HONORING A PLAYER:
BEST BUDS: Teachers, administrators develop life-long bonds on and off campus.
C
B2-3
Bake sale, baseball signing fundraiser, memorial service pay tribute to classmate.
A14
The Harvard -Westlake
hronicle Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue III • Nov. 16, 2011
Pool revamp finally begins, Kutler permits still pending By Eli Haims
CAMILLE SHOOSHANI/CHRONICLE
CHLOE LISTER/CHRONICLE
IN MEMORIAM: Alex Rand-Lewis ’12, center, comforts Kameron Lucas ’12, left, and Michael Wagmeister ’13, right, after Monday’s memorial service in honor of Chris Robinson. Arden Pabst ’13, above, contributes to a memorial by writing a message on a baseball.
Coach, teammates remember ‘Bee-Bop’ for upbeat spirit
“ You were always a reminder to me of how sweet life can be. You make life sweeter for me and my friends. And I thank you.” —Colburn Pittman ’12
By Judd Liebman
Friends remembered Christopher “Bee-Bop” Robinson at a memorial service Monday for his ability to bring levity to almost all situations, even during his sickness. Robinson died Nov. 9 after battling leukemia for two years. “I am blessed to have known Chris, because not only did he make me a better person, but he made every place he went a better place,” Austin Schoff ’13 said at the assembly Nov. 14 in Rugby Auditorium. Robinson came from Cathedral Chapel School as a new ninth grader in September 2009. Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with leukemia, cancer of the blood cells, and took a leave of absence to start treatment in November 2009. Although Robinson never rejoined the Class of 2013 at school, he always considered himself a part of the community. “Chris, ‘Bee-Bop,’ really did love Harvard-Westlake,” his father Quincy Robinson said. “When he was in the hospital, Chris always wore Harvard-Westlake gear, whether it was shorts or a T-shirt. He seemed to think he got better treatment that way.” Quincy Robinson spoke on behalf of the Robinson family after speeches from four friends, baseball coach Matt LaCour, ninth grade dean Betsy Ilg and President Thomas C. Hudnut. Members of the Chamber
Singers sang a rendition “He never wanted to of “Somewhere Over talk about what was gothe Rainbow,” and Max ing with himself during Quilici ’12 played “No those visits, how cheWoman, No Cry” on guimotherapy was affecttar. ing him, how his body Long-time friend was reacting, how he Aaron Lyons ’13 said was feeling, did he need Robinson’s impact on anything,” LaCour said. others was “obvious by “You would try to ask how many people wrote him a question about his letters to his parents. It health, and he would just DIDAX is also obvious based on shrug his shoulders and how many people came say ‘I’m okay.’” Christopher Robinson to Rugby today.” Robinson was a secTo help defray the Robinson fam- ond baseman and pitcher who played ily’s medical and funeral costs, stu- with a sense of urgency and took evdents raised more than $7,000 from ery ground ball at 100 percent, teama “name-your-price” bake sale and in mate Langston McElroy ’12 said. donations to a memorial by writing Sickness sidelined Robinson, but messages on baseballs. during hospital visits, he and LaCour Speakers said Robinson was an “put together a covert mission: to get avid Yankee fan and described his his year of eligibility back once he got hospital room as decorated with Yan- back to school,” LaCour said. kee paraphernalia. Robinson was drawn to Harvard“If you brought up the Yankees, Westlake partly because of the baseyou would be there for an hour,” Ka- ball players he knew from Ladera meron Lucas ’12 said in an interview. Little League, Quincy Robinson said. “He knew everything about the Yan“Chris never got to play a game in kees.” a Wolverine uniform,” LaCour said. During hospital visits, Robinson “We use words like toughness and rewould frequently divert conversation siliency all the time. Chris embodied from his condition to baseball. those traits each day throughout this “He was still wise-cracking, mak- process. As a program, we will make ing jokes,” Colburn Pittman ’12 said sure we embody the things Chris of his hospital visits with Chris. “He showed us, and forever go on about didn’t want to burden us with [his our business, both on and off the sickness], so he’d push it to the side field, knowing that Chris is watching when he was talking with us.” and rooting for us.”
The school has received permits and has begun construction on the pool, Head of Campus Operations and Construction J.D. De Matte said. He hopes the City of Los Angeles will grant the permits for the Kutler Center today. The pool permits were granted Nov. 7, and the next day, part of the road next to Taper Gymnasium was ripped up to begin the electrical phase of work. A new electrical system is being installed to increase the current power four-fold. The first stage of the pool construction will be laying the foundation. A retaining wall will be built adjacent to the main driveway, and a wall will be continued around the perimeter. De Matte said the pool has to be open by early-to-mid August, in time for the start of the 2012-2013 school year. There will be about seven months of “hard core construction” and the remaining time will be “fine tuning,” he said. President Thomas C. Hudnut said about half of the funding for the pool has been donated by Peter and Judy Copses (Henry ’14, John ’14), who turned over the first shovel at the ground-breaking Tuesday. The construction of the Kutler Center, which bridges Mudd Library and Seaver, will begin as soon as the permits are received. “Once I get the Kutler permit, we will be immediately inside the building, framing and doing our structural stuff to move forward,” De Matte said. De Matte said that he had hoped to get the permits for the Kutler Center before now. “It’s been difficult getting them,” he said last week. “The city is tough to get through, and it’s a complicated project with buildings connecting other Continued on page A9
INSIDE END OF THE ROAD:
C4 Loss to St. Paul squashes the football team’s playoff hopes.
CASE STUDY: What happens, step by step, after a teacher reports a possible Honor Code infraction?
A10
The Chronicle Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave. Studio City, Calif. 91604
A2 Preview
CHLOE LISTER/CHRONICLE
MULTITASKER: Aaron Anderson ’14 sings, plays the harmonica and strums the guitar to The Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain” after school in the lounge at Monday’s
Coffee House. Students dedicated the afternoon’s performances to the memory of Chris Robinson ’14, who died on Nov. 9 after a two-year battle with leukemia.
Features B9
News A7
ELANA ZELTSER/CHRONICLE
CONSCIOUSNESS: Shani Byard ’92 encouraged members of the Black Leadership and Culture Club to get in touch with their African American roots.
Sports C4
CAMILLE SHOOSHANI/CHRONICLE
TARA STONE/CHRONICLE
RAINBOW BRIGHT: Sally McGrath ’12 composed a self-portrait for the Senior Art Show, which will open officially on Monday in the Feldman Horn Gallery.
SPREAD OPTION: Chad Kanoff ’13 scrambles against the St. Paul defense at senior night on Nov. 11. The team lost 41-28 after leading at halftime.
Offbeat
Boys forgo razors for ‘No Shave November’ By Cami
CAMI DE RY/CHRONICLE
STUBBLE: Noah Weinman ’12 displays his beard. Some students choose to stop shaving during the month of November.
de
Ry
With November comes the annual tradition of “No Shave November,” when several male students decide to go all-natural with their facial hair. Andrew Meepos ’13 plans to stay away from his razor during the whole month of November to prove to himself he has the willpower to grow out his facial hair and to save himself a couple minutes in the morning. No Shave November began in Australia in 1999 to promote prostate cancer awareness. The original term was “Movember” because the Australian men would only grow out their mustaches. “This is the first year I’m doing it, basically because I couldn’t really grow enough facial hair last year,” Meepos said. Meepos has maintained his beard thus far. The hardest part was during the second week. “Your face gets insanely itchy by week two, and by this point girls start
telling you to shave,” he said. “I’ve nev- began. er actually done a month without shavHe initially planned to keep his faing so I don’t really know what it will cial hair for the entire month of Nolook like. But I expect a fairly long and vember, but he shaved his beard belegit beard. It’s just a cool thing I’ve cause of college interviews. wanted to do at least once.” While he had his beard, Chapman Even though earned the nickNoah Weinman name “red-beard” ’12 shaved at the because of the very beginning color of his facial Your face gets insanely of the month hair. itchy by week two, and by because of a col“Technically I lege interview, grew it out for an this point girls start telling he still considentire month beyou to shave.” ers himself a cause I went from participant of Oct. 14 to Nov. 14, —Andrew Meepos ’13 No Shave Nobut the red beard vember. was starting to “Adults just don’t take kids serious- look a little janky,” Chapman said. ly when they have facial hair,” WeinCollege interviews also prevented man said. Jake Schapiro ’12 from growing out his Weinman grew out his facial hair in facial hair. ninth grade and decided to do it again “I did it in ninth grade but couldn’t his last year in high school. this year because of college,” he said. Jake Chapman ’12 started growing “It would have been sort of fun, but the his facial hair in mid-October, when main reason I would do it is because it’s rehearsals for “Fiddler on the Roof ” very annoying to shave.”
“
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
Prefects to inform via website
News A3
By Arielle Maxner
The Prefect Council is creating a website to continually keep students updated about what the prefects are doing. “We have been devoting a lot of time to getting that up because we know it’s important to have information available to students,” Head Prefect Brooke Levin ’12 said. “This will help communication and help keep students updated with what’s going on.” Part of the website will be a monthly or bimonthly newsletter, Levin said, which will give full updates of the Prefect Council’s current projects. The website will also include contact pages for all of the prefects. “There will be areas for suggestions, anything that we’re working on and what goes on in the Prefect Council meetings,” Levin said. “We’re excited about that.” “We want to make the students’ lives easier,” Head Prefect Rishi Bagrodia ’12 said. “So we’ll include information like class meeting venues, a calendar of events, applications for committees, event descriptions, stuff like that. We’re hopeful that we can have the Daily Bulletin on the site.” Additionally, the prefects are working to integrate the website with other sites, including hw.com. They also wish to include links to external sites, so “students can go to one place and get a lot of information,” Levin said. Currently, Bagrodia is coding the website with help from Austin Chan ’13. So far, Bagrodia has created an email response form, an automatic contact page linking to the Prefect Council email and an upload and download page for committee applications. Making applications available online is also a part of the Green Initiative, Bagrodia said. Bagrodia said he also hopes to have traffic updates available on the website and is working on this individually, but it is not a priority.
DAVID LIM/CHRONICLE
THE VERDICT: Linda Deutsch, who covered the verdict last week in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Conrad Murray
in pop star Michael Jackson’s death, told the Chronicle staff Sunday she avoids expressing opinions when she reports.
Associated Press reporter shares experiences covering famous trials By Julia Aizuss
Associate Press Correspondent Linda Deutsch’s first front page bylined story was about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, she told the Chronicle staff on Sunday. “After that, there was no turning back,” she said. As a part-time student reporter, Deutsch had pitched covering the 1963 Civil Rights March to the editor of her hometown newspaper in Asbury Park, N.J. and rode a bus to Washington with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Originally an entertainment reporter, Deutsch transitioned to covering trials when she was assigned as a backup reporter in the Sirhan Sirhan trial after the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968. In 1969, Deutsch was assigned to cover
the murder of actress Sharon Tate, an assignment that extended for over a year becasue she then covered the entirety of the Charles Manson trials. “It resonated with the times,” Deutch said of the Manson trials, describing them as “mind-blowing.” After surviving the Manson trials, Deutsch was considered a “trial expert” by the Associated Press, and she was assigned to cover trials all around the country, including the Bush vs. Gore recount in the 2000 presidential election and pop star Michael Jackson’s 2005 child molestation trial. Deutsch also traveled all over the country for two years searching for newspaper heiress Patty Hearst when she was kidnapped in 1974 by the urban guerilla group Symbionese Liberation Army. “When people ask me what I didn’t cover, I say the trial of Socrates,” Deutch said.
Fruit fly report qualifies senior, junior as semifinalists in Siemens competition By Keane Muraoka-Robertson
Julie Ko ’12, David Lim ’13 and Dorothy Yim, a senior at Walnut High School, wrote a report that was named a semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology for high school students on Oct. 21. The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in math, science, technology and engineering. According to the Siemens Foundation, 2,436 students registered for the competition and submitted 1,541 projects, setting a new record for participation. There were 317 semifinalists. The competition, open to individuals and teams, is administered by the College Board. Led by John Olson, an academic coordinator at the Howard Hughes Medical Insititute at UCLA, Ko, Lim and Yim participated in an eight-week research program at UCLA with 10 other high school students. They also met every Tuesday and Thursday for five hours at UCLA. “In the lab, we created crosses of different fly stocks to both knock down expression of specific genes and mark the blood system with green fluorescence to see the effects of the knock down,” Ko said. “We took late larvae from the stocks and photographed
them under fluorescent light and then used our observations and previous research on the genes to identify their functions.” The program did not require nathanson ’s/chronicle any students to Julie Ko ’12 write a report, but Ko had the idea to use the information from their research and turn it into a formal report. “I was going to write a report, and another student also wanted to write a report, so we were like, ‘Alright, let’s team up,’” Ko said. The report, titled “The Identification of Genes Involved in Drosophila Melanogaster Hematopoiesis by RNA,” was based on research the team collected from the lab. “The purpose of our research was to identify genes involved with Drosophila blood development and establish possible connections between them and their respective human homologues,” Ko said. “We wrote about nine different genes, their functions and how they could be related to the human blood system.” The research allowed them to link specific genes in flies to blood system disorders in humans, such as several
forms of leukemia and other developmental diseases. Ko, Lim and Yim also met outside of the program to collect additional data for their report nathanson ’s/chronicle and collectively David Lim ’13 write the 23-page report. They analyzed their data and wrote the report through the end of the summer until the deadline in October. “After our work over the summer, I have a much bigger appreciation for little flies as a model organism and simply the large amount of research that can be done on such a small organism,” Lim said. “We were working on the lab until the end of the program,” Ko said. “From there we were writing everything else until the beginning of October when we submitted it. The weekend before it was due, we were pretty much cramming everything.” “Some people spent their summers outside in the sun in Cabo,” Lim said. “I spent five hours, two days a week putting flies in vials and putting them under the microscope. From what I learned and the potential benefits that can come from my research, it was completely worth it.”
Deutsch covered the O.J. Simpson trial and became “phone pals” with him. The trial had a large impact on her career by making her a recognizable public figure because she was often interviewed on television about the case, she said. When CNN’s Larry King asked Deutsch who was going to win the trial, she said, “The one who put on the best case.” While the other reporters covering the Simpson trial were convinced of Simpson’s guilt, Deutsch refused to give an opinion, maintaining her objectivity. “When I write my book, I’ll give my opinions,” she said. Deutsch told the Chronicle staff that she always enters a trial as if she is a juror and knows nothing, so that her writing will not be opinionated. “I trust the reader to make their own decisions,” she said.
Ten most wanted These colleges, in order, received the most early applications from seniors this fall. Early Decision is binding, while Early Action is not. Single-choice Early Action means students apply early only to that school. The deans would not release the number of applicants to each school.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
University of Michigan >> Unrestricted Early Action
University of Chicago >> Unrestricted Early Action
Tulane University >> Unrestricted Early Action
Northeastern University >> Unrestricted Early Action
University of Pennsylvania >> Early Decision
Stanford University >> Single Choice Early Action
Columbia University >> Early Decision
of Miami 8 University >> Unrestricted Early Action >> Early Decision
9 University of Virginia >> Unrestricted Early Action
10 Brown University >> Early Decision
SOURCE: JON WIMBISH GRAPHIC BY LAUREN SONNENBERG
The Chronicle
A4 News
Nov. 16, 2011
Engineer advises Robotics By Anabel Pasarow
DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE
GEARING UP: Robotics team co-captain Matt Heartney ’12 explains the concept of motors and gear ratios to Molly
Cinnamon ’14, a new recruit to the Robotics Club. A subsection of the club will compete in the Zero Robotics semifinals.
Robotics coding advances team to programming semifinals By Arielle Maxner
A subsection of the Robotics Club advanced to the semifinals of the Zero Robotics Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites Challenge for coding a satellite. The team is made up of Matt Heartney ’12, Julie Ko ’12 and Eden Weizman ’13. The team is mentored by computer science teacher Jacob Hazard, but the team is “entirely student-led, Heartney said. The Challenge is a “robotics programming competition where the robots are SPHERES satellites inside the International Space Station,” according to the Zero Robotics website. In the competition, teams work to “get a satellite to perform certain tasks, like orbiting an asteroid,” through the strength of their programming code, Weizman said. “Part of the game involves melting ice around an asteroid by shooting lasers at it,” Heartney said. “You have to work on making your satellite aim directly at the asteroid because stray
lasers are a bad thing. You also have required to move within 3-D space, to manage your fuel because there is instead of just two dimensions.” a limited amount of fuel, and it’s very In the semifinals, about the easy to run out.” top 54 teams are combined “We were a bit understaffed,” into alliances, Heartney said. Heartney said. “[Ko, Weizman and I] “From those alliances, we are bawere the only people who really had sically reworking our 3-D code to time to work make it better,” on this. We’re he said. really a team “Right now, of three, as opwe’re in an alIf we get to the finals, posed to most liance with two then what we are doing teams which other teams have about 10 from the east goes to space. It’s super people. But we coast,” Weizaweseome.” did fairly well. I man said. “It’s believe we were —Matt Heartney ’12 the best of ev49 out of 149 eryone’s code. teams.” We’re going to “The first combine it into phase was a 2-D one sort of mascompetition,” Heartney said. “What ter code, and then we’ll be pitted you’re supposed to do in the first against another alliance.” phase is program the SPHERES to If the team makes it through the revolve around an asteroid and then semifinals, they will have the chance go to a mining station after a prede- to have their code put on real sateltermined time.” lites on the ISS. “The second phase was a 3-D com“If we get to the finals, then what petition,” Weizman said. “It’s like the we are doing goes into space,” Heartoriginal competition, except you are ney said. “It’s super awesome.”
“
Prefect Council plans semiformal alternative By Arielle Maxner
The Prefect Council has administrative approval to create a community event to replace semiformal under some strict guidelines. Last year, the administration canceled the semiformal event because of the platform it provided for alcohol consumption at an unofficial afterparty. The administration, after meeting with the deans, has consequently placed restrictions on the potential replacement event, requiring that there must be no fancy attire, no limos, the event would be held on campus and there would be no amplified music outside past 8 p.m. “The prefects have been brainstorming ideas to create an event that follows these restrictions but is still appealing and fun for the student body,” Head Prefects Rishi Bagrodia ’12 and Brooke Levin ’12 said in an email.
Potential events include a charity event called the “HW I Heart Event,” or a ’50s throwback event. The “HW I Heart Event” would take place in February around Valentine’s Day, they said. “We would essentially be selecting a charity to be our school’s Valentine,” the Head Prefects said. “This event would support charity through various activities on the night of and leading up to the event. We envision having food trucks lining the track and having the main part of the event take place in the gym.” The ’50s throwback event would have a movie projected on the field and the “gym completely decorated with ’50s regalia,” Bagrodia and Levin said. However, no ideas are final, and the prefects are open to suggestions from the entire student body. The prefects hope that their idea will become a new school tradition.
Cybernetics researcher and UCLA engineer Michael Lake has been working with the Rocketry and Robotics Clubs for the past three weeks. He supervises the clubs’ meetings and assists them when needed, whether by helping the robotics club design algorithms to orbit asteroids or by helping the rocketry club fix a parachute cord. The students’ independence is characteristic of advanced engineering environments, he said. Lake double-majored in physics and cybernetics as a student at UCLA and received a master’s degree in virology. He now works in the UCLA chemistry department to develop magnetometers and uses MRI technology for applications in regenerative medicine and super resolution cellular imaging. “Working on projects with both clubs is right up my alley,” Lake said. “I am there to do anything from opening the door and observing to helping them with particularly tricky problems that come up in project development. I really enjoy science and appreciate the power that it holds to accomplish huge goals.” Without last year’s club sponsors, physics teacher Karen Hutchison, who is teaching at Eton College in England, and former chemistry teacher Stephanie Quan, rocketry club leaders Charlie Andrews ’13 and Austin Chan ’13 approached upper school math teacher Paula Evans. She enlisted the help of Lake. “He’s been very helpful to rocketry so far, and although he is overqualified for the position, he’s a nice guy and always willing to help us out,” Andrews said. The Rocketry Club meets on Saturdays to build rockets that are entered into contests like the Team America Rocketry Challenge. The robotics club, led by Matt Heartney ’12 and Julie Ko ’12, shares meetings with the rocketry club, and many students are members of both clubs. “Contributing to younger students getting involved in science and doing something meaningful and memorable with their free time is highly rewarding for me, plus I love a good project,” Lake said. “I hope to learn by participating or observing just like any member of the club as well.”
Re-routed Spring break college tours will not begin in Philadelphia like last year. The Midwest “Bison tour” will begin in Washington, D.C. and the East Coast “Spider tour” will begin in New York. The colleges are listed in tour order below.
Bison tour
Spider tour
George Washington University Georgetown University University of Maryland Johns Hopkins University of Pennsylvania Bucknell University Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Denison University Kenyon College University of Michigan University of Chicago Northwestern University
New York University Columbia University Fordham University Lafayette College University of Maryland George Washington University Georgetown University University of Richmond College of William & Mary Duke University Elon University Davidson College Emory University SOURCE: UPPER SCHOOL DEANS GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL SUGERMAN
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
News A5
FAC reviews Kutler class proposals By Lara Sokoloff
Five new courses for the Kutler Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research were proposed to the Faculty Academic Committee at a meeting yesnathanson ’s/chronicle terday afternoon. Larry Klein Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research Department Head Larry Klein began soliciting course proposals in the spring of 2011. A request for proposals was sent to the entire faculty outlining the criteria for new proposals. The request said proposals were to include the title, duration and ideal enrollment size for the course, manner of teaching and of staffing the course, either one teacher or team-taught, and DAVID LIM/CHRONICLE DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE the way of assessing the course. The subject matter and goals of the course WASTE MANAGEMENT: Henry Jiang ’14 takes newly- displayed the impact of the 42 water bottles littered in the past were also to be explained in detail in available water bottles out of the refrigerator in the cafeteria, week on top of a bookcase, left. The newly-added recycling bins the proposal. right. After the resumption of water bottle sales, librarians in the library remain half-full as of Monday, the librarians said. “We were thrilled with the caliber of proposals we received,” Klein said. Proposals were evaluated on the degree to which the course was interdisciplinary in nature and to which the subject matter is not already a part of the current curriculum, and the amount of original research the course requires. The potential student interest in the course and logistical requirements in implementing the course By Arielle Maxner were also considered when assessing the course proposals, Klein said in his The cafeteria resumed the sale of request for proposals. There is not only the nutritional benefit, but bottled water on Oct. 31, the first time “It’s going to be an opportunity for it has been sold since the cafeteria also with buying more water bottles, [students teachers as well as students to explore stopped selling plastic bottles at the are] buying less of other bottles, which means areas we have yet to address through start of the 2009-2010 school year in our present curriculum,” Head of Upan effort to reduce the waste of plastic there’s less plastic.” per School Harry Salamandra said. on campus. Klein said he hoped that FAC would —Brooke Levin ‘12 The Prefect Council played an inapprove all the courses, but the deciHead Prefect tegral part in advocating for the renathanson ’s/chronicle nathanson ’s/chronicle sion was unavailable as of press time. introduction of water bottles. Math Department Head Paula EvHead Prefect Brooke Levin ’12 said around campus to raise environmental Bagrodia ’12 said. “Basically, the Green ans and Foreign Language Departthe original reason for banning the waawareness and the gradual replace- Initiative is well on its way to being as ment Head Paul Chenier also proposed ter bottles, an attempt to reduce the ment of plastic dishes and utensils complete as it can be, enriching our- changes to current classes in their own amount of plastic used on campus, now with biodegradable alternatives. selves and our community. It’s good departments at the FAC meeting. is reversed, in that plastic water bottle To help promote selling plastic wa- that they’ve been popular.” companies have made an effort to deter bottles and consuming less plastic, However, not all water bottles are crease the amount of plastic in their Prefect Henry Hahn ’14 created signs making it into the recycle bins. bottles, whereas other drink compathat have been posted around camThe librarians have taken all water nies have not. pus comparing the amount of plastic bottles left in the library and put them “There is not only the nutritional in different types of bottles, the sugar on top of a bookshelf, reminding stubenefit, but also with buying more wacontent and number of calories in each dents to pick up their trash. ter bottles, [students are] buying less drink. “When the policy changed, the of other bottles, which means there’s “[The Prefects] are continuing next day, we had lots of abandoned waless plastic,” Levin said. “The school is working with the Green Club,” Levin ter bottles in the library, and prior to healthier and greener.” said. “We’ve placed more [recycle] bins the new policy we had very few aban- By Ana Scuric Additionally, the cafeteria now sells around campus. The cafeteria’s still doned drinking bottles,” Head Librarreuseable water bottles, which can be working on going biodegradable and ian Maureen Frank said. Researcher and UCLA physics profilled in the cafeteria. This and the we’ve heard wonderful ideas from the Water is not the only new beverage fessor Katsushi Arisaka discussed his plastic water bottles are part of the Green Club that they’re already start- in the cafeteria. Coconuts, filled with theories of the origins of the universe Green Initiative, headed by the Enviing to work on. We’re very pleased that coconut milk, have been sold in the caf- and life during break on Nov. 7. ronmental Club and the Prefect Counthe Green Initiative is rounding out.” eteria for $3 each. “Why are we here today?” Arisaka cil. “We don’t have statistics, but wa“There are coconuts in the cafete- asked. To answer this fundamental The initiative also includes the ter bottles have been really popular in ria,” Andrew Sohn ’13 said. “How could question, he divided the discussion into placement of additional recycle bins the student body,” Head Prefect Rishi I not get one?” four parts: the origin of particles, the origin of structure, the origin of life and the origin of consciousness. To start, Arisaka went back billions Since disposable water bottles returned for sale in the cafeteria of years to the formation of the unilast week, Prefect Council has implemented new measures to verse and the big bang theory. encourage recycling as well as the sale of reusable water bottles. “I was shocked when I was doing research on the beginnings of the uniNumber of reusable water bottles Estimated number of water verse,” Arisaka said. “It took 14 billion years. What is the process from the sold in the the cafeteria in the bottles sold this past week, beginning to today? There was a beginweek since their availability according to the cafeteria ning, there was nothing. We have no clue how to create something from nothing.” Arisaka concluded his presentation with life advice for the attending stuTotal amount of plastic in dents. the 1050 water bottles “If you want to be a scientist like me, think broad and study all subjects disposed of in the past week cost of reusable cost of disposable in high school,” Arisaka said. “It’ll pay 28.5 oz water bottle 16.9 oz water bottle off for whatever subject you go into. It will give you enough foundation to enSOURCE: CAFETERIA joy everything today.” GRAPHIC BY JULIA AIZUSS, NOA YADIDI AND DAVID LIM
Cafeteria sells disposable water bottles, Prefects launch new green initiative
“
Physicist speaks about beginning of universe, life
Environmental Impact
1050 25 lb
30
$1
$1.50
The Chronicle
A6 News
inbrief
Nov. 16, 2011 Care Packaging
Hudnut will present at English Speaking Union President Thomas C. Hudnut and Director for Advancement Communications Projects Beth Stokes will travel to London for the ESU alumni reunion on Nov. 21. Hudnut will give a brief speech at the dinner to give an update about what is new at Harvard-Westlake. He and his wife attended the first reunion in 2009. ESU is an organization that sent exchange students from schools similar to Harvard-Westlake in the United Kingdom to Harvard-Westlake and vice versa from the 1950s to 1980s. —Maddy Baxter
Blood Drive committee organizes drive for Friday A blood drive will be hosted by UCLA this Friday during periods one through seven in Chalmers lounge. The Blood Drive commitee coordinated the drive, which is the first of two that the commitee will put on this year. Students must be at least 16 to donate blood and those under 17 need parental consent. Participants must weigh more than 110 lbs and cannot be in-season athletes or have serious medical concerns. —Lizzy Thomas
Cerebral palsy speakers to visit, share their stories Two speakers with cerebral palsy will come to the Upper School to talk about their cerebral palsy, their pasts and their experiences. James Hur ’14 and Irene Kao ’14, the creators of the club Helping Hands, coordinated the event. The club aims to spread awareness and to hold fund-raisers to aid those with disorders, Kao said. “To hear about how others faced and overcame cerebral palsy will be an awing and humbling experience,” Hur said. —Jessica Lee
Student organizes used textbook donation drive The library organized a textbook donation program this year to provide textbooks to Bright Star Charter Academy. Students donated nearly 100 books, said Micah Sperling ’12, who helped coordinate the event. A raffle was held for all who donated and Liza Woythayler ’14 won an Amazon Kindle e-reader. Lia Seraydarian ’11 won a $15 iTunes gift card for donating the most books. Austin Lewis ’11 started the program when he was a junior, raising more than $2,700 for the program by selling books. This money is being used to buy regularly requested books for the school library. —Michael Rothberg
Freshmen create website, booklet for ThinkQuest Four freshmen have entered their website and booklet in the ThinkQuest competition. This year, teams will address the issue of teenage technology misuse. The ThinkQuest team consists of Nadia Rahman ’15, Erin Shih ’15, Erina Szeto ’15 and Nathan Szeto ’15 and is coached by middle school math teacher Karen Salerno. They created a website, teentechuse.wordpress.com, which includes articles taken from their booklet, “From Laptops to LOLcats” to educate teens about safe technology use —Eric Greenberg
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BETH STOKES
LOAD IT UP: Helen Dweyer ’13, front far right, and other Operation Gratitude volunteers load care packages for soldiers in the military reserve. Sixteen upper school
students, along with many middle schoolers and parents volunteered on Nov. 6, assembling care packages and interacting with veterans and military families.
Seniors protest for “occupy” movement By Rebecca Nussbaum
“People and the environment before profit” Jackson Hudgins’ ’12 sign read as he joined hundreds of protesters outside of Los Angeles City Hall. Hudgins wasn’t the only HarvardWestlake student to be inspired by the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations sweeping the nation. About a week after Angelenos brought the “occupy” movement downtown on Oct. 1, Hudgins and Steven Ring ’12 went to check out the local protestors. “Everybody was collaborative,” Hudgins said. “People would come up and say, ‘What do you stand for?’ and that would spark a conversation.” Although Hudgins enjoyed exchanging political ideas with the demonstrators, he felt they were passionate but lacked concrete goals. “Nobody really knew what they stood for,” he said. Hudgins thought that the protestors’ cause was worthy but their methods were unproductive. “If we really want to see change, I think we should run for local offices,” he said. “We should put a socialist or
communist on the Santa Monica City as thinks that the “occupy” movement Council. Expressions of discontent has potential to make a difference in aren’t necessarily going to help any- our country’s government. thing.” “I definitely think the movement is Parker Thomas ’12 had a different something that needs to happen,” he experience at the Occupy Wall Street said. demonstration in Manhattan’s finan“[The protests are] similar to the cial district. Vietnam War,” he said. “It could be a He visited New York the week af- major turning point. It’s the kind of ter the protests thing that everybegan on Sept. one says is going 17, and Thomas to go away until wanted to see if it doesn’t go away, [The Occupy movement] is the demonstraand then it makes similar to the Vietnam War. a difference.” tors were as extreme as the Thomas said It’s the kind of thing that media portrayed that the occupieveryone says is going to ers’ message exthem. Thomas said go away until it doesn’t, and tends past the he was surprised distincthen it makes a difference.” “99%” to find ratiotion of wealth and nal, mainstream —Parker Thomas ’12 that their dempeople who were onstrations are educated on the a reaction to the issues. inequality of op“The average guy at Occupy Wall portunity in modern American society. Street looks like a Harvard-Westlake “The complaint is just it’s becomstudent,” he said. “It was kind of unfor- ing more and more difficult to succeed tunate in the beginning that they were in America,” Thomas said. “It’s not portrayed as anarchists.” work ethic anymore. It’s just knowing After observing it firsthand, Thom- the right people.”
“
School buys 2 Chevy Volts By Eli Haims
The school has purchased two Chevy Volts for use by administrators, Head of Campus Operations and Construction J.D. De Matte said. The Volt is a plug-in hybrid which can run solely on its battery for approximately 40 miles. De Matte said a fund exists that is renewed annually so he can purchase new vehicles for the school and that the Volts were chosen this year because of their low environmental impact. Administrators will use the cars to commute between the Upper School, Middle School and Los Angeles Valley College, where a number of sports teams practice, he said. “For all the middle school trips and all the Valley College trips, in theory we should use zero gas, because it’s less than 40 miles,” De Matte said. De Matte said the school considered purchasing either Toyota Priuses or Volts; however, they ultimately chose the Volt because of its superior
MICHAEL SUGERMAN/CHRONICLE
PLUGGED IN: One of the Volts is plugged into an outlet behind Hamilton gym. Administrators have been using to Volts to drive back and forth between the upper and middle school campuses and LA Valley College, where some teams practice. fuel economy. The Volt has a 94-mile-per-gallon of gasoline equivalent rating while running on its battery and a 37-mile-pergallon rating while running on gasoline while the Prius has a 50-mile-per-gallon rating. Students can ride in the Volts if necessary, De Matte said, but Chevy
Suburbans are preferred for student transportation because of safety concerns. “There are a lot of requirements we have for moving people, whether it be CJL buses or Suburbans outfitted with the proper tires or obviously a big yellow school bus or a charter,” De Matte said.
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
News A7
inbrief
Dean groups collect goods for Thanksgiving food drive
ELANA ZELTSER/CHRONICLE
REACHING FOR THEIR ROOTS: Shani Byard ’92 speaks to the Black Leadership and Culture Club, emphasizing
the importance of both discovering their African-American culture and exploring their individual passions with electives.
Alumna stresses cultural consciousness By Elana Zeltser
Shani Byard ’92, founder of Message Media Ed, urged the members of the Black Leadership and Culture Club to seek a better understanding of their African-American culture at break on Nov. 7. “Know who you are because what you have to offer is incredibly beneficial to all,” Byard said. Message Media Ed is a school of African-American leadership and culture for grades K-12. Byard hopes the school can compensate for a lack of education in those areas in Los Angeles schools.
Byard, who studied media literacy in college, believes the media is extremely Euro-centric, failing to cater to people of color. The program offers classes for teachers of European descent to learn to be culturally conscious with students. At the BLACC meeting, Byard advocated the importance of discovering passions not just through academic classes, but also through electives, which she calls self-directed learning. Byard found her passion in dance, and was especially interested in integrating African dance into her routines. She continued to be
part of dance companies during her time at Spellman University before transferring to Loyola Marymount University, where she obtained a doctorate in educational leadership for social justice and a bachelors degree in television production. Inspired by the resistance against the Aparteid in South Africa, Byard founded Message Media Ed to bring to center the African-American experience for people of all ethnicities, and hopes that the members of BLACC will help as well. “As a person of color entering a learning environment, be prepared to teach, too,” Byard said.
Chinese teacher keynotes Beijing musical conferences By Megan Kawasaki
Upper school foreign language teacher Qinru Zhou is the invited keynote speaker at two music conferences in Beijing this week. nathanson ’s/chronicle Due to his standing since Qinru Zhou the 1980s as a well-known Chinese musician, Zhou was chosen as a keynote speaker for the meetings, one sponsored by the Central Conservatory of Music and another by the University of Chicago and the China Conservatory of Music. At the first, he will teach a class on musical analysis about his perspective on western music development in the 20th century. The second promotes “The Cambridge History of Western Musical Theory,” a book about music from the Middle Ages to the present. He considers himself one of few Chinese people to study western music in America, making him a rare source of knowledge. He will present a paper on classical and antique music. “They invited me to introduce the book because it’s hard for the Chinese to understand,” he said. Zhou has traveled to hold workshops on Chinese cultural music all over the world. “If the world needs me, no matter if they are Chinese, American, to contribute my knowledge or perspective, I will not hesitate,” Zhou said. “To share my ideas, to make the world be as good as we can. That is my goal.” Zhou’s wife, private Chinese tutor Xuesheng Lee, will teach his classes until he returns on Nov. 21.
NIKA MADYOON/CHRONICLE
SINGING HER HEART OUT: Sanah Ebrahim ’14 combined her passions for singing and Korean pop to compete for a Korean pop record deal and a cash prize.
Sophomore enters second round of Korean pop star competition By Malanna Wheat Singer Sanah Ebrahim ’14 qualified for the second round of a competition to become a Korean pop star. If Ebrahim wins the competition, she will receive 320 million won ($285,000), an international album release and would have to move to Korea to be a full-time Korean pop star. Ebrahim came across the K-pop ad while on Facebook one day and asked a friend about the competition. When her friend confirmed that it was real, Ebrahim decided to enter. “Ambition was the reason I decided to go through with this,” she said. “Being a K-pop star would be a dream come true, plus anyone who knows me knows I love to sing and dance.” The three biggest K-pop companies, JYP entertainment, SM entertainment and YG entertainment are hosting the SBS KPOP Star competition in search of the next big K-pop Star. There are three rounds, and those that qualify to the third round are invited to Korea with flight accommodation and fares all paid for by SBS.
For the first round, Ebrahim recorded and emailed a video to the competition judges. Because the competition allowed contestants to perform American songs, Ebrahim sang the Glee cast original song, “Get it Right.” On Sept. 24, she found out she had made it to the next round. Ebrahim said she was surprised to find out that she made it. “I got really nervous while singing even though I was just recording it in my room and no one was around,” she said. “The thought that my video would be viewed by three of Korea’s biggest K-pop companies made me anxious but excited at the same time.” Overcome with surprise, Ebrahim recorded herself singing “I’ll Back Off So You can Live Better” by G.NA (ft. JunHyung) for the second round. Although she doesn’t know if she’s qualified for the third round in Korea yet, she says it feels great to be able to combine all of her interests to achieve one goal. “I just want to do my best and even if I don’t make it, I know I’ve participated in something I love,” she said.
The school is collecting canned goods to donate to the Westside Food Bank for the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Upper school students can drop off goods in bins outside their dean’s office until Nov. 22. Community Council is trying to motivate students to donate with a pizza or bagel party for the winning dean group. “November is all about food since Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season,” Upper School Dean Jon Wimbish said. “I would hope people would be motivated without a party, but it’s a means that justifies the ends.” —Rachel Schwartz
Deadline nears for entries to March Film Festival The 2012 Film Festival will be held on March 16 at the Arclight Cinverama Dome. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 1. Upper School Visual Arts Head Cheri Gaulke, Cinema Studies teacher Ted Walch and student directors Olivia Chuba ’12, Jamie Ember ’12 and Roz Naimi ’12 are organizing the festival. The festival will screen the best entries, all films from California high schools. The next day, the festival directors will host a “Day After,” a series of workshops for the filmmakers by professionals in the movie business. —Eric Greenberg
Admissions officer offers advice to juniors, parents The Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions at New York University advised juniors and their parents about the application process at their class meeting yesterday and Junior Parent Night last night. Shawn Abbott has spoken to parents in the past, and the deans wanted juniors to hear his advice, Upper School Dean Jon Wimbish said. Abbott has worked at Stanford University and Columbia University. “To have someone on the college side validate the things we are saying or put it in a different context is pretty invaluable,” Wimbish said. —Allison Hamburger
Junior Classical League members to visit Getty Sixteen students from the Junior Classical League will take a trip to the Getty Villa on Nov. 18. Students will learn about the Villa’s history, take tours around the grounds and look at collections. Faculty advisor and middle school latin teahcer Moss Pike said the main focus of the trip will be a scavenger hunt. Other activities will include glass making and watching an artist create an encaustic painting. —Morganne Ramsey
Students, faculty to attend diversity conference Six members of the school community will attend a diversity conference in Philadelphia from Nov. 31 to Dec. 3. Mazelle Etessami ’14, Alex McNab ’14 and Malanna Wheat ’14 will travel with Upper School Dean Tamar Adegbile, Athletic Director Terry Barnum and Director of Bookstore Operations Tina Cleveland. The National Association for Independent Schools will host the conference, which educates on socioeconomic, gender, race and sexual orientation issues. Students will go to the Student Diversity Leadership Conference while adults will be at the People of Color Conference. —Cherish Molezion
The Chronicle
A8 News
For Argument’s Sake
Nov. 16, 2011
The upper school debate team has grown dramatically over the past few years, with last year’s top national debaters joining the coaching staff and current debaters excelling in international competitions as well as in the Lincoln-Douglas style.
Debaters
place at USC tournament By David Kolin
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MIKE BIETZ
TAKING THE PRIZE: New debate coach Marshall Thompson won the Bronx Invitational debate tournament last
year, left. Coaches Josh Roberts and Jake Sonnenberg ’11 attended the Bronx Round Robin as debaters last year, right.
Previous debaters join coaching staff By Maddy Baxter
Four of last year’s most successful national debaters have joined the Harvard-Westlake coaching staff. The new coaches include Ben SprungKeyser ’11, Jake Sonnenberg ’11, Josh Roberts and Marshall Thompson. They work with students via Skype, email and conference calls and attend tournaments. Sprung-Keyser and Sonnenberg participated on the Harvard-Westlake team. Sonnenberg now debates in policy at Stanford University. As opposed to the moral and ethical dilemmas argued in high school, he debates topics more related to foreign policy and international relations. Sprung-Keyser continues to debate at Harvard University. “I love debate,” Sonnenberg said. “I care a lot about the kids and want to help them succeed. My favorite thing
is when they do well on their own because of something they thought of and did through their own creativity and thinking.” Roberts graduated from Northland Christian School in Houston last year, where he debated for four years. As a senior, he won several tournaments, including Grapevine, the Bronx Round Robin, Glenbrooks and the Victory Briefs Tournament, and was the National Champion last year. He now attends Pepperdine University and has chosen to coach rather than continue debating. “A lot of my friends went to Harvard-Westlake and still do.” he said. “I wanted to stay involved.” Roberts’ responsibility is to ensure that students are researched in what they are arguing. He does online research and attends practices and tournaments. Thompson attended Walt Whitman
Four students participate in international competition
Senior can’t imagine life without debate
By Jessica Lee
By Chelsea Khakshouri
With her large stack of hotel room keys as proof of her constant travels, debate team captain Michelle Choi ’12 has placed in numerous national and international debate competitions. Choi began debating in fifth grade when a teacher recruited her for the team. She continued debating throughout middle school and now competes on the high school team. “My responsibilities on the team include writing a lot of the material that the team reads and a lot of research that we use during rounds,” Choi said. As one of the seniors, Choi helps her teammates to research and understand debate strategies. Choi also participates in World Schools Parliamentary debate outside of school. This summer, she participated in the World Schools Debate Championship as one of five members representing the United States in Scotland. Choi has traveled to many states for national competitions, including Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, New York, Texas and Washington. At the USC tournament last year, Choi won first speaker and was awarded an iPad, which she said was “a pretty cool prize.” She also attended the Tournament of Champions last year. She spends a majority of her time doing research and practicing speech.
High school in Bethesda, Md., and is now a student at Wheaton College in Illinois. He debated for four years and won the Greenhill Invitational, the Bronx Invitational and the Montgomery Bell Academy Round Robin. “Harvard-Westlake fits the talents I have to offer the most,” he said. Thompson and Sonnenberg help debaters with drills and philosophical ideas and attend tournaments every few months. “I enjoy attending tournaments with the opportunity to work in person with the kids,” Thompson said. Thompson debates a bit in college, but much less intensively, practicing once a week for an hour. “They’re all super helpful,” Annie Kors ’14 said of the coaches. “I think we get a lot of help from them when they are writing the materials we use in each debate round.”
During last week’s tournament at the University of Southern California, Brendan Gallagher ’13, who reached the semifinals of the tournament, was awarded second speaker, and Annie Kors ’14 won fourth speaker. So far this year, two debaters, Michelle Choi ’12 and Gallagher, have qualified for the Tournament of Champions in May in Kentucky by getting two bids. To obtain a bid for the Tournament of Champions, debaters have to attend specific tournaments and win a few elimination rounds. The exact number of rounds needed to get a bid varies from tournament to tournament. Aneri Amin ’12 and Michael O’Krent ’14 both have one bid for the Tournament of Champions, but they will need to attain one more to qualify. At the USC tournament, the team debated the topic “Individuals have a moral obligation to assist people in need.” However, the topic will change once this year before the Tournament of Champions. To prepare for the tournaments, debaters occasionally attend school practices, but the majority of work and preparation occurs outside school. Students prepare for tournaments by researching on the internet, doing drills at home, emailing coaches about the topic and using Skype to talk with coaches. “A lot of what we do is through email and we post articles on forums and discuss them,” Amin said. “A lot of it is not face-to-face.” This weekend’s Glenbrooks Tournament in Chicago is one of the most difficult tournaments that the debaters will attend all year, Gallagher said.
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MICHELLE CHOI
AROUND THE WORLD: Michelle Choi ’12 and Ben Sprung-Keyser ’11 debated in Scotland as part of World Schools Parliamentary debate last year. She has to miss a lot of school but says it is worth it. “I get used to flying,” she said. “I decided to stay on East Coast time zone because it’s easier.” “Michelle has a large degree of natural talent, but what makes her so successful is she works harder than anyone I know,” teammate and co-captain Adam Bennett ’12 said. Choi sees herself debating in college but not as actively as she does now. She can’t imagine her life without it, she said.
debates is that debaters answer questions posed by judges while a Aneri Amin ’12, Justin Ho ’12, moderator balances the two sides. Luke Holthouse ’13 and Julius Pak ’12 “There was a panel of judges, all qualified for the top 32 International the premier of their fields,” Ho said. “It Public Policy Forum (IPPF), a global was intimidating to be grilled by them written debate competition sponsored on our points and to have to defend our by New York University and the Bickel case position.” and Brewer Foundation. Although they lost the round against Teams from over 350 schools and a school from Nixa, Mo., Ho said it was 30 countries submitted essays. a valuable learning experience for the Written debates will continue for three of them. the first two rounds, which will last This year, Amin, Ho, Holthouse until February, and and Pak are debating the teams that make about the value of it into the top eight human involvement will then be flown in space exploration To spend time with out to New York this year. kids who have the with all expenses “We had to write paid to complete the the essay in a very same passion for competition via oral short period of time, debate that we have debates. The winning so it was stressful team will receive a for the week that we is a really meaningful $10,000 cash prize. wrote it,” Holthouse experience.” Last year, Amin, said. “But I think Ho and Pak were on —Aneri Amin ’12 we did a good job a team that qualified not only of assigning to the top eight and roles for certain traveled to New York parts of the essay to face teams from countries such as but also of doing our own parts and Korea and Singapore. trusting everyone else to do the same.” “I really love that we have the The team’s first written debate is opportunity to meet interesting, smart against a Hawaiian school, and if they kids from all over the world,” Amin said. win, they will face a team either from “To spend time with kids who have the Florida or the Czech Republic. If they same passion for debate that we have is win that round, they will be among the a really meaningful experience.” top eight and will travel to New York to A significant feature of the IPPF enter the oral debates.
“
Nov. 16, 2011
chronicle.hw.com
News A9
DAVID GISSER/CHRONICLE
School starts laying foundations for pool, waits for Kutler permits Continued from page A1
buildings and what have you. Two buildings, height requirements, extra bathroom requirements, [Americans with Disabilities Act] requirements. There’s a lot of stuff that triggers when you put two buildings together.” The Kutler Center will be a free standing building about an inch away from the Library and Seaver. It will be connected to the two other buildings by rubber gaskets. “It’s really a building on its own,” he
said. “It doesn’t touch the others, it’s about an inch apart.” De Matte said that the Kutler Center construction will also take approximately seven months. Two construction teams will simultaneously be working, one on the bridge to house the Kutler Center and the other to work on the remodel of the library. The team working on the Kutler Center will begin by doing caisson and foundation work, while the team working on the library remodel will start framing.
Budget surplus offsets 2008-2009 deficit
By Rebecca Nussbaum
For the 2011-2012 school year, the school is running nearly a $2 million surplus in the context of a $65 million budget, an outside Certified Public Accounting firm and the Business Office said. Chief Financial Officer Rob Levin said small budget surpluses are typical because of the school’s conservative accounting. However, this year’s surplus is larger than usual. “The secret is that [the tuition] probably could have gone up a little bit less this year,” Levin said. Because the Business Office didn’t “cut it to the bone” last year, they have flexibility in making the 2012-2013 budget. “All the indications are that we left ourselves enough that we shouldn’t have to do anything drastic this year,” Levin said. But budget surpluses are helpful in more than cushioning future budgets. The school is a not-for-profit organization, so surpluses don’t go to any individual. They are invested in the school itself, and the interest is put into reserves to offset potential deficits. “It’s not ‘Oh my god, the school made almost $2 million last year, they’re off to make money,’” Levin said. “No, we made two to three percent and we’re banking it for a rainy day.” One particular “rainy day” was the 2008-2009 school year when the school ran a $2 million deficit because they advanced money for the Middle School Modernization Project and suffered when the financial crisis hit nationally. However, the school was able to handle the curveballs because of their prudent accounting, Levin said. “We didn’t cut teachers’ salaries, we didn’t fire anybody and we didn’t jack tuition up,” Levin said about the
2008-2009 school year. “Our job is to be the buffer.” “You can’t always be break even or [have] a deficit,” he said. “You need it to be a zero sum game. Some years, the sine curve has to be above ground.” The school is still building back reserves depleted during the 2008-2009 school year. Much of this saved money goes toward the “renewal and replacement” program, where money gets invested each year to keep resources, such as fields, roofs, computers, school vehicals and weight room equipment, safe and up to date. One example of “renewal and replacement” in action is the replacement of the turf on the Ted Slavin Field this summer. Although the field is only replaced every eight years, the school charges itself close to $100,000 annually so that when it’s time to replace the field, the money exists. “We’re putting the money aside ahead of time based on what it’s going to cost,” Levin said. In addition to “renewal and replacement”, reserves are used toward self-insurance, Levin said. After much thought, the school decided to insure themselves for earthquake damage, as opposed to buying insurance from a private company. “We decided in the long run that we’re better off setting aside our own money,” Levin said. “If we self-insure a lot of things, there can be a lot of surprises [built into the budget],” he said. Today the Business Office completed an intermediate deadline for the 2012-2013 budget, and they remained true to their conservative accounting principles. “We don’t care about one quarter or one year,” Levin said. “We’re willing to do something smart long-term that may look stupid in any given year.”
De Matte said that he has been keeping environmentally friendliness in mind during the construction. The glass in the Kutler Center will be double glazed, which increases insulation. The pool is going to have high efficiency heaters and power flow regulators, which also increase energy efficiency. De Matte hopes to have the building completed for the first day of school. “We’re getting down to the wire,” he said. “It always makes you a little nervous, but we have to do the best we can.”
KEANE MURAOKA-ROBERTSON/CHRONICLE
IN THE WORKS: Construction workers begin the electrical phase of the pool project after removing part of the road next to Taper Gymnasium, left. Preparation for laying down the pool’s foundation has begun, right.
The Chronicle
A10 News
Defending their honor By Eli Haims
is based on their understanding of the Honor Code and if a particular “When an Honor Code infraction infraction violates the Honor Code. has happened, the community is If the HRC decides not to take the broken to a certain degree,” Chaplain case because there is either no clear Father J. Young said. “If it’s a big one violation, violator or evidence, the like that history cheating scandal, it’s infraction is dealt with by the teacher. obvious that the community is broken. If the HRC decides that the case But even in a little one, if a teacher will move to the full Honor Board, the can no longer trust a student and next step is to determine who will hear that teacher maybe looks at his or the case. her other students through a funny The Head Prefects, two Prefects lens, the community of trust has been from each grade, Young, two teachers broken. The goal of the Honor Board is and a dean sit on the board. The gradeto restore the community back to its level Prefects switch off case-by-case wholeness.” and there are two pairs of teachers who Young initially reviews the situation, rotate. The teachers for this year have evaluating whether the case will pass not yet been selected because there has the Honor Review Committee, a group not been a full Honor Board case. of Prefects who determine whether the Up to this point, the identities of the full Board will hear the case. student and the teacher are not known Head Prefect Brooke Levin ’12 by the Prefect Council. Once the names said that HRCs tend to take place are announced, a Head Prefect asks if during Prefect Council meetings and there are any recusals, where someone therefore include all of the Prefects. If sitting on the case is friendly enough Young feels that a case will not make it with the student who committed the through the HRC, the teacher and the infraction that the person hearing administration the case does not will jointly feel that he or determine the she could make a The goal of the Honor Board fair and objective consequences students will face. is to restore the community judgment. However, if Before the back to its wholeness.” he feels that the case, both the case will pass the student and the HRC, he gathers write —Father J. Young teacher evidence, which s t at e m e n ts School Chaplain includes any describing the physical proof, infraction. The such as matching first thing that Scantrons in the case of cheating. the Honor Board does the day of the Statements from both the student and hearing is to read the statements, teacher involved are also collected. looking to see if anything must be Levin emphasized that the Honor clarified, Bagrodia said. The teacher is Board itself is not an investigative then called before the Board and gives body, saying that “there’s only so much a report of what transpired. that you can prove and we don’t try to The teacher is then excused, and prove things that are not there.” the student and his or her dean are In the 2008-2009 school year, a called before the Board. new policy was enacted to deal with Bagrodia believes that the student’s first Honor Board offences. The policy perspective is crucial to understanding requires teachers to report infractions exactly what happened. At this point, to a student’s dean, but if it is a minor many students admit to the infraction, offense, teachers are allowed to deal and the Board works to help them with the consequences themselves. understand and make up for their In an interview with the Chronicle mistake. in February 2009, Head of School “For something like plagiarism, you Harry Salamandra outlined the reason will be kicked out [of college],” he said. behind this change. “You don’t get an Honor Board.” “Some of the faculty felt that it In 2009, the Chronicle printed a would be beneficial to be able to have first-person account of a student going that relationship with the student, before the Board. He described the especially if it was a first time offense member of the Board “grilling” him or it was an offense of a more minor for 10 minutes and how the Board’s nature,” he said. recommendation commented on his Young then presents the details of agreeableness. the case to the HRC. When the HRC “I read the statement, which said is determining whether the case will be that I seemed embarrassed and that I heard by the full Board, they answer understood the impact of my actions four questions, according to Head on a small scale, but that I was too Prefect Rishi Bagrodia ’12: “Is there compliant, that I went along with a clear violator?”, “Is there a clear everything they said,” he wrote. “Was I violation?”, “Is there evidence?” and supposed to argue with them, to stand “Does the Prefect Council want to take up for myself? I simply agreed with the case?” their assessment of the infraction. “There just has to be evidence of Why was that a problem?” the infraction,” he said. “Otherwise, After the student is finished with the case is based on abstraction.” his or her description of the incident, Bagrodia said that the HRC’s he or she is excused and the student’s decision on whether to take the case dean is asked whether the student has
“
“
Nov. 16, 2011
ART BY SYDNEY FOREMAN
Every year, 10 to 15 students are accused of an Honor Code violation. Their cases go through a multi-step process before a decision is made by the honor board.
In all of the follow up meetings I’ve been in, people have found the process very helpful.” —Brooke Levin ’12 Head Prefect nathanson ’s/chronicle
previously committed an Honor Board infraction. “If there [has been], this obviously makes our lives slightly more difficult,” he said. “With a prior offense, there are magnified consequences because of the pattern that is continuing without showing any break.” Once the student, the teacher and the student’s dean have all spoken, the Board begins the process of determining what they will recommend in terms of punishment. The framework for the punishments, beginning with least severe, is revocation of gradelevel privileges, detention, in-house detention, in-house suspension, suspension and expulsion. However, Bagrodia said that the Board rarely bases its recommendations solely on this framework, as the Board exists to help the student, and merely punishing him or her does not accomplish this. “We look at each case and figure out what is best for that specific student,” Levin said. “The point behind a detention or suspension is never just to punish a student. With an inhouse detention, it is honestly to give the student an opportunity to sit down for one full day at school and get all of their work done, because we noticed that this kid was behind on his work.” Only punishments equal to and higher than a suspension are reported
by the school to colleges, Young said. After discussing the potential recommendation, a vote is taken. If the vote is close, the Board discusses the recommendation further. When the recommendation is determined, a prefect drafts a letter to Head of Upper School Harry Salamandra. He can either approve the recommendation, alter it or completely reject it, but Bagrodia said that “nine times out of ten” he approves it. After Salamandra’s final decision, Levin said that the student is called into his or her dean’s office and told what the Board’s recommendation and Salamandra’s decision are. The recommendation is then sent back to the Prefect Council, where it is anonymized and sent to the student body and to faculty. In these recommendations, the Prefect Council gives a synopsis of the incident and described how the student behaved before the Board, what the violation of the Honor Code was and what the Honor Board recommended as punishments. A few weeks after the case is heard, one or two Prefects and a Head Prefect meet with the student to check up on how he or she is doing. “In all of the follow up meetings I’ve been in, people have found the process very helpful,” Levin said.
Stepping up to the Honor Board
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Students accused of Honor Code infractions go through a review process before they go up before the Honor Board. The teacher and dean talk to the student about his case. Chaplain Father J. Young collects evidence from the student for the Honor Board. The student writes up a report on the incident from his or her own perspective. The student has a hearing before the Honor Board. A few days later, the student is called into his dean’s office and is told his or her punishment. The student completes his punishment. Two to three weeks later, the student has a talk with a head prefect and one or two grade-level prefects to recap on the student’s progress after the infraction. SOURCES: HEAD PREFECTS RISHI BAGRODIA AND BROOKE LEVIN GRAPHIC BY BEATRICE FINGERHUT AND MADDY BAXTER
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
Magazine publishes sophomore’s writing
Digging in the Dirt
By Lauren Siegel
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF HILARY ETHE
DOWN AND DIRTY: Russell Wolfe ’12 meaures the amount of algae in a given area during a trip to the Malibu Lagoon. Students in Advanced Placement Environmental Science collected the data for a professional lab.
Hollywood Reporter names 4 alumni ‘Fastest Rising Stars’ By Keane Muraoka-Robertson
Four alumni are listed among the “35 under 35” by the Hollywood Reporter. Lauren Abrahams ’98, Lily Collins ’07, Steve Gersh ’01 and Ramon Wilson ’95 were featured in the Hollywood Reporter’s 18th annual Next Gen 2011: Hollywood’s Fastest-Rising Stars. The Hollywood Reporter said those featured show talent in their fields, fully dedicating themselves to their work and taking on big projects at an age where many others are just starting out. Abrahams, currently Director of Production at Columbia Pictures, looks for material to buy and develop. “I read a lot of incoming material and consider whether or not we should buy them, and then I’ll make a recommendation,” Abrahams said. “A lot of it is looking for screenwriters to write certain stories that we know we want to tell or book adaptions and filling writing assignments.” Abrahams is also responsible for hiring writers and directors as well as making sure the projects are ready for the production phase. Once in the
News A11
production phase, Abrahams also oversees managing and preparation for the movie’s release. Abrahams has worked at Columbia Pictures for five years, and has held her current position for about three and a half years. Prior to working in the entertainment business, she had no knowledge of what it meant to be a Director of Production. “Once I got my foot in the door, I realized that there was this whole opportunity to be involved in storytelling as a studio executive,” Abrahams said. “It really started to appeal to me.” Her most recent project, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is scheduled for release in December. Abrahams attributes her work ethic and the time management skills to her days at Harvard-Westlake. Gersh, a talent agent, has been working at Gersh Agency for three and a half years. His grandfather, Phil Gersh, started the agency in 1949. Gersh knew that he wanted to work in the entertainment industry from an early age, he said. “My grandfather started the company that both my dad and uncle are
At age 15, Julia Aizuss ’14 is already a published writer and the author of three novels. High school magazine Ponathanson ’s/chronicle lyphony H.S. Julia Aizuss ’14 published Aizuss’ short story, “The Grand Canyon Isn’t a Miracle, It’s a Threat” about a woman reflecting on her boyfriend’s suicide. Hers was one of 77 accepted pieces. 1,618 pieces were submitted by students all over the world. Aizuss said it was the best story she had written. She wrote it in December 2010, and after it was accepted in April 2011, worked closely with the editors of Polyphony H.S. through email. Polyphony H.S. spent a couple weeks suggesting edits and discussing the story with Aizuss before publishing it in August. “I can’t say what inspired me, it just came out of my keyboard very unexpectedly,” she said. Aizuss also participated in National November Writing Month in the Novembers of her sixth, seventh and eighth grade years. She achieved the 50,000 word goal for all three of her submissions. NaNoWriMo requires participants to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Aizuss found herself writing at least 1,667 words a day in order to meet the Nov. 30 deadline. The event was started in 1999 by freelance writer Chris Baty in order to promote literature, literacy and learning. Ben Knight ’14, Michael O’Krent ’14, Micah Sperling ’12 and Tom Thorne ’14 are also attempting to write a novel
for NaNoWriMo this month. “While all my family was over at my house for Thanksgiving, I would go back to my room now and then and spend some time at the computer writing more,” Aizuss said. Her first novel for NaNoWriMo was about “an antisocial girl who recedes into a fantasy world and the consequences of this action,” Aizuss said. Her second told the story of a girl writing a novel for NaNoWriMo and the adventures that accompany the writing process. Her third was about a teenager’s nostalgia for her childhood. Aizuss spent the past two summers in the creative writing program at Interlochen Arts Camp. “Those two summers were the best two summers of my life,” Aizuss said. “The best stories and the best poetry I’ve ever written, I did there.” Aizuss found that the lack of distractions at Interlochen helped her dedicate herself completely to her creative writing and poetry. Without internet, school work or her cell phone, Aizuss was able to focus and create her best work yet. Though Aizuss is an avid creative writer, she is cautious to declare a future career as an author. “The best writing comes from experience,” Aizuss said. “If you decide you want to be a writer as a teenager and spend the rest of your life trying to pursue that instead of living, how will you ever be able to write well? It’s a little bit of a conundrum.” Regardless, Aizuss continues to write short stories and foster her love of creative writing. “[Writing is] the best way of dealing with your emotions, even when you’re not writing a journal entry,” she said. “There’s something therapeutic about it. Something cathartic.”
Of the 35 young professionals featured in the Hollywood Reporter’s 18th annual Next Gen 2011: Hollywood’s Fastest Rising Stars, four were Harvard-Westlake alumni. currently running,” Gersh said. “I interned there a few times during high school. I thought at one point that I would do sports representation, but I just kind of segued into working with actors and actresses.” Gersh attended Duke University as an undergraduate where he earned a major in political science and history and a minor in art. He attended USC film school for graduate school and received his masters in fine arts in producing. “I love the fact-based nature and that everyday there’s something big and exciting,” Gersh said. “I also love the ability to help people accomplish what they want with their careers.” Gersh’s client list consists of many up and coming actors and actresses including Kristen Stewart, best known for the “Twilight Saga,” Bridget Mendler from Disney Channel’s “Good Luck Charlie” and Josh Bowman from ABC’s “Revenge.” Collins, an actress, recently worked on the movie “Mirror, Mirror”, which is in post-production according to IMDB.com. Collins is the daughter of Phil Col-
lins, an actor and musician. “I feel like I literally grew as Snow grew in the movie, that our experiences paralleled,” Lily Collins said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter upon being cast as Snow White in the movie “Mirror, Mirror.” “It wasn’t a movie shoot for me. It was a life experience.” Collins started acting when she was two in the BBC series “Growing Pains.” Throughout high school she wrote for various teen magazines such as Elle Girl, Teen Vogue and Seventeen Magazine. In 2009, she was a guest star on the CW’s “90210.” Following her role on “90210,” she worked alongside Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw in the “Blindside.” This year, Collins also acted in the “Priest” and “Abduction” with Taylor Lautner. Wilson started working at Relativity Media in 2006 and is currently the Executive Vice President of Business Development. Relativity Media is a studio that deals with investment and multiple aspects of entertainment including film, television, music and sports.
AppA
SPECIALIZING IN
Athletic & Performance Recruitment Videos Essay Excellence Interview Coaching APPLICATION DEADLINES APPROACHING…ARE YOU READY?!
collegeprepcoaching.com 818/357-8383
Valid on Driver Ed (classroom or online)/Training package. Coupon must be presented at sign-up to receive discount. 1093 Broxton Ave #218, Los Angeles, CA 90024 One Coupon per student. Call 310-824-4444 or email us at www.westwooddriving.com or start your Driver Education online now at www.310driversed.com!
Chronicle The Harvard-Westlake
3700 Coldwater Canyon, Los Angeles, CA 91604
Editors in Chief: Judd Liebman, Lara Sokoloff
Managing Editors: Eli Haims, Allison Hamburger, Austin Lee, Saj Sri-Kumar Executive Editors: Justine Goode, Rebecca Nussbaum Presentations Editors: Chloe Lister, Arielle Maxner, Victor Yoon
O
The Chronicle • Nov. 16, 2011
A12
pinion Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue III
Ads Manager: Alex Gura Business Managers: Sanjana Kucheria, Susan Wang Assistants: Tara Stone Chief Copy Editor: Micah Sperling Chief
of Photography: Daniel Kim Photoshop Editor: Hank Gerba
News Managing Editors: Maddy Baxter, Nika Madyoon Section Heads: David Lim, Keane Robertson, Michael Sugerman News Copy Editor: Ana Scuric Assistants: Julia Aizuss, Beatrice Fingerhut, Jivani Gengatharan, Jack Goldfisher, Claire Goldsmith, Lauren Sonnenberg, Noa Yadidi Opinion Managing Editors: Abbie Neufeld, Anabel Pasarow Section Heads: Mariel Brunman, Rachel Schwartz Opinion Copy Editor: Ana Scuric Opinion Assistants: Sarah Novicoff, Lizzy Thomas Features Managing Editors: Cami de Ry, Megan Kawasaki Features Section Heads: Michael Rothberg, Megan Ward, Elana Zeltser Features Copy Editor: Carrie Davidson Features Assistants: Eojin Choi, Sydney Foreman, Eric Greenberg, David Gisser, Jessica Lee, Jessica Murdock, Morganne Ramsey, Emily Segal, Lauren Siegel Science & Health Editor: Jessica Barzilay Science & Health Section Head: Gabrielle Franchina Centerspread Editors: Caitie Benell, Jamie Chang Arts & Entertainment Editor: Claire Hong Arts & Entertainment Section Heads: Maggie Bunzel, Aaron Lyons Sports Managing Editors: David Kolin, Julius Pak Section Heads: Michael Aronson, Luke Holthouse, Camille Shooshani Sports Copy Editor: Robbie Loeb Senior Sportswriter: Charlton Azuoma Assistants: Eric Loeb, Grant Nussbaum, Patrick Ryan, Lucy Putnam, Sam Sachs Chronicle.hw.com Editors in Chief Eli Haims, Austin Lee Online Editors: David Gobel, Alex Gura, Sanjana Kucheria, Chelsea Khakshouri, Cherish Molezion, Shana Saleh, Meagan Wang, Susan Wang Online Assistants: Mazelle Etessami, Jensen Pak, Malanna Wheat Adviser: Kathleen Neumeyer The Chronicle is the student newspaper of HarvardWestlake 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 Alex Gura at (310) 467-1797. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY AUSTIN LEE
Support our community, always
C
hristopher Robinson came to Harvard-Westlake as a ninth grader and became ill just a few months later. He knew some of his junior classmates but not all. Yet students who had never met or interacted with Chris were moved by his death, moved to a place of sympathy, compassion and sorrow.
Students were upset when the administration did not plan an immediate community-wide ceremony acknowledging Chris’ death. This is how a strong community responds to loss and tragedy. We banded together to support each other after Brendan Kutler, Julia Siegler and Ishan BosePyne’s deaths. Students donned two hats in honor of Brendan. They wore purple and slowed down for Julia. They dressed in white in remembrance of Ishan. Each class at the Upper School now stands incomplete. The holes are too large to fill, but the help of the entire community can begin to heal what is torn by tragedy. We stand united, helping each other through pain. Yet after each death, it is easy to fall back into our selfish ways, neglecting our community. A few weeks ago, students were pushing through the first quarter, heads down and wholly concerned
with themselves. Sophomores were consumed by the transition to the Upper School, juniors by the overwhelming workload of 11th grade and seniors by the endless college applications. But in a time of crisis, we came together. Monday morning, a table in the quad overflowed with baked goods. Students raised an unprecedented amount of money in support of the Robinson family. Our compassion should be inherent and unwavering. It should not require a trigger, especially one as devastating as death. Realize that the community you are a part of needs you, even in the ordinary times of high school. You do not always have to compete. Grades and college applications are important, but they should not consume you. Remember how you comforted each other after Chris’ memorial on Monday. Be there for your friends, your peers and your teachers. Always.
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
Opinion A13
Christopher ‘Bee-Bop’ Robinson Feb. 28, 1996 — Nov. 9, 2011
“When one member of the school family is pained, we all are.”
—President Thomas C. Hudnut
PHOTOS PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF THE ROBINSON FAMILY
REMEMBERING: Yankee fan Christopher Robinson ’13, left, who died Nov. 9 after battling leukemia for two years, with friend Harrison McElroy. Robinson, in white
“Bee-Bop brought a vibrant spirit with him everywhere he went. His character and integrity made him an amazing example for those both older and younger than him.” —Langston McElroy ’12
shirt, hangs out with baseball teammates Colburn Pittman ’12, Langston McElroy ’12 and Jesus Morales ’12, right. Robinson sits in the dugout, below, supporting his team.
“It was really an honor to know a guy like Chris. It’s not every day you meet someone who is so nice and full of laughter. There was never a day I saw Chris and he looked down, and I had known him since I was about 8. Even when he was diagnosed with leukemia, he had high spirits when I would talk to him. I am so glad that I was able to know a person as great as him.” —Aaron Lyons ’13
“You could not be mad or cross at Chris and then leave that situation still mad. He always had the right things to say. The right blend of wisdom and humor just to keep you going throughout the day.” —Kameron Lucas ’12
“Chris continues to remind me, my colleagues and his classmates that how you face the challenges and even the mundane tasks of each day and how you treat others defines the quality of our life.” —Betsy Ilg Middle School Dean
“Chris was a great teammate, player and friend. He always had an uplifting spirit and made everybody feel welcome. It will be hard to back on the field knowing that Chris won’t be joining us.” —Austin Schoff ’13
Slow down and step back By Judd Liebman
D
uring sophomore year, we fill out the “Three Year Plan,” outlining our ideas about our future classes. Our decisions in 10th grade could dictate the rest of our high school career. And that is what high school is supposed to be. Harvard-Westlake teaches us to prepare for the future and to be aware of the consequences of our decisions and actions. That’s all great, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could slow down for a minute? We race through sophomore year so we can rise from the status of the “bottom-feeders” in the quad as quickly as we can. Be careful what
you wish for though, because junior year is tough. The second we step into the Advanced Placement or Honors classes and the college process starts, we want to get through junior year fast. And I mean fast. Junior year lives up to its reputation of being a challenging year, but we have much to look forward to: senior year. Now I am a senior, knee-deep in the college process and waiting for a letter of decision. Obviously, I hope for an acceptance letter, so I will be done with the process. Dec. 15 cannot come soon enough. I want these days to fly. Then, I will want first semester to wrap up quickly, so I can be a second
“Harvard-Westlake teaches us to prepare for the future and to be aware of the consequences of our decisions and actions. That’s all great, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could slow down for a minute?”
semester senior. That’s the goal, right? To get into college and be able to relax a little bit. But then I long for the time after AP tests so I have enormous amounts of free time. And then, I excitedly wait for graduation. And then…it’s over. High school is finished. I will leave a school that has treated me so well. Anticipating the next step in high school is important to make good decisions and to have something to look forward to (especially during the brutal junior year), but that is just half of what we need to do. Enjoy the moment. Even if it may be hard to step back and relish in your
challenges, it is a necessity to stay sane. And who knows, you might enjoy yourself. Put the science lab on hold for an hour and sit with yourself, loving life. I’ll admit, when you’re in the thick of a tough year or even week, this task may be difficult, but try it. Take a deep breath and realize that everything will be okay. Some say high school is the best time of their lives, so enjoy it. Before you know it, you’ll be the one attending your last home football game, or running your last cross country race and eventually, be the one shaking President Tom Hudnut’s hand at graduation.
The Chronicle
Opinion A14
Nov. 16, 2011
Space out tests, please By Arielle Maxner
T GRAPHIC BY RACHEL SCHWARTZ AND AIDAN YETMAN-MICHAELSON
Technology is taking over By Rachel Schwartz
T
he first night I had my iPhone 4S, I asked Siri, the new program that responds to vocal commands, what the weather for the next day would be. “What did you say?” my mother called to me from down the hall. “I was talking to Siri,” I replied. My exchange with Siri and my mom made me question the role of technology in my life. I appreciate the amazing advances in industrial, medical and personal technology that innovators like Apple founder Steve Jobs have made in recent years. However, I wonder how we can know to stop advancing before it is too late. The atom bomb may be an extreme example, but the fact that its creators regretted discovering its technology illustrates how hard it is to predict the consequences of our actions. The International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry estimates that in June 2011, the percentage of active cell phone per U.S. inhabitant was 102.4 percent, compared to just 14 percent per inhabitant in June 2001. This change, which affected such a large number of people so greatly and occurred so abruptly, rivals the transformation of society in the In-
dustrial Revolution of the early 19th century. We are living through an electronic revolution, and I am a part of it. Apparently, students have been so overwhelmed with this revolution that they cannot be trusted to disconnect from electronics even during classes. Periodic rings or vibrations from texts punctuate lectures and teachers feel the need to plaster the walls of the girls’ bathroom in Seaver with posters that read “NO CELL PHONES” in bright red to prevent students from using a supposed bathroom break as a texting break. The frenzy over the iPhone 4S began before it was even released. I would hear kids in the hallway talking about all of its new features and when they could get their hands on this latest innovation. Now, more than ever, I see iPhones everywhere at school. In my English class, we are required to leave our cell phones in a basket at the front of the room. The basket is always brimming with the newest models of personal electronics. Everyone who has an iPhone seems to be obsessed with trying to elicit human-like responses from Siri, and I am no exception. I tried
asking my iPhone if it loved me and it replied, “I respect you.” A machine is responding to emotional statements and casual questions in the vernacular. There is no code that acts as a translator between human speech and electrical transmission. Human and machine can communicate directly. I have enjoyed getting to know my iPhone and Siri, but my excitement has been tempered with a bit of apprehension. Whenever Siri gives me a response that sounds like a human is talking to me, I cannot help but feel that a horror movie is waiting to happen. “Attack of the iPhone” might be a stretch, but the ubiquity of personal electronics today is astonishing when compared with its minimal presence just 10 years ago. Technology makes my life infinitely more convenient, and I witness the way it is changing lives every day. Such observations have made me realize how lucky I am to be able to use complex devices that make communication so simple. The momentous wave of innovation of my generation shapes our lives today and is forming our futures. We will live very different lives than our parents have.
Learn from others’ mistakes By Camille Shooshani
M
y first thought after ramming the hood of my car into an Audi S5 at 30 mph was “I’m going to be late for school.” A few seconds later, after I felt the the full impact of what had just happened, I started to panic. I pulled over as carefully as I could and jumped out of the car, apologizing over and over again to the middle-aged man whom I had rear-ended. There was not much damage, but, of course, I began to cry. It seemed so stupid. In March, I had moved on from being afraid of every car on the road and graduated to driving with a newfound sense of arrogance. I had been fussing with the radio and my attention was drawn away from the road for a second. The result: thousands of dollars in damages for what looked like a dent, and aftershocks that would plague me for months. First, my insurance rate went up by $600 a year. My parents pay the same amount for my individual insurance as they pay for four other cars
combined. According to my insurance company, my rate will not lower until I turn 26, providing I do not get into any more accidents. My parents paid to repair the damages to the Audi right after the accident, but months later when I began to think I could forget about the ordeal, the man I hit demanded over $50,000 in conpensation, claiming his car was totaled, even though he just seemed annoyed when I hit him. I had to tell Department of Motor Vehicles about the damages, but they misreported my accident, so I still need to go to the DMV and clean up after this mess in person. I was too scared to drive for two weeks, and when I finally did, I reverted to fearing left turns and freeways as if it was my first week driving. Afterwards, the “what ifs” of my accident played over and over again in my head. What if my lapse in attention had led me to hit a pedestrian rather than a car? What if I hit the car a bit
ests for all of my academic subjects are inevitable. I understand why we have them and their importance in evaluating how much we learn, pushing us to fully comprehend the material. What I do not understand, however, is why tests occur in rapid sequence. One test is hard enough, but it becomes more a test of endurance than a test of the subject when exams pile up on one another, sometimes occurring all on the same day. That is why it is good that the current HarvardWestlake policy allows students to move tests when they have more than three occurring on the same date. Still, what about tests happening day after day? It is stressful enough to prepare for one, but to have to immediately move on and frantically study a different subject leads to a breaking point. There is only so much time in the day, and some of it needs to be for rest, to recuperate. Tests are tiring. It seems that for most classes, no matter the subject, the unit finishes around the same date as the units for other classes. This means that tests coincide in the calendar. It happens with quizzes, too. And essays. Everything manages to be due or occur in the same time frame. Maybe it is unavoidable for units to end at the same time. After all, they all start at the same time. Still, it would be nice if teachers staggerred from the first day of school, and if, instead of having a concentrated week or two of marathon testing, there were maybe one or two tests a week. How could this happen, you ask? Teachers do not try enough to coordinate their lesson plans to ensure different test dates. This could be accomplished with a simple testing calendar, viewable to specified users who could input the tests. Students would not even need to see it if it effectively organized testing. Sure, there is no possible way to ensure that every class has its own test week, but departments could negotiate weeks reserved for testing in their subject. Students doubling up on subjects would then have two tests in the week, but that is highly preferable to tests on two consecutive days.
It seems that if people talked about their experiences rather than tried to hide them, more people would understand the gravity of car accidents.
harder and injured the driver? Cars are dangerous, and it is so easy to forget their potential to change lives permanently. A mobile ton of metal is a weapon of mass destruction. My small moment of irresponsibility could have killed someone. It has been a year since I got my license and seven months since my accident. The fact that I still deal with the drama of something so long ago frustrates me. Did I really deserve this for getting annoyed with a song on the radio? It is scary how many new drivers get in accidents. Almost every person I know with a license has been involved in at least scratching another car, but no one to wants to talk about it. It is seen as an embarrassing part of our lives that we would rather never speak about again. I am guilty of trying to ignore my faults as a driver too, but every person I have talked to who has been in an accident has explained how much they have learned from it. It seems that if
people talked about their experiences rather than tried to hide them, more people would understand the gravity of car accidents. The truth of the matter is, before my accident, I had no idea what it meant to hit someone. I had heard something about license, registration and insurance, but I never paid attention. The ordeal probably could have been prevented had someone told me of his or her own nightmare and warned me about losing focus on the road. Talk about your accident. Hearing the protocol for how to respond is not the same as hearing a friend’s trauma from a personal experience. Everybody learns something from such a stressful and dangerous experience, whether it is to slow down or to pay better attention. It is not something to be ashamed of, because everybody gets distracted. Share your experience and explain the consequences. Help your friends avoid the same distress.
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
letters
Opinion A15
Return of water bottles to cafeteria disappoints geology teacher I am terribly disapCold filtered water is pointed that the students of available all over the camHarvard-Westlake chose to pus. We even have water bring back single-use water infused with strawberbottles. Perhaps a single-use ries, cucumbers or mint. bottle of water is better than Yet our students want to a single-use bottle of Gatowaste money and resourcrade, but why are we selling es on single-use bottles. Gatorade in our cafeteria in What does that say the first place? Gatorade is a about our students? Few nathanson ’s/chronicle great choice for rehydration of our students have to Wendy Van Norden after vigorous sports, but no consider the cost of small one needs all that sugar and purchases. That doesn’t salt for lunch. mean that it makes any sense to pay Governor Arnold Schwarzenegmoney for tap water that is hundreds ger sponsored a bill in 2010 that of times more expensive. would ban the sale of sports drinks in Are our students too lazy to bother California public schools. We stopped to wash out a bottle? Possibly. Are selling sugary soft drinks, so why are they too paranoid of germs to consider we selling sugary “sports drinks?” that washing dishes and bottles could Are we really worried that reusbe perfectly healthy? Perhaps, for our ing a bottle is an unhealthy practice? society is becoming increasingly germWe all (I hope) wash our dinner phobic. dishes rather than throw them away Do our students know that they or recycle them after each use. A are wasting precious resources? If reusable water bottle can be washed they knew, would they care? between uses. Warm soapy water I am hoping that some would care, does the trick, and if you want, add so I have put together some facts some bleach once in a while. Modern about the resources wasted with the plastic water bottles no longer contain single-use bottles. Bisphenol A, and metal water bottles never did contain BPA, so that is not Reasons why a reusable bottle is a concern. best:
quadtalk
The Chronicle asked:
1. It costs less than single use bottles. Although bottled water is no healthier than tap water, bottled water can cost 4,000 to 10,000 times what tap does for the same amount. This is no exaggeration. Do the math: tap water costs $.001 per gallon compared to an average $2 bottle (not even a gallon) of water. 2. No fuel is used in making and recycling bottles. The 29 billion plastic water bottles produced for use in the United States each year require the equivalent of 17 million barrels of crude oil. 3. Not all plastic bottles get recycled. Of the 2.7 million tons of plastic Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles on U.S. shelves in 2006, 80 percent went into landfills. They will remain there un-decomposed for up to 1,000 years. Think about it. This is a product that is useful for perhaps one hour, yet will take a thousand years to decompose. 4. Recycling of plastic is expensive. The cost of recycling PET plastic is lower than the cost of producing virgin PET plastic, but is still expensive, at about 60 percent the cost of virgin materials, depending upon local conditions. Some of that cost comes from energy use, and, as we all know, our
energy resources are limited and the use of most forms of energy creates greenhouse gases. 5. Using reusable bottles saves on water. Almost seven times as much water is used to make a plastic bottle as is in the bottle. It may take some water to wash a reusable bottle, but it takes much less than it would to make or recycle a new plastic bottle. In California especially, water is a precious resource. 6. It saves on fuel to use local water. Eighty-one grams of fossil fuels, 720g of water, and 153g of green house gases are produced for every bottle delivered to the U.S. from Fiji. Why would anyone think it is a good idea to import water all the way from Fiji when we can get excellent water from the Sierras? Interesting anecdote: every year we test bottled water in Advanced Placement Environmental Science. Fiji is the only source that has ever shown the presence of fecal coliform bacteria. Harvard-Westlake students: Please try to break the habit of using throw-away bottles. Thank you.
—Wendy Van Norden, Science teacher
“Should the cafeteria sell plastic water bottles?”
350 students weighed in on the Chronicle poll
“People think recycling is the same as reusing, but they don’t remember how much energy is used to turn water bottles into new things.”
301
Yes No
—Shannon Acedo, librarian
“I think enough research has been done to justify bringing back plastic water bottles.” —Haleh Kanani ’12
“By adding [plastic water bottles] to the cafeteria, the school is still largely increasing its overall plastic consumption. This ‘green initiative’ is hardly green at all.” —Demren Sinik ’13
“They sell other drinks that use much more plastic than the water bottles. It is easier even though it is not the most eco-friendly.”
“Metal bottles and water fountains are too inaccessible for students walking to class. Now students are encouraged to drink water, which is healthier than Gatorade.”
—Justin Carr ‘14
—Oliver Goodman-Waters ’14
reportcard + B A
PHOTOS BY ANABEL PASAROW AND RACHEL SCHWARTZ
The first weekend of “Fiddler on the Roof” is sold out.
49
“I get tired of the cafeteria’s other bottled drinks, expecially in the morning when I might crash from the sugar.” —Gus Woythaler ’12
The editorial board of the Chronicle evaluates recent campus developments.
Some sound-proofing was added to the library.
C
Many students do not recycle plastic water bottles.
D+
Harvard-Westlake does not have Veterans’ Day off.
exposure
Nov. 16, 2011
A16
Fiddler on the stage By Michael Sugerman
The lights brightened to a soft blue, and the sound of a violin smoothly floated into the audience from a fiddler. Josh Lappen ’13 as the protagonist, Tevye, stepped into the Russian shtetl. The rest of the cast, all wearing tzitzit and headwraps, joined him on stage, combining voices to sing “Tradition.” “Fiddler on the Roof ” focuses on one Jewish town’s struggle to uphold tradition in the ever-changing, Czarist, anti-Semitic Russia of the late 1880s. “Fiddler” is “similar to the story of my family during this period,” Lappen said. “My family lived in a similar area in Western Russia. At the time, Jews lived separated, but got along with Christians just fine until changes in the world forced them to leave.” Much of Lappen’s family
came to America, while the few who stayed behind died in the Holocaust. “Looking at the script, it’s a fantastic, well-written play, and Tevye is a deep and relatable character,” Lappen said. “When I started to act and sing as Tevye, as cheesy as it may sound, I really became him.” Lappen, who grew a bushy beard to truly embody his role, has not shaved since August. He stopped before he left on a backpacking trip, and decided not to begin again once he got back to school to get friends’ reactions. After being cast as Tevye, Lappen kept it long. Upper School Performing Arts Department Head Rees Pugh co-directed the play and was also responsible for building the set. “It was kind of a double whammy,” Pugh said. “A good amount of the design duties came to me and I welcomed them. I wasn’t working from drawings though, I was making the set out of my own head. The time crunch was in the afternoons; where I normally would have been building scenery, I was directing actors. It
just meant some longer nights and a lot of weekends, every weekend from late September until now. I’m getting to know my wife again just now. She forgot who I was.” “There’s just never enough time,” co-director and choreographer Michelle Spears said. “The most challenging thing is the learning curve of a young actor in the segmented rehearsals in the limited amount of time we have. What’s great though, is the minute our shows go up in front of an audience, everyone is so bright … everything clicks and the actors’ understanding of the show blows wide open. This year is one of the few years where we’ve done the show two weekends in a row, and I’m very excited to see how the show has grown.”
ARIELLE MAXNER/CHRONICLE
TRADITION: Solange Etessami ’13, as Yente, and Daniele Wieder ’12, as Golde, convene in the kitchen as Wieder sends Autumn Chiklis ’12, as Tzeitel, and Danny Roth ’12, as Motel, out of the house, above. Bella Hicks ’12, as the ghost Fruma-Sarah, terrorizes Josh Lappen ’13 as Tevye in a dream sequence, far left. The men of the ensemble raise a glass in celebration during the number “To Life,” left. Lappen is forced to leave Anatevka with members of the ensemble, below.
ARIELLE MAXNER/CHRONICLE
See B10 for further coverage of “Fiddler on the Roof.” ARIELLE MAXNER/CHRONICLE
CHLOE LISTER/CHRONICLE
F
The Chronicle • Nov. 16, 2011
eatures Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue III
All made up Foundation, mascara, eyeliner, blush — girls apply all these products and more daily, but does wearing them affect how others perceive them? Page B12
GRAPHIC BY CHLOE LISTER
B2 Features
The Chronicle
BEST BUDS: Ed Hu and Sharon Cuseo laugh as they reminisce about the days when they worked together 20 years ago, top left and top right. Rodger Guerrero and Terry
Nov. 16, 2011
Barnum joke around as they wait for a varsity football game to start, top center and bottom left. Dietrich Schuhl and John Luebtow share a sense of humor, bottom right.
School mates
Whether it’s walking to school together, discussing homework or sitting across a lunch table, it’s not just students, but also teachers who forge lasting friendships on campus.
By Meagan Wang
Terry Barnum and Rodger Guerrero Athletic Director Terry Barnum sat at a table under the scoreboard outside Taper Gymnasium on the Ted Slavin Field. As choral director Rodger Guerrero approached, both Barnum and Guerrero smiled. Barnum said he had a newspaper clipping about college football he wanted to show to Guerrero. Immediately they began to tease each other, and after a couple of minutes Guerrero started to chant “Fresno State.” “There are only two things that Guerrero can mention to get me going: Fresno State and when he starts to disparage the USC marching band,” Barnum said. Fresno State is part of the story of how Guerrero and Barnum became friends. Barnum played football at USC from 1992-95. His first year on the team, the Trojans played Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl, a game which Guerrero attended on the Fresno State side. “They kicked our butt,” Barnum said. “It was so embarrassing.” Although football and singing do not seem to immediately mesh, Barnum and Guerrero feel that they are similiar, for they want their kids to do the same things, such as earnestly performing their best. Guerrero said that he respects how Barnum has such a passion for his job and school. “We kind of share that bond of mutual respect, despite the fact that he’s from USC,” Guerrero said. John Luebtow and Dietrich Schuhl Science teacher Dietrich Schuhl joked that he and visual arts teacher
John Luebtow met on Craigslist, an example of the senses of humor that forms the basis of their friendship. “We were attracted to each other’s picture,” Luebtow said. “That’s how we became acquainted — through the facetious world of fiction.” Schuhl and Luebtow actually met in 2001 at a faculty meeting. “At faculty meetings, Mr. Luebtow likes to provide a commentary, which is intriguing to say the least,” Schuhl said. Luebtow discovered over lunch that Schuhl is an avid fisherman like himself. Luebtow hires Schuhl to work with him when he does architectural projects. Luebtow joked that what inspired him to hire Schuhl was his discovery that Schuhl was actually Superman. “I saw him one afternoon when there was an accident on the freeway,” Luebtow said. “He flew off and saved the people on the freeway.” Luebtow began working at Harvard-Westlake in 1971. Schuhl had not been born when Luebtow began running the art department. “I’d been looking forward to meeting him for the 37 years before I got here,” Schuhl said jokingly. Sharon Cuseo and Ed Hu “We’re like an old married couple,” Chief Advancement Officer Ed Hu said of his friendship with Upper School Dean Sharon Cuseo. After Cuseo graduated from Stanford University and Hu from Brown University, they were both hired in the admissions office at Occidental College in 1987. The two attended the same training camp for new admissions officers in Colorado Springs and first met each other at the airport.
“After that, we became fast friends,” Hu said. Both worked together for two years before they went their separate ways. Hu worked at the admissions office at Brown, while Cuseo went to graduate school at Harvard University. The two worked again together at Brown when Cuseo was a part-time reader for the admissions office. Having worked together twice already, Cuseo and Hu wanted to do so yet again. When there was a job opening at Harvard-Westlake, both applied. Hu got the job. Cuseo was also hired when a second job opened up in 1994. In addition to being two out of the four college counselors, Cuseo and Hu cotaught a psychology class. “We often joke that we’re two halves of the same brain,” Cuseo said. “We’re sort of like yin and yang, and actually together we make up a whole person,” Hu said. After working as college counselors and deans together for nine years, Hu moved to the lower campus in 2003 to run the Advancement Office. Despite this, they have still remained close. “[We’re friends] really because we’re so complementary,” Cuseo said. Cuseo and Hu’s long history together is a big part of their friendship. “If someone just brings up a trigger word, to us it’ll bring up the same memory,” Hu said. In addition to having such a similar frame of reference, shared values also strengthen their friendship. “We both very much value education and our upbringing,” Hu said. “We both went to public schools, and our families valued education and hard work.” “I don’t know anyone else who’s been able to work with their best friend for 25 years,” Hu said.
Nov. 16, 2011
Jacob Hazard and Kevin Weis Walking along Coldwater Canyon Avenue toward Carney’s Restaurant, math teachers Jacob Hazard and Kevin Weis discussed the structure of musicals. “I don’t have a problem with them breaking into song,” Weis said. “That’s fine.” Hazard nodded as Weis continued, explaining his dislike of musical theater’s tendency of extended “long talking.” That afternoon, the two teachers attended an after-school dress rehearsal of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof ” after their trip to Carney’s. Hazard and Weis joined the math department in 2004, and their friendship grew naturally, Weis said. “We’ve got a lot in common,” Hazard said. Beyond a shared interest in math, Hazard and Weis have bonded over sports and frequent bowling matches. A few years ago, many math teachers went bowling on the first Friday of the year. Hazard and Weis decided to continue, bowling almost every Friday before school football games. That year, Weis, Hazard and math teacher Paula Evans bought shoes and bowling balls. Weis holds the bowling high score of 234, which he achieved toward the beginning of the pair’s bowling habit. “It was phenomenally better than our average when he got this high score, so we were going crazy,” Hazard said. Ultimately, their routine ended when the price of bowling nearly doubled, Weis said. “We got very serious about it for a year,” Weis said. Overall, the competition is friendly, as Hazard and Weis are a close match. “He’s more consistent and consistently better than I am,” Hazard said. “I think it’s pretty close,” Weis said. “Very close,” Hazard said. Jocelyn Medawar and Jeremy Michaelson English teachers Jeremy Michaelson and Jocelyn Medawar became close freinds in 1997 when Michaelson first
chronicle.hw.com
Features B3
joined the English department. “We became particularly close on “On a scale of 1 to 10 [of friendship], those morning walks to school,” Walch we’re 10,” Michaelson said. said. The English teachers’ friendship In 1977, Walch drove Hudnut and started as a result of working together. his wife to the hospital when Hudnut’s Medawar was a dean when Michaelson second child was about to be born. came to Harvard-Westlake, and she “Mr. Walch has really been like a taught two English classes. Michaelson member of our family,” Hudnut said. and Medawar both taught sophomore That same year, Hudnut left to beEnglish, and the two said they natu- come headmaster at another school rally took to each other. in the district. Two years later, Walch “There’s just a natural level of com- also left St. Albans to run a professionfort between us,” al theater proMichaelson said. gram at Ken“We have total yon College in mutual respect Gambier, Ohio. I think one of the things that for each other. However, their We think alike paths soon cemented our friendship is in terms of how crossed again. that we almost never in any we approach our In 1982, significant way talk business work.” Hudnut beMichaelson came the when we’re together socially.” and Medawar headmaster spend time to—Ted Walch at the Brangether inside Performing Arts Teacher son School in and outside of Northern Calischool. A couple fornia. years ago, the “Through two spent a week in Santa Fe, N.M. a whole number of reasons, this man where they both took classes at a sum- persuaded me to return to the profesmer institute. Medawar studied “The sion that I truly loved, which is teachAeneid,” while Michaelson took classes ing,” Walch said. about “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison. Two years later, Walch began “That’s a great example of our dif- teaching at Branson School. ferent temperaments,” Medawar said. Then, in 1987, Hudnut became This is Michaelson’s and Medawar’s headmaster of Harvard School. Affirst year teaching Advanced Place- ter the merger with Westlake School, ment English Literature. Hudnut lured Walch to the Coldwater “It’s nice to teach a course with Canyon campus. somebody who’s a friend,” Michael“I think one of the things that ceson said. “[Our friendship] is another mented our friendship is that we alreason why coming to work here is so most never in any significant way talk great.” business when we’re together socially,” Walch said. Tom Hudnut and Ted Walch One of the reasons why they initially became friends is because of their President Tom Hudnut met upper admiration for one another. school performing arts teacher Ted Circumstances and the intertwined Walch while they were both teaching friendships between their family memat St. Albans School in Washington, bers also strengthened the friendship D.C. in 1970. Also, Hudnut and his wife between Hudnut and Walch. Deedie moved into the house across “There’s a real respect for one anthe street from Walch. other’s professional abilities and intelWorking at the same school and lect and sense of values and approach living near each other, Hudnut and to life.” Walch’s friendship grew. Each carrying one of Walch’s dogs’ leashes, Hudnut — Additional reporting by Allison and Walch walked to school together. Hamburger
“
PHOTOS BY ALLISON HAMBURGER/CHRONICLE
OLD PALS: Jeremy Michaelson and Jocelyn Medawar laugh as they talk about how they bonded over their love of English literature, top left and top right. Ted Walch and
Tom Hudnut discuss their decades-long friendship, top center and bottom right. Kevin Weis and Jacob Hazard connected over regular bowling matches at Pinz, bottom left.
The Chronicle
B4 Features
h ic hw
ot
ad es p
v io le n te td rose as a stor ma y of more woe, T eli b y an n h an thi gh y ot s of J ts u li e h e r t
gi te en r tin ! Pa iol
r
so
s!
row
et
nds
ss we
ss uc
et we hs
h
v
yo ur
sun
t igh
ve ha
t, and Juliet e eas is th h t is e
dn
na her me w o Ro A pl me uld bri agu eo gh o sme nb t ll a oth and
se ou
It
to b urn
er a
oo
oth teach the torches
ll a
t, G gh Ni
O! she d
e ca
d
ver w
?T ha tw
h en I d T efy you , st G Th ars es e ! oo
For ne
nam e
n pt Tem
What ’s in a
Nov. 16, 2011
GRAPHIC BY HANK GERBA, MEGAN WARD AND VICTOR YOON
Listen while you work
By Arielle Maxner
Gabi Bustamante ’13, preparing to do her homework, turns on some music. The song could be anything; in one night, she’s played selections from artists like Cobra Starship and Neon Trees and also songs from Disney movies. “I like to listen to alternative, rock and fast-paced classical music when I study,” Bustamante said. “Fast-paced music keeps me working as much as anything can.” She finds that listening to music while doing her homework increases her productivity most of the time. “It depends on how well I know the song,” she said. “If I know it really well, it’s okay. But if I don’t, I want to learn the lyrics and focus on them, instead of homework, so that can be a downside. In that respect, classical music usually works best, but alternative and rock are more fun to listen to.” A study was performed in the early 1990s testing the link between music and memory retention. Commonly known as the “Mozart Effect,” the experiment was published in the journal “Nature” in 1993 by scientists at the University of California, Irvine. They found that listening to an excerpt of classical music by Mozart may have induced a short-term improvement on the performance of certain mental tasks known as spatial-temporal reasoning, an ability important in conceptualizing solutions in problems arising in subjects such as art, math and science. However, the true effectiveness
By Justine Goode
Researchers have inconclusively studied the effect of music on productivity. Students reflect on the types of music they listen to while working.
of listening to music is undetermined. Larry Zhang ’14 also frequently listens to music while working. Unlike Bustamante, Zhang doesn’t have a particular preference for what type of music he listens to. “I like alternative rock, but I can deal with any kind of music,” Zhang said. “In general, it doesn’t matter what kind I listen to, as long as I like it. If I don’t like the music, I’ll be focusing on how much I hate the music the whole time.” For Zhang, the music helps his concentration. It drowns out the surrounding environment, allowing him to focus on his work. However, some students listen to music only for certain subjects. “When my homework entails reading or memorizing, I don’t play music because it’s distracting,” Karen Kim ’12 said. “But when it’s just problemsolving, I listen to upbeat music.” Conversely, Josh Lappen ’13 finds music beneficial, but mainly when he writes. “[Listening to music] helps me write, but it’s no good for physics,” Lappen said. “But when I’m writing, the music can’t have words, or I’ll just end up writing the lyrics.” Kim, however, does not find lyrics distracting. “It’s the beat my ears catch, not the lyrics,” Kim said. Matt Heartney ’12 shares Kim’s opinion regarding vocal music. “It doesn’t matter if the music has lyrics, as long as you can turn the lyrics into part of the melody,” he said. “If
you are paying attention to the lyrics, then you’re not using the music properly.” Heartney primarily listens to music while completing “busywork,” saying that it makes the work go by faster. However, others get distracted. “When I’m doing homework, when I want to be productive, any kind of music distracts me,” Danni Xia ’12 said. “If I listen to my favorite song, I’ll start singing along. Even if I listen to classical music or music without lyrics, hearing any kind of music distracts me.” Yet Xia does not need a silent environment to work. “Music jumps out at me,” she said. “It doesn’t count as background sound. I hear it a lot more. If it’s just background sound, that’s easy to tune out. I can’t do that with music.” Rhett Gentile ’13 also finds music distracting, but for different reasons. “It does terrible things to my productivity,” Gentile said. “I tend to work slower and spend time choosing songs and whatnot, which is distracting and interrupts working. Orchestral pieces are really the best for trying to get work done, but even that slows me down.” Music is sometimes used as a therapy to help induce relaxation, as music can help the brain produce melatonin, a calming substance, according to WebMd. In that sense, it can help students relieve stress while they work. In addtion, music therapy may help improve long-term and medium-term memory.
KHWS Recommends... Whether you are to listening to music while doing homework or adding to your Spotify playlist, here are some albums recommended by KHWS DJ Jackon Hudgins ‘12:
>> Randy Newman “Good Ol’ Boys” >> Vassar Clements “Crossing the Catskills” >> (smog) - “Supper” >> Curtis Mayfield “Back to the World” >> Do Make Say Think “You, You’re a History in Rust” >> Townes Van Zandt “Our Mother The Mountain” >> Erykah Badu “Mama’s Gun” >> Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - “Moanin’” >> Neil Young “On The Beach” >> Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Blackstar - “Blackstar” SOURCE: JACKSON HUDGINS ‘11 GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL ROTHBERG
Students share music through Spotify
Before Liliana Muscarella ’12 opens her books to start studying, she opens up her laptop and double clicks a round green icon on her desktop. A small white window pops up on her screen, asking her to login to her Spotify account. Once she does, a gray window with a sidebar and a search box appears that looks similar to iTunes. But unlike the popular music program, Spotify allows Muscarella to listen to songs from its vast database for free. Spotify allows users to search for specific artists, songs and albums and add them to their “queue”, a temporary playlist that clears each time the program is closed. Users can also import their iTunes libraries and playlists they’ve already created with their own music. The most distinctive feature of Spotify is its social networking aspect—users can connect to their Facebook accounts from
the program and share playlists and can take it with you, and I don’t think individual songs with other Facebook Spotify’s as good as Pandora in terms friends using the program. They can of finding new songs and artists in also choose to post the songs they’re certain genres,” Muscarella said, recurrently ferring to the poplistening to ular music website directly to that picks songs for It’s a way to get to know Facebook. users based on othM u s er songs and artwhat music your friends carella heard ists they like. “But like, as well as discover about Spotify [Spotify] is really artists that you might from a friend useful for listening whom she to a whole song and not have been aware of often shares having it handy bebefore.” music sugfore you decide if gestions with. want to buy it. —Tamara Fox ‘13 you They planned Before I kept goto use the soing to YouTube and cial networkwould keep my faing features to send songs and share vorite possibilities open in separate playlists with each other, a more windows, which got annoying.” streamlined method than sending Tamara Fox ’13 also appreciates each other YouTube links or listening the social aspect of Spotify. to 30 second clips of songs on iTunes. “It’s a way to get to know what “iTunes is technically better be- music your friends like, as well as cause you actually own the song and discover artists that you might not
“
have been aware of before,” Fox said. “Also, the fact that you have access to everyone’s playlists is really helpful because instead of having to make your own, you can listen to friends’.” Math teacher Bill Thill started using Spotify at a friend’s suggestion, after realizing his iTunes library needed updating. “I recognized that the last time I checked my iTunes music, it was looking a little…well, dated,” Thill said. “I’m feeling like an old fogey with my music choices, and a friend of mine recommended Spotify to update my music options. I like the fact I can see what my cooler friends are listening to before buying or downloading.” The ability to search and listen to entire songs is significant and Muscarella have both found artists with the program. Muscarella discovered the singer Emeli Sandé, and tUnEyArDs and Friendly Fires, Fox found with the program as well.
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
what’s
cracking? By Nika Madyoon
Cracking fingers and popping joints seem to release tension, although the sound causes others to cringe. Rheumatology doctors, however, say it is a potentially dangerous habit.
stretched. This gas produces a bubble which, when it bursts, causes the farack. Pop. Click. Whether it’s miliar sound. backs, necks, fingers or wrists, Pappas attributed the amount of sounds of joints being cracked layover time in between each possible can be heard in nearly every classroom joint-cracking to the time required and hallway. While some students just for the gases to be re-dissolved into can’t get enough tension relief in their the synovial fluid. While it is generjoints, others are put off by the sound ally thought that cracking one’s joints, of their classmates’ spines snapping, particularly in the hand, leads to arcrackling and popping. thritis, Pappas said that no concrete Meghan Hartman ’12, a cellist and evidence of this phenomenon has been member of the pit orchestra, frequent- produced. What it can cause, he said, is ly cracks her back and fingers. Spend- injury to the ligaments or tendons suring hours seated in the pit and playing rounding the joint. Studies have also music leaves her in need shown that those of a good back-crackwho frequently ing, she said. Hartcrack their man also cracks her knuckles fingers before behave a weakIt looks like they are ginning a piece. er grip later “It relaxes them in life than trying to rip their heads and makes me feel those who do off. It’s like, ‘You’re not like I can conquer not pop their passages that rejoints. Marie Antoinette, stop it.” quire a lot of coorHartman —Meghan Hartman ‘12 dination,” she said. doesn’t like “It helps me loosen hearing her myself up and get peers enmentally prepared gage in the to dive in.” same pracThe characteristic cracking noise tice in the is the result of the stretching of the classroom. She synovial capsule, said Dimitrios Pap- is particularly bothered by the sound pas, a Rheumatology Fellow at Johns produced when students crack their Hopkins University spcializing in the necks, she said. treament of joints and tissues. In an “It distracts me from the lesson beinterview on the university’s “Arthri- cause the sound is incredibly unappealtis Center” website, Pappas explained ing,” she said. “It looks like they are that this capsule, which surrounds trying to rip their heads off. It’s like, joints in the body, is stretched when ‘You’re not Marie Antoinette, stop it.’” one attempts to crack his or her joints. Ali Bloomgarden ’13 also regularly It contains synovial fluid, Pappas said, cracks her joints, particularly those in and the gas inside this fluid fills the her back and shoulders. In her case, vacuum produced when the capsule is this behavior is less intentional and
C
“
Features B5
more natural. She attributes the phenomenon to her past as a competitive gymnast. “Ever since then, my shoulders always crack when I roll them,” Bloomgarden said. “It has never failed.” Bloomgarden said she feels relief just after cracking her joints. She has noticed that a certain sensation of “tightness” in her spine is alleviated when she stretches her back and produces the “crackle” sound. Despite her own tendency to crack her joints, she remains somewhat bothered by the noise when it is produced by those around her. “It sounds like their backs are going to shatter in front of me,” she said. While cracking knuckles may not have dire consequences, there are more serious risks associated with cracking joints in other areas of the body, such as the neck. Wade Smith, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist and the director of the neurovascular service at the University of California, San Francisco, said that there is a link between neck cracking and the heightened possibility of stroke. When chiropractors crack a patient’s neck, the process is referred to as spinal manipulative therapy. Smith, who acknowledges that the risk of having a stroke as a result of this practice is low, is quoted on WebMD as saying, “The consequences of a stroke can be enormous. People should be aware that spinal manipulation increases risk of stroke.” Alán Sneider ’12, now a habitual knuckle-cracker, spent a great deal of last year popping the joints in his neck. “I used to do it a lot, but I realized that it could be harmful and decided to stop,” Sneider said.
CRA
CK!
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELANA ZELTSER
The Chronicle
B6 Features
Pointsof View
Nov. 1
When the white board begins to blur or long hours of reading cause a headache, many teenagers begin wearing glasses or contacts. For others, genetic issues have caused lifelong vision problems.
Nearsightedness begins in teen years By Saj Sri-Kumar
and
Megan Ward
Up until ninth grade, Michelle Choi ’12 didn’t have trouble with her vision. However, she soon realized that she needed help. “I figured out [that I needed glasses] when I couldn’t see what was written on the board,” she said. Like Choi, many teenagers start to have trouble with long-distance vision. Myopia, or nearsightedness, often afflicts teenagers for the first time, according to ophthalmologist Tali Kolin (Danielle ’08, David ’12). “If you think about the physics and the optics of the eye, a lot of times when teenagers have a growth spurt their eye gets longer as well, and so now the lens that they had does not focus properly on the back of the eye,” Kolin said. “It focuses for a shorter focal length, and now that the eye is longer, the focus is off. And so teens tend to need myopic correction for distance in order to correct the length of the globe.”
“
I definitely prefer contact lenses to glasses because I don’t feel that there is something permanently attached to my entire face.” —Solange Etessami ’13
Ophthalmologist Erica Lehman said that teenagers’ study habits often exacerbate the problem. She said looking at computer screens and reading books late at night causes people to have dry eyes, resulting in a decreased blink rate and making stresses on the eyes more harmful. “Although nearsightedness, difficulty seeing far, and farsightedness, difficulty seeing close objects, are genetic, it is during the lots of hours of reading and focusing during high
school and college years that make these conditions more apparent,” Lehman said. “Many kids who read late at night get accommodative fatigue, where their eyes have to focus more, which leads to more apparent latent hyperopia or farsightedness.” Myopia first affected Solange Etessami ’13 when she was in seventh grade. While she initially wore glasses, she eventually switched over to contact lenses after she lost her glasses. “I definitely prefer contact lenses to glasses because I don’t feel that there is something permanently attached to my entire face,” she said. Choi initially chose glasses as well, but after losing multiple pairs, she also switched over to contact lenses. However, she no longer wears either because she found that contact lenses hurt her eyes. “I can’t see much of what’s on the board so all the time I have to ask someone to let me know when a quiz is written on the board,” she said.
Adam Lange ’13 has needed glasses since third grade. Without them, Lange would not be able to see much farther than “eight inches away from [his] face,” he said. His prescription of -2.75 indicates that a person with perfect eyesight can see things 275 feet away that he can see at only 20 feet away. While myopia commonly develops in teenagers, Kolin said that hyperopia, requiring reading glasses, is rare among teenagers and usually manifests itself in adults as they age. Instead, difficulty reading is due to a condition known as asthenopia, or eye strain. “It’s rare that children require reading glasses,” she said. “That’s true of adults, not of children. Asthenopia, problems of pain and discomfort with near tasks, a lot of times just requires an eye exam. There might be an uncorrected refractive error that’s being missed, or a problem with near points of conversion and accommodated insufficiency, but you need to have an eye exam to figure it out.”
H
My Lig foc in ba an
Colorblindness subtly affects students What do you By Judd Liebman
John Lee ’12 stared in confusion at the Bunsen burner flame. He said the task was easy for most of his fellow Chemistry Honors classmates: all they had to do was record the color of the flame. But Lee, who is colorblind, could not differentiate the hues of the flame. “I know general colors, but I wouldn’t be able to specifically say what it is,” Lee said. “My teacher would just say what it was. It was pretty annoying.” Eight percent of men and 0.5 percent of women suffer from colorblindness, according to a report published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Colorblindness is “an x-linked recessive trait, so you’re going to see it more in males,” ophthalmologist Tali Kolin (Danielle ’08, David ’12) said. The genetic coding for this deficiency is located on the X chromosome. Males have only one X chromosome compared to females’ two, so men have a higher probability of being affected. Colorblindness covers somewhat of a spectrum, with the most extreme cases resulting in only black and white vision. Difficulty differentiating brightness or shades is more common. “[Colorblind people] can’t see colors or the brightness of colors in the usual way,” Kolin said. “It’s not usually
complete absence of color. That’s very rare. Colorblindness is usually very subtle. It’s not something that really affects people’s lives.” Lee had his suspicions confirmed in middle school when he conducted a colorblindness test in science. He is affected by the more common version of colorblindness, meaning that he cannot differentiate red from green, blue from purple or orange from red. “I can see all of the colors, but even though they are different I see them similarly,” Lee said. Wesley Friedman ’12 also is color deficient. “I have a lot of trouble telling the difference between green and red. Also I can’t tell the difference between blue and purple for my life,” he said. “My older brother is also color deficient, and actually my grandpa who is an [eye] surgeon was colorblind,” Friedman said. “Whenever we would go visit my grandpa, he would always do some optical check-ups on us and that’s when I found out I’m colorblind.” Sometimes, colorblindness can interfere with students’ schoolwork. Both Lee and Friedman took chemistry during their sophomore years and had difficulty during labs or tests that required color recognition, they said. Chemistry teacher Krista McClain said students in Chemistry Honors conducted five such labs and had one
test question that was difficult for her students who were color deficient. “If it were in a lab, typically I would have the partner help them out,” McClain said. “Students work really close together, so I would have [someone] just tell them.” The extra step did not affect colorblind students’ grades, McClain said. “It never hurt any of their lab grades or their tests,” McClain said. “I would never let that happen. But they had to tell me. I’m sure it is a little more difficult for them, but I can’t change an entire lab based on one or two kids who unfortunately, can’t read the color, so I try to help them the best that I can.” Asking for help on a lab or test is not the only time colorblindness affects Lee, he said. “When I drive, I can’t differentiate the red and yellow lights sometimes so I have to do it intuitively,” Lee said. “That’s kind of annoying. I memorize the places where the [lights are] so it’s fine.” Friedman said he sometimes chooses the wrong color in art, but it does not present itself as an issue, he said. “Every once in a while in art I would use purple instead of blue or black,” he said. “I just get laughed at a little bit. It turns into a joke.”
Take this colorblind test t
Colo the peop and
Colo only mal circle
Colo noth shou
16, 2011
chronicle.hw.com
Features B7
Contacts reduce stress By Lara Sokoloff
How eye conditions affect vision:
>>
yopia — Nearsightedness: ght that comes in does not cus directly on the retina but front of it. This causes the ackground to be out of focus nd foreground to be in focus.
Emmitropia — Normal: Normal condition of the eye where there is clear focus on the retina.
>> >>
Hyperopia — Farsightedness: Light that comes in does not focus directly on the retina but behind it. This causes the foreground to be out of focus and background to be in focus.
SOURCE: WWW.WEB1.TCH.HARVARD.EDU INFOGRAPHIC BY CAMI DE RY AND GABRIELLE FRANCHINA
Defensive lineman number 74 faces the opposing quarter back on the football field, but can’t see exactly where his opponent stands. He goes in for nathanson ’s/chronicle the tackle, hitting Andrew Green ’12 him twice as hard to compensate for his lack of depth perception. Andrew Green ’12 was born with strabismus, a condition where the eyes are not properly aligned with each other causing the eyes to look in different directions. It is commonly referred to as crosseyed, wall-eyed or squint. Green can only use one eye at a time due to the condition. He underwent correctional surgery at just over a year old, during which the muscles in his eyes were cut and sewed back together. Doctors wait until patients are in their mid-20s to fully correct the misalignment because the condition could change in severity throughout puberty, Green said. Green wears correctional contact lenses that help reduce the stress on his eyes. He sees 20/15 out of one eye and 20/20 out of his other, leaving minimal room for actual visual correction, he
said. “It makes everything easier so that my eyes are more focused on working together as a unit, rather than average mundane eye function,” he said. His vision has varied throughout his childhood. “There was one time when I was seeing double,” Green said. “But it was good because I was 10 and it gave me something to do all day.” In ninth grade, Green’s condition severely worsened, forcing him to miss class often. He had eight doctors on call at that time, he said. Green is most affected in the classroom, specifically when taking tests. “My eyes are going back and forth and back and forth and they just work ridiculously hard,” he said. “My brain just dies faster than most because I can’t keep up with the pace.” Green said he was mocked as a child for being “cross-eyed.” “I was called dirty, dirty names my entire life,” he said. “I used to wear glasses and got punched in the face a lot.” Now he is often asked if he is paying attention during conversations. “I tend to just say, ‘Yeah, of course,’ and just kind of play stupid because that’s my go-to thing,” Green said. “We live in a society where people want this incredible amount of undivided attention from so many people. They get really self-conscious when they don’t know where you’re looking. ”
She sees 20/20 out of only one eye
u see?
to check your vision.
or blind people should see only yellow square. Color normal ple should see the yellow square a faint brown circle.
or blind people should see y the yellow circle. Color norpeople should see the yellow e and a faint brown square.
or blind people should see hing. Color normal people uld see a faint brown boat. SOURCE: WWW.TESTINGCOLORVISION.COM GRAPHIC BY CAMI DE RY
By Lara Sokoloff
She sat down and removed a plastic bag from her backpack. She unzipped the bag and placed five glass eyes of various sizes across the table. “You can tell by the size that this is one of my early ones,” Jackie Arkush ’12 said. “And this is the first one. I had that when I was nine days old.” Arkush suffers from micropthalmia, a developmental disorder that directly translates to “small eye.” A benign tumor grew in her left eye socket when she was in utero inhibiting it from fully developing. Her left eye, which is hidden by her prosthetic eye, has a small pupil but no iris, and moves slightly due to some muscle development. The glass eyes are formed exactly to the shape of her actual eye, she said, which is why her prosthetic eye moves slightly also. Arkush has no vision out of her left eye, but sees 20/20 out of her right eye. She said it mostly affects her driving, and she has to be extra careful when merging lanes or turning left. She also had to fill out extra forms at the Department of Motor Vehicles and present multiple doctors’ notes. Arkush said her condition also affects her on a daily basis. “It’s little things,” she said. “I walk into people a lot, and door frames
“
My eye has made me see the world in a different way. Not seeing half the world has made me really interested in disovery and furthering my knowledge. —Jackie Arkush ’12
sometimes. Trees hit me in the face. I honestly don’t see a lot of the things that come at me.” Arkush said she tries to sit only on the left side of classrooms so she doesn’t have to turn her head all the time to look at the board, but that her inhibited vision doesn’t affect her while taking tests. Arkush gets refitted for a new glass eye about every three years. Plaster is poured directly into her eye socket to form the prosthetic eyes. “It is the most uncomfortable thing, and I just have to sit there until it sets,” she said. Arkush said she was often made fun of in elementary school. She was always asked why her eye doesn’t move whenever she met new kids. “Children aren’t that nice about it,” she said. Arkush has not been asked about
nathanson ’s/chronicle
her unmoving left eye in two years because most people at HarvardWestlake already know about it. Most assume she just has a lazy eye. People often ask her what she sees out of her left eye, and she often has to explain that she just sees nothing, she said. “It’s like your forehead or your cheek. You just don’t see a color there,” Arkush said. “Everyone has a hard time grasping that. I don’t see.” Arkush said she often wonders what it would be like to have vision in both eyes. Her eyes inhibit her from seeing three-dimensional movies, and she always wonders if they really work or not. “My eye has made me see the world in a different way,” she said. “Not seeing half the world has made me really interested in discovery and furthering my knowledge.”
B8 Features
highstakes
The Chronicle
Cellist applies to music conservatories
By Alex Gura
kozdi needs to make many recordings multiple classes in group settings with for both applications before he can be separate teachers, the conservatory Looking through the application ‘screened’, or have a live audition. experience breeds a level of personal statistics, Devon Breton-Pakozdi’12 “Not only do I have to have my connection with a single teacher who turned to the page of a music conser- [Common Application] arts supple- leads most of the student’s classes. vatory and saw one lone name. Most ment together, but before I apply later Therefore, a great consideration in other colleges have at least a half dozen I have to have all my ‘prescreening’ choosing which conservatory schools to Harvard-Westlake seniors who ap- recordings toapply to is the speply annually, but individual conserva- gether, which cific teacher that tory schools tally only around two or are different leads a student’s three upper school applicants each materials,” Bretintended instruWhenever I feel the stress fall, Upper School Dean Jon Wimbish on-Pakozdi said. ment. Though a I just remind myself that said. This year, Breton-Pakozdi, a cel- “Unless you’re school might have if I just wanted to go to list who discovered the instrument in applying solely an exceptional museventh grade, is one of the few stu- to conservatosic program in gencollege I could just apply dent musicians who aims to enroll in a ries, factoring eral, another school there. It’s something that’s musical conservatory for college. More music in as an with a better set specifically, Breton-Pakozdi wishes to important part of cello teachers so important for me that I gain a spot in a joint exchange pro- of the college might appeal more feel I’d be cheating if I didn’t to Breton-Pakozdi. gram, which links a more traditional process is just liberal arts college to a musical conser- adding rather Conservatory do it.” vatory and allows the student to gain a than subtractschools also have —Devon Breton-Pakozdi ‘12 second degree, often in another subject ing.” similarities with completely unrelated to music. Conservatoother schools in However, applying to these pro- ries can also get the way they strucgrams takes a lot of motivation. Not very picky about what types of mu- ture their courses. Aside from required only do prospective students have to sic they require, and Breton-Pakozdi courses in instrumental proficiency, fill out the Common Application like has run into widely varying recording which make up a large part of the curall other seniors, but because they guidelines. He was ultimately able to riculum, conservatories share the conare technically applying to two sepa- choose four songs to practice and re- cept of distribution requirements with rate colleges for one program, they cord that would cover all the require- many liberal arts universities. Like also have to go through a completely ments, but alongside practicing for other colleges that require competenseparate but equally rigorous applica- these recordings he has to work on cy in math, philosophy and writing, tion process to conservatories. Because the same number of applications as conservatories require competency in he’s applying as a musician to both a any other senior applying to top-tier many areas outside the recording stucollege and a conservatory, Breton-Pa- schools. dio, such as musical theory, ear trainHowever, Breton-Pakozdi has ing and keyboard proficiency. sculpted his college choices in such a “Distribution requirements in phiway that he feels he has reduced the losophy are to make you an educated amount of stress that accompanies human being, but the conservatory processes like these, because he has process is an attempt to make you found different priorities regarding an educated, well-rounded musician,” the college process. At first he felt dis- Breton-Pakozdi said. advantaged since he doesn’t go to a Breton-Pakozdi hopes that many pure performing arts high school and students will consider applying to conthought he would not be competitive servatories, and so far he hasn’t been enough for the top-tier conservatory disappointed. Sitting in the music schools. He has now found a balance school application meeting on Senior between academics and musical talent College Night last month, he was surhowever. prised to see many people who were “When you apply only to a conser- interested in music school that he had vatory, they judge you based almost “no idea were serious.” exclusively on musical performance,” However, the type of program BretBreton-Pakozdi said. “Arts and science on-Pakozdi is applying to is only right colleges that have their own conser- for a certain type of individual, because vatory inside the university that put the joint focus of both academic and more of an equal emphasis on instru- musical pursuits requires significant mental talent and academic achieve- dedication, he said. Students who apply ment.” to these schools in the hopes of getting If Breton-Pakozdi gets into a a bachelor’s of music, Breton-Pakozdi conservatory, he can expect said, are better off just focusing on a to find a college expe- pure conservatory. Likewise, casual rience different from players of an instrument who have that of most of his simply stuck with their music from high school peers. childhood probably should look elseAs opposed to col- where for the most fulfilling education. leges which allow “It becomes harder when you’re students to take very passionate about something but haven’t given it as much consideration as other things,” Breton-Pakozdi said. “That’s when you have to sit on a rock and search your soul.” As for his goals later on in life, Breton-Pakozdi isn’t sure yet of what he aspires to career-wise. Though he knows music will always be a part of his life, he would like to use his dual degree in a field unrelated to music to his advantage. At this point, he envisions himself as a composer, but he also will PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BROOKE BRENTON probably study economics in college as he has had a “long-term love-affair” MUSIC MAN: Devon Breton-Pakozdi’12, who is applying to joint exchange music with the subject. conservatory programs, performs a cello piece at a jazz concert in West Hollywood.
“
Nov. 16, 2011
The Chronicle checks in with the four anonymous seniors’ application progress.
Appli
ed
Yale University “The deadlines for the UC [schools] is a bit close, but other than that schoolwork is mainly stressing me out right now.”
Kyle*, brainiac
gr in pro
ess
“It’s a little bit disappointing that I haven’t found a school that has everything I need.” Diana*, filmmaker
Applying regular decision to: Boston University, Kenyon College, New York University, Pitzer College, Pomona College, University of California schools, University of Southern California and Wesleyan University
commi
tted
“I’m happy to be done looking for colleges and really excited to build up my game for the rest of the year.” Leo*, athlete
Appli
ed
Vanderbilt University “Starting the other applications is hard. I’m going to try to get the majority of them done before Dec. 15.”
Haley*, all-around *names have been changed
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MICHELLE CHANG GRAPHIC BY REBECCA NUSSBAUM
A
The Chronicle • Nov. 16, 2011
rts & E ntertainment
B9
Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue III
Seniors design self portraits in ‘Eye to I’ By Justine Goode
Sandpaper and mirror shards are among the materials used in the artwork featured in the Senior Art Show, “Eye to I,” now on display in the Feldman-Horn Gallery. The official opening reception is postponed until next Monday because of the memorial service on Nov. 14 for Chris Robinson. The show features self-portraits of the students in AP Studio Art: Drawing, Drawing and Painting III and Photography III, the only time the three classes will exhibit work together until of the end-of-the-year show. The theme of the show was meant to reflect how seniors visualize themselves at this important point in their lives. The objective of the self-portraits was to capture how each senior was feeling. Cathy Mayer ’12 used gouache, a material like watercolor but thicker, to illustrate a specific scene from her life. “[I painted] the moment I accidentally hit the side of a bus this summer, reflected in the rearview mirror of my car,” Mayer said. “I guess metaphorically the bus represents all the stress building up over colleges and the future and whatnot. My expression shows that I’m pretty terrified. The whole thing looks kind of comical though, I
guess to show that I’m still taking it all with a sense of humor.” Reyna Calderon ’12 took a lot of liberty in bringing to life the assignment she received in class. Assigned to portray Queen Elizabeth, Calderon invented a character, Queen Elizabeth of Los Angeles. “I decided to change the assignment a little bit and make it more urban,” Calderon said. The British inspiration is represented by the Union Jack, wig and ruffled collar. She represents city life by wearing a gas mask and wielding a spray can, as well as choosing a blonde wig and making her collar out of Folgiers coffee filters. In contrast, Emma Gerber ’12 followed very closely the assignment that visual arts teacher Kevin O’Malley gave to her. He told her to be the Statue of Liberty duct taped to dynamite, holding the Declaration of Independence. “I am really quite pleased with the results,” O’Malley said. “Not only do my own students get to see their own work up on the walls, but they get to see what [art teacher Marianne] Hall’s students are creating as well. It is something of a heady mix.” —Additional reporting by Jessica Barzilay
Winter Arts Calendar November
The performing arts department has many upcoming shows for the holiday season.
Nov. 17
Fall Orchestra Concert
Nov. 18-20 Middle School ‘Is He Dead’
Dec. 3
Winter Jazz Concert
December
Dec. 8 Winter Instrumental Music Concert
Dec. 10
Winter Choral Concert
Dec. 13-14
Dance Showcases
SOURCE: HW.COM/CALENDAR GRAPHIC BY CLAIRE HONG
PHOTOS BY TARA STONE
SELF PORTRAITS: Cathy Mayer ’12 painted her face in her rear view mirror, top left. Emma Gerber ’12 photographed herself as the Statue of Liberty, top right. Reyna Calderon ’12 put her own spin on the assignment to portray Queen Elizabeth, bottom.
Actors to play multiple roles in winter ‘Laramie Project’ By Jessica Barzilay and Jamie Chang
The director of “The Laramie Project,” this year’s winter theater production, plans to cast 16 students for more than 50 roles. nathanson ’s/chronicle Instead of Ted Walch auditioning each actor or actress for a specific part, director and drama teacher Ted Walch will assign eight boys and eight girls multiple roles based on his overall impression of their audition performance. “Laramie” follows the reaction to the 1998 murder of a homosexual student, Mathew Shephard. The play “deals with an important question,” Walch said.
“I feel it gives more students an opportunity to play substantial roles,” he said. One aspect of the play that sets it apart is that “every word in the play is real,” Walch said. The play’s dialogue consists entirely of interviews, journals and news reports by the inhabitants of Laramie, Wyo. The play’s drama unfolds in three acts, all in the aftermath of Shepherd’s murder. Autumn Chiklis ’12, who played Tzeitel, the eldest daughter, in the large cast of fall’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” sees both pros and cons in the choice to cast 16 players in more than 50 roles. “With such a small cast, a lot of people wouldn’t get the opportunity to be in it, but those 16 people have an unbelievable chance to pull off something incredible,” Chiklis said.
B10 A&E
The Chronicle
‘Theater geek’ turns to costume design
By Sydney Foreman
Costume design teacher Lisa Peters has been “holding a needle and stabbing it through things” since she learned how to read, she said. “You wear a costume every day,” Peters said. “Even regular clothing is a costume. You choose the image you put out in the world. It’s your first impression and hopefully not your last.” For the most recent play “Fiddler on the Roof,” Peters said she enjoyed making the costume for the character Fruma-Sarah, the deceased wife of the butcher. She began the costume knowing that she wanted something “ghostly” and tattered but did not have a clear idea of how she wanted the costume to turn out. “I just sort of went for it,” she said. Peters decided to use unconventional materials for the majority of the garment. She used Ikea curtains as the main fabric for Fruma-Sarah’s dress, and Ping-Pong balls for her pearl necklace. She also said she enjoyed working on the play because she was able to learn about Jewish culture and customs. When creating costumes for the school’s plays, Peters often receives assistance from students. Ruby Boyd ’12 has helped Peters create many of the costumes. For “Fiddler on the Roof,” she was one of 11 students who comprised the costume crew. Boyd took the costume design elective, which is taught by Peters, last year and is currently taking a costume design directed study. She enjoys costume design because “you can see your art walking around on stage and contributing to the whole image of the show,” she said. Boyd said she enjoys working with Peters as a teacher. “She is the most balanced person I have ever met,” Boyd said. “She’s good at both getting people to work and making it fun.” Growing up, one of Peters’ first clothing fascinations was her grandmother’s housecoat. Peters’ grand-
mother often wore the worn-out housecoat while doing chores. This tattered piece was influential to Peters because her grandmother wore it as she taught Peters how to sew. Peters, who grew up in Long Beach, refers to herself as a “big time theater geek.” Her high school mostly performed student work, and she was very fond of participating in student written plays because they allowed her and her peers to develop their own ideas and create a whole theatrical world. Peters’ time in her school’s theater department enabled her to incorporate dramatic ideas into her clothing creations. For her prom, Peter’s created her own dress, which she now describes as a “hideous ’80s thing with huge sleeves.” After high school, Peters attended California Institute of the Arts. She started as a graphic design major but quickly switched to costume design, her true passion. Throughout college Peters began working various jobs that paid around $100 per job. Her first job with a consistent salary was at the Los Angeles Shakespeare Company, where she worked as an assistant designer. Peters came to Harvard-Westlake in the mid-1990s when Middle School Dean Kate Benton, who also teaches drama, put on a production of “Crazy for You.” Benton had originally asked a mutual friend of Peters and herself to do the makeup for the play, but the friend was unavailable. She instead referred Peters for the job. Peters accepted and she said she ended up enjoying herself. In 2004, Peters was freelancing in San Francisco when she decided she wanted to return to a full-time employer. She came across a posting that said Harvard-Westlake needed a costume designer and recalled the delightful time she had working on the production. “It was a kind of long term interview,” she said.
Nov. 16, 2011
PHOTOS BY CHLOE LISTER
ALL DRESSED UP: Costume design teacher Lisa Peters examines a white dress, bottom left. Peters adjusts Bella Hicks’ ’12 costume for the “Fiddler on the Roof ” character Fruma-Sarah, top. Peters sews the hemline on one of the costumes, bottom right.
Hidden pit orchestra performs music behind the play’s stage
By Abbie Neufeld
The last time Matthew Lucas ’14 acted in a play was in sixth grade, when he played the role of Demetrius in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” In the opening act of “Fiddler on the Roof,” Lucas takes stage left fiddling on a roof in Anatevka, a fictional Jewish town in Imperial Russia. Lucas played in the orchestra for last year’s middle school production of “Annie,” and he wanted to continue this activity at the Upper School. But when Lucas signed up to play in the orchestra, he didn’t expect to appear on stage. “I’m not even quite sure how I was chosen, to be honest,” Lucas said. “[Director Rees] Pugh asked me how comfortable I was with heights, and before I knew it, I was in a rehearsal.” However, Lucas’ experience in the musical was very atypical for a ARIELLE MAXNER/CHRONICLE member of the orchestra. Despite the fact FIDDLING ONSTAGE: Matthew Lucas ’14 plays the that most of its memFiddler in “Fiddler on the Roof.” He also performed in bers refer to themselves the pit orchestra, which is behind the stage.
as being part of the “pit orchestra,” Rugby Theater actually has no orchestral pit. Instead, the orchestra is located behind the stage on a hilllike platform, and the musicians are shrouded by the façade of Anatevka’s ever-changing sunset. Since the orchestra is located behind the stage and not in front, the actors cannot actually see the musicians or, more importantly, musical director Daniel Faltus, who is also the conductor. This problem is remedied by the aid of what Faltus refers to as “the nerve center.” A camera transmits images of the actors to a television screen that can be seen by Faltus, while another camera that is on Faltus transmits images of him to a television screen in the front row of Rugby, which can be seen by the actors, helping the music stay with the onstage cues. “It’s a real challenge, but the orchestra has really stepped up,” Faltus said. “It’s very cramped, but everyone has enough room to play. We’re dreaming of the day that we can have a theater with a pit.” Actors are not the only ones who cannot see the orchestra: neither can the audience. “Some people who have seen the show didn’t even know we existed until
the end because of our location behind the set,” Lucas said. “When the orchestra sounds good, it’s easy to forget they’re there because it all sounds so right,” Faltus said. “If it doesn’t sound right you’re very aware that they’re there because then there’s a lot of squawking going on. We don’t have much of that.” Though Lucas enjoyed his time on stage, he thinks there is a big difference between when he is on the stage and when he plays in the orchestra, out of view. “Being able to interact with the audience is one of the best parts of performing,” he said. “It feels so much more connected, more intimate and personal. It’s hard to feel that kind of emotional connection when you and your instrument are hidden from all of that by a curtain.” Despite the limitations of Rugby Theater, the ultimate collaboration between artist and musician can be achieved with almost no flaw. “It may be easy to forget them, but if they stopped playing, you would know something is wrong,” Faltus said. “The most beautiful voice in the world singing by itself with no piano, no orchestra can’t last very long. We wouldn’t have a musical without an orchestra.”
Nov. 16, 2011
chronicle.hw.com
Playwrights Project selects 3 plays as finalists
By Micah Sperling
CHLOE LISTER/CHRONICLE
GOOD VIBES: Jake Chapman ’12 plays the vibraphone at a concert at the Vibrato Bar and Grill, where he performed with the rest of the Jazz Explorers.
Jazz Explorer does double duty as vibraphonist, pianist By David Gobel Jake Chapman ’12 orginally learned how to play piano but now also plays vibraphone in Jazz Explorers, the most advanced jazz combo at the school. “In sixth grade I auditioned to play the piano at the jazz band at [my] middle school for seventh grade,” Chapman said. “However there were three other pianists already, and instead of having to divide up the time for piano players even more, my jazz director asked me if I wanted to try out the vibes.” Chapman had previously played in the percussion section at his middle school for a year and had played piano since he was six. The jazz director thought he would be a natural fit for the vibes. The vibraphone is a metal percussion instrument that looks like a xylophone or a marimba and is played with mallets. It is almost a hybrid of piano and percussion, Chapman said. Each bar of the vibraphone has a tube with a motordriven butterfly valve at the upper end. “The butterfly valves are basically little plates that spin and are powered by a motor,” Chapman said. “When you turn the motor it spins and makes the vibrato effect, hence the name vibraphone.” The vibraphone is primarily used for jazz music, and in his five years playing the vibes, Chapman has only played jazz. However, this spring he is plans to play a vibes concerto with the school orchestra.
A&E B11
“It’ll be my first time playing any classical, but I heard the piece is going to be jazz and improvisation based, so it’ll probably be a cool blending of classical and jazz,” Chapman said. Recently, Chapman has been playing with the four-mallet style, holding two mallets in each of his hands, and plays the vibes almost like one would play a piano. “I have four notes to choose from at any time,” Chapman said. “When you’re playing the piano, you have 10 fingers and you can mash out six or seven note chords. On the vibes your notes really have to count and it adds a sense having to be really melodic because you have to play a lot of single-note lines. The color and textural possibilities [on the vibes] are really unique.” Although Chapman transitioned mainly to vibes back in seventh grade, he has not stopped playing piano. He also plays many other instruments as well. He sometimes plays the guitar in his spare time, has played the melodica and is a member of the Harvard-Westlake drumline. In college, Chapman plans on continuing to play both jazz piano and the vibes. However, he doesn’t know if he will major in music or become a musician. “Hopefully I’ll end up in New York, which is the place to go if you want to play jazz,” Chapman said. “I’ll see if I can study with Joe Locke, who is one of my favorite vibes players and teaches at the Manhattan School of Music.”
Three students were selected as finalists in the California Young Playwrights contest for their plays from last year’s Playwright’s Festival. Leland Frankel ’12, Daniele Wieder ’12 and Elana Zeltser ’13 all qualified as finalists. Their plays were chosen to be among the 11 finalists out of 333 entries to this year’s competition. Wieder’s play “Dropped Stitches,” Frankel’s play “…Or Not to Be” and Zeltser’s play “Steps” were submitted by the playwrights to the contest. Each year, Californians under 19 years old can submit plays to the fes-
tival, which is sponsored by the Playwrights Project. Actors and directors from major theaters serve as judges and determine what plays will be finalists in the competition. Finalist plays receive script readings and some are selected to be fully produced in the Plays by Young Writers festival. All playwrights who submit, even those who are not selected as finalists, can get a written critique from the judges if they ask for one. “I’m super excited to have been one of 11 finalists out of 333 entries,” Frankel said. “I hope to attend the festival and see the two winners for myself soon.”
Choirs sing in 1st festival By Jessica Barzilay
Two upper school choirs gave inaugural performances on Nov. 8 at the College of the Canyons Festival. Although the festival was not explicitly a competition, it gave Bel Canto and Chamber Singers the opportunity to receive feedback on their overall presentation. “It was the first time we got to perform together as a choir,” Chamber Singers soprano Amy Weissenbach ’12 said. “It was fun to hear what we sound like.” Bel Canto entered an all-women’s round in the morning, while Chamber Singers took part in the mixed choir proceedings during the afternoon. Chamber Singers performed four selections, including a few Christmas
songs in anticipation of the caroling season. “It was awesome to do the songs we had been rehearsing,” Chamber Singers bass Michael Wagmeister ’13 said. After each song, a panel of judges offered critiques and compliments to the choirs. Chamber Singers tenor Charlie Troy ’12 said that the Harvard-Westlake singers benefitted from listening to the music of other high school groups in addition to hearing the judges comments. “It was interesting to hear other choirs, especially since it was our first event of the year,” Troy said. “We lost a lot of seniors last year, so in a lot of ways it feels like a brand new choir,” Weissenbach said.
15% Discount for Harvard Westlake Students
Pick-ups and Dine-ins from the regular menu
The Chronicle
B12 Features
Nov. 16, 2011
Putting on a good face By Chloe Lister
F
irst, apply your foundation to the center of your face and blend outward toward your hairline. Top that with a pressed powder applied in a rolling motion across your cheeks, forehead and skin to make sure your foundation sticks. Next come the eyes. Apply a beige tone from your lash to crease, blending as you get closer to the brow line. Then, line your upper and lower lash lines with black liquid eyeliner, followed by green liquid eyeliner, smudged slightly, and only on your lower lash line. Finish off your eyes with two coats of black mascara on your top eyelashes only. Finally, complete your look with a light pink lip gloss. Those are the steps given by Covergirl, a popular cosmetics brand, to achieve a “subtle yet intriguing look” that is a “must-have for fall.” School Psychologist Sheila Siegel said a desire to be more grown up factors in to why younger adolescents begin wearing makeup. “My granddaughter will stand on a stool while I’m getting dressed and she’ll brush some makeup on,” Siegel said. “From the time you’re really little, [wearing makeup] is what it means to be a big girl.” Siegel also said that part of the reason women in general wear makeup is that from a very young age they are “bombarded” with images of what the “ideal” woman should look like. “There’s this very plastic-y look that is the media’s standard, and that’s impossible to reach,” she said. “It’s very subtle, but I think that there is a clear pressure that says, ‘This is how you should be.’” In a study published Oct. 3, Nancy Etcoff, Assistant Clinical Professor at Harvard University and Associate Researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry, confirmed that makeup significantly impacts how women are judged, not
Using cosmetics is a normal rite of passage for many girls, but a new study shows that strangers judge women based on how much makeup they wear.
only in attractiveness but also in character. In the study, participants were shown images of 25 women, each four different times. The first was an image of the woman without makeup, and the subsequent three had increasingly dramatic levels of makeup. The images were viewed for 250 milliseconds each, and all three images of the women without makeup increased ratings of “attractiveness, competence, likability and trust,” according to the study. When members of a second study were given unlimited time to view each image, women wearing the most makeup were judged to be “equally likeable, less trustworthy and significantly more attractive than the faces without makeup.” “Researchers have studied first impressions of innate facial characteristics, such as facial symmetry, but until now, no research has rigorously examined the role that applied beauty or features of the extended human phenotype, such as makeup and hair color, play in perception of beauty, personality and character at first glance and longer inspection,” Etcoff said in an interview with P&G Beauty & Grooming. Experimenting with makeup is common among teenagers as a way to reflect the person they are, Siegel said. “As an adolescent, you ‘try on’ different ways of being, and that’s part of figuring out who you are and deciding who you are,” Siegel said. “So trying on different faces can be part of that.” Olivia Schiavelli ’12 began wearing makeup in sixth grade. “I wore Claire’s eye shadow because that’s what all the ‘cool girls’ were doing,” Schiavelli said. “My mom didn’t want me to wear it so I’d hide it in my locker and put it on when I got to school and rub it off before I got picked up.” Schiavelli said that at first she used much more than she now feels she
needs. “I was using [makeup] more to change my face, but now I use it more to just help it,” Schiavelli said. However, Schiavelli does not believe that the amount of makeup she wears affects how people perceive her. “I wear makeup more to feel better about myself than to have other people like me. Except, in seventh grade people definitely could have been like, ‘Wow, she wears a lot of make up. Overkill.’” Amanda Allen ’12 also started wearing makeup when she was in middle school, but she began by wearing minimal amounts. “My mom taught me how to do makeup for a dance show and then I liked how it looked and started wearing some eyeliner or eye shadow to school,” Allen said. “I only wore a little, though, because I didn’t want people to know I was wearing makeup.” Allen said that around ninth grade, she began experimenting with a greater variety of makeup. “I went through a phase where I liked wearing lots of makeup with bright colors or sparkles because I thought it made me look cool,” Allen said. Now she wears less and makes sure she looks natural she said. Michelle Chang ’13 almost never wears makeup, mostly because she doesn’t have enough time when she’s getting ready in the morning, Chang said. However, she said makeup makes her feel prettier, and usually her friends are surprised to see her wearing any. She only wears makeup on special occasions, and even then she will only wear eye makeup and blush. “I just don’t think that for me [wearing makeup all the time] is necessary right now,” Chang said. “It just depends on the person whether or not they want to use it.” GRAPHIC BY MICHAEL ROTHBERG AND CHLOE LISTER
Sports The Chronicle • Nov. 16, 2011
Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue III
Winter Previews Three winter teams prepare to defend last year’s CIF championship titles.
C2-3
Major potential By Robbie Loeb
In Major League Baseball, six first overall draft picks have been named Most Valuable Player. All six were drafted out of high school. Right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito ’12 could be the number one overall selection in the MLB draft in June 2012, according to ESPN scouting insider Jason Churchill. “It’s cool to see your name up there with some of the best players in the country,” Giolito said. “What I’m really focused on now is putting in work and getting better, so I can make those kinds of things a reality. If I put in a lot of work now and have a good season, I’ll be in the best position for my future.” Giolito is committed to play at the UCLA next year along with his teammate, left-handed pitcher Max Fried ’12. The dynamic duo signed their letters of intent with the Bruins on Nov. 9 but could potentially head straight for the MLB instead. “It’s always been my goal to reach the highest level I can for myself,” Giolito said. “Anything to do with the draft is not a part of my goals right now. My goals are to pitch well for my team and to win CIF.” MLB scouts will likely be at a number of the Wolverines’ games to watch Fried and Giolito pitch. “That’s the fun of the whole thing,” one American League scouting supervisor said in Churchill’s article. “We see what he is right now, but we have to ask what he is going to be in nine months, and what he might turn into between then and his rise to the majors.” “Talking about the draft in
November doesn’t make any sense and is not something we will discuss right now,” Head Coach Matt LaCour said. “Lucas has goals for this year that focus around him continuing the path of development he has been on for the past three years.” The Harvard-Westlake product’s fastballs hover around the mid90 miles per hour range, but on occasion have reached speeds as high as 98 mph. “I’ve put a lot of practice time into refining pitches and working on the mental side of things,” Giolito said. “I’m trying to reach the ceiling of my potential. If that affects my draft stock, then so be it, but I’m not really worried about the draft right now. I’m working hard in the weight room, and my arm feels pretty good, so we’ll see where things go.” Currently, Giolito’s greatest competition for the number one pick is Mark Appel, a junior at Stanford University. Eerily similar to Giolito, Appel is a 6-foot-6 right-handed power pitcher with a big frame, good arm speed and an easy delivery. Continued on page C7 GOING BIG: Lucas Giolito ’12, left, and Max Fried ’12, right, committed to UCLA but could be in the MLB in as soon as seven months.
PHOTOS PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF RICK GIOLITO
Water polo falls to former coach’s team
Runners commit to Stanford
By Michael Aronson
In the second round of CIF playoffs, the varsity boys’ water polo team’s season ended with a 9-3 loss to Newport Harbor. The Wolverines went into their matchup against Newport with more than just their season’s hopes on the line. Coach Robert Lynn was the Wolverines’ coach last season and left to coach for Newport at the end of the last school year. Saturday’s game was the first reunion for Lynn and some of the Wolverine players. “As much as none of us wanted to admit it, there was an added intensity because we really wanted to get a crack at [Lynn],” Brian Graziano ’12 said. “We wanted to show him why leaving was the wrong choice.” However, first year Head Coach Brian Flacks ’06 disagreed. “This was just another game,” he said. “It was the quarterfinal game, and we prepared for this game like we do for every other game. We didn’t worry so much about who was sitting on the other bench.” The Wolverines got off to a slow start and trailed Newport 3-1 at the
By Luke Holthouse
MICHAEL ARONSON/CHRONICLE
FACEOFF: Alan Vucetic ’13 passes during the boys’ water polo team’s last game of the regular season. The team faced Newport Harbor, Coach Robert Lynn’s new team. end of the first period. Newport held the Wolverines to two goals in the first half and lead the Wolverines 6-2 at halftime. Goalie Rye Newman ’13 stopped Newport’s offensive attack in the third period, but Harvard-Westlake could not capitalize on Newman’s many saves. In the fourth period, Newport outsocred the Wolverines 3-1 to take the victory. Bradley Schine ’12 led the Wolverines in scoring with two goals, and captain Alec Zwaneveld ’12 added a third. “We played well in the beginning, but Newport is a great team, and they capitalized on all of the little mistakes we made,” Schine said. “Newport is probably the second best team in the country,” Flacks said.
“They have only lost one game to arguably the best team of all-time in high school water polo. Considering that, we did a good job and we definitely held our own against them.” Newport’s only loss came against defending CIF champion Mater Dei, who stands as the early favorite to win back-to-back titles. The Wolverines lost to Mater Dei earlier in their season by two more goals than their six-point loss Saturday to the Sailors. Despite the playoff loss to Newport, Flacks boasts a 16-8 regular season record, a game better than last year’s team under Lynn. “After everything that we have been through this year, it’s pretty amazing Continued on page C5
Cami Chapus ’12 and Amy Weissenbach ’12 hang out together, train together, win state championships together, pose for recruiting magazines together, set national records together and travel to World Championships together. And while they didn’t make their college decisions together, the somehow ended up at the same conclusion. They will be attending Stanford next fall. And while athletic policy in Palo Alto will not let teammates room together, they will be running both cross
Nathanson ’s/chronicle
Cami Chapus ’12
Nathanson ’s/chronicle
Amy Weissenbach ’12
Continued on page C5
The Chronicle
C2 Sports
Facts & Figures
3
8
Winter Previews
Lacrosse coaches hired in the past three years, with the arrival of Jay Pfeifer last week.
Interceptions thrown in 10 games this season by Chad Kanoff ’13, who did not throw more than one in a game.
Nov. 16, 2011
5
Clean sheets in field hockey’s 16 games this season. They only allowed 15 goals all season.
10
Years since Loyola lost in the Mission League individual cross country finals. Aaron de Toledo ’12 snapped Loyola’s decade-long streak.
160 Girls’ water polo looks to defend title 312 Total sets won out of a possible 180 by the girls’ tennis team.
Goals scored by the boys’ water polo team in 26 games this season.
ALEX LEICHENGER/CHRONICLE
TREADING WATER: Morgan Hallock ’13 fakes a shot in the CIF Finals last year. The team had an eventful offseason with the arrival of a new coach, pool construction and the departure of seniors Ashley Grossman ’11 and Camille Hooks ’11.
By Luke Holthouse
game of the month GIRLS’ SOCCER vs. Palisades
Nov. 30 at Harvard-Westlake 5:15 p.m.
Defending last year’s CIF Championship will be a tough task for the girls’ water polo team without a home pool to defend it in. Due to the construction of the new pool, the team has no pool on campus and must drive three miles to Los Angeles Valley College for practice. The pool was not the only thing that underwent construction, as the team graduated four-year starters Ashley Grossman ’11 and Camille Hooks ’11 and saw the departure of head coach Robert Lynn. Grossman and Hooks, who are currently playing for Stanford and Princeton, had their eyes set on a CIF title since their freshman seasons. “They’re both very talented players,” Bella Gonzalez ’12 said. “Out of the pool, they were great leaders, really getting the girls on the team mo-
tivated. When they started freshman year, they immediately had an impact because they knew what they wanted, and that was to win CIF. Their mindset was what got us forward and what started us out for our CIF trip.” The loss of Hooks and Grossman will cause a significant change in the depth of the team’s offense. Grossman leaves a void at the two-meter position, while Hooks was one of the team’s best perimeter shooters. “You can’t fill their shoes, there’s no way, but you can develop people into playing a good, solid spread offense,” Morgan Hallock ’13 said. “We have seven girls coming back, but the roles will be a little different for everyone.” After two years, Lynn unexpectedly left to coach Newport Harbor. He led the girls’ team to its first CIF title in the program’s history and the boys’ team to a playoff berth.
Girls’ hoops rebuilds after 9 seniors graduate
The Wolverines open their season at the end of the month against the highly ranked Palisades Dolphins. Led by midfielder Danielle Duhl ’12 and goalkeeper Reba Magier ’12, the Wolverines seek to improve upon last season’s 1-1 tie.
Previous Matchup:
By Camille Shooshani
1-1 Tie on Dec. 1, 2010
Previous Records: Harvard-Westlake: 14-3-4 overall; 6-2-2 league Palisades: 22-0-2 overall; 12-0-0 league
Opponent to Watch: Katie van Daalen Wetters Position: Forward University of California, Santa Barbara commit van Daalen Wetters was the leader in both goals and assists last year for Palisades with 13 goals and eight assists. The matchup between the two teams will be the first game of van Daalen Wetters’ season as captain.
SAAC October Athletes of the Month
nathanson ’s
Alec Zwaneveld ’12
“We bonded as a team, and especially with coach Lynn,” Hallock said. “He really loved and dedicated a lot to the team. He helped lead us to a CIF Championship and we’re really grateful to him for that.” New head coach Brian Flacks ’06 brings the same focused mentality that helped last year’s team go as far as it did. Hallock said it is only a matter of time before the team feels comfortable with each other and the coaches again. Hallock said that despite the challenges, the team should make it to the playoffs. Girls’ water polo has won league each of the last 15 years, and with the group of girls they have, Hallock is confident they can win again this year. “Obviously, we really want to try to repeat,” Kristen Lee ’12 said. “It was so great last year and I know we have the potential to do it.”
nathanson ’s
Kristen Lee ’12
DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE
CHALLENGE: Hannah Lichtenstein ’13 attempts to tackle a Chaminade attacker. The Wolverines won the matchup 3-0 but lost to Chaminade later in the season 3-1.
Young talent strengthens girls’ soccer By Michael Aronson With the loss of talented seniors, the girls’ varsity soccer team is looking to freshmen to fill the graduates’ shoes. “[Younger players] will be very important,” Head Coach Richard Simms said. “We have ended up taking five freshmen on the team, which is the most we’ve had in my time here at the school. Whether or not they can handle the pressure and play at the varsity level will really be a driving factor of our season. Chloe Casteneda ’15, Brianna Gazmarian ’15, Catherina Gores ’15, Tiffany Guerra ’15 and Courtney O’Brien ’15, were named to the varsity team. Cami Chapus ’12, Danielle Duhl ’12 and Reba Magier ’12 are poised to take leadership roles on the team after the
loss of older players. Duhl was the team’s second leading scorer last season with 14 goals, behind Katie Speidel ’11, who tallied 21 goals. This season, Duhl looks to take on the leading scoring role with Speidel now at Santa Clara University. Last season, the girls won their first 13 games and won 14 of 21 total games, but they were shutout 4-0 by Santa Margarita in the second round of CIF playoffs. “I think last year we peaked too early in the season,” Simms said. “We are going to try and focus on taking our time and allowing our younger players to get experience to hopefully peak at the end of the year.” The team will begin its season on Nov. 30 against Palisades. Last year, the high-powered matchup between the two ended in a 1-1 tie.
Two years ago, the girls’ basketball team fought all the way to the state finals and won. Against all odds, after the loss of eight seniors, last year’s team pressed itself into the CIF finals. Nine seniors graduated last June, and 2010 CIF Coach of the Year Melissa Hearlihy once again faces the daunting task of acclimating seven new players. “We need three or four weeks to figure out who we are,” Hearlihy said. “We do believe that [winning league] is attainable, we just have a lot to accomplish before we get there.” Natalie Florescu ’13, Brooke Levin ’12 and Leslie Schuman ’12 are the only returning varsity players this year. “It’s definitely our year to step up, and I’m really excited about this team,” starting point guard Florescu said. “I feel like this team will have a different fire to it. We’re pretty young but we maintain the same principles.” “I think we have a lot of potential, but we have to work on building up the team,” Ana Scuric ’13 said. “There are a lot of new people, but I feel like we can get really far.” The team’s biggest league competitor will be Chaminade. Last year, the girls split the season with the Eagles, defeating them to win in league. “It’ll definitely be a challenge but we work hard and we can get there,” Alixx Lucas ’13 said.
Nov. 16, 2011
chronicle.hw.com
Frontcourt gives team advantage By Robbie Loeb
A year removed from a CIF championship, the varsity boys’ basketball team, led by All-CIF players Zena Edosomwan ’12 and Josh Hearlihy ’12, will need to use its size and speed to repeat as champions. This is the team’s first season following the departure of Damiene Cain ’11, the Wolverines’ second all-time leading rebounder. Head Coach Greg Hilliard said although Cain’s rebounding prowess is irreplaceable, the return of Edosmowan and Hearlihy could lead the team to a second consecutive title, provided the team avoids the injury bug. “Because we graduated 10 guys last year, our depth is not what it has been in past years,” Hilliard said. “We can ill-afford the kind of injury-plagued season we had last year, where four of our guys never played a minute because of serious injuries. But if everything goes well with the talent that we do have, we should set our sights on CIF and anything beyond.” Hearlihy, Edosomwan and Michael Sheng ’14 are the only returning players who started last season. Sheng is the most experienced point guard on the roster, despite being a sophomore. Edosomwan and Hearlihy have established themselves as elite players on the national stage. Edosomwan has already taken all five of his official college recruiting visits, but he has not yet committed. ESPN ranks the 6-foot-8 big man as the eighth best recruit in California. “Zena is unstoppable in the post and has added the perimeter to his game, which makes him even more difficult to defend,” Hilliard said. “If a big center figures out how to guard him close to the hoop, he can take him away and beat him off the dribble.” “[Hearlihy] is one of the most versatile players in high school basketball,” Hilliard said. “He can offensively play any of the five positions, from point guard to posting up.” Derick Newton ’14 sat out last year with a shoulder injury and will be the third offensive option on this team. “He has a knack of getting to the basket and scoring, or if not, getting fouled,” Hilliard said. “Any team that has three offensive weapons to choose from, and the players around them buy in to taking advantage of their talents, puts us in good shape.” Although Francis Hyde ’13 will likely start at shooting guard early on,
inbrief
Alumnus basketball star rejoins CU Buffaloes
Damiene Cain ’11 rejoined the mens’ basketball team at the University of Colorado after leaving the team to focus on academics in September. “It’s the best decision for me,” Cain told the Daily Camera in Colorado. “I needed to take a little break in the beginning. I got my break, and now I’m back and I’m happy. I needed time to adjust to college, to get acclimated to a different community and stuff like that. I’m good now.” —Michael Aronson
Sophomore equestrian places in top 10 world event Sydney Cheong ’14 arrived at the Morgan Horse Grand National and World Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla. to hear that her brand new horse was injured and unfit to ride. Despite the injury to her horse, Cheong placed in the top 10 in each of the three classes she competed in on a substitute horse. “It’s always a big goal just to go to Nationals, and it’s always been a dream of mine to win something [there],” Cheong said. —Noa Yadidi
GRIFFY SIMON/VOX
SWINGMAN: Small forward Josh Hearlihy ’12 pauses before a pass against Inglewood in the CIF Finals. The team will try to defend its title without Damiene Cain ’11. Clinton Hooks ’13 will contend for the starting two-guard spot when he returns after the football season. “We’re definitely going to have to be up-tempo because the Mission League is incredibly strong this year,” Hilliard said. “One of the great things about our big guys is they run the floor as well as any little man, so we figured if you want to run, then we’re going to run and be long and near the rim when we get down to that end.” The rival Loyola Cubs are lead by sophomore point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who could develop into the state’s best lead guard of the past decade, according to ESPN. Stopping Cartwright might be the toughest task this Wolverine squad will face in the Mission League.
“If I had the secret [to stopping Cartwright], and I could sell it, there would be a lot of teams around Southern California that would buy it,” Hilliard said. “While we may not be able to contend with Parker every time up and down the court, they have to find a way to stop big Zena because they don’t have a matchup for him, either.” Last year, both matchups between Harvard-Westlake and Loyola were packed with fans beyond maximum capacity. To resolve this, the rivals will play each other at larger sites this year. “We’ve always relied on the fans, both home and away, to help us through those games,” Hilliard said. “Now that they’re in big, neutral, sites, hopefully the fans will come out and support us there.”
Seasoned players lead soccer team
Wrestling team keeps CIF Masters in sight
By Luke Holthouse
The highest number of wrestlers in school history qualified for CIF playoffs last season, but none of the 11 wrestlers advanced to CIF Masters. With eight wrestlers returning, the team could be one of the best in the program’s history, Brandon Chen ’12 said. “We have set the bar much higher for our team than we did last year,” Chen said. “Hopefully, our training and hard work will pay off when the season comes around. After all, champions are made during the offseason.” Chen, Steven Ring ’12, Elliot Storey ’12 and Russell Wolfe ’12 will captain the team. Chen said that the team goal for the season is to have as many wrestlers reach CIF Masters as possible, and maybe even state competition. The team will need to fill voids left by former captains Jordan Bryan ’11, Ben Kogan ’11 and Jake Sonnenberg ’11. “Those three seniors brought a strong sense of team, commitment and enthusiasm,” Chen said. “Although they left our team with a hole that was not easy to fill, we’re doing our best to fill their roles as captains.”
Sports C3
By Charlton Azuoma
DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE
HEAD UP: Charlie Porter ’12 enters his fourth year as a starter on varsity.
The boys’ soccer team is primed to build on last season’s improbable playoff run, when it made playoffs despite only winning three league games. Head Coach Freddy Arroyo welcomes back 15 varsity players from last year, so the team will have a lot of experience this year. “[Charlie] Porter ’12 will be an important player to watch,” Arroyo said. “Experienced along with talented young players will make our team strong this season.” The team plans on spreading the field with strong wing play, which frees them to score on headers. Defensively, the team will aim to force turnovers with strong ball pressure. Goalkeepers Wade Clement ’12 and Wiley Webb ’12 will likely split time between the sticks for the Wolverines this season, Arroyo said. “Our two senior goalkeepers are talented and fundamentally sound,” Arroyo said. “They played an important role last season, so we have high expectations for them this season.”
Girls’ golf finishes 5th at regional championships The girls’ golf team concluded their season placing fifth out of 20 teams at the CIF Regional Team Championships on Oct. 26, improving on its 13th place finish last year. Co-captains Jessica Wibawa ’13 and Amanda Aizuss ’13 shot an 82 and an 88 in the championship round. Wibawa earned team medalist honors. “Our greatest success was a collective mindset,” Head Coach Linda Giaciolli said after the season concluded. “Every team member wanted to improve and stepped up towards that end. There was a revitalized yet understated level of competitive spirit the team embraced this season. If I could point to one thing, I think our girls know they can set the bar higher.” —Austin Lee
Senior commits sign college letters of intent On Nov. 9, four seniors signed letters of intent to play collegiate sports next fall. Max Fried ’12 and Lucas Giolito ’12 both signed their intent to play baseball at UCLA, while Josh Hearlihy ’12 signed with the University of Utah for basketball and Charlie Benell ’12 signed with Texas A&M for golf. “UCLA is my dream school,” Giolito told Eric Sondheimer of the LA Times. “When I walked on campus, it clicked.” Benell will be joining an Aggies team ranked the sixth best Division I school for golf as of Sept. 23 by the Golf Coaches Association of America. —Sam Sachs
Sophomores compete in new flag football league Every Monday at break, a group of sophomores compete in a student-run flag football league. The league has its own website and rule book. Much like the NFL, the league has a salary cap, resulting in mostly fair and balanced roster. “The league was something a lot of players wanted,” one of the league founders Sam Sachs ’14 said. “I think we accomplished our goal by creating a forum for students to go out and play a casual game of football.” —Eric Loeb
The Chronicle
C4 Sports
Nov. 16 , 2011
DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE
WILDCAT: Julian Shabahang ’14 avoids defenders after a direct snap in the wildcat formation during the Wolverines’ game against St. Paul Friday night. The
Football season finishes without playoff berth
By Luke Holthouse
For the second year in a row, the varsity football team finished their season without a trip to the playoffs. What started out as a promising 4-1 record ended in early November. After the 4-1 start in non-league games, the Wolverines lost four of their five league games and finished the season at 5-5 overall. With a 1-4 league record, the team finished in fifth place in the Mission League, where only the top three teams advance to playoffs. The Wolverines began their season with a final minute 34-27 loss to Venice but then won four straight against Fairfax, Leuzinger, Sylmar and El Camino Real. Despite the team’s relative success out of league, Head Coach Vic Eumont said most of those games were very hard-fought games and that ultimately, his team was worn down by the time
league play started. Starters Alex Cadiff ’13, Jamias Jones ’12, Conor Kalantari ’14, Cameron Komisar ’12 and Nick Nathanson ’13 all missed league games due to injuries, and the rest of the team was fatigued towards the end of the season, as most players had to play multiple positions due to a lack of depth. “Playing teams like Venice, Fairfax, El Camino and Sylmar [is tough because] they’re physically strong teams, and we get beat up,” Eumont said. “So it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s whether you get beat up or not. We had too many players playing too many plays on both offense and defense, and they get worn down. That’s definitely the issue why we didn’t do as well down the stretch. We ran out of gas because we’re not physically strong enough to be able to play that hard for that long against faster and stronger teams.” Both Eumont and players
Wolverines lost 41-28, giving up three touchdowns in the second half. With this loss, the team fell to 1-4 in the Mission League and lost any chance of a spot in playoffs.
JV Football After winning only one game this year, JV players look foward to the possibility of playing on varsity next season and getting more wins. “This team had some heart. We’re the future of the program, and I know what it takes to go far and take it to the next level.” –Olan Moon White ’15
Overall Record: 1-4 Last two games:
Cathedral W (21-14) JSerra L (35-41) nathanson ’s
emphasized next year’s team needs to be in better shape so that they don’t fade at the end of the year. “We have to get in the weight room, that’s one definite thing, ” defensive end Keith Leonard ’13 said, adding that the team needs to also “work on our overall speed, get in the watch room with our coach and just overall learn the game better and get more physically tough.” Eight seniors will graduate from the team. Six of those were starters on defense while two of them were starters on offense. After averaging 32.2 points a game, a 10.9 point improvement from last year, and with the majority of the offense returning next year, the Wolverines’
SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS
offense could be very strong. Quarterback Chad Kanoff ’13 said the offense worked well under offensive coordinator Scott Ruggles’s no-huddle offense but has room for improvement. “We need to give everything in the offseason,” Kanoff said. Though they did not make playoffs, the Wolverines did improve from last year, winning three more overall games and one more league game. “We just had a lot of stuff go wrong and not a lot of players sell out,” defensive back Cameron Komisar ’12 said. “This year we had a team come together, become one and really work hard every single day to get better.”
Tennis advances to CIF quarterfinals, carries on despite team captain’s injury By Camille Shooshani
CAMILLE SHOOSHANI/CHRONICLE
TOP SPIN: Team captain Taylor Coon ’12 prepares to serve in the team’s shutout victory against Fullerton Nov. 4.
After beating Westlake High School 10-5 on Monday, the girls’ varsity tennis team, undefeated in league, advanced to the third round of CIF playoffs yesterday. In Monday’s game, the team completed only 15 of 18 sets due to lighting issues and wetness on the court. The girls were originally set to play Saturday but the game was postponed due to rain. The girls played Peninsula High School yesterday but results were not available as of press time. During the fall season, Peninsula beat the team 12-5 without Peninsula’s two best singles players. “It will definitely be a challenge but I think we can do it,” Head Coach Chris Simpson said. In the first round of CIF playoffs last Thursday, the girls shut out Ful-
lerton 18-0 despite team captain Kei Goldberg ’12’s being taken away by an ambulance after dislocating her shoulder. Goldberg did not play the entire regular season due to a shoulder injury. As it is her senior year, Goldberg will not play again at the high school level. “It’s pretty frustrating because it’s my senior year and I wanted to compete more,” Goldberg said. “I haven’t played, and I did so much to prepare for and prevent this but it feels like I’m all the way back at stage one.” “We all want to fight for Kei,” cocaptain Taylor Coon ’12 said. “She was a really big part of our team.” If the girls’ team defeated Peninsula yesterday, thewould move on to the semifinals Nov. 17 and could possibly face Dana Hills, Mater Dei, Palm Desert or Woodbridge. Individual CIF preliminaries continue on Nov. 18.
JV Tennis The Wolverines finished off their season with one loss after beating Flintridge in their final game.
Overall Record: 13-1 League Record: 8-0 Last two games: Alemany W(13-5) Flintridge SH W(13-3)
NATHANSON’S
“The season was fantastic and I think we played exceptionally well overall. By the end of the season we all got really close.” — Julie Engel ’14 SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
Sports C5
Seniors seek individual CIF titles By Julius Pak
Both boys’ and girls’ varsity cross country teams qualified for CIF Finals based on their performances at the CIF Preliminaries last Saturday. Because of the size of the field for each division, the girls’ team needed to place within the top five teams in its race to advance. The boys’ team needed to finish in the top eight. The girls’ team finished first in its heat at Mt. San Antonio College. Co-captains Cami Chapus ’12 and Amy Weissenbach ’12 finished first and third. Weissenbach did not compete in the post season last year due to injury. The reigning Division IV CIF champions boys’ team managed to advance to CIF Finals with a fifth place finish in its heat. Aaron de Toledo ’12 was the only member to finish in the top ten, placing third. A week before, the teams had broken multiple records at the Mission League Finals at Crescenta Valley Park on Nov. 2. For 10 consecutive years, a Loyola runner has won the individual championship. In the final 800meters of the 5-kilometer race of league finals, de Toledo overtook Loyola’s Jared Jones and never looked back, breaking the Cubs decade long streak. With de Toledo and Chapus’ victories, the Wolverines took top spots in both boys’ and girls’ divisions at a league meet. Chapus has finished first in league finals every year since her
JULIUS PAK/CHRONICLE
AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Aaron de Toledo ’12 leads Loyola runners in Mission League Finals. De Toledo is the freshman season, the first in school history to do so. The girls’ team once again defended their league title. Chapus and Weissenbach held the first two places for nearly the entire race. Elle Wilson’s ’13 performance was named the “Golden Anchor” performance by ESPN HS. The boys’ team could not replicate last year’s second-place finish despite de Toledo’s win. Loyola’s runners all finished in the top ten. The CIF Finals will be held at Mt. SAC this Saturday.
first runner not from Loyola to win league finals in over a decade. The boys took third place and the girls first.
JV Cross Country The JV boys’ and girls’ cross country teams closed their season by finishing in second and thrid place respectively in the League Finals.
Boys: League Finals: 2nd Place
“We have a lot of strong runners, and it’s only our second year of running. We have a lot of room to improve.” — Lucas Hernandez ’14
Girls: League Finals: 3rd Place nathanson ’s
SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS
Seniors to run for the Stanford Cardinal Continued from page C1
and track together. Chapus and Weissenbach were two of the most highly touted runners in the country. Together, the two have won six state championships, set two national records and competed in the track and field World Youth Championship in France. Both have also been recognized for their strong academic standing and character by coaches. “Anyone who has spent any time talking to them sees the kind of human beings that they are,” Head Cross Country Coach Tim Sharpe said. “To me, it’s not an accident that those types of people excel in all areas of their lives.”
When Stanford coaches offered Chapus and Weissenbach spots at their school, the two knew that the school had what they wanted in both academics and athletics. “There are very few schools in the country like Stanford in that it’s so strong academically and athletically,” Weissenbach said. The two push each other in training and motivate each other to be the best they can be. “I think it gives us a distinct advantage to have someone competing at the same level with you,” Weissenbach said. “It really helps to have someone else who’s pushing you to keep on pace and keep our mileage up.” “I definitely would not be where I’m at today without this girl,”
Chapus said of her teammate. “We’re competing against each other, yes, but it’s only so that we can help each other so that we can be competitive with everybody else.” Reaching Stanford is certainly not the finish line for these two. Both have ambitions to possibly compete professionally after college, or even make a run at qualifying for the Olympics. Both plan on running at Olympic Trials next summer. Both said that they may have a better chance of competing in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero rather than next summer’s games in London, but it is too far away to really judge now. “That’s more realistic than London,” Chapus said. “But that’s still really far away.”
JULIUS PAK/CHRONICLE
IT TAKES TWO: Cami Chapus ’12, left, and Amy Weissenbach ’12 have both committed to run cross country and track and field at Stanford.
Playoff loss to highly ranked Newport ends water polo’s season Continued from page C1
Flacks said. In his first year as the head of the program, Flacks guided the team to wins against Foothill, Ventura and Crespi, all teams that the Wolverines lost to last season under Lynn. Flacks’ squad also outscored last year’s team under Lynn by over 60 goals on the sesaon, mainly led by Zwaneveld who averaged about a hat trick a game. As captain, Zwaneveld was the team’s backbone this season, as the leading scorer in the majority of the boys’ games. Two weeks ago, Zwaneveld justified his role as captain, scoring seven goals in the 27-9 win over Notre Dame.
The 16-8 overall record was also without the help of Henry McNamara ’13 who moved to Newport along with Lynn, as well as Langdon Froomer ’12 who was out this season due to injury. Because of CIF rules, McNamara was not allowed to play varsity for Newport this season but is expected to face the Wolverines next season. Freshmen standouts Johnny Hooper ’15, Anthony Ridgely ’15 and Morio Saito ’15 filled holes on the team this year. With senior goal scoring machines like Graziano, Schine and Zwaneveld having played their last game in red and black, the young talent on the team is poised to take leadership roles next fall.
MICHAEL ARONSON/CHRONICLE
LAST CHANCE: Cesar Velasquez ’12 swims up the pool in the boy’s 27-9 win over Notre Dame. He played his last game as a Wolverine in Saturday’s loss to Newport.
JV Water Polo After a five game stretch of only two wins in the middle of the team’s season, JV boys’ water polo finished its season with three final wins.
“We won league and received a better record than last year, so I would say it was a pretty good season.” — Peter Tilton’14
Overall Record: 12-6 League Record: 4-0 NATHANSON’S
SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS
C6 Sports
The Chronicle
Nov. 16, 2011
School builds relationship with Italian soccer club
By Julius Pak
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MICHAEL BEUTNER
NEED FOR SPEED: Michael Beutner ’14 competes in a downhill slalom race in Mammoth, Calif. Beutner left school to compete in races around the country.
Sophomore skier leaves school to compete nationally By Patrick Ryan
Michael Beutner ’14 will leave Harvard-Westlake today and plans to ski full-time until April. He will take independent study and online courses, but when he returns to school next year, he will have to repeat 10th grade. Beutner began skiing when his father first took him to the slopes at age 2. He started racing for fun when he was 5 years old, but he began skiing for the Mammoth ski team competitively when he was 7 and has raced ever since. Beutner competes in the slalom, giant slalom, super G and downhill events. “Short term, I would like to see if I can qualify for nationals this year,” Beutner said. “Long term, [my] goal would be to ski in college, but I guess to just keep working hard at it and see where it takes me.” Beutner is the second sophomore
to leave to pursue skiing elsewhere. Henry Elkus ’14 also left for the year to train in Santa Barbara and compete with the Park City Ski team. Beutner’s training consists of six hours of skiing per day plus ski-specific weigh lifting in the gym. He will travel around the country competing against other teams this year. “In the past, it has been difficult to balance my schoolwork,” Beutner said. “Last year, I had to miss many days of school, and it was tough, but I was able to complete the work.” He plans to live in his family’s house in Mammoth, Calif. with his longtime coach, and his parents plan on visiting him frequently. “I really like being outdoors, and it is a great opportunity to get away,” he said. “If you put in the time, it will give it back to you. I’ve been doing it since I was really young and I’ve really enjoy it.”
A.C. Milan, the reigning champions of Italy’s premier soccer league Serie A, is pursuing youth development in conjunction with Harvard-Westlake. The relationship between A.C. Milan and Harvard-Westlake began last spring. “It’s easy for people to only see the athletic side of the club, but it’s really much more comprehensive than that,” President Thomas C. Hudnut said. “They want to be involved with a place that’s perusing high level research into adolescent sport injuries and health.” A.C. Milan sent a local representative to visit after hearing about research conducted by the HarvardWestlake Institute for Sport Science and Medicine, an institute that works with researchers across Los Angeles regarding injuries. The goal of the program is to provide care for injuries, research treatments for injuries, and to educate students on injuries, Associate Head of School and Head of Athletics Audrius Barzdukas said. “We started talking,” Barzdukas said. “We started exploring. That’s how it goes.” A.C. Milan invited representatives from Harvard-Westlake to visit their facilities in Milan. Last summer, Barzdukas, Athletic Director Terry Barnum and Athletic Trainer Milo Sini traveled to Italy to meet with Michele Ferraris, head of the club’s youth development. The delegation visited the Milanello, its training center and home to many components of the youth system. The main focus of the relationship with the club is to enhance youth development. “Everything they do is for the development of the child,” Barzdukas said. “They understand that when you have 35,000 kids [in the youth system], you only have eighteen on that roster who are going to play against Juventus.
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF TERRY BARNUM
BUILDING CONNECTIONS: Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts holds a jersey with Michele Ferraris of A.C. Milan. But for the rest of them they want to have good lives.” Harvard-Westlake hopes to utilize A.C. Milan’s youth development methods on the school’s soccer program. “[A.C. Milan] has a soccer curriculum,” Barzdukas said. “So we get their technique and their curriculum for our coaches to apply.” This spring, a local representative of the club will come to Harvard-Westlake to look at the varsity soccer program and will work with boys’ soccer program head coach Freddy Arroyo. More members of A.C. Milan’s staff will visit over the summer. In exchange for helping out Harvard-Westlake’s soccer program, A.C. Milan hopes to expand its brand in the United States, which Barzdukas describes as an untapped market in soccer. “Among their goals is to expand their brand awareness around the world,” Barzdukas said. “It helps that our colors are the right colors. They are one of the biggest sports brands in the world and we are one of the best academic brands in the world.”
Former lacrosse star to coach team By Michael Aronson Former All-American lacrosse goalie Jay Pfeifer will coach the varsity lacrosse team this season. “Everyone I have met so far at the school has been very nice and enthusiastic about getting this going, so I’m excited,” Pfeifer said. Pfeifer was the starting goalie for the Syracuse Orange, which won two national championships in his stint with the team. He was on the All-Tournament team throughout the playoffs in both championship runs, and he was a captain in his junior and senior years. At the end of his college career, Pfeifer was second on Syracuse’s all time saves list. “Jay Pfeifer is a leader,” Head of
Athletics Audrius Barzdukas said. “He has a clear and compelling vision for our program that stresses high character and academic excellence, team before self, hard work and commitment. Harvard-Westlake lacrosse has a bright future.” After college, Pfeifer coached defense at Cathedral High School in San Diego. He then became the head coach of Thousand Oaks High School and later coached Pepperdine University. The lacrosse team starts training this week for the spring season where the boys will try to replicate last year’s 13-0 record and sweep of rival Loyola Cubs. “We are going to have great coaches on all levels,” Pfeifer said. “Our players are going to learn how to play the game the right way and have fun doing it.”
chronicle.hw.com
Nov. 16, 2011
Field hockey defeated in 2nd round of playoffs By Robbie Loeb
DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE
FOLLOWING THROUGH: Taylor Lee ’13 clears the ball out of the Wolverines’ zone during the Wolverines’ 3-1 victory over Edison in the first round of playoffs.
JV Volleyball The team ended its season undefeated in league.
Overall Record: 26-4 League Record: 10-0
NATHANSON’S
SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS
College Bound
In its semifinal playoff loss against Huntington Beach on Nov. 2, the varsity field hockey team received three yellow cards. Unlike soccer, every time the referee holds up his yellow slip of plastic, it comes with a penalty of five minutes on the sideline without a substitution. Huntington Beach scored both of its goals in a 2-0 victory during spells when Harvard-Westlake was down to 10 players. The team clinched its playoff spot by finishing second in league with a 6-2 record. It advanced to the semifinals after defeating Edison in the first round, 3-1. The team only lost five games overall all season, twice to Huntington Beach and three times to Glendora to end 11-5 overall. Huntington scored first while Sarah Markowitz ’12 was serving a penalty for being within a seven yard radius of an opponent taking a free hit. She was let back onto the field after more than five minutes had passed, and after a goal was surrendered. Glenne Carter ’14 earned a card for tripping an opponent on a breakaway, preventing a possible goal. However, the referee that made the call was on the other end of the field, and the referee nearest Carter did not call a foul. When Carter went back and looked at the film of the game, she saw that the player in fact tripped over her own feet. “I felt as though the referee’s call was inaccurate, and I was frustrated
I was taken out of the game for five minutes,” Carter said. “We were down a player, which didn’t give us a good chance to score.” Brigid Sofen ’12 earned the final yellow card for complaining to the referee. A Huntington Beach player earned a green card, which is a warning, for being within the seven yard radius of a penalty, the same infraction that the referee gave Markowitz a yellow card for. Sofen told the referee the infraction deserved a yellow card, if they wanted to call the game evenly, and subsequently, received a yellow card for her complaint. “It was questionable refereeing,” Sofen said. “It was an unnecessary call, and with a small following of field hockey in Los Angeles, it’s hard to get decent referees. The worst part is the fact that the referee talked back to me.”
JV Field Hockey Ater beating Chaminade, the team ended its season undefeated.
Overall Record: 9-0-2 League Record: 5-0-1 “I think that we really came together as a team and integrated really well this season.” — Erin Pindus ’13 NATHANSON’S
SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS
Girls’ volleyball loses 1st Mission League title under Black, 10 players to return next season
By Charlton Azuoma
“I credit our coach Marcin [Jagoda] for leading us to an undefeated [league] season once again.” — Caroline Branigan ’14
For the first time in Head Coach Adam Black’s five-year tenure as coach of the girls’ volleyball team, the Wolverines did not win Mission League. The team finished 12-17 overall and 5-5 in league after going 10-0 in the Mission League for the last four seasons. The Wolverines wrapped up their season with a 3-1 victory over Flintridge Sacred Heart on Senior Night.
Four seniors and one junior recently committed to colleges.
Amy Weissenbach ’12 and Cami Chapus ’12 Stanford
Danielle Duhl ’12 Duke Soccer
Cross Country and Track
PHOTOS BY DANIEL KIM
Sports C7
Bella Gonzalez ’12 UC Berkeley Water polo Joe Corrigan ’13 USC Baseball GRAPHIC BY CAMILLE SHOOSHANI
“I feel that senior night was a really nice way to end because it showed that we can come together, have fun and come out with a win,” hitter Ally Hirsch ’13 said. Although the team is not headed for the playoffs this year, its players believe that there are positives to take away from this season. “I think overall the girls made strides in their game as individual players and as a group,” Black said. “I think reading the game and knowing how to react in different situations
were big improvements.” Injuries sidelined hitter Lucy Tilton ’12 and libero Katie Price ’12 midway through the season, prompting first-year varsity players Josephine Kremer ’14 and Madison McAndrews ’13 to fill in those gaps. “I think the experience was a factor this year,” Black said. “With another year of training and playing I think we will be back where we want to be.” Next season 10 current members are expected to return to the team.
Pitchers could be 1st round picks Continued from page C1
Giolito met Appel at the USA Baseball Prospect Classic in July. “I have a lot of respect for [Appel], and he’s doing a lot of good work at Stanford,” Giolito said. “I don’t think too much about comparing myself to other people, and there are a lot of good players in this draft class. All I care about is being the best I can be.” Giolito appeared on Varsity Roundup, Time Warner Cable’s weekly prep show, on Nov. 9 to talk about UCLA and the draft. “My personality changes a little bit come gameday,” Giolito said on the show. “At school, I might be a little bit quieter, and I might be a little more zoned in, but when I get on the mound, it’s like something totally changes. I get in that zone and become like a killer.” No right-handed pitcher has ever been selected out of high school with the first overall pick. The Houston Astros hold the first selection at the draft on June 4. MLB teams usually stay away from high school prospects unless scouts believe the player will go straight to the pros and skip college. If a high school player is drafted but goes to college instead, the team that drafted that player loses the contracted rights to that player, and he can be drafted out of col-
lege again to a different team. Former Wolverine centerfielder Austin Wilson ’10 was projected to be drafted in the top ten, but fell to the 12th round due to his strong commitment to Stanford and academics. Fried is currently projected to be drafted towards the end of the first round, but with a good season, the 6-foot-3 southpaw could shoot into the top ten, according to Churchill. “It’s definitely exciting, and I’m really humbled,” Fried said. “Not very many people get to be in the position I am, and I’m really grateful. There’s still a lot of work to do, but nothing is written in stone. Being a first round pick has been my dream, along with playing in the major leagues. We still have around seven months, so it’s a lot of time to think.” Fried committed to UCLA his sophomore year while he attended Montclair Prep. He transferred to Harvard-Westlake from Montclair for his senior year, after Montclair Prep shut down its athletic program. “Right now my teammates have really embraced me with arms wide open,” Fried said. “The only difficult thing right now is the change of school, but baseball-wise everything has been a good transition. I just have to keep working hard and have fun playing the game. It can get stressful at times, but I play the best when I’m having fun.”
The Chronicle
C8 Sports
Nov. 16, 2011
Kicking it with
Danielle Duhl ’12 Center midfielder Last season’s statistics:
14 4 Goals
Assists
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF DANIELLE DUHL
Duke commit Danielle Duhl ’12 will be a leader on the girls’ varsity soccer team. Last year, she was the team’s second highest scorer and hopes to take the lead scoring role this season. By Camille Shooshani
Q A
Q A
What are your individual and team goals for the upcoming season?
Duhl:
“My team goals this year are definitely to win league. My goal for the team is to win the CIF Championship because we beat the team that won the CIF Championship last year, so I don’t think there’s any reason why we can’t accomplish that. Personally, my goal is to be a goal scorer for the team. We’ve always had a goal scorer in the grade above me that we’ve always relied on, but now that she’s gone, I know that it has to be me.”
What positions do you play?
Duhl: “On my club team, I play outside [midfielder because] we play a much wider game. Because the field is so big in high school, we go down the middle much more, so I play the middle to set plays up from there.”
Q A Q A
DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE
KICKING AND SCREAMING: Danielle Duhl ’12, center, dribbles past opponents from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in the second round of CIF playoffs last year. The
How do you train during the offseason?
Duhl:
“We train all summer. We lift all summer, and we’re in there twice a week. We do a lot of ACL [injury] prevention and try to train our hips and our quads. Playing wise, it’s just so we can get to know each other and its more for bonding.”
Has your role changed as a senior and as a team leader?
Duhl:
“My role has changed immensely. Being a leader on the team, you have to be more consistent, allow for other players to believe you and look confident. Other players look to you when they’re down or when times are getting tough, so it’s probably much more of a responsibility. but I like having that responsibility, I want to be a person that my teammates look to.”
Q A Q A
team’s 4-0 loss ended hopes of becoming back to back CIF champions. Duhl, who was part of the CIF-winning squad two years ago, hopes to recapture the championship in her senior year.
Does your club play affect your school performance?
Duhl:
“It’s a lot of soccer, and it’s always been a factor in my life, balancing school with soccer and school with club. I love it. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love doing so many things after school and being able to train all the time.”
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?
Duhl: “My strength is my work ethic and my intensity on the field. That also becomes my weakness because I can start to turn on my team. If I can bring that energy and bring the team with me, then we have our most successful games. I’m pretty vocal, so I’m always talking and encouraging. I’m nothing without the other players on the team. ”
Q A Q A
Who do you think will be a player to watch this season?
Duhl:
“Reba [Magier ’12], our goalie, is definitely a standout player. It’s always nice to have her in the back because she’s such a reliable goalie. I think Hannah Lichtenstien [’13] is also really going to come through this year. It’ll be her second season with us, and she will have some experience coming behind her.”
How do you feel about going to Duke next year?
Duhl:
“I’m so excited. I met with the girls, and I love the coach. I’ve always wanted to go to Duke. When I was seven, if you would have asked me where I wanted to go, I would have said Duke. I couldn’t have told you why, but now I love that it’s small. I love the feeling, I love the school spirit, and I get to play [for] the most competitive girls’ soccer team in the entire country. That has always been my goal.”