The administration will be implementing a new schedule at the Upper School for the 202526 school year, in an effort to strengthen community and free up teacher schedules. Students will have fewer opportunities to leave campus before the school day ends, and the Community Time block will be revised to feature more all-school events.
The modified schedule will impact odd days to the largest extent. Students without a commitment after their third class of the day were originally free to leave after 1 p.m., but under the new schedule, the earliest a student can leave on any given day will be 2 p.m. To do this, the Community Time and Conference Time periods will be moved to after the first block of the day, at 9:20 a.m.
After this hour-long period, the second class of the day will run from 10:30-11:45 a.m, followed by lunch and the third class of the day. On even days, the 45-minute Conference Time block will be moved up after the first class with a 15-minute break in place between the last two classes of the day. Directed Study periods will remain scheduled from 2:15-3:00 p.m.
The hour-long periods on odd days will be Junior Seminar and Community Time, with Sophomore and Senior Seminar moved to the 45-minute periods. Although the Community Time period was originally free for students without seminar, events such as the Activities Fair, Club Fair and all-school speaker events will be scheduled weekly during this block. This is the only block that will be called Community Time, as other “free” blocks for students without seminar will be called “Office Hours.”
FAC Chair and scheduler Heather Audesirk was in charge of creating the new schedule and worked with Dean of Students Jordan Church, Director of Teaching and Learning Daniel Gutierrez and Assistant Director of Learning Center Ramon Visaiz.
22nd annual film festival Westflix celebrates student films, producers
By Chloe Kim and Eila Shrokavi
The 22nd Annual Westflix Film Festival took place at Paramount Theatre March 15. Westflix is a student-run film festival sponsored by the school that invites student filmmakers across Los Angeles to submit their films to be reviewed and screened.
The festival also hosted guest speaker and prominent film director David Fincher, who has directed the sets of renowned films such as “Fight Club,” “The Social Network” and “Se7en.” Following Fincher’s question-and-answer panel, all 17 winning films were screened.
The subsequent award ceremony featured two school submissions; Francesca Varese-Riggen ’26 won the Lizzie Award for Cinematography and the Audience Choice Award for her film “El Deseo,” and Sabrina Simek ’26 won the Directors’ Choice Award for her film “Seeing Clearly.”
Visual Arts Teacher and Westflix Faculty Advisor Reb Limerick said visiting Paramount to plan
beforehand was memorable.
“A highlight was probably the first time that we visited Paramount,” Limerick said. “[There was a] fountain, big arches that say Paramount Pictures, the historic gates and the sky was really dramatic when we were there. So once we got there, we were just like, we’re gonna be part of Paramount history.”
Fincher said when selecting collaborators, he values people who are dedicated to the entire process of making a film.
“I like people who work hard,” Fincher said. “I like to work hard. I like to get there early. I like to leave late. I like to make myself available to answer questions. That’s the opportunity that you have to really shape stuff, is when you are available to others. The collaborators that I appreciate the most are the people who know that you have to make mistakes.”
Sabrina Simek ’26 had two films in Westflix: “My Dog Did My Homework” and “Seeing Clearly.” Simek won the Directors’ Choice Award for her film,
“Seeing Clearly,” a short film expressing the importance of mental health.
Simek said her experience making her film and submitting it to Westflix helped her learn how important being supported during the process is.
“I learned that building a community is really important,” Simek said. “Filmmaking is the place to build a community. It’s nice to meet other creative people and be inspired by them.”
Festival Director of Submissions Gideon Evans ’25 said he appreciates his team and faculty members who supported him throughout the process of planning the festival.
“Throughout the whole process, our team has worked really well together.” Evans said. “That was the best part, we mesh well together. There was a lot of organizational stuff that wasn’t great at the start, but it got better. Mx. [Reb] Limerick and [Brannon Cook] helped me so much throughout the process and it was amazing.”
School reaffirms diversity
By Connor Tang
The school is reaffirming their commitment to their mission of diversity, equity and inclusion amid a shifting political dialogue around such efforts. Although the school has not sent out a formal letter to the entire school community, leaders within the administration have emphasized that the school will continue its mission-centered diversity, equity and inclusion work, President Rick Commons said.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion have long been essential values for our school,” Commons said. “We stand by those values as we define them and as we express them in the work that we do here at our best. We will use [these values] to continue to take care of students and take care of this community, but we need to slow down and define [these values] in this world of controversy over DEI. We need to slow down, say the words and define them.”
Although the school is not subject to government scrutiny over such policies since they do not receive federal funding — unlike several U.S. universities and colleges — the school may be susceptible to civil rights laws that are being reinterpreted under the Trump administration and pertain to the school through its admissions and hiring practices. The school has to be “very, very conscious” while navigating civil rights laws, now that diversity, equity and inclusion practices in institutions across the U.S. are being challenged, Commons said.
Commons spoke at faculty meetings at both the Middle and Upper School and emphasized the school’s commitment to upholding its values of diversity, equity and inclusion. He said the most important thing when upholding such values is to define what the school means in each word, rather than reduce them into the acronym “DEI”, which has been stigmatized in politics.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Renowned film director David Fincher speaks at Westflix, alongside Festival Director Jasmine Sorgen ’25. The film celebration event took place at the Paramount Theater on Saturday, March 15.
EILA SHROKAVI/CHRONICLE
School to rearrange schedule
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“I worked with a scheduling expert to determine the best time of day to have things like Community Time, class meetings and office hours,” Audesirk said. “They provided research that demonstrates the best time for these non-academic blocks is after the first academic class of the day and separate from times such as lunch. I also asked them what they thought the potential advantages and disadvantages of moving these blocks to earlier in the day would be in terms of factors such as sports absences, community building and students being best able to focus in class. I created a few sample schedules that we shared with ISM to get their feedback, and they helped us narrow the choices down to the current proposal.”
Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said she hopes moving the Community Time block will limit the ability for students to leave campus early, prevent students from meeting with teachers during lunch and allow for a more reasonable lunchtime.
“Moving community time leads to kids feeling the administration is taking their time away from them,” Slattery said. “However, the current spacing has not done a good job of building community and our goal is to prevent loose blocks at the end of the day. One thing I’ve struggled with is knowing that all kids want to do is leave as early as possible, but that creates the problem of putting pressure on the faculty to meet with students at lunch. Moving this block into the earlier part of the day to finish homework before class meets. Another benefit is that now lunch will be at [a more normal] lunch time.”
Slattery also said the schedule will foster more clearly defined blocks for guest speakers and grade-level seminars.
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Chris Rock visits campus for club event, gives insights to students about his career
By Max Nam and Justin Tang
In one of the most prominent speaker events the school has ever hosted, stand-up comedian and actor Chris Rock visited the school March 7 in an event hosted by the Art and Business Club.
Sitting in front of a packed crowd in Rugby Auditorium, Rock answered questions with club leader Alexander Hudlin ’26 about his rise to stardom and experience in the show business and entertainment industry. In a prior club event, Hudlin brought Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden to speak.
Rock discussed his experience on the set of Saturday Night Live and the making of his autobiographical sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris.” While alternating between quips and genuine advice,
he directed some of his words toward the student-filled audience.
“You guys are the most privileged kids in the history of the earth,” Rock said. “You have resources that some people have never had, and could only dream of. You’re not normal kids, even the slowest kid here is faster than the fastest kid in a public school.”
Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said she enjoyed Rock’s ability to simultaneously engage the crowd and give meaningful insight to the students.
“I thought the questions from the audience were really thoughtful, and it felt like really good life advice,” Slattery said. “That’s one of the things that’s been a little bit different. Sometimes, some of the speakers are just lecturing, whereas this style felt like it was more tailored to our audience.”
Rock’s comedic sketches typi-
cally make humor of topics such as racism, inequality and politics. He said his sketches try to highlight important societal issues in a lighthearted manner.
“When I'm picking controversial issues, I just try to saw them down to the simplest form,” Rock said. “I don’t think people are really interested in politics, per se. They’re interested in how the politics affect people. I don’t want to divide the world, but I try to get it to its most human form.”
Hudlin said he saw Rock as the perfect guest speaker to inspire both the club and the broader community.
Hudlin said Rock’s ability to establish a powerful brand made him an ideal speaker to discuss the importance of branding in achieving success.
“Chris Rock is not only incredible at what he does, but he has also built an outstanding personal brand,” Hudlin said. “I wanted to understand how he achieved this because branding plays a crucial role in success.”
Hudlin said he hopes students walked away with the knowledge that success is not a straight path but a journey filled with challenges and growth.
“I hope students took away many valuable lessons from the event,” Hudlin said.
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“I founded the Art and Business Club to share impactful and important messages from some of the most successful and creative minds in the entertainment and art world,” Hudlin said. “So when the opportunity to interview Chris Rock arose, I knew he would be an excellent speaker, not only for my club but for the entire school community.”
Council hosts annual service week
By Abby Ryan
Community Council organized Community Service Week with activities to help raise awareness about charities in the community and bring students together for service from March 11-14.
On Monday, Wags and Walks, a charity that rescues dogs and finds them new homes, brought puppies to the Quad and Community Council organized a hot dog eating contest. On Tuesday, hot cocoa was served in the lounge, with proceeds going to TreePeople, a local environmental organization.
On Wednesday, Father Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, gave a speech to the entire school community to bring awareness to his organization, a gang rehabilitation program. On Thursday, students helped make sandwiches with Youth to End Hunger, while Angel City Sports, an organization that provides opportunities for adaptive sports, hosted an event in Taper Gymnasium to
play wheelchair basketball with students. On Friday, sophomores learned about Giving Spirit, an organization that provides help to homeless individuals, and made kits for unhoused individuals in LA. Community Council also served pie in honor of Pi Day.
Community Council member Nate Verny ’25 said the week helps bring the community together with service, allowing the school to come together through each different day of the week.
“This is an annual thing that Community Council puts together as a way of bringing our school together,” Verny said. “It emphasizes both community service and community belonging by putting together a bunch of activities for our school and students to bond.”
Noah Ramsey ’27 said he enjoyed the puppies on the Quad because he his special connection with dogs enabled him to be more productive throughout the day.
“I participated in the dog
petting,” Ramsey said. “I have an emotional connection with dogs, even though I don't own a pet. Being able to see them on campus brought me a calmer sense of workflow and relieved the stress during the school day. It was nice being able to pet the dogs and just relate with them.”
Hal Craig ’27 said wheelchair basketball helped him empathize with the players as he realized how much challenging it is to play sports with a disability.
“Wheelchair basketball was not only super fun to watch everyone do, but it also gave some significance to what they do,” Craig said. “As we saw from our regular students hopping into wheelchairs and attempting to do wheelchair basketball, it's a lot harder than you might think. It gives a kind of legitimacy to what wheelchair basketball's disabled athletes are doing. Not only do they have to overcome their disabilities and be able to compete at that level, they also have to work just as hard as a regular athlete might in their sport.”
CUDDLY PALS: Community Council hosted a fundraiser for Wags and Walks by bringing puppies on the Quad during Community Service week.
A VISITING STAR: Stand-up comedian and actor Chris Rock spoke to students March 7 in Rugby Auditorium for an event hosted by the Art and Business Club. Club leader Alexander Hudlin ’26 interviewed Rock about his career and experience working in the entertainment industry.
Jewish Club hosts Oct. 7 attacks survivor to speak about themes of resilience, unity
By Tali Gurule
Jewish Club hosted Miri Gad
Messika, a survivor of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks from Kibbutz Be’eri, in Ahmanson Lecture Hall during lunch March 7. Messika recounted her escape from the kibbutz with her family and described the personal transformation that she and her loved ones underwent following the attacks.
Messika’s family has lived at Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel since 1946, with her heritage tracing back nearly three generations to the land. On Oct. 7, Messika, her husband and her children spent six hours hiding in a safe room before terrorists entered their home and tried to breach their safe room door. Messika said if the terrorists had breached the safe room, she and her family would not have been able to defend themselves.
“You must understand how scary it was,” Messika said. “We thought at that time that if they succeeded to open the door, it’s the end of us. We didn’t have anywhere
to go, anywhere to hide.”
Messika’s husband placed books beneath the door handle and prevented the terrorists from destroying the lock. When the terrorists could not enter the room, they set Messika’s home on fire instead.
Messika and her family jumped from their second-story window to escape. Despite hearing stories of terrorists setting fire to homes and waiting outside to murder whoever tried to run from the flames, they decided to jump. Messika said she would have rather faced the terrorists than be burnt alive.
“I realized I’m not willing to die,” Messika said. “I knew I wanted to rescue myself and my kids, and I wanted to live. I’m not going to die here today, not from smoke inhalation and not from being burned. If I’m going to die, I’d rather be dying from shooting. It’s a better death, you suffer less.”
Messika’s family did not find terrorists after they jumped out of the window. Instead, Messika’s neighbors rushed from the safety of their home to help the family into
their safe room, aiding Messika’s son who had broken his leg in the fall and was unable to move.
That evening, the Israeli Defense Forces evacuated Messika and her family from their kibbutz. Messika said while driving through the ruins of Kibbutz Be’eri, she saw haunting images.
“They took us through the gates of the kibbutz and while we were driving, the driver told us not to look outside the window,” Messika said. “What happens to you when they tell you not to do something? You immediately do it. So, I looked outside the window, and then I understood why he asked us not to. The road was filled with dead bodies. I took my head immediately in, and I tried to erase what I saw. I couldn’t do it, but that’s what I tried to do.”
In her presentation, Messika also detailed the recovery since the Oct. 7 terror attacks. As she displayed a photo of her family sharing a meal, Messika said the photo was taken at the Dead Sea, which sits at 1,300 feet below sea level.
Nonprofit founder visits school
By Angel Song
Father Greg Boyle, the founder and director of Homeboy Industries, and two program participants — called colloquially as “Homies” — David Sanchez and Saul Sanchez spoke in an allschool assembly in Taper Gym on March 12. David and Saul are brothers, and spoke briefly before Boyle about their experiences in the program after being incarcerated gang members.
Homeboy Industries, founded in South Los Angeles in 1988 by Boyle, is a gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry service with opportunities including 18-month employment programs for prior gang members. It is the world’s largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program, having served over 7,000 people, according to Homeboy Industries.
Boyle said Homeboy Industries was able to help gang members find new purposes in their lives, causing members of his organization to not participate in gang activity during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
“In 1992, after the acquittal of
the four police officers who beat down Rodney King, every pocket of poverty in Los Angeles ignited, except my parish, and so the Los Angeles Times wanted to know why that was so,” Boyle said. “I said, ‘Well, I don’t know. Maybe part of it is that we had 60 strategically hired rival gang members who had a reason to get up in the morning and a reason not to torch their own community.’”
Nadya Hitomi ’25, who coleads the school’s Jazz Singers program, said she helped organize this event after working with Boyle when the ensemble visited Homeboy Industries to perform.
“I have been collaborating with Father Greg for almost two years now, being a HW Jazz Singers director, and I’ve seen and felt how his words impact and heal people,” Hitomi said. “I wanted to share that with the [school] community because I feel like now more than ever is a time when we need unity and healing.”
Boyle said he often helps previous members of rival gangs get back on their feet, using cooperation between former ene -
mies as a core component in the rehabilitation process.
“Every single Homie who walks through the door comes with what psychologists would call a disorganized attachment,” Boyle said.
“Mom was either frightened or frightening. You can’t calm yourself down if you’ve never been soothed. And so we have the 18-month program, as David mentioned, and it’s a place where people can work side by side with folks they used to shoot at.”
The assembly concluded with an anecdote about a member of Homeboy Industries, and the importance of kinship and understanding. Boyle said it is important to recognize inclusion and sympathy for others who are looked down upon in society.
“This talk in this school is not the place you’d come to. It was always going to be the place you go from,” Boyle said, referring to his speech. “And you will go from here to imagine a circle of compassion, and then imagine nobody standing outside that circle.”
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School commits to inclusion
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“The federal government is concerned about discrimination against different groups in the name of DEI,” Commons said. “We want to do our work around diversity, equity and inclusion in a way that is thoughtful, complex, doesn’t alienate other people, doesn’t shame people, and does not discriminate, but instead seeks that belonging, seeks that diversity that makes us a more excellent institution and creates equity of opportunity.”
Head of School Laura Ross said abiding by the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion principles is a core part of the school’s mission statement and ever-present in the school’s goal of education.
“This picture was taken at the Dead Sea,” Messika said. “What is the Dead Sea considered to be? The lowest point in the world. You have to understand we were at the lowest point ever. But at the lowest point, what is the only thing that you can do? You can rise up. This is the only thing you can do.”
Jewish Club leader Edward Ward ’25 said Messika’s personal account of the tragedy was a powerful way to convey the gravity of the event.
“Having speaker events like these are analogous to using primary sources in history papers,” Ward said. “It’s the most direct way to learn about living history.”
Marlowe Kohn ’27, who attended the event, said the presentation from a survivor helped dispel misinformation about the terror attacks.
“We need these accounts of survivors from Oct. 7 because so much misinformation is spreading and there’s so much blame on Israel,” Kohn said.
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“If you look at our mission statement, it states we strive to be a diverse and inclusive community,” Ross said. “If you think about the equity part, the way we see that concept is that anyone we have in this community should be given an equal opportunity to succeed. A really important example is needbased financial aid. You can’t give up on things that help every student have the opportunity to be able to be successful here.”
Student Leaders for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (SLIDE) cochair Dylan Wuo ’25, along with other SLIDE co-chairs, recently spoke to the administration with other co-chairs about the recent SLIDE town halls, which gathered feedback from affinity groups about how they believed the mission of diversity, equity and inclusion was being upheld on campus.
Wuo said he appreciates the school’s commitment to upholding its values and supporting SLIDE and other affinity groups in wake of recent political events.
“With everything that’s going on politically and how that’s affecting us as a school, it can get very chaotic,” Wuo said. “Reaffirming what basis we stand on is important to get everyone on the same page.”
SPEAKING FOR SURVIVORS: Jewish Club hosted Israeli National Miri Gad Messika, a survivor of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Kibbutz Be’eri, to speak to students in Ahmanson Lecture Hall. Messika and her family hid in a safe room for six hours in order to evade Hamas soldiers.
HELPING THE HOMIES: Father Greg Boyle, along with two reformed gang members, shared their journeys with Homeboy Industries in Taper Gym.
Constitutional law specialist speaks to all AP Gov classes
By Luca Gonzalez
Constitutional litigator and former Editor-in-Chief Adam Sieff ’07 visited AP Government classes Mar. 6 to speak to students about First Amendment rights and the complexities involved with them in judicial processes.
Sieff is a constitutional rights attorney who has served as both a delegate to the Los Angeles Democratic Party as well as a counsel to the former President Joe Biden’s 2024 presidential campaign. He is also a former vice president of the American Constitution Society of Los Angeles. He currently lectures at the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California.
History Teacher Peter Sheehy said the material the students were learning mandated a visit from a speaker of Sieff’s merit.
“He’s an expert in constitutional law, he’s a graduate of our school and he’s coming to speak at a time when we’re beginning our unit on the Supreme Court and doing mock oral arguments,” Sheehy said.
“So it’s kind of a wonderful bit of timing for that.”
“vard-Westlake and how he wanted to get more involved as an alum, and how he wanted to talk to students about it because he thought it would be interesting.”
Abeger said Sieff’s experience as a student at the school could help to further the understanding of the current students on his work.
“Knowing that students at Harvard-Westlake could learn from that firsthand experience, hearing not just from Dr. Sheehy and Mr. Klein, who talk to you guys every day as teachers,” Abeger said. “But hearing from someone who was in your shoes, who sat in the classroom, who’s now doing work in the real world, in the First Amendment space, and now talking about what he does on a day to day basis, and can connect you in the real world way of what that work looks like.”
Eric Chang ’25 said Sieff taught students about their First Amendment rights by asking them questions about the legality of certain phrases.
“It was great for [students] to systematically build up through the reasoning and then begin to apply the legal concepts.”
Peter Sheehy History Teacher
Sheehy said he appreciated how Sieff helped the students better understand First Amendment rights.
“He took us into a deep dive to understand the philosophical foundations of First Amendment free speech jurisprudence, freeing that or separating it from the constitutional law itself,” Sheehy said. “And then he began to layer in the more specific constitutional principles and precedents. So, I think it was great for them to systematically build up through the reasoning and then begin to apply the legal concepts.”
Director of Alumni Relations
Sam De Castro Abeger ’07 said Sieff’s visit also tied into his connection to the school as an alum, especially considering that Abeger and Castro were former classmates.
“[Sieff’s] practice is mainly focused on the First Amendment line,” Abeger said. “So Adam and I were talking about Har-
“For each of these situations, he would ask us if we thought the speech or expression should be allowed and protected by the First Amendment, or whether the government should intervene and restrict that speech or expression,” Chang said. “He talked about identifying the difference between speech that may be offensive and make others uncomfortable but is legally allowed versus speech that can be considered as actually dangerous.”
Chang also said he was fascinated by the intricacies of First Amendment rights and the territory in which they can become especially confusing.
“What I found interesting was how initially, I thought some of the scenarios he brought up shouldn’t be protected by the First Amendment,” Chang said. “But I realized that it gets complicated if the government has to step in and determine where freedom of speech or expression crosses the line.”
Five students compete in 33rd annual LADWP Science Bowl
By Erin Ryu
Science Bowl Team A won second place out of 36 teams in the Regional High School Science Bowl on March 8 at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Headquarters. The team comprised of Science Bowl co-captains Hugh Cheng ’25 and Olivia So ’25, Troy Goodgame ’26, Remy Kushner ’25 and Will Putzer ’25. Students competed in buzzer-style quiz rounds against other teams across different categories such as physics, earth science and mathematics.
Science Bowl Faculty Advisor Richard Vo said students met two to three times a week during lunch and after school to compete and practice with each other in preparation for the event. During each after-school meeting, the team would split themselves into smaller groups and go through practice rounds.
Vo said he is proud of the success the team has made.
“It truly is a testament to both the strength and dedication of this year’s team,” Vo
said. “Every team member felt essential to the victory, bringing their own unique knowledge base and expertise. This is the highest we’ve placed since I have been the coach.
In my first two years, we placed fourth. The next two years, we placed third, so I have been pleased with the progress.”
So said she enjoys competing with the team because of their dedication to their subjects and the perseverance the team shows during the tournament.
and pulled through, answering crucial questions correctly instead of messing up or giving in. I’m very grateful that all of my teammates put in as much effort as they did. This win definitely wouldn’t have been possible without all of our collective work.”
Vo said each team member combined their strengths to help the team win.
“Every year I attend the Regional Science Bowl, I always find the atmosphere so exhilarating,” So said. “It’s exciting to be surrounded by people who are just as excited and nerdy about niche science knowledge as I am. There were some moments where we almost lost to our opponent early on in the bracket, before facing North Hollywood Team 1, but I’m incredibly proud of how everybody stood their ground
“[Cheng] and [So] were awesome to work with as science bowl captains this year,” Vo said. “Not only was their subject matter knowledge in math and biology unrivaled, but their leadership and drive were a large reason why we achieved second place this year. [Goodgame] really impressed me as well when he stepped up by independently studying astronomy and earth science, which have been traditionally weak points in our knowledge base. [Kushner] and [Putzer] also brought an unreal amount of chemistry expertise to our team.”
District Superintendent visits class
By Colin Ho
Santa Monica and Malibu School District Superintendent
Antonio Shelton spoke to students taking Public Education in America on March 12. The course, taught by Head of School Laura Ross, focuses on issues surrounding the public education system in the United States, such as teacher unionization, funding for materials, program expansions and historical racial segregation. Shelton has 23 years of experience in the education field and 18 years of experience as an administrator and he served as principal at Indian Hill High School prior to becoming superintendent.
Shelton said one of the biggest challenges his school district faces is how it will acquire funding, as it
is one of two school districts in Los Angeles County not funded by the federal government.
“There are so many unknowns around the Department of Education and what’s funded and what will not be funded,” Shelton said.
“We don’t know what funding programs will continue, which leads to difficulties in planning for the future. Because we are unaware of whether we will have any money coming from the federal government, it is difficult to create a budget. When budgeting, we have to consider things like our food sources, our special education programs and what the impacts of how much funding we get will have on them.”
Ross said hearing from Shelton gave students valuable insight into the complexities of running a
public school district.
“I learned that [being superintendent] is a really difficult and political job,” Ross said. “We were so lucky to get the chance to hear about all of the things Shelton has to deal with in order to keep his schools running, especially all of the interfacing with city planning officials. We learned about all of the things behind the scenes that keep a school district running.”
Graham Ross ’26, who is in the class, said he has thoroughly enjoyed his time in the directed study so far and appreciates the opportunity to learn about public education from different perspectives.
“This year, we’ve attempted to answer the question of what public education really is,”
ham Ross said.
STRATEGY MEETS SCIENCE : Will Putzer ’25, Remy Kushner ’25, Troy Goodgame ’26, Olivia So ’25, Hugh Cheng ’25 and Upper School Science Teacher Richard Vo pose with their second place medals at the LADWP.
Gra-
COLIN HO/CHRONICLE
L. Wood Richard Vo
AMAZING ADMINS: Head of School Laura Ross poses with Santa Monica and Malibu School District Superintendent Antonio Shelton.
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Stepping Beyond the Gates
Students and faculty discuss Security Guard Tony Tutino’s impact on the school community following his retirement from his law enforcement career.
By Alex Reisner
With a crisp morning breeze blowing across the parking lot, Upper School Security Guard Tony Tutino stands confidently by his post at the main entrance, as he has every morning for the past four years. But this Wednesday morning is different: it is the end of his security career. As Tutino watches students stream into school, he can’t help but feel bittersweet about his retirement a, but knows this is the rightful progression of his life. After a 34-year career in law enforcement and security, Tutino’s last day was March 5. Following his retirement, Tutino is moving to South Carolina.
better people. After they graduate high school and move onto college, they can take those lessons with them on how to do the right thing when they’re confronted with challenges.”
Tutino said the best part of his job was the relationships he has fostered with the students over the years, and he enjoys checking in with them when they visit the campus after graduating.
“ The best part of my job is mentoring young people and inspiring them to be better people.”
— Tony Tutino Security Guard
Tutino interacted with every student when he ran check-in and check-out at the school’s South Entrance, coordinated guest visits and prepared for any possible security threats. He is known by students for his charismatic personality and his support for his coworkers.
Tutino said he applied his 30 years of experience working in the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department to foster a strong sense of community on campus.
“The best part of my job is mentoring young people,” Tutino said. “I’ve been able to help them not only in school, but also by inspiring them to be
“I’ve developed a lot of relationships with the kids as far as getting to know them and them getting to know me,” Tutino said.
“The alumni often come back to the school, and they always have a smile on their face and they want to talk to me. I am grateful for the opportunity to develop relationships with the students and know they still take the time to come back and see me. It’s also good to know I’m appreciated in the school community, because as I’m retiring, a lot of the kids are bringing me gifts and sweets.”
Tutino works with Head of Upper School Security Earl Saunders, who previously worked at the California State Rehabilitation Center for over 30 years before coming to the school. Saunders said he has developed a strong rapport with Tutino in their time working together, despite coming from different career paths.
“I’ve been working with Tony for four years, and while both of us have backgrounds in law enforce-
ment, we come from different fields,” Saunders said. “Even with these differences, we both have the same ideas on how to handle situations at the school. Whether it be a minor accident or a kid losing a laptop, we both know that the number one thing is protecting the students and faculty. We both try to develop relationships with all the kids so we can help solve their problems. Tony and I are both sarcastic, good communicators and neither one of us are afraid to ask people questions.”
Saunders said the strong relationship he has built with Tutino over the time they worked together has made the work more manageable.
“Tony and I know each other so well that even if he called me on the radio, I can figure out what exactly I need to do without exchanging a lot of information,” Saunders said. “We are both attentive and al ways know what should be hap pening at school. Our chemis try is similar to the shows where cops work togeth er for a long time, and they seem to be each other’s oth er half. Tony and I always know what the other per son is doing because we are al-
ways on the same page. Out of all my coworkers throughout my profession, Tony has been one of the easiest people to work with because we think alike and see things in the same light, and I’ll definitely miss that connection.”
Tutino has also left a lasting impression on the students, going above and beyond to nurture personal relationships with them.
Pearl Gatins ’25 said she appreciates his friendly personality and is sad to see him leave the school.
“Tony is without a doubt one of the highlight of my high school experience,” Gatins said. “Every morning without fail, he was there to greet me and
poseful in his work and I can tell this job means a lot to him. He’s going to be sorely missed among the security team because his time working [at Ventura County Sheriff’s Department] before coming to the school has given him a lot of relevant experience.”
Saunders said he recognizes the strong connection Tutino has with the students and believes those relationships and his openness to solving their problems will leave a lasting impression on the students.
will miss his jokes and how much of an impact he had on the school and my life.”
Security Guard Jeff Anderson, who mans the North Entrance and has worked with Tutino for the past four years, said his experience in the Sheriff’s Department has made him a significant asset to the security team.
“Tony is very dedicated to his job and very loyal to the school,” Anderson said. “He’s very friendly with the kids and pur-
“Tony is very open to listening to the different students’ needs and considers their input when making the final decisions,” Saunders said. “I know the students are going to miss Tony because he was such a good listener, and it’s rare to find adults who are willing to listen before making a quick judgment. Every student has stories about Tony helping them or how he made them feel good, and it’s really hard to replace that.”
Raquel Moradi ’26 said she looked forward to seeing Tutino every morning, and that their daily conversations never failed to make her day.
“You know it is going to be a good day when you walk into school and see Tony standing there greeting you, smiling,” Moradi said. “He’s always the first person to make me laugh in the mornings and never fails to brighten up my day when I see him around campus. I will miss Tony so much, and I’m so grateful for the mark he’s left on my high school experience.”
Model UN secures first place at New York tournament
By Luca Gonzalez
The Model United Nations Club won the Award of Distinction at the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) Conference. The team travelled to New York to compete in the competition from March 7-10.
NHSMUN is the largest annual Model UN Conference in the world. Students from around the world travel to New York to participate in a tournament, roleplaying as delegates and working with students from other countries, to try and achieve victory. Students also have the privilege of meeting ambassadors and diplomats from their designated countries.
Executive Editor Alex Dinh ’25, Assistant Opinion Editor Ellika LeSage ’26, Ryan Hung ’26 and Rhea Khanna ’26 won Awards of Excellence. Ethan Chen ’26, Linden Azad ’26, Vice President Alex Rho ’25 and Julian Rho ’26 won Awards of Merit.
Alex Rho said he appreciates how MUN can have an aspect of comradeship while working alongside many other delegates.
“was cool because it feels more professional, and everyone’s in suits and speaking different languages. I didn’t come back with an award, and I could definitely have worked on my public speaking, having more creative ideas and collaborating better.”
Club Member Linden Azad ’26 said the conference helped develop her faith in her own speaking ability and taught her to actively listen to the voices of other delegates.
“One of my main takeaways is to be confident,” Azad said. “I hadn’t realized that I probably would not see any of those delegates again, so I should not be afraid of messing up. Equally as important, I learned that sometimes it is best to not dominate the conversation as much. It’s important to give others the chance to speak, as that fosters more productive and diplomatic discussions between delegates.”
Club Member Charlotte Im ’27 said she was grateful for the opportunity to both compete against and work with students from such a diverse range of countries.
It still hasn’t hit me that my partner and I got to work and make close friends with so many different people.”
“Model UN has this energy where you’re debating all day, then somehow still excited to stay up late working on resolutions with people you just met,” Rho said. “There was one night where I was in a group with delegates from three different continents, and even though we were exhausted, we were all fully locked in, trying to craft a solution. That moment stuck with me because it showed what Model UN is really about. Beyond awards or recognition, it’s about collaboration and finding common ground.”
Junior Representative Dhara Jobrani ’26 said the tournament helped him discover his areas for improvement as a delegate.
“It was great to see the city, and it was very cool to see all these kids from different places come together to compete,” Jobrani said. “Being in New York
Charlotte Im ’27
School hosts Holocaust survivor for teachers in student lounge
By Alex Reisner
“It was the most fun experience I’ve ever had,” Im said.
“The best part was meeting people from all over the world, which I did not expect at all, from places like Italy, Panama, Mexico and other states too. It still hasn’t hit me that my partner and I got to work and make close friends with so many different people.”
Im also said she appreciated how the tournament acted as a team building experience for her despite the tense atmosphere of the conference.
“The most special part of this for me was how willing everyone in MUN is to help you,” Im said. “At HW, so many amazing juniors and seniors gave me advice I’ll always use, [and so did] the people I met along the way at the conference. Yes, it’s competitive, but at the end of the day, the part I miss the most is the people I got to meet.”
Lower School English Department Head Alton Price and Coordinator of Jewish Life and Community Engagement Sarah Rapaport organized a free workshop at the Upper School providing resources and best practices for classroom Holocaust education March 2. This event, meant for English and History teachers in the Southern California area, aimed to equip educators with the knowledge required to teach a critical and sensitive subject with historical integrity and empathy.
As a part of the workshop, Price and Rapaport hosted a Holocaust survivor, Eva Pearlman, who recounted the story of her miraculous survival by hiding in France. The Los Angeles Holocaust Museum provided resources for faculty in attendance about Holocaust curricula as well as time for educators who attended to collaborate amongst each other educators.
Rapaport said the event was successful in supplying educators with Holocaust education resources, and the event emphasized how to effectively teach the topic
within the time constraints of a class period.
“Price and I offered a lot of different ideas on ways to incorporate Holocaust education, in particular within humanities courses,” Rapaport said. “We also tried to focus on time-saving strategies since one of the pre-event surveys of participants indicated that the biggest challenge they face when teaching the Holocaust is having enough time to cover the dense material appropriately. I plan to hold this type of event again next year and will reexamine how we can most effectively use the time we have for the sessions.”
Rapaport said her main goal was to have participants understand the Holocaust within the broader historical context of antisemitism and to underscore the importance of teaching larger contextual themes related to the genocide.
“A major part of teaching the Holocaust is understanding not only Jewish history but general world history,” Rapaport said. “The Holocaust didn’t happen out of
nowhere. Teaching about it effectively requires one to understand how Jewish communities living in the diaspora ended up in Europe, their civil and social status prior to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party and understanding their relationship with neighbors as a marginalized people in various countries throughout Eastern Europe, as well as the history of anti-Judaism in medieval Europe. Learning about the Holocaust is important in understanding hate, intolerance, upstander versus bystander behavior and human behavior.”
History Teacher Ingrid Sierakowski said she appreciated the resources provided and will incorporate them when teaching World War ll in her sophomore history class, The Rise of the Modern World.
“The Los Angeles Holocaust Museum shared videos of courageous conversations about the stories of survivors,” Sierakowski said.
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Ash Wednesday marks start of Lent
By Yuna Jeon
The school hosted an Ash Wednesday observance on March 4, offering ashes to students as well as faculty on both of the campuses.
Ash Wednesday begins the 40-day observance of Lent, a period of reflection, prayer and fasting, which culminates on Easter Sunday which falls on April 20 this year. Traditionally, ashes are placed in the shape of a cross on the forehead of the observant as a symbol of faith.
Chaplain Anne Gardner has facilitated the distribution of ashes since her arrival at the school in 2020. Gardner said the observance allows both students and faculty to express their faith publicly.
“Although we are not a religiously affiliated school, offering this on-campus programming allows those who are devout to conveniently participate in the traditions of their faith,” Gardner said.
Christian Club Co-Leader Andrew Suh ’26 said the observance of Ash Wednesday sparked interest in students.
“I love to see students and teachers with ashes on their forehead for Ash Wednesday because it shows that there are Christians who are not just proclaimed but showing it as well,” Suh said. “My Latin teacher came to class with ash on his head and it sparked interest in our class into what that meant.
I hope that Ash Wednesday is a way to inspire both Chris -
tians and non-Christians into demonstrating more interest as well as respect towards Christianity at school.”
Christian Club Co-Leader Rex Grube ’25 said the observance serves to unite the entire Christian community.
“The ash not only represents repentance but also the gathering of the Christian community, and I believe that is crucial to the unity of Christians inside the school and out,” Grube said. “Ash Wednesday is important because it helps Christians bring themselves closer to both Jesus and the Bible. I hope it helps bring us all closer together with our shared experiences and also makes us all a much stronger community.”
TEACHING THE HOLOCAUST: English and history teachers attended a speaker event regarding the Holocaust, where they heard from a survivor to better understand and determine how to navigate the subject during classes.
LUCA GONZALEZ/CHRONICLE
L. Wood Sarah Rapaport
LEARNING ABOUT LENT: Christian Club Leader Andrew Suh ’26 presents during a club meeting to educate students on the importance of Lent.
RAISING AWARNESS: The Justin Carr Foundation conducted free heart sreenings at the school, raising critical awareness about sudden cardiac arrest. The event honors Justin Carr’s memory and aims to protect student-athletes through early detection and community education.
Free heart screenings in Taper honor Justin Carr and raise awareness for student-athlete health
By Erin Ryu
The Justin Carr Wants World Peace Foundation conducted free heart screenings in the Taper Athletic Pavilion March 7. Screenings were open to individuals aged 12 to 24.
Justin Carr was a junior on the school’s swim team who unexpectedly passed away in 2013 due to an undiagnosed heart condition called cardiomyopathy that caused Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). SCA is the leading cause of death for student-athletes and the second most common medical cause of death for people under the age of 25, according to the Mayo Clinic Health System.
Susan Carr (Justin Carr ’14) said it was more meaningful to bring the screening to the school
after losing their home due to the fires earlier this year, as it was the message Justin would have wanted to g convey gg to his community.
“
“My husband and I lost our house of 25 years in the canyon fires which is where we raised Justin,” Carr said. “So the devil went for us, because we first lost Justin, and then we lost our house that had all the memories of Justin and his art because he wanted to be an architect. It’s a heartbreak, losing Justin and our house, and now we just have to move to a new city and try to get adjust -
We’ve experienced life-altering moments, but encouraging these kids to pursue what they want is what Justin would’ve wanted.”
Susan Carr
ed. We’ve experienced life-altering moments, but encouraging these kids to go ahead and pursue what they want to do is what Justin would’ve wanted. He said swimming made him feel free, and we allowed him to be who he was and do the things he loved to do. That’s what he wanted everybody else to do.”
External Vice President of the UCLA Saving Hearts Foundation Sasha Gladkikh said she admires the Carrs’ efforts and actions as they align with the goals of the organization.
“One of my biggest respon-
Prefect Council hosts academic fair to showcase course offerings
By Erin Ryu
The annual Academic Fair took place on the esplanade outside Munger Science Center on March 4, during Community Time. Students browsed new and existing courses for the 20252026 school year. Prefect Council set up posters and passed out Dippin’ Dots ice cream to encourage students to interact with booths. This year’s Academic Fair was the first to feature classes that will no longer be offered as AP courses in the 2025-2026 school year.
Junior Prefect Robby Louie ’26 said Prefect Council had to prepare extensively for the fair by working closely with the academic departments and the school’s maintenance team.
“The Academic Fair is a big event to organize, so there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes,” Louie said. “Because Harvard-Westlake is getting rid of all
AP classes next year, our first step was to update all of the courses with their new names and add all of the new courses. Then, we had to confirm with the department heads which courses needed tables and which could merge with other courses, and from there we determined where to place each course. We also had to make signs for each of the courses and order sign holders and tablecloths. On the day of the fair, the maintenance team helped us a ton by placing all of the tables along the Fire Road.”
Chinese Teacher Bin He said he likes the academic fair’s supportive atmosphere because it allows students to learn from each other’s academic experiences.
“I truly believe it is a wonderful tradition that fosters connections among students,” He said.
“I especially appreciate how it encourages senior students to share their insights and experiences, thereby creating a vibrant learn-
ing community. Additionally, I’m impressed by the way senior students get involved each year in designing posters and organizing activities because it really adds a creative and collaborative spirit to the event.”
Veronica Mnatsakanian ’26 said students sharing their experiences in their classes made her more interested in the different courses offered to her.
“It was nice to see everyone so passionate about explaining why they love the classes they were promoting, which helped me learn a lot about the classes I wanted to take,” Mnatsakanian said. “There are so many interesting classes at the school, so it’s hard to decide exactly what to take, but seeing everyone so willing and interested to share their love for that class really gave a selling point to everyone around me.”
Bear Boxes Club hosts book drive
By Tali Gurule
Bear Boxes Club organized a book drive for Children of the Night, a non-profit organization that works to aid children who are sexually exploited, March 4-7. The club, which works to serve underprivileged children, donated the books as educational resources for the youth.
Bear Boxes Club co-leader Rael Kreiz ’26, who proposed the drive, said students’ donations ensured the children would gain the valuable insights the books provided.
“Books can educate, inspire and offer hope, making every donation a powerful way to help change lives,” Kreiz said. “Many people have books they aren’t reading anymore, and donating them is a great way to be resourceful and share with others.”
Bear Boxes Club member Amber Zhang ’25, who helped plan the event, that the drive was a chance for students to help people their age who are in difficult situations.
sibilities is finding schools who are interested in getting their students screened for sudden cardiac arrest,” Gladkikh said. “I ultimately reached out to Harvard-Westlake and got connected to Susan Carr. We’re passionate about hosting these accessible, free heart screenings for the community, so all of us are inspired by Susan and Darrell Carr for hosting these events.”
Isabella Zhang ’27, who competed at the Justin Carr swim meet and got a heart screening, said she believes events like these allow athletes to verify and check in on their physical well-being.
“When I was there for the heart screening, a nurse there told me that Justin’s first symptom was death,” Zhang said.
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“Especially as students at Harvard-Westlake, we have access to a lot of resources, and we have a responsibility to support others in whatever way we can,” Zhang said. “The book drive is a small but impactful way to contribute to a great cause that supports children our age who are getting out of vulnerable situations.”
Zhang said she appreciates Children of the Night because it aims to educate the children beyond facilitating their recovery.
“One of the things that I truly love about Children of the Night is that it not only protects children in danger of sexual exploitation but also provides them with resources and education that could greatly improve their lives,” Zhang said. “It’s a great organization that does valuable work for exploited or vulnerable children at a pivotal time in their lives.”
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Petal to the Puzzle
Aidan Deshong ’24 has crafted up Volume 24’s crossword puzzle for this issue. Work thoughtfully to solve the clues and fill in the crossword grid. Think carefully — every letter counts!
20. Place to study physics?
23. Shirts that sound like they’d be golf shirts
24. Not for squeamish cinephiles
28. Angle toward the sky
31. Skincare butter
33. Lager alternative
34. Place to study political science?
36. Company that will happily sell its Soul
37. Surface for airplane food
38. Wiimote batteries
39. Usually, with “to”
40. Messi’s nation: abbr.
41. Place to study astronomy?
45. Ornamental pond fish
46. Is?
47. Storywriter known for surprise endings
48. “...yadda yadda yadda”
50. Smart guy?
51. Place to study geology?
57. Academy founder
60. Biblical gift bearers
61. Instrument with a silent letter
62. Opposite of neo-
63. GPS guesses
64. Cunning
65. Oust
66. Pavlovian response?
67. Basketball team named after something on a basketball hoop
• Answers on hwchronicle.com
DOWN :
1. Member of the Class of 2024, say
2. JPL’s org.
3. Class that teaches you how to get a tan
4. “___ theft is not a joke, Jim!”
5. Disney’s dwarfs, and others
6. Newspapers, collectively
7. What it takes a Genius to fix?
8. ___ equilibirum (game theory theory theorem)
9. Unprincipled
10. Birth day presence
11. “All ___ is but imitation of nature” -Seneca
12. Groundbreaking garden tool
13. Word with clip or slip
21. Wriggly
22. Sandwhich that takes about nine months to expire
25. Confront head-first
26. “Sense and Sensibility” sister
27. Like seven sincs
28.Understanding
29. Ape
30. Like 10 Shakesperean plays
31. Bravo’s “___ of Sunset”
32. Central copmuter
35. Hamster’s home
39. More than 280,000 people clicked on Princess Margaret’s Wikipedia page on Nov. 18, 2019, the day after Season 3 of this show was released
41. “Way over the line, bud”
42. Part of a foot
43. Not a team player
44. Bobby Flay, for one
49. Laudable cosmetician?
50. Aquarium buildup
52. Sign of things to come
53. Like Cherrios
54. Theatre award that sounds like it might be given for playing the 61-Across really well
55. Indianapolis footballer
56. Scratches up, as a car
57. ICU gear
58. Airport you might expect to have low security
59. Matterhorn, for one
Ella Jeon ’26 and Alex Reisner ’26 designed this issue’s Chron-nections. Find the four groups of four words that share a common category. Each word belongs to only one category. Have fun and good luck!
Editors-in-Chief: Eden Conner, Zoe Goor, Connor Tang
Layout Assistants and Staff Writers: Gideon Ames, Alex Bakhtiari, Hudson Barber, Beau Cartwright, Emmeline Chan, Sophia Chang, James Corman, Mila Detmer, Aidan Elson, Donna Enayati, Jack Fener, Charlotte Fowkes, Jackson Friedman, Evalina Gerencher, Darya Ghassemieh, Zara Groves, Tali Gurule, Audrey Herrera, Jackson Hubbard, Téa Hunnius, Riya Iyer, Kara Jazaeri, Chloe Kim, Holden Kim, Hailey Kramar, Tess Latham, Sophie Lee, Jean Park, Mattea Pisani, Luke Rascoff, Andrew Rindone, Abby Ryan, Maddie Saada, Oona Sawyer, August Sone, Angel Song, Nicole Um, Jacob Waxman, Jake Yoon
CEO of HW Media: Max Turetzky
Chronicle Adviser: Billy Montgomery
Director of HW Media: Jen Bladen
HWTV and Broadcast Adviser: Max Tash
Assistant Adviser: James Lane
Publication Information:
Founded in 1990, The Chronicle is the Harvard-Westlake Upper School’s student-led newspaper. Now in its 34th year, The Chronicle strives to report stories accurately and to uphold its legacy of journalistic integrity. The newspaper is published eight times per year and distributed to students, parents, faculty and staff. We are members of the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Private School Journalism Association. Be sure to check out the HWMedia+ app for more content from our publications.
Select What You Love
The two-week period when sophomores and juniors select their courses for the next year is an important time at the Upper School, as students look ahead and consider what they want their remaining time at the school to look like. Prior to junior and senior year, most students have had little choice as to what classes they get to take, aside from a few electives each year. Everyone takes the same history, the same English and the same science. As upperclassmen, however, those set courses go away. All of a sudden, students have a choice as to what type of history class they take, which science subject they focus on and the English course they enroll in, in addition to other elective offerings. When navigating those choices, it can be easy to give in to pressure from parents, friends or siblings to take classes that they believe would look good on a college application. In the end, it is the student, not their parents, friends or siblings, who will take the courses, who will meet with the teachers at lunch or after school and who will sit through 75 minutes of class every other day. It is important for students to select their programs of study authentically — students should take time to consider what they enjoy learning about and choose courses that set them up to approach school with joy and curiosity.
The great thing about the school is that, because of its size and resources, it offers students an extremely wide and deep range of courses. In the humanities, there are classes dedicated to subjects ranging from Shakespeare to comparative government to intermediate German. In STEM, students can take economics, bioethics and marine biology. Sometimes, it can feel like there is pressure to be just one thing: an English person or a science person or a history person or a math person. When we box ourselves into one academ-
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ic identity, we deny ourselves the chance to take advantage of all the amazing opportunities that the school has to offer. Someone who has locked themself into the idea that math is their ticket to a college acceptance letter might not take a language course they know deep down they are really interested in. Someone who thinks being great at French is the thing that will distinguish them from the thousands of other applicants at their dream college might opt out of taking a certain history class, even though they are fascinated by that period or region of the world. Rather than falling prey to peer and parental pressure to narrow one’s focus, students should let their course selections be led by their interests as opposed to a desire to curate their academic profile.
Making authentic academic choices means choosing courses because you think they seem interesting. Taking classes out of your own interest makes doing the homework and listening to the lectures not only an enjoyable experience but also an experience that you have ownership of because you made the decision to be there. When students make intentional decisions about what they want their curriculum to look like, they will try harder in their courses because they feel more of a connection to the class. The best thing to do is to take the classes that make you excited to come to school. Not only will you get a better grade in a class you actually care about because you will approach assignments and class participation with enthusiasm and genuine interest, but beyond grades, transcripts and college, you will also get that much closer to knowing what you want to learn, think, read and talk about. And what is the point of school if not to explore the breadth of your intellect and curiosity?
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR:
Letters 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 to conform to Chronicle style, space and format. We are committed to uplifting the voices of marginalized or underrepresented individuals and groups in accordance with our efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
PUBLICATION
UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS:
Though we always strive to be as accurate as possible, staff members identify inaccuracies and receive feedback from readers.
The Chronicle publishes corrections when we discover a factual error within a piece. We will continue to uphold transparency even in the face of mistakes following the publication of each issue.
MEMBERSHIPS:
DTake initiatives to decrease obesity rates
By Eila Shokravi
uring Super Bowl LIX, I found myself paying as much attention to the ads during the commercial breaks as I did to the game itself. Many of the commercials were about weight loss alternatives and body positivity. These advertisements promoted weight loss medications and body positivity among overweight children, glossing over how prevalent obesity is in the United States. I found myself trying to understand how obesity is not properly spoken about considering how common it is. These advertisements, rather than addressing the actual problem of obesity with solutions like healthy eating and regular exercise, pushed weight loss alternatives and unhealthy body positivity. Over 40 percent of Americans are classified as obese, according to the National Institutes of Health. Obesity in the United States is an extremely large problem and should not continue to be overlooked any longer. It is time to take action to healthily reduce obesity rates in the U.S.
As a way to promote a healthier lifestyle, brands such as Poppi
market their products as a “better alternative” to standard soda. The supposed benefits of Poppi include better gut health, lower sugar levels and lower calories, according to their website. In reality, the added prebiotics in Poppi can cause gastrointestinal distress such as bloating and cramping, according to Healthline. Although products like Poppi might seem like a great option for losing weight due to low calorie count, these goods can be harmful in other ways.
It is time to take action to healthily reduce obesity rates in the US.
Preservatives are extremely prevelant in American goods. In fact, almost 60 percent of American goods contain additives, according to the NIH. This statistic shows that it is almost impossible to avoid preservatives in a typical American diet. Consuming preservatives can trigger metabolic responses linked to obesity. Americans can
attempt to avoid obesity and other health risks by consuming organic, preservative-free goods, according to Mount Sinai, an integrated healthcare program. Body positivity and embracing your body are not the same thing as being healthy. Appreciating one’s appearance and body is important for a happy lifestyle, but physical health is just as important to consider as mental health. Obesity is extremely unhealthy and the recent glorification of it can make the public believe that being obese is okay, despite the life-threatening risks behind it. Body positive influencers encourage unhealthy practices and market them as self-love. These influencers post content of themselves consuming unhealthy amounts of food, exercising inconsistently, and using seat-belt extenders on airplanes. Carrying extra fat leads to serious health consequences such as musculoskeletal disorders, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases that cause premature death and substantial disability, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Continued on hwchronicle.com
RIt is time to start fighting climate change
By James Corman
eposting Instagram stories with images of destroyed habitats, volunteering for a beach clean-up on Earth Day, and sporting a reusable water bottle. These are all great ways to lessen your impact on the climate, but they are not nearly drastic enough. Climate change is an issue on the back burner of many people’s minds, especially for the youth, the people whom it will affect most. Yet, if people continue to ponder climate change passively and take sparse actions to preserve our earth, we will make little progress. Taking a lazy stance on climate change and global warming allows the issue to grow in severity. We must all take action to stave its effects, treating climate change as a real emergency. This starts by not supporting the organizations with the most massive negative impacts.
You may be wondering why you should take such drastic measures if climate change is not yet affecting you, but in fact, it is. There have already been many visible effects of climate change, notably the recent LA wildfires. According to the World Weather Attribution, there is ample evidence that human practices,
mainly the burning of fossil fuels, increased the likelihood of the LA wildfires according to NPR. The wildfires resulted from an unusually hot summer, a result of climate change, that dried out plant matter and created fuel for the fires. With at least 29 people dying in the 2025 LA wildfires, according to NBC, and over 16,000 Angelenos losing homes, the severity and danger of global warming is already strikingly apparent in our community.
Taking a lazy stance on climate change and global warming allows the issue to grow in severity.
Most city dwellers buy their goods from large corporations and online retailers, namely Amazon, Walmart and Apple. These three corporations comprise the three largest traded companies in 2024, according to Fortune. According to the Guardian, a mere 100 major companies are responsible for over 70% of greenhouse emissions. By
Continue semester classes
By Audrey Kim
The school announced that all one-semester full block classes had to expand and would become full-year classes starting next year. Classes like Criminal Law, Creative Writing and Shakespeare and Our World will move from offering two separate classes in the first and second semesters to becoming single courses that take up a full year. The change will allow students to fit more classes in their schedules, as lining up two separate semester courses on the same block can be difficult to schedule. Students that were interested in taking two one-semester classes often had to just take one, leaving the other semester empty. However, even with scheduling difficulties, semester classes still could have their place in the school curriculum. Taking a full-year class, while potentially easier to schedule around, is more restrictive and forces you into a subject you might not want to focus on all year long. Sometimes, a quicker and more efficient look at a subject is more beneficial to explore a wider variety of topics. Students who want to explore a broader quantity of subjects rather than focusing more deeply on one subject would find semester classes more appealing.
In some ways, full-year classes may be more appealing to students and teachers who want to expand their knowledge in a subject. As teachers are passionate about anything they teach, they may have a backlog of unused
materials or lesson plans that can’t be used because they only have one semester. Some students may also want this more comprehensive view of a subject they decide to take as well, as they may feel that just learning about a topic for one semester isn’t enough to satisfy their interest in said topic. If a student takes one semester of Criminal Law and finds that they wanted to learn more than the material covered in the class, they may wish Criminal Law was a full-year class.
However, since most of the classes that are currently semester classes were elective or Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research courses, students are more likely to be less familiar with the subjects being taught and may want a quicker sample experience in case they don’t enjoy the subject. For example, if a student is developing an interest in writing, they may want to just try it out for one semester instead of committing for a whole year to Creative Writing.
Students with special scheduling ideas and requests could use semester classes as more flexible options to get a free block during a semester of their choice. Especially in senior year, the difference in workload between semesters could be vastly different for a student. A student may want to take an elective class in the second semester only and leave a free block open for college applications or catching up on homework in the first.
• Continued on hwchronicle.com
supporting small, independent businesses, we can redirect money from these corporations, and indirectly lessen our negative impacts on global warming. According to Time, small and medium businesses hold the power to impact climate change and climate policy. Products from small businesses are also often of higher quality, and benefit local micro-economies. One small business alternative for online shopping is EarthHero; try using it instead of Amazon.
Many people at the school have yards, seeing them as a slice of nature in our urban climate. Yet these yards may not be as naturefriendly as they seem. In California, lawns use a tremendous amount of water. According to Lawn Kings, Californians use 40,000 to 70,000 gallons of water on their lawns per year. By replacing your lawn with a native garden, you can save money on water bills, help prevent a severe drought, and attract native wildlife to your yard. With threefold benefits, it is a smart choice to switch your lawn out for native plants as soon as possible.
• Continued on hwchronicle.com
SHOULD THE SCHOOL HOST COLLEGE TOURS?
BSchool tours are helpful
By Sophia Schaffer
efore going on the school’s spring break college tour last year, my understanding of what I was looking for in my future school was ambiguous at best. I knew I wanted a college with strong programs in the areas I was interested in, enough reputation to please my parents and somewhere where picking up double majors or minors in vastly different subjects wouldn’t be too hard, but I had no idea where to start. My list of schools to look at was woefully incomplete. I ended up spending the spring break of my junior year on the school’s college tour of the Southeast.
The trip had very few downsides. Aside from the drastic weather, very few hours of sleep and crazy allergies, the trip helped me gain new insights. Touring with deans and students was great because I always had people to compare notes with and get advice from. When touring a lot of schools in one trip, they can start to blend together, but, because I did it with peers and administrators, we got to have robust discussions about what stood out from each college. Going on a college trip planned by the school is not just for convenience; rather, the communicative and social nature of the trip gives students an ideal space to reflect on themselves and their perceptions of different schools.
Often, when people tour with their parents, they end up only looking at big-name schools that they think they would like.
AND FACTS
WIf you are only looking at the top twenty ranked colleges, you will miss out on the smaller or less well-known schools that could actually be a perfect fit.
Touring with deans and students was great because I always had people to compare notes with and get advice from.
Before touring with the school, I never would have thought to apply to the University of Richmond, but after seeing it on the tour, I ended up loving it. On the other hand, these tours give you the opportunity to see schools that you might not want to apply to, which can help you narrow down what you’re looking for. Visiting schools I wouldn’t have gone to on my own, talking to alumni and seeing a range of different college environments helped me figure out what I wanted in a school and how to get the most out of tours in a way that touring with family would not have. The tour also made me 10 times better at filling out applications and clued me into what I wanted graduate school-wise as a bonus. While it’s important to check out the schools you’re set on applying to, the school-led college tours are a worthwhile way to expand your college horizons.
Get rid of school tours
By Olivia Phillips
After three years of engaging in Socratic Seminars and being able to meet with teachers whenever I needed guidance in their classes, I felt almost certain that I wanted to continue having small classes in college. After spending two weeks at a pre-college program at Smith College, I was convinced that I absolutely did not want to be in a small town for college. Even during junior year, I had a general sense of what I wanted out of my college experience, and I worked with my dean to make a list of schools to visit based on what I already knew about myself.
Touring with family gives students the opportunity to tour schools that they would truly want to go to.
In reality, the school’s college tours are made redundant by the resources offered by the deans — they suggest dozens of schools, niche and well-known, small and big, that would be a good fit for any individual student. However, partaking in the school-led college tours primarily shows students the type of schools that aren’t tailored to their pre-existing interests and expectations. Furthermore, the school has a very rigid mindset about certain schools; students hear dozens of anecdotes about the type of applicant that would like Georgetown,
Do you think touring a diverse range of schools is important?
Yes: 88.2%
No: 11.8%
Fix USAID funding for good
By Alex Dinh and Ellika Lesage
e have all heard the term American exceptionalism. Ever since John Winthrop described Boston as a “city upon a hill” in 1630, Americans have largely held onto the idea that we are fundamentally superior to other nations because of our prosperous economy and culture. That belief has led to varying results throughout history. In the 19th century, the U.S. government embarked on a horrific expansion across North America, which was rationalized at the time by the racist belief that Americans were spreading our greater ideals for the betterment of society. Then, in the second half of the 20th century, this concept was channeled into endeavors, the space race and the promotion of democracy and freedom through American soft power. Now, in the 21st century, our belief of American exceptionalism has been reoriented towards a self-centric perspective. With
President Trump working to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and further isolate America from our democratic allies around the world, particularly Ukraine, the United States is on a path toward heartless isolationism.
Americans have largely held onto the idea that we are fundamentally superior to other nations because of our prosperous economy and culture.
USAID was established through the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to extend development assistance, which includes financial and administrative support, to countries around the world, according to the USAID website. Since its creation, it has been a cornerstone of America’s global engagement,
get into the University of Michigan or fit in at Wesleyan University. This sort of groupthink is only amplified by a school-run college tour because it offers significantly less room for students to form their own opinions on any given school.
Every year, the deans painstakingly emphasize that students should not base their college list on prestige and, more specifically, on where everyone else is applying. This is often ignored, with 51% of early applications from the school in 2024 being to the same 14 colleges. Despite the school-led college tours making an effort to include a variety of lesser-known schools, the mindset undoubtedly sticks, with students chiming in with the school’s established stereotypes and their personal opinion. With high school juniors already being scared of applying to a school that wouldn’t actually live up to their dreams, the pre-existing mindset that touring with peers can create (from ‘no one from our school gets in here’ to ‘my friend’s sister didn't love it here’) can stop students from applying to schools that, independently, they would have loved.
Overall, touring with family gives students the opportunity to tour schools that they would truly want to go to, giving them the space to take their time at each school and analyze it on a more individual level. As long as students have put in the effort to have a varied and well-balanced list of schools to consider, they will find more schools that they are truly interested in and happy with if they don’t tour schools with their peers.
Are you planning on/ have you participated in the school tours?
Yes: 27%
No: 73%
Are school-organized college tours better for touring schools? *111 students polled Yes: 52.3% No: 47.7%
Executive Editor Alex Dinh ’25 and Assistant Opinion Editor Ellika Lesage ’26 argue that USAID should be restructured to be in accordance with American values.
advancing our national interests in numerous ways. USAID plays a critical role in addressing public health crises, providing disaster relief and supporting individuals in conflict zones. Since then, the agency has intervened globally, fighting malaria and HIV/AIDS, supporting the removal of unexploded ordinance, cleaning Agent Orange-contaminated soil in Vietnam and targeting global hunger and food security across 20 focus countries in Africa. USAID fosters long-term human rights progress in addition to its immediate benefits. By prioritizing foreign aid, we strengthen America’s trust and influence in the global community.
Recent reports indicate that the Trump administration plans to cancel 83% of USAID programs, according to AP News. USAID takes up less than 1% of the federal budget, according to the CATO Institute. However, a recent study has shown that on average, the general public
believes that foreign aid spending comprises 31% of the federal budget, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In his State of the Union Address, President Trump claimed that USAID was “appalling waste,” according to PolitiFact. The belief that American resources should be spent solely in America has been growing in recent years, and many
political monoliths and media influencers, such as Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, have seized on isolated incidents of waste or inefficiency to villainize the agency, fueling public resentment. President Trump’s decision to cease foreign aid financial support for ninety days is capitalizing on that resentment.
Community
Coast-to-Coast Fair offers summer opportunities
By Chloe Kim
Director of Kutler Center and Summer School Programs Jim Patterson partnered with Coastto-Coast Camp Fairs to host the Summer Camp Fair at the Upper School on March 15. The organization holds events to connect families with summer opportunities all around the nation. The fair was held on the Munger Fire Road, allowing students and parents to browse the different summer programs that were offered.
Patterson said he set up the
program to help inform families about the summer programs at the school.
“There are a lot of people out there who want their kids to experience the great programming that we have here at some point, and the summer program allows us to give a much wider audience a sense of what our wonderful programs are,” Patterson said. “So I wanted to help parents understand what opportunities we had here.”
Co-founder of Coast-to-Coast
Abby Barber said it is rewarding watching families and children go
Local cafe Lemonade closes in Studio City
By Hailey Kramar
Lemonade, a restaurant on Ventura Blvd. 1.1 miles away from school, permanently closed March 12. A sign on the door reads “Thank you Studio City. It has been our honor and pleasure to serve this neighborhood for the past several years, but unfortunately, we are closing. Thank you so much for all the wonderful memories and for helping us spread joy through food.”
Lemonade did not respond to multiple requests about the Studio City location closure.
Lemonade, an LA-based establishment, serves a variety of food, including sandwiches, salads and bowls. In the last few months, other Lemonade Restaurant locations have closed in Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, Hill Crest in San Diego, Manhattan Beach, Westlake and Toluca Lake.
Over 100 restaurants closed in Los Angeles in 2024 and restaurant closures are expected to continue through 2025, according to the LA Times.
Nelson LaBombard ’27 said the closing of Lemonade will be a loss
to the Studio City community.
“I think Lemonade is a staple restaurant in the Study City community,” LaBombard said. “It will affect not only myself but also my friends and the regular customers.”
Talya Ebrahemi ’27 said she enjoys drinking the lemonade from the restaurant.
“I’ve been a couple of times after school, and it’s really fun,” Ebrahemi said. “It’s a cute restaurant, but I honestly just drink the lemonade.”
Alice Lee ’27 said she appreciates the variety of food options.
“I love how there are a ton of different things,” Lee said. “You could get a poke bowl or a cookie. There are so many different lemonades. Each one of them tastes so good.”
Hayley Ross-Settineri ’27 said that after school, she would rather eat at different restaurants other than Lemonade.
“I don’t really get food there often,” Ross-Settineri said. “I just get the lemonade. Instead, I would prefer to eat at Tocaya or Erewhon, or other restaurants in the area.”
around the fair.
“[It’s] always fun to see families who get here early eager to learn about the event,” Barber said. “We’ve already had a great lineup of families waiting even before 12 o’clock when the event started, and a lot of kids are excited to learn about different programs. That is the best part for us. We always hope that families will give feedback on the way out and say that it was a great experience [since] they learned a lot from it.”
Tanika Ray, a parent of an ele-
mentary student who attended the fair, said she got to learn about various camps, especially the camp her daughter will attend.
“I love that [the fair is] very comprehensive and easy to understand,” Ray said. “We connected with the summer camp [my daughter is] already signed up to go to. We got even more information. So my favorite [moment was] to connect with them and the counselors there that she’s going to already experience in July.”
Co-founder of Coast-to-Coast
Eric Naftulin said watching families discover the perfect camp for their children was fulfilling.
“[My favorite moment is] seeing all these families finally find the right [camp] for them, you can see it in their faces,” Naftulin said. “They’re going booth to booth, meeting all kinds of different camp representatives, but sometimes that’s the whole purpose. When they hit on one that’s obviously the right fit for the child, it’s very rewarding to see that from an organizer standpoint.”
SUMMER PLANNING: Students and their families attended the Summer Camp Fair at the Upper School, hosted by the Coast-to-Coast Camp Fairs organization, to browse, learn about and connect with different summer programs throughout the country on March 15. The event provided attendees with immediate access to a wide range of resources for summer planning.
CAFE CLOSURE: Lemonade, which opened in 2014, permanently shut the doors of its cafeteria-style establishment located on Ventura Boulevard. Past costumers reflected on whether they will miss the restaurant.
ELLA JEON/CHRONICLE
Members of the school community and medical professionals discuss birth control use among teenagers and its implications on the regulation of menstrual cycle and its symptoms.
By Kayla Graff and Eila Shokravi
Although it is only 11 a.m., Rhea Khanna ’26 is on her way home from school. She feels a stabbing pain in her stomach as she sits hunched in the passenger seat. She worries about the math test and history lesson she will be missing but knows that she would not be able to focus had she stayed at school. Khanna is leaving early due to painful period cramps, something she has to do often.
Khanna said her intense period symptoms and irregular cycles caused her to go on birth control.
“I had really terrible cramps before starting birth control,” Khanna said. “Sometimes I would have to go home from school if they were really bad because medicine didn’t really help. My periods also either stopped for a whole month or happened every other week, which was obviously really inconvenient. I heard from my friends that birth control helped regulate their symptoms and at times even stop their period, which sounded great to me.”
“My cycles have been more regular since starting [birth control],” Khanna said. “I heard it can have bad side effects like making your skin bad, but that hasn’t happened yet for me. I’ve definitely noticed a decrease in the strength of my cramps and symptoms.”
Although the birth control pill can help with various period symptoms, it can also have negative side effects that vary from person to person. Common side effects include nausea, headaches, weight gain and mood changes, according to Medical News Today.
“ It’s really important for young men to understand that menstruation is a natural thing.”
Lilas
Lane
Gender Studies Teacher
Menstruation occurs when the uterus sheds its lining monthly and can cause symptoms like cramps, bloating, headaches and mood swings. Many people treat these symptoms with over-the-counter pain medication or heating pads. However, for more extreme symptoms, birth control pills, which contain certain hormones, can regulate periods, make menstrual flow lighter or even stop menstruation altogether, according to Planned Parenthood. Estrogen-progesterone or progesterone-only birth control thins the uterine lining, lessening heavy periods, according to Megan Bernstein, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.
Eleanor* is also on birth control to regulate her periods. Before going on birth control, Eleanor said her periods were abnormal, interfering with her daily life.
“There was a point where I was pretty much bleeding for two months,” Eleanor said. “My period would come at random times, either 10 days late or 10 days early. My periods always lasted for two weeks to a month, which isn’t normal. I would also have really bad cramping, stomachaches and was always lethargic.”
Khanna said that since going on the birth control pill, her periods have become less intense.
Daphne*, who has now been on birth control for about oneand-a-half years due to heavy periods, was initially nervous to start birth control because of discouraging feedback she had received from her friends regarding the medication. Daphne said she experienced severe side effects when she started birth control.
“I remember one night, I had a math test the next day, and I was stuck awake until 4 a.m. vomiting because of all of the side effects I was experiencing [from birth control],”
Daphne said. “The next day I woke up and I was still nauseous and hadn’t gotten much sleep, so it made it hard for me to focus during the test. There were also times where certain pills would give me mood swings because of the change in hormones, which was uncomfortable.”
Daphne said her negative experiences with birth control made her unenthusi astic at times about continuing to stay on birth control. Despite her initially negative experience with the medication, Daphne said she is now grateful to be on it.
“When I was trying different brands [of birth control] that gave me bad side effects, I wished that I wasn’t taking the medica tion,” Daphne said. “I’m now overall glad that I’ve found one that gives me a lot less side effects. I’m very happy I’m taking it.”
Eleanor said she has not experienced negative effects due to birth control and that it actually has a positive effect on her mood and emotions throughout her cycle.
“Before birth control, I used to be so angry because my face would break out and it was horrible,” Eleanor said. “I was a generally mad and moody person because of my hormones. Now that I’m on birth control, I am not as angry and moody as I was before. I’m so happy I was able to start birth control. I have no regrets.”
Stigma and shame around menstruation is caused by a lack of reliable and accessible information on the topic. It creates a mentality of shame and secrecy around periods, according to the National Library of Medicine. Enzo Prochillo ’26 said the lack of knowledge about menstruation causes many male students to view it negatively.
“There’s a general stigma about [menstruation], especially with boys my age, because of the lack of exposure to it,” Prochillo said. “It results in a lot of them not understanding and treating it jokingly. It’s really easy to tell that they just don’t know anything about it.”
Khanna said the negative stigma and sexual connotations associated with birth control can create stereotypes about those who use it.
“Some people don’t know that birth control can be for periods and not just to prevent pregnancy, [which is] detrimental to people who use it,” Khanna said. “It seems like you’re just going on it [to prevent pregnancy], but it actually has so many reasons that it can be used for women besides just preventing pregnancy.”
Like Khanna, Prochillo said girls can be sexualized due to being on birth control.
“In a twisted way, guys knowing that a certain girl uses birth control can lead to sexualization,” Prochillo said. “They think that the girl is on it because she wants to be sexually ac -
“Many parents are supportive and understanding of their children’s interest or requests to start a birth control method,” Bernstein said. “Most parents have had to make these decisions themselves for contraception reasons or other medical reasons and just want to help guide their kids to making healthy and safe choices. It’s always great to have your parents’ support when helping to make medical decisions, but these are conversations you can also have privately with your doctor.”
Eleanor said her parents supported her decision to go on birth control.
“My parents were totally fine with me starting birth control because it was for the purpose of regulating my periods,” Eleanor said. “I used to be in so much pain because of the cramps and stomach aches. When we began looking into birth control, my parents were simply looking out for my best interest. I’m really grateful for my parents allowing me to go on birth control.”
Gender Studies Teacher Lilas Lane said male students should be educated on menstruation so that they do not view it negatively.
“It’s really important for boys to be exposed to these ideas as well and for young men to understand that menstruation is a natural thing that the women in their lives are going to have experiences with,” Lane said. “I don’t think that [menstrua-
Members of the community discuss the role of language among children of immigrants in creating emotional and cultural connections to their families.
By Sienna Dall’Olmo
1,000 candles threw shadows across the walls of the funeral home. The soft glow of a projector displayed a slideshow of my grandfather’s life in photos. Family members exchanged memories of him. As my mother stepped behind the lectern and began a long speech about her late father, speaking in Farsi, I tried to listen attentively, grasping at the few words I could recognize. Hearing stories of the life my grandfather led, it dawned on me how my inability to speak Farsi has limited my ability to connect with the people in my family. Not being able to adequately communicate with my grandfather prevented me from truly getting to know him.
The loss of languages between generations of immigrant families is known as language attrition, according to the National Library for Medicine. The majority of third-generation immigrant children do not speak the language of their heritage country or countries, according to The Center for Comparative Immigration Studies.
Dhara Jobrani ’26’s mother and father speak Malayalam, a south Indian language, and Farsi, a Persian language, respectively. Jobrani, however, speaks neither language. He said not speaking Farsi leaves him feeling removed from his culture when trying to relate with other Persians.
having these very intense ways of saying ‘I love you.’ There’s one that directly translates to ‘I could eat your kidney,’ and I think those translations don’t always come across the right way. If I [knew] the language, I might understand those sayings or phrases better and be able to connect with them more.”
Children of immigrants consti tute the most prominent minority group and the fastest growing segment of the United States’ child population, according to the National Library of Medicine. Children who can speak or are more familiar with their heritage language are more likely to have a stronger connection to their cultural values and participate fre quently in cultural activities.
“Not speaking the language has created a slight disconnect,” Jobrani said. “When I’m trying to connect with other people who speak the language or who share the same background, it is hard. They assume I know Farsi and can understand what they are saying.”
Jobrani said he is disappointed that his parents did not make a larger effort to teach him either of their native languages.
“I definitely regret not learning the language while I was young,” Jobrani said. “In the end, it’s really my parents’ fault. They totally could have taught me, but they didn’t, which I think my dad regrets. My mom was
Laila Kim ’26 is a second-gen eration Korean American who does not speak Korean with her parents. She said that she took Korean language lessons when she was younger because she wanted to be more involved with her family’s culture. “I took lessons because [my parents] spoke Korean at home with each other, but I could never understand what they were saying,” Kim said. “I lost most of the Korean I learned in those lessons because I took them when [much] younger, which is sad, [considering] a big part of the reason I wanted to take them in the first place was because I felt a little disconnected.”
Kim said not speaking the language has sometimes made it harder to feel part of the community and has posed barriers in feeling accepted by other Kore ans at the school.
“There are a lot of other Koreans at the school and every time I speak with one of them, they think I’m really whitewashed,” Kim said. “They think because I don’t speak the lan
an], but it’s just because I was never taught it.”
Grandparents are often responsible for passing down values and traditions to future generations of immigrant families, according to the National Library of Medicine. As a result, children who don’t share a common language with their grandparent may experience a more surface-level connection. Jacob Massey ’25 said not speaking the same language as his grandparents has become increasingly difficult as they grow older.
“Not being able to speak the same language fluently has definitely posed barriers,” Massey said. “I still have a relationship with my grandparents, but my grandmother’s hearing is getting worse and worse. Speaking to her in Farsi is hard enough, but speaking to her in English means that you have to yell something eight times until she finally understands. Sometimes, when my mom, her cousin or whoever will be talking, I don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“
help preserve Spanish language and culture in her household.
“What I did with my kids and grandchildren is read a lot of books in English and Spanish,” Escarpeta said. “I find time to read to them, speak to them and text them in Spanish as much as I can. Also, we’re eating Spanish, Dominican and Caribbean food most of the time. We’re also keeping our traditions. For example, we celebrate King’s Day, not just Christmas. There are a lot of things that we do at home to keep our customs and traditions, and I think that helps pass down the culture too.”
Escarpeta said some first-generation American students who do not speak their heritage language may feel pressured into believing their heritage is not an important part of their culture.
There are a lot of other Koreans at this school and every time I speak with one of them, they think that I am whitewashed.”
Language plays a large role in how people shape their thoughts and perceptions of environment, according to The New Yorker. In addition to language, accents and dialects are strong markers of social identity and can impact social affiliations, according to a study in the Financial Times.
Immigrant families can raise the likelihood of passing down their native language by engaging their children with books, music and television in the language, according to The Atlantic. Upper School Spanish Teacher Sephora Escarpeta, who moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic at age four, only spoke Spanish in her home growing up.
Laila Kim ’26
“A lot of kids that are raised here who don’t speak the language still feel part of their culture,” Escarpeta said. “They still eat the food and might even understand the language without speaking it. They may still feel very much part [the culture], but society tells them not to. That’s where they struggle. They feel accepted in their own community but not by the rest of the world.”
Francesca Varese ’26 said her family was able to pass on Spanish to her by making it the sole language spoken in the household.
“What helped keep Spanish alive in my house was that I have never spoken a single word of English to either of my parents,” Varese said. “Even when I’m with my friends, I only address [my parents] in Spanish. I went to preschool without speaking a single word of English, and I had to tough it out for the first three years of preschool and school. By the time I was six, I was pretty proficient. My parents never speaking English to me is just my normal. I’ve never wanted to speak English with them.”
L.Wood
Francesca Varese ’26
COMING AROUND TO
Students and faculty discuss the importance of having accepting communities and safe spaces for the mental and physical well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
By Colin Ho
It was a Friday evening after school when Walter*, an eighth grader at the time, sat in his living room watching the drama show “ER” with his mother. During the episode, a scene was shown in which a character came out as homosexual and kissed another male character. Disgusted, his mother immediately turned off the TV, calling the behavior unacceptable and unnatural.
A year earlier, during quarantine, several of Walter’s friends had come out as LGBTQ+, prompting him to question his own identity, he said. After much self-reflection, he realized he was bisexual. However, having been raised in a household where homophobic and religious beliefs were deeply ingrained, he had long been surrounded by anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. The thought of being anything other than heterosexual terrified him.
That night, he decided to challenge his mother’s words, but the conversation quickly escalated into an emotional argument that ended in tears. Having recently come to the realization that he was bisexual, at that moment, he accepted that he would have to keep his identity hidden at home. Walter is out to the school community, but has chosen
said he struggled to accept his own identity because of the morals and values of his household.
“It was difficult to figure out who I was,” Walter said. “Not only did I have people at home telling me that being gay was bad, but there was also a lot of stigma surrounding being gay at my elementary school. In middle school, I remember times that I was bullied because people just speculated I may be gay. Eventually, I learned to love that aspect about myself. I realized that it’s not as insane as people make it out to be, and it shouldn’t be stigmatized.”
Walter’s situation is not uncommon. Only 38% of LGBTQ+ youth consider their home to be a safe space, according to the 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, conducted by the Trevor Project.
A study from the National Library of Medicine found that one-third of LGBTQ+ individuals choose to conceal their identity until they become adults. Gender and Sexuality Awareness (GSA) Affinity Group Leader Clara Berg ’25 said she had a hard time hiding her identity and that coming out has been comforting to her.
“It was really draining to hide my sexuality,” Berg said. “I’m still closeted to my extended family, but being out to my immediate family has been a relief. It’s been an exhale. Trying to live day-to-day pretending to be straight takes up a lot of energy. It’s like you’re carrying this weight on your shoulders. It’s not healthy, but it is also sometimes what people have to do because it’s safer than coming out, or it’s more comfortable than being out because of the shame they feel about their identity.”
Director of HW Media and Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research Teacher Jen Bladen, now 52, said she has suffered the negative mental health effects of staying closeted for decades.
“When I was first diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder, I was 38,” Bladen said. “But, my physician said based on my symptoms and what I had told her, I suffered from it since high school. My depression and living a closeted life are very much linked. The fact that it took me so long to get help is a signal of my denial and masking from when I was passing as straight.”
When Bladen first started working at the school in 2006, very few people knew that she was bisexual. After taking a break
from teaching in 2014, she returned to the school in 2020. Bladen said she promised herself she would be honest about her identity when she returned.
“I wanted to be open about my identity because the stakes are so high for queer students,” Bladen said. “I wanted to put a safe space sticker in my window and make sure my students felt safe. We know so much more now about what [queer students] have to go through. I don’t think I had a single queer teacher, so it was hugely important for me to change that for my students.”
Berg said the moment when she realized she was a lesbian, she recalled feeling a wave of shame and disappointment come over her as she struggled to reconcile with the fact that the life she had dreamed of since she was a child would be unachievable.
2020 survey from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Walter said although many gay jokes are dismissed as friendly teasing, they play a role in perpetuating homophobia.
“
I felt disappointed in myself for being a lesbian, which is terrible, and I’m glad I no longer feel [that way].”
Clara
Berg ’25 GSA Leader
“It took me a really long time to realize I was a lesbian,” Berg said. “I was attracted to women long before I realized I was lesbian. In 2021, I came out to both of my parents as pansexual, and neither of them cared, which was the reaction I was looking for. It still took me a couple years for me to realize and feel comfortable with the fact that I’m not attracted to men at all. It was daunting for me to accept I’m never going to be able to have biological children with my loved one. There was a lot of fear and self doubt I felt before coming out as a lesbian. I felt disappointed in myself for being a lesbian, which is terrible, and I’m really glad that I no longer feel [that way].”
Walter said it has become second nature for him to change the way he acts in order to conceal his sexuality at home and other uncomfortable settings.
“I’ve naturally learned to code switch since I’m not out at home,” Walter said. “There are also many social situations where I feel myself try to make my voice deeper or try to suppress my gayness, out of a fear of being judged. For example, if I’m paired in a group project with a bunch of straight men I don’t know, I don’t want the first thing they think of me to be, ‘Oh, this is the gay kid.’ So, I change the way I speak, walk differently or just try to act ‘less gay.’”
Male high school students frequently used the word gay to degrade their peers and was synonymous with being labeled as feminine, according to a 2014 study conducted by Pesola McEarchen PhD, under the Lynn School of Education at Boston College. Moreover, 75% of teenage boys were found to be involved in homophobic teasing, according to a
“As much as we think we’re moving in a more progressive manner and becoming more accepting of all types of people, there are still many gay jokes that permeate throughout the straight community,” Walter said. “These jokes make it seem like using this language isn’t harmful. When confronted, people who make the jokes always say, ‘it’s not like that,’ but normalizing them leads to more harmful comments. It adds to the stigma of being queer.” Berg said trying to combat the widespread prevalence of gay jokes is difficult due to their deep-rooted presence in heterosexual culture and the uncomfortable nature of confrontation.
“When I overhear someone say ‘that’s so gay,’ it’s always tempting for me to butt in and tell them that it’s not okay to say things like that, but it’s unrealistic to be able to do that every time,” Berg said. “How you react is important in setting the tone. If you feel comfortable, a tiny confrontation can be beneficial. But just take the steps you can, and if that’s giving a weird look, then I think that is a good step in the right direction.”
Walter said most people who make gay jokes associate being gay with femininity, ignor ing a wide range of queer labels.
“So many peo ple have a particu lar idea of what being gay is,” Walter said.
“They don’t really realize that there is a spectrum. There are the classic gay men who are more feminine, but there are also more manly gay men and a whole range [of others] in between. When they think of gay men, they think of femi ninity, and see it as attack to their manhood. They seem to think that the two have to be in a compe tition with each other. A lot of straight men who are very fearful of coming off as
COMING OUT
feminine contribute to stigmatizing it through these jokes and hate.”
Trevor Project data shows that 48% of bisexual teens seriously considered suicide in 2023, as compared to 37% of gay and lesbian teens and 14% of straight teens. Walter said he has noticed that even within the LGBTQ+ community, biphobia has increased.
“I’ve experienced a lot of biphobia just because I’m very feminine,” Walter said. “People don’t believe that bisexuality exists. They view it as a transition phase. You’re either straight and pretending, or you’re on the transition to being fully gay and in denial. People have told me I don’t like women and to stop lying to myself. It sucks that it happens within the LGBTQ+ community because we already have so many enemies on the outside trying to beat us down. To have people within the community also beating us down just makes existing just so much harder.”
“There’s a lot of pressure for people to come out,” said Walter. “I’m of the belief that coming out isn’t really important. It may feel like a huge hurdle for queer people who think they have to come out to all of their friends and family. I have not come out to anybody in my family yet, but I’m still happy and living my life. Do it if it’ll improve your quality of life, but the most important thing is that you’re happy with yourself and with your life.”
Unlike Walter, Hudson Phillips ’27 has come out many times. Phillips originally came out to her parents as gender-fluid when she was in fourth grade, but experimented with different labels until finally coming out as a transgender woman in 2021. Phillips began taking puberty blockers in 2022, and began receiving estrogen shots in Jan. 2023. Phillips said her parents have stood with her throughout the process of figuring out her identity.
or not they are queer, it is essential to grow up in a family environment that is warm, loving and accepting,” Bronson said. “It’s important because your parents help you to develop your sense of self. Having to keep a huge part of your identity hidden is painful. It causes queer youth to have a negative self image, and to be harsh on themselves. They think that they’re not good enough by just being who they are. It teaches them that they need to put on a facade of someone they’re not in order to please their parents and society.”
Like Walter, Bladen said she has experienced much invalidation of her bisexual identity at the hands of some of her close friends.
“Growing up, I had male gay friends and female lesbian friends who told me I wasn’t queer, who told me that bisexuality wasn’t real,” Bladen said. “I had to pick a side, so I suffered from a lot of self-hatred. I went through a lot of denial and self loathing because I believed my friends. I had a good friend named Jeff who was gay. When I [told him I was bisexual], he said, ‘Shut up. You don’t know what you’re talking about. You can’t be both [gay and straight], that’s not a thing.’”
Walter said he does not believe it is necessary for queer people to come out to their loved ones as long as they are content with their current situation.
“Having accepting parents is one of the most important factors in the quality of a queer kid’s life,” Phillips said. “It means so much to get the support you need as a queer kid. Being able to talk to my parents about who I am is so important to me. Hearing that your parents, who are supposed to love you unconditionally, don’t believe you or won’t support you can be so harmful because so many young people seek validation from their parents.”
Phillips said legislation blocking gender affirming medical care for minors could be detrimental to the mental health of many other trans youth.
“Because my parents are supportive, I have been able to go on gender affirming medical care,” Phillips said. “It is incredibly scary and horrifying to see the same care I receive being denied to other young trans people across the country because I know that receiving this care saved my life. I would be in a very different mental state without it.”
Studies from the National Library of Medicine determined that only one-third of LGBTQ+ youth are accepted by their parents, and queer youth who face parental rejection after coming out are eight times more likely to report attempted suicide and six times more likely to report severe depression. Upper School Counselor Brittany Bronson said growing up in an unsupportive household can be detrimental to an LGBTQ+ youth’s mindset and mental development.
“For any child, whether
Bronson said many parents are hesitant to accept their queer children because they are afraid of the challenges that their children face.
“My kids are still very young, so as far as I know, they [don’t] really know how they identify,” Bronson said. “We [as parents] have preconceived ideas of who our children will be. Sometimes, if a child doesn’t [conform] to the norm, parents tend to be more protective and deny that part of their child. We don’t want our children to struggle, and we know being queer is hard. There’s a grief that the parent goes through because they have to accept that their child’s life won’t look the way they thought it would. The hope is that parents can bounce back and be like, ‘It doesn’t matter. I love you anyway.’”
ly about my personal life,” Walter said. “So even if I could come out to them, it wouldn’t change anything. I do wish I was closer with my family members, so I could kind of share that part of my life with them and have somebody within my family to talk to. Since I’m bisexual, if I end up marrying a woman, then it won’t matter. If I marry a man, then I’ll inevitably guhave to come out to my parents. I will cross that bridge if I come to it, but as of right now, I don’t plan on ever coming out to them.”
Phillips said coming out is a nuanced process that has the capacity to permanently alter a child’s relationship with their parents.
Walter said he wishes he could be open about his true self without facing any consequences.
“I already don’t really talk to my fami-
“Coming out can be an incredibly positive experience in which you come away from it feeling like you can now be more open with your parents or gu or that you now have a group of friends who fully understand you,” Phillips said. “It can also be an incredibly negative experience and drive a divide between parents and their children. It can make parents feel like their kid is being irrational and make the kid feel like their parents don’t care about them. I have witnessed firsthand how bad young queer kids’ mental health can become when parents aren’t accepting. No matter what, coming out dramatically shifts a parent-child relationship, and it’s up to the parents to decide if it’s for better or for worse.”
*Names have been changed.
If you are LGBTQ+, are your parents accepting of you?
L. Wood Hudson Phillips ’27
Members of the school community discuss the prevalence of gambling on campus and the psychological impact it can have on students.
By Lydia Gugsa and Celine Wang
On a Thursday night, Ezra* is sitting on the couch at home with his friend, hoping to relax after a long school day. Ezra is captivated by the colorful graphics on his computer. As the slots spin and chips fall into place, he leaps up in excitement, one arm wrapped around his friend and the other raised in exhilaration. After losing $200 the previous night, he had just won $350. His friend, warning that he shouldn’t touch the $150 he made in profit, left Ezra’s house, but it was too late. Ezra said he never thought a small bet with friends on slots would spiral into an obsession.
centage of students do gamble. According to a Chronicle poll of 110, 16.2% of students gamble using real money, whether it’s online, recreational or with friends. Toby*, who plays poker, said the game has become less about gambling and winning money, but instead more about connections with peers.
“When my friend left my house, he told me, ‘Don’t touch the balance. Withdraw it in the morning so you’ll make a profit,’” Ezra said. “I didn’t listen. I ran the money up to $850 that night and thought I could get $1000. I ended up losing and lost all the money I had won. It was four in the morning, and I had to wake up for school in two-anda-half hours. Since I’ve started, I think I’ve wagered $20,000 and lost $4,000.”
Gambling and online poker have seen a rise in popularity amongst underage players in the past few years, according to Vice. The National Council on Problem Gambling found that around 60-80% of high schoolers have gambled yearly, including 14-19% who are considered to have “signs of losing control.” Addi tionally, statistics show that teenagers are twice as likely to gamble than adults.
Upper School Psychologist Tina Mc Graw ’01 said the unpredictability of gambling wins makes it especially addic tive for young minds.
“Becoming addicted to gambling hap pens because of intermittent rein forcement,” McGraw said. “This happens when someone who is gambling occasionally wins. The win sets off a big reward in the brain through dopamine. The gambler’s behavior is then reinforced, and the behavior es calates. Casinos know that some times rewarding their patrons with wins will keep them playing slot ma chines and other games. The gambler’s fallacy is that [they think] ‘I just need to play one more time to win big,’ and that mindset can be very dangerous.”
Ezra said that for many students, gambling is more about the thrill and escape it provides rather than just winning money.
“I mostly stick to the slots,” Ezra said. “Poker is a lifestyle. In terms of our school, poker is very much just a game and people get enjoyment out of randomness. People see it as a fun thing they can do on the side that takes them out of [the school] environment.”
Although the school’s student hand book states even “friendly” gambling such as athletic contests or card games is strictly prohibited, a relatively high per
“I play poker almost every day during lunch,” Toby said. “For me, it has become routine, and it’s been the best way for me to socialize with groups of people that I haven’t spent enough time with over the past six years I’ve been here. It might just sound like an excuse, but the reason I started getting into the game in the first place was because I want to spend more time with some of these people, and what better way than to do what they do?”
Toby said playing poker at school has never affected other parts of his life.
“Poker will never affect my academics or mental health because me and a couple of other people that I play with keep each other in check,” Toby said. “Nobody’s ever ditched class to play poker. That’s never happened. It’s primarily a social activity. Some people smoke and do other things on this campus. It’s not atypical for people who participate in those kinds of things to just cut classes because they feel the impulse to do such things, but for gambling, that’s rarely the case.”
gambling disorder, is the uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the toll it takes on one’s life. If someone has a problem with compulsive gambling, they may continually chase bets that lead to losses, use up savings, and create excessive debt, according to Mayo Clinic. Motivations for adolescent gambling may largely be a result of a stressful lifestyle, according to the National Institutes of Health. Toby said the emotional weight of losing money makes gambling feel far more intense than any other activity.
since he believes the majority of the games are rigged to favor the house.
“The house always wins,” Leonard said. “Most people don’t remember the fact that the house always has the odds. No matter what game, whether it’s roulette or poker, it’s going to be skewed toward the house. I’ve seen my friends losing a ton of money from gambling, which is why I’ve stopped gambling.”
“ [Gambling] has high stakes, and that makes it seem like you have an opportunity to make it all back.”
Toby*
“When you lose, you want to make it all back,” Toby said. “It’s not even peer pressure. You just feel that pit in your stomach and start to realize, ‘Oh, God, I just lost.’ It’s nothing like losing a board game because that’s just prizes and words and labels. [Gambling] has high stakes, real stakes, and that makes it seem like you have an opportunity to make it all back.”
Leonard* said many gamblers focus on the rewards without recognizing the risks and addictive nature of the game.
“A lot of people are only seeing the upside, and not seeing the downside in any game you play,” Leonard said. “What’s the upside to winning? You won a couple hundred bucks, but it’s just a waste
Ezra said while poker may be gaining more attention among students at the school, it has not necessarily become more problematic on campus.
“I don’t think poker is becoming more normalized,” Ezra said. “Maybe more people are finding out about it, but from my experience, I know it was [popular] last year. I honestly don’t think it’s that bad. Normally, from what I’ve seen, no one buys in for more than about $10. I feel like the reason it’s becoming more widespread is, as I said, because more people are just finding out about it. [My] friends are playing it with [almost] no money, no stakes and are having a fun time with it. Others play with some money but never exceed about $10, so I think it’s not that bad.”
The gender imbalance in gambling is significant, according to the National Library of Medicine. In the U.S., 69% of men gamble compared to 36% of women, and emerging adult men were twice as likely to have gambled and almost three times more likely to have gambling problems compared to emerging adult women. Eliza*, who plays blackjack, said although she thinks heard the gender imbalance is shocking, it does not really affect her.
“I don’t gamble that much,” Eliza said. “But when I do, there aren’t many girls who do. I’ve heard of some women being underestimated in their abilities, and that’s pretty disappointing. I tend not to be the best poker player, so if I am underestimated, I tend to find that maybe it is well placed.”
Leonard said he has seen how easily betting can become an obsession for those around him.
“I didn’t think of it as that serious, but I will say, speaking on behalf of some of my friends who do gamble a lot, I’ve seen them start to yearn for it all the time,” Leonard said. “Most people get very enticed by the chase. One time, one of my friends lost around 100 bucks, and instead of quitting, he put another 100 bucks, which he lost, and then another 100 bucks. In the end I think he gained 800 bucks, but then you want to know what happened a week later? He lost 800 bucks. It’s a very dicey situation to put yourself in.”
*Names have been changed
L. Wood Tina McGraw ’01
Better than the
By Lyla Kavanagh
It is the summer of 1998. The hot valley sun beat down on Serena Gupta Gandhi’s ’99 face as she sipped her drink, dancing and talking with her friends at a birthday party, while she tried to enjoy the last bit of her summer before starting her junior year. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her friend’s younger brother make his way toward her. When Dayan Gandhi ’00 asked her for a dance, Gupta Gandhi was initially uninterested. She took his shaking hand in hers with some apprehension, glancing around the party for an excuse to slip away. Regardless, Gupta Gandhi said she accepted the offer, not knowing this would be her first dance with her future husband.
movies
Alumni couples reflect on their relationships, the time they spent together at the school and how it brought them closer together.
Upper School Psychologist Emily Joyner said high school relationships can create tension or conflict in existing friendships, especially during high school.
“When you’re a teenager, emotions like love can be even more consuming than when you’re older,” Joyner said. “Sometimes people can get swept up in the experience of a relationship, especially if it’s a first relationship or a really intense one. Friendships can suffer, and so it’s important to be honest with your friends and stay really balanced, so that your sole focus isn’t the person you’re dating.”
younger than me. I come from an Indian family, and so does my husband. Back then, [an age gap] was not ideal.”
From their first date at the ninth-grade Disneyland trip to attending college together in Boston, Willa Fogelson ’22 and Miles Cardillo ’22 have been together for nearly eight years. Cardillo said the expectations for maturity at the school translated into expectations for maturity in his relationship.
tance work, they ended up breaking up several times throughout college.
“My first impression was, ‘Who is this 14-year-old guy trying to ask me to dance?’” Gupta Gandhi said. “At the time I was 15-and-a-half and thought I was much cooler than him. We started school in September, and we were both at the same campus. He kept following me around, leaving notes in my locker, buying me candy from the cafeteria and asking me out. I kept saying, ‘No, you’re younger than me. That’s weird.’ Finally, I gave in, and then we started dating.”
The Pew Research Center reported 35% of 13 to 17-year-olds have had expe rience with romantic relationships. The Gandhis are among the 113 alumni cou ples from the school who reported that they are still together, according to archi vist Alexis Arinsburg ’98.
For Julie Merson ’86, her first romantic interaction with her now husband Richie Rothenberg ’85 went against the wishes of her friend Liz Priyor ’85, who had a crush on Rothenberg. Merson said she kissed Rothenberg for the first time at a joint Har vard and Westlake party.
“[Rothenberg] would tell you this, but so will any other girl that went to West lake at the time,” Merson said. “He was by far the cutest, most popular and most adorable guy at the school. I was a year younger, and he was very close friends with my friend Liz Pryor, who officiated our wedding. It wasn’t until 10th grade that I started going to Harvard and West lake parties, and I started hanging out with him. He was super cute, but I was kind of nerdy, Liz had a crush on him. I thought he was adorable, nice and easy to talk to, so we kissed once in high school after a party. I kissed him in the backseat of [Priyor’s] car, which was breaking girl code. I felt terrible about it, and so after that I really never talked to him anymore.”
Gupta Ghandi said the intensity of her relationship in high school made it difficult to make and maintain friendships.
“I am in touch with some people, but honestly, this is one of the disadvantages of being in a serious relationship in high school,” Ghandi said. “Even though we were children, we were like, ‘We’re going to marry each other.’ We kind of knew that in high school. Because I was in such a serious relationship, I started focusing too much on that and not on hanging out with my friends. It hurt my long-term relationships after I graduated because I wasn’t in touch with so many of the friends that I had in high school.”
Of 111 students surveyed, 66.7% of students said they felt like their parents do not or would not support them having a serious relationship in school, according to a Chronicle poll. Gupta Gandhi said her parents didn’t approve of her relationship
“ It’s
“Harvard-Westlake treats you like an adult, so it felt a lot more natural to have an adult-style relationship,” Cardillo said. “That’s the reason why we’re still here. Even when we were basically children and immature, we were able to have a slightly more adult perspective on how we wanted to move forward with ourselves and our relationship.”
shocking to be 15 or even 16, and know that you want to marry someone.”
Serena Gupta Gandhi ’99
“College was hard,” Gupta Gandhi said. “There were a lot of ups-and-downs, a lot of drama [and] a lot of breaking up and getting back together. But that was the time when that all should happen. It’s unrealistic to think that you’re not gonna be interested in anyone else from the time you first meet someone when you’re 14 years old. It was a growing time for both of us because we were not in the same place. We were able to have new experiences but still be in touch and sometimes be together, sometimes not. When I came back to [Los Angeles] after college, that was when we decided we wanted to be in this relationship and that we were going to get engaged.”
Instead of trying to make long-distance work, Fogelson and Cardillo opted to both apply for colleges in the Boston area. Fogelson said applying to colleges in Boston allowed them to apply to a variety of schools that both of them were excited about.
“Honestly, the biggest solution to our problem was Boston,” Fogelson said. “There are so many schools that we would have liked to go to, so we just applied to all the schools in Boston. It was just about stacking the odds in our favor and having that conversation early. Not a lot of people get the opportunity to have three or four years to think about college before the end of high school, so we got that opportunity to talk about it because of how early we started dating.”
The school promotes an extensive alumni network, from professional events to reunions. Even though her wedding was decades after she graduated from Westlake, Merson said many of the guests attending were Harvard or Westlake graduates.
“Half of our wedding were people from Harvard-Westlake, even though we were in our 40s and knew so many other people by that point,” Merson said. “There was such an incredibly strong bond from our six years together. For Richie and I, it’s amazing to have a shared past and context to the relationship.”
Cardillo said they grew closer because of the academic culture at the school.
“It’s easy to bond when you’re struggling and the school is hard,” Cardillo said. “The thing with Harvard-Westlake that is true in all aspects is it’s gonna make whatever you do next feel a lot easier. A lot of people, when they talk about relationships, they talk about moving out or college being a big obstacle. But honestly, the most challenging part of our relationship was when we were dealing with homework and exams. That was a trial to get through, but now we’ve moved on to the stage of our lives where we get to go to college very close to each other. Every step into adulthood after Harvard-Westlake feels very easy.”
Long-term relationships have been shown to improve mental health, lower depression and anxiety and boost your immune system, according to Better Health Channel. Fogelson said her relationship with Cardillo has evolved as they have matured and grown together.
L. Wood Emily Joyner
Soul Provider
Members of the faculty reflect on the resilience they gained from the increased financial and emotional challenges of being raised in a single parent household.
By Andrea Ricabal
It was early in the morning in the 90s when Academic Support Specialist Gabriela Herrera walked down the hallway of her San Fernando Valley home and peeked into her mother’s room to find it empty. Only her younger sibling was present in the home. Her working, single mother left home early in the morning before any of her children woke up. While it was still dark outside, she entered the factory where she worked as a seamstress, only to return home late into the evening. Herrera said her mother prioritized basic necessities; however, now as a single mother herself, she tries to also focus on supporting her children emotionally.
model I look up to.”
“My mom was really focused on survival and basic needs,” Herrera said. “She was a really good provider and made sure we had the clothes we needed, and if we wanted to do extracurriculars, she made sure things were paid for, but, I didn’t really feel like there were a whole lot of things I could go to her for as far as emotional support or to even tell her things without maybe getting yelled at or getting in trouble. I think with my kids as a single mom myself, we have more conversations, and I want to be that emotional support for them along with providing them with everything they need.”
March 21 is National Single Parent day, a holiday that celebrates households like Herrera’s and aims to make them feel more accepted into society. The day is meant to recognize the hard work and courage of these parents to maintain a strong family unit.
Nina Sawyer ’27, an only child with a single mom, said she feels her relationship with her mother is much closer than most.
“[My mom] is someone I go to for advice because I trust her,” Sawyer said. “She’s a woman with a lot of experience, so she’s a role
Children are more likely to rely on mothers for emotional support and to have a strong bond with them than fathers, according to the Pew Research Center. Although the natural closeness between mothers and their children is a positive aspect of single motherhood, it also comes with challenges. Over the past 50 years, there has been a rise in the number of single parent households of single-parent households, the vast majority of which are led by single mothers. Nearly 23% of children under 18 are being raised by only one parent, according to the Pew Research Center.
Balancing the roles of both provider and caregiver, single mothers face unique financial challenges. In contrast with dual-income families, single parent households are placed at a financial disadvantage in terms of total earnings, according to the Center for American Progress.
Upper School Counselor Brittany Bronson said that when she was seven years old, her mother became a single mom and the sole provider for their family. Bronson said the biggest challenge for her mother was the financial aspect of raising two children on her own.
“When [my parents] divorced, [my mom] just had her income,” Bronson said. “My dad was the breadwinner, and [my mom] was a stay-at-home mom up until my brother was born. I just remember she always struggled financially [after the divorce]. That would always be the hardest thing, paying the bills or keeping the gas on.”
Miles Dodson ’26 said his mother makes sure to stay involved in his life, despite the many responsibilities she carries as a single parent.
“I have friends that live really far away, but she is always there to drive me and pick me up,” said Dodson. “She never misses one of my basketball games and is always there for me. I just
admire the work she puts in.”
In 2023, there were about 7.3 million single mothers, 1.6 million single fathers and about 48.7 million married parents in the United States, according to the Center for American Progress. Sawyer said she first noticed her family dynamic was different from her peers’ families when she got older and recognized the privilege of two-parent households.
“Once I got older, around the time when I started to meet people at Harvard-Westlake, I started to go to sleepovers and noticed my household dynamic was different from other families,” Sawyer said. “With two-parent households, there’s always someone else to rely on, but since it is just me and my mom, there’s a lot of sacrifices I have to make that my friends don’t. ”
“
Herrera said a challenge of having a single parent is that the parent is not always able to be present at important events. Despite her mother’s demanding job, Herrera said she prioritized her and her sibling’s well-being, ensuring that a family member was present at school events when she could not attend.
brought myself back. I made myself food. It was a lot of independence. I am the oldest of two and I think when you’re being raised by a single parent there’s a lot of extra responsibility. So I did the laundry, I washed the dishes and I did a lot of that extra work.”
Bronson said she experienced an increased responsibility; however, her mother also emphasized maintaining a strong family bond by spending quality time together.
“I think my mom relied on me a lot,” Bronson said. “I was the oldest, and so I was parentified, in a way, but that kind of made us closer because of the reliance. We grew up with family dinners every night. Even though we didn’t have a lot of money, the things we would do together were very family oriented.”
My mom always made sure someone was there. It would be an uncle, aunt or grandpa, but someone would always show up.”
Gabriela
Herrera
Academic Specialist
“My mom always made sure someone was there,” Herrera said. “It would be an uncle, aunt or grandpa, but someone would always show up. She did her best at getting time off, but she worked, and so it’s a lot harder.”
Parentification is when a child is placed in an adult role by taking on responsibilities typically meant for a parent, according to Psychology Today. Herrera said as the oldest child of two to a single mom she experienced a greater sense of independence and responsibility.
“Once we got a little older, I was essentially a latch key kid,” Herrera said. “I had keys to my house. I took myself to school. I
Lilly Stobo ’26 said when her single mother recently had health struggles, she had to assume responsibilities which are usually reserved for adults.
“I have to figure out a lot more stuff because I just don’t have another parent to organize things,” Stobo said. “Recently [my mom] had a lot of really scary health problems. I was making sure that she was okay and was booking doctor’s appointments for her.”
Sawyer said she feels people often overlook the fact that their idea of a typical family differs from the reality she and other children of single parents experience.
“People are pretty understanding of my family dynamic, but I also think it’s very normal for people to just think everybody goes home and has two parents,” Sawyer said. “It’s just not their reality, but it’s mine. Sometimes I can forget that I go home and it’s just me and my mom, whereas, [other] people have two parents and a bunch of siblings.”
Nina Sawyer ’27
L. Wood
The Chronicle • March 19, 2025
A rts & E ntertainment
Westflix a night of cinematic celebration .
By Annabelle Cheung and Analeigh Nava
Francesca Varese ’26 sits in her room editing footage, eyes shifting between the screen and a stack of handwritten script notes. After weeks of juggling her roles as a director, cinematographer and actor, she finally has all her shots for her film “El Deseo.” Sifting through initial footage is just one part of the long journey that brought her film to Westflix on March 15, showcased before hundreds at the Paramount Theater alongside 16 other student productions.
Varese said she wanted her film to encapsulate the enduring bond between her and her mother.
“I’ve always wanted to make films that reach people emotionally,” Varese said. “I want people to be moved and I want to send a message of the power of love and how it can outlast time. I wanted to make a film that showed the magic and connection be tween me and my mom.”
Westflix’s 22nd annual film festival included 17 films from 11 schools. The event provides high school students with a platform to showcase their skills and passion through video art. The festival is organized by a se nior leadership team who man age operations, submissions, media, design and community outreach in the months leading. Westflix is led by seven seniors and is supported by a group of around 20 seniors and 30 ju niors and sophomores.
The process of choosing films begins in August when films are submitted through Film Freeway and assigned to student judges. The high est-rated selections move to the final round, where the festival’s lineup is curated by the club leaders.
Varese said she had been determined to make a film for Westflix ever since she first attended the festival in
Students and faculty reflect on their roles within Westflix as well as the importance of the festival within the school community.
ninth grade.
“I sat there watching all these amazing films, and I was so inspired,” Varese said. “I knew that what I wanted most to do at Harvard-Westlake was to have my film in the festival in my junior year. I’ve never felt so fulfilled with something.
I’ve wanted to be a filmmaker, a writer or a creator for so long, and to finally have other people be moved by something I’ve made. It’s the most meaningful experience I’ve ever had.”
Westflix also holds an annual merch fundraiser, typically to fund the festival. This year, the festival is donating its fundraiser proceeds to two organizations: Ghetto Film School, which supports the
next generation of filmmakers, and Olcadena Arts Magnet, an elementary school for the arts that suffered severe fire damage in the Eaton fire.
Visual Arts Teacher and Westflix co-advisor Brannon Cook said Westflix is important to spark interest in film-making.
“The goal is to uplift California high school filmmakers, give them an incredible platform to share their voices and give them something to look forward to,” Cook said. “A lot of students will make films in hopes of having them screened at Westflix, and a lot of students who attend Westflix might make a film because they’re inspired. We want to celebrate and inspire Califor
nia high school filmmakers and video artists.”
Co-Chair of Westflix Micah Parr ’25 said Westflix not only celebrates creativity, but also gives recognition to the hard work and dedication of the students involved.
“Westflix isn’t just a film festival,” Parr said. “It’s a celebration of youth film-making across Los Angeles. It’s an opportunity for kids across LA to tell their unique stories through the incredible medium of film and connect with other aspiring filmmak
ers who also have something to say. It’s always inspiring to see the films my peers worked so hard on get recognition by being selected.”
Tehmina Malhotra ’26 said the festival helps foster a stronger student film community.
“I love our community because everyone is truly committed to film and film-making,” Malhotra said. “Student-run film festivals are so important for filmmakers because they create a sense of unity for anyone who loves film. It gives a supportive space for filmmakers to share their work and receive valuable praise and feedback.”
Westflix club member Eze Baum ’26 said the heart of Westflix is getting the opportunity to build constructive relationships by giving and receiving helpful feedback.
“Being here and getting to help curate films with others is part of what makes it so much fun, and doing it alone wouldn’t be the same,” Baum said. “Getting to connect with others who are incredibly passionate filmmakers is one of my favorite parts about Westflix. I love getting to see what everyone’s been working on, and having people who are always willing and able to round out crew positions is an incredible resource.”
Baum said although his film “Solo” was not to be screened, he still felt valued among the other artists.
“Getting the chance to have people see my work and react to it is truly invaluable,” Baum said. “It’s a great feeling when people come up to you at school and say, ‘Hey, I saw your film,’ and elaborate on what did or didn’t work for them. That’s the kind of feedback you don’t get anywhere else.”
L. Wood
Micah Parr ’25
Choir performs songs for competition, recital
By Chloe Kim
The Choral Concert took place in St. Saviour’s Chapel during lunch on March 12. Wolverine Singers, Bel Canto and Chamber Singers performed in addition to several solo performances.
The concert opened with former Symphony Conductor and Music Teacher Mark Hilt playing the organ with Nadya Hitomi ’25. Performing Arts Teacher Zanaida Robles and Science Teacher Jesse Reiner then harmonized to “Good Morning,” an original piece written by Reiner.
Afterward, Bel Canto Singers Hayley Ross-Settineri ’27 and Julia Meyer ’27 performed “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez. In addition, Mae Mae Gad ’27 performed an original piece named “I Fly.”
Gad said they felt underprepared but ended up enjoying the performance.
“Honestly I was a little nervous because I hadn’t been able to sing well that whole week due to a cold, but once I got there I had a lot of fun,” Gad said. “The acoustics in the chapel are great and I was surprised how there was enough sound in such a big space with no amplification.”
Jensen, for their Choral Competition on March 13. The students performed “Alleluia” by Middle School Accompanist Christopher Wong and “All The Things You Are” by Jerome Kern.
Robles said she was proud of her students because of how well they performed, even though there were last-minute changes.
“Something interesting that happened was we were prepared to sing two songs, but on the program, I had forgotten that I had put three songs,” Robles said. “So we actually cut one of the songs that we had been working on, and we added in the other songs that we hadn't sung since December. But, I think the students really surprised themselves at how well they remembered it. I felt so proud of them because they could be so musical and flexible, being able to sing a completely different piece on the spot, in front of everybody. That was a really special experience and something I will ever forget.”
Student Director of Chamber Singers Sarah Parmet ’25 said festivals help the choir get closer.
Students in dance class perform in spring showcase themed “Time”
By Annabelle Cheung
Students in the Upper School Dance Program performed in the "Time" Dance concert March 7-8. The production featured 18 different pieces of choreography.
The concert ended with all the choirs performing “My Life Flows On in Endless Song”, originally composed by Robert Lowry, and “Kyrie From Haydn: Miss in Tempore Belli” by Joseph Haydn.
Audience Member Luna Yang ’27 said she enjoyed the concert, especially Gad’s solo.
“I thought the concert was very mind-blowing and all the singers did an amazing job,” Yang said. “My favorite memory throughout the performance was Mae Mae Gad’s solo, and I felt so moved by their talent and confidence in front of the crowd.”
The next day, Chamber Singers went to Azusa Pacific University, hosted by the Director of Choral Studies at the university, Michelle
“I love doing choir festivals because they’re another way for us to bond as a choir,” Parmet said. “We also usually get to leave school early and come late, which is pretty fun. The best part is getting lunch afterward and recapping how we all thought it went.”
Robles said the festival was a memorable experience for her.
“It one of the most interesting and positive festival experiences I've had because of the direct feedback we were able to receive,” Robles said. “There were only three schools, so we all got a lot of very personal time. We felt like they were really taking time to make notable differences and improvements in our work. It was a very valuable experience.”
The second show included an award ceremony for the performers. Rheanna Vradiy ’25 won awards for Commitment to Dance and Outstanding Choreographer, Ethan Chen ’26 won an award for Dance Activism and Ella Temple ’25 won an award for Outstanding Performer.
Upper School Performing Arts Teacher Queala Clancy said the dances aimed to highlight dance as a meaningful art form.
“Our motto emphasizes the importance of diversifying the concert stage,” Clancy said. “For us, dance transcends flashy lights and dramatic hair flips. We approach it with the goal of educating and entertaining our campus, conveying that dance is a respected art form that holds significant value.”
Summer Park ’27 performed in a solo piece set to “Running Up That Hill,” a remix of Kate Bush’s 1985 classic reimagined by musical artist Samuel Kim. She said this
Symphony hosts spring concert
By Analeigh Nava
The Upper School Symphony and Chamber Orchestra performed in the Spring Orchestral Concert in Rugby Auditorium March 14. The concert featured the pieces “Sevilla,” “March to the Scaffold,” “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” "Hungarian Dance No 6” and “Brandenburg Concerto No. 2.”
Symphony violinist Abigail Juarez ’26 said routinely practicing outside of class played a key role in preparing for the concert.
“I have to practice outside of class more often, but it's not that hard since I’ve been playing violin for 4 years,” Juarez said. “I get nervous building up to the concerts, but that feeling has never gone away, and I think that’s universal.”
Performing Arts Teacher Neli Nikolaeva said working with students over a period of multiple years has fostered a stronger sense of community .
“The process of learning their instruments takes time, so I've been very fortunate to guide many of them along the way,” Nikolaeva said. “I’ve been there since the day
they started their instruments, so I feel like our process begins when we first met. It’s more than the commitment of one student. It takes a family, a village.”
Symphony violinist Diane Kang ’27 said collaboration is the key to succeeding in a concert.
“During our rehearsals, I learned that teamwork is the most important and challenging part of playing in an orchestra,” Kang said. “It takes a lot of practice to listen to each other since every instrument has different melodies and rhythms in order to build a harmony.”
Nikolaeva said the preparation was challenging as the fires postponed in-class rehearsals, leaving the group with roughly two weeks to prepare.
“We had lost some valuable rehearsal time during the fires, particularly because I also lost my home,” Nikolaeva said. “Coming back, there were some adjustments needed to be made.”
Symphony clarinetist Zoe Vourgourakis ’26 said guidance from teachers immensely helped with the preparation despite the lack of time.
“Thankfully, Dr. Nikolaeva has
been super diligent about introducing us to the pieces early on and making the most of our little rehearsal time,” Vourgourakis said. “For example, she put different instruments into sectional groups with private teachers to help learn their parts separately before combining them to perform.”
Vourgourakis said Nikolaeva inspires students with her encouragement and passion.
“I love how Dr. Nikolaeva teaches the class, bringing more and more enthusiasm every day despite what may be going on in her own life,” Vourgourakis said. “Her selflessness inspires everybody in our class to become not only better musicians but better people. I can’t help but look forward to every performance knowing I have the support of her and so many others.”
Nikolaeva said concerts like these are essential in bringing out the true art in performers.
“I hope they have the thrill of sharing an art form with people who love them and want them to succeed,” Nikolaeva said. “Sharing is the greatest gift we have to give and to receive.”
piece was particularly meaningful because it allowed her to express various emotions she was feeling in different aspects of her life.
“I wanted to connect with the music on a deeper level,” Park said. “I tried to channel some of the stress and challenges I’ve been facing in my life [like] schoolwork, balancing dance and growing up.”
Temple, who is a student in Contemporary Dance Methods, said her favorite dance to perform was to “Ribs” because it centered around the theme of nostalgia.
“This dance was meaningful because it made me take the time to pause and reflect on how fast time has been passing,” Temple said. “It helped with internalizing the emotions that come with that inevitability.”
Vradiy choreographed and performed her solo “Wildflowers and Wine”, and the trio, “Ribs.” Vradiy said both pieces allowed her to explore different aspects of time through movement.
“I challenged myself to choreograph to a much slower and emotional song, as well as incorporated some rhythmic gymnastics by using my ribbon for part of it,” Vradiy said. “'Ribs,' on the other
hand, was a far more personal piece, which I choreographed to convey the bittersweet feeling of growing up.”
Vradiy said she learned to become more adaptable in her dancing styles.
“This show in particular challenged me to live in so many different narratives, even if it was for simply two or three minutes,” Vradiy said. “As difficult as it was, I learned how to be a far more versatile performer, switching and immersing myself in each dance. ” Clancy said the creative versatility behind the student’s control of choreography allows for more meaningful performances.
“If a choreographer believes that a particular genre effectively conveys their intended message, they are likely to immerse themselves in that specific style,” Clancy said. “This flexibility allows each choreographer to focus on their creative intuition while crafting a piece that is both meaningful and impactful. Ultimately, the merge of music and movement results in a distinct artistic expression that reflects the individual vision of the choreographer.”
GRACEFUL STEPS: Summer Park ’27 performs a solo piece to “Running Up That Hill.” Other dance pieces included genres of hip-hop, soft rock, and other contemporary works. Dancers choreographed 8 dances themselves.
CONNOR
L. Wood Mae Mae Gad ’27
MELODIC MASTERY: Presentations Managing Editor William Liu ’25 performs Camille Saint-Saën's “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.”
Reels to Records
A toast to Academy Award nominees
By Zara Groves
Nominee for Best ActorRalph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes’ acting performance was, without a doubt, my favorite of the year. In the film “Conclave,” Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) organizes a conclave, which is a meeting with the cardinals, to elect the next pope and ends up investigating secrets and scandals about the major candidates. He uses small gestures, such as his posture and facial expressions, to convey his inner feelings. This way, he pulls us into the character’s thoughts and makes us interested in his story. While it’s disappointing he didn’t receive the recognition he earned, I’m excited to see what Fiennes accomplishes next.
Nominee for Best Supporting Actress - Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande’s turn as Glinda in “Wicked” was a dazzling piece of cinematic work. Though ini-
tially met with doubt, Grande proved herself to be more than just a musical success, delivering a complex and deep performance. She captured the flighty appeal of Glinda while unearthing the character’s rich emotional geography. Her singing performance was nothing short of mesmerizing, a tour-de-force that respectfully salutes Kristen Chenoweth’s iconic Broadway portrayal of the Good Witch while offering a fresh and indelible reading.
Grande’s Glinda was a masterclass in character acting, nimbly combining comedic timing with emotional vulnerability. Her performance is not merely an imitation of a beloved character; it is a reinvention, replete with her unique artistry and unmistakable star power. Grande’s work here is a testament to her skill and dedication, a performance that lingers in memory long after the credits roll and one that deserved the Oscar win.
Winner for Best Supporting Actor - Kieran Culkin
Kieran Culkin’s turn in “A Real Pain” was undoubtedly one of the highlights of awards season. With his recent Golden Globe win and numerous critics’ accolades, it really looked like he was a shoo-in for an Oscar and rightfully so. He does not rely on gaudy melodrama, but instead accesses the emotional core of his character, showing underlying psychological distress. Benji (Kieran Culkin), despite being publicly outspoken, is a lonely character — a complex contradiction that Culkin navigates skillfully throughout the length of the film. This contrast is especially touching in the case of a train sequence in Poland, where Culkin successfully shifts between Benji’s conflicting sides, showing the strain on his relationship with his cousin David (Jesse Eisenburg). Culkin’s performance was both compelling and original, fully deserving of the broad appreciation it has been given.
Paddington’s adventures in Peru
By Holden Kim
“Paddington in Peru,” the third installment of the immensely popular Paddington film series, whisks audiences from the whimsical London neighborhoods that served as the backdrop for Paddington’s earlier adventures to the rainforests of Peru, where he must brave the dangers of the Amazon in search of his lost Aunt Lucy. The film debuted in the United Kingdom in November 2024 before becoming available in the United States on Feb. 17. The movie was directed by Dougal Wilson, who took over from Paul King, the director of the first two movies. Though it lacks the quirky charm and richly layered humor of King’s superb direction, Wilson’s picture offers a wonderful family adventure that will win over Paddington fans of all ages.
This movie explores Paddington’s Peruvian roots, offering a
nice shift for the series. Paddington returns to his native land, accompanied by the Browns, including parents Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary (Emily Mortimer, who replaces Sally Hawkins) and their two teenage children. The family traverses through rainforests and mountains on a quest to find Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), who has mysteriously disappeared from the Home for Retired Bears. The introduction of a wildly theatrical Reverend Mother (Olivia Colman) and dashing riverboat captain (Antonio Banderas) add both excitement and comedy to their journey. Along the way, the group stumbles on clues about the mysterious legend of El Dorado and the curse of “gold fever.” The cast is stellar, even though Aunt Lucy, whose disappearance sets the whole quest into motion, only makes a quick cameo at the start and finish. This squandered
“Alligator Bites Never Heal:” leaving a mark
By Zara Groves
2024 saw the atmospheric rise of a number of new musical talents, such as Chappell Roan, Raye, Benson Boone and Doechii. The last of the aforementioned artists, Doechii, has flipped the music scene on its head. Doechii’s album “Alligator Bites Never Heal” stands out for its unique production, sound and lyrical depth, securing its Grammy win for Rap Album of the Year.
Doechii first gained attention with her 2020 EP “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” featuring the viral hit “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.” Her 2022 song “she/her/black/b*tch” marked a shift from a bubbly
aesthetic to a more personal, genre-building sound. “Alligator Bites Never Heal” is the result of Doechii perfecting her craft. The album’s theme centers on processing rather than posturing. Doechii shows sober-minded confidence, addressing label pressures and imposter syndrome. Notable tracks include the “Nissan Almita,” “Denial Is a River” and “Stanka Pooh.”
“Stanka Pooh” opens with ominous synths and compelling percussion. Doechii’s vocal delivery isn’t high-energy, but there’s an undercurrent of intensity that adds depth to the lyrics. The song contemplates existential questions like “What if I choke on this Slurpee? What if I make it big?”
before lightening the mood with a sharp couplet: “And if those the only fears that I’ll take to my grave / I’m pissing on you h**s living or dead.” This balance of humor and vulnerability is a signature of Doechii’s style.
“Denial Is a River” definitely deserves its the hype. The song runs through the main plot points in Docheii’s life over the past five years — catching a cheater, signing to Top Dawg Entertainment, diving deeper into a party lifestyle, and an ex coming back to cause havoc. These conflicts add to the fact that it is a conversation with her therapist counterpart helping her navigate her past. Her performance and production led to an undeniably
catchy and stylish song.
“Nissian Altima” is the perfect single when it comes to for showcasing Doechii’s signature rap style. Doechii delivers rapid fire verses packed with witty wordplay and mesmerizing internal rhyme schemes.
Overall, “Alligator Bites Never Heal” is a bold statement of independence and a masterclass in modern rap. Doechii’s retells anecdotes by layering emotions in her songs. The wordplay shines from the very first track, and the innovative production level in the album puts it alongside the best. Doechii is now an essential part of the rap scene, and this album serves as the standard for what she will create next.
opportunity to develop her character dilutes the emotional depth of her reunion with Paddington and his return home.
The pacing of “Paddington in Peru” is its most noticeable weakness. Compared to the second Paddington’s dynamic and immediate appeal, the third Paddington opening London sequences seem to drag on a little too long. Emily Mortimer, who steps into the role of Mary Brown, carries a vulnerability and quiet intensity that resonates with viewers. However, the writers’ attempt to draw a parallel between Mary’s wistful adjustment to an empty nest and Paddington’s growing independence from Aunt Lucy feels forced and stalls the movie’s momentum in this first part of the film. Once the action moves to Peru, however, the film hits its stride. Here, the movie’s visuals really shine.
• Continued on hwchronicle. com
@wannabe_jake_lancer -Recently single -Read more about him on thelessiknow.blog
@ms.brasda.apologist -Does MUN -Taken by Nathan Wang
@xc -Does track -Good at track
@good_driver123 -Must be in college or not interested
Satire
The seniors spent Valentines Day trapped in Weiler working on last issue. We decided they needed some romance. Everyone get swiping!
@sab1xdancer2007 -“She likes short guys”
@jasmines_only_friend -Dominic Landes of The Chronicle -Attendance coordinator reject
@claire.conners.sister -Gluten free -Not by choice
@tinydancer -Already taken. Sorry!
@CEO -Wolf of Wall Street
@house_music_boi93 -“Surfer” -Chron-cester
@westflix.board.member -Requirement: must be on the baseball team -Sharon Cuseo’s third child
@ALee7 -Eric Lee's brother
@como_estas -Went to Spain
@violin_goat -Must have a 4.3 GPA or higher to be friends
@crista -A+E section editor
@the.doc.is.in -Artisté
@swimmer -King of news
@twinnem -Going to Northwestern Medill (if you couldn't tell)
@usernotfound -Mr. Montgomery’s best friend -Does she even go here???
@katelyn -Other A+E section editor
@harvard_westate -Nepo-ed into sports section editor
@drgoedde_is_life34 -Works at an indie bookstore -Actor and playwright
@global_affairs_club_founder -Already in a committed relationship with Alex Dinh
By David Rothbart
Seniors Lead Championships Follow
just a little bit could lead to everything going wrong.”
It is Feb. 27, 2024, and central midfielder Cole Grossman ’25 is standing on the Torrey Pines High School soccer field after a 4-2 loss to the Falcons. That game ended their season in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Regional Tournament. Grossman did what he could against the Torrey Pines defense, scoring both of the team’s goals, but it was not enough to get the win. The Wolverines ended the season with an overall record of 18-6-1 and back-to-back Mission League titles for the first time in school history but failed to win the Regional Championship. Grossman said he felt mixed emotions as he walked off the field but the loss taught the team a lesson.
“I was happy with my own performance but it was super sad for the season to come to an end,” Grossman said. “It was devastating to know I would never get to play with that group of guys again. It motivated me for this year though be cause it just showed us that we can’t blink for even a second on the field and we have to go into every game with a strong mindset and keep going for the whole 80 minutes. Being unfocused for
This year, the season did not start off well despite what the team learned from last year’s loss. They began 0-2 and did not get their first win until their fourth game. They entered league play with a losing record and the team was below a .500 winning percentage until their 11th game against St. Francis on Jan. 20th. After that win they finished the season with a 13-1-0 run, winning the CIF Division 3 Regional Championship and CIF Southern Section — the team’s first CIF championship since 1990, won by Harvard School for Boys before the merger with Westlake School for Girls.
Center back Marty Minikes ’26 said the early season struggles motivated them to work harder, and that the seniors stepped into a leadership role which lead them to embrace a nothing-to-lose mentality.
Striker Dhara Jobrani ’26 said one thing that helped this year was the seniors and more team bonding.
“The seniors’ leadership was really key,” Jobrani said. “They led us all in team bonding exercises, a lot more than before and that all really helped us on the field. Sometimes it’s the stuff off the field that helps more than any training or practice.”
Grossman said the team’s success this year came from strong team unity.
“The program had so much success over the last two years and when we had a losing record going into league play, it was a bit disappointing,” Minikes said.
“That motivated us even more though, to work hard and earn those trophies as well as make school history. It really came down to the seniors on the team this year. Because of our past success, we knew we had something special, but it unfortunately wasn’t showing. They led by example and we took a onegame-at-a-time approach to the rest of the season. We kept grinding and I think knowing we had nothing to lose just really motivated us to keep winning games.”
“The most important thing for this year’s success was the togetherness that we had as a team,” Grossman said. “Every player was bought in and truly believed that we would be our best when playing together and not as individuals and I think that was reflected in our play.”
“We were organized as a unit towards the end of the season, especially with [Jack Letterman ‘25] and [Sam Reiner ‘25]. Our defense was just able to contain teams and earn clean sheets by playing smart and being clinical with every clearance and tackle.”
In an interview after the Wolverines’ win over Jurupa Hills in the CIF-SS Division. 2 Championship on March 1, Head Coach Michael Erush named the team’s senior-led defense as most important factor for their success.
We were able to lean on each other and move through the adversity together because of how well bonded we were as a team.”
Cole Grossman ’25
Last year’s team had just six seniors, as compared to 11 this year. Grossman said it was that senior presence and group cohesion that contributed to the team’s turnaround.
“It definitely helped us bounce back after a rough start,” Grossman said. “We were able to lean on each other and move through the adversity together because of how well bonded we were as a team. All of the seniors had known each other for so long and been best friends off the field.”
The Wolverines’ defense allowed just five goals over their final nine games and only nine goals over their 13-1 stretch. Minikes said that on the field, it was the Wolverines’ defense that stood out as a defining factor in their success.
“The key to that defense was just focusing on the defensive basics,” Minikes said. “Clearances, second balls, one-onone defending and tracking runners.
“The defense really was the key,” said Erush. “We’ve only given up one goal in the last six games and two goals in the last ten games. Those seniors, [Jack Letterman ‘25], [Kevin Chen ‘25], [Dominic Landes ‘25], and [Sam Reiner ‘25] in the back, and whoever else we needed to fill in. We cramp, we go down, but we always adjust and pivot on the fly and make it work.”
After this season ends, 11 of the 29 players from this year’s team will graduate. Minikes said that although the team will be very different next year, he is still confident the 2026 season will be a success.
“For the younger guys we knew that this was the last year with the seniors and next year it would be our team,” Minikes said. “It’s unfortunate to lose them but then again I’m really excited for next year, I think we have a lot of great pieces and the talent to make something next year. As a group we really just want to build our culture and continue on the success of last year in whatever way we can. Overall though, I think all the guys are excited for next year and to see what our group can achieve because I think we definitely have the group for it.”
Softball starts off season 4-0
By Wynne Davis
The softball team started the season with high expectations coming off last year’s 13-9 season. Kicking off this year’s season with a 4-0 record, the team has secured wins against Santa Monica High School, El Camino Real, Brentwood and San Fernando High School.
Head Coach Leesa Harris said she is proud of the team’s strong start but knows there is still a lot of work to be done.
“We’ve had a great start to the season, and the girls have stepped up,” Harris said. “But we’re not settling. Every game is a chance to get better, and we want to keep pushing ourselves.”
The team has been practicing for several months in order to prepare for this season. Pitcher Peyton Perriot ’26 said the team has been putting in the necessary work to ensure they are ready to compete against tougher teams.
“We’ve been practicing pretty much every day for the past couple of months to get ready for the higher level of competition we’ll be facing this year,” Perriot said.
Harris said the team’s daily practices have helped improve their teamwork, communication and consistency on the field.
“The girls have been committed,” Harris said. “They come in every day ready to work, and that’s a big reason why we’ve started the season so strong.”
With the team’s strong start, Perriot said she has high expectations for the rest of the season.
“I expect us to be a competitive team in the Mission League and ideally do as well as we did last year,” Perriot said.
• Continued on hwchrownicle.com
LOCKED AND LOADED: James Tronstein ’26 makes a throw during a match on March 12 against Alemany High School at O’Malley Family Field. The team secured an 8-2 victory to continue their season for an overall record of 5-4 with more competetive games in the future.
Baseball navigates injuries and moves forward
By Max Nam
The baseball team has a 5-4 overall record and is 2-0 in league play as of March 15. The team has also faced early-season challenges but continues to compete in Mission League play.
Middle infielder James Tronstein ’26 said preparation is key in the Mission League.
“There are a lot of good teams in the Mission League and a lot of good players and coaches as well,” Tronstein said. “We prepare for each one the same, [by] having a great practice beforehand and just going out and competing and winning every pitch possible.”
Track and field prepares for future competitions
By Connor Merrihew
The track and field team started off their season by competing in two meets. The first meet took place at the Upper School campus, Feb. 26. The team then traveled to Woodrow Wilson High School to partake in the 37th Annual Long Beach Relays on March 8. Furthermore, the team competed in the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational at Laguna Beach High School March 15.
“
we will have several people on the team make it to CIF regional meets and compete against some of the best athletes in the state.”
Abemayor said dedicated team training as well as solo running has helped prepare the runners for the season.
“We have put in lots of great work over the last few months during this training block.”
I think we have a very strong group here and am reall excited for what’s to come for out team and program.”
Charles Abemayor ’26 said that the team has a great shot at performing well this year.
Andrew Alpert ’26
“We are very excited for the upcoming season,” Abemayor said. “Last year, the distance team specifically had a bunch of great performances, but I think we will match them or even outdo them because the quality of the team this year is great. Our sprinters are looking good as well, and I think
Abemayor said. “That training will hopefully pay off down the road as we get deeper into the season. I’m really excited to see how it helps us succeed in the future.”
Andrew Alpert ’26 said he is excited for the challenge their season brings.
First baseman Miguel Villegas ’25 said the team has faced difficulties after losing two key position players, Cade Goldstein ’25 and Ethan Price ’26, to injury.
“As a team, I think the biggest challenge we faced was having two of our main position players get hurt,” Villegas said. “Having two guys out in the top of our lineup hurts us offensively in the aspect of producing more runs scored. Also, it hurts our team morale because knowing that two of our main players were injured affected our confidence going into the game.”
Outfielder Ira Rootman ’27 said going into the season, he is
focusing on the mental aspect of baseball.
“In the Fall, I wasn’t attacking the mental aspect of baseball in the right way,” Rootman said. “With baseball being a game where you fail more than you succeed, taking a step back and realizing that you cannot base your satisfaction on results was a huge thing for me.”
Villegas said the team has worked to remain competitive despite recent losses.
“A positive thing that we have seen is how, as a team, we can come back in a game in which we are losing,” he said. “The guys on the field are relentless and will do whatever it takes for
us to win a baseball game.”
Pitcher Evan Alexander ’26, a transfer from Brentood High School and a University of Pennsylvania baseball commit, said transferring to the school has been a challenging but relatively straightforward adjustment.
“Coming to Harvard-Westlake, I didn’t know many people and was greeted with many unfamiliar faces,” Alexander said. “But, I felt included and was able to adjust smoothly. Although leaving my old school was difficult, baseball, my teammates and coaches helped me easily adapt.”
• Continued on hwchronicle.com
“We have a very strong group here and [I] am really excited for what’s to come for our team and program,” Alpert said. “We have a very tough schedule, but we’ve trained hard, and I think we are all feeling very confident and prepared for what’s to come in the future.”
Aaron Escalante ’26 said competitive training brings out the best in his teammates.
“Competitive training is really important in our training,” Escalante said. “Pushing each other in races in practice helps us to prepare for the natural pressure we feel during meets. The competitiveness in practice really helps us mentally prepare for the races as it is a lot easier to run since we race all the time in practice. It really puts us in match-like situations and intense, competitive season races.”
The Wolverines will compete next at home in a meet against Notre Dame on March 20 and in the Beach Cities Invitational against teams from all across Southern California at Long Beach City College on March 22.
PUSHING THE PACE: Franklin Wimbish ’25 runs on the track with the team after their match against Crespi High School was canceled on Feb. 26. The team used the oppurtunity to sharpen their race performance.
Boys tennis launches season with 3-0 start
By Max Nam
The boys tennis team has opened its season with a 3-0 overall record and a 2-0 record in league play, securing a 16-2 victory over Loyola at Cheviot Hills Tennis Centeron March 13.
Singles player Alexander Nickoll ’25 said several players have stepped up as leaders this season.
“All of the other seniors, [Matthew Reiter ’25], [Arya Fattahi ’25] and [Christian Stubbeman ’25], have done an excellent job leading on and off the court,” Nickoll said. “They are great leaders and role models for the rest of the team in terms of showing up and succeeding.”
Fattahi said the team’s preparation has contributed to its strong start.
“The team’s done great so far to earn us this 2-0 start to the season,” Fattahi said. “From working hard in practice to fighting for every ball in matches, we’ve been doing a good job at translating what we learn to performing in games.”
Fattahi said the team faced challenges in its first match against Loyola due to nerves but overcame them as they settled into the match.
“Even though we had two shut-out matches, there were some moments in the middle of our first game against Loyola
[when it] seemed like it would be a tight match,” he said. “However, it’s just a natural result of first-game nerves, especially for our talented underclassmen who have stepped up recently and have overcome such challenges.”
Doubles player Nikhil Sarvaiya ’26 said the team is approaching each match with focus and determination, particularly as they prepare for national tournaments.
“The high-importance tournaments like McCallie and CIF definitely have added pressure,” Sarvaiya said. “When we go into those matches, we level up the focus and preparation as a team, so that we are performing at our best in the biggest moments. With that said, even in the regular season league matches, we do our best to go into each match with a focus on the little details, so that we are continuously honing our skills for when the big moments come.”
Head Coach Bo Hardt said the team has been working hard toward this season.
“We don’t have a specific method,” Hardt said. “We have been building up to this season for the last three years when we struggled against the top teams. So our motivation was high, and the returning players all worked hard to improve to where they are now.”
Hardt said the team is prepared to compete at a national level this year.
“This team is talented, focused and hungry to win everything” he said. “For the first time since 2018, we can realistically match up with the top teams in the country at almost every lineup position. We haven’t been tested much this year, so we need a challenge to expose which areas
Boys volleyball builds momentum for league after 4-2 season start
By Wynne Davis
The boys volleyball team currently has an 8-3 record, most recently securing a 2-0 victory over Pinecrest Sloan Canyon and beating Malibu High School 3-0 while falling to Loyola High School 3-0 and Basic Academy of International Studies 2-0. The team also beat Notre Dame High School 3-2.
Head Coach Garrett Yamasaki said the team has shown promise but still has areas to refine.
“We’ve had some strong mo-
ments, but we’re still figuring out our rhythm as a team,” Yamasaki said. “Teams like Loyola are always tough opponents, and Basic challenged us in ways that exposed areas we need to refine. These losses are learning opportunities, and we’re using them to get better.”
The team has been focusing on improving consistency and communication on the court. Outside hitter Callum MacLachlan ’26 said that maintaining focus throughout matches has been a key emphasis.
“Our energy has been great,
and we’ve shown we can compete,” MacLachlan said. “We just need to be more consistent, especially in games against high-pressure teams like Loyola. When we’re locked in and playing together, we can take on any team.”
MacLachlan also said that developing team chemistry is critical for their success moving forward.
“We have a lot of talented players, but volleyball is all about teamwork,” MacLachlan said. “It’s not just about individual skill. It’s about working together and trust-
we need to improve heading into CIF playoffs.”
Sarvaiya said the team is looking forward to competing against some of the top-ranked programs in the country and believes they have the talent to make a deep postseason run.
“We have a really talented roster this year,” Sarvaiya said. “From the beginning of our season, we have known that
we have a shot at the title this year. The focus of the team has been to work extremely hard to make a really deep run in CIF. There are a couple other teams, like University High, that have solid rosters as well, but we hope and believe that with the right preparation and determination, we will be the last guys standing.”
We’ve been working a lot on our passing and decision-making. The goal is to make sure we’re executing under pressure and staying mentally tough when matches get close.”
— Head Coach Garrett Yamasaki
ing each other on the court.” Yamasaki said the team has been focusing on offensive execution, defensive positioning and quick transitions in practice.
“We’ve been working a lot on our passing and decision-making,” Yamasaki said. “The goal is to make sure we’re executing under pressure and staying mentally tough when matches get close.”
MacLachlan said the team took away important lessons from the match.
“Loyola is obviously a really strong team, and they really made us work,” MacLachlan said. “We saw what it takes to compete at that level, and now we’re pushing ourselves even harder in practice to close that gap.”
Boys golf focuses on improving scores
By Connor Merrihew
The boys golf team has started their season with a record of 3-1 in match play, with wins against Hart High School, Westlake High School and Campbell Hall High School. In their one loss, they fell a single stroke short of San Marcos High School. The team has consistently posted total scores around 400 strokes.
Branden Wong ’26 said he is excited for the rest of the season after the team’s their strong start.
The season so far has been fun,” Wong said. “We’ve come close in a match against two great teams and the team bonding has been great. We hope to keep lowering the scores as the season continues. The goal is to make the highest division of the playoffs as we can.”
Wong also said he believes
offseason team and individual training was a large factor in their strong start to their season, which has been reflected in their team scores.
“Practice was once a week, and training was twice a week during the offseason,’’ Wong said. “Coach [Scott Wood] expects us to practice on our own during the week to keep our game sharp. I think that everything we do in practice and lifts does help.”
Will Rosen ’26 said although their season has started off strong, there is more to improve on in all aspects as the season continues and progresses.
“The team has gotten off to a solid start this year, but we know we have a ton of potential and better scores in our future,’’ Rosen said. “It is especially exciting to see how deep our roster is this year, with many new faces stepping up and playing
great golf.”
Rosen said that practice throughout the whole year is reflective of the team’s dedication to winning and overall camaraderie and chemistry.
“The practice that we’ve been doing since September allows us to be comfortable and relaxed when it comes to match day,’’ Wong said. “We have such a tight-knit team that loves playing little competitions against each other, simulating the pressures of tournament shots. I’m looking forward to having a great year with the team and seeing our improvement as a collective as we progress.”
Head Coach Scott Wood ’88 said the team’s commitment to training and leadership from key players has set them up for success, even in a competitive school league.
STRAIGHT AND FAR: Charlie Sive ’26 follows through on his drive as he continues his steady streak of consistently hitting fairways.
EYES ON THE BALL: Christian Stubbeman ’25 watches the ball closely as he prepares to serve in a match against Brentwood High School at Los Angeles Valley on March 3. The team recorded a 15-3 victory.
BY SAVVY MAHONEY Savvy Mahoney wolverines only wolverines only
I started softball in elementary school, around fourth and fifth grade. Surprisingly, it was Fiona Ryan ’25 who got me into softball because she was on a little league team. We would get pizza after games, which was a selling point for me. I thought “Okay, why not?” I started playing softball for West LA Little League for a few years and was able to progress quickly.
I had always had good hand-eye coordination, and I had already played pretty much every other sport known to man. A few of my other friends joined at the same time I did, but I was the only one who stuck with it. I have so many fond memories from that team, like the ball buckets and the lights on the field when it got dark. I had so much fun because of the energy on the team. I started out as the first baseman and held that position for a long time before my coach started putting me as our catcher. I liked being first baseman a lot better, and I was better at it than I was at being a catcher. I was definitely not the best catcher. When I was playing with an 11-year-old pitcher who would throw wildly, it wouldn't always go so well. I ended up getting stuck as a catcher for the rest of the season, but I still enjoyed being near the action.
When I came to the school, I stopped playing so that I could adjust to my new schedule and responsibilities. I was in eighth grade when I joined the school ’s team. I remember thinking “Why not?” because I missed playing the game and my Little League days.
I recall our first practice at the Middle School. It felt so great to get back out there, and I was having a lot of fun teaching newer players who didn’t know a lot about the game.
When COVID-19 hit we had to quarantine, and I couldn't practice with the team. I came back as a freshman on the softball team, and it was something I really enjoyed. Of course, I was quite good compared to other kids my age, but I was on a team with a bunch of older kids who played club and had devoted years to the sport. I liked putting my time into something I enjoyed and I fell in love with the team, but I didn’t play a lot that year. We had two seniors on the team, who were very welcoming, and we all became very close. However, we were very unorganized and lost pretty much all of our games. We didn’t have the best discipline, the practices weren’t organized very well and our coaching was understaffed.
The next season, we fixed up our coaching and put ourselves into a different league. I think the school started to recognize our work and started to put more into the program. We started to reach out to kids to come to the school to play softball, coaches started bringing in kids from their teams, the coaching staff itself improved and the team started to improve. During those first few years, I would play outfield and first base. Sophomore year, I injured my shoulder, but I kept playing and pushed through the pain. Later in the year, the pain really started to get bad. I remember I had to sit out of practices and games to ice my shoulder. Junior year, I went to a bunch of doctors and they couldn’t tell what was wrong. I got X-rays and MRIs but nothing helped. Eventually, I got an ultrasound and found out I had messed up the nerves and joints in my arm, which is why my arm was hyperextending.
That year, I finally retired from
playing and was trying to figure out what my role on the team would be going forward. I loved the sport and the girls on the team so much. It had been such a huge commitment for so long that I felt like I couldn’t just leave it. I love to feel like a part of something, and I genuinely love softball. I stopped playing, but if anyone needed a base runner, I would tap in for them. I would help set up equipment and do manager duties. I still wanted to be around, so I would come to games not to play, but to support everyone.
This year, I’ve been doing consistent treatment and my arm is getting a lot better, but the injury took a massive toll on my playing abilities. However, I think it strengthened my connection to the team and my love for being there for them through everything. This year, I am the team manager, so I don’t play but I come to games, help with equipment and do the scoreboard or lights. It’s been amazing to see how the program has evolved in the past few years. During my freshman year, we could not win a game. If a team is up by 10 in the fifth inning, the game ends as an act of mercy. Back then, it was a celebration for us if we weren’t mercied and went to all seven innings. I saw how all of that changed in three years with the effort that the girls put into the team. We ended up going to a better league, and last year, we won the Mission League Championship. As of right now, we’re undefeated, and it’s been really exciting to see and to be a part of. Being a senior feels crazy, because even though I don’t play, I still feel so respected by the team. It has been amazing to be a part of this journey with the team and witness our growth.
