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Los Angeles • Volume 24 • Issue 6 • March 18, 2015 • hwchronicle.com
After Assault By Marcella Park
For months, she didn’t know anyone else who had gone through what she had. Samantha* was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance at a friend’s house after a party last April, she said. “No,” she had told her attacker during the assault. “I don’t want to, please stop, get off me.” Samantha said she thought “he kind of took it as funny that I was struggling to push him off of me.” She was only able to leave the room “when he was done, when he wanted to stop.” She then rushed to find the two others who were in the house, sleeping in a different room, and told them she wanted to stay with them but did not say why. One of the two friends didn’t find out about the assault until Samantha told her a week later, and the second didn’t know until Samantha spoke about her experience during a school assembly Dec. 3. “I was kind of playing it off because I didn’t want anyone to be worried about me,” Samantha, now 18, said. “I’d never heard of someone else [I knew] having to deal with that. I didn’t know what to do.” Colleges across the nation have come under intense scrutiny this year for their handling of sexual assault cases, but the issue isn’t limited to college campuses. In a Chronicle poll of 432 students at Harvard-Westlake, 10.9 percent said they had been sexually assaulted, 4.9 percent of the males and 17.5 percent of the females. In the past week, at least 11 students from Venice High School were arrested on allegations of sexual assault and lewd acts with minors involving a group of male students conspiring to pressure female victims. The victims and those arrested were all 14 to 17 years old. Most cases of sexual assault never make it to law enforcement. Only one out of about 20 student victims will ever tell an adult, school psychologist Luba Bek said. The day after her assault, Samantha didn’t get out of bed. Her parents sensed something was wrong, but they couldn’t have guessed what had happened, especially because she tried to pretend things were normal. The only person she talked to was a boy she had been dating on-and-off for five years who was not involved in the assault. Otherwise, she isolated herself completely. Two days after the incident, Samantha ran into her attacker again. She made an effort to avoid him after that, but it didn’t help. “It got worse,” Samantha said. “I got more and more upset, and I blamed myself more and couldn’t pay attention at school. If I wasn’t at school, I was in my bed and not speaking to anyone.” She didn’t tell her therapist what had happened until months later. Instead, Samantha went to school every day and “concealed,” she • Continued on page A3
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JACOB GOODMAN
School mandates daily lunch periods in schedules By Scott Nussbaum
Students will be required to completely block periods four, five, six or seven starting next year in an effort by the school to make sure students will be able to eat lunch during frees in the middle of the day. “Culturally, this signals a shift toward trying to find a new center of balance for students,” Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts said. The change in the scheduling process was discussed within the Faculty Advisory Council, and although it was
not approved by FAC, a majority of faculty and administrators decided to implement the change due to its benefits, Huybrechts said. “There was no approval process per se. The school has decided to attempt to give every student at the school a dedicated midday block of time in order to have lunch and to socialize,” Huybrechts said. With the new online scheduling system, students are allowed to sign up for only seven full classes. Because each student is required to
take five academic classes that meet four times per cycle, students will only be permitted to take elective classes during two periods of the day. The only exceptions to this rule are classes that meet two periods a cycle, Dean Beth Slattery said. Students who have signed up for more than seven classes will have to drop extra classes. Slattery said this only applies to approximately 10 to 15 students so far. “We don’t know how challenging things are going to be,” Slattery said. “We are hopeful because when we did the
simulation of how everything would work if this year the upper school students would have all had to have a lunch period, it actually didn’t negatively impact very many people in terms of having people either drop something or move something around.” Classes that students might have to drop in order to fulfill the midday block requirement include Directed Studies in Italian, German, Greek, Technical Theatre and other classes that do not meet • Continued on page A3
INSIDE C1 HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE
BREAK AWAY: The girls’ basketball team advanced to CIF state semifinals to face off against Oaks Christian.
A2 News
President’s Spotlight honors aid recipients By Eugenia Ko
Nearly 300 alumni and parents and 10 students on financial aid attended the annual President’s Spotlight Dinner March 9. “It is a wonderful way to honor [the students on financial aid] and impart the message that financial aid is a big part of our excellence and community,” President Rick Commons said. Oscar Cancio ’04 and Ellie Wen ’05 spoke about their experience receiving financial aid and its impact on their careers. Cancio, one of the senior assistant admission directors at the University of Southern California, said he didn’t realize the impact Harvard-Westlake had on his life until his
freshman year of college. He began by describing the transition from his public school to freshman year. Although he was a star athlete and “teacher’s pet” in middle school, Cancio recalls crying himself to sleep because of how much homework he had. “I wasn’t the smartest kid in the class anymore,” he said. “I wasn’t the best athlete on the field. This place was a place where you actually had to study and go to practice to do well. What a concept, right?” Cancio remembers his surprise when he was admitted to 25 out of 26 colleges, including Bates College, where he succeeded when students from other high schools struggled. “All those nights crying, all that reading, all those chal-
The Chronicle
PHOTOS PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF HW.COM
IN THE LIMELIGHT: Ellie Wen ’05, left, and Oscar Cancio ’04 speak at the annual President’s Spotlight Dinner about how their Harvard-Westlake education has had an effect on their careers. lenges, it was for this,” Cancio said. “Harvard-Westlake broke me down, but it knew that it was only to make me a better student and a better person. In college, I got that healthy confidence back.” Wen also spoke about what a Harvard-Westlake education meant to her. During high
School starts using breathalyzers By Henry Vogel
The school has purchased breathalyzers for the security department to keep students safe when it suspects they are intoxicated, Head of Upper School Audrius Barzdukas said. “[The breathalyzers] are there as a tool that’s nice to have if you need them,” Barzdukas said. The school security guards, who work for a third party company hired by the school, are not randomly screening students on campus and at school events, Head of Security Jim Crawford said. The security guards only use the breathalyzers if there is a need for them or if one of the administrators tells them there is reason to believe that a student has been drinking. Since they were purchased at the start of the school year, the breathalyzers have been used during a school dance and at a boys’ basketball game. At the dance, one or more faculty members saw a student who had objective symptoms of being inebriated, Crawford said. At the basketball game, parents asked the school to
use a breathalyzer on their own child, Barzdukas said. “[The school is] always trying to figure out what is the right thing to do to help kids be safe and have a great experience without creating a culture or environment that feels oppressive,” Barzdukas said. “We’re worried about someone getting behind the wheel of a car or leaving an event in a certain condition.” Some students have a problem with the breathalyzers because they were not aware of their presence on campus. “Unrelated to whether or not the school should have them, if they do and they have been used, it is essential for the students to be aware,” Javi Arango ’16 said. “As long as the students are told that there are going to be breathalyzers on campus and know that they are eligible to be tested, then it is a fair policy.” The American Civil Liberties Union has supported public school students around the country in complaints and lawsuits claiming that the use of breathalyzers is an invasion of privacy. In Rhode Island, for example, the ACLU criticized a school proposal to use a
Previews ON THE RIGHT TRACK: Lochryn Howe ’17 and Nicole Araya ’16 pass a runner from Louisville High School in a meet March 5. Girls track shut out Chaminade High School March 12, their first shutout in more than 30 years.
March 18, 2015
breathalyzer on every student attending a dance. However, the ACLU does not oppose policies that call for testing upon reasonable suspicion that a student was impaired, which is what Harvard-Westlake does. Because Harvard-Westlake is a private school, laws and regulations on breathalyzer policies at public schools do not apply. Private school administrators have the authority to set policies that students agree to when they enroll. “I see how on the one hand it is an invasion of privacy, but on the other hand, by following the rules of the school and signing the honor code, we are consenting to follow their behavioral guidelines,” Cameron Cohen ’16 said. The student handbook forbids anyone from using, selling or possessing drugs or alcohol on campus, or while traveling to or from campus or at any school function, including school-sponsored trips and occasions when one is representing the school. The handbook also reserves the right for the school to impose discipline and pen-
school, she was able to combine her love of literature, performing arts and community service by creating Repeat After Us, a website that features text and literature with audio clips to help people speak English. She is now an independent filmmaker working on a docu-
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mentary about the positive effect of social enterprise from around the world. “Looking back today, I can trace my roots to my days here,” Wen said. “But above all, going to Harvard-Westlake means being part of a family — a family that lasts even after you’ve graduated.”
[The school is] always trying to figure out what is the right thing to do to help kids be safe and have a great experience without creating a culture or environment that feels oppressive.” —Audrius Barzdukas Head of Upper School
alties at its discretion. As a private school, Harvard-Westlake maintains the right to establish and enforce policies as well as the right to ask students to leave, Chief Financial Officer Rob Levin said. The difference between someone coming into your house and searching you and at school is that at a private school, people voluntarily entered a community and agreed to abide by the rules, he said. “The school has defensible interest in protecting the wellbeing of the entire student body, and it can say that having somebody who is intoxicated is disruptive to the wellbeing of other students,” Levin said. “That being the case, we want to provide insurance that that doesn’t happen. Therefore, if we have reasonable concern, we can ask somebody to submit a breath sample.” If there is reason to believe that there is a situation where
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someone might get hurt or do something potentially dangerous or harmful, the school has an obligation to do something about it, Barzdukas said. Upon confirming that the rules have been violated, and that a student has been drinking at school or at a school event, the disciplinary process is conducted using principles rather than strict guidelines. Each case is looked at individually. The school is trying to balance the rights of the individual with its responsibility to create a safe community, Levin said. “You have to deal with these things in your life,” Levin said. “Everybody has to make their own decisions. Alcohol, pot, anything else in their life. We are trying to say that you don’t have to make that decision here. [Those things] are not going to be in your face here.”
C1 ZAC HARLESTON/CHRONICLE
A5
WHALE OF A TIME: Nathan Lee ’16, left, Jaebok Lee ’16, David Ozen ’16, Cam Cabo ’16 and Brandon Bergsneider ’16 talk to the captain of the America on a whale watching trip during the Moby Dick unit.
EUGENIA KO/CHRONICLE
The Chronicle, the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School, is published eight times per year and distributed free on both the upper and middle school campuses. There are 727 students at the Middle School and 866 students at the Upper School. Subscriptions may be purchased for $20 a year for delivery by mail. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial
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LIZ YOUNT/CHRONICLE
PLAYING AROUND: (From left) Covi Brannan ’15, Sydney Concoff ’15, Jared Gentile ’16, Marianne Verrone ’15, Dylan Schifrin ’16, Sabrina Batchler ’15, Jacob Goodman ’15, Laurel Rand-Lewis ’16, Kenneth Noble ’16, Chloe Shi ’16, Sammi Handler ’17, Jessica Dickman ’17 and Hannah Dains ’16 talk about their one-act plays that will be performed in this year’s Playwrights’ Festival April 24-26. Board. Letters to the editor may be submitted to chronicle@hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format. Advertising questions may be directed to Kelly Loeb at 818-487-6511. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.
March 18, 2015
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News A3
Thefts on campus increase by 8 percent By Angela Chon
JESSE NADEL/CHRONICLE
CLUBS FOR A CAUSE: Declan Sofen ’15 learns about The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation at the Community Service Fair. In-school and outside organizations were represented at the event.
Community Council holds service week, fair, book drive By Jesse Nadel
Community Council put on a community service fair, book drive and other activities this week to make community service activities more accessible to students. “We feel like a lot of kids just want to get their hours over with, so by doing the fair we are hoping to shed a different light on what community service is and show that it can actually be fun,” Community Council member Cosima Elwes ’15 said. Students began Community Service week by learning about student-run clubs and outside-of-school nonprofits at a fair on the quad. These organizations included Shane’s Inspiration, the Book Truck and Camp Harmony. Each gave students in-
formation on getting involved. Following the fair, representatives from the Special Olympics spoke to a sophomore class meeting about the organization and ways to get involved. On Tuesday, students helped assemble hygiene care packages to be donated to homeless shelters. This preceded a service-themed First and Third Wednesday. The Community Council will provide Dippin Dots Thursday for students who have already fulfilled their service hours. Students will also be able to make sandwiches to feed the homeless on Friday, Elwes said. Throughout the week, students were asked to donate new or gently used young adult novels as part of the book drive to support the Book Truck.
Additionally, students will be able to purchase specially marked water bottles in the cafeteria to support the Clean Water Ambassadors. For each water bottle sold, the organization will provide clean water to one person for five years, Clean Water Ambassadors Founder Cole Kawana ’16 said. A contest began Monday in which, by recycling the water bottles in special bins, students have the opportunity to sign a water filter to be donated. The week will culminate on Saturday, when members of the school community will sort and pack boxes of donations. These boxes will be delivered to children in low-income households at the HarvardWestlake Parents’ Association spring community service event at Baby2Baby.
monitoring the campus. “The biggest thing we are Students have done a better doing is spreading the word for job of locking up their personal people to lock their stuff up,” items after deans warned stu- Crawford said. “Are students dents about an increase in on- being careless by leaving very campus thefts, head of security expensive items in their backJim Crawford said. packs and just dropping it on This year, campus thefts the ground? We’re trying to have increased eight percent. tell everybody that’s not the Although a visiting sports way to do it anymore. We just team was implicated in major can’t in this environment [betheft earlier in the year, the cause] we have some thieves.” more recent incidents have Furthermore, the problem happened during the day. with cameras is that when stuCrawford has not identi- dents all leave their backpacks fied any susin the same pects, but says area, it’s difit is “more than ficult to pinlikely somebody point who’s Are students among us that going into being careless by we know.” each backStolen items pack, Crawleaving very expensive include phones, ford said. items in their backpacks headphones, The school computers, and just dropping them is also not rewallets, cash, placing these on the ground? We’re catches, sun“high dollar trying to tell everybody glasses, cameras items,” Crawand diamond that’s not the way to do ford said beearrings. The cause they it anymore.” most typical is were not stoa stolen iPhone from lock—Jim Crawford len and money, and ers. Head of Security the most recent “If your theft, Feb. 18, locker gets involved money stolen from a broken into, in the evening, wallet, Crawford said. somebody breaks your lock off “They’re taking money and takes your stuff, the school right out of the wallet and is going to cover that,” Crawjust leaving the wallet on the ford said. “The school supplies ground,” Crawford said. everybody with lockers, so lock The school has added more your stuff — at least your valucameras around campus and is ables.”
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School mandates lunch period, to hold P.E. before, after school • Continued from page A1
more than once during the five day cycle. Ava Gordon ’16 is currently enrolled in Directed Study: Beginning Italian Language and Culture, which meets two periods every cycle, and although she plans to take the next level of Italian offered next year, she takes issue with the new schedule change. “It just sucks that we have to cut down classes we want to take in favor of a midday lunch period,” Gordon said. “I would much rather just have a later day free so I could leave campus. Also, I couldn’t take all the classes I wanted this year, and that’s very annoying. They weren’t offered sophomore year, I was too busy junior year, and when I finally have the opportunity to take classes I want as a senior, I’m not allowed to.” Although the change in the scheduling procedure will require that some students take fewer classes, Slattery believes that the change is necessary to relieve stress and help students have more manageable schedules. “I understand that for a small number of people this will impact them, but the truth of the matter is that if we are talking about the new mission statement and joyful learning and reducing stress, which everyone constantly talks to us
about, and the workload study talked about, you can’t have it both ways and say, ‘We want you to make it less stressful,’ and when the school tries to force everyone to take a break say, ‘You can’t make us take a break,’” Slattery said. While the addition of a lunch period was being proposed, deans and schedulers looked at each student’s schedule during the last year to determine how many students would be forced to drop a class due to this rule, Slattery said. Their finding was that only two students would be forced to drop a class because they had classes that did not have any other sections during the day. “I would rather be helpful to the larger group of people, and maybe have a small number of people feel that they didn’t get to take every class they wanted,” Slattery said. “But as it is, there are plenty of kids that feel like the sevenclass limit limits them.” In order to allow students to fulfill their Physical Education requirement and continue to take seven academic classes, the Athletic Department is planning to offer P.E. courses before and after school. After the schedules of the students have been confirmed, the administration will determine whether these classes will be offered based on how many students will need to
take them due to changes in their schedule, Huybrechts said. Athletes who play sports that require them to leave campus for practice, such as tennis and baseball, may be allowed to have their only block period later in the day to allow them to take seven classes as well. To provide transportation for students who may take P.E. courses before or after school, busses may run at earlier and later times depending on the number of students who would need to arrive on campus earlier or leave later. It is also likely that students who take a physical education class after school can take later busses which are already offered, Slattery said. Additionally, the administration will determine whether more food will need to be offered each period in order to accommodate a greater number of students after they have determined how many students will be free each period. “Once we know how many students will have a free period during each of those four blocks, we will make some decision about additional food service because we will want to make it possible for students to be able to eat during their lunch period,” Huybrechts said. Students’ schedules will not be finalized until the end of April.
JAKE SAFERSTEIN/CHRONICLE
CHECK IT OUT: Dominique Gordon ’15 scans her phone on the new sign-out system, which is currently being beta tested.
Students create electronic sign-out system for iPad By Jake Saferstein
Seniors in a beta test group can now check out to leave campus during frees by scanning their IDs on an iPad instead of signing out on paper. Branden Kim ’15 developed the iPad app, which sits on the security kiosk by the current sign-out sheets, and James Lennon ’15 developed the website that Head of Attendance Gabriel Preciado uses to view sign-outs. “I was annoyed by having to write my name and waiting in line just go off campus,” Kim said. “I thought that there was a better way to do this all electronically, so I started working on the system.” Preciado also appreciates the system. Instead of having to sort through messy sign-out sheets, he gets an email and can check a website that holds all the information sorted into neat charts and tables, he said.
“It’s more hip,” Preciado said. “Students get to take a picture of their ID to sign out, and I get to use the website with fancy charts.” The system also removes the issue of having to trust students to check out properly. Instead, the system automatically records the time a student checks out using the ID. Kim and Lennon are currently adding select seniors into the beta group, and hope to move out of beta soon. However, they are having trouble finding a way to get everyone’s ID numbers into the system. In the future, Preciado plans to use this system for more than just seniors signing out for free periods. “At Harvard-Westlake, the attendance office is uphill, and the gate is downhill,” Preciado said. “Using this system for all forms of checkout would be one less step for [students checking out].”
A4 News
The Chronicle
Grafitti sparks dialogue to empower
March 18, 2015
Garcetti to speak at Brown Assembly
By Angela Chon and Su Jin Nam
Posters of students and faculty imitating the Wonder Woman pose with an encouraging word they chose were hung on the quad and displayed on TV screens around campus in reaction to the “lipstick graffiti” found in the girl’s restroom in Seaver Academic Center. Assistant Director of Communications Shauna Altieri organized the project as a response to the closing of the girls’ restroom on the first floor of the Seaver Academic Center on Feb. 23 after it was vandalized with purple lipstick. The graffiti spread messages of female empowerment such as “Please, love your body. It has the power to create life. How amazing is that?!? You are stunning & sexy & smart. Love yourself. —M” “I felt our students needed an outlet for positive messaging to one another,” Altieri said. “The lipstick graffiti made me realize that the students were looking for an outlet for positive support of one another. It certainly got me thinking creatively. What could we do that was within the rules of the school?” Students believe that the photo shoot, which ends March 20, is a worthy cause and promotes good values. “As a community, I think we can learn to have a more optimistic attitude,” Mei Mei Tercek ’16 said. “All of the photos on display are very empowering and personal. They remind everyone of their strengths. Especially at our school, it’s easy to lose our sense of positivity and confidence, and this project does a good job of reminding us to think more optimistically.” The biggest benefits are positivity and unity which are promoted just by holding this campaign, Shelby Weiss ’16 said. “I hope that we will do more projects like this, to
By Sammi Handler
CARINA MARX/CHRONICLE
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF SHAUNA ALTIERI
ARTFUL PROTEST: Math teacher Kanwaljit Kochar and Hana Kateman ’15 pose in a photo shoot supporting equal rights. Shauna Altieri organized the shoot in reaction to bathroom graffiti. On the top is a message that was written in purple lipstick on a girls’ bathroom door of Seaver Academic Center. continue fostering such sentiments,” Weiss said. Other students have responded to the lipstick graffiti removal by putting up new posters and using social media to promote women’s empowerment around campus. “By definition, the writing on the stall was vandalism, but the point of writing that message wasn’t to vandalize the school, it was to spread appreciation and respect for ourselves, and we, as teenage girls in today’s society, need to learn that lesson,” Grace Gerber ’15 said. Gerber helped start an Instagram trend where she posted a photo of the restroom’s message. Another student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that she felt frustrated
by the school’s response to the graffiti and its choice to close the restroom. “I understand why the school and administration would feel disrespected due to the medium of the message,” she said. “But the message itself was a positive one and an important one at that.” The new posters placed in restrooms read, “This is a movement. You cannot stop the people who fight for love. And in this case, it’s self-love… Love yourself, please, because you are brilliant and funny and the world is lucky to have you.” Assistant to the Head of Upper School Michelle Bracken said that with the exception of head prefect Sarah Winshel ’15 and Chronicle reporters, there have been no students
Science teacher to depart after 5 years
By Jonah Ullendorff and Cole Feldman
AP Environmental Science teacher Florence Pi will not be teaching next year and instead will take a break to travel in Africa. Pi has been teaching for five years at Harvard-Westlake, four of which were spent teaching biology at the Middle School. Last year marked her first year teaching AP Environmental Science at the upper school. Pi had been thinking about traveling previously, but she believes next year the timing is right. “I’ve always told my kids to try different things and what they’re interested in, and follow their passions,” Pi said. “I just felt like it was time for me to be doing the same thing.” Pi wants to focus on visit-
ing African countries that are less developed and have very few tourists and commericial areas. “I want to road-trip all of Mozambique, and I want to hopefully snorkel and scuba dive with whale sharks along the coast,” Pi said. “I’m going to try to go to Madagascar as well. And just recently, I think I’m going to try to go to Angola because it is still relatively dangerous and hard to get to, so I’m trying to go in there and explore.” Pi has been to Africa before and is excited to go back and experience the countries again. Pi used to live in South Africa as a teenager. “Five years ago, right before I came to HarvardWestlake, actually, I traveled through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi,
Tanzania and Kenya on a road trip,” Pi said. “I camped and road tripped for six weeks.” Harvard-Westlake students have made a big impression on her over the past few years, she said. “They have definitely been the best part of working here,” Pi said. “I enjoy them so much. Every year I’m like, ‘I don’t know? Am going to love them as much as I did last year? Last year was pretty darn great.’ And every year, it is just a very fun time for me to work with them and get to know them well.” Gwynn Pollard ’15 had Pi as a teacher this year and believes Pi is a great teacher in the way that she is able to connect with her students like a friend. “She really inspired her students to try and make the world into something better,”
coming to talk to her about the incident. Although Bracken agreed with the idea and theme of the written message, she suggested finding an alternative method to spread the word. “I agree 100 percent with empowering women and the message,” Bracken said. “However, you can’t just go around writing things in lipstick, where other people have to clean up. That sometimes takes away from your message.” A sign has been posted inside the Seaver restroom reading, “We support your right to express yourself… There are many other ways in which to communicate your thoughts and values, and there are other, more appropriate, spaces in which to write them.”
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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti ’88 will be featured as this year’s Brown Family Speaker March 23. Garcetti graduated from Columbia University as a John Jay Scholar in 1992. He studied at London School of Economics and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He also taught international affairs at the University of Southern California and was an assistant professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs at Occidental College before he was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2001. “I’m excited for Mayor Garcetti to come,” Commons said. “I think it’s going to be neat, and he’s somebody that I spent a little time with. I got to tour him around the Middle School, which was a treat for him because he did a lot of theater at Westlake when he was a student at Harvard [to play male roles].” Garcetti was elected four times to serve as President of City Council from 2006 to 2012. He was elected mayor in 2013. According to his mayoral website, Garcetti’s “back to basics agenda is focused on job creation and solving everyday problems for L.A. residents.” “We’ve contacted a few of his pals from his days at Harvard and Westlake, and we are going to have a few of his classmates from Harvard and Westlake there in the front row to give him a recollection of the old days,” Commons said. Linda and Abbott Brown (Russell ’94 and David ’96) established the Brown Family Distinguished Speaker Fund in 2001 to bring prominent speakers to the school once a year. Previous Brown Family speakers include the conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Gustavo Dudamel and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
I want to road-trip all of Mozambique, and I want to hopefully snorkel and scuba dive with whale sharks along the coast. I’’m to try to go to Madascgar as well. And just recently, I think I’m going to try to go to Angola.” —Florence Pi science teacher
Pollard said. “She deserves all the best adventures in the world.” With her adventures in Africa, Pi hopes that she will inspire students to do something similar and take risks. “I think that the kids here have so much potential,” Pi siad. “You guys are super driven, accomplished and capable. You have your whole life ahead of you to settle down and get a good job and do whatever you think you’re supposed to be
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doing. For now, take a year, take a week, take a weekend and do something else that interests you.” One of Pi’s AP Environmental Science students Riya Garg ’15 said that she supports of her teacher’s decision. “Ms. Pi is really passionate when it comes to teaching her students so I’m really proud that she’s following her own advice and taking time off work to travel the world and do what she loves best,” Garg said.
March 18, 2015
hwchronicle.com/news
News A5
Students prepare for upcoming AP exam By Jesse Nadel
Celia Goedde, who is teaching the classes. Sophomores are attendThe course will include ing a series of 10 supplemen- a focus on the Renaissance, tal history classes that will Reformation and Cold War, in cover both additional content addition to intensive practice and test-taking skills that the centered around documentWorld and Europe based questions and II course does not essay writing, Goedde teach, to prepare the said. The 24 students students for the upenrolled in the prep coming AP European classes are assigned History exam. weekly reading in This is the first both an art histoyear that the hisry and college-level tory department has textbook. offered these afterThe broad politischool workshops to cal, social, cultural nathanson’s fully prepare sophoand economic themes Celia Goedde mores for the exam. will be discussed at Although the AP European the weekly Wednesday meetHistory course is not taught at ings. the school, the history depart“I think that reading about ment hopes that these classes each topic, discussing it and will allow students to then writing about be confident to take it solidifies the inforthe exam. The aftermation in the brain school workshops nicely,” Goedde said. provide students with In addition to a chance to take an providing an accomAP history exam durplishment for coling their sophomore lege admissions, the year, while most get classes and exams their first chance juare a way for stunathanson’s nior year. dents interested in Allison “The classes and history to further Gorchovsky ’17 test are meant to give their studies. sophomores who are “I’m really enreally strong history students joying history this year, and I an opportunity to get some ex- wanted something that would ternal validation, something allow me to challenge myself that they can show to colleges further. I thought the AP Euro that they are devoting their test would be the next step time and energy to history in doing that,” Allison Gorostudies,” said history teacher hovsky ’17 said.
EUGENIA KO/CHRONICLE
English juniors go aboard the America CASTAWAYS: Students exchange jokes and stories with a member of the ship crew during a whale-watching trip in San Diego. Twenty-five juniors attended the trip March 11 with English teachers Charles Berezin and Malina Mamigonian. It was arranged to occur during the Moby Dick unit of English III Honors: American Studies. While on the America, students saw dolphins, sea lions, gray whales and a humpback whale as they migrate to Mexico.
School offers measles vaccine
By Alyson Lo
Ten faculty members were vaccinated for measles at both the upper and middle school campuses March 11. Following the measles outbreak last December that spread throughout the country after originating in Southern California, HarvardWestlake offered a titers test for any faculty members who wanted to find out if they were immune. Out of both the upper and middle school faculty, 110 faculty members took the titers
test. Each faculty member who took the test received their test results. Between 10-15 percent of faculty members who took the titers test received a negative test result, meaning they are susceptible to contracting the measles disease. The faculty who were not immune were then given the option to receive the measles vaccination on March 11. All upper and middle school faculty members were offered the vaccine, whether they took the titers test or not.
Out of both campuses, 10 faculty members received the vaccination. However the 10 members did not necessarily take the titers test, and could have taken the vaccination as a precaution. Faculty members on both campuses thought that offering the titers test and measles vaccination was a great idea. “Everyone who got [the titers test] was very appreciative that they got it and could make an informed decision,” said Nicole Ryan, Director of Health Benefits.
Carroll to become 7th grade dean By Claudia Wong Jonathan Carroll will be stepping down from his current position as Swim Program Head to become a seventh grade dean next school year. Carroll has been Head Swimming and Diving Coach for three years. He aimed to make the team as fast as possible and worked to recruit incoming student-athletes. Although he will miss the competition and measureable progress of being a swim coach, Carroll said he is excited about becoming a dean next year. “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to take [the incoming seventh graders] and help them become a part of our culture – but at the same time help manage some of the expectations they might have,” Carroll said. Carroll will finish coach-
ing this season of high school Although next year he swimming and diving before won’t be able to follow his he becomes a dean. A search swimmers on a daily basis, for his replacement will begin Carroll will continue to track immediately. the progress of the swimmers Carroll is helping to find he coached, Carroll said. his replace“I am very ment for next proud of my time year. He is as the swim proI’m really looking for gram head, and I someone who look forward to looking forward to the will “try to staying involved opportunity to take become as inwith all things volved in the athletic at Har[the incoming seventh school as posgraders] and help them vard-Westlake,” sible. That’s Carroll said. become a part of our the way to Carroll will form as good pair with Kate culture.” relationships Benton as sevwith your grade —Jonathan Carroll enth swimmers as deans. Head Swim Coach possible,” he Benton will said. also serve as After swimming at Yale, Middle School Dean DepartCarroll earned a doctorate in ment Chair. Seventh grade education from the Univer- Dean Colby Plath will pair sity of Pennsylvania. He loves with Betsy Ilg as ninth grade working with kids, he said. deans.
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TIFFANY KIM/CHRONICLE
MODEL DELEGATION: Carolyn Hong ’17, left, and Lauren Kim ’17 collaborate on a resolution in the Model United Nations Conference at Marymount High School March 14.
6 delegates win awards at a MUN conference By Tiffany Kim
Six delegates from the Model United Nations club won awards within their committees at a conference at Marymount High School March 14. Megan Cohen ’17 won the best delegate award in the Novice Earth Summit Committee. Jaebok Lee ’16 won commendations for the Advanced Historic Specialized Committee, as Leonid Brezhnev and Neda
Mazdisnian ’16 won as Boko Haram in the Medium African Union Committee. The conference was divided by difficulty, from novice to advanced, and there were seven different committees available. These historical committees discussed issues such as post 9/11 responses and the Prague Spring. All committees except the Historic Security Council were for single delegates.
A6 News
inbrief
Seventh grade history class to visit D.C.
A group of seventh graders taking the American History and Government class will visit Washington, D.C. the first week of Spring Break. Students will tour the capitol building, the East Wing of the White House and the Supreme Court, where they hope to meet with a Supreme Court justice. Other items on the agenda include a tour of the UdvarHazy Center, which is part of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, and also the ABC News Washington bureau. They will also take an unofficial tour of Georgetown. —Joe Levin
Middle school P.E. now gender-separated Seventh and ninth grade physical education classes are now separated by gender in order “to enhance the experience of girls at Harvard-Westlake,” Kimberley Hieatt, head of the middle school physical education department, said. The eighth grade classes cannot be separated by gender due to a required weight training class that only has one teacher and one location, making it necessary for that class to be co-ed. —Sammi Handler
Two seniors attend AIPAC conference Ari Berman ’15 and Jules Gross ’15 attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference March 1 in Washington, D.C. The conference includes daily general sessions with up to 16,000 people. U.S. senators, U.N. ambassadors and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu were among the speakers. Berman and Gross also attended three breakout sessions each day with about 100 people. A panel of journalists and retired government officials discussed topics including how to deal with anti-Israel activism on college campuses. —Eugenia Ko
Students create leadership workshop
The Chronicle
By Kelly Riopelle
The Unconventional Leadership class, taught by director of student affairs Jordan Church, held its culminating event, a 68-student convention about leadership called “Unconvention,” March 7. Each student in the class invited five Harvard-Westlake students to attend, as well as students from Flintridge Prep and Providence High School. Students split into groups of 10 to 12 people for a short team-building and leadership game. The students then attended two 45-minute workshops, each led by two students in the Unconventional Leadership class. The workshops focused on various themes of leadership, including ways to start a movement, the dynamics of a
HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE
FOLLOW THE LEADER: Cam Cabo ’16 participates in a leadership game with students from Flintridge Prep and Providence High School. Sixty-eight students attended the leadership convention. flash mob, Malcolm Gladwell’s concept of “stickiness factors” and how to improve speaking skills. The students worked every day the week before to create the activities and then presented and revised their ideas in anticipation of the event.
After the workshops, the attendees listened to Stacey Snider (Natalie Jones ’17, Katie Jones ’15) co-chair of Twentieth Century Fox film studio, speak about her rise from a mailroom intern to an executive position in the entertainment industry.
Dani Brody ’15 considered the event a success. “The man hours we put in were pretty surprising, and we cancelled our x period the week before,” Brody said. “The event took a lot of prep work, but Mr. Church was super supportive.”
22 seniors to participate in March of the Living By Jonathan Seymour
Twenty-two Jewish students will visit death camps and participate in the 28th annual international March of the Living in Poland and travel to Israel at the end of Spring Break. They will also visit cities and landmarks of religious and historical significance in both countries. The students will join thousands of Jewish students from all over the world in a
silent march April 16, which is Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, from the concentration camp at Auschwitz to the one at Birkenau to commemorate all of the victims of the Holocaust. The March of the Living was first held in 1988, and more than 200,000 Jewish youth have participated since. “I think it’s a once-in-alifetime experience,” said Alan Yousefzadeh ’15, who plans to take part in this year’s march.
“For me, it’s more than just a trip, it’s an experience to learn more about my heritage and about the Holocaust as an event. It’s really something else to go and see landmarks and evidence of it firsthand.” The participants from Los Angeles are organized by Builders of Jewish Education Center for Teen Experiential Education Director Monise Neumann. In the past, groups of two or three Harvard-Westlake students have taken part
in the March each year, but this year, for the first time, Neumann brought a Holocaust survivor to class meetings in February to talk about the trip and her experiences in the March of the Living. Students will depart for Poland April 13, the day that Spring Break ends, and miss two weeks of school sightseeing in various cities in Poland and visiting other death camps, before taking part in the march three days later.
School reports increase in middle-lane driving By Benjamin Most
Human Rights expert to speak to classes Human Rights Watch Emergencies Director Peter Bouckaert will be a scholar in residence sponsored by the Kutler Center April 14, 15 and 16. He will discuss his job with journalism, AP Human Geography, French V and philosophy classes. “E-Team,” a documentary about Bouckaert and his team, will be screened on campus April 15 at 7 p.m., followed by a question and answer session. The film recounts his experiences working for Human Rights Watch in Syria and Libya. Performing arts teacher Ted Walch, who taught Bouckaert, is also organizing the event. “It would be my hope that students really gain appreciation for the types of horrific events, and be aware of what’s going on,” Director of Kutler Center Jim Patterson said. —Danielle Kaye
March 18, 2015
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF PAULA LAHERA ’15
NUTS AND BOLTS: Robotics Club members work on their robot at the Los Angeles Regional Competition in Long Beach March 14.
Robotics takes 48th place By Angela Chon
Robotics Club finished in 48th place at the FIRST Robotics Competition Los Angeles Regional March 12-14 in Long Beach. The competition was sponsored by the Roddenberry Foundation, which supports innovative solutions to global issues in science, technology, education and humanitarian advances. A total of 68 teams competed. The team created a robot that stacked plastic recycling bins and scored points during the competition. Teams were ranked based
on how many points their robot scored. The team competed in one other competition, the Inland Empire FIRST Robotics Competition Feb. 27 to March 1, where it ranked 28th out of 38 teams in Recycle Rush, a recycling-themed game in which two teams of three robots each scored points by properly disposing of game pieces. “Our team made some really good modifications to the robot over the course of the competition, which helped improve our ability to score points,” club adviser Karen Hutchison said.
In the past few months, increasing numbers of students have been caught by the school driving in the center left turn lane of Coldwater Canyon on their way to school, with more than five students reported some weeks, Assistant to the Head of Upper School Michelle Bracken said. When students caught driving in the middle lane are first reported to the school, they receive a warning, and if they are caught a second time, their parking space and off-campus privileges will be revoked for two weeks. If they are caught a third time, they
may lose their parking spot for the rest of the year, although this punishment has never been given to a student yet. Bracken, who deals with students caught driving in the middle lane, said that security guards and teachers who see students doing so should report them to her. LAPD traffic officers are often stationed on Coldwater Canyon as well, Bracken said. The California DMV Handbook states that drivers can legally drive in the center lane for only 200 feet. If drivers surpass this limit then they are at risk of receiving a driving ticket costing up to $234.
March 18, 2015
The Chronicle
News A7
inbrief
MathCounts is 15th in state math contest
The Harvard-Westlake Middle School MathCounts team earned 15th place in the March 14 state MathCounts math competition at University of California, Irvine after earning third place in the chapter division competition in Torrance on Feb. 28. The competition allows middle school students to compete against students from other schools on a local, state and national level. Students can qualify either individually or as a team to participate in the state competition, and only the top three schools from each chapter are invited to participate. —Benjamin Most PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MILAN SEVERINO
Students participate in Habitat for Humanity construction project
BUILD IT UP: Landon Fadel ’15 (right), Michael Swerdlow ’16 and Casey Crosson ’17 help construct a playground at this year’s first Habitat for Humanity building day in Santa Clarita to construct a playground for children of U.S. veterans. Twenty students helped move fences, break concrete and install playground equipment. Students volunteered for eight hours March 14.
School to host booth at CicLAvia event By Oliver Richards
Harvard-Westlake will host a booth at the San Fernando valley’s first ever CicLAvia event Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The booth will be manned by President Rick Commons, Upper School Dean Vanna Cairns, math teacher Bob Pavich, Debate Coach Mike Bietz and other alumni, teacher and student volunteers. CicLAvia is an event where certain streets in Los Angeles are shut down to cars, allowing bikers and pedestrians to rule the road. “[CicLAvia] is an oppor-
tunity to show the people of and along Ventura Boulevard Los Angeles that it is a bike- between Campo de Cahuenga friendly city and also and Coldwater Canto encourage people yon Avenue. to visit neighborhoods The Harvardthat maybe they have Westlake booth, never visited before,” where riders can rest said Director of Comand get food, will be munications Jill Shaw, located at the Coldwho is coordinating water Canyon hub the booth volunteers. at Coldwater Canyon CicLAvia is held Avenue and Ventura four times a year. Boulevard. nathanson’s This year’s first “We are just realJill Shaw course runs along ly excited to be havLankershim Boulevard be- ing CicLAvia in our neighbortween the North Hollywood hood,” Shaw said. Metro Red Line stop at ChanSeveral faculty, includdeler Boulevard and the Uni- ing science teacher Dietrich versal Studio Red Line stop Schuhl and librarian Edith
Darling will be riding in the event. “It seemed like a cool thing that at one of the ends [of CicLAvia] we could hang out with other Harvard-Westlake people and hang out with people in Studio City,” Shaw said. The booth will be handing out ribbons for the bikers to decorate their bikes. “We are trying to get some students and faculty volunteers, [and] we are going to be handing out goodies to decorate your bikes with like those little beads you can put on your spokes and ribbons and streamers, really for kids,” Shaw said.
GSA to pay for all-gender bathroom signs By Liz Yount
The Gender-Sexuality Awareness Club will use money received from a club grant to change the existing signs on the doors of two single-stalled restrooms on the first floor of Mudd Library and the third floor of Chalmers Hall. The new all-gender signs will depict a toilet without male and female gender-binary images. “We want people who are not comfortable going into a multi-stall restroom because
of their gender identity to feel safe no matter how they express their gender, or if they don’t feel safe going into a multi-stall restroom in a public setting,” GSA president Perren Carrillo ’15 said. The club presidents, along with faculty adviser and Director of Studies Liz Resnick, met with Head of Upper School Audrius Barzdukas to discuss the logistics of changing the signs. “I’m not comfortable using restrooms in public for my personal reasons,” Carrillo said.
“In the library, there’s already a guys’ restroom upstairs, so there isn’t really a need for a [male] single-stall restroom in the same building.” The GSA hopes to build more restrooms around campus so that students who want to use the all-gender restrooms do not have to go out of their way, Carrillo said. “I didn’t really think that the school would respond, but I think that it’s incredible that they’re taking action,” Sarah McAllister ’15 said. “I hope that these restrooms help peo-
ple who don’t feel comfortable to feel safe and accepted in our community.” In addition, the GSA wants to plan a LGBT Awareness Week in the future. “I think that these restrooms will bring important issues to the forefront about how we feel about them and how we can initiate change,” Assistant to the Head of Upper School Michelle Bracken said. “Being able to have conversation is key, so I look at these restrooms as a positive thing for our community.
Debate team continues streak of success
By Katie Perrin
The debate team received an invitation to participate in the Old Parkland Debates, an invitational World Schools event, in Dallas March 28-29. In the high school division, five debaters will compete against some of the top debaters in the world. At the David Damus USC Tournament March 6-8, Nick Steele ’16 placed second and Cameron Cohen ’16 was a semifinalist in the varsity division. In the novice division, Aidan Lusinski ’17 won first and Liz Yount ’17 won second place;
Elly Choi ’18 and Kevin Wesel ’17 were named semifinalists, and Allison Gorokhovsky ’17 was named quarterfinalist. Sixteen students were asked to participate in the invitation-only Harvard Round Robin. The Cal Invitational Tournament and corresponding Round Robin also took place on Presidents’ Day Weekend. The Cal Invitational Tournament had more than 300 entrants. Steele was named double octafinalist, and Connor Engel and Evan Engel were named triple octafinalists, ranking in the top 64.
“It is worth noting that at [The Cal Invitational] tournament our eighth and ninth graders went varsity for the first time at a national circuit tournament,” head coach Mike Bietz said. The team also had success at a tournament at Stanford University the weekend of February 10. Steele ’16 was named semifinalist and earned a seventh speaker award, and Connor Engel ’17 was named double-octafinalist. The weekend of March 1415, the Wolverines competed in The Third Annual Western Championship for Novice and
Second Year Debaters at San Francisco State University. Chasia Jeffries ’17 and Rachel Madhogarhia ’17 advanced to the octafinals in junior varsity Lincoln-Douglas, and competed against each other. Jeffries advanced to the quarterfinals, and Berlin advanced to the finals in his division. In the junior varsity division, Jeffries earned eighth speaker award and Madhogarhia earned ninth speaker award. In the novice division, Choi was awarded seventh speaker.
Chronicle named Pacemaker finalist
Chronicle online was one of 30 finalists selected Thursday for the 2014-2015 National Scholastic Press Association Online Pacemaker competition. The finalists were selected by three anonymous judges from 172 entries, and the winners will be announced at the NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Denver April 18. The competition recognizes online news publications that excel in their writing coverage, photography, multimedia and graphics, the NSPA website said. —Angela Chon
Chinese Culture Club holds annual luncheon
Harvard-Westlake’s Chinese Culture Club members and Chinese language class sang and gave speeches during the 24th annual Chinese New Year Luncheon. The event was held at the Skirball Cultural Center March 8 and was organized by a Chinese New Year Planning Committee. More than 300 students, faculty and parents come together annually to celebrate this Chinese tradition. The luncheon opened with a traditional Chinese dragon dance. President Rick Commons and Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts were honored at the ceremony. —Carmen Levine
CNPA announces Chronicle finalists The 2014-2015 Chronicle is a finalist for best high school newspaper in California in the Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the California Newspaper Publishers Association the CNPA announced Friday. Five staff members are finalists in individual contests. Both the Chronicle and the website will receive either the first or second place award at a luncheon at the Hotel Del Coronado on Saturday, May 9. In addition, Bennett Gross ’16, Tyler Graham ’15, Sacha Lin ’16. Zoe Dutton ’15 and Jessica Spitz ’15 will win either first or second place for their stories. The Chronicle won first place in 2002 and has won first or second place every year since then. —Scott Nussbaum
The Chronicle
A8 News
Science grant to replace old probes
March 18, 2015
By Sacha Lin
The science department will use a $11,219 grant to replace the calculator-based laboratory units and probes used in Chemistry Honors classes for collecting temperature and pH values. The grant is from a capital fund that helps meet departmental needs. “The CBL units are about 15 years old,” Upper School Science Department Head Larry Axelrod said. “They are beginning to wear out and fall apart. They also are not capable of holding the kind of data we want to collect now.” The money will go to the purchase of more modern LabQuest units. “Some of the labs might be modified because there is now more flexibility,” Axelrod said.
JSA to hold conference
By William Park
The Junior State of America club’s Spring State conference will take place at the LAX Hilton April 10-12. Students will debate topics ranging from the death penalty to education reform to normalizing relations with Cuba. “The conference is going to be terrific, and I’m looking forward to debating about drone strikes,” chapter co-president Zoe Dutton ’15 said. “It’s bittersweet though, since this will be the final JSA event of my Harvard-Westlake career.” Conventions are organized by students from all over Southern California. Leaders plan conferences, conventions and discussions, while other students participate as audience members that vote for awards in the debate.
CLAUDIA WONG/CHRONICLE
RUN TO THE FINISH LINE: Daphna Fischel ’15 (second from right), runs in the Los Angeles Marathon. The Stadium to the Sea course started at the Dodger Stadium and finished at the Santa Monica Pier. The marathon started at 6:55 a.m. March 15.
Students run marathon in extreme heat By Aleksei Aguero and Lexi Bowers
Students ran through extreme heat conditions in the 26.2-mile Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 15. To avoid high temperatures, the marathon’s start time was pushed back 30 minutes, beginning at 6:55 a.m. “Extreme heat poses a serious threat to runners” marathon trainer James Van said. “Participants need to run at a
slower pace and drink a ton of water.” Temperatures reached 75 degrees at the start of the race at Dodger Stadium and 87 degrees at the finish line in Santa Monica. Students participated in the marathon despite the harsh conditions. “Running the marathon is exhausting physically, and it is definitely hard to walk for several days afterwards,” Daphna Fischel ’15 said. “Mentally it is
Talia Wazana ’15 and Danielle Stolz ’15 participated in the marathon for the first time this year but did not prepare as much. “We just went out to have the experience, and it was a cool way to see the city,” Wazana said. “The heat was difficult to contend with, but we just tried to take it easy and keep our bodies going.” Wazana and Stolz finished the race in five hours and 19 minutes.
School announces filmmaking trip to Cambodia By Sammi Handler
Students can sign-up for the HW! Go’s Digital Storytelling Adventure trip to Cambodia. Though registration through the school portal was not available as of press time, students can still sign-up on the Friendship Tours World Travel website. Ninth to 12th grade students who want to go on the trip July 17-28 must fill out an application explaining why they want to go on the trip and provide a note from their dean. Cheri Gaulke, Head of
Visual Arts Department and lead chaperone, will make the final decision about the 20 students that go on the trip. “Basically we want to be sure that we have students who are really going for the right reasons,” Gaulke said. “I think when you see a trip to a place as exciting as Cambodia or Cuba or those kinds of destinations it just looks intriguing, and we just always want to communicate that it’s not a vacation. It is a cultural trip, and you learn about culture, but there’s also this whole other aspect that we’re learning
Students named Spotlight semifinalists By Connor Reese
rewarding because it is incredible to know that you can truly push yourself to your limits.” Fischel finished with a time of six hours and eight minutes. David Woldenberg ’15 also ran in the marathon and finished the race in five hours and 18 minutes. “The experience was very rewarding afterward, but while I was running, I just wanted to get to the finish line,” Woldenberg said. “I definitely plan on running again.”
select semifinalist spots for the Jazz Instrumental category. Two upper school students “It is hard to say how much were named semifinalists for I practiced for this competithe Los Angeles County Spot- tion, because I have really been light Awards, both in the Jazz preparing for college auditions Instrumental category. all year, as well as simply pracRoughly 1,500 ticing for the sake of high school students improving,” Oberman auditioned for the said. “I try to practice awards this year in a at least two hours a broad range of cateday, c and some of the gories including Jazz. material I played I Of these students, also played in my col108 entrants were selege auditions, so I did lected as semifinalspend a good amount ists this year, with 15 of time preparing the nathanson’s semifinalists in the tunes I played.” Jazz Instrumental The competition Nick Steele ’16 category. for musical categoSemifinalists win a cash ries, such as Jazz, is not secprize of $300 each. tioned off by instrument or Despite preparing for col- skill. lege auditions, Jason Oberman “All instruments compete ’15, a guitarist in Jazz band, against each other, it is not was able to achieve one of the broken down into trumpet,
piano, etcetera,” Oberman said. “I play jazz guitar, but the competition is simply the Jazz Instrumental competition rather than just jazz guitar.” For the Jazz category, students auditioned with accompaniment from both students and professionals. “I had a choice of any two songs,” Oberman said. “I played ‘Donna Lee’ by Charlie Parker and ‘Next Time,’ which is a tune I wrote earlier on in the year.” With out-of-school and inschool teaching, Oberman was able to become an improved player and was able to successfully audition for the award. “I did not really prepare specifically for this audition,” Oberman said. “I was practicing more for colleges and just to become a better player, and Andrew Synoweic, my cur-
about, which makes it much deeper and richer.” Gaulke, cinematographer Jeff MacIntyre and the director of Friendship Tours World Travel Alethea Tyner Paradis will lead the trip. Following the Digital Storytelling Adventure trip to Cuba, school policies were changed so that students from other schools can no longer participate in school trips during the school year, outside vendors cannot serve as chaperones and two HarvardWestlake teachers must be on all trips. The trip’s second
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chaperone has not yet been announced. Students will be required to create a digital storytelling project after they return. They will interview Killing Fields survivor Arn Chorn Pond on campus April 13 and travel to Phnom Penh, Battambang and Siem Reap in Cambodia. They will visit museums and important historical sites, including the Killing Fields and the Tuoi Sieng Prison. There is an information meeting for students interesting in attending the trip on March 23 in Feldman-Horn 107.
I was practicing more for colleges and just to become a better player, and...my current private teacher, along with performing arts teacher Shawn Costantino, have helped me greatly.” —Jason Oberman ’15
rent private teacher, along with performing arts teacher Shawn Costantino, have helped me greatly in those regards.” Vincent Le ’17, a jazz saxophonist, also auditioned for the Spotlight Awards but was not named semifinalist. “From my experience, Jason is a very accomplished soloist and he has nice and fluent ideas which are very harmonically pleasing,” Le said. Nick Steele ’16 also achieved semi-finalist in the Jazz instrumental category on
nathanson’s
piano. “I practiced each of [the songs] individually for 45 minutes to an hour a day,” Steele said. “I also had a couple rehearsals with the other musicians I was playing with.” Steele’s bandmates say that he deserved to be named semifinalist. “I have played with Nick many times in the past and he still is an amazingly creative pianist with very thoughtful ideas,” Le said. “I was not surprised at all to hear that they both won spotlight.”
Opinion
C HRONICLE the harvard-westlake
The Chronicle • March 18, 2015
Los Angeles • Volume XXIIII • Issue 6 • March 18, 2014 • hwchronicle.com
Editors in Chief: Zoe Dutton, Scott Nussbaum Managing Editors: Elijah Akhtarzad, Jessica Spitz Executive Editors: Marcella Park Presentations Editors: Leily Arzy, Jacob Goodman
editorial
News Managing Editors: Enya Huang, Jake Saferstein News Section Heads: Angela Chon, Cole Feldman, Eugenia Ko News Assistants: Sammi Handler, Alyson Lo, Layla Moghavem, Jackson Novick, Jesse Nadel, Oliver Richards, Teresa Suh, Izzy Wiesenthal, Claudia Wong Opinion Managing Editors: Haley Finkelstein, Sophie Kupiec-Weglinski Opinion Section Heads: Kelly Riopelle, Jonah Ullendorff Opinion Assistants: Asya Alekhina, Carmen Levine, Mady Madison, Katie Perrin Features Managing Editors: Carly Berger, Aimee Misaki Features Section Heads: Sacha Lin, Benjamin Most, Su Jin Nam Features Assistants: Eshanika Chaudery, Lola Clark, Kami Duraijaj, Sabrina deBrito, Danielle Kaye, Lauren Kim, Jean Sanders, Phoebe Sanders, Liz Yount A&E Section Heads: Sharon Chow, Pim Otero A&E Assistants: Nico Brown, Hannah Cho, Sophie Cohen, Tiffany Kim, Katie Plotkin Sports Managing Editors: Tyler Graham, Audrey Wilson Sports Section Heads: Bennett Gross, Jonathan Seymour, Henry Vogel Senior Sports Writers: Mila Barzdukas, Cole Jacobson Sports Assistants: Aleksei Aguero, Juliana Berger, Zac Harleston, Joe Levin, Jacob Liker, Dario Madyoon, Carina Marx, William Park, Emily Rahhal, Rian Ratnavale, Connor Reese, Griffin Richter, Nick Settelmayer, Cameron Stine, Bryant Wu Art Director: Vivian Lin Multimedia and Online: Nikta Mansouri, David Woldenberg Photography and Multimedia: Caitlin Neapole, Lexi Bowers, Kelly Loeb Photography and Multimedia Assistants: Eshanika Chaudery, Kami Duraijaj, Tiffany Kim, Joe Levin, Phoebe Sanders Ads and Business Manager: Kelly Loeb Advisers: Jenny Hontz, Kathleen Neumeyer The Chronicle is the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School. It is published eight times per year. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial Board. Letters to the editor may be submitted to chronicle@hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format. Advertising questions may be directed to Kelly Loeb at 818-8255059. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.
MADY MADISON/CHRONICLE
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Looking beyond the bubble
he first line of the school Mission Statement reads: “Harvard-Westlake strives to be a diverse and inclusive community.” Lately, we have found ourselves thinking a lot about what that means. Issues of injustice and prejudice dominate national headlines, and college campuses in particular have come under scrutiny for matters ranging from racism to religous intolerance. But these issues, and the mindset that drives them, are also relevant to our school community. Harvard-Westlake places a high premium on tolerance. We emphasize our financial aid program and its importance in fostering socioeconomic diversity. Our website features photos of pioneering alumni, such as the first openly gay NBA player Jason Collins ’97 and the first American woman in space Sally Ride ’68, as well as recent speakers, like Little Rock Nine member Terrence Roberts and Paralympian runner Blake Leeper. Of course, inclusivity goes beyond tolerance and celebrating pioneers. Students, parents, teachers and administration alike must actively work to promote diversity in all its forms. That means supporting the number of qualified students who are on financial aid, right now at about 17 percent. That means hiring teachers from a wide range of backgrounds; currently there isn’t a single African-American teacher at the Upper School. That means supporting students of color, and eliminating commonly-heard offensive phrases such as “he only got into college because he’s Hispanic.” A lot of this is already being attempted — and
done — by the administration. That’s great, and we salute the school for it. But that shouldn’t stop us from continuing to aim for loftier goals. While we want to promote diversity, we also recognize that there are a variety of practical barriers that the administration faces in doing so. That’s why it’s also important to acknowledge that regardless of everyone’s good intentions and best efforts, our school will always to a certain extent exist in a bubble. That’s not something to apologize for — a bubble of caring teachers and curious students in fine facilities is hardly a bad thing — but it is an essential fact to recognize and bear in mind as we move into the wider world. Nor are we completely sheltered from some of life’s harsher realities, as this issue’s story on sexual assault demonstrates. By the same token, though we are part of a community that strives to be openminded, other places may not be so. Most students will go on to college in different parts of the country, and will likely encounter attitudes and actions different from their own. That’s something we should be prepared for and combat using the tools and attitudes that our time at Harvard-Westlake has given us. There is a reason these issues are still issues. They are complex and multi-faceted, and face resistance even from those who would consider themselves openminded. As an institution whose mission is to mold the next generation of leaders, it’s important we recognize that and continue do our best to change it.
A10 Opinion
The Chronicle
March 18, 2015
Your rape joke isn’t funny By Liz Yount
W
hether it’s “blurred lines” of consent in a popular song on the radio or a casual joke passed across school lunch tables, rape culture is undeniably a part of modern society. Rape culture is an environment in which rape and sexual violence are prevalent and accepted through cultural norms such as jokes, TV, music, laws, images and language. It makes sexual coercion appear so natural that people are desensitized and view rape as inevitable, rather than a serious problem in need of changing. I’ve found that many people choose to deny the existence of rape culture, thinking that the horrible phenomenon exists throughout the world but cannot possibly manifest itself in our school community. Unfortunately, that is not the case. On multiple occasions, I’ve personally heard students make disgustingly explicit jokes during lunch about fathers raping their daughters and receiving roaring laughs from their friends. I’ve seen boys wearing clothing depicting frightened half-naked women with tape covering their mouths. I’ve heard students make statements after they leave class about how they were “raped by that chemistry test.” I’ve heard boys tell their friends, “you should’ve gotten with her when she was drunk. It’s easier that way.” I’ve witnessed rape culture every day at school. When students think it is acceptable to make fun of a young girl’s father forcing himself upon her, our society and school have a serious ethical issue on their hands. Is it funny that one in five women will be raped in her lifetime? Is it amusing that one in five high school females will be physically or sexually abused by their partners? I’m not laughing; these sad
statistics are reported by the American Bar Association’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence. Think about it: Even the way we casually address sex, even consensual sex, for that matter, is very violent: Dude, did you two bang? Did you screw her? Get nailed last night? Ouch. I’m a human being, not a construction site. It’s unfortunate that this deep-rooted use of violent language doesn’t cross many people’s minds, because society is psychologically predicated to perpetuate rape culture as way of keeping women in a subordinate position through fear. I believe that we as a community have a responsibility to use our school’s prominent voice as a platform to address rape culture. Rather ironically, however, I’ve also found that the mere mention of terms like “rape” and “sexual assault” elicits viscerally defensive reactions from male students. Of course boys get raped. That deserves its own article. But acknowledging the trauma of men as a way to silence discussion regarding female survivors not only epitomizes rape culture, but it is also morally repugnant. Clearly as a school, we haven’t been properly using our platform to address these issues. Our school has a moral obligation to attack the mindset that rape is a cultural norm, and this starts by initiating a conversation. Tell students that the word “rape” is not taboo. Educate the community on cultivating supportive environments for rape and sexual assault victims. Make firm rules against sexually violent clothing. Firmly tell the community that rape jokes need to stop. Please, teach students that another human being’s rape is not their lunchtime entertainment.
ILLUSTRATION BY MADY MADISON
New lunch period creates more problems than it solves By Lola Clark
I
can’t help the loud crunching my salad makes as I sit in Chemistry eating. Everyone turns and stares, but that is the reality of having no time in a day to eat lunch. I rush up the stairs from Chronicle to Ceramics, weighed down by my backpack and my lunchbox swinging from my wrist. As my stomach begins to rumble, I’m reminded I’ve only had some eggs for breakfast, and I’m more than ready to eat lunch. Without a lunch period, I find time to eat during class, and though it is a hassle to carry around lunch, I’m happy because I’d rather be eating in one of the electives I’m able to take than not be able to take the class at all. There isn’t enough time in the day. There isn’t enough time for the variety of electives I want to take. And there most certainly isn’t enough time for a lunch block. This upcoming school year, the school is implementing a required block period for either fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh period. This is the
school’s way of making sure each student has a lunch period. By forcing a block period, it limits students to taking only seven courses. By limiting us to only seven courses and attempting to relieve some stress, the school is doing exactly the opposite. It stresses me out more that I now have to fulfill my PE requirement before or after school. I have to drop my elective Chronicle since with my core class requirements, there is simply no time in my schedule for the multitude of new elective offerings opening up next year. Here at Harvard-Westlake, we are continuously being encouraged to push ourselves academically, seize new learning opportunities and “joyfully pursue excellence,” as the new mission statement declares. One isn’t able to do all these things when we are now held back from taking the number of courses we want to take. I’m not opposed to a lunch period by any means. The
days I have no frees are nothing short of a whirlwind of running from class to class, with little time for food, but that’s not to say it isn’t possible. With only two days out of the week I don’t have a free, I simply bring my lunch to class. Not having a block period had become the only thing I knew, and the knowledge that I will have a block next year is relieving but also not necessary. It brings me greater frustration knowing I would be able to take another class rather than not being able to eat. If the school were able to implement maybe a 20-or 30-minute free period in the middle of the day that everyone had free, then everyone would be able to have a break and a lunch while continuing to have eight classes. Students that need a lunch period would take one fewer class, while the ones that don’t mind a busy day would have the option to take more classes. When it comes down to it, I don’t think lunch should be a requirement.
guest column
Create a more supportive school environment By Isabelle Lesh and Rebecca Li
T
he closure of the Seaver bathroom is definitely a hot-button topic on campus right now. It stirred conversations concerning the classification of graffiti and vandalism. Personally, we believe that the situation was handled poorly — yes, it did create extra work for maintenance, but why did it need to be cleaned up in the first place? Why should such an empowering message be taken down? Seeing a message like that in the bathroom on an extremely low day could really boost a girl’s spirit — we hope that the posters in the bathroom will help at least one girl feel better about herself. The message was placed there to remind young
women that they are beautiful the world and are prevalent in a society that degrades in high schools. M’s message women on a daily basis. At may have been a commentary Harvard-Westlake, we lack on the fact that we need to a program that stimulates focus more on these issues at conversation Harvardabout positive Westlake. body image. People We felt that a powerful, “M” was do not positive message had trying to realize instill this that there been silenced and frowned confidence in is just as upon. young women much preswithin our sure to look community. a certain way as there is An important fact about pressure to get good grades at M’s message is that it was Harvard-Westlake. written during National EatAfter the closing of the ing Disorder Awareness week. bathroom, a group of girls We believe that it is importook action, using both social tant to shed light on impormedia and artwork as methtant topics such as eating ods of public display for their disorders, as they plague both opinion regarding the issue. males and females all over And, not surprisingly, many
students were frustrated with the school’s reaction to the closing of the Seaver bathroom. We felt that a powerful, positive message had been silenced and frowned upon. In response, we had the idea of making signs for the bathroom, so M’s message could be preserved. (Rebecca drew the phrases in bright colors on white poster board pieces, surrounded by bouquets of flowers.) Our aim was to spread message of self-love and selfrespect. It is so important for people to love their bodies and themselves in general, especially with problems such as eating disorders and depression so prevalent in our present society.
We selected the phrases “you’re beautiful” and “love yourself ” to keep the message sweet and simple. Seeing these few words can make all the difference. At Harvard-Westlake, that atmosphere of self-love is just as important to create, so the members of our community are imparted with the confidence and strength they need to thrive not only during their time at Harvard-Westlake, but throughout their lives. We live in a society where both men and women are expected to look a certain way, and that isn’t right. Everyone deserves the right to feel beautiful, confident and comfortable in his or her own skin. We are just reminding them.
hwchronicle.com/opinion
March 18, 2015
Opinion A11
quadtalk
The Chronicle asked:
“Do you approve of the schedule change that will allow students to have a lunch period next year?”
442 students weighed in on the Chronicle poll: “I don’t have lunch this year, my only block is eighth, so one day of the week I don’t have any other frees, and I’m always hungry. So, it is a good change. I’m very happy.”
—Jed Kronenberg ‘17 No, I don’t approve
223
Yes, I approve
KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE
219
“You should have the choice whether or not you have a lunch period, because in some classes you can eat lunch easily. I personally don’t have a block in the middle of the day, so I can take more classes and it’s also nice to have a block in the morning.”
—Sarah McAllister‘15
KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE
“Do you think the schedule changes will have an impact on your schedule next year?”
“I feel like I would be a lot more productive leaving my eighth period block instead of being forced to have one during fifth period, when I know I would be talking to friends, and eating.”
290 sophomores and juniors weighed in on the Chronicle poll:
—Shannyn Schack ‘16 KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE
“I think kids are at a point where they can take care of themselves, and while the intention is good, I just don’t think that for people who take a certain amount of classes, to have their block to be mandatory at a certain slot isn’t fair to them.”
No 88
Yes 202
—Sahar Tirmizi ‘16 KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE
Assessing the validity of student work
By Angela Chon
W
e all want to win. Whether we work toward making a touchdown, getting a solid test grade or winning a film award, all of us want to come out on top. But should we sacrifice our integrity for merely a title or trophy — or for that matter, the ability to call our work our own? Recently a group film that I worked on over the summer was selected to be screened at the annual Harvard-Westlake Film Festival. To be honest, I didn’t even know that it was in the running because I hadn’t helped make this domestic violence PSA with the intention to get anything out of it — except the experience of learning how to make my first film. Of course, I was really excited that our film was chosen. But the more I thought about it, I questioned if I could really take credit or even deserved the honor.
Our group had a professional filmmaker help us with the majority of our animation, and I wondered, to what extent could we call the work our own? Hoping to expand my knowledge of filmmaking, I participated in the Cuba Digital Storytelling Adventure in January. I was surprised, however, when I learned that most of the footage for our student films would come from professional filmmakers that chaperoned us. During the trip, although I was able to conduct my own interviews, our chaperones framed most of the shots and filmed most of the crucial footage. Furthermore, once we got back, all the footage was uploaded into a single stockpile and shared with all students on the trip. For me personally, I felt conflicted between whether I was grateful I had a stockpile
to rely on or if I should have expected a more independent experience. This made me question: Where is the line between student-produced work and teacher work? If I didn’t film the majority of my Cuba video, can I take full credit for work that was only partially mine? Thinking about this also prompted the question of how eligible are the films that we enter into competitions? The All American High School Film Festival is a competition that our school has entered, and one of the eligibility requirements is that the “the film’s director(s) must have been in high school while filming the project.” But how could one be the director without having filmed the actual content, especially without crediting the cinematographer? One adult chaperone includes student films in his profressional credits but
as the executive producer and not as the cinematographer. Could I have created the same video if I had access to the film stockpile without actually having gone on the trip? If so, aside from the obvious cultural experience, my week immersed in a foreign country almost seems to be a disappointment. Even in my experiences in Chronicle, where a byline clearly distinguishes who wrote the article, I’ve questioned whether the author is the only contributor to the story. While we come up with our own ideas and write the stories without help, they must go through a lengthy editing process by various students and teachers. And sometimes, some research for a story is done by students other than the author. It makes me wonder where we can draw the distinction between what is our
own work and what is not. The same issue is apparent in the college application process. It’s widely known that some students receive aid on their college essays. But, again, the line that suddenly makes your work someone else’s is unclear. Is the competition and never-ending pressure to get into college pushing students to hire tutors that will basically write their entire essay and supplement answers? It’s scary to imagine that the stress of applying to college could influence me to sacrifice my integrity. I hope that never happens. Since my first year at Harvard-Westlake, I’ve learned a lot about the community and its value of honor — especially when we sign the Honor Code on all assignments. But can our striving towards excellence really be deemed as honorable as we believe?
exposure
A12
March 18, 2015
A Cinderella Story
Dancers in advanced dance I and II performed a show inspired by the story of Cinderella March 6, 7 and 8 in Rugby Theater.
SU JIN NAM/CHRONICLE
IF THE SHOE FITS: Noah Bennett ’15, playing Prince Charming, places the glass slipper upon the foot of Mollie Berger ’16, as Cinderella, in the dance showcase, as Maddy Harbert ’17, left, Eden Fincher ’17 and Annabel Lassally ’16 look on.
SU JIN NAM/CHRONICLE
FLYING HIGH: Noah Bennett ’15, as Prince Charming, jumps into the air during a solo.
SU JIN NAM/CHRONICLE
SUPPORTIVE FRIENDS: Sophia Szu ’15 as Cinderella is lifted up by her mouse companions, Alex Arreola ’15, left, Katherine Calvert ’15, Noah Bennett ’15, Megan Kaplan ’15 and Isabelle Lesh ’15.
SU JIN NAM/CHRONICLE
TIME FLIES: Laurel Rand-Lewis ’16, left, Rebecca Katz ’15, Sophia Szu ’15, Maddie Froomer ’16, Megan Kaplan ’15, Sarah Winshel ’15, Amanda Gores ’16 and Maddy Harbert ’17 react to the clock striking twelve.
SU JIN NAM/CHRONICLE
CRUEL INTENTIONS: Imani Cook-Gist ’15, left, Alexa Ranger ’16, as the evil stepmother, Annabel Lassally ’16 and Sarah Winshel ’15 perform a dance marking the entrance of the evil stepmother.
Features
The Chronicle • March 18, 2015
Taking the High Road
• See
B6-B7
B2 Features
The Chronicle
March 18, 2015
GRAPHIC BY AIMEE MISAKI AND LEILY ARZY
ILLUSRATION BY LEILY ARZY AND AIMEE MISAKI
One Call at a Time Students at Teen Line go through rigorous training in order to help other troubled teens, some of whom are actively suicidal or victims of child abuse.
By Layla Moghavem
friend was struggling with an eating disorder and was eventually “Hi, this is Teen Line, my hospitalized. name’s Lily,” Alexa Nourafchan ’17 “She had also been considering answered the phone, giving a fake suicide, so she called Teen Line, name, as is Teen Line policy. She and she said they were what saved arrived at the offices in Cedars-Si- her life that night,” Davis said. “I nai Medical Center for her weekly thought it was an amazing organievening shift, but this one was dif- zation, and I wanted to apply, but I ferent — it was her first time an- was too young. So I started it this swering a real call on the winter. It’s been an amazline, and she was nervous. ing learning experience.” Nourafchan is one of All new volunteers are the 18 Harvard-Westlake considered trainees and students who currently go through three months volunteer at Teen Line, of mandatory, intensive a crisis helpline operated training — two or three by teens for teens. Acsessions a week for three cording to the Teen Line to four hours at a time. website, teenagers call in After successfully finishnathanson’s for a range of issues ining this part of the proAlexa cluding child abuse, suicess, each volunteer is Nourafchan ’17 considered an observer cide, rape and substance abuse. Founded in 1980 by and attends shifts to anmental health professionals who swer emails, do role-plays and lisworked with teenagers, Teen Line ten to more advanced volunteers operates every night from 6 p.m. to answer calls. Role-plays entail 10 p.m. running through a practice call on Nourafchan said that her re- all the issues covered while at Teen covery from a car accident when Line. After observers have passed she was 8 years old inspired her to all 15 role-plays and a listener’s join Teen Line. She was crossing test, they are officially listeners the street and was hit by a pickup — the highest position — and now truck, leaving her with a broken respond directly to callers over the leg. Having her family’s support phone and by text. Nourafchan is a during the recovery process was listener, and Davis is currently an essential, and she realized that observer. many kids in more difficult situ“I couldn’t try out for the ations aren’t as lucky. After her spring musical because I needed traumatic experience, Nourafchan that time to do training,” Teen learned the importance of having Line listener Natalie Musicant a strong and reliable support sys- ’17 said. “I had to fly home from a tem. choir trip early to make it to train“When I heard about Teen ing. It’s definitely a difficult thing Line, I heard that they provide to work into your schedule because support for people that are going it’s so demanding.” through such hard situations,” she Despite this serious time comsaid. “Since [my car accident], I mitment, volunteers say that the knew that having someone there experience is well worth it. for me was really amazing.” “I was apprehensive at first, but While at an after-school re- someone told me that people even ligious class in sixth grade, Ser- go to training [a day after having] ena Davis ‘17 learned about Teen minor surgery, so I figured it had Line and knew she wanted to get to be worth it,” Davis said. “Even involved. Davis saw how helpful though training took a few hours Teen Line could be when her close out of my day, I kind of looked for-
ward to it.” ing a listener can be scary, volunDuring training — with adult teers said. Though helping people professionals present — volunteers is rewarding, it’s still painful to discuss topics that can be difficult hear what some callers are going to hear and also share personal through. stories. Each training session is “I had one call that was a child devoted to a different topic. When abuse call that we had to report,” the training session is meant to Musicant said. “It was really updiscuss suicide, a parent whose setting to hear about what a tough child has committed suicide will time that girl was having, especialvisit the trainees to discuss the ly because she didn’t even know emotional trauma that is associ- that what she was going through ated with such a devastating ex- was wrong.” perience. During a discussion of Another responsibility listenself-harm, a volunteer even fainted ers have is dealing with prank and they had to call a code blue at calls. Nourafchan remembers a Cedars, Davis said. prank call from her first shift that However, going through train- referenced a popular YouTube viding with a whole group of other eo entitled “Shrek is love, Shrek is teens makes it easier, Musicant life.” said. “There are a lot of prank calls “The day we did suicide train- that come in — too many, actually,” ing and heard firsthand stories Davis said. “I think that really upabout suicide, that was really hard sets a lot of the listeners because to hear,” she said. “But because they’re making the line busy when you’re going through it together someone with an actual issue could with your whole group, you’re able need to talk to us.” to handle it. You get pretty close While prank calls can be huwith your training group.” morous, they inhibit Teen Line’s Nourafchan said that one call ability to help others, the key reashe heard as an observer really son they joined the organization. affected her. The caller was acNourafchan said that she betively suicidal, so the resource as- lieves she has changed as a person sociates informed the police, and because of her training at Teen volunteers heard Line. them arrive at “The way I act the caller’s house with my friends and over the phone. family and the way I Not knowing Actually hearhandle certain situwhat happens to the ing how they had ations has totally caller is easily the worst changed because I helped the girl, Nourafchan said, have more insight part of the position .” was very gratifyon how what you do ing. Though volimpacts others,” she unteers are never said. —Lucas Gelfen ’15 fully certain of Gelfen also a call’s outcome, thinks that he has a they said they can much greater undergenerally guess standing of his imthe result. pact on others. “Not knowing what happens to “Sometimes we really don’t unthe caller is easily the worst part derstand the power of words on of the position,” said listener Lucas people’s lives, but after helping so Gelfen ’15, who has been a volun- many people just using words, I’ve teer for three years. realized the impact that they can The responsibility of becom- have.”
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March 18, 2015
hwchronicle.com/features
Features B3
After Assault
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JACOB GOODMAN
• Continued from page A1 said. “I felt really, really alone.” The most important step to recovery for someone who’s been assaulted is talking about what happened, Bek said. “The more you talk about a traumatic event, the more you realize that you’re not a victim, you’re a survivor, and that you want to take the power from the person who assaulted you and give it to yourself,” she said. At age 13, Daisy* ’15 was digitally penetrated by a family friend who was about her father’s age, she said. She didn’t tell anyone until she was a sophomore, when she told four friends after one of them confided in Daisy about her own rape. Daisy said she saw her attacker occasionally at subsequent family events, during which he continued to act as though nothing had happened until he moved to another state. “It’s just incredibly embarrassing because I never actually said to him, ‘No, stop,’” Daisy said. Daisy said she didn’t know why she didn’t say anything to her assailant. “I guess it was immature,” she said. “I was afraid of offending him, kind of. I know that makes no sense, but at the time, it’s confusing.” “There are so many other emotional consequences that [survivors of sexual assault] have to deal with, but one of the things is that they hate themselves, and they think they deserve whatever happened,” Samantha said. “But that’s not true. No one deserves to go through that.” Friends sometimes reinforce the message that the victim is to blame. When Samantha started telling her friends, most supported her. Others, however, cautioned that she was making a “really serious accusation, which “made me feel really awful,” she said. “It made it feel like it was my fault.” Daisy also felt hurt by her friends’ reactions when she told them about her assault. “The most frustrating thing is that it’s like you’re somehow marked,” she said. “Most of my friends were supportive, but there was [one friend] that it was weird with. She was nice about it, but act-
ed different. We couldn’t just talk about boys or sex or whatever anymore.” Upper School Dean Beth Slattery said that when students tell her about sexual assaults, they often say that they “don’t want to ruin anybody’s life,” she said. “It makes me crazy. “Sometimes, kids will talk about an experience they had that they don’t even identify as sexual assault,” she said, and she’s the one to realize that the situation was nonconsensual. Samantha said a lack of sufficient consent for sexual contact permeates the party atmosphere for many Harvard-Westlake students. “It’s partly because boys often want to hook up with girls just “to tell their friends that they did it,” Liam Hyde ’17 said. “Guys feel like they have to prove something.” Hyde thinks that some boys are concerned about crossing consensual lines during hookups, but “the majority are not.” Anna* ’16 agreed to go to a dance with a boy because she felt bad for him. The two didn’t talk much during the event itself, but at an after-party, he approached her friends. “Anna, he wants to hook up with you,” they said to her. She told them to tell him she didn’t want to, but they kept coming back. “And it was kind of like, ‘Oh my God, Anna, just do it. It’s not even a big deal,’” Anna said. “They weren’t telling him no.” Later, when Anna was alone, he walked up and announced, “I’m gonna kiss you now.” She explicitly told him no, but he grabbed her shoulders and stuck his tongue into her mouth. “I tried to get away from him, but he was holding on to me,” Anna said. Anna wouldn’t call what happened sexual assault, but it frustrates her that “he felt like he was entitled to do this,” she said. One of Anna’s friends who was there confirmed her account of events. When Anna ran to her friends after the incident and told them about it, some of them “kind of thought it was funny,” she said. Because of the incident, Anna no longer attends parties. “When kids lose inhibition,
it really leads to unpredictable circumstances,” Bek said. In general, when students report assaults to school counselors, Bek said “we always believe the victim, because knowing that one out of 20 people come forward, she has a reason to be coming forward.” “We have to make sure that the person involved in this is safe, and we have to make sure the community is safe,” she added. Most adults on campus are mandated reporters of abuse. They are required to report information to the administration or school psychologists, and school psychologists are required to report information to the proper authorities. Sometimes, Bek said, a student tells her about an assault without knowing she is required to report it to the police, then refuses to tell the police anything when they come to interview him or her. While Samantha is glad in hindsight that she talked to her therapist, if she’d known the therapist had a legal mandate to report sexual assaults to authorities, she said she would not have done so. Another issue victims face is the need for evidence for legal cases to go forward. Physical evidence often expires before victims report sexual assaults, making it difficult to prove attacks occurred. In the Venice High case, there was at least one photograph showing sex acts, according to the Los Angeles Times. Not all sexual assault cases have such evidence supporting them. Samantha said that when she talked to the police after her therapist reported what had happened, they told her that her case was “he-said, she-said.” Samantha and other victims interviewed for this story asked the Chronicle not to speak to their accused attackers for fear of what they might do. The Chronicle honored those requests while verifying details of their accounts with other sources. One of Samantha’s friends who had been in the house where she said she was sexually assaulted verified details of her account and said that Samantha told her what exactly had happened a week afterward. The boy Samantha had been dating on-and-off
also verified her account. Detective Deann Maltos, who supervises the LAPD West Bureau special assault section, confirmed that Samantha’s case was investigated. In working with both the Beverly Hills Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department, Samantha said she was asked to recount her story in detail multiple times. The investigation spanned three months and ended, Samantha said, when she was told that nothing could be done unless she personally called the accused on the phone and got some evidence in the form of a recorded confession out of him. Samantha said she couldn’t have talked to her assailant again. “I felt like I went through hell and back having to relive that so many times to get something to happen, when nothing did,” she said. Maltos, the police supervisor, said she couldn’t comment on specifics of the case or strategies generally used by police because their disclosure could harm ongoing investigations. “If there is not evidence to prove a crime occurred, a district attorney’s going to decline to file a case,” a different source from the LAPD’s West L.A. Community Police Station said. “Our country forbids us from charging people without evidence. It’s our Constitution.” “I guess ultimately, it was my decision to end the investigation, but I felt like I didn’t have that many choices,” Samantha said. “I was angry that he had that kind of power over me. It made me so sad — that it could keep me so low for so long.” Because so few victims report their sexual assaults, and because the few who do come forward encounter so many obstacles along the way, perpetrators often don’t face the consequences they need to, Bek said. “They will never learn,” she said. Teens generally don’t start off knowing the requirements of proper consent, LAPD Officer Jack Richter said. “Hopefully, this’ll bring this issue to the minds of these young people,” he said, • Continued on page B11
B4 Features
The Chronicle
March 18, 2015
1
2 Bridging the Gap Older siblings—much older siblings— can offer advice on which are the best teachers, where to go to college and what jobs to explore or avoid.
By Sharon Chow
3
there isn’t a close connection between her and her siblings. s the youngest of three “All of them are open and children, Jenna Thomp- ready to support me and see how son ’16 first noticed the I’m growing up and how I’m going age gap between herself and her to continue life after high school,” sisters when she was six years Coles said. “In general, we’re all old. She and her middle sister just a really happy family, and stopped playing together because even though everyone is living her sister had started middle in completely different places school. Her oldest sister, who is 10 and living different lives, we’re years older than Thompson, “was still a very tight-knit family.” never really a sister to me; she Henry Platt ’17 was more like a mom,” she said. has four older siblings. Thompson said she feels “We all treat each other like an only child because her equally, and, I mean, they like to two sisters are rarely at home. pick on me sometimes because Thompson is also not very close I’m really young, but they still to them for the same reason. love me,” Platt said. “We still all “I was treated differently be- have very close connections, and cause they are only four years I don’t think that the age has apart, and they had more life ex- really affected that too much.” periences in common, but I was As the youngest, Platt has very much the baby,” Thomp- found that he has been given son said. “Sometimes you just more freedom by his parents want your sisters to be your sis- compared to his older siblings. ters instead of your sisters be“With my older siblings, [my ing your moms.” parents] were She is only very strict and one of many stutesting out all of [Seth] has dents at Harvardthe new rules,” Westlake with Platt said. “But become such a big siblings much with me, the rules part in all of our lives, older or younger have changed than them. Of a little bit.” and we all love him so 429 students in Platt has also much.” a Chronicle poll, found that the 43 percent said of —Jona Yadidi ’16 experiences they have siblings his siblings, all with at least a of whom went to five-year age gap. Harvard-WestNinety-six percent said they lake, made his school experience believe that their siblings have easier because he knew what to had a positive effect on their lives. expect. He also knows what to Tiana Coles ’16 feels that expect from his siblings’ differher siblings, whose ages range ent occupations but does not feel from 26 to 32, have occasion- pressured to pursue a specific ally been more parental around occupation because of them. Saher. Because her siblings all mantha ’01 is a teacher, Jonah have children of their own, ’04 is a writer and actor, Hannah their parental concern some- ’08 is a summer camp program times transfers onto Coles. director, and Ben ’11 is an actor. “In general, I’m a little bit Coles believes that seeing her more reserved around them,” siblings work hard and become she said. “I feel like we can’t successful in their occupations really relate sometimes be- has influenced both her work ethcause we’re at completely dif- ic and her outlook on the future. ferent points of our lives.” “My two oldest siblings inColes said that doesn’t mean spire me a lot because my family
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PHOTOS PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JENNA THOMPSON, JONA YADIDI, HENRY PLATT AND TIANA COLES
FAMILIAL CONNECTIONS: 1: Tiana Coles ’16, right, is the youngest of five siblings, some of whom already have children. 2: Jenna Thompson ’16, right, is younger than her two sisters, both of whom live in other cities. 3: Siblings of Henry Platt ’17, center, returned to HarvardWestlake to watch Platt’s performance in the upper school musical “Company” last fall. 4: Jona Yadidi ’16, left, and Noa Yadidi ’14, right, sightsee in Jerusalem with their baby brother Seth Yadidi.
doesn’t come from a lot of privilege, and they are perfect examples of being able to surpass an underprivileged lifestyle,” Coles said. “There’s no set outline of what success is in our family, but that knowledge and the comfort that it’s worked out for my siblings is helpful right now.” Like Coles, Thompson has extra knowledge about certain occupations because her sisters have chosen them. Based on their experiences, Thompson believes that she is more prepared to choose a major and a profession more suited to her personality and interests. “I’ve seen how hard it is to get into college and the paths that you can take in once you get out of college,” Thompson said. “They both wanted to go into business, and I’m more creative, so I got to see what they had to go through, and they might have influenced me [in that respect].” Jona Yadidi ’16 has three siblings, Noa ’19, Eli ’13 and the youngest, Seth, who is 3 years old. “My sister and I are very close,” Yadidi said. “We’re like best friends because we grew up together. With my baby brother, I’m helping him with everything. There’s actually a joke in my family with Seth that he has three moms: my mom, me and my sister.” Yadidi believes that having such a young brother has made her more compassionate toward her friends and family as she now takes more time to understand their feelings and problems. She also has learned to set time aside to play with Seth. Some activities that Yadidi and her brother do together include playing soccer in the house or watching Disney cartoon movies. Sometimes, she will reenact scenes from movies such as “The Lion King” or “Frozen” with him. “[Seth] has become such a big part in all of our lives, and we all love him so much,” Yadidi said. “I think he’s brought us closer as a family too.”
March 18, 2015
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Features B5
ILLUSTRATION BY VIVIAN LIN
On the Job Students in the workforce sell shoes, manage cash registers and rowdy Black Friday crowds, and even save lives when school’s out. By Cole Feldman
ally good friends,” Arreola said. “You gain confihe sound of laughter is dence because you have to heard as young children talk to a bunch of people.” walk into the shoe and Other students have activeclothing store Journeys at the ly searched for jobs to indulge Westfield Topanga mall and their interests and to get a feel ask employee Alex Arreola ’15 for potential career paths. Ben for light-up shoes and Heelys. Winters ’16 has been exploring She gets them fitted and a potential career in medicine laced, and the kids’ faces by training in lifeguarding and light up simultaneously with CPR for more than five years. the shoes. “It’s adorable,” Winters works at the SanArreola said. “It’s a family- ta Monica Swim Center as a friendly mall so we get a temporary lifeguard who fills bunch of children. During in when other lifeguards are a regular four-hour shift, it sick during the summer and happens two to three times.” on weekends, but he plans to Arreola started secure a more stable the job in August spot during Spring after being asked to Break. In addition, apply by the managhe has done endurer while she herself ance training with was buying shoes. the Junior Lifeguards “I thought he was of Santa Monica over joking,” Arreola said. the past summers. “I didn’t apply imWinters is CPR mediately, but since certified, lifeguard nathanson’s I live near the mall, certified and has a I would see him, basic first-aid license. Alex Arreola ’15 and he would ask “My father is a me why I hadn’t applied yet. doctor so I’ve always had an I ended up applying because interest,” Winters said. “HelpI wanted some extra money.” ing people in a great time of She now works approxi- need is very rewarding for me. mately four times a week in It’s empowering knowing that four- to six-hour shifts, making you can help someone with a $9 an hour plus commission. few actions in a split second.” According to the United Winters recalled one States Department of Labor, of his encounters with criaround 30 percent of teens 16 sis on the job as “scary.” to 19 years old were employed “There was a male in a walast summer. Arreola is part ter polo match, and he stopped of this student force, working swimming and participating in for extra money, to gain work the game,” Winters said. “The experience or just for fun. lifeguard on duty saw that he Arreola said that she started to become a distressed meets a lot of people she would swimmer and hyperventilate. never otherwise get to know He was having an asthma and has grown as a person. attack. We ran the highest “You gain a lot of re- emergency code, and I ran out
T
with an oxygen tank, and we school year, and she quit her job put the breather mask on him. after a “hectic” Black Friday. He never lost consciousness.” “A lot of people yelled at Winters plans to me,” McCarthy said. switch from swim “It was probably my instructing and worst day. I worked pool lifeguarding to nine hours and people county lifeguarding kept yelling at me.” this summer, which McCarthy said means that he would that she has learned work at beaches many skills from her such as Leo Carriljob that she wouldn’t lo, north of Malibu. have anywhere else. Winters said “My best day was nathanson’s that he makes more Ben Winters ’16 when they taught than double the me how to use the minimum wage. cash register,” Mc“Having a job has given Carthy said. “I had been waitme more financial indepen- ing for a long time, and they dence, and I now look at thought I was too young, and spending money in terms of it was so frustrating. I was retime spent working,” Winters ally good at it. It’s an easier said. “For example, after eat- way to talk to customers and ing at a restaurant with some it creates an environment friends I see the check as one that facilitates conversation.” and a half hours spent workArreola said that it ing, which puts the true val- is hard to juggle school, ue of money in perspective.” a job and a social life. Clara McCarthy ’15 start“On weekends it’s easy ed working for to handle working retail clothing a shift and doing company Tilly’s homework the rest in Santa Moniof the day,” Arreola ca last summer said. “If I want to to pay for a trip hang out with my to visit a friend. friends, I have to ask “I worked a for a day off just to lot longer than I get everything done. needed to after I But on the days that earned the money,” I have to go to school nathanson’s McCarthy said. “I and then straight Clara McCarthy ’15 was making minito work, and have mum wage at the school the next day, time, which was $8 in July. I the quality of my work suffers.” continued working because Arreola said it is still getting a paycheck was inde- worth it for her to have a say pendence for me. I could do in how she spends money. anything I wanted with it.” “You gain a certain sense of McCarthy’s family was not maturity,” Arreola said. “You as supportive of her decision can say, ‘I have my own job. I to continue working into the can do this, this, and that.’”
The Chronicle
B6 Features
March 18
On the Highway
Though driving while under the influence of marijuana can lead to a DUI conviction, many students still drive high or ride in cars with an intoxicated driver. Story by Jessica Spitz • Photo Illustrations by Jacob Goodman
As Sophia* drove down her street on the way to a party, her excitement gradually turned into paranoia. It took a conscious effort for her to focus on the road, and the laughter of her three friends became distracting rather than encouraging. After only a few minutes, she decided to pull over. “While I was driving, I was debating whether or not I should speak up,” Sophia said. “It was a really short drive to the party, and I couldn’t decide whether or not to tell [my friends] that, as their designated driver, I had messed up, and I actually shouldn’t have been driving.” Sophia had smoked marijuana while her friends drank alcohol prior to leaving for the party. Believing that it was better to drive high than to drive drunk and that she would not become too intoxicated, Sophia volunteered to act as the designated driver for the night. However, she quickly realized that she was too high to make it all the way to
the party safely, and she pulled over. Sophia is not the only HarvardWestlake student to drive while high. Ten percent of 424 students polled have also driven while high, and 27 percent of students have been in a car with a driver who was high. According to an annual survey taken from 2001 to 2011 published in the American Journal of Public Health, 12.4 percent of 22,000 high school seniors polled in 2011 had driven while high in the past two weeks, an increase from 10.4 percent in 2008. In contrast, only 8.7 percent reported having driven while drunk in the past two weeks, a decrease from the peak of 16 percent in 2002. Although 34 percent of students believe that driving high is less dangerous than driving drunk, 96 percent of students know that driving high constitutes as driving under the influence and can result in a DUI conviction. According to California law, getting
a DUI means the perpetrator was driving while “under the influence” of alcohol and/or drugs (legal or illegal). For a first offense, DUI sentencing can include a license suspension from 30 days to 10 months, fines up to $1,000 and jail time ranging from four days to six months. The danger of driving high stems from the effects of the psychoactive, or mind-altering, chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is a main component of marijuana. When smoked or ingested through food or drink, THC travels through the bloodstream to the brain and other organs. THC affects the endocannabinoid system, a neural communication network that plays a significant role in brain development and function. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, THC over activates the endocannabinoid system, causing, along with the desired high, “altered perceptions and mood, impaired coordination,
8, 2015
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difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and disrupted learning and memory.” Sophia experienced some of these effects before she pulled over and told her friends that she was too high to drive. Her friends were grateful for her honesty, Sophia said, and the friend who had the least to drink drove the rest of the way to the party. Once they arrived, Sophia felt the effects of the marijuana begin to wear off and decided that she was sober enough to drive home. Although she mostly felt in control, and there were not any close calls, Sophia said that she “didn’t like the feeling” and that it definitely deterred her from driving high ever again. “For me, it was just hard to focus, and everything was kind of spacey, so I couldn’t play music and was just kind of staring at the road, and I had to make sure at every intersection that there weren’t any cars coming,” Sophia said. Pediatrician Dr. Anita Sabeti (Nikta Mansouri ’15) said that the effects of marijuana can vary from person to person, depending on the baseline of brain function and the level of intoxication. However, she believes that any level of marijuana intoxication is dangerous and strongly discourages it. “First of all, the cognition is poor,” Sabeti said. “[Teenagers] have poor judgment while they’re high. They can have poor hand-eye coordination and slow reactions. These are all things that are needed during driving. You have to think fast and act fast at times of emergency… sometimes you may get dizzy, you may feel like fainting, sometimes nauseous.” Although most teenagers seem to know that driving while drunk can drastically increase chances of an accident, recently Sabeti has heard many say that they do not believe marijuana will affect the brain’s function enough to significantly impair their driving abilities, she said. In February 2012, a study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that high drivers were almost twice as likely as sober drivers to be involved in a serious car crash. Nate* smokes marijuana up to three or four times a week but tries to limit driving while high as much as possible, he said. “[Driving high] affects your focus,” Nate said. “For me, I start to drift a little bit to the right, and my friends get really mad. That’s why I don’t drive that often when I’m high,
because nobody wants me to drive. Sometimes when I’m really high or take a [marijuana-infused] edible, my vision gets kind of distorted. Everything seems a bit fuzzier. Reaction time is a lot slower. I’ll make more sudden stops. You become more paranoid. You’ll be worried that cops will be around, or if someone’s doing something dumb in the car it will affect you more than usual.” Despite these effects, Nate said he feels in control enough to drive and that he does not believe he is putting other people in danger. However, he has had some experiences where he has not been able to drive right away after getting high. He recently ate a Cheeba Chew, a chocolate taffy, marijuana-infused edible, which he was able to obtain from a friend who bought it with a medical marijuana identification card. “Last week I took a fifth of a Deca Dose [a type of Cheeba Chew], and when I woke up, I was absolutely dying, feeling like I was gonna throw up,” Nate said. “I got in the car, and I had to sit there for like 20 minutes. Then I started driving, and it felt like I was looking at the world underwater. Everything was really – it was just insane. I got home safely, I didn’t have any close calls, but it was just ridiculous.” Ashley Aminian ’15 is especially alert on the drive to school every morning, as she notices the red parking tags in smoke-filled cars around her that signal that the cars belong to her fellow Harvard-Westlake students. When these drivers roll their windows down or Aminian turns on the air conditioning or heat, she can smell the marijuana drifting from their cars to hers, she said. “I’ll look over and see that the windows are just fogged up,” Aminian said. “Just so much smoke that I can’t even see who’s in the car. But from experience and from time and time again I’ve seen who it is. And I get so deeply uncomfortable when I see them driving because it makes me feel responsible for them, because I have to pay extra attention to make sure that they don’t do anything to put me at risk. And it also just makes me concerned for that kid. And it makes me angry because as is, driving is such a huge responsibility, and this is another obstacle that I have to get through every morning.” Aminian is very frustrated by these students whom she considers
Features B7
to be inconsiderate and dangerous, she said. “Their attention is split between what they’re doing and driving, and that should not be the situation in the morning when you’re already tired, you’ve been up late, you have a lot of homework, you’re stressed, and you’re driving and your attention is split with smoking,” she said. Sabrina Zaks ’15 also takes issue with people driving while high. “I have a really strong problem with it because everyone treats weed differently than how they do alcohol, when they’re both drugs that influence your behavior and the way you’re able to perform certain tasks,” Zaks said. Two years ago, Zaks found out that someone who used to drive her around daily had actually been high for most of the time he drove her. “Until I found all of this out the summer that he graduated [high school], I had no idea, which goes to show, I guess, how oblivious everyone is to it,” she said. “But it really scared me that he had been lying to me and putting my life in danger just because he wanted to smoke and be high and be cool with his friends.” Regardless of safety risks, both Sophia and Nate said that they are more concerned by the illegality of their actions than the physical danger. Sophia, who has not driven high since the night of the party, is not opposed to being a passenger in the car of a high driver. “I’ve driven with a lot of people who were high since, and I don’t care,” she said. “I just don’t want to be the person behind the wheel and have to be held responsible in case anything happens. For me, I just didn’t like the feeling of being like, if I did get in an accident, I would be the person to blame.”
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I started driving, and it felt like I was looking at the world underwater. Everything was really — it was just insane. —Nate*
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[Teenagers] have poor judgment while they’re high. They can have poor handeye coordination and slow reactions. —Dr. Anita Sabeti pediatrician
*Names have been changed.
Arts&Entertainment The Chronicle • March 18, 2015
“Minimum Max” by Joshua Ovalle (Halstrom Academy)
“An Irish Airman Foresees His Death” by Javier Arango ’16
“Bernice Bobs Her Hair” by Delilah Napier ’15, Marianne Verrone ’15 and Danielle Stolz ’15
At the Movies
“Mask” by Katie Speare ’16
Director Edgar Wright will speak at the Harvard-Westlake Film Festival, which will screen these 20 student films at 7 p.m. on March 20 at the Arclight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. General tickets are sold out, but people can e-mail ckim1@hwemail.com to ask to be added to the waiting list. ALL FILM STILLS PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF THE HARVARD-WESTLAKE FILM FESTIVAL
“2by2” by Ruby Drake (SF Art & Film)
“Time to Pretend” by Batisse Le Tenoux (Santa Monica High School)
“Dos Caras de Vida Real (Two Faces of Reality)” by Max Cho ’15
“Black Rock Creek” by Malone Lumarda (La Salle High School)
“It Shouldn’t Be This Easy” by Trey Carlisle, Ned Jacobs, Connor Reese ’17 and Cameron Stine ’17 (The Righteous Conversations Project)
“The Sticky Situation” by Justin Bicol, Parris Calkin, J.C. Castro and Tino Dimperio (Providence High School)
“Protect Your Melon” by Jake Wolfert and Neema Sadeghi (Capistrano Valley High School/University High School/Film Ed Academy of the Arts)
“Stranded” by Clio Gevirtz (SF Art & Film)
“The Rhythm of Healing” by Imani Cook-Gist ’15
“Wonderful World” by David Saveliev
“Love and the Art of Frisbee Flight” by Alex Brisker (LACHSA)
“Tight Lines” by Billie Wakeham (Archer School for Girls)
“A Dirty Secret” by Neema Sadeghi (University High School)
“The Monster Within” by Angela Chon ’16, George Khabbaz, Dora Schoenberg ’16 and Jordan Seibel (HW Summer Film / A Window Between Worlds)
“Emergency Stop (The Cycle of Violence)” by Juli Freedman, Becca Frischling, Jess Grody and Karenina Juarez ’16 (HW Summer Film / A Window Between Worlds)
“Curt Lowens: A Life of Changes” by Justin Binder, August Blum, Robert Carlson, Levi Glaser, George Khabbaz, Kayla Mossanen and Tammy Shine (Righteous Conversations Project)
B9 Features
The Chronicle
12 acts in 13 quotes
Sammi Handler ’17 “Rest in Peace” “My play takes place at a funeral for the main character’s uncle, and the funeral just goes into chaos. The main character’s sister has to have a mouse for a science project, and she loses it there, so the protagonist has to go find it. It’s a funny play despite the title.”
March 18, 2015
13 students talk about the 12 plays they wrote to be performed April 24-26 at the Playwrights’ Festival.
Marianne Verrone ’15 “The Gates” “My play is about four different souls meeting in purgatory, and they are all from different time periods. They all discuss their previous lives and the afterlife. The greater themes are being worried about not knowing things and being worried about the future.”
Jared Gentile ’16 “A Little Help from My Friend” “My play is about two kids graduating high school, and they are about to leave for college. It’s a lot about moving on from childhood, accepting loss and trying to find meaning in the passing of time.”
Jessica Dickman ’17 “Never Swipe Right” “It’s about two teenagers who meet on the app Tinder, and they fall in love. But they find out in the end that everything they thought about each other was not how it seemed.”
JACOB GOODMAN/CHRONICLE
Covi Brannan ‘15 “In Passing” “We wanted to explore how over the course of four years, people change. Also, how outside pressure, as well as pressure from your friends and your own insecurities affect your relationships with people and prevent you from interacting with them.”
Sydney Concoff ’15 “In Passing” “Our play follows a group of friends and their four years through high school, and it’s about their relationships, both romantically and platonically, and that they impact their actions, thoughts and feelings.”
Jacob Goodman ’15 “Fresh Air” “It is the story of two brothers on vacation who are sitting outside their hotel contemplating whether their parents are having sex inside. It’s about the nature of how there’s a difference between what we think, what we know and what actually is.”
Laurel Rand-Lewis ’16 “Text” “My play is about high school twins in an acting class, Quincy and Alex, and how their sibling relationship is strained when Quincy falls in love with one of the boys in the class, Leo.”
LIZ YOUNT/CHRONICLE
Kenneth Noble ’16 “Man Up” “During a personal crisis, Owen must face and measure the myths of manhood and his place in the world.”
Sabrina Batchler ’15 “Bromeo and Julius” “It is a parody of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ but it’s the bromance version in which the two characters are separated because their parents catch them smoking weed together.”
Hannah Dains ’16 “Followers of Osiris” “A group of high school students who aren’t necessarily friends, all meet up somewhat accidentally end up finding some solace in each other.”
Dylan Schifrin ’16 “The Exceptional Childhood Center” “My play is about a highly competitive preschool. There’s a new kid who comes to this preschool, and he really wants to fit in.”
Chloe Shi ’16 “Who am I this time?” “The main character of my play is a girl who wakes up in a different archetypal functional universal each day... She’s trying to figure out what is her role in the story, what is her role in life and who she really is.”
JACOB GOODMAN/CHRONICLE
B10 Features
inbrief
SCVA Choral Festival set for March Bel Canto, Chamber Singers and Wolverine Chorus will perform March 24 at the Southern California Vocal Association Festival in Rugby Auditorium. The choral groups will sing pieces including “Ave Maria,” “Nunc Dimittis,” “Chantez” and “Come to Me My Love.” After performing, each group will attend a 15-minute clinic with JoMichael Scheibe, chair of the Thornton School of Music’s Department of Choral and Sacred Music at the University of Southern California. Jazz Singers will end the show. —Kelly Riopelle
Poetry Slam Champion to visit Spoken Word Two-time National Poetry Slam champion Sierra DeMulder will visit the Spoken Word Poetry Club workshop on March 26. DeMulder has written two poetry collections, “The Bones Below” and “New Shoes on a Dead Horse.” Her poems have been featured on NPR, The Huffington Post and The Advocate. Members of the Spoken Word will perform their group pieces for DeMulder to receive feedback on their composition, interpretation and delivery. The workshop is part of the club’s preparation for the Classic Slam competition April 29. —Sammi Handler
Dance Production students prepare for ‘Unmasked’ show The YES! Dance Production 2015: UNMASKED will be performed March 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. in the Saperstein Theater at the Middle School. Tickets are available in the bookstore and online at hw.com/boxoffice. Dancers have been rehearsing both in class and Mondays through Fridays after school. In early March, students in Dance Production attended Saturday rehearsals also. “I’m really enjoying watching all the characters and the plot unfold as we continue explore how to bring it all to life onstage,” middle school dance teacher Joe Schenck said. —Tiffany Kim
‘Filling Space’ student art on display in Feldman-Horn Gallery Students in Photography III showcased their art at the “Filling Space” exhibition in the Feldman-Horn Gallery during break Feb. 23. For the project, each student made a work out of a 4-by-8-foot sheet of foam board. Works varied from puzzle pieces to large Rubik’s cubes. The exhibition included refreshments and music. “All the works were really cool,” Will Burford ’16 said. “Everything was super unique.” —Angela Chon
March 18, 2015
The Chronicle
Musicians perform in biennial concert By Angela Chon
by a percussion quartet, “De Profundis” sung by combined The Symphony orchestra, choirs, “Wheat Dance from Bel Canto, Wolverine Chorus Estancia” and “The Beautiful and Chamber Singers com- Melusina” played by the Symbined to perform “Alles Was phony orchestra and concludIhr Tut” Feb. 27, in their bi- ed with “Requiem,” performed ennial concert, A Concert of by the combine orchestra and Major Works, singers. at the First “It was Presbyterian a great conChurch in cert, one of It was a great Santa Monica. the best that concert, one of the best I have played The concert was conin at Harvardthat I have played in ducted by perWestlake,” Sam at Harvard-Westlake. forming arts Jaebok Lee ’16 teachers Mark said. “Playing Playing with the choir Hilt and Rodwith the choir was an eye-opening ger Guerrero was an eyeexperience,” and accomopening experipanist Sara ence.” —Jaebok Lee ’16 Shakliyan. The concert The proended at 9 p.m., gram continued with “Can- and performers attended a reticle” sung by combined choirs ception at the church where featuring a clarinet solo by Tom they were served food and Fuller ’15, “Blue Light” played drinks.
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ANGELA CHON/CHRONICLE
STRING ALONG: Violinists and violists play as a part of the Symphony Orchestra during its concert with choir groups on Feb. 27. “Being part of the concert was great, especially since this one was filled with instrumental music, not just choral,” Michael Edwards ’16 said. “It
gave me an opportunity to hear our orchestra in many different contexts, and I was impressed by how versatile they were.”
Babel submissions increase with new incentives By Kami Durairaj
The newly renamed world languages magazine Babel has received 50 student submissions, an increase due to a new extra credit opportunity offered by the World Language department.
Babel Editor Lucas Gelfen ’15 believes that students were encouraged to submit to the magazine to receive extra credit in their language classes. “I submitted it because I wanted to work on my linguistic skills, and the extra credit was extra incentive,” Brennan
Lee ’17 said. Student submissions including works of creative writing, recipes, reviews, poems or photos are in the process of being sorted, Gelfen said. “This year I thought that we became much more proactive. We presented at class
meetings and planned more in advance,” Gelfen said. “We got a really great turnout and we got many more submissions than last year.” Layout for the magazine will begin in April, and the publication date is still to be determined.
Alumni host annual Jazz and Poetry Lounge
By Benjamin Most
The African-American Alumni Network welcomed guests into the Feldman-Horn Gallery Feb. 25 for its third annual Jazz and Poetry Lounge featuring jazz standards performed by the Jazz Explorers band. The president of the alumni network, Abby Harris ’94, organized the event, which was hosted by former “The Cosby Show” actor MalcolmJamal Warner, in honor of Black History Month. Harris began the event by singing the first verse of the song “Lift Every Voice and
Sing.” The audience joined in describing African-American singing the final verses of the historical figures from Unsong. derground Railroad conducGuests were encouraged to tor Harriet Tubman to rapper perform poetry or share art, Tupac Shakur and the hardand performances ships these men and included a remix of women faced. J. Cole’s “Be Free” Delaney shared on the harmonium a poem she wrote in by English teacher 2006 after the death Zachary Greenberg of her boyfriend. and poetry recita“He and I promtions by Warner, hisised each other a futory teacher Lauren ture together, so this Nichols ’03 and Sydis for him,” she said. nathanson’s ney Delaney ’02. “This is for anyone Zachary Warner perwith mixed heritage, Greenberg formed several polike me.” ems, including “So Flavia ZunigaI Run,” a poem by Will Bell West ’02, who set up a dis-
play of her artwork depicting the faces of people with mixed heritage, said that without the Jazz and Poetry Lounge, she might not have ever had the courage to share her art with an audience. “People have said to stop making art about being biracial,” Zuniga-West said. “They say it’s not saying anything. In the past two or three years, I’ve come to the point where I don’t care.” Harris reminded guests to donate in the final year of the Takes a Village campaign, a three-year financial aid fundraiser run by the AfricanAmerican Alumni Network.
Musicians play in jazz concert
By Mady Madison
At the Jazz Band’s “Evening of Jazz Combos” show on Friday and Saturday night, more than 35 songs were played by eight combos. “It was a great experience getting to play in a small group and getting to know the other Jazz musicians at HarvardWestlake,” drummer Sophia Dienstag ’17 said. The combos ranged from four to eight members and each played three to five songs with members switching instruments frequently to suit the song selection. “It was interesting having independence in the combo, unlike when you’re completely directed by a teacher,” Nick Sweeny ’17 said. “It was a good leadership experience for those who contributed. “
MADY MADISON/CHRONICLE
ALL THAT JAZZ: The Ben Weinmann/Ethan Madison Combo plays at its concert, “Evening of Jazz Combos.” The combo was one of eight that played on Friday and Saturday night in Rugby Audiorium.
B11 Features
The Chronicle
Students win at film festivals By Layla Moghavem, Jesse Nadel, Jackson Novick and William Park
Student films exploring the topics of genocide, gun violence and daily life won awards at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, the Pacifica Screen Film Festival, the Sun Valley Film Festival’s Future Filmmaker Forum and the National Film for Talented Youth film festival. Three Harvard-Westlake student films were screened at the Pacifica Screen Film Festival Feb. 27 at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica. Pacifica High School and the American Cinematheque hosted the event. “The Rhythm of Healing,” directed by Imani Cook-Gist ’15 and edited by Danielle Stolz ’15, won best documentary at the festival. Made as part of the Harvard-Westlake Digital Storytelling Adventure trip to Rwanda last year, the film examined how survivors of the Rwandan genocide used music and dance to cope. “After being in Rwanda for a while and talking with the people, I started to feel a sense of uplifting positivity towards the future,” Cook-Gist said. “So I decided to keep that theme and combine it with activities commonly practiced in Rwanda that I’m also personally attached to — music and dancing.” Cook-Gist said it “was unreal to watch my movie on the big screen” at the festival. The festival also screened “Hands,” made by Katie Eh-
rlich ’14 in a Video Art class. The film “explores how we humans experience the world through our hands,” Ehrlich said. “I knew this would be my last film of high school, so I decided to create an experimental film, my favorite genre of film to make,” she said. “It Shouldn’t Be This Easy,” a public service announcement about gun violence, was created and directed by Cameron Stine ’17, Connor Reese ’17, Ned Jacobs and Trey Carlisle, all participants in the joint Righteous Conversations Project and Harvard-Westlake Summer Film program last summer. “I’m honored that our film has gotten into various film festivals,” Reese said. “It is a really awesome feeling seeing your work played in front of an audience.” Two films, one by Cole Kawana ’16 and one by Mike Mapes ’16, will be showcased in the Sun Valley Film Festival’s Future Filmmaker Forum. Both were also inspired by the Rwanda trip. “The cool thing about getting into the Sun Valley Film Festival is that it isn’t just a student film festival — there were a bunch of indie and even several major films being shown there,” Kawana said. “It felt very rewarding, knowing that one of my videos was being screened among a slate of professional films.” Kawana’s film, “The Kindness of Strangers,” follows his discovery of the severe lack of water Rwandans face every
day. “I went to Rwanda wanting to tell a unique story of growth over the last 20 years, and not the traditional ‘doom and gloom’,” Kawana said. “I thought about professional journalists who travel to faraway countries to record captivating stories. Unfortunately, what I realized is that once they get this story, they leave the place as unchanged and impoverished as they found it. Wanting to change the cycle, I decided to bring a dozen water filters with me — giving me the premise for my film.” Mapes’s Film, “I am Kizito,” relates the experiences of a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide named Kizito. Even though Rwanda has been rebuilding since the genocide, survivors like Kizito struggle due to a lack of education and resources. The films selected for the National Film for Talented Youth film festival in Seattle were “Cut the Tall Trees: The Killing Power of Words” by Noah Bennett ’15 and Max Cho ’15, which was also about the Rwanda trip, as well as “Mask” by Katie Speare ’16. “‘Tall Trees’ explores the role of propaganda during the Rwandan Genocide and how it turned people towards the violence that they committed,” Cho said. The film, which is also being shown at the HarvardWestlake Film Festival, was additionaly shown at the Pan African Film Festival and won a Scholastic Arts and Wriing Silver Key.
March 18, 2015
• ‘After Assault’ continued from page B3 referring to the Venice High case. “They probably have no idea what the laws are in the state we live in.” Under California’s penal code, sexual contact involving a person under 18, consensual or not, and including when both participants are under 18, is unlawful. The day after Anna was forcibly kissed by her date, both her date and his friends texted her, trying to justify his actions and questioning why she was upset. Sonia Rivera, the East Los Angeles Women’s Center’s Director of Sexual Assault and Emergency Services, said forcible kissing can count as sexual assault. “Somebody’s forcing themselves on you, and if you’re not reciprocating,” it’s sexual assault, she said. Forcible kissing doesn’t get people prosecuted, however. In general, Rivera added, “no is no, regardless of whether [the person forcing sexual contact] is drunk or not. You can’t give consent while you’re drunk, and there always has to be a yes for everything.” Trishta Dordi ’15, who plans Denim Day events at the Upper School, hopes this year to organize an “open conversation between boys and girls” to promote a greater understanding of consent. This year, Denim Day will take place April 29, and Mentors in Violence Prevention co-founder Jackson Katz will speak at an assembly April 20 about violence against women. “[The lack of understanding] does hurt both genders … I think it’s upsetting if a guy
gets in trouble for something he didn’t think he was doing wrong,” Dordi said. In the weeks following the assault, Samantha was thinking about what had happened “almost every second of every day.” Now, “it’s something I can push out of my head,” she said. Only two days beforehand, Samantha decided to speak about her experience at an upper school assembly. She began by asking every female at the assembly to stand up. “One in five women will be raped,” Samantha told them. “And one in three will be sexually assaulted. I was one of that third.” In the face of a culture in which men and women are objectified every day, “we as a community need to appreciate everyone in this room,” she said. Samantha could count on her fingers how many people she’d told about the sexual assault before she shared her experience with more than a thousand. For the first time, she heard from others, about 10 of them, who had survived sexual assault, too. Soon, Samantha started a support group for students who had been sexually assaulted or raped. “When I see the girls around school, I feel like we understand each other in a way that maybe other people don’t, and I think it’s been nothing but positive,” she said. “Being able to handle it – that means you’re really, really strong. It’s not something to be ashamed of.”
B12 Features
The Chronicle
March 18, 2015
Waze around it 58 percent of students polled use the interactive navigation application Waze, which allows users to report traffic, road conditions and locations of police officers. The app gets mixed reviews both from drivers and law enforcement officers.
By Carly Berger
I’ve used it, it’s gotten me where I need to her when a police officer is near her. go, but same with Google Maps. There is Elwes said that she was using Waze achel Persky ’15 rushes out the no difference.” while driving on Laurel Canyon and was door and into her car to drive to At first Cameron Kao ’15 found Waze going above the speed limit when the app her friend’s beach house, pulling up annoying because it would take a while to alerted her that she was approaching a the navigation app Waze on her iPhone. reload directions when he made a mis- cop car. She then slowed down to avoid She is running 10 minutes late and is take, but the app has grown on him. getting a speeding ticket. stressed that she will not be on time. “I’ve been using it more and more and The police tracking feature of Waze, Quickly, she types in the address of the have been liking it more and more because however, has sparked some concerns as to house and is surprised to see that Waze I like how it tells you where cops are so I whether the app creates a safety hazard tells her to take the 101 Freeway can slow down,” Kao said. “I also for law enforcement officers. north to Decker Canyon, then like how it will take you on serIsmaaiyl Brinsley, the man accused to Pacific Coast Highway. While vice roads just to avoid traffic.” of killing two New York City police offinormally Persky takes the 101 Teddy Sokoloff ’15 switched cers then killing himself Dec. 20, posted a Freeway north to Malibu Canfrom using Google Maps to Waze screenshot on Instagram of the Waze app yon to Pacific Coast Highway, about a year ago, because he notifying him that he was approaching a she decides to trust the applicafound the Waze routes to have cop car before the attack. tion and follows the route that it less traffic. Sokoloff reports road While the New York Police Departgave her. After turning right on conditions on Waze, but tries to ment does not believe that Brinsley found to Pacific Coast Highway, then only do it when he is at a stop. the officers through Waze, Los Angeles nathanson’s left in to her friend’s driveway, There are multiple safety con- Police Department Chief Charlie Beck Rachel Persky is shocked that she has cerns to using the app while driv- found the police tracking feature of Waze Persky ’15 arrived on time. ing. While Waze detects when a to be a danger for police officers, and sent “I love using Waze because it person is driving and does not an email to the CEO of Google, Larry gets me places so much faster than other allow for a driver to type an address on Page last December. apps,” Persky said. “I use it all the time.” Waze unless they say they are a passenIn the email quoted by The Los AngeWaze is an interactive app that not ger, drivers still can use the app by lying. les Times, on Jan. 28, Beck notified Page only crafts routes for drivers based on Nina Dubovitsky ’15 almost got in an of the police department’s concerns about real-time traffic patterns, but unlike accident checking her phone, waiting for Waze. other navigation apps, it allows drivers to Waze to reload after she missed a turn. “I am writing to alert you that your report traffic, police cars and hazardous Dubovitsky now only uses it before she company’s ‘Waze’ app as currently configobjects on the road. drives to estimate how long her ride will ured poses a danger to the lives of police The app gives the shortest route pos- be. officers in the United States,” Beck said sible for drivers because it factors in their There are some flaws to the app, she in the email. “That danger was just demreports when calculating routes. Drivers added. onstrated by its use in the recent assasalso like knowing where police officers “It kind of makes you do weird turns, sination of New York Police Department and red light cameras are on the road so like turn left on a busy street without Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.” they can avoid a ticket if they are speed- street lights,” Dubovitsky said. “It makes In the email, Beck encouraged Page to ing or doing something else that is illegal. the drive a little bit more dangerous be- contact him to help change the configuUri Levine, Ehud Shabtai and Amir cause of that, so I use Waze just for tim- ration of the app in order to ensure the Shinar created the application in 2008 in ing.” safety of police officers, though no changIsrael, and Google acquired Waze in 2013 Dubovitsky also questions the interac- es have been made to the app yet. for $966 million. tive part of the Waze. The company replied on Jan. 27 saying Out of 424 students polled, 58 per“I don’t report traffic because when many people in law enforcement actually cent use the app, which is second on the you’re driving, that’s actually so danger- think Waze is beneficial because “most app store for free navigation apps. While ous, because it is kind of an incentive to users tend to drive more carefully when many find the app beneficial because of text and drive which is not they believe law enforceits interactive features, others find using what drivers should be doment is nearby,” the Los it to be dangerous because it can be dis- ing,” Dubovitsky said. Angeles Times reported. I think Waze is tracting. The app allows a driver Police officers are not the best navigation Jack Price ’15 frequently uses the app to report road conditions the only people who have to navigate and prefers Waze over Google by giving them the opa problem with Waze. app because it tells you Maps and Mapquest. While the iPhone tion to click on what they Residents of Encino have where police officers comes equipped with its own navigation would like to report, then seen an increase in traffic are.” application, Maps, many download Waze click on another button on the once quiet streets for free instead. that best describes what they live on, believing it —Jack Price ’15 has a link to the app and “Waze gets you to where you want exactly they are reportto go as fast as possible,” Price said. “I ing, and then submit the its growing popularity. think Waze is the best navigation app be- report, all of which require drivers to look “Last year, I only left 10 minutes for cause it tells you where police officers are, at their phones. commute time in the morning, and I and I like that it takes you through back Dubovitsky used to like that Waze didn’t have a problem,” Jessica Spitz ’15 streets, and you feel like you are cutting would notify her when a police officer was said. “But this year, a lot more people use all the traffic.” close to her, but now she finds that part the back streets I use, so I have to get up Some students do not like Waze, of the app to be annoying because she gets a lot earlier and make sure I am out of my though, and prefer other navigation apps. notifications from Waze a lot while she is house on time.” “I use Google Maps and it still gives driving about hazards that do not necesSpitz lives less than one mile from you a short route and multiple options, sarily affect her. school, but it takes her 15-20 minutes to and tells me how to get places,” Cooper Unlike Dubovitsky, Cosima Elwes ’15 drive to school in the mornings due to the said. “I think [Waze] is overhyped be- finds the interactive part of Waze very traffic jams on the side streets around cause I don’t understand the difference. helpful, especially the part that notifies Coldwater, she said.
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SCREENSHOT OF WAZE APP BY CARLY BERGER
Sports
The Chronicle • March 18, 2015
Track and Field
Boys, girls win early dual meets By Jonathan Seymour
HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE
PICK AND ROLL: Lindsey Tse ’16, one of the team’s primary ball handlers, comes off a pick set by Jayla Ruffus-Milner ’18 to open up a lane to the basket. The girls beat St. Anthony 74-62 to move onto the state semifinals against Oaks Christian.
Wolverines face Oaks Christian in semis
By Henry Vogel
The girls’ basketball team used a two-three zone for the first time this season to counter St. Anthony’s speed in the Wolverines’ 7462 CIF State Playoff quarter final win Saturday night. “[We used the two-three zone because] they were big inside, and we needed to be able to crowd the paint and force them to shoot outside,” Head Coach Melissa Hearlihy said. The St. Anthony Saints quickly scored the first two baskets of the game, taking a 4-0 lead. Then, the Wolverines’ zone defense kicked in, and the Saints started to struggle finding ways to score in the half-court. Harvard-Westlake scored 17 straight points and held St. Anthony scoreless for over four minutes. The first quarter ended with the Wolverines’ leading 21-6. Throughout the game, both teams were fouling at
will. For Harvard-Westlake, the fouls were a result of St. Anthony’s speed in transition and slashes to the rim. The Wolverines used a disciplined and methodical half-court offense to repeatedly get into the paint and draw fouls from St. Anthony players. The second quarter started out with more balanced scoring. The Saints came out of the locker room and immediately cut the lead to nine, but as fouls continued to be committed and free throws were made, the Wolverines’ brought the lead up to 19 with 3:30 left in the half. By halftime, Harvard-Westlake led 4426. Hearlihy pointed to free throw consistency as a big factor in the win. The team has struggled with its foul shots in previous games, but against St. Anthony, the girls’ high conversion rate at the line accounted for a big portion of the team’s scoring. Also, all of the trips
to the foul line gave the girls an opportunity to rest from the continuous full court pressure from St. Anthony. Usually, the Wolverines pick up full-court, causing steals and easy baskets in transition. This game, the girls used the zone for the entire game and never picked up past half-court. In the third quarter, momentum shifted back and forth as the teams traded baskets, but the HarvardWestlake lead hovered around 20 points. At the end of the third quarter, Harvard-Westlake was up 61-45. With about five minutes to go in the game, the Saints seemed to finally figure out how to score on the Harvard-Westlake zone and in transition. They started narrowing lead by forcing a pair of turnovers and getting to the line three possessions in a row. With 3:10 left, a threepointer from a St. Anthony player cut the Wolverines’
lead to 10. “We got tired, and they got physical,” Hearlihy said. “In the fourth quarter it was leaning their way a little bit. We gritted it out.” A three-pointer from Teeana Cotangco ’15 effectively sealed the victory with one minute left in the game. Hearlihy subbed in the bench players, and the Wolverines’ finished up the win-or-go-home road game. In addition to dominating the boards, Jayla RuffusMilner ’18 finished with 24 points on a combination of free throws and contact layups in the paint. Cotangco and Lindsey Tse ’16 shared point guard duties bringing the ball up the floor against the St. Anthony press. Cotangco had 16 points, and Tse finished with nine. Jordan Brown also added nine points. The girls played Oaks Christian Tuesday in the semifinals of the CIF State Playoffs. See www.hwchronicle.com for all the details.
Both the girls’ and boys’ track and field teams maintain 2-0 dual meet overall and league records. “The season so far has been going great,” Alexandria Florent ’15 said. The girls beat Louisville 90-31 at home in their season and league opener March 5, winning a majority of the events. Shea Copeland ’15, who holds the Harvard-Westlake girls’ 100-meter record, won the 100-meter, running it in 12.44 seconds. She also won the 200-meter race. “Since February, we have been [practicing] four times per week as we’ve been working a lot on our mechanics and technique,” Copeland said. Casey Crosson ’17 led the 1600-meter. “In practice we’ve really been working on doing things right technically,” Florent said. Nina Milligan ’16 won the 100-meter hurdles race and the 300-meter hurdles as well. London Alexander ’18 won the 400-meter and the 800-meter races. Crosson took first in the 3200-meter, and the Wolverines also won the 4x400-meter relay. On the field, Florent won the long jump, and Kennedy Long ’16 won the triple jump. In addition, Florent won the high jump. Mila Barzdukas ’15 won the pole vault. At the same time, the boys beat Crespi 90-31. The Wolverines won the 4x100-meter, and Nate Hollander ’17 took first place in the 1600-meter. Justin Golden ’17 won the 400-meter. Gabriel Jenkinson ’16 won the 100-meter, and Henry Roskin ’16 won the 800-meter as well. Dietrich Tribull ’16 took first in the 300-meter hurdles race. Alex Barnum ’16 won the 200-meter. Ben Weissenbach ’15 took first in the • Continued on page C6
Lacrosse
Team jumps out to quick 4-1 start INSIDE By Cole Jacobson
COLE JACOBSON/CHRONICLE
BODY UP: Attacker Aaron Drooks ‘15 attempts to get in scoring position in the lacrosse team’s 16-10 home loss to Loyola.
Despite losing a stacked senior class to graduation, including a pair of former LaxPower All-American selections in midfielders Noah Pompan ’14 and Jack Temko ’14, the varsity lacrosse team has established itself as a contender in the CIF-SS Northern Division. Holding a 4-1 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Mission League play, the Wolverines head into a massive matchup with defending champion Palos Verdes today. “We are right around where I thought we’d be,” said midfielder Oliver Levitt ‘15. “We’re starting to play really good team ball, and that’s what we need to do to win.” After the top-seeded 2014
team was upset in the second round of the playoffs by league rival Crespi, and five all-league selections from that team graduated, media expectations for this year’s squad were somewhat tame. MaxLaxLA had the Wolverines ranked seventh in their preseason poll. However, the team jumped out to a quick 2-0 start, including a thrilling overtime victory over non-league foe Agoura, when Kenyon University commit Joe Woody ‘15 connected with merely 12 seconds to go in the extra period to give the team an 8-7 win on the road. “We knew we were going to win throughout the entire game,” defender Andrew Park ‘15 said. “We knew that we had
to just buckle it up and get the tough win, and Woody was able to do that like the iceman he is.” Woody, who scored twice in the win, said, “I threw away a pass in the fourth quarter with a few seconds left, but nobody got down on me,” before adding that “it felt good to make a clutch play to win.” In the Mission League opener against Loyola, currently ranked as the best team in the county by both the Los Angeles coaches’ poll and LaxPower’s computer rankings, the squad was successful early on, as a first-half hat trick from attackman Paul Rodriguez ‘18 carried the Wolverines to a 9-7 halftime lead. • Continued on page C3
C4-5
PLAYOFF ROUNDUP:
Check out recaps of the postseason results for five eliminated varsity winter sports teams, including the girls’ soccer team, on pages C4 and C5.
C2 Sports
Facts &
The Chronicle
March 18, 2015
Baseball
Figures Seasons for Jonathan Carroll as Head of the Swimming Program
9
3
Strikeouts pitched by Hailey de la Vara '17 against Thousand Oaks on March 3
Overall wins for girls' varsity basketball
6
22
Consecutive wins for varsity baseball as of press time
Game to watch MARCH 20
Boys' Baseball vs. Notre Dame O'Malley Family Field
The squad hopes to defend a promising start to the season against prominent league rival Notre Dame. This game is the Wolverine's first home league game. The team had a 9-3 home record last season.
KEY PLAYER
Cameron Deere '16 Deere was a dependable power hitter last season, finishing with 19 RBIs in 27 games. He went toe-totoe with aces in the Mission League, finishing with a .273 batting average last season. This season, he hit two home runs and six RBIs in a 12-0 win over Dos Pueblos. He will be a key player batting, pitching and at third base.
Junior Varsity Boys' Baseball (2-3) Last Game:
L (3-2) vs. Alemany HS
Boys' Lacrosse (3-1) Last Game: W (14-2) vs. Oaks Christian
Girls' Swim (0-2) Last Game: L (88-69) vs. Notre Dame
Girls’ Track (2-0) Last Meet: W (52-40) vs. Chaminade
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF HARVARD-WESTLAKE ATHLETICS
UNDEFEATED: Cameron Deere '16 (left) releases a pitch in the varsity baseball team's 6-1 Easton Tournament victory over Alemany, while Chase Aldridge '15 (right) tags a baserunner in that game. Deere threw six and two-thirds innings in the win. Aldridge had a triple.
Squad dominates Easton Tournament By Mila Barzdukas and Tyler Graham
The Wolverine baseball program doesn’t rebuild, it reloads. The last time varsity baseball lost a graduate to the first round of MLB’s first year player draft, it quickly reloaded and won the CIF Southern Section Division-I Championship. The team lost Max Fried ’12 and Lucas Giolito ’12 and rebounded by being named the best team in high school baseball by Baseball America. This year the team is without Jack Flaherty ’14, resident ace and cleanup hitter, who was drafted in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals. So far, life without Flaherty has been smooth for the Wolverines, as the team holds an undefeated 6-0 record and three-peated as champion of the Easton Tournament. The team headed into Mission League play Tuesday night
at Notre Dame. The results of this game can be found on hwchronicle.com. “Our season has been really good so far,” rightfielder Jackson Grayson said. “We’ve just been able to find a way to win. Our offense has been good, our defense has been good, and our pitching has been good. I don’t think we are even playing to our full potential yet, which is good.” A big indicator of the team’s league potential was how the team elevated its play during the Easton Tournament. The Wolverines experienced a rocky start, narrowly beating Village Christian 8-7 in the first round with a walk-off single from Ezra Steinberg ’15. The rest of the tournament allowed the Wolverines to settle into a rhythm. They picked off Saugus 4-1 and Chatsworth 4-0. The game against Chatsworth marked the first career start from Gabe Golob ’16 on the mound, who missed his entire sophomore
season with a stress fracture in his elbow. He threw a fourhitter with four strikeouts and one walk in a complete game performance. The squad beat Agoura 5-2 in the semifinals before vanquishing Alemany 6-1 in the final of the tournament. The game started off slowly on both sides, with a 35-minute long first inning. But for the next six innings, Cameron Deere ’16 limited the Alemany lineup offensively, pitching a two-hitter with five strikeouts. The Harvard-Westlake batters spread their runs out over several innings, scoring in the first, fifth and sixth innings. The win gave the team confidence going into Mission League play, which is widely considered to be one of the toughest leagues for baseball in the CIF Southern Section. “I think a lot of people are underestimating our ability,” Paul Giacomazzi ’16 said. “They just believe that without
Jack Flaherty we can’t be a contending team, but we are. Beating Alemany was a huge step forward for us as a team and brought our confidence level up a ton.” However, the squad is not planning to rest on its laurels. “We go about our business every day and we try to get better every single day,” Centerfielder Jake Suddleson ’16 said. “We’re doing that right now. We’re getting some good wins. But it’s just about taking it game-by-game and taking it step-by-step and just doing what we do.” The win against Alemany marked the fourth Easton Tournament win in a row for Harvard-Westlake. The team further bolstered its confidence with a 12-0 win over Dos Pueblos March 14. Pitchers Golob, Jesse Bergin ’18 and Matt Beyer ’15 combined to a pitch a nohitter and Deere hit two home runs and plated six runs to power the offense.
Swim meet held to honor Justin Carr '14
By Jake Liker
Five schools competed in the second Annual Justin E. Carr Relay Invitational on March 7, named for Justin Carr ’14, a Wolverine swimmer who died of cardiomyopathy during a practice in February 2013. Although the exhibition meet does not have any competitive relevance in terms of records and standings, it still bears significance for those involved. “Each year, there is a heightened desire to do well because the team wants to take home the team championship trophy which bears Justin’s likeness swimming his favorite stroke, the butterfly,” swim program Head Coach Jon Carroll said. This year’s championship trophy was designed by visual arts teacher Marianne Hall. The Wolverines finished in second and fourth place in the women’s and men’s 200-meter butterfly relays, respectively. Of the 16 events at the meet, all of which were relays, the Wolverines won the women’s
200-meter and 400-meter freestyle relays, as well as the women’s 200-meter medley. For the second year in a row, both the Loyola men and the Flintridge Sacred Heart women won the girls' team titles. “This event is so special because it celebrates the life, legacy and impact that Justin has left and continues to leave on all of our lives,” said swimmer Camille Oswald, who competed in the 200-meter backstroke and 350-meter freestyle. “I was very proud to be able to participate in this event and honor Justin.” Carr’s parents, Darrell and Susan Carr, both spoke at the event. A recording of Justin singing the Star Spangled Banner was played at the beginning of the meet. “I am honored to be able to do [the meet],” Carroll said. “I am happy that each year, a new group gets to learn about what a special individual Justin was and how he contributed in so many ways to the HarvardWestlake community.”
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF HW ATHLETICS
FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY: Alec Hsing '16 swims the 200 IM relay, the same event Justin Carr '14 swam during his time on the team. The Wolverines' finished fourth in the event.
March 18, 2015
hwchronicle.com/sports
Sports C3
inbrief
Boys' Tennis
Squad nationally ranked entering league
teams like San Marino and Los Alamitos. Those are going The boys’ tennis team has to be tougher to beat than defeated three top teams en University.” route to its undefeated 4-0 The boys dominated the record going into its non- match against Palos Verdes, league matchup against San winning on Palos Verdes’ home Marino today at 3 p.m. See courts 14-4. www.hwchronicle.com for all This year, the team is going the details. to rely on role players that, The squad is expecting although they do not have high to win its 18th consecutive national rankings, contribute Mission League title because to the team from various the real competition positions, Genender comes from nonsaid. league schools in the Doubles teams postseason, Michael and a definitive Genender ’15 said. In roster are yet to the first match of the be set, but the year, the Wolverines, singles players will beat St. Francis 14-4. be Genender, Jaird The next three Meyer ’15 and Adam matches were against Sraberg ’17 with Westlake, University Stanley Morris ’18 nathanson’s Irvine High School possibly rotating in. Michael and Palos Verdes, all Genender was Genender ’15 are historically tough the number one non-league opponents. ranked junior in Southern Against Westlake, the boys California last year, and will won 12-6 at their home courts always be on the roster when at Los Angeles Valley College. he attends matches. There The team also beat is more flexibility with the University Irvine High School other players, and depending by a score of 12-6, and the on the difficulty of any given win was the first against opponent, the rotation may that opponent in seven years. be changed so players can get University Irvine High School more practice and experience. has won four straight CIF The team captain is championships and eliminated Genender, but he shares the Wolverines from the leadership responsibilities Southern California Regional with Jacob Adler ’15, a doubles Championships in the player. Managers Jack Price quarterfinals last year. ’15 and Andrew Fischman ’15 “University has been also play a role in the teams historically good in the last 10 chemistry, and may get to years, but they have dropped suit up and play against some off a little bit,” Genender said. weaker league opponents, “There are some other good Genender said.
‘Beat the Bot’ challenge returns
By Henry Vogel
Lacrosse
HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE
Fencing places first in epee and saber
HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE
ROAD TO THE RING: Michael Genender '15 (top) takes a backhand stroke in the varsity tennis team's victory over Westlake. Patrick Hudnut '16 (bottom) attempts to take a forehand stroke in the boys' tennis team's victory over Westlake.
Wolverines win 4 of 5 • Continued from page C1
COLE JACOBSON/CHRONICLE
ON THE RUN: Midfielder Jared Goldman '18 (top) sprints to the goal in the lacrosse team's 16-10 loss to Loyola, as midfielder Phil Thompson '15 (bottom) cradles the ball in the same game.
Students have the chance to compete against sports research students for the “Beat the Bot” project, which is organized by the Sports Research class and their teacher William Thill. March Madness brackets predict the results of all six rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. In order to win the competition, students have to defeat “Team Bot,” which is a group of students from the Sports Research class and Hoops Analysis Club. Prizes are a $100 Amazon Gift Card for the most accurate individual bracket, a $50 Amazon Gift Card for second place, and a $20 Amazon Gift Card for third and fourth places. Furthermore, $10 Amazon gift cards will be raffled off to 20 students. They will be split according to the percentage of students who beat the bot. —William Park
However, the team’s lack of depth became an issue late in the game — the team's roster has only 23 players — and the Cubs made Harvard-Westlake pay with a 6-0 fourth quarter run en route to a 16-10 win. “We lost our legs late in that game, since we’re a pretty thin team in terms of numbers,” said Park, who was one of five Wolverines to play all 48 minutes. “As the season progresses, running the fastpaced style of offense and defense that we do, we’re going to get into better shape.” “We’re going to change things with lineups,” Woody added. “We’re definitely going to try to get subs in more.” After that tough rivalry loss, the team responded with a pair of road victories to get back on track. The team defeated Oaks Christian 9-5 before getting its first league win over Chaminade with a 10-8 victory after being down 7-5 with only seven minutes remaining. “I would say it’s been going better than I thought, because we’re playing with different styles and there’s a learning curve,” said Head Coach Alex Weber. “It’s the right move to where we want to be in the playoffs, and we’re definitely on the right track.” As of press time, the team finds itself ranked fourth in the county according to LaxPower’s computer
rankings, but players and coaches see potential for even bigger things. “I want to win the Mission League, but I care more about peaking going into the playoffs,” added Weber. “We have a great senior class, and it’s the best leadership I’ve seen since I’ve been here. They can carry us a long way.” Park said that the goal for this year's team was to replicate the success of the 2013 CIF-SS Northern Division champion squad: “I’ve been playing varsity since I was a freshman, and in terms of talent, team chemistry and total potential, this is the best lacrosse team I’ve ever been on," he said, before adding, "If we do our jobs, we can honestly be the best team in Los Angeles.” Still, for now, the focus is on the team the Wolverines defeated in that 2013 title game — Palos Verdes, which won the 2014 division title and is currently ranked second in the county by the coaches’ poll. “PV has a lot of talent; we upset them deep in the playoffs two years ago, and I know they remember that,” Woody said. “We need a crowd to get in their heads, and if we bring it, we can definitely beat them.” “That’s an L.A. lacrosse powerhouse,” Levitt added. “Our coaches say every game, ‘respect everyone and fear no one.’” The game will begin at 5:45 p.m. on Ted Slavin Field.
The women’s and men’s varsity A teams placed first in both the epee and saber categories in the tournment which was held at Chaminade on March 15. Harvard-Westlake sent 30 fencers to participate in this tournament. Each year, the Fencing Team attends one team event and a few individual events for each weapon. The tournament was held at Chaminade, and six other schools participated. HarvardWestlake sent its varsity A team, varsity B team and Middle School Team. Last year, the men’s varsity A team foil finished second, the women’s varsity A team foil finished third, the women’s varsity B team finished fourth and the middle school fencing team foil finished first. “These tournaments are always exciting and fun,” said fencing program head Ted Katzoff. “It is great to see my fencers perform well, and several of them performed better than they normally do.” “I felt that this tournament allowed me to bond with my teammates.” Dongwon Kwak ‘17 said. “This year's tournament allowed us to think of the game as more of a team sport than an individual sport.” —Bryant Wu
Soccer players honored by SAAC Soccer players Cole Fletcher ’15 and Courtney Gazmarian ’16 were named the male and female athletes of the month for March by the Student Athlete Advisory Council. Fletcher has been a solid defender throughout the season, as part of a team ranked 60th in the state and 140th in the nation by MaxPreps. Gazmarian has been a standout midfielder for a team that finished ranked ninth in the state and 21st in the nation by MaxPreps. — Bryant Wu
The Chronicle
C4 Sports
March 18, 2015
WINTER WRAP-UPS CIF Playoff Results Boys' Basketball: Quarterfinals
Girls' Basketball: State Semifinals
Boys' Soccer: Second Round
Girls' Soccer: Second Round
Wrestling: Five Advance to CIF
Girls' Water Polo: Quarterfinals
(as of press time)
COLE JACOBSON/CHRONICLE
PLANT AND GO: Midfielder Courtney Gazmarian ’16 attempts to secure possession in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 second-round playoff match on Ted Slavin Field Feb. 24. Despite Gazmarian's efforts on both sides of the ball, the Wolverines dropped a 3-3 (4-2) decision in penalty kicks to eventual CIF-SS DI champions Mater Dei.
Girls' Soccer
Girls upset in 2nd round match By Jonathan Seymour
For the fourth year in a row, the girls’ soccer team’s postseason ended in a penalty kicks defeat. In the past three seasons, San Clemente, Chaminade and Santa Margarita have all defeated the Wolverines in penalty kicks, and Mater Dei joined that group Feb. 24 after defeating the Wolverines in the second round of the CIFSS Division I playoffs. “I’m sad that the season is ending because I miss playing with and hanging out with the girls on our team every day,” Courtney O’Brien ’15 said. “Our team was really closely bonded. The last game was rough because I feel we were capable of going so much farther in CIF, but honestly, it didn’t change my opinion of the season at all.” Due to an undefeated Mission League record and a 15-2-1 record going into the playoffs, the Wolverines received a first-round bye. In the squad’s final league game Feb. 11, which was also its Senior Night, it defeated FSHA 7-0, led by four goals from Courtney Gazmarian '16. Because it was Senior Night, in the last few seconds of the game, Head Coach Richard Simms sent in all six seniors to end the game. “We had a phenomenal season and put in consistent work,” Nicole Araya ’16 said. “I think our entire team was shocked with how the season ended so suddenly, but we put up a fight until the very end.” The girls played the final game of the regular season at Valencia Feb. 14 and defeated the Vikings 3-0. During the regular season, the Wolverines maintained a tight defense with the help of goalie Lindsay Avant ’17, who only allowed seven goals in 18 games. On the flip side, the Wolverines scored 59 goals in those same 18 matches. “Our record speaks for
itself,” Araya said. “We worked hard as a team for those wins and goals, and we’re very proud of that.” In the final game, the Wolverines maintained an initial lead over the Mater Dei Monarchs after Karla Alas ’16 scored in the first minute, and took the lead again when Paige Howard ’17 scored off of a pass from Chloe Castaneda ’15. The Wolverines kept their lead for most of the game until Mater Dei’s Lauren Markwith ’16 evened the score with four minutes left. With one minute left in the game, a 40-yard Mater Dei free kick followed by another header led to a third goal that seemingly turned the tide and put the Wolverines away. However, O’Brien responded with a header of her own off another pass from Castaneda with only seconds left in regulation time. After two scoreless overtime periods, the game headed into penalty kicks. In the shootout, all of the first four Monarch shooters scored, while the Monarch goalie blocked O’Brien’s shot in the bottom left corner and Talia Wazana’s ’15 goal in the fourth round to win the game for Mater Dei, ending the Wolverines’ playoff run. “Obviously the way the season ended was heartbreaking because we worked so hard and were so determined to go all the way,” Howard said. “But our entire season was amazing because we worked so hard.” “That last game was insane because it kept going back and forth between us,” Howard said. “And Mater Dei kept fighting back to tie it up, but I was really proud of how we came back in the last minute to take it to overtime, and we didn’t give up. I hope next season we are able to work just as well together [as we did this season] and find that chemistry again so we can go all the way.”
Boys' Basketball
COLE JACOBSON/CHRONICLE
CROSSOVER: Guard Alex Copeland ’15 tries to shake Mission Prep’s Carter Gran ’17 in the varsity basketball team's 91-82 loss to the Royals in a CIF-SS Division 4AA quarterfinal matchup Feb. 24.
Team drops 3rd round game By Cole Jacobson
For three straight years, the CIF-SS Division 4AA quarterfinals had spelled doom for the varsity boys’ basketball team. Gardena Serra in 2012, Bishop Montgomery in 2013 and Buckley in 2014 all eliminated the squad in the third round of the playoffs. Thanks to Mission Prep’s Quinton Adlesh ’15, the infamous streak lives on for the Wolverines. In a quarterfinal matchup Feb. 24, the Columbiacommitted point guard scored 44 points, including nine three-pointers, to carry his second-seeded Royals to a 9182 win over the sixth-seeded Wolverines. “[Coach Hilliard] just told us he’s proud of us,” Alex Copeland ’15 told the Los Angeles Daily News after the game. “Obviously it’s a disappointing loss, but he told us how happy he was to have a team like us.” Relegated to the sixth seed in the playoff bracket after a tough loss to Loyola, the team began its postseason with a vengeance. A 31-6 advantage in first quarter — the highest point differential for a Wolverine team in one quarter since Dec. 2010 — led to a 7931 first-round victory over Fillmore Feb. 17. Copeland set
the school’s single game steals record with 11. The squad had an intriguing second-round home matchup with Rancho Mirage High School, which was only founded in 2013 and featured no seniors. The team trailed by as many as eight points in the first quarter, but dominance from Copeland, who scored 30 points, and center Noah Gains ’15, who grabbed 21 rebounds, carried the squad to a comfortable 75-58 victory. “We come out with the same intensity in every game, as if we can't play tomorrow,” said Gains, who finished at 10.8 boards per game. “In the first quarter they outhustled us, and I took that to heart, so that was motivation for the rest of the game.” The team had momentum entering its home quarterfinal matchup, and seemed ready for an upset early on. Even though the student fans were initially scarce — most were still watching the varsity girls’ soccer team in action — the squad jumped out to a 23-12 lead behind the jump shooting of Ali Iken ’17, who scored 16 points on the night and averaged 13.5 per game on the season. However, the historical shooting effort from Adlesh doomed the Wolverines, as the Royals slowly began to
chip at the lead. Despite a 4840 halftime edge, HarvardWestlake simply couldn’t hold off the Royals’ shooting barrage. “[Adlesh] is a great player, and it made it tough for us,” said Copeland, who averaged 25.4 points per game, about his future collegiate rival. Harvard-Westlake finished the season at 14-14 overall and 4-8 in Mission League play, including a 1-9 record in games decided by a singledigit amount of points. Consequently, Hilliard’s 30-year Harvard-Westlake career concluded with a 617244 overall record, including nine CIF-SS divisional titles in a dominant 17-season stretch from 1995 to 2011. “It felt weird at the end and it felt weird in the locker room afterwards,” Hilliard said. “That’s when it hit the most that it’s over.” “He wanted to express how proud he was of how hard we played, with how much heart we played and the type of people we were becoming,” Copeland added. “We didn’t have as much talent as Hilliard’s teams have had in the past few years, but we played harder than anybody night in and night out. We played with a lot of passion and heart, and we loved our guys on and off the court.”
March 18, 2015
hwchronicle.com/sports
Sports C5
Boys' Soccer
Boys eliminated in penalty kicks
By Tyler Graham
School on Feb. 21. The game was scoreless for a full 70 After finishing the season minutes before midfielder second in league with a 14- Myles Pindus ’15 was able to 4-1 record, the boys’ soccer convert on a free kick from team suffered a heartbreaking 19 yards out, allowing the loss in penalty kicks to Los Wolverines to stay in playoff Alamitos High School in the contention. second round of CIF Playoffs. In the second round, the The Wolverines tied Los team experienced the highest Alamitos 1-1 in regulation of highs with Carloss’ seasonbefore falling 4-3 in penalty extending goal, but suffered kicks. the lowest of lows in losing A Jonah during penalty Carloss ’16 kicks and goal off a free getting jousted It was definitely kick in the from the last minute of playoffs in the the most fun I've had regulation sent second round. on a Harvard-Westlake the game into The team’s soccer team.” overtime. loss came a Fo l l o w i n g day after the —Parker Converse ’15 girls’ a scoreless soccer overtime, the Defender team also lost game headed in a penalty into penalties. shootout, as “The first thing that both teams had similarly went through my mind [when disappointing playoff-ending Carloss scored] was the losses in the second round. positive impact that it created “The game was just a for us, and the negative impact rollercoaster of emotions,” it created for the other team,” center defender Parker head coach Lucas Bongarra Converse ’15 said. “Just when said. “It looked like we were we thought we were out of it, really in the driver’s seat [Carloss] scored and we were heading into overtime. I don’t right back in it. I think we got a think they expected us to tie little unlucky in penalty kicks, that game.” and it was pretty frustrating In the first round at Ted to lose in that way.” Slavin Field, the team received The team was without a scare from Camarillo High suspended center midfielder
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TYLER GRAHAM/CHRONICLE
CLUTCH: Midfielder Myles Pindus '15 watches as his free kick from 19 yards out hits the net. Pindus' goal with 10 minutes remaining carried the boys' soccer team to a 1-0 first-round win over Camarillo. Jadon Yariv ’16 for the game. Yariv played in a showcase out of California, which is a violation of CIF rules, and the Harvard-Westlake athletic department had to reveal the infraction to avoid the risk of playoff forfeiture. Despite the early playoff exit, both Bongarra and Converse consider the team’s season to be a success. Converse cited the squad’s undefeated record against perennial power and league champion Loyola as the
Wrestling
highlight of the team’s season. “I thought it was a really great season, especially if you compare it to past seasons,” Converse said. “It was definitely the most fun I’ve had on a Harvard-Westlake soccer team. Even though we lost in the playoffs early, looking back on the season we have to be happy, especially because we were able to beat Loyola at their own field.” Bongarra is optimistic about the program going forward. Even though the
team is losing leading goal scorers Myles Pindus ’15 and Henry Quilici ’15, as well as stalwart defenders Converse and Cole Fletcher ’15, Yariv returns alongside a crop of young talent. “The freshmen that we had this year played very well,” Bongarra said. “The offseason is going to be important for us so we can stay sharp until next season. It’s really hard to tell how we are going to be next year, but I think we can be really good.”
Girls' Water Polo
Team loses in quarters By Bennett Gross
AUDREY WILSON/CHRONICLE
READY FOR ACTION: Josh Muiscant '17 starts in "referee's position" in a matchup during the wrestling team's 52-24 Senior Night loss to Alemany on Jan. 7 in Hamilton Gymnasium.
Five wrestlers compete in CIF By Audrey Wilson
Adler was 3-0 in the 132-pound weight class prior After finishing in last place to his injury, and had been in the Mission League with an considered a favorite to ad0-4 overall record and an 0-4 vance to the next round beleague record in dual matches, fore his forced withdrawal. the varsity wrestling squad’s Wrestlers Malcolm Neill ’15, season came to James Lennon a disappoint’15, Ryan Ruiz ing close at the ’16 and Josh It was a fun CIF SouthMusicant ’17 tournament ... overall, ern Section also competed Northern Diviin their final I'm really satisfied with sion Champimatches in the my final season and onships. Jake tournament Adler ’17, the after their wrestling career at last Wolverine strong qualiHarvard-Westlake.” wrestler alive fying perforin contention —Malcolm Neill ’15 mances at Misto advance to sion League the CIF SouthFinals, as all ern Section Masters’ competi- finished in the top three plaction, received a concussion in es of their respective weight his fourth match and had to classes at the Mission League withdraw from competition, individual finals Jan. 31. Howeliminating himself from Mas- ever, none were able to adters’ consideration. vance far enough to head to
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Masters’ play, as the season concluded at the CIF Southern Section Northern Division Championships Feb. 21. “We represented, and it was a fun last tournament,” Neill said. “I’m going to miss all the guys on my wrestling team, but I’m excited to be moving on to college. As far as doing something differently, I could always look back and say to myself I wish I worked on this move a little more, or I wish I wrestled more defensively this match, but overall I’m really satisfied with my final season and my wrestling career at Harvard-Westlake.” While the squad had a winless season as a team, strong individual performances led its members far into CIF. With the loss of two strong seniors, the team will need to rely on the strength of its underclassmen next season.
Despite sealing its 19th Mission League title in a row, the girls’ water polo team was defeated in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division III playoffs by Martin Luther King High School Feb. 21. The squad entered the playoffs coming off of three straight victories over Louisville, Alemany and nonconference foe Palos Verdes. The Wolverines finished with a 12-0 league record and had a goal differential of 113. “There is definitely some pressure on us going into next season to stay undefeated in Mission League play and win the league again,” Helene Miles ’16 said. “As a senior next year, I would love to keep up our success in the Mission League and lead by example for the younger players.” The team entered the postseason as the top team from the Mission League and the seventh seed in the bracket. The girls defeated California
High School 14-7 in a matchup at Copses Family Pool Feb. 18. Miles led the team with five goals in the game. However, in its next game against second-seeded Martin Luther King High School, seventh-seeded HarvardWestlake was overmatched. The squad dropped its quarterfinal 12-4 to the eventual CIF-SS Division III finalists. “I think that we gained some valuable experience by playing against some physical girls in the playoffs,” Senior Captain Sophia Gonzalez ’15 said. “Now, the players returning next year will be expecting how physical the opponents in the future will be.” Ultimately, the team feels that this year’s playoff run was beneficial despite not winning the CIF Championship. Since the team had only one senior, the Wolverines believe that they have gained valuable experience to make a playoff run next season.
COLE JACOBSON/CHRONICLE
SENIOR STANDOUT: Sophia Gonzalez '15 converts one of her five goals in girls' water polo's 15-2 Senior Night win over Alemany.
C6 Sports
March 18, 2015
The Chronicle
Boys’ Golf
Senior-laden squad remains undefeated By Bennett Gross
mani, who shot even par. The final score of the match was Despite the loss of Bakari 181-198. Bolden ’14, who is currently In the rematch later in the playing at USC, the boys’ golf week on March 12, Aronson team is 2-0 going into this followed up his initial perforafternoon’s matchup against mance by shooting 1-underMission League rival Loyola at par at Encino Golf Course. Encino Golf Course, with conBray Caverly ’16 also shot even secutive Mission League wins par to lead the Wolverines to over Chaminade. victory. The squad is led by “five “Our team worked really golfers to watch” hard this offseason,” named by the Daily Aronson said. “This News: Jeffrey Aronwas the first year son ’15, Adrian Bergthat we started doing er ’15, Tyler Graham morning lifts, and I ’15, Daniel Furman think that it has re’16 and Brandon Keally made a big difwalramani ’17. ference in the first “I am trying, with two matches. We are the help of Tyler and all playing well, and I Adrian to replicate hope that we can connathanson’s the leadership that tinue winning matchJeffrey Bakari exemplified es as we have so far.” Aronson ’15 last year,” Aronson In the Daily News’ said. “He really pushed our Southern Section Top 10 team last year, and we are just teams to watch, the Wolvertrying to help our underclassines were ranked fifth, one men as much as he helped us.” spot ahead of Mission League In the Wolverines’ first rival Notre Dame. match against the Eagles on After today’s matchup March 10 at Woodland Hills with Loyola, the team will Country Club, the team was play Viewpoint tomorrow in a led by Aronson, who shot non-league matchup at Wood2-under-par, and Kewalraland Hills Country Club.
Track & Field
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF VOX POPULI
SEAL THE DEAL: Brandon Kewalramani ’17 putts the ball during the boys’ golf team’s match last Thursday at Balboa Park against Chaminade. The Wolverines won 181-200, and maintain a 2-0 record.
Defending champs still unbeaten • Continued from page C1
ZAC HARLESTON/CHRONICLE
SEE YA: Shea Copeland ’15 leads the 200-meter race during the girls’ track and field team’s home victory March 5 versus Louisville.
3200-meter. Adam Knapp-Wachsner took first in both the long jump and the triple jump. Branden Kim ’15 won the pole vault. Cole Jacobson ’15 won the discus event by more than 23 feet. After doing well in the Oaks Christian Invitational March 7, the boys beat Chaminade 82-33 March 12, and in the first shutout in Head Coach Jonas Koolsbergen’s ’83 27-year coaching career, the girls beat the Eagles 90-0. Crosson won the 1600-meter, 800-meter and 3200-meter races. Imani Cook-Gist ’15, Lauren Genender ’17, Milligan and Danielle Spitz ’18 won the 4x100 as a team. “We’ve been doing very well so far,” Copeland said.
“Varsity girls have won [both] of our dual meets, and we expect to keep the winning streak going.” Cook-Gist also won the pole vault, and Milligan won the 300-meter hurdles event. Genender took first in the 200-meter, and Spitz won the long jump. Knapp-Wachsner won the long jump, the high jump and the triple jump. Both teams competed in the Tri-County Invitational Saturday and swept the sprint events, as Barnum won both the 100-meter and 200-meter events for the boys, and Copeland won them for the girls. Alexander also won the 1600-meter in the freshman and sophomore division, and Weissenbach won the 1600-meter in the junior and senior division. Weissenbach
came back this season after missing his entire junior season to cross country-induced knee injury. Justin Golden won the 800-meter as well. “[All the training] is to build towards mid-to-late April and early May when everyone should be peaking,” Copeland said. “[This] is when we should PR, which is basically when you’re hitting your best times.” Milligan won the 100-meter hurdles, and the Wolverines won the 4x400 meter race. On the field, Florent won the long jump and the high jump, while Yee won the pole vault. The next meet this season will be a battle of the titans, according to Jacobson, as the undefeated Wolverines will face off against the undefeated Loyola Cubs Thursday.
Boys’ Volleyball
Wolverines suffer close defeats By Zac Harleston
Early in the season, the boys’ volleyball team has lost two close games at home, and stands at 2-2 overall, and 1-2 in the Mission League. Anchored by a strong senior class, the Wolverines have won comfortably against Oaks Christian and Crespi. However, their losses to Notre Dame and Alemany have both been close, as they have lost each game by one set. “Most of our losses were close because we don’t lose based on skill,” libero David Ho ’16 said. “Often, we are on par skill-wise with the other teams, but their teamwork toward the end of the games, that we are working to obtain, gets the best of us.”
As the team has the majority of its schedule left, there is little concern about their record thus far. “I don’t think our current record really reflects how good this team can be,” middle blocker Jeremy Tepper ’15 said. “Those five-set losses are obviously tough ones, but a few plays here and there and we could easily easily be 3-0 in the Mission League. I fully expect to beat Notre Dame and Alemany when we see them again this season.” The team has been able to rely on strong play from its many seniors this season. Outside hitters Scott Nussbaum ’15 and Hudson Ling ’15 have provided a lift in addition to middle blocker Tepper, setter Brad Comisar
’15 and middle Nico Lubkeman ’15. The team looks to its seniors for their play as well as their leadership. “This year, Comisar, Ling and Tepper have stepped up and taken the leadership position,” Ho said. “They really took the initiative to keep everybody focused and playing our game.” Looking ahead, the team hopes to work together and execute its game plan better, Andrew Lehrhoff ’17 said. The Wolverines played a league game against St. Francis on Monday, but results were unavailable as of press time. Later in the season, the Wolverines will play league rival Notre Dame again.
COLE JACOBSON/CHRONICLE
GET ON UP: Colin Shannon ’17 jumps up for a spike in the boys’ volleyball team’s 3-2 loss March 12 to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
March 18, 2015
hwchronicle.com/sports
Sports C7
Swimming
Team falls in first two meets By Joe Levin and Rian Ratnavale
Still trying to find the right balance between young and old, the Wolverine swim team has fallen short in its first two meets by a combined 59 points for the boys and 42 for the girls. In swimming and diving, tiny, meticulous details can be the difference between a big win and a big loss, swimmer Sean Jung ’16 said. “In a race where only a couple seconds matter, the dive can make or break a race,” Jung said. Even while paying attention to the small details, some swimmers hope that hard work in practice will eventually pay dividends, said swimmer Brennan Lee ’17.
Softball
“This year, we’ve had a lot more committed swimmers,” Lee said. “So people have been showing up to practice a lot more, so there have been lots of improvements and we’re really excited to see how things play out.” Against Orange Lutheran March 3, the boys lost by 39 points, and the girls lost by 41 points. Against Notre Dame March 12, the boys lost by 20, while the girls lost by just one point. With four Mission League meets left in the season, the team can only hope the upward development continues. Both underclassmen and upperclassmen are shining on the varsity level, with Claudia Wong ’17 anchoring freestyle and butterfly races for the girls, and captain John Chu ’15
UP TO BAT: Eibhlin Villalta ’15 awaits a pitch to drive deep.
CAMERON STINE/CHRONICLE
HEAD FIRST: Connor McCreery ’17 dives into the pool during the swim team’s 95-75 March 12 loss to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
Young squad struggles in first games of season By Juliana Berger and Carina Marx
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JOE LESTER
anchoring the 100-meter freestyle and backstroke races for the boys. “The captains are really great this year,” Wong said. “They’re really trying to reach out and trying to help the younger kids. Swimming is a good sport because we can use anyone. Even the slowest kid on the team is also really valuable, because every single point counts.” After spring break, transfers Wesley Chang ’17, Haunani Bautista ’17 and Marcus Tse ’17 will have finished waiting out the CIF’s required one-month transition period for athletes who transferred schools. “When we come back, I’m excited to see the energy we can bring to the team, especially in relays,” Chang said.
An inexperienced softball squad started the season with an 0-3-1 overall record. The team, which only has four seniors, suffered a 15-0 loss against Mira Costa on March 11. “Our goal that day was to have good at-bats, and to cheer and to be ‘teamy,’ and those are things that we did,” Softball Program Head Claire Rietmann-Grout said. “A loss is a loss. I’m not worried about that. I’m more worried about our process and making sure
that we are giving our max effort every single time.” Part of the reason for the large number of new players is that one trimester of softball can count as two trimesters of physical education credit for players who need it and who get approval from Rietmann-Grout and Head of Athletics Terry Barnum. This change encouraged more girls who needed physical education credit to join the small team. “For students who are short on P.E. credit, or are looking to get as much as possible, we’ve been willing to work with and talk to those
students to see what can be worked out,” Barnum said. “It is not a blanket case where every girl who plays softball gets two instead of one P.E. credit. It is more of a case-by-case basis.” Many of the players, who also play basketball, have not played in a game yet due to the overlapping of the girls’ basketball postseason. In preparation for the team’s first league game after spring break, the squad is focusing on improving its new players’ skills. “Even though we are young, we have a core of our team who is very committed,”
Rietmann-Grout said. “And that’s our theme for the year, it is commitment.” The team is also working on making sure each player knows her role on the team and how she can contribute to success for the squad. “Our weak points are when people make mistakes, and they really let it get to them,” shortstop Eibhlin Villalta ’15 said. “It kind of affects their play later in the game. I think we need to work on letting go of the past games and looking forward to do our best. I know we can do better than how we’ve been playing.”
C8 Sports
The Chronicle
March 18, 2015
21 Jumped Feet Q&A with Courtney Corrin ’16 AUDREY WILSON/CHRONICLE
ON THE RUN: Courtney Corrin ’16 runs her leg of the 4x400 during one of the girls’ track and field team meets. The girls’ and boys’ teams have maintained 2-0 records. By Cameron Stine
and
Dario Madyoon
What age did you start track and field and why did you start? My mother got us into all different kinds of sports, and my dad was actually a track athlete himself, so he got me to try it. I started around four, but I didn’t take it seriously until I was 13. Now I want to be a perfectionist, and that’s why track is the best sport to do that in. There are so many amazing people, and it is not as much about talent as it is about mental and technical preparations.
How long do you normally practice each week? Particularly this year, I was cross training for track while I was playing soccer on the weekends and throughout the week. I would have track practice from 5 to 7 o’clock. I would run two miles, do dynamic stretches and exercises up a hill. I would take Sundays off to just rest. Now I practice everyday because I like to, and my body regimen likes the schedule I’m on. It’s like homework. If I don’t do it everyday there will be a problem. NATHANSON’S
21’ 38’6.5”
Triple Jump
25.75
200m Dash (seconds)
57.92
Long Jump
400m Dash (seconds)
Do you have any rituals that you do or any music that you listen to before your games? It happens kind of the whole week before I even jump. I start to picture exactly what I’m going to do and how I am going to jump so that when I get there, I know exactly how I will feel. I wear compression socks so my calves will stay warm. I also eat a certain way in the morning at 6 a.m and during the day at 11:15 a.m. I have a banana and apple for dinner and I have a salad or cereal for lunch. I have to go through a certain training regimen on Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesday is my jumping day. On Thursday and Friday I also have hard days. And then Saturday, I’ll rest before my meet. The Fridays before I jump or run, I have to eat a type of meat since I normally don’t find it necessary in my diet. So Friday I would eat fish or chicken or some type of protein. Then right before I jump, I picture myself going through my whole setup so I know exactly how I will jump, and I can do exactly what I dream of the night before.
What is your most memorable moment of your HarvardWestlake career? I would say making the world team because it was a moment where I not only did my personal best, but I felt like this is the reason I train everyday. Like anyone getting into Stanford or Harvard, this was something I strived so long to get to. And that was a great feeling since it was a new experience, and it broke a lot of barriers even though people knew I was good. I trained so hard that making the world team felt like making the Olympic team.
How was the change from freshman to junior year? In ninth grade I was the underdog, so I always had to prove myself, but I had no pressure. I would go and beat all the seniors and surprise them. I felt like it was easier since I didn’t expect to do so well. And for me, I don’t think I was mentally ready for that. People would be happy that I got second in state, but for me, that was a failure because I didn’t deal with the mental game. Now I trained hard so you would think I would be better, but that’s not how track works, especially long jump, because you stay pretty constant. But fans don’t understand that. I now work smarter rather than harder since I know my body better than I did when I was a freshman. I only worry about my expectations and so far, it has worked well. I think it is better to focus on how I do, rather than how everyone else is going to do.
What is the biggest sacrifice you have had to make for track? I don’t think I really had to make any sacrifices. It helps me manage my time better during club soccer. I get home at 9 p.m. during soccer and during track, I get home at 7:30 p.m., but it taught me to manage my time. The only thing it did affect is my social life because instead of seeing friends or going to a party, I have to practice. But for me I find my social life in my sport because I feel like I can understand what the other people are going through and that they know what I am going through. It made me better. It made me a better athlete and better person overall and it lets me understand life better.