenc This includes that this decision er community helping people to focus will change busion Instagram, on the photos and videos nesses, because Kim said that he thinks people the platform is they share, not how will still remain working to cremany likes they get.” active on Instaate solutions —Seine Kim so that influgram, regardless.

“I don’t think Instagram Product Lead e n c e r - b r a n d this will have partnerships much of an effect will not be on my blog and others because negatively affected. it is very easy for people to like a “We understand that like photo,” Lee said. “Getting rid of counts are important for many that will not stop the people who creators, and we are actively are interested from going to the working on ways for creators to blog.” communicate value to their partAlthough Topp said she could ners,” Kim said. see the benefits to the new like Topp said she thinks the plan plan, she disagrees that it will will ultimately fall flat because have no effect on the accounts of of the problems it will cause businesses. for businesses and influencers, “From a business standpoint, which make up a significant porit’s now difficult to compare stats tion of the platform. Though the on a surface level to determine feature will be removed, Topp who to work with and engage- said she has high hopes it will be ment rates,” Topp said. “I like restored. the idea that it promotes happier “I don’t think it will perform mental health and a more posi- well, as I’ve spoken to people tive self-image, but personally, I who just use Instagram for fun don’t like the new rule.” and still love seeing their likes,” As brand partnerships for Topp said. “I’m hoping it’ll be Instagram are one of her main phased out in the new update for sources of income, Topp said the entire community.”

“

ILLUSTRATION BY SIOBHAN HARMS

Dec 11, 2019

hwchronicle.com/features

Features B4

Students discuss how the holidays have become less religious and more commercialized in recent years.

By Frank Jiang and Mak Kriksciun

fy love, has diminished in favor of their monetary value, Ogden said.

Growing up, Kayla Choi ’22 “[Christmas is] not fun for celebrated Christmas by revisit- me when I see on social media a ing the story of the birth of Jesus bunch of people making it about Christ and the gifts the Wisemen the most expensive gift they got,” bestowed to him. Yet, as she sat Ogden said. in church for Midnight Mass, Shay Gillearn ’21 has his own she wondered when the Christ- Christmas traditions. He said mas spirit departed from the that he is more focused on famreligious teachings of her youth ily and less on presents as he and transformed into a culture of has grown. He said he worries extreme gift-giving. that presents create a distraction “Nowadays, people are just from family for many individuals. buying [presents] and no longer “I do think that the holidays learning the origins of Christ- have been overly commercialized mas,” Choi said. “They because many people [might] know vaguely only care about getof it, but they don’t ting gifts during those really care because times,” Gillearn said. it’s being overtaken by Choi said that, by things [such as] Sancelebrating a more trata, cookies and presditional form of Christents.” mas, the gifts her family Similarly, as Naomi gives are less about toys Ogden ’20 opened Inand are more repre’ stagram on Christmas sentative of the holiday Shay Day, she noticed that spirit.

Gillearn ’21 posts featured mate“My family has nevrialistic goods rather er really been a fan of than family connections, she celebrating Christmas [through] said. buying gifts and such,” Choi “I think [Christmas is] fun said. “We would give gifts to othwhen you focus on being with er people. [However] it wouldn’t family instead of what gifts you’re be lavish gifts. [The gifts would] getting and what gifts you’re giv- be something like fruit, which ing,” Ogden said. is a gift that doesn’t really emWith a greater importance phasize the materialistic value of placed upon the monetary gift gifts.” values, Alliant Credit Union Because she is Hindu, Mostates that commercial spending hona Ganguli ’21 said she celincreases significantly around ebrates Christmas without the Christmastime. According to Christian values traditionally asABC News and the National sociated with the holiday.

Retail Federation, the average “We don’t really celebrate American spends approximately the more religious aspects of $700 on holiday gifts every year, Christmas,” Ganguli said. “We totaling more than $465 billion. celebrate the more commercial The sentimental importance aspects. We have a Christmas of gifts, usually used to signi- tree, open presents and all get white s

together as a family.” very differently, especially beIn addition, other religious cause her parents don’t observe holidays have taken on a sim- Christmas. ilar meaning, Hayley Rothbart “[On] one of the eight nights ’21 said. For example, though [of Hanukkah], I’ll go over to my not as religiously significant as grandparents house, and celeholidays such as Yom Kippur brate with family,” Boudov said. and Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah “Every year on Christmas Eve, I has become the most well-known go to my best friend’s house for Jewish celebration because it an annual party.” falls very close to the gift-giving Though many spend the holseason, Rothbart said. idays at home surrounded by “I feel like Hanukkah is a great those meaningful to them, rewinter holiday, and it’s definitely tail workers often do not enjoy the most culturally recognized,” the same luxuries, Ogden said.

Rothbart said.

During the holidays, especially Rothbart does not see a prob- during Black Friday sales, retail lem with the workers are often way gifts are exverbally abused changed, as the or are forced to

[Christmas is] intention still work with denot fun for me when represents the manding cusidea of generostomers, she said.

I see on social media ity, she said.

“I just feel so a bunch of people “If [the gift’s] bad for the retail making it about the a new car, workers,” Ogmost expensive gifts.” maybe I would den said. “[Their notice it, but working environ—Naomi Ogden ’20 ment is] literally every family can afford difhell. The worst ferent things,” Rothbart said. “It people with the worst attitudes doesn’t get to me if I don’t get as show up on that day because many gifts or as expensive gifts. they think they’re entitled to a That’s just the way of life.” deal or certain products, when Maddie Boudov ’21, who is they’re not.”

Jewish, approaches Hanukkah Nevertheless, Choi said she and Christmas in a different admits that though she often way. Rather than focusing on feels left out from the gift-giving the religious aspects of these two culture, she understands what holidays, she celebrates the in- the season represents. terpersonal relationship aspects “Now I realize [my upbringing] of both, she said. was just teaching me not to be “I associate winter holidays materialistic,” Choi said. “[My with a time to celebrate friends parents taught me] not to take and family more than a specific things for granted and actually religion,” Boudov said. “[It’s] just realize what the true value of the a time to value those around you holiday is [and what it is] signifyand be thankful for what you ing rather than what it has now have and celebrate the joy of life.” become due to people Boudov said that she cele- just trying to make brates Hanukkah and Christmas money off of it.”

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SIOBHAN HARMS AND MAK KRIKSCIUN

Arts & Entertainment The Chronicle•Dec. 11, 2019

Staying Sustainable Students and teachers comment on fast fashion, the impact it has had on the environment and ways to avoid it.

By Mia Feizbaksh and Marina Nascimeto

ly started “greenwashing” because consumers are becoming more aware.” Zimmer said, As she browsed the cloth- “ A lot of them use really loose ing racks of the Salvation terms to say they’re “sustainArmy store, Cameron Herring able” or “green” but really this ’21 searched for a piece that doesn’t mean anything, so I was both unique and trendy. just think it’s important to The thrift store provided easy look at these retailers with a and affordable finds, which close eye.” aligned with her pledge to reAccording to the World duce her carbon footprint and Bank estimate, the fashion inmaintain a more sustainable dustry releases 10 percent of lifestyle, she said. the world’s carbon emissions “I feel like the new aware- into the air and is responsible ness for sustainability is a for 20 percent of all industrial benefit to getting people to water pollution annually. shop at thrift Katherine Kihiczak ’21 said stores,” Herring that she has become well-insaid.

“I also formed of the issues stemming think that en- from fast fashion, as well as v i r o n m e n t a l the benefits of purchasing sustainability sustainable pieces. is becoming “[Sustainable fashion] more promi- eliminates two major issues nent in day-to- relating to the fashion indusday life in what try; carbon people value.” emissions Herring from transI also think also said that porting the the increase in clothing that environmental awareness of and water sustainability is becoming c o n s u m p clothing sustainability has tion to make more prominent in dayled to more peoKito-day life in what people textiles,” ple shopping in hiczak said. second hand “So not only value.” stores. does sus—Olivia Gubel ’21 t a i n a b l e “It is now more popular to fashion get your clothes cause us to from secondhand shops, and consider clothing that outlasts because of that, [people] are trends, but it also [provides] getting more trendy cloth- clothing that is more ethically ing options in these stores,” made.”

Herring said. “In the past, According to journalist [thrift stores sold] secondhand Dana Thomas’s book, “Fashclothes that nobody ionopolis,” 20 billion articles wanted. Now, it is of clothing are dumped before like, ‘oh, I got this they reach stores, and the avtrendy new shirt erage garment in America is at a second- worn seven times before being hand shop.’” tossed. Large apparel chains As cli- such as Zara and H&M and all mate change contribute to this waste. gains aware“I’ve lived in Topanga for ness, many a long time, with mountains, are placing hippies and a lot of environblame on the mental activists, and after clothing in- watching the True Cost docudustry and mentary, which I would highly its detrimen- recommend, I began researchtal impact on ing the fashion industry and the environ- discovered some super scary ment, Anna- stuff that goes on behind the bel Zimmer scenes,” Josephine Jennings ’20 said . ’22 said. “Fast fashion is ex“A lot of tremely destructive to the enfast fash- vironment because it takes an ion retailers immense amount of materihave recent- als, energy, water and carbon

“

ILLUSTRATION BY SYDNEY FENER

emissions to produce just one nies or the buyers are trying article of clothing.” to make a difference.”

According to FashionopoThe increasing efforts of lis, during a store’s manufac- eco-friendly clothing producturing process, clothes under- tion originate from in-dego chemical processing. The mand sustainable brands, chemicals used are extremely such as Reformation, accordtoxic, and can lead to abysmal ing to the Los Angeles Times. effects on both the environ- The company publishes quarment and the people living in terly sustainability reports on the areas around the clothing their website, in which they factories. describe how they produce Sabina Yampolsky ’20 clothing and track their ensaid she is an avid shopper at vironmental footprint. This fashion chain stores, but has includes reracking everything never taken sustainability into from each piece of clothing account. they create, to the fibers in “Some of the stores I shop the clothes to the dyes used at include Brandy Melville, Ur- for the clothes. ban Outfitters and AbercromFrench teacher Amandine bie & Fitch,” Yampolsky said. Nelaton said that while she is “I have never looked into the aware of fast fashion and business or commerce side of its environmental effect, how my clothes get made, and she also understands the I have never heard of fast fash- allure of brands like Zara ion or sustainable fashion.” and Forever 21.

Yampolsky is “I like [Refnot alone, AP Enormation’s] stuff, vironmental Scibut it is very pricence teacher Nadine ey, [and] not evEisenkolb said. Only eryone can afford recently, has there it,” Nelaton said. “I’m been more awareon a teacher’s salary, ness toward the efand buying a sweater fects of fast fashion, for $400 isn’t in my she said. budget.”

“The last two Although Nelaton ’ years are the only sees the upside to enAmandine years where peovironmentally friendly Nelaton ple have actually, brands, she said that specifically asked companies also have questions about the fashion to begin taking responsibility industry and its impacts on for the role their pricing plays. the environment,” Eisenkolb “I’m all about changing said. “So I think there’s a pos- our habits, but the companies itive change, whereas the first have to help us as well,” Nelthree years that I worked here, aton said. “The reality of socinobody talked about it.” ety is that the big retailers are According to “Fashionopo- not on our side or the planet’s lis,” the concept of fast fash- side when it comes to pricing.” ion is relatively new, just like Nelaton said that the increasing activism with although fast fashion respect to the planet’s current is still the most realisecological status. tic option for her, she The emergence of modern hopes that environapparel production allows mental effects of the companies to quickly manu- industry will gain more facture clothes as they gain attention. popularity, placing trendy “I wish that stores items into stores as the trends would be a little more peak, Jennings said. transparent as to “In addition, fast fashion where their clothes teaches people to constantly come from, who made them spend money trying to find val- and what types of resources idation through their self-im- they had to use to make their age, while the companies are clothes,” Nelaton said. “As a just using us to make the big- client, I’m not even thinking gest profit possible,” Jennings about this when I go in the said. “The worst part is, the store, and I think that’s bad. I Earth suffers most from this think they should raise awarecycle, but neither the compa- ness and flip our mentality.” white s

The Chronicle

C2 Arts and Entertainment

With the holidays fast approaching, the perfect dessert is a necessity. These recipes are sure to provide festive fun this sesason.

Sugar cookies can either be really bad or really good (we’ve all had the ones that taste like cardboard with cement icing on top). But this delicious classic sugar cookie recipe, taken from Allrecipes, is melt-in-your-mouth tasty. For the perfect holiday cookies, pair it with royal icing and fun sprinkles.

Recipe: 1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until

Everyone loves chocolate bark, and this peppermint version has the perfect holiday twist. Feel free to add other toppings, like holiday sprinkles, crumbled-up brownies or chocolate chips. Think of this recipe from Epicurious as a blank, but delicious, canvas.

ILLUSTRATION BY CELINE PARK

light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully combined. Cover the dough and chill for two hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease cookie sheets. On a clean, floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.

3. Bake six to eight minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

and gently stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract.

Recipe:

2. Pour chocolate mixture onto a prepared baking sheet and spread evenly with a spatula or wooden spoon. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes and press lightly to adhere.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Bring a double boiler to a low simmer. Place chocolate in bowl

3. Freeze until hardened, about five minutes. Break into pieces and serve.

Dec. 1

11, 2019

hwchronicle.com/ae

A&E C3

Gingerbread houses and gingerbread people define December, and no holiday season is complete without a good gingerbread recipe like this one from the blog “Gimme Some Oven.” The blend of fresh warm spices like ginger and cinnamon make your house smell absolutely incredible. Pair the cookies with royal icing and some candy to bring your gingerbread people and their homes to life.

into a ball. Then gently use your hands to flatten each ball into a one-inch thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.

Recipe:

5. Unwrap the dough and place it on a large, lightly-floured hard surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough evenly until it is approximately 1/8-inch thick. Then, use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes, re-rolling the dough as needed.

Transfer to parchment-covered baking sheets.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (alternately, you can use a hand mixer and a large mixing bowl), beat the butter and sugar together for two minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, molasses and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.

3. Divide the dough into two equal portions, and form them each

4. Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

6. Bake for eight to ten minutes, or until the cookies are crisp around the edges and on top. Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

7. Once the cookies are room temperature, decorate them as desired, with icing and any extra sprinkles or candies. Serve and enjoy immediately, or store in a sealed container.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SYDNEY FENER AND CELINE PARK

C4 Arts And Entertainment

Jazz ensembles perform at Winter Jazz Concert

By Sophia Musante Members of Jazz Ensemble, Studio Jazz Band and Jazz Band gathered to perform in their winter concert in Rugby Auditorium Dec. 6.

Upper School Performing Arts Department Head Shawn Costantino directed the student performers as they played a variety of jazz pieces.

In memoriam of former Associate Head of School Liz Resnick, the ensemble played “A Rainbow Connection.”

Isabel von Mende ’20, who attended the concert, said she enjoyed watching the various improvisational performances at the concert.

“I enjoyed listening to the music and seeing a bunch of my friends perform,” von Mende said. “I was surprised by how many people performed. I was really impressed by their performances.”

Saxophone player Cecilia Mesa ’22 said despite her nerves, she enjoyed getting the chance to play with friends during the concert while expressing herself through the music.

“This was my first time playing [the soprano sax] for an audience,” Mesa said. “The saxophone is such a versatile instrument that can play a wide range of musical styles and still sound really good. I’ve always loved the sound of it,

so it was a no-brainer when I decided to learn [how to play].”

Mesa said she feels that she achieved her goal of controlling her pitch during the more difficult sections of music.

“I’d say the concert went pretty well,” Mesa said. “Every band played really cleanly and every song sounded so amazing. Overall, it was a really fun experience and I’m glad I got to share it with such awesome people.”

Saxophone player Brandon Liang ’21 said that despite minor mistakes, he feels the concert was a success and enjoyed playing for his friends and family.

“Jazz is one of those things where it’s totally fun to mess up because it adds to the spontaneity of the music, so I find it a lot less stressful than classical concerts, but I still always go out there aiming to play well,” Liang said.

Liang said that he liked the improvisation in the group’s last piece.

“My favorite part was the end of our last song, The Cannonball Run, when [Erik Anderson ’20], [Otis Gordon ’20], [Anjee Feng ’20] and I were improvising together because it was full of energy, and I could tell we were having fun.”

Trumpet player Diego Ahmad ’20 said he also particularly enjoyed playing “The

The Chronicle

Dec. 11, 2019

CAITLIN CHUNG/CHRONICLE

SAXY SOLO: Elias Peter ’21 takes center stage as he performs his saxaphone solo in “Moten Swing” during the Winter Jazz Concert on Friday. Peter plays his piece alongside his fellow jazz bandmates.

Cannonball Run.” “It’s a really exciting, upbeat song and I think the audience really enjoyed it,” Ahmad said.

Ahmad said he was especially happy with their performance considering the obstacles the band faced together.

“I thought the concert went really well, especially compared to our expectations of

it,” Ahmad said. “The band lost a lot of talented members in the graduating class, so there were concerts we couldn’t step up and find so many new members. Despite that, we rose to the occasion.”

Saxaphone player Coco Kaleel ’20 said the performance was a celebration of their hard work.

“You practice for the entire

semester with your band, and then it’s the moment of truth, like the big game in a sports season,” Kaleel said. “You’re scared to mess up, and you have to trust your band. It’s satisfying when it all turns out well.”

Kaleel said she is excited for the band’s future tour.

“We’re going to Poland and the Czech Republic,” Kaleel

Crossword

Crossword Carols

English teacher Amanda Foushee presents Harvard-Westlake with a crossword challenge. In this issue, the crossword is based on the spirit of the winter holidays.

39. Dialectical variant of do it over 40. Recommendation for how to use winter break time 42. Could be bravery, or a text in English class 43. Life event signalled

by Bethlehem star 45. Indus River city 47. Hoop bearer, maybe 49. Discourages 50. the we three kings 54. Campaigned 55. Obsessive 56. Cell studier 62. Vacation state 63. Say “Li’l Abner,” say 64. Gross 65. No wins 66. More tender 67. O.K. 68. Magi’s origin 69. Snob 70. Fuss

CROSSWORD BY AMANDA FOUSHEE

Across

1. Upside-Down mammals 5. First name of Family Stone star 10. Left at sea 14. Like some history 15. San Antonio landmark 16. Canyon effect

17. Like a desert 18. A psalm set to music, say 19. A device to steer Rudolph 20. Complicated family holiday dynamics could come to this form of combat

22. Caroled 23. Egg cells 24. A game set of 28 26. Bulldog and pug fold affliction 30. Southwest Indian state 31. Dull-witted 35. Ennui

Down 1. Nonsense 2. Kind of rug 3. Small lake in the mountains 4. Snow day transport 5. Tea dispensers, if you’re in Russia 6. Island multi-use term 7. Pro ___, in proportion 8. Improve 9. Stadium meal 10. Feline breed 11. Arctic ___ 12. Zoo heavyweight 13. Meal serving aid 21. Sepulcher 25. Extinct bird, not a good candidate for Santa’s team

26. Thick slice 27. O. Henry’s Chirstmas story 28. Muslim ruler 29. The most elegant 32. “Midterms are over!”

33. Holly partner 34. Dream land 36. Jeer 37. Christmas tree topper 38. Kennedy, Danson, Cruz 41. Warning of impending danger 44. Popular Christmas Eve fare 46. Nevada city 48. Congress in holiday 50. Grant’s Chief Justice 51. Land of a billion 52. Black Friday, Cyber Monday 53. Fashion magazine 54. Street of Pretty Woman fame 57. Alternate spelling of 61 down 58. In 27 down, a set of combs 59. UN Aviation group 60. Lose traction 61. Beginner

Scan for Answers!

Sports The Chronicle • Dec. 11, 2019

Boys’ Basketball

JAIDEV PANT/CHRONICLE

THE CROSSOVER: Guard Spencer Hubbard ’20 crosses over the Renaissance Prep Academy defender in Taper Gymnasium on Nov. 21. Last season, Hubbard scored 219 points and fought for 62 rebounds. The team won the home game against the Wildcats 58-51 and finished undefeated in the Wolverine Invitational.

Players step up to fill void left by star’s departure

By Kyle Reims The boys’ basketball team looks to continue its recent run of success in the upcoming season, with nearly the entire core of last year’s 21-9 squad returning. The missing piece, however, is small forward Johnny Juzang ’19, who now attends the University of Kentucky. Juzang, the Wolverines’ leader in both points and assists last year as a junior, reclassified after the 2018 season, graduating a year early to play basketball for the Wildcats.

Power forward Truman Gettings ’21 emphasized the importance of teamwork, now that the offense’s focal point is gone.

“I think that although [Juzang] was a big part of our team, we were able to fill that spot really quickly,” Gettings said. “Nobody is trying to fill his role, but instead we are working together as a team to produce the same result as

when we had him.”

Small forward Holden McRae ’20, who now starts in place of Juzang, said that although the transition will be difficult, the responsibility can be beneficial for the team.

“We all recognize that every single one of us has a bigger role, and we have to fulfill that role each and every night,” McRae said. “Last year, we found ourselves falling back on [Juzang’s] offensive ability, but this year we don’t have that luxury.”

Last season, the Wolverines won the Mission League and made it to the CIF Division I playoffs, losing in the third round to Santa Margarita High School. During the offseason, the team built a strong sense of unity, McRae said.

“We tried to go into every practice, lift and preseason game with immense concentration and energy,” McRae said. “Our seniors really tried to set the tone and make sure that we take this year extreme-

ly seriously and leave everything on the court. We have a really good group, and we know we have a chance this year at something special.”

Gettings agreed, praising the players for their intensified effort and work ethic.

“During the offseason, everyone was working on their own game and playing club,” Gettings said. “It was amazing to see how much everyone was getting in the gym. Everyone has been very committed, and I’m excited to see how we are going to do this year.”

Shooting guard Brase Dottin ’20 said that he sees this season as an opportunity for success due to the squad’s flexibility and willingness to adapt.

“As a team, we are all going to have to get adjusted to new roles,” Dottin said. “I’m confident that we are going to be able to do that and be successful. We’re in a great position to win a lot of games, we’re motivated and ready to give it our

Girls’ Soccer

“

Our seniors really tried to set the tone and make sure that we take this year extremely seriously and leave everything on the court. We have a really good group.”

— Holden McRae ’20 Small Forward

all every time we step on the court this season.”

Gettings said he thinks the squad is capable of reaching the late stages of playoffs this year, specifically crediting the team’s increased depth.

“For this year, I really want to win another league championship and then CIF and State championships,” Gettings said. “I’m really confident in our team, and I truly believe that we have the depth, skill and commitment to make all of that happen. We have a really solid squad this year, and adding the sophomores and freshmen just make us much deeper.”

McRae said he feels confident in the team this year, and thinks it can go farther than they may expect.

“There truly is no ceiling for this team, and we think

white’s

we can surprise a lot of people this year,” McRae said.

Princeton University commit and center Mason Hooks ’20 averaged a double-double, putting up over 16 points, 12 rebounds and one block per game last season. Hooks said he recognizes the importance of improvement and feels optimistic about the team heading into the season.

“We’re feeling good,” Hooks said. “Everybody’s had to improve on both sides of the ball and everyone’s done a great job of that. I never make predictions, but I know this team can beat anyone. Our goals are to win league, CIF and state.”

Currently the squad is 6-0, including a dominant 65-18 victory over North Hollywood High School on Dec. 2. The team plays next against Durango High School on Dec. 14.

Squad impresses in first outing of season

By Lucas Lee

LUCAS LEE/CHRONICLE

NAT ATTACK: Natalie Barnouw ’21 protects the ball against a Notre Dame High School defender on senior night in a 1-0 win in the last Mission League game of the season at Ted Slavin Field.

The girls’ soccer team started its season strong, with hopes to win its third Orange County Winter Showcase.

During their home opener against El Dorado High School on Dec. 3, the Wolverines tied 0-0, helping them maintain their high seed position for the OC Winter Showcase.

With this momentum, the squad traveled to Northwood High School.

This year’s team is significantly smaller than last sea-

son’s. The roster consists of 15 players, including five new and six veteran and upperclassmen members.

“We have no seniors this year which at first sounded like a disadvantage, but we have some really good players and are really excited that this team will have two years together without losing a senior class,” midfielder Maddy Kirschenbaum ’21 said.

Juniors make up more than half the team, and sophomores and freshmen fill its remaining spots.

• Continued on D3

D2 Sports

The Chronicle

Game to watch JANUARY 15 Girls’ Soccer vs Flintridge Sacred Heart Ted Slavin Field The girls’ soccer team will face off against Flintridge Sacred Heart High School in the Wolverines’ first Mission league game of the 20192020 season. Last season, the Wolverines won the Mission League and went undefeated during the season with a record of 6-0-1. The one draw actually came against the Tologs in a game that ended with a final score of 2-2.

KEY PLAYER Natalie Barnouw ’21 Junior Midfielder Natalie Barnouw comes into the season with high expectations after being named 1st Team All-CIF last year. Barnouw has made the All Mission League team every year since joining the team. She’s also a starting defender for the Wolverine’s field hockey program, and has won three straight LAFHA titles.

& Figures Facts

Points scored per game by boys’ basketball

43 Win percentage of the girls’ soccer team

0 0

71

Dec. 11, 2019

Boys’ Soccer

Boys look to build off strong start

By Eugean Choi After placing second to Loyola High School in Mission League and losing to Hueneme High School in the first round of CIF Playoffs last season, the boys’ soccer team is focused on winning a Mission League Championship this year.

“We have a really good group of core players, and I’m really hoping that we can win our first Mission League in 27 years,” midfielder Connor Colao ’21 said. “Last season, I thought that we had a really strong group of players, but due to injuries, we weren’t able to win the games that mattered the most. Not being able to win last season was a very disappointing result.”

Last year, after beginning with a 5-0-1 league record, the team lost many key players including captain Alec Katz ’19 and midfielder Pablo Greenlee ’20 to season-ending injuries Greenlee said that, after missing a large portion of his junior season, he aims to leave a lasting impact on the squad this year.

“I’m hoping to stay healthy all year to help my team,” Greenlee said. “I want

CHARLIE WANG/CHRONICLE

PAB(GO): Midfielder Pablo Greenlee ’20 dribbles the ball ahead in the 4-0 win against Windward High School on Friday. Greenlee scored the fourth goal for the Wolverines late in the second half. to lead my team by trying to set an example for what it means to be part of the boy’s soccer team at [the school].

Since [program head and head coach Kristopher Ward] started the new program my freshman year, the standard has gotten higher and higher.

The younger kids are looking for that standard, and hopefully I can provide it. I have high hopes for the team’s success.”

In preparation for the upcoming season, the team is practicing five days a week in addition to lifting [prior to practice.

“I would say that although practice can be tough, it has really helped the team to prepare for the games,” Colao said. “In order to accomplish what we want, we need to

practice.”

Ward said that he is excited for how the season will play out. With new additions to the team, he believes that the players will be able to accomplish their goals.

“The team is looking very strong,” Ward said. “Everyone is coming from a successful club season, so we are in a really good place. I think that we have more weapons that we have ever had before. We have more players who can score goals and I am really excited to watch them put their skills to use.”

The team’s first game was Dec. 4, when they defeated Palisades Charter High School by a score of 3-1.

This was the first time that the Wolverines have played against the Dolphins. Right

defender Jack North ’21 said that this match made the whole team feel good about themselves.

“We played really well and it was a great start to the season.” North said. “I think we have a lot of potential to do really well this year.”

In the team’s most recent game, the boys defeated Windward High School 4-0 Dec. 6.

Forward Langston Holly ’20, midfielder Henry Sanderson ’20, defender Liam Weetman ’21 and Greenlee all scored for the Wolverines.

The team will play its first league game Friday against Crespi Carmelite High School.

Last season, the boys finished 2-0 against the Celts, winning 2-0 in the first league matchup and 1-0 Jan. 23.

Girls’ Basketball

Goals scored by boys’ soccer last season

79

Number of losses the boys’ basketball team has suffered this season

Junior Varsity JAY LASSITER/CHRONICLE

Boys’ Basketball First League Game: Jan. 8 @ Notre Dame

Girls' Soccer

First League Game: Jan. 17 vs. Chaminade

Boys' Soccer First League Game: Dec. 13 @ Crespi

Girls’ Basketball First League Game: Jan. 14 @ Alemany

PAINT PATROL: Forward Kiki Iriafen ’21 guards the basket at home against Sierra Canyon High School on Nov. 23. The Wolverines lost 68-61 to the Trailblazers, who won the CIF Open Division State Championship last season. Iriafen scored 27 points in the loss.

Squad bounces back after losses early in season

By Jaidev Pant Despite losing its first three games of the season, the girls’ basketball team has bounced back, winning four straight games and looking to continue its momentum heading into league play.

Last season, the squad finished 21-9 with a 6-2 record in the Mission League, and finished second in league behind Chaminade College Preparatory High School.

In CIF Division I Southern Section playoffs, the girls lost to Long Beach Poly High School 54-42 in the quarter-

finals Feb. 13, failing to qualify for CIF State Playoffs.

The team started its season with a 44-41 home loss Nov. 20 against Bishop Montgomery High School, which qualified for the CIF Southern Section Open Division last year.

After this loss, the squad hosted Sierra Canyon High School, last year’s Open Division State Champions on Nov. 23. The girls had a slow start and found themselves down 31-19 heading into the third quarter. The Wolverines rallied in the fourth quarter, but ultimately lost 68-61. For-

ward Kiki Iriafen ’21 finished with 27 points, guard Krista Semaan ’21 with 12 and guard Melissa Zozulenko ’21 with 11 off the bench.

Following the two nonleague home games, the girls played two tournaments at Redondo Union High School and Brentwood High School.

In the Redondo tournament, the Wolverines faced Lynwood High School on Nov. 26. Last year, they defeated the Lady Knights 62-56 in the same tournament Nov. 23. This year, the Wolverines lost to Lynwood in overtime 50-44, bringing their overall

record to 0-3.

Following this defeat, the squad lost to Windward High School 68-53 Nov. 27, despite a 30-point performance from Iriafen.

The Wolverines secured their first win of the season, defeating West High School 58-56 in the Redondo tournament, with Iriafen finishing with 37 points. “[The win] felt amazing,” Iriafen said. “We’ve been playing really hard every game but falling short towards the end. So to finally win a game was awesome. We were able • Continued on D6

Dec. 11, 2019

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D3

inbrief

Girls’ Soccer

Young team aims for league success

Teacher and son win tournament

• Continued from D1

every day. The goal is to consistently perform at a high Due to the lack of seniors, level and meet the standards the team relies on the expe- set out by our program.”

After a dominant season rience of the junior class, defender Jade Stanford ’22 last year, the team hopes to recreate the same success, said.

“I think the team is super Kirschenbaum said.

“Goals for the season close, and even though we don’t have seniors there are are to win Mission League a lot of juniors who stepped and beat [Los Alamitos High School], who up into leadwe lost to ership roles,” in the playStanford said.

The goal is to offs last year, Last seaand [JSerconsistently perform at son, the team ra Catholic went una high level and meet High School],” defeated in the standards set out by Kirschenbaum league play said. and won our program.”

To prepare the Mission League Title.

—Richard Simms for the season, team has In the final Program Head the implemented league game of two fitness cirthe year, the squad defeated Notre Dame cuits that mimic the fatigue of playing for 80 minutes.

High School 1-0 Jan. 31.

The Wolverines also Forward Sophia Hayes ’22 reached semifinals of the said that the team is used to CIF Regional Tournament, hard practices.

“Everyone plays club but fell to Los Alamitos High School 1-0 and finished the which gets us in shape,” season with an overall record Hayes said. “[We have} experience playing with each othof 18-2-6.

Though the roster has er outside of school.”

The team works with the shifted to a much younger set of players, the team's sports performance coaches goal remains the same, head twice a week to prepare for coach and program head the season, Simms said.

Through practice, the Richard Simms said.

“We graduated 12 se- team has honed in on its Kirschenbaum niors last year, so it’s really strengths, a brand new team,” Simms said. “[The team’s greatest said. “We are just focused on the process of getting better strengths are] speed and

“

LUCAS LEE/CHRONICLE

SLIDING INTO ACTION: Midfielder Natalie Barnouw ’21 heads into a tackle during last season against Notre Dame High School. team chemistry,” Simms said. “We are extremely fast and our players love playing together.”

The squad will travel to Fort Worth, Texas to compete in the National Elite Prep Showcase in early January.

After going undefeated in that showcase last year, these will be the players’ last non-league games before starting league play Jan. 8

at home against Marymount High School.

Last season, the girls defeated the Sailors in both matchups, winning 1-0 in the first matchup and 4-1 in the second matchup.

The next game will be against Hart High School on Dec. 10. This will be the second game against the Indians, who they tied 0-0 in the Aliso Cup Tournament.

Girls’ Waterpolo

-Charlie Wang

Players sign NCAA Letter of Intent On Nov. 13, three studentathletes signed their NCAA National Letters of Intent.

Both outfielder Pete CrowArmstrong ’20 and infielder Drew Bowser ’20 signed their letters for baseball, Vanderbilt University and Stanford University, respectively. They both graduated from Pacific Baseball Academy. Midfielder Pablo Greenlee ’20 signed his letter of intent with UCLA for boys soccer after verbally committing over the summer.

He is currently playing for club team LA Breakers FC. They celebrated with their family and friends.

New coach gives fresh perspective

By Charlie Wang With a new coach and a positive attitude, the girls’ water polo team looks toward its second season in the Open Division.

After winning matches against Bishop Alemany High School and Marymount High School, and losing a match against Laguna Beach High School, the team currently holds a 2-0 league record and a 2-1 overall record, as of press time.

In September, Matt Kubeck, who served as an assistant coach for five years, stepped in as interim head coach after Emily Greenwood resigned from the position as Girls' Water Polo program head.

Though the coaching change took place less than three months before the opening match, the team has enjoyed revamped training processes and is ready for the season, senior captain and defender Abby Wiesenthal ’20 said.

“The change in coach has been great,” Wiesenthal said.

“We are working hard and having lots of fun. Although we did great things with our old coach, the new change is good, and I’m looking forward

Criminal Law teacher and Mock Trial coach Alan Croll, along with his son, Bobby, won his third United States Tennis Association Gold Ball Championship on the senior tour at the National Clay Courts tournament in Florida.

He and his son won another Gold Ball tournament in New York this past spring. They have played together for the last 20 years and will finish as the number one ranked father-son team in the Senior tour this year. Croll said that he is proud of the duo and very excited about winning.

“We played surprisingly well,” Alan Croll said.

“Bobby and I are as excited as anybody, and [the tournament] was great fun.”

Alan Croll said he’s also very proud of him and his son’s success, given the fact that they are usually competing against former professional players.

Bobby Croll is currently a history teacher at Beverly Hills High School, while Alan has been an active attorney since 1965, representing the likes of Michael Jackson and Verizon Wireless. Bobby Croll also played Division I tennis at the University of Wisconsin, and he himself won two Detroit tennis championships when he was in high school.

-Marine Degryse CHARLIE WANG/CHRONICLE

O'BRIEN'S FIGHT: Attacker Juliette O'Brien ’21 finds an opening to the goal and tries to score against the defender of Bishop Alemany High School. The girls won against Alemany 20-1 Dec. 2. to seeing how we do this season.”

The players appreciate Kubeck's coaching approach and his role in easing the transition, attacker Alex Button ’21 said. “[Kubeck] is different because of his ability to make us strive off our mistakes,” Button said.

The shift has trickled down from the coach to the athletes, creating a more supportive environment in which everyone is held accountable, Wiesenthal said.

“We make sure that everyone does what they’re supposed to do,” Wiesenthal said. “We make sure everyone lifts and that everyone comes to practice. We love that our team is super close, so we like to do a lot of team bond-

ing, like team sleepovers, team lunches and such.”

Button echoed her appreciation for the squad.

“This year’s group is very special,” Button said. “Each of us has been through many months, if not years of playing with each other. We truly are a family.”

While a difference of one point kept the Wolverines from winning the Division III CIF Southern Section Finals last year, they were eliminated in Open Division quarterfinals last season. The team also started its 2018 season 1-4, but went undefeated in league play and finished with an overall record of 18-12.

With all but two players returning from last season's team, the Wolverines are attacking the new season with

more experience, Wiesenthal said.

“Last year, we beat a handful of teams that Harvard-Westlake as a program had never defeated before, but this year we think we can do better,” Wiesenthal said.

“We only lost two seniors and, though they were both important to the team, I think we can do very well this year.

We are all just excited to see what we can do.”

As of press time, the Wolverines are also on an 18 game mission league winning streak, with their last loss being 19-8 to Notre Dame High School in 2018.

Over winter break, the squad will travel to play in the Holiday Cup at Newport Harbor High School.

Harvard-Westlake hosts invitational The varsity boys’ basketball team held the 2019 Wolverine Invitational at Taper Gym from Nov. 19 to Nov. 23.

The team competed against three schools: Van Nuys High School, Renaissance Academy and Washington Preparatory High School.

On the first day, the Wolverines played against Van Nuys, winning 81-30; on the second day they won against Renaissance Academy 58-52. On the final day, the team won against Washington Prep 67-46. Other schools from all around California participated in this event, but did not compete against the Wolverines. The players had started their season with the Wolverine Invitational, and they are undefeated so far.

-Maxine Zuriff

D4 Sports

The Chronicle

Dec. 11

1, 2019

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D5

ILLUSTRATION BY EVIE DE RUBERTIS

D6 Sports

The Chronicle

Dec. 11, 2019

Fencing

New focus motivates program

By Lee Nichols and K yle R eims As the fencing team approaches the halfway point of its full year season, the players are placing a renewed emphasis on strength and conditioning.

Working closely with its coaches, the team has been practicing footwork and using new equipment to build endurance.

Head coach and program head Erika Velarde has been working on providing the squad with more resources like access to weight rooms and new fencing facilities.

“I think the best part about the team right now is the relations between the team and our ability to work hard while still being able to enjoy our time during practice,” fencer Mitchell Thompson ’20 said. “[Velarde] is very dedicated to the team and makes sure that we are on top of our game.”

Within fencing, there are three different divisions: épée, foil and sabre, separated based on different types of blades. Épée, the most common of the three swords, has a hand guard, and the blade can touch any part of the body for a point.

Fencers in the sabre division wear lamé, a mesh material that covers the players’ entire upper body.

Similarly, fencers in the foil division wear lamé, though in this division, it does not cover their arms.

Additionally, points are

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF COCO KALEEL

I’M IN LOVE WITH THE COCO: Sabre fencer Coco Kaleel ’20 aims the sword at her opponent in the high school fencing championship last year. This year, the team tied their first two bouts of the season Oct. 13 and Nov. 3. The squad’s next competition will be on Jan. 12.

only counted when a body part is touched with the tip of the blade.

Individually, the fencers have received numerous accolades. Sterling Kim ’21 and Graydon Shulze-Kalt ’22 both qualified for the 2020 Junior Olympics.

Captain of the boys’ épée team Matthew Lee ’21 was named to the high school USA First Team Fencing AllAmerican and All-Academic Teams for the second consecutive year. Lee described his feeling after being named an All-American.

“Getting named first team high school All-American last season was a huge honor for me,” Lee said. “It felt great to see my hard work throughout the season pay off, and I hope I can do even better this season.

Senior girls’ captain Coco Kaleel ’20 said that she is proud of these accomplishments and thinks the team’s talent is evident.

“We’ve just had a bunch of fencers, mostly foil and épée, who have qualified for the Junior Olympics, which is a very exciting and good

sign,” Kaleel said. “Even though women’s sabre and épée teams are pretty small this year, the women’s foil and men’s épée and sabre teams are looking really strong.”

The squad demonstrated its depth in the Women’s Southern California Scholastic League Individual Foil Tournament on Oct. 13, where Samantha Yeh ’20, Ava Tran ’22, Konnie Duan ’23, Kailey Suh ’21, Liana Wadhwani ’22 and Diana Castellanos ’20 placed first, second, sixth, eighth, ninth

and thirteenth, respectively.

Kim described the squad’s goals heading into the rest of the season.

“We hope to do well in the Scholastic tournaments and also playing well in the team events this year,” Kim said.

“We also want to make everyone faster and stronger this year.”

After winning the Mission League in both of the last two seasons, the team has started this season with a 2-2 record and is currently tied for first place with Chaminade Preparatory High School.

Girls’ Basketball

Team faces tough schedule early before league games • Continued from D2

to come together and correct the little things which helped us pull out the [win].”

This year, the girls’ basketball program scheduled games against many accomplished opponents early, facing three teams that managed to qualify for the Open Division playoffs last year in the first two weeks of the season.

Semaan described how this scheduling will pay off in the future.

“We started the season off by playing really good teams and this helped us learn how to play together and compete, making us ready for what’s to come in league and the tournaments,” Semaan said.

The squad opened the Brentwood Tournament with a 65-39 road win against Leuzinger High School on Dec. 2.

Next, the girls played a home game against La Canada High School on Dec. 4 for the second game of the Brentwood Tournament.

Heading into this game, Iriafen averaged 24 points per game, along with 19 rebounds.

The Wolverines started quickly and scored 45 points in the first half. The squad ended up winning the game 75-31, with Iriafen scoring 19 points and guard Paul Gonzalez ’21 scoring nine points.

Next, the team played Crescenta Valley High School in a road game Dec. 6, winning the match 62-35.

The squad then played Clovis North High School at home Dec. 7, winning the game 50-35 and finishing undefeated in the tournament and winning the tournament championship. Iriafen finished with 28 points and 19 rebounds for the Wolverines.

Guard Kimiko Katzaroff ’21 attributed the girls’ success in the Brentwood Tournament to their great teamwork.

“Since the beginning of the season we have become a lot more comfortable playing together and we have all

individually grown as well,” Katzaroff said. “In this tournament specifically, we have had great communication and we have been working together on offense and defense.”

The team will compete in the Sandra Meadows Classic in Texas from Dec. 26 to Dec. 28 and will play in the Desert Heat Classic from Jan. 2 to Jan. 4.

The squad’s first league match will be on the road against Notre Dame Academy High School on Jan. 7.

The team will play eight total league games this season. Semaan said the teams two upcoming tournaments are key for the team’s longterm success.

“The [Sandra Meadows Classic and Desert Heat Classic] are very competitive tournaments and we should play teams that we can beat who will prepare us better for league games and playoffs,” Semaan said. “We have definitely grown as a team and our goal is to definitely win league.”

KYLE REIMS/CHRONICLE

POINT GOD: Guard Melissa Zozulenko ’21 pushes the ball up the

court on a fastbreak at home against Clovis North High School Saturday.

Dec. 11, 2019

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D7

Wrestling

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF RYAN ALBERT

CHILL BILL: Wrestler William “Billy” Johnson ’22 attempts to take down his opponent in a league duel last year against Crespi High School on Dec. 12. The Wolverines

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opened the season against Palisades Charter High School on Nov. 21, losing the duel 69-18. The team’s next match is Dec. 11 against league opponent Bishop Amat High School.

Team strives to improve performance with new staff

By A lex A mster and L ee N ichols After losing to Palisades High School in its season opener, the wrestling team has rebounded with strong performances in the Spartan Season Kickoff Tournament on Nov. 23 and against Crespi Carmelite High School on Dec. 4.

Two wrestlers on the team placed fourth in their weight classes at the seasonal Kickoff Tournament.

After, the team defeated Crespi on the road by a large margin, winning 60-18.

Both Hunter Griswold ’20 and Chronicle Assistant Sports Editor Lucas Lee ’21 won by forfeit. After defeating Crespi, Isaac Weiner ’23 said that the duel was good for building moral for the wrestling program.

Before the duel, Kanoa Young ’21 moved from the 182-pound to 195-pound weight class and defeated the reigning CIF Southern Section Champion.

Senior captain Daniel Guerrero ’20 said that he is pleased with the team’s performance as of late.

“So far, we’ve put on a great performance,” Guerrero said. “I expect us to continue the trend going into our next matches.”

First year head coach and program head Junior Amazan reflected on how the team could build off its first few matches of the season.

“The first few matches have been a learning experience for most of our guys who are new to the system,” Amazan said. “Our wrestlers are learning to improve their problem solving abilities

as well as their technique.

Through each win and loss we learn and improve.”

Former head coach and program head Patrick Cartmill departed after last season to pursue job opportunities elsewhere.

Last year, Amazan served as a strength and conditioning coach before becoming the wrestling program head.

Amazan said the squad is focusing on improving the program through daily practice.

“Our team goal is to perfect the grind,” Amazan said.

“We are looking to build a culture focused on improving daily. We believe we have the right systems in place to be successful. By controlling the things we can control, we can remove all obstacles in our way.”

Despite the strong start,

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So far we’ve put on a great performance and I expect us to continue the trend going into our next matches.”

— Daniel Guerrero ’20 Boys’ Wrestler white’s

Amazan believes the team still has work to do.

“We are extremely focused on doing the small things well both on and off the mat,” Amazan said. “We are still young as a program and with each phase will come new challenges, but as of now, building a strong foundation the stand on is key.”

The results of the match on the road against Bishop Amat High School on Dec. 11 were unavailable as of press time.

The team plays Friday at Downey High School for the Downey 32 Way Tournament.

Weiner said the squad will focus on the tournament through increased effort in practice.

“We’re gonna prepare for the Downey Tournament by doing a lot of drilling,” Weiner said. “We’re gonna pick up the intensity in the room, so far throughout the season we’ve had some good competition and I think we have a good shot for winning the league.”

In addition, Weiner said he enjoys the team aspect of the wrestling program.

“My favorite part of the team is the team spirit, and the sense of togetherness we get from the wrestling team.”

D8 Sports

The Chronicle

Dec. 11, 2019

WOLVERINES ONLY

BY

HOLDEN MCRAE

KEILA MCCABE/CHRONICLE

I

know I am by no means the first person to say this, but for me, basketball has been so much more than just a game. Basketball is most rewarding when I play it for the right reasons. I play because of that unbelievable feeling of adrenaline I get every time I step onto the court. I play as someone who wants to win everything that I participate in. I play as a younger sibling wanting to be just like his older brother who played the game his whole life. Most importantly, I play because of my sheer love of the game. It has taught me so much more about myself and the world around me than many others will have ever the privilege of knowing.

I owe so much to basketball for helping me form some of my closest friendships.

I have a fairly wide variety of interests that lends to a diverse group of friends, but most of my closest companions are former and current teammates. There is truly nothing like being a member of a close-knit team. I have been extremely fortunate to be a part of such amazing teams, especially this year's. I think of all my teammates as family, and would do almost anything for every one of them.

Growing up, I was never really the most athletic kid. I wasn’t a naturally talented jump shooter either. In fact, I had terrible shooting form and was approximately 30-40 pounds overweight.

However, I excelled in my ability to understand the game, and I always played as hard as I physically could. I have never

been the type of player who talks a lot of trash, breaks ankles or racks up dozens of highlight plays. I pride myself on making the right play for myself, my teammates, my defensive ability, my work ethic and my energy. Basically, my style of play may not show up on the stat sheet every night, but, my contribution to the game does come through on the scoreboard.

This realization has not always been so clear to me. My basketball journey has not been a very smooth road. Throughout my life, I have never played on the most prestigious club teams outside of school.

I was never on anyone’s list of top players in the country or state, and rarely even in the group of local names. I have never been heavily recruited by any top school.

I have had my fair share of injuries and played about almost every role there is to play. In elementary school and middle school I was always a starter, but I found my role diminishing in the early years of high school. I spent most of my career as a sixth man. I discovered that role is definitely not for everybody. It was difficult and confusing to know that I was one of the best players on the team but didn’t get any of the glory. I wanted the status that the starters had. I wanted to hear my name called in front of an entire gym of people. I wanted the handshake at the end of the line composed of my teammates, cheerleaders and coaches. I wanted to finally feel recognized and appreciated for the player that I knew that I was.

Over the years, I realized something

extremely important. None of it matters.

I’d never claim that fame and highlights are bad things. In fact, they are some of the coolest aspects of the game. But, they simply are not necessary. Throughout my life, I have focused so heavily on accolades and external validation that I started to forget what basketball was really about.

Basketball, in essence, is a perfect metaphor for life. There will be ups and downs along the journey, but the only way to make it out the other side is through a positive mindset and hard work. Some things may be confusing, but it is always okay to call on a teammate or ask for help. One must find what they do best, and work at it relentlessly to be the absolute best version of themselves. There is no shame in failing, so long as the players give it their all.

So, when I lace up my shoes for the final time, at whatever level of competition that may be, I know that I will never truly retire. I've learned to find joy in everything that I do, and to be the absolute best at my job. I’ve accepted the fact that I don’t have to play exactly like anyone else, because certain jobs are already taken. I learned the importance of always staying true to myself, and always doing things the right way; not just in basketball, but in life as well. Basketball has taught me that the only real validation I need is my own. More important than any handshake, any ranking or any victory, I am, and will forever be, a basketball player.

That is the only trophy I’ll ever truly need.