Big Red End of Year 2019

BIG RED

INSIDE

END OF YEAR AWARDS BIG RED’S CHOICES FOR THE 2018-2019 SEASON’S ATHLETES, TEAMS AND GAME OF THE YEAR

BY BIG RED STAFF / / P.

20

SMOKED OUT AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE CULTURE OF ATHLETE SUBSTANCE ABUSE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE LOCKER ROOM

BY LUKE CASOLA AND WILLIAM SEYMOUR / / P. 30

VOLUME XII END OF YEAR 2019

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • VOLUME XIII • NO.4

thePLAYBOOK Jay Lassiter and Keila McCabe:

TEACHER SPECTATORS How teachers attending their students’ games strengthens their relationships in the classroom and the bonds of the community.

Will Mallory:

ATHLETE SUPERSTITIONS The superstitions that some of the community’s athletes swear by before their games.

Eugene Wyman:

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG The life of the No. 1 baseball player in the class of 2020 and member of Team USA.

Jay Lassiter and Zack Schwartz:

OFF THE FIELD ISSUES A debate on whether athletes should be judged on their conduct off the field.

4

Keila McCabe:

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: CYPRESS TOOMEY

10 14

Jackie Greenberg and William Seymour:

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: BRAYDEN BORQUEZ Luke Casola:

FEMALE TEAM OF THE YEAR: FIELD HOCKEY William Seymour:

16

MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR: BASEBALL Jay Lassiter:

GAME OF THE YEAR / SCHOOL SUPERLATIVES

AWARDS

Luke Casola and William Seymour:

ATHLETES AND SUBSTANCES The ways athletes use substances and the impact it has on their performance.

Keila McCabe:

MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES Explaining the factors affecting the decline in the number of multi-sport athletes at the school.

theSTAFF

Editors-in-Chief Ryan Albert, Lucas Gelfond

30

2 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

Lucas Gelfond:

SENIOR REFLECTION

34

Assistant Editors Salvatore Casola, Will Mallory, Keila McCabe, Zack Schwartz, Will Seymour, Eugene Wyman

Managing Editors Jackie Greenberg, Sophie Haber, Ben Tenzer

AWARDS

A letter from the editors gone rogue, Editor-in-Chief Lucas Gelfond reflects on the year and his time on staff.

Staff Writers/Layout Assistants Kyle Reims Photo Editor Jay Lassiter Adviser Jim Burns

20 22 24 25 26 38

BIG RED is a publication of the Harvard-Westlake Chronicle, the upper school newspaper at Harvard-Westlake School, 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604, produced as a part of Advanced Journalism classes. The school has 1,200 students in grades 9-12. For any questions, to purchase a subscription or to advertise, please contact us at chronicle@hw.com or at (818)487-6512. Copies of BIG RED are distributed free on campus to students and faculty, and are mailed to friends and family by subscription at $15 per year. Letters to the editor can be sent to editors-inchief Ryan Albert (ralbert1@hwemail.com) and Lucas Gelfond (lgelfond1@hwemail.com). BIG RED is a general interest magazine about athletic teams and individual pursuits of Harvard-Westlake students and faculty, as well as health and fitness topics. For seasonal coverage of Wolverine teams, see the Chronicle or www.hwchronicle.com.

Cover photos by Ryan Albert Editor-in-Chief photo by Sophie Haber

Letter from an Editor

I get really giddy about writing these letters now and my first draft of this ended up being way too long to print here and ended up becoming a lot more senior-column-y. We had discussed putting staff pages in this final issue but had space issues so we ended up just running this one. Enjoy the rest of this and staff photos on 38-39! – Lucas

T

his issue’s Big Red layout started off with a bang, or rather a siren. Imagine this.

Your phone’s speakers blare to the hard-hitting 808s and horns of Chief Keef ’s 2012 trap

opus, “Laughing to the Bank.”

You’re staging photos for an article about athlete substance use with a fog machine capable of ‘filling a professional stage in 30 seconds’ and you’ve put caps on several smoke alarms and

opened every door in the tiny Feldman-Horn photo studio to avoid any calls to the fire department. Plumes of smoke engulf your model, who, donning Harvard-Westlake athletic gear and a lacrosse helmet, is looking absolutely dashing for this two page spread. Everything is going well, until you hear that ding.

On May 3 at 4:41 p.m, amidst both a choir rehearsal and art show, inter-campus alarms screeched, as administrators and security corralled students and teachers into open areas in standard fire evacuation procedure. However, this was not someone burning popcorn in the microwave, students vaping in a bathroom or, least of all, a real fire worthy of the trucks called for it. This was, instead, the second afternoon of Big Red layout and a photoshoot gone wrong.

It was like a classic Big Red day: a crazy idea, the staff close

together and modestly unproductive, yet with an uncompromising commitment to quality graphics and design over all else, even if it meant setting up a photo shoot that triggered the smoke alarms.

However, this layout should not have surprised anyone. The sports section (who also make up the Big Red staff ) has always been the misfits of the Chronicle. The pirates. We sit alone in Weiler 104, a room members of other sections may seldom enter 10 times in their whole journalism careers. We’re the troublemakers, the slackers, the ones who supposedly loaf around and don’t do their work.

We’re a retort to the culture of stress, hyper-competitiveness and obsessive credit-grabbing that typifies the school at its worst.

All traditional knowledge would suggest that these ...continued on page 38

popCULTURE Favorite Album

Guilty Pleasure

Favorite Team

Ideal Date

Spend a day with one person (dead or alive)

Thomas McCaffrey ’20

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

by Kanye West

Food

the New England Patriots

Dinner then a drive down the PCH

My cousin Jimmy

Lauren Witmer ’19

Pride and Prejudice miniseries

Philadelphia Phillies

Amusement Park

Seth Meyers

Softball

Wasteland, Baby!

by Hozier

Donovan Econn ’19

Stoney by Post Malone

Charging Bird The Detroit Lions or Scooters and “making bank” USC Trojans

Hiking to a lookout point

Ryan Reynolds

Giana Hubbard ’19

thank u, next,

by Ariana Grandde

Los Angeles Lakers

Day at Disneyland

Michelle Obama

Baseball

Lacrosse

Girls Track and Field

Chocolate

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 3

Best in Their Fields

By Jay Lassiter and Keila McCabe

An inside look at Harvard-Westlake’s tradition of widespread teacher attendance at student games.

Photo Illustration by

Samantho Ko Big Red

34• BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 4 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

S

ecurity Officer Sanders Jackson jumped up and screamed alongside excited fans bursting through the doors of Taper Gym as the boys’ basketball team beat Serra High School during overtime to advance in the 2016 CIF playoffs. With a big smile on his face, he stood by the entrance as the crowd rushed to the court in celebration. Jackson recalled the Serra playoff game as his favorite game of the hundreds of sporting events he has attended in his 23 years working at the school. “[Going to games is] part of my job and I really enjoy doing it,” Jackson said.

“I get to work and watch games at the same time so it’s pretty much the best of

both worlds.”

When it is game time, Jackson is usually guiding crowds into the gym, managing parking by the North Entrance for games on Ted Slavin Field or traveling to O’Malley Family Field for baseball games and other away games. Many student-athletes said they recall times when Jackson’s presence helped their in-game performance.

“In our game against [Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy] I remember vividly, in between points, waiting for the serve from the other team,” girls’ volleyball middle blocker Lauren Juzang ’20 said. “I looked at Jackson ushering people inside and it made me so happy. I was in a good

mood for the rest of the game, helping me play better and helping my team.”

Boys’ basketball point guard Spencer Hubbard ’20 said, despite not officially being part of the program, Jackson is still a member of the team’s close-knit family.

“I’m pretty sure I can speak for all of my team when I say [Jackson] is a guy that we all cherish having a part of our team,” said Hubbard. “Win or lose he believes in us and is always in full support of us which is why he’s so valuable to our success. He keeps of us in check, and is definitely someone we can come to talk to if need be. We’re a family and I consider Jackson to be as big [of] a part of that family as anyone else.”

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 •35 BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 5

Photos Courtesy of

Derric Chien Photo Illustration by

Keila McCabe Big Red

With over half of students involved in athletics, Athletic Director Terry Barnum said, through attending games, teachers get a good understanding of how their students are spending their time outside of the classroom.

“I think it helps build our community when students get to see their coach as well as their teacher in the same place,” said Barnum. “I think it reinforces the work that we do it shows that we are all on the same team we are all working together in the best interest of students. I think it gives teachers a good insight to what happens down here in the athletic world. I don’t think any of them have a full understanding of the amount of time and dedication that goes in on the part of coaches as well as athletes into performing. I think for them to be there and see it it helps bridge that gap it build more connectedness it our community.”

For the two years he has been teaching at the Upper School, math teacher Derric Chien has gone to a game for nearly every

6 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

sport at the school. He served as a faculty sponsor for softball outfielder Allie Sassa ’19 on senior day, stayed after school for every sport played on the field and traveled to North Carolina with the baseball team over Spring Break. Chien said that being able see students practice and play their sports translates to a better relationship between students and teachers.

“I like this job because I like to see my students doing the things that they love, and it brings me genuine joy when I get to see them doing what they love, if that means scoring a goal or hitting a home run,” Chien said. “Especially when I go to away games I get to see all of the time they spent working for their sports. It helps give a sense of what else they have on their plate. Also, if I want my students to care about the class, I should also care about what they do. It feels right that I invest time in what they do as well.”

One of Chien’s students, boys’ soccer midfielder, Henry Sanderson ’20, said that teachers coming to games shows au-

thentic interest in student’s lives, beyond the classroom.

“I personally like when teachers come to my games,” Sanderson said. “It makes me feel like they care about me as a person and care about my outside life and extracurriculars. It makes me have more personal relationship with my teacher, making it easier to meet with them and understand them in class.”

Girls’ basketball small forward Ella Price ’20 said that most of the time that she spends with her teachers is in an academic setting, so she enjoys being able to see her teachers outside of class.

To further strengthen the athletic and academic relationship, this season the basketball team organized a Buddy Program in which each player was paired with a faculty. Upper School dean Sharon Cuseo said the Buddy Program was effective in getting faculty to attend and enjoy games.

“One cool idea was that the Girls’ Basketball team had teacher buddies. It

makes me really feel connected,” Cuseo said. “I tried to go to as many those as possible. They had a nice honoring of the faculty buddies. It’s great and I think it’s a way to see what your students are doing outside the classroom.”

While some students feel having teachers at their games is helpful, others do not see a change in either their in-game performance or in their relationship with teachers. Water polo attack and swimmer Christopher Kim ’20 said he is unaffected by a teacher’s attendance at his games.

“It doesn’t really matter to me if a teacher comes to the games or not,” said Kim. “My mindset does not really change.

By game time, you really forget that the teachers are there.”

For dancer and cheerleader Imogen Shearmur ’20, having teachers come to her performances does not change anything in the classroom because she said she believes teachers are not seeing the same person that they teach.

“I feel like it’s a different me perform-

ing,” Shearmur said. “The me that does cheer and dance and stuff is completely different from the me in French class.”

Strengthening relationships aside, teachers at games can potentially lead to better athletic performances by the students. On softball senior night, over half of the math department was in attendance at the game, in addition to the six faculty sponsors for the senior studentathletes. The Wolverines played Alemany, who they lost to 7-0 earlier in the season.

Along with the support of friends and family, teacher’s cheered on the girls to an eventual 2-1 win. Infielder Emily Nutting ’20 said having teachers at games serves as even more motivation to win.

“It shows great effort on behalf of the teachers that they want to get to know students,” Nutting said. “If a teacher makes the effort to come to out to a softball game, I always want to perform well and hopefully impress them. It’s obviously more fun to watch your students win than lose.”

Yielding many teacher spectators during its successful season, the baseball team welcomes and appreciates the support of faculty, first baseman Tyler Ganus ’20 said.

“It is always awesome to see teachers at our games,” Ganus said. “Their support means so much to us and definitely shows how supportive the [Harvard-Westlake] community is—I mean [Chien] and [Performing Arts Teacher Ted] Walch Walch literally traveled all the way to North Carolina to watch us play. Always love to see teachers at our games.”

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 7

BIG RED

RISE OF TIERNEY Nico Tierney ’20 treads water, looking for an open teammate in the 10-5 win against Mater Dei High School on Homecoming.

Photo by

Ryan Albert Big Red

ANKLE BREAKER Point guard Kimiko Katzaroff ’21 dribbles past her defender in the 47-46 win against Chaminade High School on Jan. 29.

Photo by

Will Mallory Big Red

8 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

FALL

AT YOUR SERVICE

Photo by

Caitlin Chung Big Red

Carly Wallace ’20 serves in the 3-0 victory against Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy on Oct. 9.

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 9

KNOCK ON WOOD Superstitions are everywhere in the sports world, taking over warmups, routines and gameday rituals. Explore how superstitions affect some of our top athletes.

by Will Mallory

L

Photo illustration

Kyle Reims Big Red

All photos by

Ryan Albert Big Red

10 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

auren Witmer ’19 plugged in her earbuds in as the opening guitar riff of the Dropkick Murphys’ “Fields of Athenry” ran through her head. As a staple of her pregame ritual, the senior outfielder was no stranger to the roll of the drums and the thick Irish accent of lead vocalist Al Barr.

She has always had a soft spot for Irish rock, though this song was different.

“In my sophomore year, I just decided to play it before the first playoff game and we won,” Witmer said. “From then on, I played it before every game.”

Growing up, Witmer’s parents would play the 2003 tune before her brothers’ tournaments. Witmer said that she decided to keep the family tradition going in her

own athletic career after watching her siblings succeed on the field.

“I figured I’d try it out,” Witmer said. “If it didn’t work, I wouldn’t play it anymore.

But after winning that first playoff match, I just had to keep the tradition going. I guess you could call it a superstition.”

Superstitions in sports are common.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky covered his stick with baby powder before taking the ice. Serena Williams, a 23-time major tennis champion, refused to change her socks for entire tournaments. Six-time NBA Finals MVP Michael Jordan wore his University of North Carolina shorts under his Bulls jersey every game.

Gabriel Palacios ’20 laced up his black Nike Tiempos before his Dec. 5 league opener on Ted Slavin field. After doubleknotting his right shoe, Palacios slipped his foot into his left cleat, its orange stripe reflecting the setting winter sun. This time, however, he made sure to pull harder, securing his foot in the tightest position possible.

“I have to tie my left shoe tighter than my right because the tighter my shoe is, the more ball control I have,” Palacios said. “If I have a really loose shoe, my foot feels like it is somewhere but the shoe is somewhere else.”

Palacios said that he does not think this phenomenon applies to everyone. He said that some players prefer their cleats loose, some tight and some in between. Palacios became so accustomed to his own cleats that it began to affect his mental preparation.

“If my shoes aren’t tight and I have a bad touch, I’ll be thinking, ‘It’s the shoes,’” Palacios said. “At this point, it’s definitely mental.”

Palacios has been superstitious his whole life. Ever since he was little, Palacios said he did whatever it took to quench his unrelenting competitiveness. In his 2018 club season, he wore black Nike HyperVenoms to start the season, ultimately ditching them for his Tiempos after just a few games.

“It just didn’t feel right,” Palacios said.

“I don’t really know what happened. The touch, the traction, the fit. I just didn’t feel as comfortable in them as I did in my Tiempos.”

Both Witmer and Palacios said that they know their superstition doesn’t make or break the outcome, yet they still have to do it.

“There have been a couple games where I have forgotten to listen to the song,” Witmer said. “I don’t think it had an impact, but it has definitely become a part of my

routine.”

Witmer added that although she knows it won’t affect the outcome, she still listens to the song to prepare for her matches.

“Now I just do it because I like the song. I have done it enough times before the game to a point where it becomes a consistent pregame ritual,” Witmer said.

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 11

“Without it, I think I would be a bit dazed when I play.”

Pete Crow-Armstrong ’20 has developed a unique pregame ritual as well. For the past couple of years, the 5-star center fielder eats one pack of gummies before taking the field, a superstition that he said has maintained for the purpose of pure enjoyment.

“I started eating them for no reason,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I mostly eat them because I like them.”

Crow-Armstrong, the leadoff batter for the Wolverines and projected first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft , leads the squad with five triples in just 112 at-bats this spring. His pregame routine reminds athletes that a little sugar before a match

couldn’t hurt.

“If I don’t eat them it’s not a huge deal,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I just missed out on a tasty snack.”

Crow-Armstrong said that he doesn’t consider his Scooby Snacks routine as a superstition but considers the habit a step in his game day preparation.

“Since I’m not very superstitious in the first place, it’s nice to have a small pregame

“

Athletes are creatures of habit.

If something works once, they’re probably going to do it again.”

—Mason Hooks ’20

snack to think about before I play,” CrowArmstrong said. “It keeps it fun, too.”

Mason Hooks ’20 has his own unique ritual. Although he said that he was not very superstitious, the 6-foot-10 forward has a pregame routine that he cannot miss.

“I have to wash my hands before every game,” Hooks said. “I hate the feeling of anything on my hands during the game.

It’s just weird.”

Before every match, Hooks finds the nearest sink. Without clean hands, he said he felt his game was disrupted.

“The ball doesn’t feel right and I don’t really have the same touch with dirty hands,” Hooks said. “If the ball doesn’t have the perfect clean grip, it just doesn’t feel right, and it kind of knocks me out of a rhythm.”

Although strange, Hooks said that his routine doesn’t feel out of the ordinary.

In fact, three-time NBA All Star Richard “Rip” Hamilton took cleanliness to the next level, making sure to shower directly before stepping on the court. Like Hamilton, Hooks said that he feels like his ritual is not as much of a superstition as it is a routine.

“Everyone has their own routine,” Hooks said. “I have to do it before I play every single time. You see it with [guard

12 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 16 • BIG RED FALL 2018

Johnny Juzang ‘19 ] on a vibrated foam roller before games, and I’m always trying to get sprints in before too.”

Hooks said that individual routines are important for all athletes.

“If you don’t really get every single part of your routine down, it can throw you off,” Hooks said. Washing my hands is a way for me to kind of get in that mindset before a game.”

Witmer expressed a similar sentiment, saying that she considered listening to “Fields of Athenry” as a habit rather than an ongoing superstition.

“I never really considered it as a superstition of mine,” Witmer said. “I kind of just see it as a part of my preparation for a game.”

Crow-Armstrong said that he tries to avoid superstitions from affecting his mental preparation.

“I think a superstition is way more mental than a routine,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I try to stay away from being superstitious because I know I’ll get in my head if it isn’t working.”

While Hooks, Witmer and CrowArmstrong may consider their individual rituals as preparation, Palacios said that he believes there is a difference between superstition and routine.

“I think a superstition can be a part of a routine, one action or one little thing that you do that is just mental, whereas a routine is more like overall preparation,” Palacios said. “For example, I don’t think it is superstition to sleep the night before a game. I would consider tying my shoes super tight as a superstition for sure because without it, I would not feel right.”

As Hooks and Witmer expressed, the line between superstition and routine is often thin for athletes. In a recent Big Red poll, 52 percent of athletes said they participate in some form or routine or superstition before a game. Fans, on the other hand, continue to take over social media with their superstitions.

From lucky socks to the “Madden Curse”, fans will do anything to give their team the

advantage. Mike Thomas ’20, both a varsity tennis player and an avid sports fan, said that he believes the difference between players and fans is the amount of control the individual has in the outcome.

“I definitely think it is more likely to be superstitious as a fan because people love to be able to feel like they are making a difference,” Thomas said. “As an athlete, though, I have control over everything

from preparation to performance, so I don’t think there is as much of a need for something like superstition.”

Hooks explained how athletes develop their routines as they prepare for gametime.

“Athletes are creatures of habit,” Hooks said. “If something works once, they’re probably going to do it again.”

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 13 BIG RED FALL 2018 • 17

For Pete’s Sake An inside look at the life of the top ranked baseball player in the junior class: Pete Crow-Armstrong

By Eugene Wyman

O

n April 6, in Cary, N.C., Pete Crow-Armstrong ’20 and the Wolverines faced off against Orange Lutheran High School at the USA National High School Invitational. Both teams had defeated a slew of the best high school baseball teams in the country prior to meeting in the championship game.

The team lost to Orange Lutheran in April 6-2, before playing them again in May in the third round of CIF playoffs.

The game would be crucial: the Wolverines were facing the No. 1 team in the country, in a playoff game. Crow-Armstrong stepped into the box with the bases loaded and down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning. He ripped a single into right field shortening Orange Lutheran’s lead to 3-2, as the Wolverines went on to upset the top ranked team in the country two batters later.

While many Wolverines were visiting North Carolina for the first time, Armstrong was no stranger to the USA Baseball National Baseball Complex. He first played for Team USA when he was 12 in 2014. In 2017, he played on the 15U National team and this past summer he participated in the organization’s 17U National Team Development Program prior to being promoted to the 18U National Team (as a 17 year old).

14 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

“Playing with Team USA has given me the greatest experiences I’ve had playing baseball,” Crow-Armstrong said.

“The traveling and the adversity you face going to a different country and at such a young age opens you up to a lot that you wouldn’t expect to see. It’s toughened me up, made me smarter and has made me a better person. Winning gold medals is life changing. It’s been a truly a blessing [to play for USA Baseball].”

For the 18U National Team, Crow-Armstrong bat .375, with an on base percentage of .571, and he drove in seven runs on the team’s journey towards winning the COPABE U-18 Pan American Championship.

Crow-Armstrong is ranked as the top player in the 2020 class according to Perfect Game (the world’s largest baseball scouting service). In addition, last year, he committed to the collegiate baseball powerhouse Vanderbilt University.

Playing the game since he was three years old, Crow-Armstrong said that he values the complexity of the sport.

“It’s a very strategic game,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I believe it’s overlooked in the sense that it’s not ‘hype’ action filled sport like football or basketball, but

there are moments and aspects of it when it does get to be like that, [and] the feeling is amazing.”

Off the field, Crow-Armstrong said his parents inspired him to become the person he is today.

“My parents are my biggest role models,” Crow-Armstrong said. “They both started out as actors both ended up as teachers.

My dad for example, I know he never had a thought in his mind that he would be a teacher when he was growing up, he hated school. But he went back to school in his late thirties and got his degree and so I think that’s a great example of somebody I should look up to.”

Futhermore, he credits his friends and teammates for being an additional positive influence. “[Crow-Armstrong] is obviously one of best players I’ve had the pleasure of playing with,” outfielder Sam Biller ’20 said. “But above all that he is just a really fun guy to play with. He brings great energy and always keeps things fun. Overall a great player and teammate, but also a great guy.”

Out playing the competition to become the top-ranked player in the junior class wasn’t easy, Crow-Armstrong said.

“It’s just the repetition and the will to do it,” Crow-Armstrong said. “You’ve got to love the game and you also have to give yourself the right rest as well to keep yourself sane because it’s such a mentally tough sport.”

Armstrong also said he couldn’t have gotten where he is without the support of his coaches.

“At Harvard Westlake, in my opinion, we have the highest level of coaching you can get at the high school level,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I think all of our coaches could be coaching at a D1 program somewhere. We just do things differently here. We pay attention to detail. We start practice way earlier than everybody else, and we focus on things that a lot of high school programs don’t focus on.”

#1

Baseball coach and IN program head TH Jared Halpert E2 said that the ad02 0C miration is mutual.

LA “Pete SS [Crow-Armtrong] is a complete game changer,” Halpert said. “Having an athlete and competitor of his caliber changes the complexity of a game before it starts.”

After first round exits in the playoffs in the past two seasons, Crow-Armstrong is hoping for a brighter outcome as the team continues its playoff run this year, and the Vanderbilt commit said he has high hopes for his future beyond Harvard-Westlake.

“I hope to continue this uphill climb I’ve had here at [Harvard Westlake], I hope to win a championship in my last two years here,” Crow-Armstrong said. “Obviously, I hope I get drafted, and have a good career in the MLB. I’m optimistic about where things are going and I have a lot of people to thank for it. After I leave here hopefully you’ll see me at the next level.”

Photo by

Photo Illustration by

Big Red

Big Red

Keila McCabe

Eugene Wyman

PL

AY E

R

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 15

The Fault In Our Stars OPINION: Off the field issues should not negatively affect an athlete’s career unless they are guilty after a thorough investigation.

BY ZACK SCHWARTZ I grew up hearing the phrase “you are innocent until proven guilty,” so why does that same right not apply to our athletes? Off the field accusations against an athlete should not disrupt their livelihood but so often they do.

These athletes are not subject to the due process of law or a trial by their peers; rather, they have their

16 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

innocence determined by the court of public opinion. If enough people on Twitter are angry at an athletes, their entire careers and way of life can be taken away from them.

Tyreek Hill caught 87 passes for 1479 yards and 12 touchdowns according to the N.F.L. last year for the Kansas City Chiefs. But controversy off the field destroyed his image. Hill was accused of hitting his son and despite the facts that no charges have been filed, no investigations have been done and he maintains his innocence, Tyreek Hill is close to being cut. Twitter had decided against him, and that was enough.

Let me be very clear, I don’t believe in defending athletes who have been convicted of any crimes of abuse, but rather wish that fans would reserve judgment ntil after all the information has been uncovered. Due process no longer exists for these athletes purely because of their prominent public presence.

If we limit our art or athletic excellence we short change our society as a whole. Pablo Picasso had a

slew of allegations of serious misogyny against him in the early 1900s yet we separate the man from the artist to appreciate his work, but it feels like we don’t give our athletes the same courtesy. Athletes serve as symbols of success and motivation to countless children across the country, and it sends a poor message if we discredit their life’s work for allegations that remain unproven.

We treat athletes in ways we would never want to be treated ourselves but write off this treatment like it’s a part of the job. It’s not. We have to stop viewing professional athletes as entertainers and we must realize that they are real people who have families and others depending on them. We, as spectators and fans, are often not fit to be assessing their innocence all we should do is marvel at their athletic excellence until a trial is had and a verdict is standing.

We must act swiftly and strongly when dealing with convicted players, but we sometimes misplace our frustration and angers on parties that are found to be completely innocent of their accused crimes. Shawn Oakman, Josh Mcnary and Justin Cox all had premature ends to their careers over accusations that did not hold up in court.Those athletes and many more have had their life’s work stripped from them because of trial

by Twitter. Next time this happens, I urge you, reserve your judgments until a proper investigation can be concluded and give these athletes the liberties they are entitled to as United States citizens.

OPINION: Athletes’ off the field actions, both negative and positive, should impact the public’s perceptions of the players.

BY JAY LASSITER As Kobe Bryant stepped up to the foul line to score his 60th point and close out his legendary career as a Laker, I thought, “I love Kobe.” For 15 years I had idolized Kobe for his drive and his passion for basketball. I never even considered what problems he may have had off the court.

The actions of successful athletes have long been overlooked due to their talent and ability in their respective sports. While it is understandable that players are judged by their on-field ability, I believe that equally important factors in the judgement of a player are character and morals that players showcase off the field.

As professional sports leagues have worked to appeal more to families, they have become harsher in their rulings related to players’ personal controversies. Take recent evidence in the N.F.L. For example, the Kansas City Chiefs recently suspended and cut two of their star players, Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt respectively, once evidence of domestic abuse surfaced.

The issue does not seem to be the leagues themselves but rather the culture around these leagues. Most lists that rank the N.B.A.’s most hated players include a variation of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Draymond Green and Russell Westbrook. However, all four of these players have gone to tremendous lengths to give back to their communities and have led lives with few or no legal issues. Durant and James top many of these lists due to controversial decisions to join good teams. Draymond Green and Russell Westbrook’s play style is what earns them spots on these lists. The good these players do outside of the arena is not even taken into consideration.

For example, Durant recently spent $10 million on the DurantCenter, a College Track program to help low-income students in Washington D.C., where he was raised. James recently created and funded the I Promise School which currently enrolls 240 students in James’ hometown community of Akron, Ohio. Green recently won the Alvin Attles Community Impact Award for his commitment to giving back to underprivileged youth in his community. Westbrook formed the Why Not? Foundation and won the NBA Cares Assist Award for his charitable work, including opening three libraries inside of public schools in his community.

These four players, who top many “most hated” lists, are four of the most charitable players in the entire league.

Conversely, some of the players who often appear on “most-loved” lists have often done less for their communities or have had serious misconduct issues off the court. Take Derrick Rose for example, a fan favorite who overcame two serious injuries to have a miraculous season this year. While fans love the former MVP, his ex-girlfriend is currently appealing her sexual assault case against him.

This issue goes way beyond the leagues within America. Many of the world’s most famous and ell-liked athletes have faced serious off the field issues that fans neglect. The athlete with the most social media followers (323 million), Cristiano Ronaldo, has an open sexual assault case in Nevada. More people unfollowed Ronaldo

on Instagram after he switched teams from Real Madrid to Juventus than did when his case was reopened, according to ESPN. Furthermore, Juventus will not play any games in the United States because of Ronaldo’s case. The continued support by teams and leagues of players who have had questionable off the field activities is what allows athletes to continue these actions. This is the most pressing reason why, as fans, we must consider the off the field actions of athletes.

All Illustrations by

Evie de Rubertis

Big Red

BIG RED END OF THE YEAR 2019 • 17

BIG RED OFF THE GLASS Forward Brase Dottin ’20 attacks the rim through contact in the 68-53 win against St. Francis High School on Jan. 16.

Photo by

Keila McCabe 18 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

Big Red

WINTER THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Wrestler Paul Boardman ’21 takes down his opponent against Crespi Carmelite High School on Dec. 5.

Photo by

Ryan Albert Big Red

WOMAN IN THE MEERA Meera Burghardt ’20 rises above the defense, looking to score in the 21-6 win against Notre Dame High School on Jan. 22.

Photo by

Kyle Reims Big Red

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 19

Photo by

BIG RED

Ryan Albert Big Red

2019

FEMALE

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

CYPRESS TOOMEY By

Keila McCabe

A

s Mission League diving champion for three years in a row, two-time Sunshine League champion on the softball team and two-time Los Angeles Field Hockey Association champion on the field hockey team, Cypress Toomey ‘19 is the definition of an athlete. Her dedication to and achievements in three athletic programs at the school led the Big Red to name Toomey Female Athlete of the Year.

Toomey’s passion for sports started at a young age and has continued since then.

She said she felt attached to athletics, being part of a team and knew she would be an athlete for as long as she can remember.

“I grew up with two parents that played sports in college and a brother that played sports so being an athlete is something I always knew I was going to do,” Toomey said. “When I was younger and my brother and I were bored we would throw a football around in the street and ever since then sports have been my pastime.”

In her four years on the varsity softball, Toomey has played nearly every position on the field. She is currently the only member of the womens’ varisty diving team.

Finally, she is a midfielder on the back-

20 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

two back championship varsity field hockey team.

Field hockey teammate Rachel Brown ’20 said she admires Toomey for the way she carries herself and energetic personality she brings on and off the field.

“Playing with [Toomey] is every player’s dream come true,” Brown said. “She is so supportive, kind, funny, generous, awesome, humble I could go on. She was the first person I ever met at [Harvard-Westlake] and I’m so happy that it was her because throughout every step of the process I have been able to look to her as a role model of what if means to be a great Harvard-Westlake student and overall person. Playing with [Toomey] means hearing her sing Dutch songs at the top of her lungs, being schooled by her absolute genius and just enjoying all the time you spend with her.”

Although she has countless memories and moments from her time as a Wolverine athlete, Toomey said the field hockey team’s

TRIPLE THREAT...

As a three sport varsity letterman and five time CIF champion, Cypress Toomey has had a very illustrious career as a Wolverine. second straight LAFHA championship was her favorite moment in her athletic career.

Toomey started playing field hockey in seventh grade and has been a member of the varsity team for all four years of high school. The field hockey team had two consecutive undefeated seasons for the past

Photo by

two years, with an overal record of 20-0.

The squad secured its second title during 2-1 victory over Huntington Beach High School.

“In our championship game this year, we hadn’t been trailing in a game all season,” Toomey said. “At the start of the game we were down 1-0. We weren’t playing well and had really low energy. At the half we started to pick it up and we scored to tie to the game. I started crying because I knew that once we scored that first goal, we were going to win it.”

Toomey credits her success in athletics to her resistance to allow others limit her potential.

“I consider myself unique in that I don’t let people define what I can and can’t do,” Toomey said. “When they do, it encourages me to work that much harder in order to be my definition of the best.”

Reflecting back on her time at the school, Toomey said she is most grateful to have gotten to know some of her closest friends and she looks forward to keeping in touch.

“The relationships I have made, teams I have been a part of and watching us grow together has been the most rewarding part of my athletic journey at the school,” Toomey said. “Winning is fun, but ultimately what I’m going to take with are the relationships I have formed. Through sports you form special bonds that a lot of other activities can’t foster.”

Ryan Albert Big Red

ROAD BLOCK...

Toomey maintains posession, pushing the ball up the midfield. The Wolvines defeated Westminster 10-0 Aug. 31. (Bottom Left)

BIG RINGS...

Toomey boasts her back-to-back field hockey CIF championchip rings.

Her teams were undefeated over two seasons. (Above)

THE NOMINEES TIERNI KAUFMAN

RACHEL BROWN

TRACK and FIELD GIRLS’ BASKETBALL FIELD HOCKEY

LINDSEY KELLY

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

MEERA BURGHARDT

GIRLS’ WATERPOLO

KIKI IRIAFEN

Photo by

Ryan Albert Big Red

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 21

Photo by

BIG RED

Ryan Albert Big Red

2019

MALE

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

BRAYDEN BORQUEZ By

Jackie Greenberg and William Seymour

B

roken records. That is something Track and Field team captain Brayden Borquez ’19 is no stranger to. In 2018, he was a part of the league-champion 4x100M and 4x400M relay team and was the Mission League Champion in the 300M hurdles and 400M race. He also secured school records in the past two years, often breaking records that he had previously set.

Because of this, the Big Red has named Borquez the Male Athlete of the Year.

Our selection of Borquez was based not only on his athletic achievements and performance this year, but on his athletic history.

Borquez led the rest of the 4x100M relay team, consisting of Jack Riley ’19, Chase Harleston ’21 and Joshua Johnson ’19, to win the CIF Finals. In the process they broke the Harvard-Westlake school record, finishing with a time of 41.35 seconds. They are now ranked fourth in the state.

Borquez has followed in his father’s footsteps as a champion track athlete in Southern California. His father set school records in the 100M, 200M and 400M at Alemany, and continued running at Uni-

22 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

versity of Southern California.

Borquez will continue his father’s track and field legacy at the USC next year.

“I’m excited to start running at my dream school,” Borquez said. “I’m excited to start running at the same school my dad ran at. I get to take things to the next level and run amongst some of the greatest runners in the world.”

Borquez said he is most proud of his performance over 400M, breaking the 47-second mark.

“I made a name for myself and solidified my spot as one of the top male track athletes in the class of 2019 and the top long sprinter and hurdler in the class of 2019,” Borquez said.

Teammate Princess-Nya Beckham ’19 said that Borquez maintains a positive attitude no matter what. “[Borquez]’s confidence and drive make him super successful, not to mention the fact that he has an entire team behind him every step of the way,” Beckham said. “He pushes us to be great even in moments when things aren’t going our

CAN’T TAKE A KNEE CAUSE HE’S WEARING ALL WHITE...

USC Commit, Track and Field Team Captain, Four Years in the Program, Multiple Records Holder, Brayden Borquez has done it all. way.”

He constantly needs to work on keeping his body healthy, Borquez said.

“Keeping the body right is a big point of improvement,” Borquez said. “It’s important to do preventative injury treatment and to maintain a consistent training schedule, missing no days. It’s also important to keep a consistent lifting schedule throughout the season, hydrate, and stay nutritious.”

He suffered hip and hamstring injuries during his junior season that set his

progress back.

“Reflecting on the injury now, I see it as a blessing in disguise,” Borquez said. “I put my blood, sweat and tears onto the track for months and it was hard. But seeing all of that hard work go to waste due to injury was even harder. The feeling I had is now a driving force for me. Sitting in the stands, watching a race that I could’ve been in, I could’ve won, that feeling of disappointment and frustration, all act as a driving force for me today. If I hadn’t lost my shot last year, I’m not sure if I would have the same drive as I do now. “ Borquez said that he learned a lot of lessons through being injured that he carries with him today.

“That whole experience showed me that nothing is just given to you and you have to go out and get it, even when things don’t go your way,” Borquez said. “You can’t back down and fall into the downward spiral that can come with injury, failure or frustration. If you truly want it, you’ll work through it, and when the time is right for you, you’ll get your chance again. However, that chance isn’t gonna just come to you. You have to work for it.

You have to earn it and prove that you deserve it. You have to take advantage of the opportunities you get, because nothing in this sport is a guarantee.”

He said that his high levels of success throughout the past four years have given him confidence.

“I am undefeated,” Borquez said.

Photo by

Ryan Albert Big Red

WALK OF FAME...

After amassing a steady lead, Borquez sprints the final stretch of a 400m race against St. Francis on March 5. (Bottom Left)

DRIP TOO HARD...

Borquez shows his many medals and accolades from his four years of running track and field at Harvard-Westlake. (Above)

THE NOMINEES JOHNNY JUZANG SULTAN DANIELS PETE CROWARMSTRONG JAMESON McMULLEN

Photo by

Jay Lassiter Big Red

RYAN NEAPOLE

BASKETBALL FOOTBALL and LACROSSE BASEBALL SWIMMING BOYS’ WATERPOLO

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 23

BIG RED

Photo by

Ryan Albert Big Red

FEMALE TEAM OF THE YEAR

FIELD HOCKEY By

Luke Casola

A

fter Ella Ganocy ’22 scored the goahead goal in the 2-1 win against Huntington Beach High School on Nov. 3 after trailing 1-0 in the first half, excitement flowed through the players and crowd. An entire season of hard-work and dedication built up to that one moment: the team had secured its second consecutive LAFHA title following another undefeated season.

“Being down for the first time in the entire season provided a huge challenge but our team was able to rise above and ultimately pull out a win,” center midfielder and LAFHA Most Valuable Player Rachel Brown ’20 said. “This shows our determination and ability to lean on each other in times of trouble.”

The squad finished 39-0 in the past seasons, shutting out 15 of its 19 opponents and scoring a total of 89 goals in 19 games this past season. Recollecting on both record-breaking seasons, program head Erin Creznic said that the players’ dedication contributed greatly to the overall success.

“The girls have great chemistry, and they

24 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

have lots of fun playing together as a team,” Creznic said. “The players work hard every practice to improve their skills and to push their games to the next level.”

Team captain Sydney Pizer ’19 said she hopes the seniors will leave behind a positive impact and legacy on the program.

“The team, as long as we’ve been on [it], has truly been a family so I think that first and foremost we want it to remain as close as it has been, which I have confidence it will,” Pizer said. “Of course we would love for the team to continue to thrive on the field as well. Even though we are leaving, the underclassmen on the team are so strong and will no doubt continue a legacy of unparalleled teamwork, determination, success and hopefully another title. We’ll miss them so much, but we’re confident that they will do amazing things and are ready to lead themselves into another wonderful season soon.”

Other than the senior leadership, Brown said that the squad was successful because of the team dynamic it has built.

The success of the team this past season heavily relied on the contributions of the team captains.

“The seniors on this team were incredi-

bly helpful for our successful season, many thought it would be your transition year and didn’t expect much of us,” Brown said. “The seniors on the team didn’t ever let us play lazy or give up. Instead, the seniors consistently motivated us and made our team better.”

With summer practices starting in the coming months, Brown hopes to win a third consecutive championship next season.

“The goal for next year would be to continue the trend of past years,” Brown said. “We are lucky because our momentum has been building over the years and looks like it will continue to grow.”

In order to accomplish this goal, the current juniors will need to mentor the younger players in order to built upon the team camaraderie, Brown said.

“While the graduating seniors left big shoes to fill, the current juniors are putting in the work to fill them,” Brown said. We already started this by creating our team playlist and planning team events for the next year. The seniors left us with great building blocks and the team is already so close partly because of the seniors hard work.”

AWARDS ISSUE

Photo by

Caitlin Chung Big Red

TEAM THE YEAR MALEMALE TEAM OF THEOF YEAR

BASEBALL

By

William Seymour

G

oing into their game against Orange Lutheran High School on May 10, the Wolverines had all the odds stacked against them. The Lancers, ranked No. 1 in the nation, beat the Wolverines in the the National High School Invitational in North Carolina in April and had a powerhouse pitching staff.

Harvard-Westlake was down 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but rallied to even the score. Then infielder Michael Snyder ’19 did the unexpected: he hit a walk-off line drive RBI to complete this massive upset in the Big Red Game of the Year (see page 26)and secure the Harvard-Westlake baseball team as this year’s Big Red Male Team of the Year.

Max Preps ranked the Wolverine squad sixth in the nation and third in the state. This CIF Southern Section Division I quarterfinal win set the team’s overall record at 26-5-1.

Currently, they have outscored their opponents this season 229 to 96.

Outfielder and California Polytechnic State University commit Sam Biller ’20 at-

tributed the team’s success this year to its players’ close bonds.

“What we have is special because we are all so close to one another,” Biller said.

“We’re more than willing to fight for one another and that’s what makes us dangerous as a team. We believe in each other and that’s a special thing.”

Their 4-3 upset win against Orange Lutheran showed the team’s dominance as a force to be reckoned with in the CIF playoffs.

The heart of the top-ranked Lancers team is its pitchers, who had not given up any runs in its first two playoff games.

Orange Lutheran had defeated the Wolverines to win the National High School Invitational in North Carolina on April 6, so Harvard-Westlake was ready to get its revenge, players said.

“We played [Orange Lutheran] like any other game, but we had a chip on our shoulder after losing to them earlier this year,” Outfielder and Vanderbilt University commit Pete Crow-Armstrong ’20 said. “They‘re a great team and beating them was special.”

Shortstop and Stanford University commit Drew Bowser ’20 also said that the team thrives on its closeness.

“It’s been super fun,” Bowser said. “It’s a great group of guys that always stay together and I think that’s why we’re so successful.”

Crow-Armstrong said that this year has definitely been special for him and the team.

“This year has been fun especially playing with a bunch of the same guys that I’ve played with since my freshman year,” Crow-Armstrong said. “I’ve made great relationships with the boys and the run we’re making so far is special. We work hard. It’s as simple as that. Day in and day out we want to be there and we all have the same goal. It’s a selfless team and that’s a huge part of it, we’re cohesive.”

The Wolverines beat Huntington Beach High School 6-2 on May 14. They advance to the CIF Championship game against Cypress High School, ranked No. 5 in the nation, May 18 at Dodger Stadium.

Players said that the team is confident going into the championship game after the Orange Lutheran win.

“We have really grinded this year and put in so much of our time in order to make a championship run, which we were not going to let end even against the top-ranked team in the country,” Crow-Armstrong said.

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 25

BIG RED

2019

GAME OF THE YEAR

BASEBALL BEATS ORANGE LUTHERAN By

Jay Lassiter

A

s Michael Snyder ’19 stepped into the box with bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Wolverines saw a real opportunity to defeat the number one ranked team in the country, Orange Lutheran High School.

Despite losing to the Lancers earlier this year in Cary, North Carolina, the squad came into the game with an overall record of 26-5-1. Snyder roped a single down the third base line, past the diving third baseman, and catcher Jacob Galloway ’21 ran home and scored the winning run. The Wolverines stormed the field mobbing Snyder after his walk off.

“Hats off to Orange Lutheran, it’s always a dog fight when we play them,” first baseman Tyler Ganus ’20 said.

“We pushed each other really hard in practice this week. [Sam] Hliboki ’19 threw it really well, and we made some good defensive plays behind him. The rally in the seventh inning shows this team’s heart and what we are capable of accomplishing. [I’m] grateful to be a part of this team.”

With one out, right-fielder Sam Biller ’20 took a walk to load the bases. “[Snyder] had already hit a home run earlier in the game and everyone has so much trust in him and in the rest of our offense that we sort of had

26 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

the same feeling before the win when we had bases loaded that nothing was going to stop us,” Biller said. “When he hit Photo by that ball we were Keila McCabe all just proud of Big Red the way we were able to battle back and not give up.”

Later in the MAGIC MIKE... seventh inning, center fielder Pete University of Washington baseCrow-Armstrong ’20 hit a single to ball commit Michael Snyder ’19 bring Ganus home and cut the Lancers’ hit a walkoff single in the 4-3 CIF lead to one. “[Snyder] has been our most reliable Quater-Finals win against Orange hitter all year,” Crow-Armstrong said.

Lutheran High School on May 10.

“I’m not surprised he did what he did, he had a hell of a game.”

With bases loaded, second baseman Tyler Cox ’19 took a walk to even the [Snyder] hit the walk off everyone score. threw their hands up in the air and Cox felt that beating the team that poured out of the dugout and we all dog had defeating them earlier that year piled around second base. You could made the win even more special. hear the crowd going insane. Words “It was complete euphoria,” Cox can barely describe how cool of a mosaid. “The whole inning we were taking ment it was.” it one pitch at a time. This team has After hitting the only home run of battled back many times before this the game in the first inning, third baseyear, so there was no doubt in our man Snyder stepped up to the plate. minds we could pull off this comeback. “[Hitting that pitch] was the best We weren’t ready to go home. When feeling in the world,” Snyder said.

POLLED AWARDS

THE COMMUNITY’S OPINION The previous awards were awarded by the Big Red staff consensus based on overall athletic merit we’ve observed through the year. The following superlatives were awarded to athletes and teams by the upper school students in a Big Red Poll of 197 people.

BEST MALE ATHLETE:

BEST FEMALE ATHLETE:

BEST TEAM:

SMARTEST TEAM:

SWAGGIEST TEAM:

FAVORITE TEAM:

SULTAN DANIELS ’19 TIERNI KAUFMAN ’19 FIELD HOCKEY

FIELD HOCKEY

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

FIELD HOCKEY

MOST BEST TAP UNDERRATED TEAM: OUT PLAYER:

SOFTBALL

RYAN ALBERT

MOST SPIRITED STAFF MEMBER:

DERRIC CHIEN BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 27

BIG RED

BRICK WALL Goalie Alex Russell ’19 saves the opposing team from scoring in the 13-12 win against Santa Margarita High School on March 8.

Photo by

Jay Lassiter Big Red

BIG KAT BARKIN’

Photo by

Jay Lassiter Big Red

28 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

Shortstop Kat Swander ’19 runs to first after hitting to second baseman in the 7-0 loss to Bishop Alemany High School on March 12.

SPRING

TAMMER THE HAMMER Assistant Opinion Editor Tammer Bagdasarian ’20 hits his ball on the range in a 209-212 loss to Notre Dame High School on April 16.

Photo by

Jay Lassiter Big Red

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 29

SMOKED OUT STUDENT-ATHLETES, ATHLETIC DIRECTORS AND COACHES REACT TO THE USE OF SUBSTANCES IN THE LOCKER ROOMS.

BY LUKE CASOLA AND WILLIAM SEYMOUR

Photos by

Ryan Albert Big Red

30 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

E

very weekday, after eighth period class, dual-sport athlete Chaz* walks to the boys’ locker room in preparation for his practice. Chaz sits down on the sofa in the center of the room and watches a few of his teammates pull out their JUULs, a type of electronic cigarette, inhaling and blowing out clouds of smoke that simmer throughout the locker room.

The clouds of smoke go unnoticed as the music blasts

and other athletes gear up for practice.

Although not all students smoke in the locker room, nicotine is the most common substance used by athletes, Chaz said.

“The only substances I have used in the locker room have been nicotine like JUUL or a Suorin,” Chaz said. “No weed. Nothing like that has been in the locker room.”

Athlete Jacques* said that many of the star players on a

variety of teams use substances in the locker room before practices.

“Some of the people that use [substances] as a distraction are not here for their athletic [excellence] anyways,” Jacques said. “They aren’t built for it and aren’t the people that are going to actually succeed [at their sport]. There are a few [standout athletes] that do all that stuff but still have all the success that they do.”

While several athletes said that using substances in the locker room is a problem, they said they were not sure how the Athletics Department could implement a solution to preventing substance abuse before practices.

“Because this is a school and nicotine addiction is a huge problem in America, especially with teens, I think [the Athletic Department] should find a way to stop this problem without invading

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 31

kids’ [privacy], like [by] putting a camera in the locker room,” athlete Wade* said.

“It’s going to be hard because every single school has this problem, so there is no way to deal with this without checking people’s bags which I don’t recommend they should do. I really don’t know if there is a good way to deal with it.”

Chaz admitted to using nicotine devices in the locker room before the coaching staff began monitoring the locker room more often.

“After the lacrosse team got a talk from a coach, I don’t know who, it seemed to set everybody straight,” Chaz said. “I haven’t seen anybody using JUULs in the locker room recently, and if they do it’s very lowkey and it’s not a big thing.”

Lacrosse player Marcel* said that along with the coaches, athletic directors were involved in investigating substance abuse in locker rooms.

“Apparently there were no accusations being made, but [the talk with one of the coaches] was a reality check and a reminder that those things aren’t allowed or acceptable in the locker room, and that people will be punished if they continue to use them or promote themselves in that way,” Marcel said. “[The Athletic Directors ] wanted to make people realize that it’s just not a smart idea here or anywhere for that matter.”

The locker room is susceptible to inappropriate activity because it is not regularly monitored by adults and rightfully so, Head of Athletics Terry Barnum said.

Barnum said that Athletic Directors had a conversation with the Student Athletic Leadership Council earlier this year, regarding the topic of substance abuse in the locker rooms.

“What we were trying to do was just remind students of their responsibilities to themselves and to each other,” Barnum said. “We basically reminded all of the athlete leaders that the locker rooms are a community space and that they need to remain a safe space for all athletes and all students to enjoy. So that’s what the con-

32 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

versation was. It was not directed at any one program or any one gender.”

The problem should be dealt with by the athletes themselves rather than the Athletic Department, Armando* said.

“There has to be some trust between the Athletic Department and the athletes,” Wade said. “The locker room should be a sacred place for athletes. It has to be on the students’ part to stop the JUULing and vaping. The locker room can’t be a place that’s monitored because then you lose the trust between the athletes and the coaches and Athletic Department.”

Tennis player Mike Thomas ’20, on the other hand, said he believes that both the Athletic Department and the students should take a more aggressive stance against this issue.

“There’s gotta be a way to keep substances out of the locker room because Harvard-Westlake puts so

much into its athletic programs that the kids owe it to them to give them their all and give them everything they have,” Thomas said. “Substances in the locker room should definitely be monitored especially when you’re so close to what you’re actually doing.”

Despite athletes’ smoking before games and practice, Marcel* said that he knows students who aren’t athletes who use the locker room to abuse substances during and after school. He also said that the number of people vaping depends on who else is in the locker room and the amount of trust the smokers place in them.

“Sometimes there are kids in [the

locker room] who don’t even play sports that use nicotine products,” Marcel said.

In fact, in a Big Red poll of 125 students, 43 percent of the students who frequent the locker room said that they see other athletes abusing substances.

Chaz said, though, that athletes do not use marijuana in the locker room.

Golfer Dean Barkin ’20 said that e-cigarettes were the most common substance in the locker room.

“I went last year in the locker room and didn’t see much,” Barkin said. “I mean I’d see a JUUL here or there, but there weren’t like heroin needles just chilling on the floor.”

Several players said that using nicotine before practice does not affect their play-style or ability to compete when sober.

“I’d say there’s no benefit [of using substances before practices or games],”

Chaz said. “It’s all by choice. Personally and through my peers, I’ve realized that it does not affect our game at all.”

On the other hand, Chaz said that marijuana use poses a disadvantage to athletes because they show an inability to compete at a high level after smoking, but that athletes do not use marijuana in the locker room.

“I’ve never had an experience with anybody being high at practice or at a game because that just messes up your game,” Chaz said. “You’re going to perform so much worse. It doesn’t make any sense to me to be high at practice.”

Athletes said that they struggle to determine whether coaches can tell when a player is under the influence. However, student Daniel Mikhail ’20 said that he believes it is easy for coaches to tell when a player is high based on behavioral changes.

While players said that nicotine use before practices is not detrimental to their overall performance, several players said that partying on the weekends can have an impact on an athlete’s play in the upcoming week.

“I think that [smoking and drinking on the weekends] can take your edge away,” Thomas said. “I personally believe that preparation in the days leading up to an athletic event is really key in terms of the little things. If you mess with that and mess with your preparation, then your mindset won’t be there and the results you want won’t be there either.”

In a Big Red poll of 139 students, 57 percent of the students said that they believe smoking or drinking alcohol on the weekends does affect athlete’s quality of play throughout the upcoming week.

Barnum said that the athletic principles at Harvard-Westlake encourage athletes to stay away from alcohol and drugs in order to benefit their o w n

health and success on the field or on the

court.

“It would be naive of me to say that none of our students use alcohol or illegal substances,” Barnum said.

“When you have 1600 teenagers at school, odds are something like that is happening. I’d like to think that our athletes understand that being a good athlete and using drugs are not congruent. You can’t be a good athlete, you definitely can’t be a great athlete, if you are consuming alcohol or using drugs. You just can’t. Anyone that is doing that is only hurting themselves and their teammates.”

However, athletes including Mela-

nie* said that partying on the weekends does not have a large impact on the majority of athletes for the entire upcoming week.

“I don’t think [an athlete’s] performance is impaired for week games because they have time to recover after the weekend,” Melanie said. “But during an event on Monday, they could definitely be more sluggish after a weekend of heavy drinking. If this person really cares about the sport then they can easily pound through it and get through the practice with a high enthusiasm.”

Former athlete Armando said that athletes going to parties on the weekends to drink or get high is a common occurrence.

“Probably 90 percent of the student athletes here [at Harvard-Westlake] party,” Armando said. “I feel like that is the community of partiers. [Partying] is a good stress reliever in this type of community, because there is a lot of stress around. At this school, I think that sports do nothing but add stress on to the education aspect, so parties are one of the only ways that a student-athlete can have some fun.”

Student athlete Emilio* said that he believes moments like this happen due to the pressure of HarvardWestlake.

“I think that sometimes people use substances as an escape from the stress of the school,” Emilio said. “I think that this school is really stressful, and it’s their little joy time and their peace away from everything.

At the end of the day, drugs and substances should not be an escape from a stressful environment, but there are ways for students to get around using substances without affecting grades or athletic play, Barkin said.

“Obviously, the less drugs you do, the healthier you’ll be,” Barkin said.

“I don’t think it’s a terrible thing for students to party if [they] are able to manage it well in their life and if it doesn’t affect them either in school or in sports.” *Names have been changed.

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 33

34 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

T

he wet braid dripping water on the steering wheel was no distraction as diver, first baseman and field hockey midfielder Cypress Toomey ’19 raced from her diving meet to her softball game. Her car was stuffed with a cooler full of ice for the team, her swim bag and clothes from her field hockey lift earlier that day. Toomey has been playing three different sports at the school since seventh grade.

“I love playing more than one sport because it keeps things exciting,” Toomey said. “At the end of the season, I’m ready to move on to the next one. I love being able to contribute to three different teams and have three different team experiences that are all completely unique.”

“

I love being able to contribute to three different teams and have three different team experiences that are all completely unique.”

-Cypress Toomey ’19 Of the 1,004 total athletes at the middle and upper school there are 270 multi-sport athletes. Of that total number, 204 multiple-sport athletes are on the Middle School campus. From eighth the ninth grade there is a drop-off in number of multi-sport athletes from 86 to 27 athletes. Athletic Director Terry Barnum said scheduling is the largest cause of the decline in multisport athletes as students get older.

“It is easier to be a multiple sport

athlete at lower levels because the time commitment to be on the team is less,” Barnum said. “In seventh and eighth grade the time commitment is only three months, so it’s no surprise that there are 87 seventh graders and 86 eighth graders that are multiple sport athletes.”

Several sports programs at the school require three trimesters of athletic training, leaving little room for additional sports. Cross country and track runner Peter Sykes ’19 said his situation is slightly different because of his sports but sees how others cannot combine due to scheduling.

“More people don’t play more than one sport because their sports are less conducive to it,” Sykes said.

“Many of the sports at [HarvardWestlake] require year-round training at the higher levels, making it difficult to participate in more than one sport. In my case, I don’t really consider myself a cross country and track runner, but rather just a distance runner. Distance running at [Harvard-Westlake] is a year-round sport, we just happen to have two competitive seasons.”

Lacrosse and football player Sultan Daniels ’19 said, in addition to academic and time challenges, there are physical challenges to being a multi-sport athlete.

“I think [fewer] people play two sports because they feel that when they’re playing playing the other sport, all of their competition are just getting better in that one sport,” Daniels said. “It can also be tough because your body doesn’t get to rest as much as people who just play one sport.”

Around 65 percent of total students are athletes at the school; however, only seven percent of students at the Upper School campus are multi-sport athletes. An increase in academic challenge throughout high school also contributes to the decreasing number of multi-sport

“

Many of the sports at [HarvardWestlake] require year-round training at the higher levels, making it difficult to participate in more than one sport.”

-Peter Sykes ’19 athletes, field hockey and soccer player Natalie Barnouw ’21 said.

“Most people don’t play multiple sports because of the time commitment,” Barnouw said. “For me, playing field hockey, when in season, means two-hour practices five times a week along with club soccer practices three times a week.

It’s a lot to handle, and finding time to do homework and study can be challenging.”

Several athletes that play two or more sports play a second sport that will keep them in shape and help them train for their main sport season. Many members of the water polo team are also on the swim team. Basketball, football and cross country athletes often join the track and field team. Water polo player and swimmer Alexandru Bucur ’19 said his motivations for being on the swim team have changed since he joined.

“I started out swimming freshman year because the water polo team was required to do it,” Bucur said. “However, I really enjoyed it, so even though swimming was no longer required my sophomore year, I continued to swim because it kept me in better shape and I wanted to see how fast I could become.”

In the case of football player and

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 35

track and field runner Will Goldberg ’19, training his body was the no. 1 reason for joining the track team.

“I joined because I wanted to get better in terms of football and improve my speed,” Goldberg said.

“I needed to improve my speed in order to achieve my goal of playing division one football.”

While around 20 percent of athletes are able to play two or more sports at the school, basketball player Mason Hooks ’20 said there are external pressures to just play one sport that often stem from reasons

When asked if the school’s coaches make is easy to play multiple sports,

88%

of 151 students voted

“No” 36 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 26 • BIG RED SPRING 2019

not pertaining to physical ability.

“Families and athletes are so pressured to keep working at one sport,” Hooks said. “Trainers and coaches will tell people that they need to focus on one sport, really just because they want to keep getting paid to coach the kid.”

Goldberg said coaches are attracted to the athleticism that playing multiple sports indicates but ultimately athletes need to specialize in order to succeed.

“I enjoy playing multiple sports but unfortunately that’s not the world we live in,” Goldberg said. “Coaches preach being multi-sport athletes but no coach actually supports that notion. During this day and age you need to pick a sport and stick to it if you want to achieve an elite level in it.”

Barnum said the role of the college process is complicated in an athlete’s decision to play multiple sports, but definitely im-

pactful when it comes to the declining number of multi-sport athletes.

“Increasingly there is a higher percentage of our students and families that are looking for athletics to play a major role in their college process,” Barnum said. “If you are looking for athletics to play a major role in your college process, you need to be good at it. In order to be good at it, you need to spend a lot of time doing it. The great irony of it all is that colleges prefer multiple sport athletes. Consistently colleges have said ‘we prefer multiple sport athletes, we like kids that come to us with general athleticism and the ability to excel in a number of different sports.’ But they have a different tune when a multiple sport athlete is actually at their university. College coaches want high school kids to be multiple sport athletes when they get them, but they don’t want them to be multiple sport athletes once they get on the actual campus.”

Soccer and football player Liam

“

Playing one sport for years year-round leads to burnout and losing the love for the sport that made the kid want to start playing it in the first place.”

-Mason Hooks ’20

Weetman ’21 said college can play a role in the decision to play multiple sports, but he thinks that role is minimal.

“Playing multiple sports will never get you a leg up in scouting, but may look better on your transcript, but I’d say that is a small reason,” Weetman said. “Many people that want to play a sport competitively in college will focus on that one sport, not playing any other, so they probably play it for the experience of just being on more teams and having fun in the sport.”

Although college and high school coaches can sometimes deter athletes from playing multiple sports, Hooks said specialization can actually have the opposite effect on an athlete’s performance.

“Everyone says you have to focus on one sport or you’ll fall behind,” Hooks said. “That’s not true. Playing one sport can lead to doing the same motions too many times without doing any other ones, which leads to injuries. More importantly, playing one sport for years yearround leads to burnout and

losing the love for the sport that made the kids want to start playing it in the first place.”

While the school continues to recognize the difficulty of playing multiple sports along with the academic demand, the Athletic Department continues to encourage multi-sport athletes, Barnum said. Equestrian rider, softball and volleyball player Skyler Calkins ’20 said constantly being in season acts a positive distraction for her.

“For me, going

“

Going to practice after school is a great way to get a break from anything that’s stressing me out at school or home.”

-Skyler Calkins ’20 to practice after school is a great way to get a break from anything that’s stressing me out at school or home,” Calkins said. “I always try to leave whatever I’m struggling with outside the gym, arena or field because bringing it in with me won’t help and will only distract me from what I’m working on in practice. Playing three sports has definitely helped my time management in addition to helping me meet so many people I wouldn’t have known otherwise.”

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 37 BIG RED SPRING 2019 • 27

BIG RED

2019

STAFF PAGES ...continued from page 2 so-called hooligans, the pirates of Weiler, would be utterly incapable of independently producing a stellar publication. However, I think this is absolutely incorrect. Rather, I feel that my time on Big Red has been a crystallization of what makes Harvard-Westlake great: classmates who push the bar forward, not letting themselves or their peers get away with “satisfactory.” Students who learn just as much from the brilliant students around us as they do from their teachers. Teenagers who bring empathy and compassion with them in all of their dealings with others.

Fellow staffers who work harder than they thought possible, smashing their limits and profoundly expanding their horizons, in pursuit of a goal larger than themselves.

I’ve grown immensely in my six years here, and am a fundamentally different person than when I began because Harvard-Westlake asked for my whole self and pushed me to heights I thought previously impossible. Big Red has had the same effect.

I’ve learned to ask to see articles four or five times if I think they can be improved. Big Red has endowed me with the self-assurance and determination to ask for permission less while doing more and asking for higher quality work. ‘How do we shoot the substances spread?’ becomes ‘I wonder if there is a smoke machine on campus.’ Or ‘Can we make our staff photo on an island?’ becomes ‘Bring Hawaiian shirts to layout tomorrow.’

It’s this sense of novelty, empowerment and

38 • BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019

A CONTINUATION OF OUR LETTER FROM THE EDITORS, AND A CONTINUATION OF OUR DESIRE TO ALWAYS TOP OUR LAST STAFF PHOTO. THE LAST PHOTOS OF THIS YEAR! THANKS FOR READING :)

accomplishment that becomes addictive, and the reason I’ve loved my time on this magazine. At these layouts, I have worked amidst some of the smartest people I know in an electric, energizing environment; it’s hard not to be passionate about what we do here.

It’s the same excellence that’s in all of the essays that Dr. Thompson gave me Bs on, essays I loved and put hours, into because he believed in me enough to know that I was capable of more. It’s in the times when Celso, Dr. Cardin and Dr. Wasson avail themselves of everything they are in the middle of to talk to me, going way beyond the requirements of their roles, when I’m having a bad day. It’s when Mr. Levin pushes us to break barriers of what is possible not just at a local high school, but on a national and international scale.

Last year I remember standing outside St. Savior’s Chapel, a relic of Harvard-Westlake pre-merger, right after Mr. Zwemer’s memorial service. Mr. Zwemer exemplified the excellent Harvard-Westlake teacher: deliberate, well-prepared, deeply invested, thoughtful, and someone who always asked a lot from his students, pushing them to be the best students they could. Ms. Medawar, another similarly excellent teacher and I walked into the chapel and she pointed out a notable glass pane near the back of the room.

On top of a depiction of a castle-like Harvard-Westlake, the pane reads “high above the restless tide stands their city on the hill.” This Winthropian comparison feels like the most apt in describing my time at

this school. In the same way that Winthrop’s newly formed Massachusetts Bay colony was to serve as a beacon for the world, a shining example on which to found all other cities, this school serves as a shining example of the value of a renaissance, liberal arts-focused education. A large portion of my education has been my time in the Pubs Lab and in Weiler Hall, learning how to work on deadline, collaborate with others, write, layout, edit, manage, improvise and most of all, have fun while I work. I’m confident I’ve learned just as much, if not more, outside of the classroom here. I’m headed off to Brown in the fall, but I’m entirely sure I was educated at Harvard-Westlake.

Our only true promise to our readers this year was four issues, something that had eluded the two volumes before us. I’m are proud that we made it, and deeply grateful to everyone who worked hard on this paper to bring it where it is. This magazine has become something that I feel exists beyond any individuals who work on it, rather an abstract entity that came out of the contributions of the entire staff to represent the excellence, tenacity and fun-loving nature that defines this magazine. This is to say: independent of Ryan and I, Mr. Preciado will still bring us fajitas (thanks for that one, again) and our staff will continue to stay until 9:33 p.m. (the time I write this) even when they have math tests the next day. So, we hope you enjoy the close to this volume of Big Red. We’ve worked hard to bring you the best content and magazine we can. And that means four issues.

STAFF PHOTOS

TOP: Big Red staff poses after triggering the professional grade fog machine. Masks and goggles from the potential “Mount Everest” themed staff photo we had planned but cut due to similarities with our tropical photo last issue.

MIDDLE: Big Red staff poses in the locker room after setting up apple juice pong for substances spread. This had been our second of three locations we’d take photos in that day. None of the photos from this shoot made the issue, but we played a mean game of pong. Pictured: Managing Editor Jackie Greenberg and Assistant Editor William Seymour absolutely demolish Assistant Editors Luke Casola and Eugene Wyman. Agreed wager by both parties was drinking all of the apple juice (which had transferred cups several times, including cups that had contact with dirty ping pong balls and the floor), although Jackie and Eug backed out.

BOTTOM: Big Red staff plays three flags up with superstar softball player and Assistant Editor Keila McCabe after fog machine shoot.

Becomes clear why many of us write about sports rather than editing.

Not Pictured: Staff runs into Weiler, lugging all fog gear as rain pounds down and threatens electrical shocks from high voltage fogger.

BIG RED END OF YEAR 2019 • 39