August 2018 Issue

CHRONICLE THE HARVARD WESTLAKE

Studio City • Volume 28 • Issue 1 • Aug. 29, 2018 • hwchronicle.com

Disciplinary process to be streamlined

Beyond the Books

By SABA NIA

By KENDALL DEES

“I geek out over all of this.”

Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research Teacher and Counselor Michelle Bracken smiled as she reached above her desk to find a three inch binder given to her by the Institute for Social and Emotional Learning.

“Imagine a world where in Kindergarten you learn about how to solve problems and you are playing games and you don’t really know you are learning it,” Bracken said. “By third grade, you have developed words like the ‘growth mindset’. All of a sudden, • Continued on B3

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN ALBERT, SPENCER KLINK AND JENNY LI

School hosts cultural competency training

By ALEX GOLDSTEIN

In order to discuss how teachers can respect and honor the identities of their students, all new faculty members participated in the school’s first cultural competency training, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Janine Jones said.

“We thought [the training] would be the best way to not just talk the talk, but also walk the walk,” Janine Jones said. “It is one thing to say we are a diverse and inclusive community, but it is an-

other thing to actually spend the time really teaching and training people on what that really means.”

The training was facilitated by Steven Jones, CEO of Jones Inclusive, a company that develops leaders and teaches them methods to fight oppression.

“The facilitator, talked about the necessity of building our skills, and that each of us may be more skilled in talking about one part of diversity but less skilled in talking about other areas,” new English teacher Dara Wein-

berg ’00 said. “As a new faculty member, I felt like Harvard-Westlake was investing in building my skills, not just going to my area of strength, my own background, but encouraging me to get more competent at communicating across cultural differences.”

New faculty attended the training, which helped them understand the values of the school and also meet one another, Janine Jones said.

“This was an opportunity for them to really do that deep dive into uncomfortable topics and to hopefully

get them to start thinking inwardly, so that their performance outwardly matches better,” Janine Jones said.

Steven Jones spoke about the Three Circles: individual, culture and institution.

“He encouraged us to begin at the individual level, and I am going to definitely take that into the classroom and give my students an opportunity to tell me who they are as individuals before I ask them to conform to the culture of Harvard-Westlake or the culture of my classroom,” Weinberg said.

As part of his increased duties this year, Upper School Dean of Students Jordan Church will oversee all disciplinary decisions and Honor Board cases.

In the previous system, teachers or coaches could decide how to handle first offense minor infractions. Upper school deans and Head of Upper School Laura Ross also dealt with disciplinary measures in the past. To immediately address concerns and streamline the process, Church said the new system will funnel infractions of all sizes to him.

Since Church has an institutional understanding of the disciplinary process, he said with his new role he can add immediacy to the decisions and look at students as whole people.

To better address any issues students may be dealing with, Church said he will seek disciplinary measures that allow each student to be seen in a broader context. Because infractions like cheating on an assignment or displaying offensive behavior may not be isolated incidents, Church said that he wishes to approach each case individually to better address their needs.

“Sometimes I think students misinterpret why we are calling them on their behavior [to the Honor Board], and I think that distracts them from internalizing the message,” Church said. “I hope that will focus the community on what’s really important, which is learning and growing, and becoming a community that strives to be a caring and supportive and ethical community.”

Community

Homelessness rates rise in the valley due to a lack of affordable housing

By SOPHIE HABER

Amidst the new artisan coffee shops and boutique clothing stores that opened along Ventura Boulevard this year, the San Fernando Valley’s homeless population continues to rise. Despite an overall decrease in Los Angeles’ homeless population, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the valley increased by five percent, according to the 2018 Los Angeles Homelessness Count. With more homeless individuals in the area, the issue is becoming increasingly more visible, as encamp-

ments pop up in parks and under freeways where they hadn’t previously been.

“It’s so close to home,” Charley Connon ’18, who produced a documentary on homelessness in Los Angeles called “God’s Children,” said.

“In the valley, you see it everywhere on the street.”

Three out of every four people experiencing homelessness in Council District 2, which includes Studio City, Valley Village and North Hollywood, lived in Los Angeles before becoming homeless, 65 percent of which have lived in Los Angeles for more than 25 years,

according to the 2018 Los Angeles homelessness count.

“It’s a homegrown issue,” Ian Thompson, spokesman to City Councilman Paul Krekorian, said.

While the most visible homeless people that line the streets are mostly made up of the valley’s “chronic homeless,” or those who have remained homeless for years, and tend to struggle with mental illness or substance abuse, four in every five people experiencing homelessness in Council District 2 are known as the “economic homeless,” or those • Continued on A12

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KEVIN LU

ONLINE

Meet the staff: watch our new volume’s promotional video!

To promote the first issue of the Chronicle this year, videographers Kerry Neil ’19 and Kevin Lu ’19 filmed a Bachelor-in-Paradise-themed video with its staff during its first August layout. Watch the video on our website hwchronicle.com, find it on our Facebook or scan this QR code.

A2 NEWS

THE CHRONICLE

AUG. 29, 2018

New year, new faces: Record number of faculty and staff members hired

By ALEX GOLDSTEIN

for new staff members, and the school’s powerful alumni netThe school welcomed 24 work helped to fill the vacant new faculty members for the spots quickly, Commons said.

“We know that when we 2018-2019 school year, the a Harvard-Westlake highest number in 25 years, hire Head of Upper School Laura alumni, we are hiring someRoss said. This number is body who is going to be a great double the number of new fac- teacher,” Commons said.

New English teacher Dara ulty that joined staff last year.

The new teachers ex- Weinberg ’00 said that she will pressed their excitement to be able to use her experiences as a former student at begin working at a the school to help her school where the teaching, while also students are eagiving her students a ger and passionate chance to show her to learn, President how the school has Rick Commons said. changed.

“There is a lot “One thing I can of excitement, and do is be aware and there is a lot of ennot make assumpergy, and there is ’ tions about where my a real advantage Rick students are coming in that,” Commons Commons from,” Weinberg said. said.

“The way in which I Each academic department — english, math, think [being an alumni] is history, science and world lan- helpful is maybe I underguages — hired new teachers stand some of the pressures on the students. The level of for the upcoming year.

This year in particular, six academic expectations has not of the 24 new faculty are al- changed. It was intense before, and it is intense now, so if I ums of the school.

A need arose late last year can be sympathetic, that can WHITE S

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAM KO AND SPENCER KLINK

Seniors elect faculty speaker for Senior Ceremony for first time

By SOFIA HELLER

Coordinator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and science teacher Nate Cardin will speak at Senior Ceremony Sept. 16 as part of a new tradition in which the graduating class selects their closing speaker.

Head of School Rick Commons traditionally gave the closing remarks to the senior class at Senior Ceremony.

However, Commons decided to have Chaplain Father J. Young speak in place of himself at last year’s annual Senior Ceremony in honor of Young’s retirement, Upper School Dean of Students Jordan Church said.

“It just came together because the first time [Com-

mons did not speak] was last year with Father Young, who happened to be someone that connected well with students, and it was also his last year on campus,” Church said. “It fell together nicely and in my opinion, went really well. I think seniors getting a chance to say, ‘Hey, who is someone on campus that I would love to hear speak more broadly and give advice, rather than being so constrained with a classroom subject?’ is great.”

Members of Prefect Council sent an email to the senior class Aug. 14 with an explanation of the new opportunity and a survey for students to nominate a faculty member.

Head Prefect Ryan Stanford ’19 said she is excited about the new tradition and

In the issue

News

thinks it is a special opportunity for the senior class.

“We have things like the prefects speaking and the salutatorian, but this is really the only time we get to pick an adult to represent our class,” Stanford said. “I think it’s a really nice way to show appreciation for faculty members that have really influenced us and have had positive impacts on our lives.”

Cardin said he agrees that the seniors’ new ability to nominate a speaker gives the graduating class an opportunity to hear from teachers they appreciate.

He also believes the new tradition will result in unique and memorable closing speeches, he said.

“I think [the new tradition]

“

I think [the new tradition] is great because then you get all different types of flavors each year and hear what people want to give as their advice and guiding words for that year.”

— Nate Cardin Coordinator of DEI and Science Teacher

is great because then you get all different types of flavors each year and hear what people want to give as their advice and guiding words for that year,” Cardin said.

As the first teacher to be nominated to give a speech in this new tradition, Cardin said he is honored and hopes to make the senior class proud.

“It is really cool and slightly intimidating because I feel like every senior wants their senior year to be amazing,” Cardin said. “I know that Senior Ceremony is a super important step along that path, so having to speak in front of you all and

THE

Asian-Americans in the media industry and how it portrays the larger off-screen community.

C1

Features

IMMIGRATION NATION: Students im-

pacted by the current administration’s new immigration policies, which include the travel ban and zero tolerance policy, voice their concerns.

B4-5

SILVER:

Emmanuel Zilber ’19 won two silver medals at the 2018 International History Olympiad in Berlin, Germany.

A7

Opinion

READING INTO RULES: Is school too

different from the real world? The strict structure of school may not be the most effective way to prepare us for the future.

A10

getting to do that is [intimidating].”

Although she never had him as a teacher, Stanford said she has become close to Cardin through extracurriculars and was not surprised that the senior class nominated him to speak.

“I’ve always found [Cardin] to be such an incredible person,” Stanford said. “He really has a lot of interesting insights in a lot of areas. I know that whatever speech he gives is going to be incredibly profound. I think he has a lot of important messages to leave with all of us.”

KBOP TO THE TOP: The recent surge of

gender survey, organize a trip to the sites of the civil rights movement and address efforts to improve its diversity.

A4

FOR

WHITE’S

Arts & Entertainment

B8

DEI-VERSITY: The school will send out a

GOING

help me.”

In preparation for the year, the administration held a new faculty orientation that included break-out sessions aimed at understanding the specific culture at the school.

For the first time this year, new faculty members also underwent a two-day cultural competency training program (see A1).

New math teacher Joshua Helston will join the department this year to teach Algebra II with Analysis and Precalculus.

Helston said he hopes to bring a unique perspective to his classes while also gaining a new perspective himself.

“I have been teaching for 14 years at my previous institution, so I have some experience teaching these courses, but I am interested to see what the process is like at HarvardWestlake and compare what I have done in other places because that is an advantage,” Helston said. “The more perspectives you get, the more you can refine what you have and move into the future.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

PAYING THE PRICE: Members of the community discuss the

importance and effects of costly summer internships and programs. They emphasize how expensive summer activities can affect the college admissions process.

B8

THE CHRONICLE, the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School, is published eight times per year and distributed free on both the upper and middle school campuses.

There are 732 students at the Middle School and 870 students 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

Sports

NEW COACH IN TOWN: 2015 NFL High School Coach of the Year Michael Burnett takes on the role as football program head and economics teacher this year.

D6

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 Cameron Stokes at cstokes1@hwemail.com. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.

Aug. 29, 2018

hwchronicle.com/news

News A3

Offices in Chalmers redesigned

By Lucas Gelfond

The school completed a remodel of Chalmers Hall over the summer, including the relocation and expansion of several administrative offices and a remodel of the math department office.

In addition to its old space, the math department office incorporates the former dean conference room. The larger office also includes space for new math teachers Michael Burnett, Andrew Thiess and Joshua Helston.

“If you look at other schools’ offices, this is just amazing,” math teacher Michael Mori said. “I’ve gone through three remodels for the math office, and each time it’s helped us better serve our students.”

Students have shown more interest in STEM classes like computer science and robotics, and the department has hired more teachers to compensate, resulting in a need for a larger office space, Mori said.

The math office now includes a large table in the middle. Math teacher Andrew Stout said he thinks this addi-

ALLIE LANDECKER/CHRONICLE

BINDER FINDER: Chronicle Staff Writer and Layout Assistant Alice He ’21 shuffles through binders inside the newly designed and structured Math department office in Chalmers. Several offices have moved to accomodate the extra space in the math office. tion will make the math office better for students.

“We’re hoping that it’s going to be a madhouse full of students coming in, working, excited about doing math,” Stout said.

Several offices have moved to allow for the extra space in the math office. The previous dean coordinator’s space now houses the dean’s conference

room and Attendance Coordinator Gabriel Preciado’s office.

Preciado’s office originally was in the Seaver Academic Center.

“It’s great for me because it’ll give me more chances to interact with students,” Preciado said.

In order to include space for the dean coordinators, Head of Upper School Laura

Ross’ office has also been split.

Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research Teacher and Counselor Michelle Bracken’s office is now a space for the Director of Ethics, a position that has yet to be filled.

Upper School Dean of Students Jordan Church’s office is now where Chaplain James Young’s office was, and Brack-

en now uses Church’s old office.

“I think, institutionally, it is signifying more of a cohesion between departments, the dean’s office and the upper school office,” Dean Coordinator Camille De Santos said. “We’re all down here now in one location so it makes it easier for us to communicate with each other.”

Annual giving breaks independent day record

By Kaitlin Musante

CAITLIN CHUNG/CHRONICLE

MENTORING MENTORS: Paige Corman ’20 tours incoming sophomores around campus. Peer Support

trainees and leaders, Student Ambassadors and New Student Mentors helped at the Sophomore Orientation.

New Student Mentorship Program launches

By Luke Schneider

Members of the new student mentorship program met for the first time during a preorientation for new students Aug. 23.

Counselor Michelle Bracken said the administration created the program after realizing a need for a support system analogous to Big Sibs at the Upper School. “[The program] gives you someone to ask if you need help with something, and it gives you someone to know on campus,” new sophomore Simba Makawa ’21 said.

Bracken said that the program was well-received by both new students and their parents, and that there was an unexpectedly high number of rising juniors who expressed interest in joining the program.

Of the 48 students that

applied, the administration chose only 26 to become mentors. Some mentors will staff a support center for the first week of school, and others will set up a meeting spot during their lunch period. They will then meet with the new students periodically over the course of the school year.

Bracken noted that rising juniors who were new sophomores took a particular interest in the program.

“The mentors seem very excited about it,” Bracken said.

“They know it’s nice to have a familiar face, and they want to be that familiar face.”

During the pre-orientation, the mentors met the new students and showed them the campus. In addition, Director of Instructional Technology Jeffrey Snapp introduced students to online resources that they will use over the course of the school year.

Many students said they

have already taken advantage of the new support system.

Hannah Mittleman ’20 advised a new sophomore who had a tryout for Upper School Symphony.

“When I finally saw her off to her audition, I felt like a proud stepmom who finally proved herself,” Mittleman said.

Mentor Yoohan Ko ’20 said that meeting her mentees was a new and unique experience.

“Not only did I help new sophomores fit into a new school, but I also had the opportunity to meet people in the grade below me,” Ko said. “It was amazing how welcoming and willing sophomores were to open up their friend groups and include more people. After a few hours, they had already made new friends, so I’m glad I was able to help my mentees adjust to a new environment.”

to parents and faculty to remind them of their love for the Parents, alumni, faculty school’s message.

“Passing on that mission and staff donated a record $9.3 million to Annual Giving statement to the student body, last year, making the school to the parents, to the commuthe first independent day nity, to the staff, truly differschool to raise more than $9 entiates us from all the other million in annual giving, Ad- schools,” Kim said. “If you vancement Committee Chair look behind the numbers, we Melanie Ramberg Staggs ’85 were able to raise as much (Cole ’16, Tyler ’18, Carter ’23) as we did because we believe in those values. We as a comsaid.

100 percent of faculty and munity are truly united by ‘the staff participated for the 10th joyful pursuit of excellence.’”

Kim also stressed to potenyear in a row, and 92.8 pertial donors that annual giving cent of parents participated.

“We have an extraordinari- affects the community as a ly generous parent body who whole and allows the school to believe that what’s happening continue its legacy.

“It’s important just to conat the school is worth investing in,” President Rick Com- tinue the tradition of giving, mons said. “When you step not just for our children but back, people feel like we are for our children’s friends and one of the best schools in the the next generation, and to country and that their kids are continue this legacy of Harlucky to be here and that they vard-Westlake,” Kim said.

This is the fourth year in a ought to invest whatever they row that the school can above and beyond has exceeded its antuition.” nual giving record.

The school used Last year, the school the budgeted funds to raised $8.3 million, increase the salaries which also broke of faculty and staff, the independent day invest in classroom school record. technology and add Both Kim and security on both camCommons expressed puses, Commons said. that they were happy Since the school ’ to see parents and has access to an exRick faculty coming totra $700,000 due to Commons gether to support the the record funds, the school may be able to increase school.

“It’s so amazing that we salaries further, add another teacher or plan for a poten- reached the actual dollars and tial jump in healthcare costs, the participation numbers, but I am most proud of the comCommons said.

Head of Annual Giving munity as a whole,” Kim said.

Junga Kim (Emory ’18) attrib- “It was such an enormous feat uted much of the year’s suc- based on incredible efforts of cess to the community’s belief so many different people from in the school’s values, even parents to faculty to the office reading the mission statement of advancement.” white s

AUG. 29, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/NEWS

NEWS A4

DEI director continues efforts around campus

By KAITLIN MUSTANTE

faculty and staff to include pronouns in their emails Jones also organized a To promote equity and inclusion and further its focus bus tour of the South to visit on cultural competency, the prominent sites from the civil school plans to send out a rights movement.

Attendees will drive to mulgender survey, organize a trip to the sites of the civil rights tiple states including Georgia.

The spring break trip will movement and look at the school’s strengths and weak- include visits to the Nationnesses in terms of diversity to al Memorial for Peace and Justice, the country’s first improve the school.

After recognizing that it lynching memorial, the Edwas difficult for teachers to mund Pettus Bridge, the site privately ask their students of Bloody Sunday and the about their chosen pronouns, Lorraine Motel, which is the Coordinator of Diversity, Eq- building where Martin Luther King Jr. was assasuity and Inclusion sinated. and Science teacher “We are going to Nate Cardin created be able to get off this a Google survey that bus and actually allowedstudents to inwalk on the grounds form teachers of their and walk in the placidentity. es where history was “We are just givmade,” Jones said. ing our faculty and “I am super excited.” staff the tools to do ’ The trip will take this in a sensitive way Janine Jones place from March because some of our 31 to April 5 and is faculty and staff, while well-intentioned, decide to ask open for all students grades their kids what their gender 8-12.

The Diversity Council also pronouns are, and they will ask it in class and uninten- picked areas for the school to tionally out kids who may not focus on in terms of diversity feel comfortable with it,” Di- at its first meeting June 2. The rector of Diversity, Equity and council evaluated the school Inclusion Janine Jones said. from all angles, Jones said, “We want [the environment] to analyzing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and be super inclusive.”

The committee also sent threats in terms of diversity.

The team will meet again out a gender designation form for employees, which included to formulate a plan to increase an option to click male, female, diversity in these areas over X or other, and encouraged the next five years Sept. 8th.

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CAITLIN CHUNG/CHRONICLE

READY TO RECYCLE: Austin Lee ’21, Sterling Kim ’21 and Charlie Kogen ’19 sit amidst the littered tables on the quad. The environmental club is working to start an initiative to separate trash this year.

New recycling initiative introduced

By CAITLIN CHUNG

The school added 109 recycling bins around campus as a part of the Environmental Club’s initiative to create a greener, more environmentally friendly campus.

The new recycling initiative aims to lower waste consumption.

“Having a comprehensive recycling program at Harvard-Westlake will not only motivate students to engage in good waste disposal practices, but will make environmental

education an integrated part of their experience,” club leader Sonya Ribner ’19 said.

As the school’s new waste company does not sort any of the school’s recyclable materials, the school must now presort all of its waste, science teacher and Environmental Club advisor Nadine Eisenkolb said.

Each classroom now contains a recycling bin for clean paper, with students disposing of with other recyclable materials in containers outside of the classroom. The paper col-

lected will be picked up each week by appointed school service students, similar to the system at the Middle School.

Eisenkolb said that by separating the recyclable materials and offering more bins, the school can at least double its recycling efforts.

Club member Anja Clark ’19 said she hopes the new effort will cause students to become more aware.

“I want to achieve a new level of understanding among the community of protecting the environment,” Clark said.

School administration receives results from Stanford survey

By RYAN ALBERT

PRINTED WITH THE PERMISSION OF NICHE.COM

FIND YOUR NICHE: A screenshot from Niche.com displays the school’s grade. The school was named the best private high school in California, and the second best in the nation.

Niche.com names school second best private high school in the nation for 2019

By CASEY KIM

Niche.com, a ranking and review site, rated Harvard-Westlake the second best high school in the United States and the best private high school in California for 2019. This marks the highest ranking the school has received to date.

The ranking was determined by an assessment of multiple aspects of the school, including college data, standardized testing scores, student-teach-

er ratio and comments from students and parents. Harvard-Westlake received an A+ on the site’s rating scale in academics, teachers, clubs and activities, diversity, college prep and sports.

Last year, Harvard-Westlake ranked eighth nationally among private schools.

“I am proud of our school,” President Rick Commons said.

“I think if we look at those rankings as a true measure, we will be distracted. They are going to go up and down, and

they are going to change, but I am glad and proud we are on that list.”

The website released student reviews and responses about their overall experience at the school.

“I am currently in ninth grade at Harvard Westlake, and I can genuinely say that [this year] has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life,” a freshman wrote in a featured review. “I would not trade my experience at this school for anything.”

“The [gap] between valuing and enjoying it is what I call School administrators re- it the engagement gap,” Comceived results from the Stan- mons said. “Students are doford Survey of Adolescent ing the work, but without beSchool Experiences that mid- ing engaged by it.”

The survey allows admindle and upper school students took last spring. The results istrators to look at data for include information ranging specific demographics of the school and from workload compare reto classroom Any school, sults. Another enjoyment and especially ours, advantage is will be used to that the school can get better. I’m determine how can compare to improve pleased with how it’s students’ data student life. going so far, ” in the conPresident —Jon Wimbish text of other Rick Commons presented his Head of Middle School schools, Commons said. early findings Commons said he plans during his opening remarks to to publish the results so stuthe faculty.

“The data reflects that we dents and faculty can benefit have challenges with regard from its findings. The results to the emotional well-being, will help the school improve and in many cases, physical student life, Head of Middle School Jon Wimbish said. well-being,” Commons said.

“I think there is so much The survey asked students if they valued and enjoyed in the data that points to that their education. Though more we are starting from a place of than 90 percent of students strength, which I’m not suron both campuses said they prised by,” Wimbish said. “But valued education, only about any school, especially ours, 50 percent of students at the can get better. I’m pleased upper school enjoyed it, and with how it’s going so far.” about 60 percent at the middle school, Commons said, Read the extended article on web

“

Aug. 29, 2018

hwchronicle.com/news

News A5

Student app valued at $1m sells equity

By Luke Schneider

for safety in addition to their Ari Sokolov ’18, Izzy Reiff machine learning algorithms, ’18, Lexi So ’19, Sara Kangas- which target the users most in lahti ’19 and Georgia Messing- need of help, Messinger said. er (Brentwood School ’18) sold “If a user is being harmed 5 percent of their company, or has been harming themself, The Trill Project, for $50,000, we can offer resources and valuing it at $1 million. The personalized and moderated Trill Project is an anonymous support that can direct them and secure app where users to the emergency app that has can safely discuss shelters, hospitals, their personal lives. hotlines, medical at“I want to grow tention and police our product to be the resources nearby,” most engaging and Messinger said. supportive for our The Trill Project users as possible,” hopes to continue to Sokolov said. “Everyimprove its app with a one deserves a comre-launch scheduled munity where they for back-to-school ’ belong.” season, on Sept. 10, Ari Sokolov ’18 The group got Messinger said. their funding through “[Back-to-school Founders Bootcamp, a venture season] is when suicide rates capital fund geared toward and depression are the highhigh schoolers. est, and we want people to They secured the invest- know that they’re not alone,” ment after a three month se- Messinger said. lection process. Once acceptMessinger said they hope ed, they received funding and to sell more equity and have guidance from experienced received a $500,000 offer from mentors. other potential investors. They that The company will will travel to Silicon Valley to continue to moderate the app field offers this October. white s

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF LEXI SO

ONE IN A ‘TRILL’ION: Co-founder of Trill Izzy Reiff ’18 and Coco Kaleel ’20 laugh during Trill’s Launch party. The modified app will have a greater focus on the user experience and is scheduled to launch Sept. 10.

New York Times publishes chemistry teacher’s crossword puzzle for first time The New York Times published Coordinator of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and science teacher Nate Cardin in the July 28 issue.

“I’ve always loved doing puzzles and as a kid” Cardin said. “I always thought that [publishing a crossword] would be an ideal scenario, but when I was a kid I always thought that’s what other smarter people

can make.”

After sharing and collaborating on puzzles with math teacher Mike Grier and publishing crosswords in every issue of The Chronicle, Cardin developed his puzzle-making skills until he eventually submitted his first puzzle to The New York Times in early January.

Cardin said that he gets his inspiration for crossword puzzle themes as he

goes about his day. After he has an idea, he puts together the initial grid and then writes the clues for the imagined crossword.

Cardin’s crossword uses common symbols, such as the hashtag, instead of following The New York Times’s usual alphabetic structure.

“You have to realize that the symbol goes in that square and that the sym-

“

He is very passionate about [writing crossword puzzles] and it shows.

He talks about it in science class from time to time and I feel inspired to solve some of them. I love that he does that kind of work.”

— Jack Hoppus ’20

bol means four different things,” Cardin said, “It’s got a couple different layers to it.”

Cardin said that he hopes students and other members of the community will enjoy his crosswords.

“He is very passionate

white’s

about [writing crossword puzzles] and it shows,” Jack Hoppus ’20 said. “He talks about it in science class from time to time and I feel inspired to solve some of them. I love that he does that kind of work.”

Prova-iding the best: Seniors launch company

By Casey Kim and Lindsay Wu

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JONATHAN DAMICO

FOR STUDENTS, BY STUDENTS: Sophie Lopez ’19 and Bailey Towill ’19 use Prova to access their books without taking the backpack off.

After nearly two years of preparation, Jonathan Damico ’19 and Cameron Schiller ’19 launched Prova Design Backpacks, a start-up company that manufactures redesigned versions of the traditional school bag.

“We’re really happy with the success of our Kickstarter,” Schiller said. “It’s insane.

Within the first day we raised $26,000, which is mind-boggling for us. Our aim for the company is to make the best backpack in the world for students by leveraging our unique position as students.”

As of press time, Prova has raised over $46,000, exceeding its intial funding goal of $35,000.

Damico and Schiller mainly worked with Samantha Ho ’16 and Allen Gan ’18 during the design process to create Series 1, their first product, as well as their logo and promo-

tional video.

Schiller said he and Damico wanted to ensure that the Prova design team was made up of all students. “[Damico] and I always say, ‘Oh yeah, Tinder and Facebook, all of those are really designed by students, for students their age,’” Schiller said.

“You’re not going to find a high school student designing a retirement fund, and you’re not going to find a six-year-old designing a dating app, because it just does not make sense.

When we go to school every day, we can see exactly where all the hang ups are with backpacks, and we really live in the problem itself.”

After the two sent out surveys to their friends and peers, Ho created different sketches and revised them according to the responses. Damico and Schiller then chose a design, which they sent to their manufacturer in order to create a physical prototype.

“We went through a ton

of designs because we really wanted to make sure we had it perfect,” Damico said.

“We made sure to ask a lot of people, get a lot of user feedback from our peers at Harvard-Westlake and have our personal friends fill out multiple-page surveys.”

Damico and Schiller said they also hope to gain personal business experience from running Prova.

As of now, the two are currently planning to continue their current sales online but are unsure of the next steps that they want to take with their business.

“We had Kickstarter, and we will be jumping on Amazon, as well as our own website,” Schiller said. “We’ll keep selling [our backpacks] until people don’t want them anymore, then maybe build a second backpack depending on it.

Right now, a lot of people want the bag, and as long as people keep wanting our bags, we are going to keep building them.”

A6 News

The Chronicle

Aug. 29, 2018

PA protests air traffic over school

By Casey Kim and Lindsay Wu

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ED HU

HAVING THE TIME OF EUR(OPE) LIFE: Faculty members from the middle and upper school smile for a group picture. The trip started in Berlin and lasted for 15 days. The purpose of the tour was to explore the legacy of World War II and bond as a group.

Faculty follows WWII track and tour Europe

By Emma Limor

As part of the Summer Faculty Fellowship Program, 15 staff and faculty members from both the middle and upper school campuses traveled to Europe.

The trip took place from June 10 to 25, beginning with a four-day visit to Berlin, Germany, where the faculty studied the rise of the Nazi regime.

The faculty also visited Krakow, Amsterdam, Normandy and London and saw many historical sites and landmarks along the way.

In each city they stopped at, faculty visited different

sites significant in both the those two things were differHolocaust and World War II, ent, but it is interesting to such as Auschwitz. Auschwitz think about family separations is one of the Holocaust’s larg- and dehumanizing people as est concentramajor themes. tion camps in It was a very [We] learned a Poland. transformationU p p e r whole lot, not just about al experience School Dean for me.” the history but more Beth Slattery After visitimportantly about the said that Ausing Auschwitz, people.” chwitz and the faculty Birkenau were —Larry Klein traveled to Amthe most influHistory teacher sterdam, where ential sites of they visited the the trip.

Anne Frank “We were at Auschwitz House and studied the Dutch when reports of families be- Resistance. ing separated were surfacFrom Amsterdam, the facing,” Slattery said. “Obviously, ulty drove to Normandy to see

“

Utah Beach, where the Allied forces landed on D-Day. Lastly, the faculty took the tunnel passage from Normandy to England. In Oxford and London, they studied the impact of Winston Churchill’s leadership during the World War II period.

“Our two weeks together as faculty and staff from across campuses and departments allowed us to bond in friendship and to share in our growth of understanding better the causes and effects of World War II in Europe,” Interdisciplinary Studies Department Head and history teacher Larry Klein said.

In response to the Federal Aviation Administration’s public proposal to place two GPS waypoints over Ventura Blvd. and Valley Vista Blvd., HW Parent Association President Kairavi Daum (Maddy ’18, Alex ’20, Isabella ’23) encouraged all parents to submit comments against the project in an email Aug. 22.

The FAA’s project would utilize new satellite technology to create a route for jets to take off from Burbank Airport.

The new flight pathways would cause increased air traffic so that there are lower flying planes over the upper school campus.

“Many people replied back to my email saying that they sent in the comments,” Daum said. “They were feeling empowered to be doing something about this, and they want to do more.”

Because the FAA’s comment period ended Aug. 23, Daum said her call for action was urgent. Daum was originally notified of FAA’s proposal by Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg ’98.

The parent community hopes to work alongside the school’s neighboring residents in the future, Daum said.

“I think we’re all concerned about the potential of the noise and disruption caused by more air traffic over our school,” Daum said. “In the future, we’re going to keep close track of these developments and make sure that the parents in our community know about that if we have an opportunity.”

New and improved audio-visual system to be implemented this year

By Chloe Schaeffer

to project from their own lapThe technology department top, and this new system will introduced a new audio-visual do that.” projector system over the sumCrestron, an electronics mer. Installed in every class- company, made the systems, room and conference room, which consist of small white the projector systems screens, about the will help to simplify size of an iPad mini, the presentation of with touch screen information, IT Direccontrol to switch betor David Ruben said. tween dock cam view “It’s mostly just and the laptop. an easier interface,” “It’s just faster Ruben said. “I think and more reliable,” that maybe teachers Ruben said. “There’s ’ have given up on tryreally nothing that Laura ing to project because fancy about it, it’s Ross it’s just too difficult just a simple operafor them, and we hope we will tion. It’s basically turning on return to being able to do that. your TV. It will be nicer for In addition, it is a lot easier teachers because when they to [have another device] proj- want to switch between docect as well. There are teachers ument camera to laptop, this who want students to be able new system switches instantly white s

instead of waiting.”

Students said they have experienced technical difficulties with the old projectors.

“Once, I was in math class, and our teacher wanted to show us how to do this one Algebra I concept,” Sterling Kim ’21 said. “She tried to turn on the projector, and it didn’t work. We didn’t get it to work, so she just explained it on the whiteboard. She had to write out all the problems.”

Faculty members said that they hope the new system will make a real difference in among students and teachers.

“It going to hopefully make life easier for [students] because everything will work [audio-visual-wise],” Head of Upper School Laura Ross said.

“It’s going to be awesome.”

CHLOE SCHAEFFER/CHRONICLE

TESTING THE TECH: Chronicle Staff Writer and Layout Assistant Khyra Stiner ’21 uses the newly installed projectors in each class.

Aug. 29, 2018

hwchronicle.com/news

News A7

Senior wins two silvers in History Olympiad

By Casey Kim

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JAMIE CHAN

JEJU ON THAT BEAT: Students pose for a group picture at the WLSA conference in Jeju Island, South Korea.

At the conference, participants interacted with other schools and engaged in leadership and recreational activities.

Students attend WLSA conference in Jeju

By Sarah Healy

from all around the world to Students traveled to Jeju discuss timely topics and parIsland, South Korea to at- ticipate in cultural activities. tend the “I not only World Leading made friends Schools Assowith students I not only made ciation (WLSA) from abroad, friends with students Conference such as South from abroad [...] but I and engaged Africa, China was also able to hear in cultural acand Korea, but tivities and I also was able various perspectives.” workshops. to hear the var—Anthony Khaiat ’19 ious perspecThe school was a foundtives on the Huing member of man Condition WLSA, Director of Kutler Cen- issue,” Anthony Khaiat ’19 said. ter and Summer Programs Jim Students took part in Patterson said. The organiza- interactive leadership action brings students together tivities such as the BUILD

“

model, an entrepreneurial leadership tool. The keynote speakers, Tanatsei Gambura, Zena Edosomwan and the Holistic Life Foundation, delivered speeches to the students about finding oneself.

“I’ve been taught to keep an open mind to people’s different situations, but people around the world are more similar than you think,” Penelope Juarez ’21 said.

Elected WLSA student council members Khaiat and Chronicle Assistant Photo Editor Caitlin Chung ’20 will work with others to plan for the next conference in 2020.

Nini Halkett shared her experiences with Zilber in the classAfter preparing for the room. tournament and traveling to “I am not at all surprised Berlin, Emmanuel Zilber ’19 that he earned those honors won two silver medals in the because not only was he an Varsity division of the 2018 In- excellent and hard-working ternational History Olympiad. student, but he was also pasZilber competed in Recent, sionate about learning everyAncient, Pop Music, German thing he could about the world Military and International Bee around him,” Halkett said.

History categories in the Quiz “[Zilber] definitely stood out in Bowl event July 14-22. He also terms of the extensive outside participated in the Potsdam knowledge that he brought to Simulation, Berlin the course.”

Exam and Knockout Zilber said he enrounds and placed joys speaking and second in both of his discussing about hisindividual events— tory and politics and Great Trading Game has been involved and Written Exam. in competing in the “Competing in the Olympiad for six Olympiad was defiyears. nitely nerve-wrack“Particularly when W ’ Emmanuel ing, but I didn’t parwe were discussing Zilber ’19 ticularly have high politics, I would often expectations for how look to Emmanuel I would do,” Zilber said. “I was to help me with information very surprised I won two silver that might answer a student’s medals. I just spent the time at question or further a discusthe tournament trying to have sion,” Halkett said. fun and meeting new people.”

Zilber said history has alZilber was the sole partic- ways been one of his favorite ipant from the school to com- subjects. pete in the Olympiad.

“In fifth grade, I had a fun “[Competing] is mostly a history teacher who made me personal thing,” Zilber said. really like history, so I started “There is no set team here, so reading more books on various I have been doing this on my topics and playing games,” own. I had a club, but it did Zilber said. “One day, there not invite too much interest, was a competition, and I said, so I have just been doing it ‘Oh, this seems interesting. I’ll alone.” probably do terribly in it, but I The silver-medalist’s AP might as well try.’ I have been United States History teacher doing it ever since.” hite s

Sophomore teaches robotics in Ethiopian middle school

By Lindsay Wu

Jake Futterman ’21 taught robotics and STEM ideas at Gode Primary School in July as the first phase of his overall vision to create a sustainable robotics program in rural Ethiopia.

Over the course of the fiveday camp he created, Futterman used LEGO Mindstorms EV3 technology to introduce the basics of designing, programming and operating simple robots.

Futterman said he was inspired to share his knowledge, experience and passion for robotics after hearing from Ethiopia Health Association that students in Gode Village were eager to learn.

“A young student once told EHA ‘Here you may see us as a primitive community with no running water and electricity — much less in need of technology when we barely have books. But please remember that our future is out there in the world, and we need computers to compete,’” Futterman said. “Like students all over the world, the students of Gode Primary School are striving to be the brightest in an expanding global market-

place.”

EHA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health care and education of communities in the underdeveloped Oromia region of Ethiopia. EHA assisted Futterman with the logistics of the camp.

“There were numerous technical difficulties on site, and I had to continually adjust the curriculum as the class progressed,” Futterman said. “The biggest challenge, however, was to accommodate more students than anticipated. Though originally designed for a total of 16 participants, it was impossible to turn away the numerous students who begged to participate. The class topped off at 24 participants, although many more tried to sneak in or peer through the windows.”

Because Gode Primary School does not have modern amenities like clean water, internet or level floors, Futterman said he had to plan accordingly and bring all course materials from home. To fund his project, Futterman also raised over $2,500 and created a web page to promote his mission.

Starting in February, Fut-

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JAKE FUTTERMAN

MINDBLOWN: Students of Gode Primary School watch as Jake Futterman ’21 demonstrates driving a robot built from a LEGO Mindstorm EV3 kit. Futterman taught a camp in Ethiopia for five days. terman worked to develop the curriculum, detailed lesson plans and model robots for the camp.

The camp culminated in a final competition, where teams of students collaborated and applied their new skills. “[During the final competition] the students realized that they were capable of solving the challenge and possessed the knowledge and skills to do something great,” Futterman said. “I, too, realized that

even those who have been never exposed to new technology before, or live in mud houses and get to school on horseback, truly have potential to do something great. It was an amazing moment because I saw what they were capable of, and I knew that we accomplished our mission.”

At the end of his stay, Futterman was presented with a gabi, a handwoven Ethiopian blanket.

Futterman plans to return

next summer to teach another class, which will integrate new students with those returning, he said.

During the year, Futterman’s top students will continue to hold meetings after school to maintain their skills.

“I am so thankful to be welcomed into the Gode family and for the warmth, care and hospitality they provided throughout my stay in Ethiopia,” Futterman said. “They have changed my life forever.”

A8 News

The Chronicle

Re-treat Yourself !

Aug. 29, 2018 Community Council, BLACC and Prefect Council traveled across Southern California over the summer to bond, learn and have fun.

Prefects retreat to desert

By Emma Shapiro

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF CHRIS JONES

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MICHAEL LEHRHOFF

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF CAITLIN CHUNG

RETREAT! RETREEAAT!!!: (Clockwise from top left) Senior Prefect Loyal Terry ’19 prepares to leave for Palm Springs; upper and middle school BLACC students listen to a lecture; Community Council poses for a group photo after returning from Magic Mountain.

Community Council visits Magic Mountain

By Zoe Redlich

Community Council members went on a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain to discuss their plans for the upcoming year on Aug. 16.

Inderdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research teacher and counselor Michelle Bracken and Upper School Dean of Students Jordan Church, who serve as the council’s main advisors, led the group of ten students to

the theme park for a day of rides and bonding.

“It’s a time for them to do some bonding that they don’t get time to do otherwise,” Bracken said.

The tradition of the Community Council’s bonding activities started with the council’s founding. The retreat still continues to focus on introducing the new junior members of the council to the returning senior members, Bracken said.

“Several years ago, [Church] and [Father James Young] formed the Community Council,” Bracken said. “They decided that, like with the prefects, it would be a nice idea to have some bonding time and do something just for [the Community Council members] as a group.”

Before the students left the school bound for Magic Mountain, they met each other at the Upper School campus and participated in various

BLACC hosts third annual retreat

By Tammer Bagdasarian

The Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club participated in a community service project and invited guest speakers who discussed issues within the African American community at its third annual retreat Aug. 18.

The event, which took place at the Middle School, included icebreakers, group activities and a community service project where students filled backpacks with supplies that would be sent to under-privileged children.

While students stuffed

the backpacks together, Upper School Dean Chris Jones moderated a panel for parents, who discussed the experiences their children will have as a part of both the BLACC and school communities.

In addition, actors Kellee Stewart and Wade Allain-Marcus ’03 hosted a keynote presentation and spoke about how race will affect the students in the future. Stewart and Allain-Marcus both appear in award-winning films, including “Hunter Gatherer,” and “Brooklyn’s Finest.”

The students also watched “Am I Black Enough,” a doc-

umentary by Ed Gordon on what it means to be a black person in America.

“The response to the event has been really great,” Jones said. “The kids seem to come out of it understanding who they are in a way that seems rejuvenating, and they have a true North to follow.”

The retreat aimed to welcome students new to BLACC and make them feel like they have a community to look up to, Jones said.

“We want everyone to think about what kind of mark they want to make this year, and from a legacy standpoint, what

ice-breaking activities.

“My favorite part of the Community Council retreat was the improvisation game we played in the morning before we left,” Bella Carino ’19 said. “It was a really great ice-breaker. It was really nice to see how more and more people were comfortable to be funny and to be themselves as the game progressed, even though it was the first time a lot of us had been together in one place.”

“

Upper School prefects attended their annual retreat Aug. 19 in Palm Springs.

Junior Prefect Jaya Nayar ’20 said the goal of the retreat was to plan for the upcoming school year by setting goals and areas for improvement.

One of the main goals is to ensure the effectiveness of Prefect Council and their ability to stay motivated throughout the school year, Senior Prefect Caroline Cook ’19 said.

“We are big on collaboration this year within the council but also with other groups at school,” Cook said.

Upper School Dean of Students Jordan Church and Upper School Dean Sharon Cuseo accompanied the prefects on their retreat.

The prefects discussed the group’s strengths and weaknesses and began brainstorming opportunities for improvement, Nayar said.

They also discussed how to expand the reach of the Prefect Council to better connect with the students.

The majority of the retreat was dedicated to getting to know one another and discussing better collaboration efforts, Cook said.

“Prefect retreat provides us with an environment where we can have discussions about what the role of a prefect is and how we can use this upcoming school year to create lasting change,” Nayar said.

Prefects also spent time discussing the obligations of being a representative on the Honor Board and how to best approach the cases presented.

The senior prefects wrote their ring ceremony speeches with the help of Church and Cuseo while the head prefects prepared for convocation.

The response to the event has been really great. The kids seem to come out of it understanding who they are in a way that seems rejuvenating, and they have a true North to follow.”

—Chris Jones Upper School Dean

they want to do during their time at Harvard-Westlake,” Jones said.

BLACC member Robert Osborne ’20 attended a similar event when he entered the middle school. He said that he wanted to pass on the good experience he had to the following class of students.

white’s

“I think it is great that we have this welcome event every year,” Osborne said. “I remember attending something similar as a seventh grader, and it was very helpful because as we go through the school, we always have more advice to give. Overall, it’s just an awesome experience.”

C HRONICLE the harvard-westlake

Editors-in-Chief: Sophie Haber, Jenny Li Print Managing Editors: Alex Goldstein, Sofia Heller, Kaitlin Musante

Opinion The Chronicle • Aug. 29, 2018

Los Angeles • Volume 28• Issue 1 • Aug. 29, 2018 • hwchronicle.com

editorial

Digital Managing Editor: Lucas Gelfond Presentation Managing Editors: Ryan Albert, Kendall Dees Engagement Managing Editor and News Editor: Saba Nia Assistant News Editors: Casey Kim, Luke Schneider, Lindsay Wu Opinion Editor: Vishan Chaudhary Assistant Opinion Editors: Tammer Bagdasarian, Jessa Glassman, Emma Shapiro, Amelie Zilber Features Editors: Kaelyn Bowers, Alison Oh Assistant Features Editors: Kyra Hudson, Madison Huggins, Jeanine Kim, Spencer Klink, Anusha Mathur, Lauren Nehorai, Zoe Redlich A&E Editor: Lexi So Assistant A&E Editors: Annie Beckman, Jordan Murray, Sarah Reiff Sports Editors: Jackie Greenberg, Ben Tenzer Assistant Sports Editors: Luke Casola, Will Mallory, Keila McCabe, Zack Schwartz William Seymour, Eugene Wyman Multimedia Editor and Business Manager: Cameron Stokes Assistant Business Managers: Sarah Healy, Joanna Im Assistant Broadcast Editors: Ty Goodrich, Cole Katz, Yoohan Ko, Alex Mork, Dylan Shenson Art Director: Samantha Ko Assistant Photography Editors: Caitlin Chung, Jay Lassiter Freelance Writers: Noah Aire, Valerie Velazquez Layout Assistants and Staff Writers: Olivia Baer, Crystal Baik, Mariela Breidsprecher, Lola Butan, Lauren Cho, Eugean Choi, Eva de Rubertis, Ruoshan Dong, Olivia Gubel, Tanisha Gunby, Hannah Han, Siobhan Harms, Frank Jiang, Ethan Lachman, Alexandra Landecker, Austin Lee, Lucas Lee, Emma Limor, Lee Nichols, Celine Park, Chloe Schaeffer, Andrew So, Khyra Stiner Broadcast Assistants: Alex Amster, Alice He, Matthew Lee, Madeleine Massey, Marina Nascimento, Jaidev Pant, Kyle Reims, Charles Wang Adviser: Jim Burns

The Chronicle is the student newspaper of HarvardWestlake School. It is published ten 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 Cameron Stokes at cstokes1@ hwemail.com. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or school.

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

Creating Community Connections

As students and faculty members drove up Coldwater Canyon Ave. on the first day of school, they may have noticed a formerly prominent element missing from the front lawns of the neighboring homes—the protest signs.

While these signs once served as a physical manifestation of the tension between the school and its neighbors, their absence now symbolizes a potential for a more positive and accepting relationship.

The purchase of the Weddington Golf & Tennis property last year put plans of a new parking structure over Coldwater Canyon Ave. on hold, drawing support from both neighbors and local officials.

“I’m glad that Harvard-Westlake is shelving its plans to build a parking structure across the street from its Coldwater campus,” LA City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who represents the Studio City community, said in a press release. “They deserve credit for listening to the serious concerns that the community and I raised about the project, and their announced agreement to purchase Weddington Golf & Tennis shows they are ready to move in another direction.”

While many neighbors, including Krekorian, recognize the potential for the school’s positive influence, the lack of communication between Harvard-Westlake and the outside community has resulted in fear of future plans.

In the school’s efforts to continue to facilitate a more positive relationship with its neighbors, we feel that more direct community engagement is necessary.

For example, an increase in transparency regarding the administration’s decisions as they pertain to the community would foster a greater sense of trust between both parties.

In our new Community section, we highlight

the neighbors’ feelings surrounding HarvardWestlake’s purchase of Weddington. We will continue to strive to bridge the gap between the two communities.

Furthermore, the school should make more of an effort to invite the community to participate in campus events. Advertising sports games and arts productions would help to create the more inclusive environment that the school strives to achieve, as stated in the mission statement.

While there are certainly ways the school can and should improve our community relations, we also must acknowledge that community service has always been a pillar of our school’s values, and there have already been steps taken to engage with the people around us.

For example, the Harvard-Westlake Outreach Performers club plans variety shows that they perform at local elementary schools and retirement communities.

In addition, the Wider Than The Sky poetry festival invites student poets from all over Los Angeles to campus to hear and learn from speakers and attend specially curated workshops. We hope that the school will continue to find ways to use its resources to help the community.

Over the course of this school year, we want to see this positive trend in communications with the community and overall engagement continue.

On our part, we hope to expand the reach of our paper and in turn help to inform the community of what is happening on campus. We feel that through transparency and openness, the school can repair old wounds and work to involve ourselves in the supportive and trusting community around us.

A10 OPINION

THE CHRONICLE

AUG. 29, 2018

Let’s test the ACT and SAT

By Jessa Glassman

W

ith the start of another hectic and workfilled school year, the preparation for college application perfection continues to intensify.

As students are all too aware, one of the core pillars of a successful application is the submission of a standardized test—either the ACT or the SAT. The heavy emphasis on these scores by college admissions urges students to shell out thousands of dollars on tutors, spend countless hours reading passages written in old English and to make multiple choice strategies muscle memory.

Even though many students invest heavily in preparing for these exams, studying does not necessarily translate to success.

Some students naturally possess the skills needed to stay concentrated throughout the test, and only some are able to decipher tricky question phrasing in a short amount of time.

Unlike classes at school where a large part of a grade reflects effort, be it through in-class participation or coming to tests well-prepared, standardized testing prioritizes skills that are arbitrary and based primarily on untaught aptitude.

Colleges claim to value work ethic, creativity and intellectual curiosity yet stress the importance of a test which can only measure a robotic assortment of abilities, which seems to be a fundamental contradiction in their admissions messages.

In order to achieve a high score on these tests, students must have a strong understanding of their structure, meaning that students without access to strong test resources are at a massive disadvantage. While some can afford to work with a private tutor, others rely on books from local libraries, online resources or take the test with little or no preparation at all.

D

Having access to a standardized testing expert can give students with money an immense advantage in learning strategy, which consequently makes the entire admissions process slanted toward them.

According to The Washington Post, students from families earning more than $200,000 a year averaged a score of 1,714 on the 2,400 point model of the SAT, while students from families earning under $20,000 a year averaged 1,326.

While it may seem unrealistic to eliminate such an established pillar, many schools have chosen to evaluate students without the arbitrary tests.

Institutions such as Wesleyan University, George Washington University, Bowdoin College, Wake Forest University and University of Chicago have decided to make score submission optional, placing an emphasis on other aspects of the application such as essays and interviews.

Those who are seeking a spot at these schools are thus enabled to craft their applications based on what portrays them best.

They can choose whether or not they want to send in their standardized test score, AP scores or subject test scores along with their transcript, which puts more power in their hands and makes sure they put their best self forward during the application process.

This means that universities will focus on more human aspects of their applicants instead of turning them into statistics, which creates a more capable and diverse student body.

For now, standardized testing is the sun that collegeready high school students revolve around, but with a commitment toward finding better and more innovative ways to test the aptitude of applicants, a world without the stress of the test is possible and not too far off.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN ALBERT AND SAMANTHA KO

ear Kindergarten Saba,

Today is my last first day of high school. My brother and his friend are sitting in the backseat of my impossibly small car, laughing about the videos they’re watching on their iPhones. It’s been at least two years since they’ve been taller than me; as we stroll into the school, it appears as if they are the seniors and not I. On your first day of school, you couldn’t step out of the car.

Not wouldn’t, couldn’t. Your mother had to coax you onto the sidewalk as your dad gently set your new backpack on your shoulders. Sandwiching

yourself between your parents, you slowly approached the elementary school doors.

I certainly don’t feel like a senior either; there’s so much that I haven’t done yet. So much that I’ve only experienced through a John Hughes movie or early 2000s song. In my head, high school is the screech of convertibles stopping before a stop light, “hitting the mall” after school.

But in real life, my high school experience seems to pale in comparison, like I’ve been living in black and white but dreaming in color.

There was so much you wanted to do, and it was only

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

Don’t succumb to structure

By Tammer Bagdasarian

T

his summer, there were many days when I felt lost, unsure of what to do next or how to accomplish my goals. The sharp contrast between the freedom of summer and the strict framework of school puzzled me. After all, are students not attending school in order to learn how to be successful on our own, when they do not have rigid schedules or structures?

I often wonder how being in an academic institution, where I am given someone else’s recipe for how to succeed, will help me succeed in the future.

School is a super-structure of rules, recommendations and guidelines. I am often surprised when I hear administrators call for increased support of students from teachers, whether it be to provide detailed syllabi, divide papers or assignments up into incremental stages or suggest detailed explanations for how to create the optimal study guide.

As adults, students will not be given such intricate guidelines for how to best prepare a business presentation or complete a complex project.

Rather, they will more likely be handed a deadline and have to figure out how to get it done on our own. Formulas for how to succeed in school should be replaced by students’ personal styles of studying, which they develop through experience.

Many argue that in order to teach students how to be suc-

cessful in the future, teachers must provide them with structure and time-management techniques. I fully agree with that statement, but there are more effective ways to teach these important principles.

Artificial deadlines do not help students learn to pace themselves; they merely provide a crutch. Even though an assignment is broken into small increments, for example, one can still procrastinate until the last minute to complete that section.

Detailed directions on how to prepare a study guide prevent students from learning for themselves how to effectively organize information. Similarly, binder checks force students to conform to a method of organization that may not suit all of them.

Instead of placing so much stress on following specific formulaic steps for succeeding in school, teachers should encourage students to find the way that works best for them after being offered examples through trial and error.

While students might fail once or twice while experimenting with different techniques, they will quickly adjust and, on their own, figure out how we work best. Similarly, the attendance policy in school seems at best, unnecessary, and at worst, detrimental to students’ future choices.

At school, it is not only discouraged but harshly punished for students to show

up late or skip class. But the real reason that they should attend class is not to escape being disciplined, but instead, to avoid missing out on new knowledge and to take control of our learning.

If some students decide to follow the rules only for the sake of following the rules, then they will be more prone to naively make those same mistakes when there is no rule. For example, in college, not all classes require attendance, but if students decide to skip class, they will learn the consequences of making the wrong decision when they don’t learn the material or do poorly on the exam.

A student who believes that they would be better off cutting class should learn the consequences when they are confused on the next test, rather than when they are forced to sit through detention for 40 minutes.

As students transition to the next stage in their lives, they will be presented with the reality that they are on our own, and they will no longer have the crutches that we have become so accustomed to in school.

While it may result in short-term pain, replacing the vast system of rules and guidelines with suggestions and strategies found through their personal experience will make them more successful and independent adults in the future.

your first day. You glanced at the books you longed to read and the maps of continents you were excited to explore. But you were so nervous. All the older students were running around the front hallway, scuffing their shoes on the newly painted floors. You sat in the very corner of the classroom, soaking in all the details yet afraid to speak to anyone else.

I know everything seems so daunting, but it will get better. It always does. Children tease one another regarding what they fear and hate; they will tell their peers that their problems are insignificant.

I’ve seen adults do the same things to their children, saying with a sigh that their children’s issues really aren’t that substantial. I won’t lie and tell you that people still don’t do that to each other in high school, because they do. We do that all the time.

When your class first began, your teacher went around

the room, asking each child to introduce him or herself. As each student announced their name, favorite colors and foods with the certainty that only a five-year-old can possess, you sat alone with your thoughts.

As the girl beside you finished her turn, you looked up at your teacher, heart beating.

But there is nothing wrong with being afraid, there’s nothing wrong with being uncomfortable or inexperienced or confused. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you are inferior because you have challenges or flaws.

Your teacher smiled as you whispered your name in shaky breaths, and you didn’t feel so alone or worried anymore.

As you described your interests, your eyes caught the sign above the board: “TRY SOMETHING NEW. BE BRAVE. STAY KIND.” Your voice grew louder.

Today is my last first day of school. There are going to be a lot of “lasts” this year. And

I could lie and tell you that doesn’t scare me, but I know that you know that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I continue to take risks: to try something new, to be brave, to stay kind. I have a whole school year left before me and I’m determined to take advantage of it and do all the things that I’ve hesitated to do before.

You made new friends that day. You learned how to add and subtract. You went to your first morning assembly, and then you took your first step on a school field and then another.

And then you were running because suddenly there was a whole bright future ahead of you and the yells of your peers around you were no longer threatening, but exciting and welcoming.

Remember that the hardest thing to do is take the first step: the rest is easy.

Love, Twelfth Grade Saba

hwchronicle.com/opinion

Aug. 29, 2018

Opinion A11

Letter from the Editors

Fighting against fake news

By Sophie Haber and Jenny Li

Fake news. To some, it’s the Enemy of the People; to others, it’s just a joke. However, it’s not a concept to be taken lightly. At its most, fake news can sway an election. At its least, it can falsely manipulate the opinion of one person, impacting their thoughts and actions. In both cases, it leads to a distrust of the media, which was created to bring truth to the people.

We at the Chronicle, hope to exemplify the purpose of news organizations as it was meant to be.

This year, we are venturing out of the gates of Harvard-Westlake and broadening our coverage to include the issues of not only stu-

dents, but also our neighbors and local businesses in our new Community section.

What is important to our community is important to our school, and the Chronicle will bridge both through news.

As we expand our reach, we remain committed to maintaining our reputation of in-depth and honest reporting. While we work hard to address significant issues and provide timely coverage, we are aware that other members of the community have knowledge and perspectives that would be invaluable to the Chronicle. Thus, we now have a tip button on our website so that readers

can inform us about stories that they want us to cover.

Furthermore, to give voice to everyone affected by the issues that we report on, we are now accepting opinion pieces from the community, whether it be students, faculty or neighbors.

Since we are increasing both the breadth and depth of our coverage, we will have ten issues instead of eight this year.

Additionally, we recognize that every person consumes news differently, so we are boosting our multimedia presence to incorporate more videos, photographs and podcasts in our coverage.

We are aware that these

RYAN ALBERT/CHRONICLE

LEAFING THE WAY: Editors-in-Chief Sophie Haber ’19 and Jenny Li ’19 aim to strengthen community participation this year. changes come with big responsibilities. We know that the only way to gain respect from our readers is to treat them with respect. To reestablish our commitment to the honest reporting that we value at the Chronicle, the staff signed a new Chronicle Journalistic Ethics Policy.

The Chronicle has had a longstanding tradition of balanced and accurate reporting. We put the policy in writing as a way of showing our

readers that they can trust us to provide the truth.

As high school journalists in a time when journalists are deemed the enemy by many, it is important now more than ever that we recognize our obligation to ask questions and present the facts as they stand. Seeing the public grow increasingly distrustful of the media only motivates us more to prove the positive impact that proper reporting can have.

Dear Diabetes: An open letter

By Emma Shapiro For as long as I can remember, I’ve had Type 1 diabetes.

With the intensity of school, academics and athletics, it can sometimes be more than I can manage. Diabetes is stressful, time consuming and difficult, but it also has given me a new approach and perspective to everyday matters.

Going to Harvard-Westlake and being a diabetic is a difficult endeavor when it comes to tests and time management.

Type 1 diabetes primary affects kids. Having diabetes affects every aspect of my life, including school work, sports and social life.

Diabetes can be almost impossible to manage, especially with fluctuating stress. My mind fails to function properly when my blood sugar is low or high, and it is hard for me to have consistent blood sugar levels.

In the academic environment, most teachers are understanding about the limitations that come with being diabetic.

However, during large assessments, it becomes more of an issue because stress and pressure causes my blood sugar to falter and drop in the middle of tests.

Being a diabetic can also be an unfortunate disadvantage as a member of the athletic community. With intense practices and weight lifting, my blood sugar drops very low, which is problematic during tennis matches. I often find myself sitting out due to blood sugar drops, and while my coaches say otherwise, it makes me feel like an uncommitted athlete.

That being said, because of diabetes, I was given access to a whole new community, one much different than the one at Harvard-Westlake. It is a community with a unified purpose—curing their disease and offering empathy. This community has introduced me to people from all different backgrounds, and helps widen my perspective by pulling me out

of the “bubble” that students fall prey to.

Diabetes is universal and connects people from all social, racial and religious backgrounds.

Diabetes makes empathy a big part of my life, since I can relate to those dealing with the same illness. Along with a few other students on campus, I face diabetes alongside 9.4 percent of Americans. Recently, I’ve discovered an online forum for newly diagnosed people called Type One Nation where diabetics can post questions and concerns regarding their condition. I’ve learned that the diabetic community offers an extensive network of individuals who deal with similar challenges and can help you grow and manage your diabetes better. Since I am the only diabetic in my family, it is beneficial to reach out to a group of people who can address my concerns in a way that neither my endocrinologist nor my parents can.

This past summer, I interned at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, an organization dedicated to creating a lasting change for diabetics.

I worked alongside the team as they prepared for an upcoming walk.

Through this internship, I was able to see the tremendous effort and dedication that goes into funding for a Type 1 diabetes cure. I also was able to gain an understanding of the commitment of these individuals and realize that lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. Making calls to newly diagnosed families was an eyeopening and rewarding experience.

Since I was diagnosed in 2004, diabetes has grown to be a part of my life, something I can’t imagine myself living without and something that has become second nature to me.

I learned that it isn’t something that I can change, but something I can continue to use as a tool to grow.

COMMUNITY The Chronicle • Aug. 29, 2018

KAITLIN MUSANTE/CHRONICLE

Collector showcases and auctions off Disneyland memorabilia

HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH: Visitors wait to view Richard Kraft’s collection of Disney items, which included ride vehicles. Kraft then auctioned the items off Aug. 25-26. Jeff Von Molt viewed the exhibit with his wife and said he enjoyed reliving the magic of his childhood. “It’s nostalgic,” the Simi Valley native said.“[Everyone who attended] just wanted want to see a good chunk of what they experienced when they were a kid that is no longer around anymore.”

City addresses homelessness crisis

stance abuse has increased by 54 percent in the last year.

Thompson and LAFH CEO who have lost their homes.

Stephanie Klasky-Gamer “Many people define home’86 attribute the increase in lessness when they see those homelessness in the valley to [chronically homeless] indihigh rent prices. viduals,” Los Angeles Family “It’s just supply and deHousing board member Wayne mand,” Klasky-Gamer said.

Brander said. “What is behind “If you have the scenes and fewer housing less visible are Don’t look away. units, then the those that lost landlords can their homes You don’t have any idea charge whatand are in their how far a smile, a ‘hello,’ ever they want, cars or motels, a ‘hope you have a good and it pushes tucked somemore people where behind.” day’ goes. ” out of being Although the “chronic —Stephanie Klasky-Gamer ’86 able to afford an apartment.” homeless” are CEO, LA Family Housing In addition, more visible, the valley lacks only 24 perbridge, or temcent of homeless individuals in Council District 2 report porary, housing, that act as a mental illness and 19 percent bridge between the street and report substance abuse, ac- permanent housing, exacercording to the homelessness bating the issue of unaffordcount. However, the number able housing costs, Thompson of homeless individuals in the said.

To combat this, Mayor Eric district struggling with subGarcetti ’88 has made build• Continued from A1

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ing bridge housing in each of the city’s 15 districts a priority, Thompson said, with the first bridge housing unit being built downtown.

In Council District 2, 98 percent of the homeless population does not have a shelter because there are no bridge housing units in the district as of now, Thompson said.

Thus, Krekorian proposed more than eight new city-owned sites that could be potentially used as bridge housing in a motion April 20, including one on Ventura Boulevard only 0.6 miles from Weddington Golf and Tennis.

Garcetti’s office is currently looking into all of the proposed sites to see which, if any, are appropriate to be used as three year temporary bridge properties until permanent housing can be built.

Using funds from Measure HHH, a $1.2 million bond to go toward helping the homeless that voters approved in 2016, Krekorian and other

city councilmen will commit to building 222 units of permanent housing in their districts, with the goal of having 200 new permanent supportive housing units in each district by 2020, Thompson said. The new units, driven by a United Way of Greater Los Angeles effort, will not only provide a place for the homeless to stay, but will also provide services such as health care, mental health, intervention, addiction assistance, job training and placement services “If you take an individual or a couple or family off the street and put them in a housing unit, that’s not enough,” Brander said. “Putting a roof over someone may not be worth it. What we need to understand with those individuals is what caused the homeless to begin with and what type of support and services we could provide to help stabilize them in that environment.”

While both the city and

Employees, neighbors react to Weddington purchase

By SOFIA HELLER

Nicole Robbins has been a tennis coach at Weddington Golf and Tennis for 19 years, so when she found out that Harvard-Westlake had purchased the property and would be reserving the tennis courts she typically uses, she said she became worried for her livelihood.

“I think [Harvard-Westlake] will do a really nice job for the community, but as a tennis coach, I find it challenging because my hours and my ability to coach here have been cut way down,” Robbins said. “I totally understand that it’s [Harvard-Westlake’s] facility now, but for us pros who make our living here––my live-

lihood is teaching here––it’s a bit challenging.”

During the tennis season, Harvard-Westlake will reserve tennis courts from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, which Robbins said is “prime time” for her and other tennis coaches who teach students after school.

In addition to the unavailability of courts, Robbins said she is anxious about the future of Weddington because of the lack of information that Harvard-Westlake has given employees.

“Harvard-Westlake seems like they are wanting to work with us, but we have yet to see how that is going to manifest,” Robbins said.

Barbara Rose, who lives in

the neighborhood surrounding Weddington, said she is also concerned about not knowing Harvard-Westlake’s plans.

“The concern I have as a community member is with the additional traffic, not only cars but foot traffic,” Rose said, “Also, making sure that there’s adequate parking so that you don’t have cars parking all over the neighborhood, crowding our sweet neighborhood.”

In contrast to Robbin’s and Rose’s concerns about the purchase, Eric Whitman, the golf martial at Weddington Golf and Tennis whose wife Ann-Marie Whitman is the executive assistant to President Rick Commons, said he is relieved that Harvard-Westlake

purchased Weddington instead of another buyer.

“I think it’s probably the best purchase we could ask for because people that would probably normally buy this would tear it all down and build apartments, so at least we’re going to have an open space,” Whitman said.

Since Harvard-Westlake purchased Weddington, Whitman said the protocol has been status quo and he is anticipating finding out more information about future plans.

“I love this place,” Whitman said. “I am retired and this is where I want to be. It’s my oasis. The people that come here are very nice, and it’s a great place to be. We just have to wait and see.”

non-profit organizations are looking for solutions to finding housing for the homeless, many homeowners are pushing back on proposed developments in their neighborhoods.

After City Councilman David Ryu proposed a permanent supportive housing facility in Sherman Oaks on Aug. 3, over 1,000 people have signed a petition on change.org in opposition to the project.

Because forms of opposition like this are common, Klasky-Gamer said it is important for others to show their support and compassion.

“When you walk past somebody experiencing homelessness, it might feel different,” Klasky-Gamer said.

“Maybe it feels scary. Don’t look away. You don’t have any idea how far a smile, a ‘hello,’ a ‘hope you have a good day’ goes. That really changes somebody’s disposition for the whole day, and you don’t realize how far it can go to make eye contact with somebody.”

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FEATURES The Chronicle • Aug. 29, 2018

Posts over Posters

A new generation of activists chooses to use social media to showcase their involvement in political and social issues.

• Continued on B7

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B2 FEATURES

AUG. 29, 2018

THE CHRONICLE

Tuning into Korean Culture Korean-Americans and their peers find new ways to connect to their heritage through K-Pop.

tify as Korean, and I can’t fully identify as American. It’s like, yes, I’m KoreAt the first ever school-wide multi- an-American, but I’m a specific type cultural fair last year, the Asian Stu- of Korean-American, kind of stuck bedents in Action club blasted Korean tween the two.”

The increasing accessibility of pop music, or K-Pop, through huge speakers on the quad. As the foreign Asian pop culture, specifically K-Pop, music, characterized by catchy hooks opens up new doors for Asian-Ameriand punctuated with random English cans to connect to their personal herlyrics, played on, students started to itage and see themselves represented.

Recent dialogue about broader dance along.

Asian representation has centered ASiA leader Lucy Kim ’19, a first generation Korean-American, is not on Asian-American representation an avid listener of K-pop and did not in American media, like the recently recognize the songs being played, but released movie “Crazy Rich Asians,” she said it was one of her favorite mo- which starred an all-Asian cast.

Kim said it is important to her to ments of the day.

“It was amazing just to see that see the Asian-American experience connection with people and to find represented in America, but seeing that they were actually welcoming non-diaspora culture in Asian media and embracing of a culture that I had is also culturally significant.

“Crazy Rich previously tried to hide Asians” director Jon and been incredibly M. Chu told IndieWYes, I’m Koreanashamed of,” Kim said. ire that his vision Kim was born in American, but I’m a for the movie was the United States, but specific type of Korean- inspired by his beher parents immigrated to the United States American, kind of stuck lief that “old, classic, Hollywood movies from South Korea just between the two.” could have starred months before she was born.

—Justyn Chang ’19 Asians with just as much style, just as “There was a time much pizzaz.” when I rejected everyIn the United States, especially in thing that was Korean, everything that wasn’t ‘normal,’” Kim said. “That an industry with a decades-long histowas a time when my family was trying ry of whitewashing Asian roles, Chu’s our best to assimilate. We all had cho- vision has a place. But in Korea, Kosen or been given English names. We rean entertainers do not need to prove refused to speak Korean in our house- their abilities by playing “white” roles: instead, they play to a different set of hold.”

Many Korean-Americans struggle cultural norms.

“There’s definitely a difference beto reconcile different parts of their heritage, Kim said. But even within the tween Korean media and American specific subset of the Korean-Amer- media,” Kim said. “It’s inevitable beican community, there is no univer- cause they have different cultures and sal Korean-American experience, Kim audiences, so the nuances of the culture influence that.” said.

K-pop is not free of outside influSome Korean-Americans, like Kim, grow up speaking Korean, watching ences. The industry draws heavily Korean television and struggling to from non-Korean cultures: it approbecome more American. Others, like priates black hairstyles and dance Justyn Chang ’19, grow up without moves, it employs Swedish producers, the same level of exposure to Korean and it utilizes American slang in its culture and struggle to identify as Ko- lyrics.

However, it does represent Korean rean.

“When I was growing up, there culture and speak to people in differwere a lot of kids in my community ent ways than Asian-American enterwho had moved from Korea or spoke tainers in American media, Kimberley fluent Korean,” Chang said. “I felt Kimura ‘19 said.

“The issue of representation is self-conscious about not being able to speak the language. I can’t fully iden- something that I’m more aware of in

By ALISON OH

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American media, where Asians are the country.

“Before I was scouted, I didn’t put sometimes there to add color around the white main characters but don’t much thought into Korean culture,” get to be the main characters them- Chang said. “It was after I got scouted selves,” Kimura said. “I don’t have to that I started watching more Korean think about that when I’m watching shows and listening to Korean music.

That whole experience kind of introor listening to Korean media.”

Kimura is not Korean—she is duced me to Korean culture.”

However, Chang cautioned against half-Chinese and half-Japanese—but says that listening to K-Pop has en- taking K-pop as an accurate represencouraged her to explore her own Asian tation of Korean society as a whole.

“The K-Pop industry is so isolatheritage.

“It has opened up my mind to East- ed, especially the trainee system, from ern Asian culture and learning more the rest of Korea, that it’d be unfair for about my heritage, maybe learning me to say that it helped me learn that more Chinese and Japanese,” Kimu- much more about my Korean side,” ra said. “Part of the reason why I like Chang said. “I think saying that I went K-Pop so much is I feel that it brings to Korea and learned more about my me closer to part of me that I never Korean side wouldn’t be a fair reprewas really close to because I was born sentation of what I did [as a trainee]. I woke up at 7, I danced and sang unand raised here in America.” til midnight and then I did it Similarly, Chang, a foragain.” mer K-Pop trainee, was According to Kim, howevexposed to Korean culture er, with the increasing popudue to his interaction with larity of K-Pop outside of KoK-Pop. Chang was scouted rea, there has been increasing as a trainee when he was objectification and fetishiza13 years old. tion of Korean people and KoK-Pop, unlike Amerirean culture. can pop, is dominated by “I think there’s always a groups of singers rather ’ problem when a culture or than solo artists. Entertaina group of people become a ment companies audition Kimberley trend,” Kim said. “People who prospective singers, train Kimura ’19 were previously never exposed them to dance and sing and ultimately put together the groups in- to Korean culture are all of a sudden listening to these K-Pop groups. They organically.

According to Chang, the industry overlook the fact that these people both exacerbated and helped resolve are not just objects of consumption; his struggles with his identity. Chang they are people who have a culture was told to whiten his skin during the and people who you need to respect. school year before training again in People think that it’s somehow enterKorea to fit East Asian beauty stan- taining to not understand the cultural dards, but also questioned for not be- significance or historical significance ing as loud and outgoing as the Ko- of what they’re saying and doing.”

Kimura also said that she has rean stereotype of a typical American.

“People would ask me what my seen instances of cultural appropriethnicity is or what race I am,” Chang ation and insensitive approaches tosaid. “I’d say that I’m Korean, and ward Asian culture.

But overall, she said she thinks then they’d say that I wasn’t Korean, I was American. But does that mean that K-Pop’s increasing popularity is that I’m a complete foreigner? I’m not due to its value as audiovisual enterwhite, I’m Korean. But I’m also not tainment and not just because of its like the American celebrities on Ko- connection to Korean culture. Kim rean TV who are super outgoing, so echoed her thoughts.

“Ultimately, music is music,” Kim they’re kind of like, ‘Are you really said. “It just happens to be music in American?’”

At the same time, it was while a different language. People decide to training in Korea that he started to listen to music because they enjoy it, learn how to speak the language and and that doesn’t change between Koabout the specific culture of respect in rea and America.”

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ILLUSTRATION BY SPENCER KLINK

AUG. 29, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

FEATURES B3

A Novel Approach and Bracken to redesign the Choices and Challenges curriculum, a subby the time you are in high school, set of dean groups launched a trial it is second nature to be like, ‘Okay, for a new sophomore Life Lab class. we are having an open session, let’s The class is modeled to address iswrite down the questions and talk sues relevant to Harvard-Westlake about it.’ Wouldn’t that be great? students and is aimed at developing That’s the kind of world I am dream- social and emotional learning skills.

In the place of separate Choices ing of.”

This year, Bracken transitioned and Challenges classes and sophofrom her previous position as As- more class meetings, Life Lab classsistant Head of Upper School to a es will be taught twice a week by a role in which she can focus more team made up of a dean accompaon counselling and teaching. In ad- nied by a former Choices and Chaldition, Tina McGraw ’01 joined the lenges teacher.

“There was overlap and there school as the Head of Peer Support was repetition between sophomore and Psychology Teacher.

Over the summer, Bracken vis- class meeting and Choices and Challenges,” Upper School ited the Nueva School in Dean Sharon Cuseo said.

Northern California, along “Here was an opportunity with McGraw, Head of Upfor two periods with sophper School Laura Ross and omores for a more consisAthletics Director Darlene tent message.”

Bible, to attend a conferIn the process of deence on the topic of social signing the Life Lab curand emotional learning riculum, the school invited hosted by the Institute Pria Singhvi, Upper School for Social and Emotional ’ Counsellor and Wellness Learning.

Sharon Educator at the Green Hill Currently, students Cuseo School in Dallas, Texas, to have access to Bracken, teach tools and exercises McGraw and Upper School Psychologist Dr. Sophie Wasson if to faculty that will hopefully help they are in need of counselling sup- students lead a more balanced exisport that stretches beyond the abili- tence, Cuseo said.

“One of the ways that we want ties of their deans or teachers.

“We have 800 kids here, and to start the class is to look at the what we had just wasn’t sufficient costs and benefits of being a Harover the last several years,” Bracken vard-Westlake Student,” Cuseo said. “It was clear that we needed said. “We all know there are many benefits and there are many costs, more support in that way.”

In regards to the learning sup- and we want to talk about those port available to students, Learning and we want to talk about ways to Resource Specialist Grace Brown mitigate those and have you be your will now be the primary resource to best self and live your best life.”

In addition to adult resources provide help to students on campus, as her responsibilities at the on campus, Peer Support offers stuMiddle School will now be covered dents another space to seek support

by Learning Resource Specialist and grow emotionally among fellow Jennifer Gabrail. In addition, Brown teenagers.

“We rely heavily on Peer Support will be assisted by English Teacher Jenna Gasparino to provide writing for referrals of kids,” Slattery said.

“I think sometimes kids think we support.

“Now I feel so great about the know things that we don’t know. things that I can’t handle, because They assume that we are aware if a I’m not trained, when it’s more se- kid has been losing a lot of weight. vere,” Upper School Dean Beth Slat- I don’t always notice that. If a kid’s tery said. “I can go to people who I been absent a lot, I don’t always know are going to get kids the help track that they’re missing a lot of school, so we really rely on other they need.”

Three years ago, as a result of kids to help tell us when we ought an initiative taken by Upper School to be paying attention to somebody.”

Mediated by student leaders, Dean Sharon Cuseo, Upper School Dean of Students Jordan Church weekly Peer Support meetings pro• Continued from A1

WHITE S

vide students with a safe space in to keep doing that.”

The administration is exploring which they can discuss any issues or stress present in their lives. Peer ways that time in the school day can Support Leader Kat Swander ‘19 de- be used most effectively to minimize scribed looking forward every week student stress, Slattery said.

The Upper School Scheduling to the two hours that she could spend on a Monday night free from Committee is responsible for the the academic stress and pressure late starts that will be trialed twice that she considers to be omnipres- this year and for possibly proposing a new daily schedule for the fall of ent on campus.

“Pressure to succeed—wheth- 2020.

“Right now, the schedule that we er that comes from yourself, your classmates or your family—I feel like have does not align with research everyone has that pressure, wherev- showing how kids learn best—too er that comes from, and that is the many transitions, too many kids stress at Harvard-Westlake that I moving from one place to another,” Slattery said. “In addition, because think of,” Swander said.

Since sophomore year, Swan- class meets every every single day, it means you have der has viewed homework from the Monday night every class every commitment not Rigor and single day, and as an obligation, excellence and that stuff that can be really but as a chance to complicated.” let go and to conall matters deeply to all Although the nect with her peers of us, but we never want administration is on a more human that to be at the expense clearly demonand open level, she strating a desire said. of kids.” to reduce student “We are teenagers in high school —Beth Slattery stress and to focus on student that obviously Upper School Dean more wellness, Comneed some type mons made it clear of care,” Swander said. “It is important to be cognizant that that does not come with any inof the fact that we are people, not tention to sacrifice rigor or success.

“We don’t want to be any less exjust students. Student wellness in Peer Support helps us grow as peo- cellent, and we’re not trying to water ple, rather than just stick to the ac- down the nature of this experience,” Commons said. ademic plan.”

The tension between excellence Last spring, students participated in the Challenge Success Survey and joy will always be present, Comconducted by the Graduate School mons said.

However, he wishes to maintain of Education at Stanford University in order to produce data on their the academic rigor of the school overall experience at Harvard West- while also decreasing stress, he said. lake.

“Rigor and excellence and that The current goal of the administration, after viewing the results of stuff all matters deeply to all of us, the survey, is to bring the levels of but we never want that to be at the effective and cognitive engagement expense of kids, and now it finally as high as those reported of behav- feels like we’re doing them at the same time,” Slattery said. ioral engagement, Commons said.

“I’m just excited about the fact that we might be able to move the needle in helping kids enjoy their experience here,” Slattery said. “Kids have always appreciated this experience, but enjoying school, especially for the kids that come here, who are predisposed to enjoying school, so I love the idea that we can get them

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN ALBERT AND LAUREN NEHORAI

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B4 FEATURES

AUG. 29

Integrating Immigration With more stringent polices regarding immigration in the United States, the community reflects on their personal experiences.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SPENCER KLINK, LAUREN NEHORAI AND ALISON OH

29, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

By SOPHIE HABER

Bernal say they feel unsafe and uncertain.

Despite the fact that 75 percent of Blue, red and white lights flashed people in the US say that they supin front of Xenia Bernal ’19, blurred port immigration, according to a June by the tears that swelled in her eyes.

2018 Gallup poll, 31 percent of 326 Bernal, a first generation Mexirespondents to a Chronicle poll said can-American, was in the backseat they feel there is a growing anti-immiof a car driving through the streets of gration sentiment in the country.

Los Angeles with two family members, One student, Faramarz Nia ’21, one of whom was undocumented in whose parents immigrated to the U.S. the passenger seat. from Iran and whose cousins from Two police officers came to the winIran are unable to study in the coundow of her car, which was pulled over try due to the travel ban, said he was on the side of the road. One was kind disappointed when he heard the rhetto Bernal and her family members — oric being used towards immigrants. the “good cop.” The other was aggresSophia Nuñez ’20 experienced sive. such rhetoric firsthand after com“I remember just sitting in the back menting on an Instagram post saying seat and bawling and crying and bethat people should not stereotype and ing so scared,” Bernal said. “I felt like villainize immigrants, another user I was about to be ripped away from commented back saying, “It’s not like this family member, and I was scared. your family came here legally.”

There’s really no other way to put it. “ Nuñez, who is of Mexican heritage After rolling through a stop sign, and whose family has lived in Amerpolice pulled the family over which ica for many genlaunched Bernal into erations, said she a state of fear and immediately started I remember just sit- to cry after seeing panic, she said.

“It was paralyzing ting in the back seat and the comment, overbecause I didn’t feel bawling and crying and whelmed by the hoslike I could talk or tility and offended being so scared. I felt like by the stereotyping. say anything,” Bernal said. “Even with I was about to be ripped “The color of my the supposed educaskin doesn’t change away from this family tion and opportunithat I was born here, member and I was scared.” and the color of my ty that I have, what does that matter —Xenia Bernal ’19 skin doesn’t mean when I don’t have my that you get to make family anymore?” assumptions like Although the famthat, or that any asily left without incident, as it was sumptions that you make are inheronly a minor traffic violation, the ex- ently bad,” Nuñez said. perience exemplified the angst that Of the students who said they feel Bernal said she feels when thinking there is a growing anti-immigration about her family members who are sentiment in the country, 18 percent undocumented, especially in today’s said that they feel personally affected political climate, when anti-immi- by it. grant rhetoric feels prevalent.

“Basically everyone in the US is “I wouldn’t wish the feeling that an immigrant,” Nia said. “We’re the you sometimes have to carry on any- land of immigrants. I think it’s kind one, not on my worst enemy,” Bernal of ironic that as soon as somebody said. “It’s very isolating. It makes you comes inside we all of a sudden close feel like at any moment you can be the doors to the people trying to get alone.” in, even though over a hundred years With the introduction of govern- ago someone else did the same thing, ment policies, such as the travel ban whether or not they wanted to let and zero tolerance policy that are them in.” meant to curtail immigration to the Upon learning that the Supreme country and are filled with anti-im- Court upheld the travel ban, which migration sentiments, students like bars people from seven countries from

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FEATURES B5 entering the US, Nia couldn’t help but past year by hosting speakers and fadraw parallels to other periods he had cilitating discussions on campus. learned about in American history.

“It’s been really upsetting seeing “It’s so much easier for people to the blatant rudeness toward immigeneralize and exclude a whole group grants, the total ignorance toward of people,” Nia said about the travel their situation and the lack of any ban. “It’s the same thing that happens solutions,” Crouch said. “Any kind in history.” of effort to think about people other From the first wave of Irish and than yourself is just really gratifying, German immigrants to the US in and also makes you more in touch the 1840s to Eastern European im- with the world. We have so much, so migrants in the late 1800s to immi- we should use that to help others.” grants today, history teacher FranWhether the anti-immigrant rhetcine Werner said the words used oric has emboldened groups to echo when addressing immigrants have similar sentiments or motivated not changed. groups to work to help immigrants, “You can find laws in Congress the issue of immigration was one of proposed in 1908, and the language is the most important issues to young the same,” Werner said. “It’s the same first time voters this summer, Andrea hostility, and usually it’s in times of Yagher ’20, who worked with a voter economic distress.” registration organization called Our To bring up this conversation on First Vote extensively, said. the first day of school, Werner showed As the issue of immigration beher United States History classes a comes increasingly more visible, Bervideo of MSNBC reporter Rachel Mad- nal said she hopes students will take dow, who broke down when reporting the time to not only inform themon the separation of families at the selves about the issue but also to take US-Mexico border in June. action.

“She kept saying ‘this is With a place for conversanot who we are, this is not tions about immigration in who we are,’ and I was thinkthe classroom, Bernal said ing, ‘yeah, it is,’” Werner she hopes students will use said. their knowledge to create One difference between change outside of the classthe anti-immigration senroom by calling their elected timent today and those in officials. other periods of history that Empowered by the opporW ’ Werner pointed to is the tunities that come with her Catherine pushback from those who education, Bernal said that Crouch ’19 believe immigrants should she feels a responsibility to be welcomed into the counspeak up and help those that try. need to be heard.

“There are pockets of people in this Coming from a Latin-American country where it’s like they’ve been family that values tradition and togiven license to be anti-immigrant,”W- getherness, Bernal said the thought erner said. “But, there are a lot of oth- of some of her extended family memer people responding by saying ‘what bers who are undocumented being can we do?’” forced to leave the country motivates Following recent controversial im- her to work to uplift those who do not migration policies, protesters lined have a voice in the conversation. streets demanding to bring families “Just imagine all of [your family back together and lawyers flocked to traditions] being gone — we don’t have airports and border cities to offer their any Christmases, we don’t have any services.

Thanksgivings, we don’t have anyAs a co-president of the Human thing anymore,” Bernal said. “What Rights Watch Student Task Force, else can you say? That’s my whole Catherine Crouch ’19 has been work- life. My whole life can be taken away. ing to spread awareness about immi- And the only thing I could really do is grant rights, specifically those of chil- protest, but people forget about that dren protected under Deferred Action as quickly as it comes. It’s a terrifying for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), for the thing.”

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALLISON OH AND JEANINE KIM

B6 Features

The Chronicle

Aug. 29, 2018

ILLUSTRATION BY SPENCER KLINK

The Race Begins

By Kaelyn Bowers and Alison Oh

The Sporty Scientist: Mary*

As a varsity athlete, Mary ’19 devotes the majority of her time toward after school practices and weekend tournaments. But even though her extracurricular options were limited by her commitment to athletics, her academic interests were not: she soon discovered a passion for science, especially environmental science. Mary thinks her long-term commitment in high school to her main extracurriculars will differentiate her from other applicants.

However, as she enters the college process, Mary has decided to prioritize her interest in science over her commitment to her sport. Mary, whose parents are both in the medical field, is considering attending medical school in the future. Due to the rigor of pursuing a pre-med path, she has decided against continuing to play her sport in college.

“Overall, I’ve decided that I don’t want to play anymore because, especially if I was to go pre-med, I would have no time to do other things,” Mary said. “When I imagine myself in college, I imagine myself participating in a bunch of different things and chilling as opposed to waking up at 5 a.m. and lifting.”

Mary visited 11 schools over spring break junior year and ultimately came to the conclusion that she didn’t want to go to a school in a rural area.

“There was the initial exercise that had us imagine our dream college, and I imagined a tiny school in the middle of nowhere,” Mary said. “But after visiting colleges, I genuinely don’t want to go to that kind

of school.”

Other than that, Mary is open to applying to any type of school and said she does not care much about the size of the school or whether it is on the East or West Coast. One thing her parents won’t let her compromise on, however, is school reputation.

“My entire list has been based on my parents’ approval,” Mary said. “It was definitely very frustrating in the beginning. But I later became more confident with my options and just was happy with where I was looking at, which also went along with me just doing more research [about colleges].”

This summer, with the help of her brother and parents, Mary has been able to narrow her list down to Ivy League Schools, UC schools and a variety of other competitive schools on the East Coast.

The Artistic Activist: Ashley* Ashley ’19 is a leader both on and off campus. On campus, she’s an affinity group leader; off campus, she’s involved in youth politics and community activism. Because of her passion for social justice, Ashley hopes to study political science or legal studies in college and ultimately pursue a career in politics.

Ashley is also a performer and has participated in improvisation and dance, as well as acted in the Playwrights’ Festival.

“An important factor for me is definitely performing arts,” Ashley said. “Even if I don’t major in it, just having some sort of program that I can participate in is important for me in a college.”

Ashley would like to attend

Four students start the game of the college admissions process, each facing different challenges along the way. a college with a tight-knit student body and a strong sense of school spirit. After visiting the University of Chicago, a school she expected to like as a junior, she decided against applying because she could not feel a strong sense of community on campus.

Most of the schools Ashley is considering are located outside of California, though she has decided to apply to the University of Southern California after visiting it this summer. Ashley is also interested in applying to Ivy league schools such as Yale and Columbia.

Ashley’s biggest concern going into the application process is the strength of her transcript, especially because of her struggles with mental health during sophomore and junior year.

“My mental health affected my grades, and that’s going to, unfortunately, affect where I go,” Ashley said. “Doors are going to close.”

Ashley is also considering taking a gap year before she starts college.

“I am very passionate about social justice stuff and performing, like musical theater, [but] I still don’t know who I am as a person,” Ashley said. “I think it’s strange. It’s kind of crazy to me how I’m so young and having to make these decisions that are going to determine the entire path of my life in the future.”

Charismatic Captain: Cody* Cody ’19 is passionate about connecting with others.

As a prominent student leader on campus, both with regard to the community and athletic groups, he values getting to know and communicating with those around him.

Cody wants to attend a small school so he can get to know the students at his prospective college. However, his ideal school would also have a vibrant social life in addition to strong academic opportunities. Despite his initial expectations, Cody decided not to apply to Kenyon College, which is located rural Ohio, because of how isolated the campus was from any major cities or attractions.

One of the schools that Cody felt fit his ideal image was Pitzer, a member of the Claremont consortium, which is a group of seven selective liberal arts colleges. Its liberal arts approach to learning would allow him to fully pursue his academic interests, literature and language.

“I just like the idea of language and international language,” Cody said. “English for me is completely subjective, and there are a lot of right answers. I am somebody who likes to express myself on paper, and I like to talk a lot.

In English, being able to be in a class where conversation is promoted, is something that is really important to me.”

As a varsity athlete, Cody is still open to committing to a school for his sport, preferably as an early decision applicant.

However, although he would like to play at a Division 1 college, he also hopes to have a well-rounded college experience, involving sports, social events and academic rigor.

The Musical Mitchell*

Mastermind:

Mitchell ’19 spent the summer playing music at two different summer camps in two different states. During the school year, he is just as busy, performing in multiple

musical ensembles and writing his own songs. Mitchell has been heavily involved in the school’s music program for years and looks forward to pursuing music in college as well.

“I’m looking for a college with at least a strong creative presence, if not a music program,” Mitchell said. “The college process is going to be a little bit tough because I’m thinking about studying music as an academic subject, so maybe majoring in music.”

In addition to music, Mitchell enjoys studying history as both an academic and personal interest. For example, outside of school, Mitchell has been researching his family history and genealogy.

“I like history because it connects the past to the present,” Mitchell said. “You can sort of understand the world around you in a different way.”

Mitchell’s top choice music school is the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, in part because it offers a Popular Music major.

However, although Mitchell is seriously considering studying music in college, he is still open to applying to a wide variety of schools, including liberal arts colleges like Wesleyan University. He is also interested in applying to Northwestern University because of its quarter system and mixture of both a liberal arts and pre-professional education.

Because USC does not have any early application programs, Mitchell says his greatest concern going into the process is determining whether he is willing to commit to another school early decision. *Names have been changed

AUG. 29, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

FEATURES B7

Social Media for Social Change

By JENNY LI

of Public Policy at Instagram, said.

Two months ago, Silicon Valley “Social media opens a whole new resident Charlotte Willner returned world for you,” Colaco said. “It’s a conhome from vacation to long convertinuation of who we are as people onsations with her Pinterest co-workers line, but it reduces a lot of the barriers about the Trump administration’s “zeto activism that existed before. You ro-tolerance” family separations at the don’t have to be a professional fundUS-Mexico border. raiser to really make a difference.”

Inspired to take action, she began In cases like the Willner’s funda Facebook fundraiser with her husraiser, social media has allowed inband to raise over a thousand dollars dividuals from more diverse comto help reunite families at the border munities and backgrounds to come for the Refugee and Immigrant Center together with a common goal, Willner for Education and Legal Services. said.

The initial fundraising goal was “It was a very public demonstra$1500. Less than two months later, tion of the scale of Americans’ outrage the Willners had raised more from across the political than $20 million, breaking spectrum,” Willner said.

Facebook’s fundraising re“Even some supporters of cord. the president were donat“Social media was the ing, saying they may suponly way this campaign had port him on a lot of things the reach it did,” Willner said. but not on this policy.

“By the time it was a week Though we seem so dividold, most people in America ed as a country, there are WHITE’S knew at least one person who still some things we can Emma had donated. Most people come together on.”

Poveda ’20 found out about these families On the other hand, through social media too, so it was with more politically or socially congreat to have one place to learn more troversial cases, social media can and then donate to the cause.” exacerbate the conflicts between difAccording to the Pew Research ferent groups, Assistant Professor at Center, 20 percent more American the University of Pennsylvania Anadults are using Instagram than nenberg School of Communications six years ago, and ten percent more Jessa Lingel said. Lingel, who studAmerican adults are using Facebook ies digital culture and the impact of than six years ago. As social media technology on social change, said that usage increases, so does the usage social media’s influence over the 2016 of social media platforms for activpresidential election, which included ism-related purposes. fake news and the ongoing Cambridge In a Chronicle poll, 95% of the Analytica Facebook scandal, changed 326 respondents said they have people’s’ perception of the Internet as some form of social media, and 95% a democratic tool. of those respondents said they have “The election made people quesseen politically-influenced posts. Sotion the good of the Internet, but cial media has provided an outlet for [social media] also has developed in users to produce and share content ways that make it harder and hardeasily, Emma Poveda ’20 said. er to reach a diverse audience,” Lingel “Because of the instant satissaid. “As social media platforms have faction people gain from receiving diversified, it has become increasingcomments, especially in posts conly more likely that you fall into silos cerning political and societal issues, of people that are more like you than we are seeing people use their social different.” accounts as platforms for their own Social media’s power within the commentary and thoughts,” Poveda confines of political silos has increased said. dramatically, especially in response to Social media has the power to inmany of the Trump administration’s fluence a much larger group of policies, Lingel said. people than other platforms For example, Deena Katz have before, Nicky Co(Cami ’19), co-executive dilaco, former Director rector of the Women’s March LA Foundation and orga-

nizer of March for Our Lives, coor“You see a lot of people posting on dinated marches using social media social media, holding up a sign and platforms, such as Facebook and Ins- being ‘woke’ about things,” Poveda tagram, to advocate for inclusivity and said. “It’s actually a beautiful thing gun control reform. because you’re having more people “So many can now participate re- join marches and get involved and get gardless of geographical barriers and out there. find like-minded allies to fight alongAt the same time, however, “slackside, knowing they are not alone in tivism,” in which social media users their beliefs,” Deena Katz said. spend little time on small measures to Social media was invaluable for feel good about their involvement, is a March for Our Lives movement, Cami less positive effect of improper usage Katz, Teen Outreach Committee chair of social media, Lingel said. According for the foundation, said. Social media to the Pew Research Center, 71 perposts and viral videos, such as those cent of Americans agree that “social from survivors of media makes people gun violence and believe they’re making nonprofit organia difference when they When people zations like Evreally aren’t.” are so easily able to erytown for Gun Poveda said that communicate about the although the growing Safety, encouraged hundreds popularity of activism issues in our country, of marches from is beneficial, she has coming together to fix across the world noticed a trend of social them is the natural next media users who post to call for action. step.”

39% of the 160 pictures at marches or poll respondents —Cami Katz ’19 rallies to build a superwho attended a ficial image. political march “I see a lot of people said they heard of the event through going to things out of how they think a social media platform. other people will perceive them,” Pove“Social media was the backbone to da said. “It’s made it more popularized absolutely everything coming together and a little more mainstream.” in these marches,” Cami Katz said.

Effective political change needs to “Almost all of the people who attended reach beyond a social media presence the marches heard about it from so- in order to make a difference, Lingel cial media or from word of mouth af- said. ter someone else saw it on social me“Awareness-raising is important, dia. When people are so easily able to and social media can do it better than communicate about the issues in our other media forms,” Lingel said. “Some country, coming together to fix them movements have outcomes that don’t is the natural next step.” really involve policy changes but want Poveda attended both the Wom- to build solidarity or raise awareness en’s March and the March for Our of the issue. However, in this debate, Lives marches after seeing Facebook we learn that online activism is great, posts about the events, and she said but we have to have an offline counthat social media created awareness terpart.” among a new generation about activBeyond the signs and the social ism. media posts, people should engage “If it was spread by other medi- deeper with the issues they support, ums like a newspaper or television, Poveda said. you wouldn’t get so many young peo“You have to know why you’re atple coming,” Poveda said. “It’s the tending,” Poveda said. “You have to demographic. Social media is aimed fully understand why you’re there, towards young people, and they see it take a standpoint and deep-down raland go like I did, and just like a lot of ly for it and be able to talk to people my friends did.” about it, talk to people you go and Social media posts have also pop- talk to people about it after you go. If ularized activism among students and you really genuinely want to integrate allowed for a common ground beand be an activist, really tween social media users with commit.” common interests, Poveda said.

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

B8 FEATURES

THE CHRONICLE

AUG. 29, 2018

Sun’s Out, Funds Out Students discuss how costs of summer activities affect how they choose to spend their time.

By MADISON HUGGINS AND ZOE REDLICH When Maddie Boudov ’21 stepped off the plane and saw the Los Angeles skyline, she was taken aback by its stark contrast to the rural landscape of Interlochen Center for the Arts in Traverse City, Mich. and decided that her summer experience was well worth the trip.

“I chose to travel to Interlochen because it is an internationally-ranked art school and camp that I have heard nothing but rave reviews about, but also because I like getting out of LA and meeting people from other parts of the country that I may not have met if I stayed in California,” Boudov said.

The world-class cultural and arts education program that served as the setting for her summer experience not only afforded her a space to explore her identity as a musical theater artist, but also a space to call home, Boudov said.

However, while institutions like Interlochen can provide highly immersive summer opportunities and enriching experiences, access to these facilities often come with a hefty price tag, New York Times reporter KJ Dell’Antonia wrote in an article.

“We can indulge our annual illusion of children filling joyful hours with sprinkler romps and ro-

botics camp or we can admit whose financial situations the reality: summer’s sup- limit their ability to travel.

“If someone [says,] ‘I was posed freedom is expensive,” able to do service in my own Dell’Antonia wrote.

According to The New York community,’ or ‘I did it ten Times, in 2014 parents re- minutes away from my home ported that they planned to because it’s personal to me, spend an average of $958 per and I have this connection child on summer expenses. to it,’ then that’s going to “Students who could not add more value to something afford to spend their summers that’s a few miles away as optaking extra classes were be- posed to something across the ing left further behind in ‘the world,” Cárdenas said. college access game,’” KimIn a Chronicle poll, 86 perberly Quick, a policy associate cent of the 147 respondents for the Century Foundation, who stayed home said that said in an article for The New they had a fulfilling summer.

York Times.

Although Sabina Yampolsky In addition to simple recre- ’20 visited New York at the ation, summer activities take start of her vacation, she said on increased imporshe spent the matance in high school jority of her sumas students try to fill mer in Los Angeles their summers with studying antibiotic constructive resistance at a reactivities to search program at improve UCLA. t h e i r “There’s a difchances ferent experience during you get when you the coltravel,” Yampolsky W ’ lege adsaid. “By staying in Sabina missions Los Angeles, I got Yampolsky ’20 process or to catch up on exin their futracurriculars like ture career paths, piano and driver’s education, Upper School Dean and I got to volunteer in a reCelso Cárdenas said. search program, so I think I However, college got to do more and be more admissions repre- productive.” sentatives are aware Summer days offer a blank of the implications of canvas for students to experthe cost of high-caliber iment, which Upper School summer programs on Dean Adam Howard said the content of students’ helps students paint a picture applications, Cárdenas of who they see themselves besaid. coming through exploring new “While Har- activities. However, Howard vard-Westlake is great said that contrary to popular about making things a belief, how a student chooses lot more equal for in- to spend their summer plays dividuals—we’ll pay only a small part in how an for a trip abroad and admissions department perfind funding for sum- ceives them. mer programs for “Summer activities are ulstudents—not ev- timately just part of the overery school is able to all package when considering do that,” Cárdenas college applications,” Howard said. “College reps said. “Grades, testing, extraknow this, and curriculars; all three fit into they would never the application, and summer hold that against is just its own part of that. a student.”

No single summer program C á r d e n a s or opportunity will be a game also said that changer as far as college adwhile expe- missions.” riences in The pressure that this other places misconception promotes, can be valuable, there creates a competitive culare equally ture in which the purpose enriching op- of the summer becomes p o r t u n i t i e s about building the best apfor students plication, Cárdenas said.

HITES S

ILLUSTRATION BY SAM KO

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Chronicle •Aug. 29, 2018

Represent-Asian Recent movies, like “Crazy Rich Asians” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, increased Asian-American representation in media.

By CAITLIN CHUNG JEANINE KIM

dia. It was rare to see an Asian face in high grossing movies in the early years of Over the summer, a col- Hollywood, and even with orful poster splattered with the strides taken during blue, red and yellow, two modern times, Asian-AmerAsian actors and a bold title ican actors have often been grabbed the public’s atten- dismissed in favor of Caution on billboards and mov- casian actors.

During the earlier years ie theatres alike. The movie “Crazy Rich Asians” made a of Hollywood, actors of nonbox office splash early Au- Asian descent often porgust, taking in $34 million trayed characters through in North American theatres the offensive practice of yellowface, such as Mickey during its opening week.

As the first Hollywood Rooney’s portrayal of a Japproduction in 25 years to anese man in “Breakfast at have an all-Asian cast, the Tiffany’s.” More recently, movie captured the hearts roles that were meant to of many Asian Americans be Asian have been played who have sought for in- by white actors, like the creased visibility in the me- character Motoko in “Ghost in the Shell” who was pordia industry.

Constituting rough- trayed by Scarlett Johansly five percent of the en- son.

Not only have tire U.S. population with Asian-American aca continuously tors been excluded growing number from many major of immigrants, productions, but Asians are one when cast, they of the fastest often play chargrowing minority acters that are groups in Amermere stereotypes. ica and are preAsian-American acdicted to eventors have usually ’ tually become been cast as supLucy Kim ’19 the nation’s largporting characters, est immigrant group. However, the rising such as the nerdy Long Duk population has not equally Dong in “Sixteen Candles,” been reflected in the world or the villainous Fire Nation in the live-action remake of of media.

The Asian presence in “The Last Airbender.”

Lucy Kim ’19, a leadthe U.S. started to grow 150 years ago when the Chinese er of the Asian Students were brought to work on in Action club (ASiA), said American railroads, mark- that the representation of ing the beginning of a long Asians in the media were history in the nation ac- mere skeleton images lackcording to the Library of ing deeply developed and Congress. However, they illustrated characteristics.

“Unlike other hyphenathave barely been present in the world of ed Americans, Asian-Amerm a s s icans tend to be largely me- disconnected as a community,” Kim said. “We are stereotyped as complacent and acquiescent because we have historically kept AND

WHITE S

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

quiet despite blatant rac- siansExist trendism.” ed on Twitter afDespite previous actions ter “Crazy Rich taken by studios in misrep- Asians” started resenting Asians in mass to make headlines media, Kim has a positive of various media view on the new movie “Cra- sites. Additionally, zy Rich Asians”. others voiced their “It’s a big leap forward opinions on how the to make an entire movie re- efforts taken by the volving around complicated media tackling the and thoughtful Asian char- idea diversity wasn’t acters,” Kim said. “It was being dug deep propelled forward by the enough. high turnout of Asian Amer“I don’t think that icans in the audience, and [South Asian and MidI think that shows a newer dle Eastern actors] are generation of Asian Ameri- actively excluded from cans eager for change. I’m movies and shows, hopeful that this movie will but certain plots are continue paving the way unique to one region forward in destroying the that don’t apply to othracist barriers in both Hol- er cultures,” Levy said. lywood and our society.”

These films, esWhile other Asia-based pecially “Crazy Rich film and Asians,” entertainare examment have ples of an gradualI am very excited o n g o i n g ly spread trend in about the future of the over to the Hollywood film industry and seeing as they US over the last begin to future films with the decade, produce same diversity.” such as films with Korean —Allen Blackwell ’21 more didramas versity, and K-Pop such as along with the beJapanese anime, “Crazy ginning-of-the-year Rich Asians” and the re- hit, “Black Panther.” cently released Netflix orig“[These movies inal “To All the Boys I’ve prove] that the old Loved Before”, both show viewpoint on how dithe effort studios have verse casts would be made as they include more unpopular with the Asian-American represen- viewers is wrong, tation in mainstream me- and the new demodia. graphic of view“I have been more aware ers are interested of Asian representation af- and enjoy these ter watching some Insta- new films,” Allen gram clips about diversity Blackwell ‘21 in the media, and recently said. “I am very I think I’ve been noticing excited about an increase of movies with the future of Asian leads,” Sapir Levy ’20 the film insaid. dustry and However, Hollywood’s seeing fufocus on East Asian faces ture films on the screen have raised with the complaints within the same diSouth Asian and Middle v e r s i Eastern communities as ty.” stated by BBC. Hashtags such as #BrownA-

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C2 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE CHRONICLE

AUG. 29, 2018

Artists Abroad

Students spent their summers traveling around the world in order to learn new techniques in their particular art forms.

Z SOPHIA NUÑE PERMISSION OF PRINTED WITH

eks and during the four we rtunity po op e th em By jordan murray th gives . dit cre to earn college s wa ss cla ch As Sophia Nuñez ’20 ea ce Sin ning or m rned r ea he e in sh g s, in dit int sat pa worth two cre e hoped the by s dit cre ge lle art class, she said sh story co four the . Nuñez that her work and end of the program ge en all ch for on ssi pa r he behind it would at th said unem th e to the ak r m he d ew an dr people fine arts age she was the . derstand the mess m ra prog d trying to convey.

“I would recommen r fou for ng ni e you or us ca be Every m m ra og pr this er, she odern weeks of her summ d are learning both m being an al go is o als ile wh es worked on th iqu techn e fine th in lf lly beaurse he rea a ed by ers imm surrounded co cis an Fr s a lot of n arts at the Sa tiful campus that ha id. ollege e-C Pr sa z te’s ñe tu sti Nu ” In Arts history to it, main goal for her r Program.

He s on The program allow s classes was to work sse cla o tw e students to tak

inting diversifying her pa lly only ua us e sh e us ca be style e person on of s ait paints portr id. at a time, Nuñez sa was a Her main project ted her painting that depic as a biup g in struggle grow rhood bo igh ne a in kid l racia . ite wh ily ar that is prim te “I loved every minu g in int pa is th of making could because I felt like I k myself as d an re really explo the new questions all of verall, “O id. sa z time,” Nuñe allenge ch to t ar my ed nt I wa feel em th e ak m people and nt ere diff uncomfortable in ways.”

PRINTED WI TH PERMISS IO

N OF GINEBR A FERREIR A

By Annie Beck man

one of many ag ricultu Looking to expa co mmunities nativ rally focused Ferreira, the co nd he r e to vo mpany ca ulary within da b“We were all do Israel. to nce, Ginebra Fe represent minor ’s mission is in g ou rreira ’20 traveled ities living in th r pa rt in order to be ab Yunnan Provin to both Israel an le to perform an ce of China thro e China to work d tr d ai n with some of ugh dance. Ferreira on sa and learn traditi her technique in the world,” Fe the best dancers able to learn th id that she was onal dances of rr ei ra e sa ea cu countries. id. “It was ch amazing celebrated by th ltural dance to be able to gi e co ve back Ferreira started bo th in w da as pushed by he mpany and nc e and in the Kib her training with the Kibbu bu tz co m m unal sense.” standards for ba r mentor’s high tz C llet.

Dance Company ontemporary Throughout th in the western “One of the mos e program, region of Israel t important Fe rr ei ra also had the things you can ’s Galilee at Kib opportunity do as a dancer bu Ga’aton. Ferrei to visit sights su is to ra said she was tz ex po se yourself to di ch not only able to fferent types Sea and learn so as the Dead of immerse hersel da nc e m an e d learn how ot Hebrew. Upon f in styles famili the completion her ar to her, such people around of her program as the world expr classical ballet, in Is ra el ess , Ferreira traveled themselves,” Fe but also those rreira said. “You to Beijing, less familiar, in China to contin can ch cluding Europe oo se what you want ue her trip. an hip-hop and Is to do with In Beijing, a fe raeli dance. Aft yo ur da nc e m ca ale dancer reer er her training, Fe from the Dynam are basically en . The possibilities rrei ic Yunnan danc dles the farm to supp ra worked on co e m pa ny mentore have to adjust to s, and you don’t ort the Kibbutz any type of danc , three hours a da d Ferreira for just because yo e y. According to u were born in a particular plac e.”

ONICLE

N/CHR ANNIE BECKMA

By jordan murray e for Peter Sykes’ ’19 lov London to m hi t gh ou br music he had an this summer where l Music rsa ive Un at hip interns that runs Group, a company ord labels rec p to e th of some y differan m in the world for kes Sy ic. us m of es nr ent ge and l ca ssi cla worked in the ts. en rtm pa jazz de “I have loved music g classical since I began takin I was four en wh piano lessons tly I have years old, but recen ing my nd pa ex really enjoyed s said. ke Sy ” s, on riz ho l musica do to e lik uld “I know I wo

ic for my casomething in mus to explore reer, so I am trying e world th of cts as many aspe help find to n ca I at th ic us of m self my e se n ca something I life.” my of t res e th for g doin expes ha he gh ou Even th Sykes ic, us rience in making m ge led ow kn no said he had hind the of what went on be before y str du in e scenes of th . hip ns er int his is the The London office d jazz an home to the classics ckon Di by ed ad division, he multiStainer, as well as a cca De d lle ca genre label rked very wo s ke Sy s. rd co Re allowing closely with Stainer,

look at how him to get a close tes. the company opera fascis wa he id sa Sykes erent dediff e th w ho by ted na gether to to ed rk wo partments ucture str create the dynamic . ny pa of the com ek, “During my first we d an ts tis Ar e th of r a membe d I traveled an m tea ire rto pe Re in to sit to Manchester by tra on,” ssi se in on a recording on a Sykes said. “I sat in e press th n ee tw be g tin ee m station dio ra al loc a team and which ed cid in which they de ld be ou sh s gle sin t’s of an artis his e ot om released to best pr ” . um alb g upcomin

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANNIE BECKMAN AND SAMANTHA KO

AUG. 29, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/AE

A&E C3

Write of Passage Student writers used words as a vessel to improve their skills and advocate for the causes they care about this past summer.

By SABA NIA

since receiving her title in June, she has already Sophie Kim ’19 smiled performed for advocaagainst the bright lights cy groups and started to as she took the stage. work on her poetry book, After working with the which will be published LGBTQ+ performance at the end of her term as group QueerWise and the laureate.

Like Kim, othserving on er students interthe school’s ested in writing slam poetand poetry used ry team, Kim their summers to had become pursue their art. accustomed Rileigh Goldsmith to sharing her ’20, who attended words in front the Bard’s creating of an audiwriting program at ence. ’ Simon’s Rock, said “I think on Sophie Kim ’19 that she enjoyed stage in that moment, I was really try- the experience of immersing to feel like this is val- ing herself in poetry over id, ” Kim said. “Wanting the summer.

“I’ve always liked to belong to a community and feeling in a commu- reading poetry and have nity is a universal thing. been writing it since my I always try to look every- mom gave me my first one in the eye when I’m journal in fourth grade,” performing. It’s kind of Goldsmith said. “I never scary at some times, but saw writing as a burden I think it’s because we all because it’s just a way really want to be cared to process your thoughts about and acknowledged and perspective, more of a method of organizaas people.”

Kim looked onto the tion. I also love how poetsea of faces before her. ry has come to empower of our Within the next few min- the voices tion utes, those same faces g e n e r a bat would be seeing her not to comas an anonymous teen a n d poet, but as the newly e x appointed Los Angeles ploit County Youth Poet Lau- t h e isreate.

For her new position’s duties, Kim will work with schools and organizations to promote poetry and to advocate for solutions to the issues she often describes in her work: sexism, racism and transphobia. Kim said that WHITE S

sues that we face.” ten realizes how his art Similarly, Kim said connects to the world towriting allows her to com- wards the end of the writment on society. When ing proces. Writing, howperforming or creating ever, can still be a form of a poem, she recognizes advocacy, Kaye said. her audience’s different “I love writing because viewpoints and said that there is so much freeshe tries dom in to commuit,” Kaye nicate her said. “You ideas by can realI love writing weaving ly write because there is so univer sal a b o u t much freedom in it. You a n y t h i n g experiences or you want. can really write about themes of If you anything you want.” communihave an ty and ac—Abe Kaye ’20 idea, just ceptance write it. in her All you work. need is a “People are going to computer or paper.” experience discrimination In addition to the different ways depending physical accessibility of on where they’re from or creating a written work, who they hang around Kim also credits the or their personal beliefs,” school’s support of the Kim said. “And I think literary arts to the availthat just by sticking to ability of writing opportuour personal stories with nities. Whether they join poetry or through other Stone-cutters, the upper mediums, it’s a way to school’s literary magareach out to people spe- zine, or take a creative cifically and try to break writing elective, Kim said that wall. We’re just peo- student writers should ple who are suffering or utilize the existing rewho are demanding more sources to not only imrespect or demanding prove their craft but adjust to be treated the way vocate for the issues they that everyone wants to be care about. treated.”

I think the school’s inWhile attending a pro- credible for giving differgram overseas to learn ent avenues for [self-exabout Italian language pression] whether it’s in and food, Abe Kaye a team or in class,” Kim ’20 said he still said. “I’ve been in a lot continued to write of situations and I think over the sum- a lot of my friends have mer. In his been in situations like essays and that to talk about broader s c r i p t s , issues of society instead Kaye said of just what we’re studyhe of- ing.”

“

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

C4 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE CHRONICLE

AUG. 29, 2018

Students will sing a Lucky Riff

By ETHAN LACHMAN

For the first time in over ten years, the Upper School theater department will present an off-Broadway musical, “Lucky Stiff.”

“Lucky Stiff” is a comedic murder mystery mixed with elements of romanticism, which was inspired by the song “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Michael Butterworth. “Lucky Stiff” follows a man who takes his deceased uncle’s body on vacation in an attempt to pass him off as alive so he can inherit his money.

“Lucky Stiff” received the Helen Hayes Award in and the Richard Rodgers Award identifying outstanding musicals run by non-profit theaters in New York City.

“Lucky Stiff” was written

by Tony award winning writers Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Performing arts teacher and director Michele Spears chose “Lucky Stiff” so students could have an opportunity to perform in a different type of musical than usual, she said.

“One thing that attracted me to this show was that it’s a farce, so the style of performance is a style we have rarely done, and certainly not in the last ten years, so we thought it was a nice variation,” Spears said.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM BEN BECKMAN

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM MEGAN CHANG

BUTI-ful Tones

By JOANNA IM

Students attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, a performing arts summer program for students from June 17 to Aug. 11 to sharpen their musical skills.

Students could choose from a variety of classes, such as orchestra rehearsals, chamber rehearsals and music theory classes.

The camp included three programs, as well as a concert and a parade, in which students performed what they

Puzzled Yet?

Students spent their summers at Boston University Tanglewood Institute building their techniques in their own musical fields.

learned at the program. In addition to the orchestra concerts, students also participated in chamber music concerts and outreach opportunities.

Although there was an emphasis on musical education, residential life also taught students about responsible living. Other classes focused on lifestyle in addition to the main music classes.

“There were also opportunities for music theory classes and health and wellness programs like yoga, body mapping, etcetera,” Megan Chang

’19 said. “I had a really incredible time there, being surrounded constantly by music and incredible people from across the country and all over the world who shared the same interests and love of music as me.”

Ben Beckman ’19 composed his own music to be featured in concerts during the program.

“When we had our second-week project, they asked us to write brass anthems and told us one of them would be performed,” Beckman said. “Mine was the one picked to be performed, and

it was played during a wind ensemble concert in honor of former governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick.”

Some students also applied for the program hoping for supplementary musical practice over the summer to prepare for the following school year.

“Since I was in [the program], we focused a lot on orchestral and chamber performance, so I’m really excited to bring everything I’ve learned this summer about leadership and collaboration in an ensemble to school,” Chang said.

Science teacher Nate Cardin created a crossword puzzle to start off the 2018-2019 school year with a word challenge for Harvard-Westlake. Crossword puzzles will be featured in every issue.

40. Winter, spring, summer, and fall 42. Anger 43. Dentist’s focus 45. Spanish kiss 46. Cain’s brother, according to the Bible 47. * Rodent exercise aparatus 50. Get by, in life 53. Common pronoun for a transwoman 54. Drink with a non-alcoholic ginger variety 55. Protruding belly button 59. Mental picture 62. * Not typed 65. Duty paid to the IRS 66. Father of 46-Across 67. Chocolate company 68. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Manning 69. Wildcat (whose name sounds like a golf course) 70. Furry Tibetan beasts (who talk too much?)

71. ACT alternative

CROSSWORD BY NATE CARDIN

Across 1. LAPD alert 4. Supermodel Banks 8. Miniature golf action 12. ___-Magnon 13. Northwest US airport named for two nearby cities 16. US worker protection org.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM BEN BECKMAN

BACH FROM SUMMER CAMP: (Left) Megan Chang ’19 is featured with friends at camp. (Top right) Ben Beckman ’19 is pictured next to Deval Patrick, former governor of Massachusetts. (Bottom right) Charlie Meenaghan ’19 is pictured with his friends at the program.

17.

“Hamilton” creator ___-Manuel Miranda 18. * Excessive adoration for someone 20. ___ Burger, so named for its savory flavors 22. January, in Jalisco 23. Period in history 24. Golf score between an

eagle and a bogey 25. Palace protectors 27. * Emotionally uplifting 33. Makes a mistake 34. Cookie with a creme filling 35. Shoulder muscles, for short 39. In shape

Down 1. Org. that defends the Bill of Rights 2. Proper 3. Napoleon’s last name 4. Top often worn with jeans 5. “___-haw!”

6. Common way to order steak (zing!)

7. Many 8. Not neg.

9. “Yeah!” and “OMG” singer 10. It’s after Activities Period 11. Snacks at a Spanish bar 14. Partner of shock 15. Queen Elizabeth’s favorite type of dog

19. Doctors make them in hospitals 21. One of our neighbor planets 26. It’s just a number 27. Weight 28. One of the Great Lakes 29. Despair 30. Riyadh residents 31. Start anew 32. “Riverdale” character or Maine’s state animal 36. Frees from captivity 37. Spruce or pine 38. Give in exchange for money 40. Darkness seen on a sundial 41. Neither’s partner 44. “What ___?!?!”

46. “Um, pardon me...”

48. Feel the loss of 49. Complains 50. Taj ___ 51. “Luck be ___ tonight” 52. SNL comedian Thompson 56. Scenario before overtime play 57. Teeny 58. “At Last” singer ___ James 60. Fancy party 61. Way out 63. “Party Up (Up in Here)” rapper 64. Antlered beast

Scan for Answers!

Sports The Chronicle • Aug. 29, 2018

Field Hockey

RYAN ALBERT/CHRONICLE

STICK IT TO ‘EM: Chronicle staff writer Astor Wu ’20 controls the ball in a 5-0 home game win against Westminster High last season Sept. 5. The team finished 10-0 in league, shutting out its opponent in nine of the 10 games and only allowing one goal last season. The team will play Wesminster High again this season on Aug. 31.

Players work toward a second perfect title year

By Luke Casola

feeling of belonging, camaraderie, friendship and joy.”

After a dominant undeLast year’s team was largfeated season , the girls’ field er than previous seasons and hockey team hopes to main- consisted of 11 seniors, three tain their strong team dynam- juniors, six sophomores and ic despite the loss of standout two freshmen. players and team Compared to last captains Mia Reilly season, this year’s ’18, Erin Lee ’18 and team roster is youngAlyse Tran ’18. er, consisting of five Last season, the seniors, seven jufield hockey team niors, six sophomores finished with a 20-0 and three freshmen. record winning a CIF With the loss of title. graduates such as ’ “We should have goalie Elle Choi ’18 Sydney a very competitive who only allowed Pizer ’19 team again this year,” one goal all season field hockey program head and captains from last seaErin Creznic said. “While we of son, Reilly, Lee and Tran, course enjoy winning and hope the team’s rising seniors and to win league and the end of captains, Isabella Huang ’19, the year championship again, Cypress Toomey ’19, Bella it’s not our primary goal. Our Guanche ’19, Emily Wesel ’19 goal is to give every player in and Sydney Pizer ’19 will come the field hockey program a into increased leadership roles white s

this season.

Creznic said she wants the new seniors to be vocal on and off the field, dedicated, inclusive and welcoming to the underclassmen.

“Our team has always been so close, so losing the seniors is definitely going to take an emotional toll on us because we are losing some of our best friends,” Pizer said. “We will really miss them and their incredible energy, musical talents and leadership. I think I’m not the only one who was also concerned about how their departure might affect our playing since that class was very skilled.”

The team began practicing two hours a day Monday through Friday after the team played six games at the Disney tournament in Orlando July 28 to Aug. 1.

Last summer, the team

“

We should have a very competitive team again this year. While we of course enjoy winning and hope to win league and the end of the year championship again, it’s not our primary goal. “ — Erin Creznic Field Hockey Program Head

also travelled to Orlando for the tournament July 31 to Aug. 3.

The team finished undefeated and unscored on at the tournament, defeating other club teams from across the country.

At the Florida trip, the players were able to get to know each other better before the start of the season.

The team has bonded through team sleepovers during the summer and several community service trips such as participating in beach clean-ups according to Pizer.

“Our season hasn’t even started, and I think we have the advantage of a strong team dynamic on and off the field because of this tournament,”

white’s

Pizer said. “At our [tournament in Orlando], we really came together as a team, and I have no doubt that this new team will only continue to improve with more practice and experience working together. I feel really great about this season even though we have big shoes to fill.”

The Wolverines will play their first game of the season Aug. 28 against Marina High.

School.

The home opener will be against Westminster High School on Aug. 31 and the league opener will be on Sept.

26 against Thousands Oaks.

Last season, the team defeated Marin on Sept. 9, 5-0 and beat Wesminsteron Sept.

5, 5-0.

Football

Team rebuilds under new coach

By Keila McCabe

AARON PARK/CHRONICLE

SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE: Quarterback Jameson Wang ’20

jukes out two defenders in the 30-21 loss to Birmingham on Aug. 17.

The football team looks to reconstruct its program after a promising last season cut short in the first round of playoffs with the help of new head coach Michael Burnett.

The Wolverines spent the summer focusing on a new offensive approach and creating strong team chemistry.

“We’ve spent countless hours in the weight room, more than we have ever in my time in the program,” running back Will Goldberg ’19

said. “We’ve spent lots of time on the field working on our conditioning. Our program is heading in the right direction and we are very excited for the future, especially the younger guys that will continue the tradition of relentless attitude and passion that the upperclassmen have established.”

The team lost its season opener 30-21 to the Birmingham Patriots in a back and forth game.

During the game, the players showcased their new

heavy offensive running strategy, but were defeated by the strength of an older Patriots roster. The Wolverines attempted to tire out the Patriots’ defense on the field, lengthening offensive possessions by running the ball often.

“Strengthening our run game will clearly be the most drastic change from last season,” wide receiver Brendan Kang ’20 said. “Coach Burnett emphasizes how we must • Continued on D3

D2 SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

Game to watch SEPTEMBER 21

Football vs. St. Francis Ted Slavin Field After losing 77-27 to St. Francis last year, the Harvard-Westlake football team is looking to redeem themselves. This will be the first time that the two teams play since the Wolverine's exit from the Angelus league, making this game even more anticipated.

KEY PLAYER Sultan Daniels '19 A co-captain for this year's team, linebacker and running back Sultan Daniels '19 is looking to be a big contributor to the team. He made 229 tackles in his first three years on varsity and averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season. In order to take down St. Francis, Daniels must perform well running the ball and defending against their strong offense.

& Figures Facts

Girls' volleyball win percentage this season

.917

471

Number of points the football team scored in 2017

Number of goals scored

by Field Hockey in 2017

77

3

AUG. 29, 2018

boys' water polo

Strong summer shows promise for this season

By WILLIAM SEYMOUR Despite the loss of key senior leaders from last season, the boys' water polo team looks to return to its former glory and reach the CIF Division I Regional Finals.

The team fell short of its title goals last season, losing to rival Mater Dei 10-7 in the 2017 CIF Division I Regional Semi-Finals.

Despite roster changes, team members feel confident in the squad this season.

“We always lose great players but have people there to step in,” attacker Cristian Pang '20 said. “We might have to change our gameplay, but no matter what obstacles stand in our way, we as a team and a family always find ways to achieve our goals.”

Two of last season's leaders, left attacker Keller Maloney '18 and goalkeeper Sam Krutonog '18, are now playing at Princeton University and the University of Southern California, respectively.

"By losing [Maloney], we lost a huge chunk of our

offense, but that forces other players to step up," Pang said. "[Krutonog] was an amazing goalie, but losing him gives his younger brother [Nolan '20] a chance to take his place."

The team has been working hard this summer and won the Summer High School State Championship for the fourth time in six years.

To reach the championship game, they defeated teams that they have historically had trouble playing against, such as Huntington Beach High School and Oaks Christian School.

The Wolverines defeated Newport Harbor 11-8 in the championship game.

The squad hopes to keep this momentum going as they move into the season.

“We're all really excited for this season because last year we were a young team that performed above expectations, and we're now more mature and experienced,” attacker Alexandru Bucur '19 said. “We also just came off a really great club season which gave us a lot of energy going into preseason

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE

WATER YOU DOIN'?: Nico Tierney '20 prepares to throw the ball in last year's game against Murrieta Valley High School on Sept. 6. training."

The pre-season has also been great for team chemistry, creating close bonds between team members. Coach Brian Flacks and center defender Nico Tierney '20 have also just returned from a USA National Team trip to Youth Worlds in Hungary.

“This is one of the closestknit teams I’ve been a part of because we’ve been through so much together and it’s made us grow really close,” Bucur said.

The squad has its first two scrimmages against Newport

Harbor High School and Santa Margarita on Aug. 25 at Newport Harbor High School and its first league game is against Notre Dame on Sept. 4 at home.

"Our team is looking really solid this year and we have a really good chance to win CIF," attacker Chris Kim '20 said.

"So far, we finished fourth in the Junior Olympics, won high school state and won the Futures Super Finals with our high school team. The team shows a lot of promise this year."

girls' volleyball

Number of times the Field Hockey team was scored on in 2017 PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF WOO SIM

Junior Varsity Field Hockey Next Game: Aug. 31 @ Harvard-Westlake

Girls' Tennis Next Game:

Sept. 4 @ LA Valley College

Girls' Volleyball Next Match: Sept. 4 @ Harvard-Westlake

Boys' Water Polo Next Match: Sept. 4 @ Harvard-Westlake

Football Next Match: Sept. 8 @ Burroughs

BABY GOT BAXTER: Senior Captain and Defensive Specialist Eve Baxter '19 bumps the ball in last year's homecoming game, Oct. 7, against league opponent Alemany High School , which the Wolverine's won 3-0. The team rose to a 16-6 record following the win.

Hawaii tournament strengthens team bonds

By WILL MALLORY WILLIAM SEYMOUR

and setter Lindsey Kelly '19 said.

“We have had a successful The girls' varsity volleyball season so far,” Kelly said. team posted a 10-1 record in “Even though we only had a tournament play to finish few practices before Hawaii, a successful pre-season in we came together as a team preparation for the upcoming and played well during the tournament.” season under The Wolverines second-year head finished the 2017 coach and Program season with a 20-10 Head Hayley overall record that Blanchard. was capped off with a Headlined by trip to the first round a week-long trip of CIF State. Led by to Hawaii in early former seniors Isabel August, the preWiatt ’18, Bella Hedley season played a ’ ’18 and Jaimie Rao significant part in Lauren ’18, the new team will establishing bonds Juzang ’20 have to find a way to within the squad.

The team looks to start maintain their success in the league play with a victory upcoming season.

The team traveled to against Flintridge Sacred Heart on Sept. 4 in Taper Honolulu on Aug. 6 and Gymnasium, team captain competed in the Ann Kang AND

WHITE S

Tournament before returning to Los Angeles on Aug. 13.

Although the main purpose of the trip was the tournament, the squad also engaged in various activities off the court. From hiking in the Diamond Head State Monument to cliff diving next to the north shore, players were able to strengthen their relationships not only as teammates but also as individuals, middle blocker Lauren Juzang '20 said.

"There was a lot of time dedicated for us to bond and grow our team chemistry," Juzang said. "Our phones were taken for a lot of the trip so we would just spend time with each other, and it worked. On the court, our team chemistry is why we work so well."

This year's tournament

was successful, Coach Blanchard said.

“I have been to the Hawaii tournament with my teams in the past, and not only is it competitive volleyball, but it also allows for the girls to really bond,” Blanchard said. “We have 18 girls on the team, and the trip helped them get to know one another off the court in order to better communicate on the court.”

The Wolverines hope to continue their winning streak into league play, junior opposite Bella Treadwell '20 said. The group looks to balance experience with talent in a promising season.

“Our team already has an amazing bond,” Treadwell said. “I’m proud of what we accomplished in Hawaii and I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Aug. 29, 2018

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D3

inbrief

Cross Country

Team runs toward Seaside invitational

they put in over the summer, the team is eager to get the The cross country team season started at the Seaside is currently preparing for Invitational, Keare said. their first meet, the Seaside “The Seaside Invitational is a Invitational on Aug. 31. good starting meet for the the The team has been working team to get the season started hard since the beginning of on the right foot, and it will July, practicing four times a be great practice for our less week and lifting twice a week. experienced runners,” girls’ Along with all the hard work captain Alexandra Ankai ’19 they have put in on campus, said. the team recently returned Along with the experience from their annual five day Seaside should offer, Keare said retreat in Big Bear. the team has a good chance to On the trip, the team went be successful at Seaside. through rigorous “We’re really training.

However, excited,” Keare said. it was also a great “There’s a really good bonding experience chance that both the that allowed the team boys and girls do will to come together, do really well at the Natalia Quintero ‘21 meet. That being said, said. races can be really “I think that Big nerve-wracking and Bear got everyone stressful but hopefully W ’ into better shape for we can overcome that Avery our first league meet,” as a team.”

Keare ’19 Quintero said.

Both the boys and Although the team trained girls’ teams have high hopes hard in Big Bear, they for Seaside race, but they also spent their free time have even higher expectations participating in various for the season, Ankai said. activities such as hiking and If all goes well their year will kayaking, Quintero said. culminate at the California “We had loads of different State Finals Nov. 24. workouts, and the high altitude “I think we will do a lot better makes them even harder, but this year, not only because of we also had lots of free time to our determination to get the bond and get closer as a team,” streak [of making it to state] Avery Keare ’19 said. back, but also because we The team shares the goal of have a lot of great newbies that qualifying for state after both can help team immensely,” the boys and the girls teams Ankai said. were stopped short of that last Ankai said the team may year at the CIF-SS Division 4 have had an issue with focus Finals last year. on certain occasions, but she After all the hard work said it should not be an issue

Good things come to those who weight Coach Junior Amazan joined the Upper School Athletics Department as a Sports Performance Coach in August.

Prior to starting at the school, Amazan worked at other institutions including California State University and Northridge. He also established the Kinetic Precision: Wrestling Academy, a sports club that provides young wrestlers with the opportunity to compete against other athletes in Southern California.

In an interview with VoyageLA, Amazan said that he decided to enter the sports performance industry because he wanted to give young, underprivileged athletes the tools to reach their peak performance.

-Hannah Han

By Eugene Wyman

Trading the headset for the bright lights

hite s

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE

STRIDE FOR STRIDE: Captain Alexandra Ankai ‘19 is focused as she sprints passed her competition into the new season. this year.

“Last year we lost some of the seriousness we needed for the important meets, but I think we›ve accepted that and we›re trying to find the right balance,” Ankai said. “Overall, we are definitely much better than we were last year, and I have high expectations for the year.”

Captain of the boys team Andrew Shibuya ’19 said that

the team will be successful if they continue to work hard.

“As a team we’re working hard and building our depth which we’ve had in past years, and that is so important to our championship racing in the second half of the season,” Shibuya said.

With their newfound focus, Ankai said the cross country team hopes to run into success starting with Seaside.

Football

Squad looks forward to play with new coach • Continued from D1

CAITLIN CHUNG/CHRONICLE

QB SNEAK: Jameson Wang ‘20 steps out of the pocket during the home opener against Birmingham High School, Aug. 17.

CATCH UP ON

HIGHLIGHTS HARVARD-WESTLAKE VS. BIRMINGHAM, AUG. 17

Birmingham

3021 Harvard-Westlake

dominate the other team by running the ball in order to open up the pass game, control tempo and even give our defense more time to rest.”

In addition to his new game strategy, Burnett has implemented a new form of player leadership for the upperclassmen and returning players on the team.

“With Coach Burnett’s ‘no hierarchy’ philosophy, leadership is definitely different,” Goldberg said. “It makes it so any teammate can step up at any given time and show leadership.”

With the departure of several senior receivers, the Wolverines have been working to trust each other on offense.

“I worked a lot with the receivers this offseason because I lost [Thomas Glover ’18] and [Cameron Jones ’18] last year,” Wang said. “I needed to get my timing down with the new guys since they won’t have much experience playing varsity football.”

The team has been working to form relationships off the field in order to work better on the field as a unit.

They have also been physically training leading up to season in order to match up

to older, stronger teams.

“Pre-season is honestly one of the most important parts of the season,” receiver Jason Thompson ’22 said. “I was able to build a special bond with my teammates and really learn how we, as a team, like to play football since I am a freshman and we have a new coach.”

The team was 8-3 overall last season with high momentum going into CIF playoffs, but fell to St. Joseph’s 49-44 in the first round.

The Wolverines have set high goals for this season after a successful season last year.

“Off the field, we want to be a program that the entire school community can be proud of in our actions,” Burnett said. “On the field, our goal has to be the same every year – to compete for a CIF championship. I believe it is imperative to set high expectations regardless of how it ends. Striving for high expectations is what matters most.”

The team will play Crespi High School in a non league game at Pierce College Friday.

The first league game of the seaon will be against St. Anthony’s High School on Sept. 29 at Homecoming.

Former football coach Scot Ruggles resigned after receiving a job offer from University of California, Los Angeles as the Assistant Director of Player Development. He served as head football coach from 2012 to 2017.

Ruggles announced the news on Twitter stating that he was happy to be back in college football.

He will also be a guest star on the CBS television show “S.W.A.T.” -Eugean Choi

Ali Riley ’06 signs with Chelsea FC

Ali Riley ’06 signed to play professional women’s soccer for Chelsea FC in London, England.

During her time at HarvardWestlake, she was two-time Mission League Offensive MVP, two-time first-team San Fernando Valley and All-CIF Southern Section Division 1 first-team. As senior captain in 2006, she led the Wolverines to the finals.

Riley attended Stanford University, where she played soccer for four years.

FC Gold Pride drafted Riley as the tenth pick in the first round of the 2010 WPS Draft.

She played globally in the WPS since then, most recently playing for FC Rosengard in Damallsvenskan.

Riley officially joined Chelsea on July 15.

-Keila Mccabe

Wolverines show out at Area Code Games

Sam Hilboki ’19, Drew Bowser ’20 and Pete CrowArmstrong ’20 have been selected to be a part of the 2018 Upper Class Area Code Games.

The Area Code Games are a five day baseball showcase that invites the top 220+ high school baseball players from across the country from the classes of 2019, 2020 and 2021. This will be the first time a baseball program has sent three baseball players to the games in 25 years. Scouts from all Major League teams will be in attendance.

-Chloe Shaeffer

The Chronicle

D4 Sports

Aug 2

Autumn Athletics Agenda The Wolverines’ athletics programs are entering their respective fall seasons. Here is a quick preview of each of their key upcoming games during the first few weeks of school. Go Wolverines!

Monday August 27

Tuesday August 28

Thursday August 30

29, 2018

hwchronicle.com/sports

Friday August 31

Sports D5

Tuesday September 4

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO AND JAY LASSITER

D6 Sports

The Chronicle

Aug. 29, 2018

CAITLIN CHUNG/CHRONICLE

CALM BEFORE THE STORM: The Wolverines stand for the national anthem before the start of the game against Birmingham. The team lost the home opener, 30-21 on Aug. 17. The team’s next game is on Friday against Crespi High at 7 p.m. Quuaterback Jameson Wang ’20 looks to lead the squad to its first win of the season.

New coaching staff hired after early loss in playoffs

By Ryan Albert

He moved to Virginia in 2006 to revive the football New football program head program at Broad Run High and economics teacher Michael School. He took over a proBurnett aims to change the gram that had not been to the expectations of the team and playoffs in 20 years. In the four share his passion for econom- years that he was at Broad Run, Burnett won back-toics with students, he said.

Burnett coached at Tusca- back state championships in rora High in Leesburg, Virginia 2008 and 2009.

“Football has been a big before accepting the position as football program head at the part of the school culture at the school. While at Tuscarora, he schools that I have been at because it brings developed the so many people football proout,” Burnett gram for the “Football has said. “It has new school and been a big part of the the potential led the team to, and I know to two state school culture at the that might championship schools that I have been here not be the case, games, most at because it brings so but for me, it is recently in a great reason 2017. He was many people out.” to bring an enalso named the 2015 NFL Don —Michael Burnett tire community Shula High Football Program Head together.”

In addition School Coach to his wins on of the Year. the field, BurBefore taking over the football program nett has also had a successat Tuscarora, he was a teacher ful career as a social studies and basketball coach at Milken teacher. He taught advanced Community School and moved placement economics and was to Santa Monica High School the social studies department in 2003 to teach, coach basket- chair at Tuscarora. Despite ball and coach football. coming to a school where spe-

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cialization has isolated athletic and academic professionals, Burnett said his passion for economics and football makes teaching both at a high caliber feasible.

“I built an entire AP econ program at my school because I love that class,” Burnett said.

“I love teaching as much as a coaching, and that’s something I think kids immediately see from me. If you love what you do, it’s possible, and I don’t really look at it like it’s that hard to do. I look at it like this is what I want to do.”

In order to prepare for the coming season and allow the coaches and athletes to establish a relationship, Burnett started working with the team last spring and throughout the summer.

“It is always challenging bringing in a lot of different coaches and a lot of different people.” Burnett said. “We have the team camp where the whole team stays on campus for a week and I think that helped [the team bond]. I think we have gotten really close, and I think that will pay off down the road.”

As a coach and a teacher,

outtakes

“In the sense that one can love football and love economics and be passionate about both and be really effective as a teacher of both.”

—Rick Commons President Burnett said he hopes he can bring new insight on what it means to be a student-athlete at a competitive school.

“I think I have a unique understanding of what it is like to be a student-athlete,” Burnett said. “Sometimes, it is hard for teachers to understand that their students have a passion for sports outside the classroom, and it is hard for coaches to understand that the kids are being asked to do a lot in the classroom.”

The coach is a great addition to the team and the school because of his experience and academic background, lineman Evan LaTourrette-Ghez ’19 said.

“He fits in really well with the values of the school, especially because he is also a teacher,” LaTourrette-Ghez said. “I think this allows him to understand what we are going through academically and allows him to connect with us much more than [other coaches] could.”

WHITE’S

Faculty members are excited to take on a new teacher that will have a close relationship with students and athletes, President Rick Commons said.

“We are excited about [Burnett] because I think there is a real advantage to students and faculty feeling up close,” Commons said. “In the sense that one can love football and love economics and be passionate about both and be really effective as a teacher of both.”

Despite the changes that come with a new head coach, the team will approach the season with big goals, Burnett said. “[Our goals for the season are] always that we want to win our league and then we want to compete for a CIF championship,” Burnett said. “I think we have the ability to do that, and I think we got to aim high and change the expectations of the program.”

Aug. 29, 2018

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D7

Girls’ Golf

Team led by young players

By Lucas Lee and

Jay Lassiter

Despite the loss of senior leaders, the girls’ golf squad looks to recapture the league title with a close knit team following two consecutive winning seasons.

“This season I am looking forward to competing to be three-peat Mission League Champions and qualifying for CIF championship,” Skylar Graham ’20 said. “Our team is very deep and I know we are capable of making it to the next level.”

Last season the girls’ golf squad finished with an overall record of 6-1 and a league record of 5-1.

In preparation for the upcoming season, the team held a three-day retreat in Ojai to promote bonding and build fundamentals in the players.

The team played 18 holes every day at the retreat, participated in team bonding activities and worked on vision boards.

On top of bonding activities, the retreat helped improve the attitude and mindset of the players. The team believes that mental game is very important in lowering their scores and winning matches, according to Graham.

The team’s unity will be helpful in the coming season

AARON PARK/CHRONICLE

UP TO PAR: Daisy Wan ’20 drives the ball in a match against Marymount last season on Sep. 28. The team won the match, 192237. The team finished with an overall record of 6-1 last season with its only loss coming against Marlborough Oct. 2, 206-212.

Celine Park ’21 said.

“We lost three seniors last year which can also affect the team’s success,” Park said. “Last year we had three freshmen and now we have two more and it’s really nice how the seniors are friends with the freshman and vice versa.”

Team captain Daisy Wan ’20 also said she was excited

about the prospect of new team members.

“We have a really great team this year with lots of new members, so I’m looking forward to bonding further with everyone on the team and seeing how far we can advance this year in CIF,” Wan said.

In the past two seasons, the girls’ golf squad won the

league championship but failed to get past the second round of the CIF championships. The team members are eager to individually improve their scores, as well as improve as a team, Wan said.

“I would definitely like to improve my score from last year, but scores come hand in hand with emotions and attitude on the course,” Park

said.

The journey for the team’s third Mission League Championship will start with their first home and league match on Aug. 30 against Flintridge Sacred Heart at the Encino golf course.

The squad beat Flintridge Sacred Heart School183-241 in the first match of the season last year on Aug. 31.

Girls’ Tennis

Uncertainty around standout players may affect season

By Zack Schwartz

this year again, and of course would love to make it as far as The girls’ tennis team re- we can in CIF,” Dupee said. mains eager to begin its seaCoach Jelena Durisic said son, despite the potential loss she isn’t worried about the of two of its star players. potential of losing players.

Star twin duo Sophia “Losing players is part Ekstrand ’20 and Erika of the sport,” Durisic said.

Ekstrand ’20 are still decid- “Luckily each season, we ing whether or not they will have many who would love be playing for the team this to be a part of the team and year. are eager to play. HarvardThe team is still excited Westlake has a great middle for the season regardless of school team as well, where the confusion about the ros- girls are motivated to improve ter, Maddy Dupee ’20 said . and when they go into ninth “We as a team are grade, they are ready not sure whether or to compete, and this not the Ekstrands will be the case this are playing this upcoming season. I year, but either way am excited for this our coach has been season, and look forvery excited about ward to working with new recruits and all the girls.” new team members The team plans that will be on the on returning to glory ’ team next year,” after missing the CIF Grace Swift ’19 Dupee said. “We finals last year for love the Ekstrands the first time in three and hope that they decide to years. stay on the team though.”

The Wolverines, however, The squad also lost three had more individual success seniors and had a player re- than team success as Erika moved from the team last Ekstrand went on to win misseason. sion league in the singles diDespite the threat of play- vision last year. ers leaving, Dupee is still opGrace Swift ’19 said the timistic about the team’s po- squad plans on utilizing its tential for this season. strong team chemistry to lead “We hope to win league them back to the CIF finals. white s

Swift remains very excited for the upcoming season, she said.

“It’ll be a good year in terms of being a closeknit team that has a lot of fun together,” Swift said.

“I hope we all push each other to be the best tennis players we can be, and hopefully that leads to a CIF championship.”

Swift said she is looking forward to having a leadership role on the squad this year.

“My role, as one of three seniors on the team, will definitely be one of leadership for the underclassmen,” Swift said. “The other seniors and I will be important for rallying the team and keeping morale up throughout the season.”

The squad will return to play Tuesday, Sept. 4 against Westlake High School. It will be the team’s first game with Weddington Golf and Tennis as its home court.

The team’s first league game will be on Sept. 18 against Notre Dame. Last season, the squad finished 1-1 against Notre.

PINTED WITH PERMISSION OF WOO SIM

YOU GOT SERVED: Maddy Dupee ’20 hits a backhand in a 14-4 loss last season on Sept. 14 against Palos Verdes High School.

D8 Sports

The Chronicle

Q&A

Aug. 29, 2018

Lindsey Kelly Girls’ Volleyball

By Eugene Wyman How did you get into volleyball?

I started playing volleyball in fifth grade. My older sister had just joined a team, and when I watched her play I knew I would really enjoy the sport. When I started playing I fell in love with the fast pace and competitiveness, and I haven’t stopped since.

Do you have any pregame superstitions or rituals?

The team is very superstitious when it comes to pregame rituatials. Whether we are playing at home or away we always stick to the same routine. That really helps us get in the zone and focus on the match.

What’s your goal for this season? How do you plan on accomplishing it?

This year the team wants to win our league and go far in both the CIF and state tournaments. The entire team has a really strong work ethic, and everyone comes to practice every day with the intention of getting better. With this mentality we have improved with every game we’ve played, and on this track we should be able to accomplish our goals.

How was the tournament in Hawaii? How did it go, and how was the free time with the team?

The tournament was great. The team played really well throughout the entire tournament, and we got better with each match played. It definitely served as a great starting point for the season. In Hawaii we were able able to visit a lot of different beaches, hike Diamond Head and more. This time allowed us to bond and establish a strong sense of team chemistry that will be super important throughout the season.

What was committing to Princeton like?

The commitment process was really smooth for me. All of my coaches and teammates were really supportive, and with their help, I was able to commit to the school of my dreams.

What are you looking foward to with college volleyball?

I am really excited for college volleyball. I can’t wait to play at a high level and continue to learn more about the game. I’m also really excited to play for a school that I’m really proud to go to.

In that sense, college volleyball will be a lot more similar to high school volleyball rather than club because I will be representing a school that I love.

How will the team do compared to last year?

We had a really great season last year,and we’re hoping to have just as much sucess and fun this year and every single person on the team has done a great job stepping up. We are hoping to have a good run in CIF just like last year, and I can’t wait to see how we do.

What’s your favorite moment during your HW career?

My favorite moment would be our win over Temecula Valley last year during CIF. We were the underdog of that match, so to come out and win was really exciting. It was extremely rewarding to see all of the hard work we put in throughout the season pay off. Everyone on the team had become so close during the season, so to share that expierence with some of my closest friends was something I’ll remember forever.

Stats 2nd

Team All Area

20-10

2017 Overall Record

.875

Win Percentage at Ann Kang Invitational AARON PARK/CHRONICLE