November 2010 Chronicle

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THE big one

Are we prepared for catastrophe if Southern California’s San Andreas Fault shifts during a school day?

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UP IN SMOKE Proposition 19, the initiative to legalize marijuana for adults, raised questions about the effects of marijuana use. Students continue to obtain medical marijuana cards, and some come to class high.

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the

hronicle C nov. 10, 2010

Harvard-Westlake School Los Angeles, CA Volume XX Issue IV chronicle.hw.com

Huybrechts approves fan behavior rules By Austin Block

chloe lister/chronicle

we’ve got magic to do: Max Sheldon ’11 as the Leading Player sings with the ensemble in Pippin, the Upper School’s fall musical. The cast and crew put on four shows Nov. 5-7 in Rugby. see A16 for further coverage

Prefect election results not altered by computer glitch, probe finds By Daniel Rothberg Administrators investigated concerns that last year’s Senior Prefect election results were tainted due to the fact that the electronic ballot was briefly inaccessible to students during voting, Head of Upper School Harry Salamandra said. After exploring the issue, administrators reached the conclusion that the results of the election were valid. “After speaking with all three of [the Prefect Council] advisers and getting a better understanding of what the potential issues were, we decided that there had been a fair election, although, indeed, there had been a snafu with the new [software] program,” Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts said. Concerns were initially raised by Jules Bagneris, the father of Mariana ’11, a candidate in the election. Last

INdepth

Dalton incident raises questions about censorship By Jordan Freisleben Administrators at the Dalton School in Manhattan recalled the October issue of the student newspaper because of a “misrepresentation of facts in a poll splashed across the cover that revealed the student body’s level of alcohol consumption,” the New York Times reported on Oct. 26. see censorship, A8

May, in a letter to the administration, which Bagneris gave to The Chronicle, he said that his daughter had tried to vote after she came home from school but could not access the online ballot. Mariana notified Chaplain J. Young, one of the three election coordinators. Young said that Mariana was unable to access the ballot because the England-based website used for the election, KwikSurveys, operates on a different time zone. As a result of the difference in time zones, voting was unintentionally programmed to end early. “I had made an error with the stop and start time,” Young said. Young said that he fixed the mistake and estimates roughly 10 minutes elapsed between the time voting stopped and started up again. see election probe, A9

Big Sunday founder to speak Nov. 19 By Rebecca Nussbaum The founder of the largest regional community service event in the country will speak at an assembly on Nov. 19. David Levinson of Big Sunday will give a speech concluding Community Council week, which includes a community service fair, Christmas ornament decorating and bake sales. In the past years, Community Council has sponsored a Big Sunday event which many students have attended, head of Community Council Patrick Edwards ’11 said. Last May, they helped beautify an elementary school, and Edwards expects that they will sponsor a similar project this year. Edwards worked with Levinson during past Big Sunday projects,

and he wanted Levinson to speak during Community Council week. “I knew that he would be a good speaker because he coordinates much of the community service in L.A.,” he David Levinson said. Community Council member Ryan Lash ’12 called Levinson and asked him speak at the assembly. related coverage

Community Council hosts service week Nov. 15-22. A community service fair will take place during activities period Monday, Nov. 15. A3

Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts has approved the Fan Behavior and Sportsmanship Review Committee’s proposal to improve fan behavior after the Faculty Advisory Council endorsed the document at its nathanson ’s/chronicle Oct. 26 meeting. The proposal Jeanne Huybrechts has five recommendations, the first of which is to “establish and communicate expectations for student behavior and sportsmanship.” Huybrechts said she plans to fulfill this recommendation by sending a letter to parents and students communicating the school’s fan behavior expectations. “The other four [proposals] will be phased in with time, but sooner rather than later,” Huybrechts said. The letter should also at least partially cover the second recommendation, which advised informing parents about these expectations and making it clear to them that fan behavior standards for both parents and students exceed those at professional sports games. “To some extent or another, all groups involved recognized a need to structure the Fanatics Club so we can both continue the positive work they do by cheering for our teams and to corral their indiscretions,” the third suggestion said. “This priority is potentially the most difficult obstacle to tackle without a carefully orchestrated plan. Students will inevitably resist didactic restrictions or regulations so it is essential for all ‘structuring’ efforts to include a discussion with members of the Fanatics.” “We are not really actually changing anything because there have been expectations for fan behavior for a long time, but we are just more cognizant of our shortcomings and willing to step forward when we see something wrong,” Huybrechts said. “The fans are usually fabulous… see fan behavior, A6

INSIDE a new blend: The Prefect Council opened a permanent smoothie bar in the sandwich bar area last week, serving up concoctions with movie theme names.

A7 high note: Set Theory, a student jazz group, played in Pacific Palisades on Halloween for friends and family.

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The Chronicle Wednesday, Nov. 10 2010 Volume XX Issue IV

arielle maxner/chronicle

smells like school spirit: Danilo Dragovic ’11 competes in the dunk contest at the Fanatic Fest assembly on Oct. 22 during Spirit Week. Josh Hearlihy ’12,

news A4

UCLA professor David Jewitt spoke on Nov. 1 about t a meteor’s impact when it hits the Earth.

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Harvard-Westlake Habit for Humanity was named the top Youth United chapter at the American Dream 5K walk.

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The business office prepares its preliminary budget to present at the next Board of Trustees meeting.

David Burton ’11 and Zena Edosomwan ’12 also particpiated in the contest. The assembly also featured a sumo wrestling match and a cheerleading performance.

beat By Matthew Lee

Photo printed with permission of jason mohr

features+a&e B5 B9

sports

Chloe lister/chronicle

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Listening to loud music with headphones can lead to permanent hearing loss.

The new Senior Art show opened last Monday in the Feldman-Horn art gallery.

Street racing all around Los Angeles gives two students an adrenaline rush.

C3 C4-5 Daniel Kim/Chronicle

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Varsity water polo is one of the five Wolverine teams competing in CIF playoffs.

Concussions and ACL injuries sideline many athletes. Winter previews for the six varsity winter sports teams.

Walking around the quad, one is likely to hear Ethan Mark ’11 playing his harmonica. Mark’s public performances around campus have attracted mixed responses. “Some people have threatened physical violence against me, while others have offered me their bodies, especially girls who love a harmonica-playing man,” Mark said. Mark first started playing the harmonica when his friend Natalie Margolin ’12 gave him a harmonica for his birthday. He said that he got hooked on playing it immediately after he played his first note because he felt like Finn, a character from his favorite television show, “Adventure Time with Finn and Jake.” “In the show, Finn and Jake travel through this fantasy world saving people and just adventuring. Playing the harmonica allows me to fight off the evil vibrations floating in this world with my own positive energy,” Mark said. Mark said that Marceline the Vampire Queen, another character from “Adventure Time with Finn and Jake,” inspires him to play the blues. “The blues is all about being sad and longing for someone or something, and I’m sad that I’ll never be able to date Marceline the Vampire Queen because she’s not a real person,” Mark said. Serenading (or irritating) people around him by playing beautiful melodies became second nature to Mark and eventually the harmonica joined his phone and wallet as objects always to be found in his pocket. “The first time I played harmonica at school was when I was wandering around and remembered that it was in my pocket,” Mark said. “The people around me got annoyed and started calling me names. Then I asked them, ‘Would you beat up Bob Dylan or Stevie Wonder and insult them?’” Mark’s constant playing around campus has earned him the title “that kid that plays harmonica all the time.” Friends of Mark have found his harmonica playing useful because it allows them to find him with ease in the crowded quad. “When I need to talk to Ethan, all I need to do to find him is listen for the sound of a harmonica,” Alice Newman ’11 said. Some songs Mark enjoys playing are “Devil Town” by Daniel Johnston, “I Thought You Were My Boyfriend” by the Magnetic Fields and “Doin’ It Right” by Warm Brew.


Nov. 10, 2010

The

Siemens names Ko semifinalist for gene study

B - Bucknell

By Joyce Kim

C - Carnegie Mellon

Julie Ko ’12, along with teammate Ritika Dutta of Troy High School, was named a semifinalist in the 2010 Siemens Competition in Mathematics, Science, and Technology, a high school competition administered by the College Board and funded nathanson ’s/chronicle by the Siemens Foundation. Julie Ko ’12 Individuals or teams of two or three members conducted research and submitted papers based on their findings. A total of 1,372 papers on a variety of different topics including mathematics, engineering and biological and physical sciences were submitted and of those, 312 were named semifinalists, and 94 were named regional finalists. While attending the University of California, Los Angeles Undergraduate Research Consortium in Functional Genomics program during the summer, Ko was asked to join Dutta in submitting a report to the competition. “I figured it was a good opportunity, so I did,” Ko said. Because Ko and Dutta had learned about the basics of fly genetics during their studies at UCLA, they decided to conduct their own research on Drosophila melanogaster, also known as the fruit fly. Pinpointing the location and time of gene expression, and identifying the functions of genes during brain development became the focus of the 18-page research paper Ko and Dutta submitted to the competition.. In their executive summary, they wrote, “Because many human genes are conserved in the Drosophila genome, information about the functionality of certain developmental genes in Drosophila can shed light on how these genes act within the human genome.” “We weren’t really expecting much out of our paper since we didn’t know how well it compared to other entries, so we were pretty surprised when we made semifinalists,” Ko said. “Dr. John Olson, our mentor at UCLA, and Yanni Vourgorakis ’90, upper school science teacher, helped a lot by looking over the report and giving some really helpful feedback.” Each submission was evaluated based on creativity, field knowledge, comprehensiveness, interpretation, literature review, scientific importance, future work, clarity of expression, presentation and additionally for team projects and clear use of teamwork. The format of the paper required for submission was similar to those found in published papers. Although only regional finalists are considered in the next round of the competition, semifinalists were awarded with myriad prizes, such as a certificate and an Apple TV.Next summer Ko plans to look for an internship at a laboratory or attend summer programs. Next summer Ko plans to look for an internship at a laboratory, or attend a summer programs. “If I do more research, I’ll probably enter the competition again,” she said. More information about the Siemens Competition can be found at www.siemens-foundation.org and www.facebook.com/SiemensFoundation.

D - Case Western Reserve

College Tours

The Community Service Fair will take place during Monday’s break. Usually, it is earlier in the year, but this year Community Council incorporated it into its weeklong festivities, Community Council head Patrick Edwards ’11 said. Community Council and on-campus community service clubs will advertise their upcoming projects at the fair, Community Council member Marissa Lepor ’12 said. The Council will have card decorating stations in the lounge on Tuesday to send to soldiers overseas, Community Council member Ryan Lash ’12 said. Students will be able to make ornaments outside of the cafeteria on Wednesday and Thursday, and in December they will use the ornaments to decorate Christmas trees with children who live below the poverty line at the Camp Harmony holiday party.

The 2011 school-sponsored college tour will visit schools in the South and the Midwest, as opposed to last year’s tours, which visited the Northeast and the Midwest. It will start on March 28 and will end on April 2.

Bison Tour

Spider Tour

A - Haverford, UPenn and Villanova

1 - Haverford, UPenn and Villanova

E - Denison and Kenyon

F

H

D

G

C

B

I

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F - Michigan G - Notre Dame

2

3

8

7

A 1

E

4 5

2 - American, Georgetown and George Washington 3 - Richmond and UVA 4 - William & Mary 5 - Duke and Elon 6 - Davidson 7 - Emory

H - Northwestern and UChicago

8 - Vanderbilt

I - Wash U—St. Louis

source: Upper school deans’ office Graphic by Eli Haims and Saj Sri-Kumar

Deans end spring break college tour to Northeast, add tour to South By Saj Sri-Kumar The school will not be running a college tour for juniors to the northeastern states this spring break. Upper School Dean Jon Wimbish said that the school elected to run a tour through the Midwest, nicknamed the Bison Tour, and one through the South, nicknamed the Spider Tour, instead of one tour to the Northeast and one tour to the Midwest. Wimbish said that the school decided to discontinue the tour for a few reasons. First, he said that the decision was partly based on the deans’ philosophy on finding appropriate schools for students. The deans believe that students should first start with attributes of a school they may like, such as size, location, etc., and then find colleges or universities that have a lot of those characteristics, rather than looking at particular schools initially. Wimbish said that he felt that students could get an accurate representation of the wide variety of schools on either tour. Second, Wimbish said that in past years the chaperones of the Northeast college tour had received comments from students that said that they would prefer to see colleges where they were more likely to get in, since many of the schools in the Northeast are highly selective schools. Third, Wimbish said that the school was aiming to create a tour that was not as easy for families to replicate. He said that tours of the Northeast were easier for students and their parents to go on their own and he felt that the tour itineraries they had compiled would have cost two to three times as much for families if they had gone on their own. Wimbish said that they had decided to cancel the Northeast tour even though it was the most popular tour and often had a waiting list. He said that schools in the Northeast “sell well” and were able to attract a lot of interest from students

Community Council organizes community service week, events By Rebecca Nussbaum

News A3

Chronicle

A canned food drive started on Monday and will continue until Nov. 19. The food will be donated to Westside Food Bank. Community Council will give a pizza party to the dean group that collects the most cans. The Council hopes to use the publicity of the week to encourage students to complete their community service requirement early in the year, Lepor said. Community Council advertised on their facebook page that they will give complimentary ice cream sodas on Nov. 22 to students who have completed their service requirements. While Lash said that the Council “wants people to want to get involved,” they understand that some students will need motivation, and they are hoping that the ice cream sodas provide enough incentive to get students to perform their community service in the early part of the school year.

but that distracted from the deans’ philosophy of finding what types of schools a student would like to go to before matching them to a particular college or university. Upper School Dean Beth Slattery said that the deans have not received many complaints from families since they released the new tour itineraries. “I think there were only one or two parents that even questioned not having a Northeast tour, and once they heard the rationale, they were fine,” she said. Both tours this year will start in Philadelphia. The Bison Tour will tour Bucknell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Chicago, Denison University, Haverford College, Kenyon College, the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University and Washington University. The Spider Tour will visit American University, the College of William and Mary, Davidson College, Duke University, Elon University, Emory University, Haverford College, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Haverford College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Richmond, Vanderbilt University, Villanova University and the University of Virginia. During the tour, students will be able to meet with Harvard-Westlake alumni who attend the schools. At some schools, students will be able to talk with their admission department’s Southern California representative who reads applications from HarvardWestlake students. The tours, which carry a fee of $2,300, are open to all juniors. After the application deadline, the deans will conduct a lottery of the students who have submitted their applications to select the students that will fill the 30 spots on each trip.

Community Council Week Community Council is hosting a community service week with many events to help students fulfill their yearly requirements.

Monday, Nov. 15 Community service week commences at break

Tuesday, Nov. 16 Students will decorate cards for soldiers overseas

Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 17-18 Students will make ornaments to decorate trees with underprivileged kids in Camp Harmony

Friday, Nov. 19 Founder of Big Sunday David Levinson speaks at a mandatory assembly of the Student body Source: Ryan Lash ’12 graphic by David Lim, keane muraoka-Robertson, and Michael Sugerman


A4 News

Nov. 10, 2010

The

Chronicle

Professor explains meteor impacts By Emily Khaykin

David Lim/chronicle

striking earth: UCLA astronomy professor David Jewitt answers a question from Jeffrey Sperling ’11 after lecturing in Ahmanson Lecture Hall Nov. 1 about the impacts of falling meteors.

School stops mailing grades By Eli Haims

and

Lara Sokoloff

Report cards will only be available on line this year for the first time. They were released on Nov. 5 and can be accessed through the parents’ portal of hw.com. At the beginning of last year, the administration decided that report cards would be available online in addition to being mailed for the 2009-2010 school year, and the paper copies would be phased out for 2010-2011, Assistant to the Head of Upper School Michelle Bracken said. In a letter sent with the final report cards of last year, parents were notified of the change and given the chance to opt out and have them mailed. Parents were recently reminded of the change through a letter from Head of the Upper School Harry Salamandra, which explained when grades, comments for grades of C and below, and sophomore comments would be available. Head of the Middle School Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau sent out a letter to all Middle School parents right before the Halloween Dance informing them about the dance, and about the new online grade system, Assistant to the Head of the Middle School Melissa Zimmerman said. Middle school parents were also reminded at the end of last year that grades would only be posted online this year. A few years ago, the administration decid-

ed to use the Harvard-Westlake website and e-mail as much as possible to save printing and postage costs, in addition to being more environmentally friendly. Using hw.com is also a more timely way for parents to view report cards and comments, as they do not have to wait for the mail delay, Bracken and Zimmerman said. “Parents seem to especially like the end of the year grades online because they can access them from anywhere in the world,” Zimmerman said. Furthermore, if parents need to print out an extra copy of their child’s report card, they are easily accessible online, Upper School Dean Jon Wimbish said. A drawback of the online system is that grades are only available through the parents’ portal, as opposed to both the students’ and parents’ portal, Wimbish said. As of now, the administration has not received any complaints regarding the change, Bracken said. Because the Business Office’s contracts have been online for the past few years, parents without internet access have found alternative ways to access hw.com, either through the library or through a friend’s computer, and can use the same resources to access their child’s grades. “Probably enough people know how to access the internet that we shouldn’t really be anticipating any major problems,” Wimbish said.

Like that of an earthquake, the shock wave that a falling meteor creates can be far more dangerous than the actual impact, leveling cities and whole forests of trees. UCLA astronomy professor David Jewitt discussed the impact, both literally and causally, of meteors on the Earth in his lecture “Death from Space: Impacts, Extinctions, and General Devastation” during break on Nov. 1 in Ahmanson Lecture Hall. Craters, formed by meteors, are identified by the types of minerals that are found inside them, most of which can only be formed in a high temperature and high impact setting. Jewitt compared the amount of craters found on the moon with the amount of craters found on Earth. “Because the surface of the Earth is relatively young and subject to erosion from the atmosphere, it shows less damage from craters than the moon,” Jewitt said. An actual meteor, Jewitt said, is much smaller than its crater would suggest. The kinetic energy from the impact blows out a greater volume of material, which creates the large hole that forms in the ground. Examples of particularly high impact meteors that fell to the Earth’s surface have created Meteor Crater in Arizona and flattened surrounding forests in Tunguska, Siberia. The meteor that created Meteor Crater was about 50 million years old when it fell to Earth nearly 50,000 years ago at 150 million miles per hour. The Tunguska Event happened more recently in 1908. “Although the meteor exploded before contact [with the Earth’s surface], the impact from the explosion still managed to flatten over 2,000 square miles of pine forest,” Jewitt said. Jewitt described the three major types of impacts that could occur from a meteor. Local destruction is caused by the most common type of meteor, less than 100 meters in diameter. But the most deadly meteors are about one kilometer or more in diameter and can cause mass extinctions, much like the one that ended the Cretaceous Period. “The event of a major impact is very rare, but it could influence the Earth’s climate and evolutionary cycle,” Jewitt said.

Getting your report card Grades are not being mailed this year. Instead, they will only be available online.

1 2 3

Login at www.hw.com/parents Click “Student Medical Forms, Reports, & Grades” in the sidebar

Find “Report and Grades...” and click “View PDF” next to “Report Cards”

SOURCE: www.hw.com Graphic by Wendy Chen and Michael Sugerman

Cross country teams honor Notre Dame runner By Catherine Wang The Wolverine boys’ and girls’ cross country teams donned blue and gold ribbons during Mission League Championships Nov. 3 to honor the memory of 16-year-old Notre Dame High School cross country runner Conor Lynch. A sport-utility vehicle struck and killed Lynch when he ran across Woodman Avenue between Riverside Drive and Addison Street during cross-country practice Oct. 19. Blue and gold are Notre Dame’s school colors. The teams wore the colored ribbons in every race since Lynch’s death. The female runners wore the ribbons in their hair, while the male runners

pinned the ribbons to their shirts. “We collectively came up with that idea,” team captain David Abergel ’11 said. Abergel did not know Lynch personally, but he knew the Notre Dame team “really well.” During the Oct. 22 Mount San Antonio College Cross Country Invitational, which is one of the nation’s largest high school cross country meets and took place three days after Lynch’s death, there was a moment of silence before races in remembrance of Lynch. “Mt. Sac is one of the most important cross country meets, so it was a huge deal that we honored him there,” runner Judd Liebman ’12 said. During cross country Mission League Championships Nov. 3, there was a

moment of silence followed by a prayer for Lynch before races began. During races, every runner wore a black wristband with Lynch’s name. The Mission League provided the wristbands. Lynch’s mother, Jeri, came to the meet’s awards ceremony to thank the teams for the support her family received since her son’s death. “She told us she was really proud of us,” runner Caitlin Yee ’13 said. “She reminded us to work as hard as we can every day and to run every race like it is our last.” Abergel described the ceremony as “moving” and “very sad.” Many Harvard-Westlake runners wrote letters to the Notre Dame team to express their condolences in recent

weeks, Liebman said. After Lynch’s death, cross country coaches have emphasized to the team to be conscious and alert while running. “They make us run together in groups and look out for each other,” Yee said. “We all have to pay attention and not space out, it’s made us realize how vigilant we have to be against traffic, especially when entering driveways and crossing streets.” Lynch’s death has affected the way the cross country team trains, Abergel said. “What happened to [Lynch] has definitely affected how serious we take running in the streets,” Abergel said.


Nov. 10, 2010

News A5

The

Chronicle

Faculty remember late teacher By Austin Block

Printed with permission of Jason Mohr

Helping hand: Maddy Baxter ’12, Alejandra Reynoso ’12 and Cami de Ry ’12 (from left) frame a house at the second annual American Dream 5K Walk, where the Habitat for Humanity club was named the top chapter.

Habitat places as top chapter By Jessica Barzilay

Westlake volunteers set a world record by participating in the largest onsite ground-breaking in history. Habitat for Humanity program Youth United For Mohr and the executive board, being recognized awarded the Harvard-Westlake chapter first place for for their first full year’s work is evidence of their deditop Youth United Chapter Oct. 16 at the second annual cation to the cause and the importance of their work. American Dream 5K Walk. A group of 21 was present “There is something special about Habitat that to accept the honor, which was given to the chapter makes students come back again and again,” Mohr for being the highest fund-raiser and for its onsite in- said. volvement and on-campus program. Throughout the year, the Habitat chapter holds The Harvard-Westevents ranging from lake chapter beat out onsite construction we are very honored competitors including days to communityUniversity of California building activities and humbled to Los Angeles and Caliwith the residents of accept the award.” fornia State University, Habitat houses. Northridge, for award On Oct. 30, 10 given to the most dedistudents volunteered —Jason Mohr ’11 cated high school and at the Habitat for university campus chapHumanity village in nathanson ’s/chronicle ter. Pacoima for their Mohr, the president second annual Halof the chapter’s executive board, and the other repre- loween celebration, consisting of costumes, pumpkin sentatives of the school marched along with hundreds carving and other arts and crafts. of others, supporting the cause in the name of high The chapter has several events planned designed to schools, colleges, businesses, district offices and televi- foster a sense of community between the Habitat hosion shows. meowners and the construction volunteers. Students “We are very honored and humbled to accept the can build onsite, tutor adults in language and help award,” Jason Mohr ’11 said. “There is not a more wor- children with homework on Nov. 13. thy cause.” “Harvard-Westlake students really learn what it’s “It was one of the most meaningful days I have spent like to seriously work when volunteering with the in high school,” Jordan Gavens ’12 said of her day spent Harvard-Westlake Habitat for Humanity campus with the Habitat homeowners and families. chapter,” math teacher Catherine Campbell said after Last year, when the chapter was formed, Harvard- walking the American Dreak 5K.

In the final years before the Harvard-Westlake merger, math teacher and volleyball coach Dale Maeder brightened the Westlake campus with his wit, his musical talent and his ability to connect with students, Athletic Directors Terry Elledge and Darlene Bible said. Director of Publications Terry Baris, who played Sunday beach volleyball with Maeder for over 13 years, remembered him as “smart, funny and generous.” According to his obituary in the Los Angeles Times, Maeder, 55, died after having a coronary arrest on Oct. 23. Maeder taught at Immaculate Heart and at Westlake. He then taught at Harvard-Westlake for two years, leaving in 1993. He most recently worked at UCLA vox ’92 teaching test preparation and Dale Maeder math. Outside of school, Elledge said Maeder loved spending time in Catalina. Elledge recalled his active participation in Westlake events. “He coached volleyball but he also was very much involved in kids activities there [at Westlake], assemblies,” Elledge said. “He would dress up in a Westlake uniform and with his guitar… he used to make up songs on the spot.” “One time he did this amazing thing with all the odd last names of kids,” Bible said. “[He] put all these things together [into a song] and it was so witty.” Baris said the light-hearted atmosphere Maeder created at Sunday morning beach volleyball games motivated her to attend every week. “One of the reasons that I always find the motivation to go is I know that there’s going to be this big grin on my face from ear to ear [from] the banter that Dale really was the leader of,” she said. “I like the way he connected to his students,” Elledge said. “He had a way of making it a learning situation but still being somebody that the kids liked. They loved his musical talent and his wit, and it was very impressive.” His family described him as a man with “a heart of compassion and a knack for making each person he met feel listened to and cared for.”

Deans answer parents’ college questions at coffees By Jordan Freisleben The upper school deans are offering Parent Coffees for the first time for parents of sophomores, juniors and seniors to voice any questions or concerns. The sophomore parent coffees are being held today at 10 a.m. and tonight at 7 p.m. “We work with both students and parents,” Upper School Dean Jim Patterson said. “Obviously we work with students very directly every single day, but I think this is a way for us to extend our program to the parents and help them if there are questions or issues that they want to talk about, to help them address those particular issues as the year progresses.” Patterson said that the coffees allow parents to be more in tune with what goes on at the Upper School. “It’s safe to say that because we’re all on the same campus with 850 students almost every day of the year, it’s very easy for us

to work with the students to see what’s going on with the students and less so with the parents,” he said. “This is a way for us to help with that.” Upper School Deans Beth Slattery, Canh Oxelson, Sharon Cuseo and Jon Wimbish answered the questions of more than 50 parents nathanson ’s/chronicle of seniors on Jim Patterson Oct. 20 in the Chalmers lounge. The deans offered a morning coffee from 10-11:30 a.m. and an evening session from 7-8:30 p.m. The junior parent coffee will be offered on Dec. 8. The deans said they are not sure if the Parent Coffees will be offered in upcoming years. “I think what we are going to try to do this year is see what kind of issues or questions come up and

if they’re well attended,” Patterson said. “We’ll gauge at the end of the year if having these seem to be helpful. Sometimes the purpose of something is to have a time where you can meet and talk about issues and that may turn out to be the only purpose of the coffees.” Patterson said that the senior parent coffee primarily dealt with questions regarding the college application process. “We certainly anticipated that there would be a lot of questions about the college process, but we purposely left the agenda pretty open to see what the parents really wanted to talk about,” he said. “If you’re going to bet that 12th grade parents aren’t going to talk about college in October, that’s going to be a bet you’re going to lose.” Patterson said that he thinks the first coffee was successful. “Even a small change like this I think has helped parents continue to stay in better touch with what’s been going on with the students,” he said.

Rebecca Nussbaum/chronicle

fenced in: Campus security is installing a 1,450 foot long fence to further protect the school. It should be completed by the end of the week.

School constructs fence around areas of campus By Meagan Wang A 1,450 feet long and eight feet high fence is being built around the school to increase the safety. “The safety of students and staff prompted the project,” Head of Security Jim Crawford said. Construction of the fence is nearly finished, and should be completed by the end of the week. Some fences have already been built around the school, including a fence near the field that runs to the faculty rear parking lot, a fence surrounding the southern part of campus and a fence enclosing the business and president’s offices. The building of the fence is subcontracted to a private vendor. “The fence is an extra measure we are taking to protect our school from outside elements.” Crawford said.


A6 News

inbrief Latin students to attend regional JCL convention The Junior Classical League team, including 24 middle and upper school students, will be attending the Southern California Regional Amici Ma at University High School on Nov. 20. SCRAM is a regional convention in which Latin students participate in various Latin-oriented competitions and activities. Events consist of academic tests, Latin oratories, dramatic interpretations and gladiator battles, upper school Latin teacher Derek Wilairat said. —Susan Wang

UCLA to host blood drive at Upper School The Blood Drive Committee will host the UCLA Blood Drive this Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Sixteen-year-old students can only donate with parental permission, but older students can donate without any restrictions. Blood Drive Committee CoChair Austin Lewis ’11 said it will take about 45 minutes for students to donate. “It’s truly a great cause and it feels good knowing that you’re helping out the greater community right in the middle of the school day,” Lewis said. “Just one donation can save up to three lives, so we can really make a difference.” —Austin Block

The

Chronicle

Thieves target cones set up as safety zone By Rebecca Nussbaum Orange traffic cones set out on Coldwater Canyon to create a walkway to Halkirk St. were stolen in the early hours Tuesday, but Security Officer Sanders Jackson planned to replace them. Jackson set up the cones for Homecoming on Oct. 23, and after receiving positive feedback from parents, he decided to keep the cones. He calls the path an extension of the “cone zone,” a walkway in the north entrance he previously made. Notre Dame High School student Conor Lynch was killed in a hit-and-run accident on Oct. 19 while jogging near his school. Jackson said the student’s death motivated him to make the Harvard-Westlake area as safe as possible for pedestrians. Additionally, a Harvard-Westlake student was nearly hit by a car last month while walking around the corner from Halkirk St. to Coldwater Canyon. The cones will prevent a car from taking the turn too tightly and give students who are dropped off on Halkirk St. room to safely walk to school, Jackson said. They will also inhibit cars from parking on the east side of Coldwater Canyon. In the past, this has been problematic because parked cars forced students to walk into traffic. Students walk to Ventura Blvd. after school, especially on Mondays before Peer Support. Jackson said he had their safety in mind when creating the path. The walkway is also helpful to the cross country team when they run off campus, since it gives them room to safely turn onto Coldwater Canyon, Jackson said.

David Lim/chronicle

safety first: Sophomores return to campus on the cone path Monday afternoon. The cones were stolen during the night.

SAAC initiates fan behavior discussion from Fan behavior, A1

Alum appears twice in game show “Jeopardy!” After a nearly two-year application process, middle school math teacher Karen Stern’s son Ari ’98 won a game of “Jeopardy!” before losing his second game. Stern’s Jeopardy!” appearances aired on Oct. 22 and Oct. 25. “I feel really lucky to have had the chance to appear on the show,” he said. He was disappointed by his loss in the next game but was thankful to have won once. “It would have been nice to be the next Ken Jennings, but then again, everyone who goes on ‘Jeopardy!’ loses eventually.” —Catherine Wang

3rd Coffee House event to take place on Nov. 22 The next Coffee House will be on Nov. 22 before Peer Support. The event is organized by prefects Chris Holthouse ’11, Brooke Levin ’12, and Sam Wolk ’13. Levin and Holthouse inaugurated the Coffee House last year to create a casual after school talent show where anyone could perform. After the successful first event, the Coffee House became a tradition. —Leslie Dinkin and Gabrielle Franchina

Seniors to vote on design for 2011 class sweatshirt Seniors will be able to vote on a class sweatshirt. Senior Prefect Christine Kanoff ’11 is organizing the vote and has been receiving submissions for sweatshirt ideas. The deadline for submissions was recently extended to today because seniors did not have enough time to create new designs while they were completing college applications. Eight designs of various themes have been submitted so far but Kanoff hopes to receive around 15. —Camille Shooshani

Nov. 10, 2010

Lara sokoloff/chronicle

Take two: When the Upper School field was installed 10 years ago, the HW emblem was incorrectly laid facing parallel to the stands.

Ted Slavin Field to be replaced due to routine wear and tear By Lara Sokoloff Ted Slavin Field will be replaced next summer after nine years of athletes’ cleats and sticks wearing down the turf, Director of Campus Operations and Construction Jim De Matte said. The fields on both campuses are composed of FieldTurf, a plastic turf product. Laying turf is like laying a carpet, De Matte said. After five to 10 years, the field wears out, gets dirty and needs to be replaced, he said. “If you look at our field from the stands, it looks black down the middle,” De Matte said. “What happens over time with cleats from all the different sports and field hockey sticks is they literally rip the plastic and deteriorate it.” The school was aware of the necessary maintenance when the field was installed nine years ago, and it has set aside money every year for years to pay for the replacement, DeMatte said. “It’s just time for its normal maintenance,” he said. “It’s due for a change.” Minimal changes will be made to the overall design of the field. The most noticeable change will be the placement of the “HW” emblem. On the current field, the emblem does not face the stands, which caused much controversy

when the field was initially laid, DeMatte said. However, on the new field, the emblem will face the stands, as was originally intended. In addition, the shotput area will be two-toned, light gray and a light tan, to give the appearance of sand and dirt. Because field technology improves yearly, the new field will have a slightly different feel than the current field. The new field will feel more similar to the current middle school field, which was built seven years after the upper school field. The track, which is also nine years old, will be cleaned and repainted, but will not be ripped out, he said. FieldTurf, the company that lays the turf, is a leader in environmentally aware field equipment, DeMatte said. When the turf is removed, the old grass is shredded and recycled to reuse for future fields, saving the school $80,000 in dump fees, he said. The old field will be ripped out June 13, and the installation will take around five weeks, DeMatte said, causing summer practice schedules to be altered for many teams. Director of Athletics Darlene Bible and Head of Athletics Audrius Barzdukas are working to move teams to Valley College, and sports camps are looking to modify their programs.

I’ve seen a lot of competitions, they are usually fabulous, every once in a while someone gets a little worked up and something goes awry and, the next thing you know, we’re being sanctioned.” The fourth and fifth points recommend “in-depth student discussions of appropriate behavior” and increased “recognition of exemplary fan behavior and/ or sportsmanship.” “Using their ‘Honor Code Seminars’ with individual dean’s groups as a model, the prefects believe they can help the Student Athlete Advisory Committee create a similar program that explains the whys and wherefores of appropriate fan behavior,” the proposal said. SAAC has already gone to work on this recommendation. The student group plans to make a video about fan behavior and sportsmanship with interviews with various faculty members and student athletes. They intend to finish the video in a week or two and play it at grade-wide class meetings. They also hope to visit small class meetings to further discuss acceptable fan behavior in the next few weeks. After an initial meeting between the Head Fanatics and the Sports Council, which both Fan Behavior and Sportsmanship Review Committee Chair Dietrich Schuhl and Head Fanatic Brian Harwitt ’11 agreed wasn’t as productive as they hoped, two Head Fanatics met with SAAC on Nov. 1. In this meeting, Harwitt said the two student groups worked together to develop a set of guidelines for fan behavior that they felt were reasonable. “It went really well,” Harwitt said. “The Fanatics and SAAC were all on the same page.” SAAC then took this agreement and made a presentation to the Sports Council last Thursday. SAAC typed up a document outlining its point of view, the conclusions SAAC and the Fanatics came to in their meeting and the opinions of other students , athletes and non-athletes. “The Student Athlete Advisory Council recognizes that there needs to be a change in fan behavior at Harvard-Westlake,” the document said. “As representatives of the student-athlete community at Harvard-Westlake, we must be receptive to and supportive of the community’s point of view. We believe that negative, personal attacks at specific players, coaches, referees or another school are completely unacceptable. We also believe that the majority of our cheers should focus on supporting our team and cheering on our accomplishments. However, some cheers against the other team can contribute to the competitive atmosphere as long as the intent is positive and the timing is appropriate.” The Sports Council opposes negative cheering of any sort. Though the Fanatics and SAAC are opposed to personal attacks, SAAC member Tiana Woolridge ’11 and Harwitt said they believe that generic, impersonal chants like “pressure” and “airball” are acceptable and contribute to the exciting atmosphere of athletic events.


Nov. 10, 2010

The

Chronicle

H-Dub Smoothie Hub opens in quad By Saj Sri-Kumar

maddy baxter/chronicle

fresh blend: Junior Prefect Brooke Levin ’12 hands out a smoothie last Friday in the cafeteria. The names of the three flavors are currently movie-themed, but will change periodically.

A smoothie bar opened in the quad on Friday to a long line of students, but it received mixed reviews. The smoothie bar, named the H-Dub Smoothie Hub, sells three flavors of smoothies: tropical, strawberry-banana, and berry. Each costs $2.45; however, the first 100 smoothies ordered on Friday were complimentary as a promotion by Prefect Council. Before it opened on Friday morning, the smoothie bar attracted a long line of students hoping to get a free smoothie. Students counted down the time until the bar opened at 10 a.m. During the opening, the bar was slowed when some of the blenders overheated. After tasting the smoothies, student reactions were mixed. “The smoothies were good, and I love having another option in the cafeteria,” Halle Levitt ’12 said. However, some students said the smoothies lacked flavor. “They all tasted like water banana,” Byron Lazaroff-Puck ’13 said. The bar will be displaying various themes throughout the year. Currently, the bar has a movie-themed atmosphere, and as part of the theme, the flavors have received nicknames: “Tropical Thunder” after the movie “Tropic Thunder,” “Banana Royale,” an allusion to the James Bond movie “Casino Royale” and “Berry Potter,” in reference to the Harry Potter series. The bar was the product of a cooperative effort of the cafeteria staff and the Prefect Council.

Business office finishes budget, awaits board of trustees approval

inbrief

Kid Flicks co-founder named Woman of Worth

Berni Barta ’10, co-creator of Kid Flicks, was honored as one of 10 Women of Worth by L’Oreal Paris. Kid Flicks, which was founded in 2002 by the four Barta sisters (Alexis ’03, Romi ’06, Marni ’09 and Berni) is a non-profit organization which donates DVDs to children’s hospitals and pediatric departments. Barta has been awarded $5,000 and is eligable for an additional $25,000 through a public vote at http://www.womenofworth.com/ honorees/Honorees_2010.aspx —Vivien Mao

Mock Trial competes at LA Superior Courthouse Mock Trial competed at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse Nov. 1 for the first round of a single elimination tournament. For the last three years, Mock Trial has run an A Team and a B Team due to the large number of participants. With 32 students at the tournament, Team A competed against Milliken’s B Team, and Team B competed against Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. “The A Team looked really really powerful,” Mock Trial Advisor David Hinden said. —Cami de Ry

School hosts annual Model UN conference

By Rebecca Nussbaum The Business Office is finishing the preliminary 2011-2012 budget that will be approved by the Board of Trustees at its Dec. 6 meeting, Chief Financial Officer Rob Levin said. The most substantial components of the budget are tuition and salaries. The decisions need to be set early in the year because faculty members are informed of salary raises during spring break, and students begin to re-enroll and are admitted in February and March, Levin said. “We can’t tell [students] ‘Look, we’ll give you the price later. Trust us,’” Levin said. “We have to have our price set.” The Business Office will present its suggestions to the 16 members of the Finance Committee, and it will be up for approval the same afternoon by the full Board of Trustees, Levin said. President Thomas C. Hudnut and Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts will divide the salary budget among faculty and staff members. While the California public school system pays teachers based on seniority, Levin said that Huybrechts bases salaries on teachers’ performances. “You’ve got some teachers who are very good and some who are ‘wow,’” he said. “‘Wow’ should get paid more.” Hudnut and Huybrechts can divide the money as they see fit as long as they stay within the budget approved by the Board of Trustees. In addition to these two practical decisions, the Business Office is strategically planning the financial future of the school to prevent tuition from increasing at the rate that it has in the past, he said. “What is going on is we’re trying to take stock strategically probably on a greater level than we normally do,” he said. The most recent major change in the school’s financial plan was in 2003. Before that, tuition had increased at inflation plus four percent and that year the Business Office began to aim for inflation plus two percent, he said. Since 2003, the endowment has increased and there is more efficiency in the billing and enrollment systems, contributing to a lower tuition. Levin estimates that without these changes, this year’s tuition would be $32,600 instead of $29,200. The office is evaluating the productivity and efficiency of the school’s finances to see if there are any “supertanker issues,” or places where the school needs to totally change its financial plan. However, Levin stressed that any new policies will be slowly and smoothly implemented. “Everything at Harvard-Westlake is steady as she goes. It’s still a long ways away,” he said. “Our tuition is still rising faster than inflation. You know, what’s next? But that’s sort of where we are right now.” The budget will be fine-tuned in the spring when departments can ask for alterations to their budget if they plan on spending more or less than what the Board of Trustees allotted to them.

News A7

printed with permission of geoff bird

comedy in politics: Upper School Dean Mike Bird poses at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear with another attendee. Bird’s husband, Director of Financial Aid Geoff Bird also attended the rally.

2 teachers attend Colbert, Stewart rally in capital By Arielle Maxner Director of Financial Aid Geoff Bird and Upper School Dean Mike Bird attended the Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear at the Washington, D.C. National Mall on Oct. 30. The Rally was actually the merging of two rallies, the Rally to Restore Sanity and the Rally to Keep Fear Alive, that were created separately by Jon Stewart, host of the Daily Show, and Stephen Colbert, host of the eponymous Comedy Central Colbert Report. Its purpose was to use political satire to mock and expose the antics of politicians and the media in a humorous fashion. The Rally’s official website says “Ours is a rally for the people who’ve been too busy to go to rallies, who actually have lives and families and jobs (or are looking for jobs) — not so much the Silent Majority as the Busy Majority. If we had to sum up the political view of our participants in a single sentence… we couldn’t. That’s sort of the point.” “I thought that their message was really good,” Bird said. “I mean, there was a lot of funny stuff, but it was right on target. A lot of what you saw – I mean sure there were lots of outrageous, silly things – but for so

many people I think this whole idea of restoring sanity was important.” Despite Stewart’s claims that the Rally had little to nothing to do with the November elections, the Rally did spark something of a global political happening, for 84 countries had 1,160 minirallies, including a mini-rally in Los Angeles. However, Geoff Bird said he thought that the Rally “probably won’t make a difference, but it was needed. The point needed to be made. It got the attention of a lot of people, but it clearly didn’t touch enough young people to get them to go cast votes.” Bird thinks that the “level of exaggeration and lying that goes on in the political world today…is really harming democracy,” and is glad that there was a “public expression of how much people don’t like the kind of partisan ranting that we are exposed to.” Even though he had not planned on attending the Rally and was only in Washington, D.C. for the College Board meeting, Bird said he felt everyone “was there to make a statement, and that’s why I’m glad I was able to go…it was nice to be there in that environment. All in all, I think they [Stewart and Colbert] did a really good job.”

About 100 students from Harvard-Westlake, Marlborough and Marymount attended HarvardWestlake’s annual Model UN Conference on Oct. 30, club president Bryn Woollacott ’11 said. Three committees discussed international issues including nuclear Iran, instability in Somalia and maternal health. Each committee adopted resolutions to try to solve these issues, Woollacott said. Many Harvard-Westlake students were honored for their performance during the conference, Woollacott said. —Lara Sokoloff

Science class to visit rare animal conservatory Students in Advanced Placement Environmental Science will work with the Community Council Sunday, Nov. 21 to help a conservatory for endangered apes. The Gibbon Conservation Center protects a species of rare apes, the Gibbons, and is the only facility in the world dedicated solely to their well-being. “There have been lots of signups,” Community Council head Catherine Wang ’11 said. “I thought it was a really cool event because it would be APES working with apes.” —Alex Gura

Middle School starts student Charity Council The Charity Council has been formed at the Middle School to help organize community service events and promote giving back to the community. The council, which is sponsered by teachers Colby Plath, Matthew Cutler, Anna Martino and Head of Middle School Ronnie CodringtonCazeau, made its first announcement during a school-wide meeting at the Middle School on Mon, Nov. 8. “We’re trying to make the school community aware of people in need of help,” council representative Teddy Sokoloff ’15 said. —Michael Rothberg


A8 News

Nov. 10, 2010

The

Chronicle

Researcher explains results of student stress fracture study

By Eli Haims Results from a study on stress fracture, for which Harvard-Westlake students served as test subjects from 2003 to 2004, were presented in an assembly on Monday. The results were presented by Michelle Barrack, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles Department of Orthopedic Surgery Division of Sports Medicine, who is one of the nation’s experts on bone density, according to Head of Athletics Audrius Barzdukas. The study focused on factors that affected the frequency of stress fractures, which develop over time due to a repeated action, particularly “bone mineral density, nutri-

tional status and training volume,” according to a slide show shown at the assembly. The study, according to Barrack, found evidence to suggest a correlation between bone density and the frequency of stress fractures. The study found that the bone density of female endurance runners did not, on average, increase from the time the athletes were freshmen to when they were seniors. There is generally a significant increase in density during these years. Barrack stressed that the lack of increase in density is not a direct effect of running, but the data suggests that repetitive motion often seen in runners can increase the probability of a stress fracture.

Student creates iSketch app, donates profit

Dalton censors school paper from Censorship, A1

By Sade Tavangarian At 13-years-old, Cameron Cohen ’16 has already successfully created an iPhone application, and donated most of the proceeds from the application to the University of California, Los Angeles Mattel Children’s Hospital. The seventh grader created the “iSketch” application that allows buyers to create and draw doodles through touch screen finger painting, coloring, and sketching. Cohen earned $20,000 from his application sales within months, but decided to give his proceeds away. “I decided to donate to the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital because during the month of March in fifth grade I had a benign tumor, Cohen said. “I was fortunate enough to have my iPod and iTouch which distracted me through the time, but I realized a lot of kids didn’t have any Apple products to distract them.” Cohen used the $20,000 from application sales to purchase Apple products such as laptops, iPhones, iPod nanos and iTouches for the patients to enjoy during their stays. Cohen’s interest in computer programming sparked last summer when he took a computer programming course at Harvard-Westlake Upper School with Chris Gragg. He also took courses at Ivy Tech on general computer programming and web design. Cohen was always interested in drawing applications during his spare time, although he claims he’s not the best artist. “I looked online and all the good drawing applications ranged between $5-10,” he said. “All the cheap drawing applications were free. I wanted to create an affordable drawing application

Daniel Kim/chronicle

Bone density: Postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Michelle Barrack, presents the results from a 2003 to 2004 stress fracture study to an assembly.

printed with permission of Cameron Cohen

iSketch: The application designed by Cohen provides a cheaper way for people to sketch on their iphones. because I don’t think it’s worth it to spend that much money on it.” iSketch, Cohen’s first iphone programming attempt, took him two to three months to complete. “I was always home because I couldn’t play sports due to my surgery,” Cohen said. “I watched apple video tutorials online, audidated tapes, and watched iPod programming classes from Stanford U Online and worked through their course.” Within three weeks, Apple accepted Cohen’s application and it was an instantaneous success. He created an update for iSketch where users can share their drawings via Facebook and Twitter, but Apple rejected his idea. “I’m mad at Apple for rejecting my application,” he said. “I am now learning how to create a web service like Facebook or Twitter. What I like about programming languages is that no one can approve or reject your ideas like Apple does. It’s a lot more open.”

One week later, the school distributed a reprinted version of the newspaper including the article on alcohol consumption. The chart originally printed on The Daltonian’s front page said that 80 percent of students who responded to a school survey did not drink regularly. However, the survey question had asked whether students drink at all, not regularly. The New York Times story said that the administration worked extensively with the student editors to revise the story to their satisfaction. Dalton spokesman Jim Zulakis said the school did not object to the survey being published but “surveys and other information must be reported accurately.” Harvard-Westlake’s administration does not believe in censorship of The Chronicle and has never exercised prior review or halted distribution, Head of Upper School Harry Salamandra said. “The goal is to help the young adults find their place in the community, and I personally feel that our policy is really the best policy. It goes back to that idea of community of trust,” he said. “We do occasionally get burned, but we trust the students of the editorial board to ultimately end up putting out accurate information,” he said. “Sometimes it is controversial, but it’s done in a way that I think allows the community, students, as well as adults to understand the importance of a particular subject and its relevance to a community.” According to the Student Press Law Center, First Amendment rights do not prevent school censorship at private schools. In the case of private high schools, only a state constitution, statute or school policy could provide private school students with free speech protections. In California, the Education Code gives public school students free speech privileges, and California Education Code Section 48950, known as “Leonard Law,” forbids private schools from punishing students for exercising rights of free speech they would have off-campus under the First Amendment. Administrators at Campbell Hall, a private school in Valley Village, rarely censor the school newspaper, The Piper, but do practice prior review. “They are allowed to censor anything they feel might be inappropriate or offensive,” The Piper editor Alexandra Tashman said. “However, while they may have the power of censorship, they rarely use it. More often than not, if we are planning to print something controversial, they will ask to see it in advance.” Tashman said that the administration typically does not ask for articles to be cut. “Usually, they just like to know about our more controversial material in advance,” she said. “The administration, while they may not always be thrilled we criticize them in the paper, does not usually censor us. All they ask is for accuracy and fairness.” Palisades Charter High School is in the process of implementing a “publications policy” for its newspaper, The

We occasionally do get burned, but we trust the students of the Editorial Board.”

—Harry Salamandra Head of Upper School

Tideline. In a preliminary draft of the new policy, some of the wording implied the possibility of prior review by the administration, said Ben Levine, editorin-chief The Tideline. A publications policy is required in order to operate as an independent charter school in California, Levine said. Roger Boye, director of the National High School Institute at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, said that censorship by school administrations ends up negatively impacting a school’s image rather than helping preserve it. “As a general rule, most cases of censorship on the high school level tend to be an overreaction by school administration and create more negative publicity for the school than the censored article would have caused,” he said. “They also tend to be at schools that don’t have a skilled, professionally educated journalism teacher or at schools where the journalism teacher and students lack rapport and a good working relationship.” Jessica Skoczylas, editor-in-chief of The Record at Horace Mann School in the Bronx, said a clear distinction should be made between a school’s administration and the newspaper staff. “Because we are a private school, the administration can always step in. However, because we have a faculty adviser, it generally does not,” Skoczylas said. “We recommend student newspapers investigate the possibility of establishing a publication code to determine the roles of the students and administration in a school newspaper.” Salamandra said that many controversial articles that have the potential to affect a school’s image are not always read in the broader context. “Articles that are in a student publication could be damaging to a reputation or to the image,” Salamandra said. “If you put on the front page of the school newspaper that 60 percent of students are consuming alcohol or drugs or whatever it happens to be, absolutely, because you’re not comparing it to other schools. Maybe if Dalton looked even around in their immediate area they’d find that other schools are even worse than that.” Salamandra said that while censoring school publications would help avoid controversy, the administration is a proponent for freedom of the press. “Would that make our lives easier?” Salamandra said. “Yeah, sure. Is it the right thing to do? Well, we decided no, that’s not what we want to be right now. I don’t believe personally that it would be the right thing.”


Nov. 10, 2010

News A9

The

Chronicle

Alumna’s film to be screened in Ahmanson By Megan Kawasaki

reprinted with permission of jory goldman

community support: Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts and Marci and Greg Foster (Jackson ’ll and Lucas ’13) speak after being honored for their extensive work in grief counslling at the Our House fundraising event.

Grief center honors parents, Huybrechts in award ceremony By Wendy Chen Our House, a nonsectarian and nonprofit grief support center, honored Harvard-Westlake parents and Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts on Nov. 6. Over 400 people attended the fundraising event in Beverly Hills. A member of the Board of Directors, Jory Goldman (Jonah ’16, Eli ’13, and Jessie ’11), said that in addition to fundraising at the annual gala, the event always honors people who do something special. For 16 years, Our House has provided emotional support to adults and children who have lost loved ones, giving them counseling services to help them learn new strategies for dealing with grief. The agency also provides grief support groups for schools and businesses located in Los Angeles County.

“You’re matched with a group of people who have had similar experiences,” Goldman said. “In that group, you talk about the feelings that come up.” Marci and Greg Foster (Lucas ’13 and Jackson ’11) won the Founder’s Award on behalf of their work for the organization. The couple has supported Our Hourse for over five years. Marci Foster, a member of the Board of Directors, has served as a volunteer group leader and has worked with pre-adolescent children, while Greg Foster has been a benefactor to the agency and has ensured its success. Jeanne Huybrechts won the Good Grief Award for advancing the school’s understanding of grief. In the aftermath of recent student deaths, Huybrechts supported programs to help families, faculty and staff cope with grief.

An alumna-directed documentary about an international youth movement to commemorate the Holocaust and its survivors will be screened in Ahmanson tomorrow. “March of the Living” follows thousands of Jewish teenagers and the last generation of Holocaust survivors as they travel to Poland to revisit notable sites of the Holocaust. The participants hail from Brazil, Germany, Israel and the United States. “The march is an opportunity to stand side by side with a survivor, listening, asking,” Middle School Chaplain Emily Feigenson said. “In just a few years, all survivors of that time will have died.” The group retraced the steps of a death march, one of many forced movements to and from various Jewish concentration camps. The participants marched for two weeks from Auschwitz to Birkenau, both camps in Poland, which was annexed by Germany during World War II. Once the march ended, the participants traveled to Israel to celebrate the country’s 60th anniversary of independence. “For all the meanings ascribed to Israel, that Israel’s creation took place in the follow up of the Holocaust has great meaning for most Jewish people,” Feigenson said. “The march invites people to consider that idea, that foundational myth.” The film was directed by alumna Jessica Sanders ’95. She has been nominated for Academy Awards for several of her short films, including “Sing Opera!” which followed a community children’s choir from Los Angeles as the group rehearsed for the world premiere of the family opera “Keepers of the Night.” Sanders has also been lauded for her work on a variety of commercials, which include a Toyota ads campaign and a national Apple iPad launch spot. “This screening will benefit my students who are making documentaries.,” Upper School Visual Arts Department Head Cheri Gaulke said. “This is a great opportunity for them to hear from a successful alumn[a] who herself is the daughter of two documentary filmmakers.” The viewing of the documentary is meant to interest juniors and seniors in attending the March of the Living in 2011, Feigenson said. The film will be shown in Ahmanson Lecture Hall at 7 p.m.

Complaint prompts review of election from election probe, A1 “The problem that occurred was rectified quickly and I feel that the people that were in charge of the election process did a fair and accurate job in administering the election,” Salamandra said. “I did not feel that the time that the site was down made a significant difference in the outcome of the election by looking at the number of votes.” Both Young and Salamandra said that Mariana was the only student to bring this issue to the administration’s attention. Salamandra believes that this is one indication that the issue with the website did not impact voting significantly. “I’m confident that HarvardWestlake students would have let us know that there was a problem …soon after,” Salamandra said. “I think it would have been frustrating if they couldn’t vote and they would have asked why. I didn’t get that from where I’m sitting.” Young also said that there was no indication that this was a widespread problem. “I suspect there may have been one or two other [students] that tried to vote in that period,” Young said. When polls closed, the percentage of students that participated was similar to previous years, with 225 out of approximately 280

I think it would have been frustrating if they couldn’t vote and they would have asked why.”

—Harry Salamandra Head of the Upper School

students voting, Young said. “If we had multiple reports, I think we would’ve viewed it differently,” Salamandra said. While Huybrechts said that results from the election were accurate, she said that more could have been done during the election to avoid controversy after the election. “I would recommend that the advisers, in the future, take some additional measures…to mitigate any problems that we might encounter,” Huybrechts said. Huybrechts said that from her experience, complaints after elections are not uncommon. During her 10 years as a middle school administrator and then as Head of School, she said that she can recall at least four occasions when she has been asked to look into the election process or election results. “That’s quite often,” she said.

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nathanson ’s/chronicle

“Sometimes it has to do with individuals questioning campaign rules. I do remember some problems with paper ballots.” Despite the voting irregularity, Huybrechts believes that using an electronic ballot is more accurate than using a paper ballot. Huybrechts said that many issues arose with paper ballots. Ballots were lost, students did not knowing where to vote, and a significantly lower number of students participated. However, many of these issues were eliminated when online voting was implemented, Huybrechts said. “We will continue with online voting for certain,” Huybrechts said. “I believe it is really important that we understand the program being used for our online voting [and] that we understand all the potential problems that could crop up.”

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A10 News

The

Chronicle

Expecting the ‘Big One’

chelsea khakshouri/chronicle

Duck and Cover: Students hide under a table in the Chalmers lounge during the Oct. 21 earthquake drill. During assemblies that week, science teacher Wendy Van Norden talked about the proper way to protect one’s self.

Campus practices earthquake safety in anticipation of serious catastrophe There has not been a major earthquake on the southern section of the San Andreas Fault since 1857, and experts fear the region is overdue. By Carrie Davidson, Ana Scuric

and

Megan Ward

Harvard-Westlake participated in the Great California ShakeOut, the largest annual earthquake drill in the nation. Along with 7.8 million other people in California on Oct. 21, students and faculty practiced the drop, cover and hold method to prepare for an earthquake. At 10:21 a.m., emergency alarms sounded throughout campus. Students and faculty first braced themselves in classrooms and then their way to the field, the same plan that would be excecuted during a real earthquake. Although the event took place during a regular class period, it did not come as a surprise to students. Science teacher Wendy Van Norden informed the sophomore and junior classes during grade-level meetings, and many teachers spread the word to seniors. Van Norden educated students about earthquake safety and told students about “The Big One,” an earthquake predicted to reach 7.8 on the Richter scale that would take place on the San Andreas Fault, one of the longest faults in California. In addition to helping students prepare for a real

earthquake, the Great California ShakeOut prepares Californians to be ready to make a quick recovery after an earthquake. “I thought the presentation brought awareness to everyone because we don’t realize that “The Big One” is coming yet,” Katie Lim ’13 said. “I appreciate the school’s efforts to inform the students of the importance of earthquake preparedness, but I think more needs to be done to ensure that students take the threat seriously,” Devon Breton-Pakozdi ’12 said. There was some confusion among teachers about the drill procedure despite a faculty meeting presentation about the changes. One foreign language teacher kept students under their desks until the alarm turned off and then dismissed them. “We all thought that we were supposed to go to the field but since he didn’t tell us to we didn’t,” Kassie Shannon ’13 said. “Once [the teacher] dismissed us we realized that was where everyone else was so we went down.”

Nov. 10, 2010

What’s the worst that could happen? Plate tectonics experts predict a major earthquake on the San Andreas Fault will occur within the next 30 years. Science teacher Wendy Van Norden said that the quake will be caused by the Pacific Plate, which is trying to move past the North Atlantic plate at a rate of two to three centimeters a year. “[The Pacific Plate] gets stuck,” she said. “The longer it is stuck, the more it will finally move when it can. When it finally breaks, 250 miles of rock will move 15 to 20 feet, releasing energy in the form of an earthquake.” The last time the section on the San Andreas Fault that affects the Los Angeles area moved was in 1857. This resulted in a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. According to Van Norden, there is an average interval of 150 years between major earthquakes. “However, that is only an average, and the actual time can vary,” she said. Van Norden said that the amount of damage and loss of life depends upon more than just the amount of shaking. “It depends greatly upon how well the buildings are built,” she said. “That is one of the reasons that the 2010 Haiti earthquake, which was only a 7.0, killed more than 230,000 people, while the 2010 Chile earthquake, an 8.8, killed only 800 people.” According to Van Norden, the school has planned for students to be well taken care of on campus. “School building codes in California are among the highest in the world, and Harvard-Westlake has been built well, exceeding codes in some instances,” she said. “Each campus has supplies for all students that will cover at least three days, the recommended time suggested for earthquake prep supplies. If you have to be away from home during an earthquake, Harvard-Westlake is a pretty safe place to be. The school is very well prepared and is constantly evaluating and updating the preparations. We will have tents set up in the field, food and water, medical supplies, and our buildings are very likely to be sound enough to use.” Van Norden advised families to make earthquake plans. “You should survey your house for hazards, and find ways to mitigate those hazards,” she said. “Assume that you will be without shelter, food, water or electricity for at least three days, and organize earthquake supplies. Consider having supplies in your cars. If anyone in your family needs medication, they should consider having spare medication available if they are caught away from home.” —Channah Haddad and Noelle Lyons

1994 Northridge earthquake cancels school for 3 days, causes major damage By Hank Gerba

and

Victor Yoon

The 6.8 magnitude Northridge earthquake shook the upper school campus at approximately 4:31 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994. The school reopened after three days, a feat accomplished by hiring private contractors to ensure that the campus would be opened as speedily as possible. The total cost to the school attributed to the earthquake was $500,000, with about $200,000 spent on repairs. Some repairs were immediate, while less immediate damages were tabled until the summer. “There was essentially no structural damage. The buildings held up extremely well,” Plant Manager Felipe Anguiano said. All buildings on campus are built to withstand earthquakes, ensuring that any damage is purely cosmetic, he said. Structural engineers have commented that Harvard-Westlake has one of the best campuses in terms of earthquake survivability. Throughout the campus, which is located only 10 miles from the epicenter, dropped ceilings, suspended tiles which conceal electrical components in most classrooms, fell, allowing wiring to dangle. These tiles were built to 1908 standards and have been replaced with a more modern design. As part of the reinstallation, specially de-

signed steel rods were installed to prevent the dropped ceilings from falling if an earthquake should occur during school hours. Initial fears that the buildings would be condemned were unfounded. St. Saviour’s Chapel suffered the most severe damage and was the only building on calpus to receive a yellow card, designating limited entry. The foundation of the chapel buckled and shifted, causing torsion in the walls. Though damaged, it was completely restored. About 19,000 of the 20,000 volumes in the library fell off the shelves. In the days that the school was closed, approximately 30 students volunteered to pick up books and reorganize the library. In Hamilton Gym, the foundation buckled, breaking windows and cracking the base of the building. As well as paying for structural damage, Harvard-Westlake also spent $100,000 in aid for students whose families were financially harmed. Approximately 50 students lost their homes, and many others suffered losses. The school also allocated $200,000 toward an 18-month, interest-free loan for the faculty. The program allowed faculty members to take $5,000, no questions asked, for any damage that their homes suffered.

Stephanie Smooke/chronicle archives

Cleaning up: History teacher Drew Maddock restocks library bookshelves after the Northridge quake displaced 19,000 volumes.


the

Chronicle

3700 Coldwater Canyon, Los Angeles, CA 91604

Editors-in-Chief: Alice Phillips, Daniel Rothberg Managing Editors: Austin Block, Jordan Freisleben Executive Editor: Catherine Wang

pinion o Harvard-Westlake School Volume XX Issue IV Nov. 10, 2010

Presentations Editors: Ingrid Chang, Mary Rose Fissinger Executive Sports Editor: Alex Leichenger Business and Ads Manager: David Burton Copy Editors: Jordan McSpadden, Susan Wang News Managing Editors: Matthew Lee, Emily Khaykin Section Heads: Rebecca Nussbaum, Lara Sokoloff, Sajjan Sri-Kumar Infographics: Maddy Baxter, Eli Haims Assistants: Wendy Chen, Carrie Davidson, David Lim, Keane Muraoka-Robertson, Ana Scuric, Camille Shooshani, Megan Ward Opinion Managing Editors: Noelle Lyons, Jean Park Section Heads: Chanah Haddad, Molly Harrower, Anabel Pasarow, Shana Saleh Assistants: Rachel Schwartz, Michael Sugerman Features Managing Editors: Joyce Kim, Olivia Kwitny, Sade Tavangarian Features Section Heads: Allison Hamburger, Chloe Lister Infographics: Megan Kawasaki Features Assistants: Caitie Benell, Mariel Brunman, Jamie Chang, Leslie Dinkin, Gabrielle Franchina, Michael Rothberg, Elana Zeltser Science & Health Editors: Claire Hong, Nika Madyoon Centerspread Editors: Camille de Ry, Arielle Maxner Arts & Entertainment Editors Jessica Barzilay, Justine Goode Arts & Entertainment Assistants: Maggie Bunzel, Bo Lee, Aaron Lyons Photography Assistant: Cherish Molezion Sports Managing Editors: Alec Caso, Kelly Ohriner Section Heads: David Kolin, Austin Lee, Julius Pak, Chelsey Taylor-Vaughn Assistants: Michael Aronson, Charlton Azuoma, Nicole Gould, Luke Holthouse, Daniel Kim, Robbie Loeb, Shawn Ma, Allana Rivera, Micah Sperling, Ally White Chronicle Online Managing Editor: Vivien Mao News Update Editors: Evan Brown, Hank Gerba, Sanjana Kucheria Opinion Update Editor: Victor Yoon Feature Update Editors: Julius Pak A&E Update Editors: Tiffany Liao, Meagan Wang Sports Update Editors: David Gobel, Judd Liebman Mulitmedia Editors: Ashley Khakshouri, Chelsea Khakshouri Blogs Editor: Abbie Neufeld Adviser: Kathleen Neumeyer The Chronicle is the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School. It is published nine 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, North Hollywood, 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 Business Manager David Burton at (626) 319-0575. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.

It’s the simple things

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Jean Park/CHRONICLE

n Homecoming day, security officer Sanders Jackson was faced with a massive challenge. Cars clogged the north parking lot, students and parents trekked along the gutter on Coldwater Canyon from Halkirk to the north gate, and Jackson had to figure out how to keep everyone safe.

So he made the best of the chaotic situation and set up a line of cones extending along Coldwater from Halkirk to the north gate, creating an imaginary sidewalk to protect Homecoming attendees. In the weeks after Homecoming, Jackson left the cones where he had put them. Before Homecoming, the only formal separation between pedestrian and car was the storm runoff gutter. With this new semblance of a sidewalk in place, students who park on Halkirk or walk out of the north gate (or, for the more athletic among us, run out of the north gate) can now leave campus in a much safer manner. With a simple, responsible decision, Jackson permanently improved student life. This change did not require the approval of the planning committee, nor did it involve a large expenditure or a huge investment on the part of the security team. In fact, it required no funds and no work at all. Jackson took some initiative, and it paid off. Ultimately, it’s the little things that define our quality of life. Just as small annoyances around campus can

add up to a bad day, small fixes to seemingly intractable problems can lessen the grind of a typical school day. The Smoothie Bar the Prefect Council recently set up in the quad also has the potential to make a significant difference in student life. In its first day in operation, hundreds of students turned out to try the bar’s refreshing drinks. The prospect of enjoying a delicious smoothie with lunch can add a small but valuable sense of excitement to student life. There are so many little problems we deal with every day that could be corrected with minimal effort. Even just offering the occasional smattering of candy in the quad, like the Prefect Council did on Halloween, could perk up an exhausted student body. It’s easy to get lost in the grandeur of long term, expensive projects and heady plans, but we can’t forget about the fixes we can make now. To those of us who dodge oncoming cars while hiking up Coldwater, a few orange cones can really make a difference. Are these fixes life changing? No. But are they worth making? Definitely.

In case of an emergency...

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hen the fire alarm goes off, nobody panics. But that’s just because nobody cares. Our typical reaction to the piercing shriek of the incredibly effective sound system is a split second of startled puzzlement followed by a long, audible sigh.

We slowly rise out of our desks, shuffle unenthusiastically toward the door and stroll noisily down the halls and through the quad, searching for friends and lugging backpacks (so we won’t have to run back to our classrooms to retrieve them). Even the realization that we treat these important drills as jokes prompts just another joke. “You know if we actually had a real fire we would all be in trouble,” one student will say dramatically. “Yeah. Oh well,” another will laugh. “I mean honestly, this seems like the worst plan anyway,” a third will chime in, “What if there was a fire near the field?” These drills most definitely are an inconvenience. And yes, it is very frustrating for us to have to wait outside while lunches and tests wait expectantly on tables and desks, counting down the minutes left in the period. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take emergency drills seriously. Drills stop being funny when the real disaster occurs. Friends can get hurt as a result of our negligence. It is likely that if a catastrophe were to happen on campus tomorrow, the student body would panic. People would forget what to do, decide to find their own way to safety or just freeze up out of pure shock. When those students would go unaccounted for on the field,

friends and teachers would start worrying. It would be a traumatic experience for everyone. The earthquake drill on Oct. 21 perfectly highlighted our incredible lack of preparedness for emergencies. In one classroom, a student chose not to take cover because he didn’t feel like it. Another read a magazine from underneath a desk while others giggled and complained about their cramped positions. And teachers were misinformed as well. One teacher kept his students inside the classroom until the alarm turned off and then dismissed them instead of bringing them to the field. Another made students crawl to the center of the room while dragging their desks with them. When it finally came time for us to actually go to the field, we dawdled, joked and enjoyed the fresh air. We perpetuated a dangerous habit. As geology teacher Wendy Van Norden reminded us at class meetings last month, an enormous earthquake will happen sometime soon, and we are most definitely not prepared. Changing our collective attitude toward emergency drills is a simple, but necessary exercise with potentially massive consequences. Believe it or not, lives could be at stake. And that’s just not funny.


A12 Opinion

Nov. 10, 2010

The

Chronicle

Rivals are comrades Mary Rose Fissinger

F It’s Easy to get caught up in the competition. I did - I even felt it justifiable to declare that all HarvardWestlake students hate loyola.

or the Oct. 14 issue of the Chronicle, I wrote a column about Harvard-Westlake’s rivalry with Loyola. My main focus was that students here are far too preoccupied with a rivalry that Loyola puts much less stock in. And I meant what I said – even the final couple of sentences (which mention Harvard-Westlake’s superior academic reputation) that got me in big trouble with the Loyola student body, for whom my column apparently became required reading last week, as Facebook comments flooded the posting of my column as one Loyola student’s status. However, although I feel no need to retract those controversial statements, I do take back one part of the column – the part that Los Angeles Times sportswriter Eric Sondheimer, of all people, called me out on. I began that column with the sentence “Inherent in all Harvard-Westlake students are a few things: a curiosity for learning, a desire for challenge, and a hatred for Loyola High School.” After recent experiences, I’ve learned that “hatred” was clearly the wrong word. It’s not even that it was simply too strong a description of the adversarial athletic relationship we have with Loyola, it was completely off-base. Rivalries are not founded on hatred. They are founded, believe it or not, on camaraderie. Last Wednesday was an unexpectedly emotional day for me. First of all, it was my last cross country race ever. Something that had been a part of me for so long was now officially over. I knew senior year was going to be a year of “lasts.” I just did not realize the first “last” would come so soon. So it was an already emotional Mary Rose who, upon arrival to the meet, was handed a black wristband that read “Mission League Brother, Conor Lynch R.I.P.” and told that everyone at Crescenta Valley Park that afternoon would be wearing them to remember our fellow runner, who had been hit by a car and killed while running a few weeks before. After all the races, at the start of the award ceremony, Loyola’s head coach led

RACHEL SCHWARTZ AND CHANAH HADDAD/CHRONICLE

everyone in a prayer for Conor, who had attended Notre Dame High School. Then, he handed the microphone over to Conor’s mother. Her brief speech began with the words “thank you” and ended in tears. She spoke about how happy she was to be there and how touched she was that we were remembering her son in this way. She said she knew Conor was watching and was present with us because the atmosphere, the love of running that was everywhere, was what Conor loved most. And following her speech, all the teams, who had been competing fiercely with one another just minutes before as well as all season long, and all seasons before that, joined in applauding Mrs. Lynch’s bravery and compassion and her son’s enduring spirit. There was absolutely nothing hateful about that moment. We consider ourselves rivals with Loyola, and, at least in the running world, with Notre Dame as well. But we in no way hate them. I, like most other people who were there that day, did not know Conor Lynch personally. But just the fact that he too was a

cross country runner made me feel connected to him. It takes a special kind of person to genuinely enjoy running long distances – anyone will tell you that – so that day, though my team and I were surrounded by all of our “rivals,” we were surrounded by the people at those “rival” schools that are most like ourselves. This is not even oxymoronic. In fact, it makes perfect sense. The reason we compete so ferociously is because we all care so much and are so passionate about the same thing. And though this results in reveling in the defeat of others, our reveling is not a manifestation of hatred. It can’t be, as it is the effect of an intense similarity, rather than polarizing difference, between the athletes. It’s easy to get caught up in the competition. I did – I even felt it justifiable to declare that all Harvard-Westlake students hate Loyola. Unfortunately, it sometimes takes a tragedy to uncover the common ground. But when you see it, it is unmistakable.

Be proud of our school

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ith 40 seconds left on the clock and 80 yards to go, the Wolverine football team was down by three points. Thirty seconds later, the ball was at the two yard line, with just enough time for two plays. An unsuccessful touchdown attempt was made. With a few seconds left, the kicker ran onto the field and lined up for the kick. The crowd was so loud that you couldn’t hear the person right next to you talking. The kick went wide and the crowd went silent. A few seconds later, a HarvardWestlake student yelled, quite proud of himself, “I called it! I knew they would lose!” with a grin across his face. This is the last thing that anyone would have wanted to hear after watching our team come so close to winning in the final seconds of the game.

Eli Haims Homecoming and spirit week were filled with school pride. From the sea of red Fanatics shirt Saturday night to the growing crowd of students standing next to the field hoping for a victory at the end of the game, the aura was felt everywhere. We were proud to be members of the Harvard-Westlake community and we showed it. Yet, in the midst of this, one person demanded to be different, placing his own prediction for the game above the pride that he should have felt for his school. Yes, most people were quieted at the end of the game, but it is not the silence that I remember, it is the one person shouting “I knew they would lose.” We are given the chance to go to one of the best schools in the country, but too often we hear people complaining about something they don’t like about

our school. Take a minute to step back and look at all of the great things that we are given and have achieved. We do remarkable things; our girls’ basketball team is the best in the state, dozens of students are National Merit semifinalists and we have some of the best debaters in the country. We should be proud of our accomplishments, not obnoxiously pointing out minute deficiencies that we can’t fix. Everything has its flaws, it is just a fact of life, but that is not a reason to emphasize them. In some cases, pointing out a shortcoming of our school could serve as a way to improve the community, but being happy that you predicted that the football team would lose doesn’t provide any constructive criticism; it is just critical. If you see a problem and think it can be fixed, talk about it, for you never know

what could come of it. But if you are complaining for the sake of complaining, realize everything good that we are given. Take some pride in our school. At the Harvard-Westlake Model United Nations conference a few weeks ago, one girl commented that she would have loved to have the chance to go here. It is a problem when someone from a different school thinks more highly of our school than we often do. Listen for someone talking about how much they dislike a teacher or for someone complaining about how a team had played so horribly the previous day next time you’re walking through the quad. Keep this in mind: when you criticize our school, you are giving other people, especially if they are from a different school, permission to say what they wish about our schoool.


Nov. 10, 2010

The

Chronicle

A13 Opinion

Too early to tell Rebecca Nussbaum

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All seniors are going through the same thing — everyone is nervous and anxious, and next year the juniors will be in the same position.

s early applications are being submitted, college is a main topic of conversation on campus. The seniors’ energy has changed noticeably over the past six months. The then juniors returned from their spring break college tours sporting sweatshirts from their favorite schools, excited about the prospect of attending any one of the fabulous colleges that they had visited. However, now that they are fully immersed in the college process, the low admission rates seem much more ominous and they are more apprehensive about their potential admittance. While some people remain very open about their application process, many seniors hesitate to share their personal information with everyone. And that is absolutely fine, I’m all for privacy. But if you don’t want to tell people where you are applying, then don’t talk about it! Much of the time, even the secretive seniors want to talk about their applications, so they end up sharing cryptic pieces of information. They engage you in a collegebased conversation and almost beg you to ask where they are applying just so that they can remind you that it is a secret. There is something self-righteous about this—it feels as if you want to believe that we care so much about where you are applying that we want pry into your business. And while it is true that many juniors have a newfound interest in the college process, it is simply that - an interest. Frankly, we do not care that much about where you are applying. By speaking in circles to avoid giving away the identity of your chosen school, you just come off as self-important. We know that most seniors apply Early Decision to schools that are difficult to get in to, and we don’t expect you to get in to Stanford just because you are applying there. All seniors are going through the same thing - everyone is nervous and anxious, and next year the juniors will be in the same position. Why should your secret be guarded more heavily than everyone else’s? So seniors, stop with the game. Either be open about your process, or don’t talk about it at all. The half conversations need to stop.

JEAN PARK/CHRONICLE

Turning the page Jessica Barzilay

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ome of the major milestones of my life are tangled up with memories of my favorite books. From the excitement of learning to read Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” to the anticipation with which I awaited the release of the final installment in the Harry Potter series, each phase of my life is characterized by one or two outstanding reads. “The Boxcar Children and the Mystery of the Purple Pool” traveled 3,000 miles with me during my family’s move from New York to California right before I began kindergarten. At age 11, I discovered the magical world of “The Song of the Wanderer,” a book which recalls the excitement of one of my first book reports. Revisiting “Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism” takes me back to the beginning of Harvard-Westlake, a new chapter of my life to fill with adventures as wild as Molly’s. And finally, sitting in the backseat of the car, “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” accompanied me up and down the California coast the summer before high school. Which is why, last week when I learned that the Barnes and Noble near my house is closing, along with several hundred other locations of the famous bookstore, I felt nothing but sadness. For millennia, civilization has relied on the written word as a means of communication, education and documentation. The art of writing is central to our society. When

Blinded by the future

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ompetition: a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage. You can find it anywhere on campus. It’s what helps us decide which classes we take. It’s that voice in our heads saying we have to be the best at something. Being a Harvard-Westlake student is a lot about competition, and in a lot of good ways. But sometimes I want to look competition in the face and tell it to get lost just this once. I want to ask competition why it has to show up to every class period, sports practice, and extracurricular activity. We can only ignore its presence for so long. Harvard-Westlake is the place to be. I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. We go to one of the best college prep schools in the country; it’s no surprise that competition is such a fundamental concept here. After all, the real world which we are thrust

the details of a major news event are posted online within seconds of its occurrence, there is significantly less of a dependence on the next morning’s newspapers for facts. When the entire collected works of Shakespeare are abailable free of charge on the iPad, the monetary value of the Bard’s works has litterally decreased to nothing. My greatest concern, however, is for the next generation. Already, the climate for learning has been completely altered as a result of advanced technology and a declining dependence on print. Without the local Barnes and Noble, where would I have happily stumbled upon the crowd of bespectacled, wand-wielding and scar-bearing enthusiasts on the night of the release of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”? Pixels and screens are replacing words and pages, but the two are far from interchangeable. Books have warned us of the impending danger of advanced science; Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” and George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” seemed to be purely science fiction dystopias at the time of their publication. I acknowledge the reality of life in 2010: there is no way and no need to eliminate technology from our lives. My only wish is that progress does not come at the cost of history, that we can salvage books and Barnes and Nobles and that the digital does not entirely supplant the tangible.

After all, simply getting straight a’s or being team captain isn’t going to get us through life.

Nika Madyoon into after graduation is the epitome of competition. Dog-eat-dog, every man for himself. Isn’t all of the stress we experience preparing us for what is just around the corner? Yes would be my answer. But there is such a thing as too much preparation. Is what we are doing too much? Is this too much competition? The answer is less clear this time. I’m sure teachers and coaches and deans all want the best for us—they do what they can to train us for the life that lies ahead. And while that is certainly reassuring, is it not also a sign that competition might be a little excessive? When we go to a school that offers us everything there is and asks us to choose what we want, it’s hard to take advantage of it all. What will make us appealing on that dreaded college application in a few years or months seems to decide a lot of things for

students. And that’s to be expected in high school, especially at our high school. But I find it quite sad that we are forced to choose between several interests that we may have. Sure, we’re given everything to choose from, but once junior year begins it’s often too late to try that new activity you were always curious about. It becomes so much about choosing your “thing” that we can get discouraged and forget that high school is about making some of the greatest memories of our lives. But what is the finish line? Getting into our college or university of choice, maybe. Finally establishing a career, for some. Being recognized for outstanding athletic achievement or theater performance. I’ve seen people so blinded by reaching what’s ahead that they ignore everything around them. But as excellently and thoroughly

as we are prepared for the real world here, these students are missing out on a lot of Harvard-Westlake’s unique qualities. After all, simply getting straight A’s or being team captain isn’t going to get us through life. We’re meant to be prepared for all aspects of our future: the friendships each of us will maintain and the new relationships we will soon form, the contributions we will make to society and possibly humanity. Compassion and honesty and a sense of unity has faded to the background for some when it should really be just as important as our SAT score. Remembering that we’re not all fighting tooth and nail and taking a step back to enjoy life and the smallest every-day experiences we have here might help to make that B on a test seem a lot less like the end of the world as we know it. I’d say it’s worth a try.


Opinion A14

Chronicle

The

Nov.10, 2010

Letters The Sept. 22 issue of The Chronicle included a letter written by science teacher David Hinden discussing behavior of The Fanatics at athletic events. U.S. Naval officer David Eckardt ’03 and John Kenchelian ’08 wrote a response.

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thletic competitions thrive on the support of the fan base. The cheering is what fuels the team being supported ... this goes without saying. Additionally, distracting noises directed toward the opposing team (such as a constant yell from the crowd during an audible in football or a free throw in basketball) are what make home field court advantage just that, an advantage. This part is obvious, and I realize it is understood by the administration... it is inherent in athletics. However, it seems that the student body is shifting away from the “support” side of cheering and is traveling into the “demeaning” side of inappropriate and uncalled for behavior. In the spirit of the game, this line can easily, and unknowingly, be crossed. It would be naive to say we didn’t have any of the inappropriate cheers at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. They existed, but were dealt with appropriately, and you typically didn’t hear them again. You are correct when you said the Academies have their pre-game pranks, or “recon missions” as we called them ... though some were pretty creative, especially the ones leading up to the Army-Navy game, they all were in support of Navy athletics. The way the Navy dealt with these chants is the same way Harvard-Westlake can solve this problem, and this is where I see the Academy and Harvard-Westlake as being similar institutions... There is no question that Harvard-Westlake is the premier high school in Los Angeles, is renowned in the state of California and even has recognition nationwide. This prestige does not come at an easy price ... the expectation of students’ academic, athletic and extra-curricular achievements are extremely high. The students have talent. However, how a student handles him or herself in a college interview, or even after finally getting to their college of choice, can change that impression or level of respect in a heartbeat. We were being trained at an elite institution, a collegiate Harvard-Westlake, and it was our responsibility to uphold its name and what it stood for. Our jobs upon graduation not only require us to stand in high moral stature, but the men and women who put their lives in our hands expect us to work at that level of integrity. If we do not live up to this level of expectation, our reputation is flawed, and being “an Academy grad” no longer carries the same weight. Why are Harvard-Westlake students admitted? They have drive, they have talent, they are brighter than their peers. All it takes is an inappropriate cheer, a bad attitude in an interview or inappropriate behavior on a college campus to take away the prestige of being “a Harvard-Westlake alum.” Remind them why they are there, and remind them that their presence as a Harvard-Westlake student is a privilege. Many would sacrifice a lot to even have a shot at attending the school that trains the elite. This level of training and ethical development starts when they’re young high school students.

The Harvard-Westlake name will help them get to a college that will bring them to these life-changing careers, but it is their responsibility to respect what “Harvard-Westlake” has to offer. When I was a student at Harvard-Westlake, my impression was that students saw the Honor Code as the “don’t cheat or you’ll get in trouble policy.” However, an Honor Code is more than that. An Honor Code is designed to shape a student’s mind and mentality toward academic and behavioral excellence. It imbues a sense of integrity, honor, selfrespect and even sportsmanship among students. The first time I learned about the Academy’s Honor Concept was Induction Day, and to say they made their stance on upholding the Honor Concept clear is an understatement. We had to memorize it. Word for word. It’s all about culture - if Harvard-Westlake can instill the importance of honor, ethics, integrity and respect, hopefully situations such as the inappropriate cheers will be the exception rather than the norm. This will not happen overnight, and it cannot only be taught in a classroom. It is a state of mind that must be embraced by students. Please understand that I realize your concern does not branch from every student. That would be naive. However, one misbehaving student is easy to pick out in a sea of otherwise successful students. That is the unfortunate reality in all cases ... we saw it at Navy, we saw it at UCLA. Those hundreds of well behaved ethical students will do their duty and carry on the Harvard-Westlake name appropriately well into the future. You’d be surprised how effective self-policing can be when one student cares about something strong enough. —David Eckardt ’03 U.S. Naval Academy ’07

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ear Harvard-Westlake Faculty Academic Committee, Sports Council, and Fan Behavior and Sportsmanship Review Committee, it is with great concern that I write to you from my current home at Georgetown University. I saw first-hand the problems that arose within the Harvard-Westlake Fanatics. I am fairly confident that high school students have not changed their behavior that much. I find the actions taken against the Fanatics to be an extreme overreaction to what was surely a mishap on the part of a few. The many should not be punished for the actions of the few. Are the Fanatics at times out of line with certain chants, cheers, and jeers? Absolutely. Does that mean that no fun can be had at a sports game? No. And it will no longer be fun for many people to go to games, and that’s a shame. The first rule to reform fan behavior is to allow only positive cheers at games. In the words of David Hinden: “That means no more ‘airball,’ ‘pressure,’ ‘bounce bounce bounce,’ or any of the other not-soclever things that we have unhappily become accustomed to hearing.” Neither “pressure” nor “bounce bounce bounce” are negative cheers. They are meant to be distracting. Furthermore, “airball” is a simple statement of fact. The main motive of a fan is to cheer his or her team to victory. Cheering positively for your team has a minimal effect on the team’s performance, but DISTRACTING the opposing team has a sincere effect. The rule here in Hoya County is no comments about race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical appearance, etc. And it works well. Hinden says, “That would never happen during the Army-Navy game,” Army-Navy is one of the most intense rivalries in the country, and I can guarantee you that fights break out in the stands, students throw beer on each other and other ridiculous confrontations take place. What I find most disturbing about Hinden’s letter is the following sarcastic question: “How many of those fans have spent the hours of practice, have made the sacrifices or have the skill of those they would mock?” To insinuate that any fan does not make sacrifices to support their team is ludicrous. Do I have the skill of an athlete? No, but that’s why I try twice as hard as a fan. People should be held accountable for their actions. However, taking the kind of extreme actions that the Sports Council and Hinden are proposing is just as bad as the jeers that they propose to eliminate. We must strive to keep allowing students the chance to have a positive experience at these sporting events. Anything less would be unacceptable. —John Kenchelian ’08 Georgetown ’12

The Oct. 14 issue of The Chronicle included an editorial discussing the political views of students. Sammy Roth ’10 wrote a response.

L

ast month’s Chronicle featured an editorial called “The politics of friendship.” I wholeheartedly agree with its overall message: Harvard-Westlake should foster a welcoming environment for students with political opinions of all stripes, and politics should never get in the way of friendships. But the editorial also made these statements: “We’re informed, but only to a certain extent. We’re not on Capitol Hill and most of us don’t spend countless hours thoroughly researching topics before voicing our opinions. How can we possibly justify a claim that another person’s point of view is absolutely wrong when we don’t have the information to back it up?…And when it comes down to it, we’re still just kids…We don’t have the perspective to fully understand all sides of an issue…A controversial topic is controversial for a reason. If there was a clear right and wrong for an issue, it would have been resolved already.” To summarize: You’re not informed enough, you’re too young to really understand the issues, and if there were obviously right answers someone would have found them by now. So who are you to think you know what you’re talking about? I ask any Harvard-Westlake student who believes this, including those who wrote it, to reconsider. Harvard-Westlake students might not be professional politicians, but they’re much more informed than most people. They pay attention to the news, they know the facts, and they’re really, really smart. And they might be young, but that doesn’t make their opinions invalid. Of course you should never tell someone that he or she is wrong if you can’t explain why. But it’s impossible to know everything about every issue, and if Harvard-Westlake students can’t be trusted to debate issues, then few can. And yes, controversial topics are controversial for a reason. There is great disagreement on how to address problems like climate change, and the national debt, and illegal immigration, but we’re never going to solve them without the hard work and determination of people who passionately believe that they know how. As long as you’re willing to listen to and learn from others, believing that your opinion is right is a good thing. Harvard-Westlake students will be the voters and leaders of tomorrow, the ones who will be tasked with having these important debates, and, ultimately, arriving at solutions. Right now they should be free to develop their voices, to confidently argue for what they believe. So I urge Harvard-Westlake students: Stay informed, and don’t be afraid to voice your opinions just because you’re not an expert. Be open to other opinions, but don’t feel compelled to doubt what you believe. Never let your politics get in the way of your friendships, but never be afraid to respectfully tell a friend why he or she is wrong. —Sammy Roth ’10 Columbia ’14


quadtalk

What small change on campus, like the addition of the smoothie bar or the new cones along Coldwater, could improve your average school day? “I wish they had breakfast food in the cafeteria all day.” —Canh Oxelson, Dean

Opinion A15

Chronicle

The

Nov. 10, 2010

makinggrades The Chronicle evaluates recent campus developments.

A C-

B+

If students finish their community service before Nov. 15, they can get free root beer floats from Community Council.

Prefect Council hosted a smoothie bar for students, but a blender broke soon after it opened.

The Social Committee gave away candy and chips the Friday before Halloween, but it ran out early in the day.

F

Most teachers declined to hold a first period costume contest.

bynumbers

“It would be nice to have a 10 minute break every day so that i could talk to friends.”

The Chronicle polled 372 students who weighed in on the seriousness of mandatory drills at Harvard-Westlake. you think the school’s Earthquake Do emergency drills are effective? Drill

—Monica Sullivan ‘13

163

“I would like passing periods to be a little bit longer. when you talk to your teacher you have to do it really fast.” —Sofia Davila ‘12

140

44 25

No, because students didn’t see the importance of practicing emergency drills during school. Yes, because students were taught exactly how to behave during an actual emergency. Yes, because students understood the gravity of the situation in preparing for a real emergency in the future. No, because a few teachers didn’t really enforce the rules of the drill.

The Chronicle polled 372 students who weighed in on the recent physical changes on campus.

Improving Campus Life

“WE need umbrellas at every table because it gets too hot.”

—Spencer Eichler ‘11

216

78 46

photos by jean park AND AUSTIN BLOCK/Chronicle

32

Do you think that students appreciate the small changes on campus, such as setting up cones on Coldwater and creating a smoothie bar?

Yes, students tend to appreciate these changes. Students recognize these changes; however, they are not affected by them.

No, many small changes tend to go unnoticed. I don’t have an opinion on this issue.

Results based on an online poll e-mailed to Harvard-Westlake upper school students through http://www.surveymonkey.com.


Nov. 10, 2010

presenting

exposure

1

3

4

‘Pippin’

‘Magic’ came to Rugby Auditorium last weekend in the form of the fall musical, Stephen Schwartz’s ‘Pippin.’ By Bo Lee

T

he fall production, “Pippin,” was performed in Rugby Auditorium four times from Friday, Nov. 5 to Sunday, Nov. 7. The story follows Pippin, the son of King Charlemagne, as he tries to figure out what he is meant to be in life, whether it’s a valiant soldier or a simple family man. It was directed by acting teachers Michelle Spears and Ted Walch and was choreographed by Spears. The musical director of the play, Daniel Faltus, conducted a pit orchestra including several members of the Symphony Orchestra, which accompanied the actors throughout the play. It was the first of two major plays that will be performed this year. “Servant of Two Masters” is the winter play and will be performed from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13. “Pippin,” is a musical by Stephen Schwartz that is the 30th longest-running Broadway show. The play commenced with Max Sheldon ’11, playing the character of the Leading Player, walking onto stage with an accompanying troupe of actors. He sang and danced with the entire ensemble to the opening number, “Magic

to Do.” There were a total of 17 musical numbers with soloists, followed by a finale, which was performed by the entire ensemble. The first act had a running time of 65 minutes, followed by an intermission, along with a second act, which had a running time of 45 minutes. “I guess I am just overwhelmed at the response we have gotten for this production. It is hands down the most incredible show that I have ever been a part of at Harvard-Westlake, and to get to play this role as a senior has been one of the most special experiences of my life, and something I will never forget,” said Ben Platt ’11, who played the character of Pippin. All of the 38 actors who auditioned for the musical were cast for the play. There were rehearsals every day from Monday through Thursday for four hours in order to prepare for the performance. There was an additional fivehour rehearsal on Sunday every week. “I love theatre and acting because it is pure storytelling. I feel most comfortable on stage, and I get to share a piece of my soul with an audience that is hanging on every word I say. Acting clears my head, and there’s no other feeling like it,” said Hank Doughan ’12, who plays the character of Charles.

2 5

6

stealing the show: Max Sheldon ’11 as the Leading Player opens the show with the rest of the cast (1). Ben Platt ’11 as Pippin, Lucas Foster ’13 as Theo and Bella Hicks ’12 as Catherine pray for the health of Theo’s sick duck (2). Beanie Feldstein ’11 as Berthe, Pippin’s grandmother, sings “No Time at All” to Platt (3). Hank Doughan ’12

A16

photos by chloe lister/Chronicle

as King Charlemagne listens to his wife Fastrada, played by Kathryn Gallagher ’11, praise their son Louis (4). Sheldon dances to “Glory” with ensemble members Catherine Haber ’12 and Jazzi Marine ’13 (5). Immediately after murdering his father, King Charlemagne, played by Doughan, Platt’s character realizes the magnitude of his action (6).


Eatures F the

Chronicle Volume XX Issue IV Nov. 10, 2010

California voters declined to legalize marijuana in the Nov. 2 election. However, a prescribed card allows some 18-year-olds to smoke it legally, and kids without cards still come to class high. B6-B7

Ingrid Chang/Chronicle


B2 Features

The

Chronicle

out of

focus

Although it can be misdiagnosed or incorrectly labeled, Attention Deficit Disorder makes it difficult for students to pay attention, and some may qualify for additional time to take tests.

56 5.3 5 3.6 75

percent of children aged 4 to 17 with ADD take medication.

percent of California residents have been diagnosed with ADD.

percent of children ages 5 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADD.

percent more boys are diagnosed with ADD than girls.

upper school students have learning disabilities that qualify them for extra time on tests. graphic by Chloe Lister source: Center for Disease control and Prevention, Candris Madison

Nov. 10, 2010

Extra time, medication can help alleviate ADD effects By Maddy Baxter As Spencer Hartig ’12 sat in class trying to listen to a lecture, he could not take in a single word that his teacher was saying because his mind was racing from one thought to another. During the summer before ninth grade, Hartig was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. Hartig takes a prescription drug called Ritalin every morning before school. “[ADD] makes it so whatever the focus is around in the class, like the teacher, I physically can’t take my mind off of that and daydream,” Hartig said. After he was diagnosed and put on prescription medicine he saw a great difference in his grades, Hartig said. Constantly fidgeting in her chair, Hannah Zipperman ’12 was unable to pay attention to anything going on in the classroom besides her wandering imagination. As a third grader, Zipperman was always hyper and inattentive and after a psychiatric evaluation, she too was diagnosed with ADD. Zipperman did not take regular medication until two years ago when she entered the ninth grade. The workload became heavier and she needed the medication to more easily complete her work. Every morning, Zipperman takes Vyvanse to help her be more task oriented and organized. Zipperman and Hartig are two of 75 students who have ADD or other medical or learning disabilities that qualify them for extended time at Harvard Westlake, Upper School Testing Coordinator Candris Madison said. The law requires that all schools give the option of extended time on tests and other in-class assignments to students diagnosed with ADD. Many students with ADD need to reread directions and other test items

multiple times. They have more trouble focusing and the extended time allows them to finish the test. Hartig uses the extended time on tests. Zipperman, however, does not use extended time on assignments and tests because the medication helps her to complete work on time. “Everyone reacts differently to ADD medicine and if they feel they are entitled to extra time, I am glad the option is open to them,” Zipperman said. ADD is found in five percent of all children, ages 5 to 17. This condition may be diagnosed in students who show signs of inattentiveness, impulsivity or a combination of both. “ADD and ADHD are too often incorrectly labeled,” said psychiatrist Dr. Viviana Suaya. ADD is difficult to diagnose and may be confused with symptoms of other issues, such as environmental changes, lack of sleep or the need for one on one time with a teacher, Suaya said. To qualify for extended time at Harvard-Westlake, a student must have an examination and report written by his or her doctor. The report is then sent to school psychologist Dr. Sheila Siegel, and she writes up a new report. She then holds a meeting with the student, at least one of the student’s parents and the student’s dean. If the parents approve of the report, then the teachers are notified and the student may use extended time. The student must tell the teacher at least two days before any test if he or she wishes to use the extended time. Common approaches to help ADD symptoms include medication, such as Methylphenidate, more commonly known as Ritalin, or cognitive behavioral therapy. The medication works best when therapy and medication is used together, Suaya said.

Stimulants help students concentrate in class By Daniel Rothberg Before her junior year, Holly’s* parents made her an appointment to be tested for learning disabilities. After hours of testing, Holly, who has always struggled to remain focused on schoolwork, was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Soon after, Holly began taking a regular dose of Vyvanse, a drug similar to Adderall, a stimulant used to treat ADHD. “It was very helpful for school because I was a lot more motivated,” Holly said. “I was really more engaged and class and it gave me more energy. According to the Center for Disease Control, about three to seven percent of “school-aged” children have ADHD. One common method of managing the disorder is through medical treatment. In fact, the CDC reported that as of 2003, 56 percent of those diagnosed with ADHD were receiving medical treatment. Halfway through his sophomore year, Peter* was diagnosed with ADHD and started taking a daily dose of Adderall to improve his focus. “I concentrate a lot more when

I’m reading,” Peter said. “It’s a lot easier just to sit down and do my homework in one sitting.” School psychologist Dr. Sheila Siegel said that stimulants used to treat ADHD, such as Adderall, are very effective in curbing some of the symptoms caused by the disorder. “It is the one thing that… absolutely works for kids with ADD,” Siegel said. “It allows them to focus.” While students have found Adderall to be effective in improving concentration, they have reported unpleasant side effects. Peter said that some of these side effects include loss of appetite, thirst and a difficulty falling asleep at night. Siegel also said that Adderall has been known to stunt growth. In addition, Holly said when she takes the drug, she feels anxious and loses her energy toward the end of the day. “I will get all of my homework done and I’ll be engaged in class, but then I’ll kind of be miserable,”Holly said. In part, as a result of these symptoms, Holly and Peter are both taking the drug less frequently. “I realized it was making me re-

ally really anxious, and so I had to sacrifice my mood for the day to do well in school,” Holly said. One reason that Peter decreased his intake of Adderall is because of the long-term implications that the drug could pose on his health. “There are long term health risks,” he said. “It does raise your heartbeat and stuff like that. I have to get my heart tested… once a year when they prescribe me the medicine to make sure nothing’s wrong.”

chloe lister/chronicle


Nov. 10, 2010

Features B3

The

Chronicle

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ah que je suis fatiguée bon bien

speaking in

tongues

Whether conversing in French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese or Russian, speaking a different language at home has helped students develop perspectives on their heritages and world culture. By Allison Hamburger

W

hen Fede Brecha ’12 was little, she sometimes spoke in two languages at once. “I would say half the line in English and the other half in Italian because I didn’t know the difference,” she said. Brecha is fluent in Italian and English and often speaks Italian at home with her mom, who grew up in Italy. “My dad always spoke to me in English, and my mom always spoke to me in Italian, so I grew up with both,” she said. Melissa Flores ’12 was also introduced to two languages at a young age. Flores’s first language was Spanish, but she learned English in preschool by watching shows like “Barney” and “Sesame Street” to hear the language and learn the alphabet. “I learned to speak [English] first by listening to what people said and figuring out what that meant, and I kind of adopted it simultaneously with Spanish,” Flores said. Though she says she is more English-oriented now, Flores still frequently speaks Spanish with her family, since her mom particularly can understand Spanish more clearly than English. Chanah Haddad ’11 and Hanna Huang ’11 are bilingual as well. Haddad and her family always speak French at home. Her dad is from Tunisia, and her mom knows French from high school and from living in France when she was younger. Haddad also knows bits of Hebrew, Spanish and Chinese. Huang is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin because her mom’s family is from Hong Kong, and her father is from Taiwan. Huang takes Directed Studies Chinese at school. Haddad is also enrolled in a class of her second language, French Literature Honors. Haddad and Huang agreed that their knowledge of French and Chinese at home sometimes help them in class. “It helps when I’m trying to express myself orally, but it doesn’t really help in writing because in French the spelling is not phonetic at all,” Haddad said. Huang said that though the grammar and vocabulary of Chinese come more easily to her, a common misconception among her peers is that she does not have to pay as much attention in class. “But that’s not true because you can’t know everything, so I still have to work hard to get good grades in that class,” Huang said. Michael Zaks ’13, who is currently in AP Spanish Language, has been fluent in Russian since he could talk because his entire family speaks

the language. He learned English in preschool and takes Russian lessons once a week to preserve his bilingualism. Though Spanish and Russian are dissimilar, Zaks said that Russian has helped him understand the grammar of both English and Spanish better by knowing the structure of a sentence. Brecha agreed that Italian affects her in language classes Spanish III Honors and AP French language. “If I’m writing something in French, I’ll say something in Italian because that’s like my next language to go to normally, not English,” she said. “When I’m writing in French or Spanish it’s easy for me to go to Italian because it’s similar.” Flores is now learning three additional languages at school, Latin, Chinese and Greek. However, when she was younger, Flores was reluctant to speak English. Flores could read and understand English well, she said, but disliked verbalizing it until she was about six or seven because she was nervous about the complex pronunciation rules of English. “I feel more comfortable writing than I am speaking just because it can be awkward and it’s kind of embarrassing if you are mispronouncing [an English word],” Flores said. All five of these students said that their languages other than English allow them to communicate with a wider population of people. “I wouldn’t be able to talk to my grandparents, my cousins, my aunt, my uncle if my mom hadn’t taught me Italian when I was little,” Brecha said. “That’s really important to me.” She visits Italy twice a year. “I have citizenship in both [Italy and the United States] and I love Italian culture and art and food and people and the language. I just love it so much so I consider both to bereally close to me,” she said. Zaks traveled to Russia for the first time two years ago and enjoyed the experience. “I went to Moscow and St. Petersburg,” Zaks said. “They are both really beautiful, and they were a lot of fun because I could talk to the people there.” Haddad said that French can be a good way to form connections with other people if they speak French too and want to converse. Flores has had a different experience when people find out that she is fluent in Spanish. “Sometimes people will be like ‘oh now help me with my Spanish homework’ which can be really annoying but at the same time it’s just a part of who I’ve always been,” Flores said, “It’s like another feature, like oh yeah brown hair, speaks Spanish, speaks English.”


B4 Features T RS PRIN CORNELL

IA

C O LU M B

Stakes COLGATE

DUKE

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OBERLIN

KENYON

CLA

B OS

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Nov. 10, 2010

Tick Tock

Chapter 4: The superheroes await

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UPENN YALE

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CARNEGIE MELLON

STANFORD

Chronicle

COLLEGE

C S cess. He finished his personal essay for the Common application Nov. 5. “It was exciting,” he said. “I’m almost done Mwith writing essays.” He plans on applying to 10 schools regular decision. All of the schools he is applying to have application deadlines in either December or January. He hopes to finish his University of Southern California application shortly, since he can use his Common application essay for its application. He has started his University of Michigan supplement and will submit it soon, since its admissions are rolling. AL

TATE

IDDLEBURY

Alexis the Athlete: Alexis has submitted her Early Action application and financial aid application to St. Mary’s College. The Early Application deadline is Nov. 15. She finds out her admissions decision in mid-December and finds out about her financial aid package in February. She talks to the St. Mary’s head coach and assistant coach often, she said. Currently Madison is putting her regular decision college list together, which as of now definitely includes Emory University.

Aiden the All-Around: Though he did not submit any early applications, Aiden is “comfortable” with where he is in his application pro-

the results of their early applications. By Catherine Wang

years, she said. Though she hopes she chose the “perfect boyfriend,” and is accepted to her Early Decision school, she has to prepare for the worst. She plans on applying to about seven more schools, including Vassar College and Kenyon College. Right now, she is busy with two performances and is still enjoying the college admissions process.

Dec. 15, when he finds out his admissions decision. Finishing one application has shown him what he needs to focus on for upcoming applications. “I’m getting much more efficient because I know exactly what takes the most time and what I can do most efficiently,” he said. “My efficiency amid my homework and classes is going to be much greater.”

Illustrations by Melissa Gertler

Madison the Performer: Madison* submitted her Early Decision application to Wesleyan University Oct. 26, and her Early Action application to Emerson College Oct. 30. Both schools’ early application deadlines were Nov. 1. Submitting her application felt “super duper,” she said. Madison compared the college search to finding a boyfriend. Shoot too high and risk being rejected or aim too low and risk being miserable for four

Carter the Brain: Despite plans to apply early to the California Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago, Carter* only submitted his Massachusetts Institute of Technology Early Action application. “A week to two before the deadline, I felt my efforts would be better served to focus on one application instead of three,” he said. Though acceptance to MIT will not end his application process, it will reduce the amount of schools he applies to by two thirds, he said. He wants to finish most of his applications before

Zoe the Artist: Zoe* submitted her Early Decision application to New York University and her Early Action application to Emerson College after school on Oct. 28. “It was nerve-wracking,” she said. “I was scared something would go wrong or that the computer would freeze.” Submitting her application was “somewhat of a relief,” but she will not be slacking off this month. She is currently working on compiling portfolios for University of Southern California and Wesleyan University. She plans on applying to upwards of five or six other schools regular decision.

Harry L. Dougherty Jr. D.D.S., M.S.

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Nov. 10, 2010

Features B5

The

Chronicle

Listening to loud music over 85 decibels with sound proof headphones or earbuds can cause severe ear damage, especially to adolescents.

By David Burton

soundbytes

i LISTEN TO LOUD MUSIC ALL THE TIME AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO ME SO FAR.”

nika madyoon/chronicle

—Joel Homan ’13

earbuds hurt my ears and are uncomfortable because they easily fall out.” —Jackie Arkush ’12 jamie chang/chronicle

I keep it at half volume to prevent throbbing.” —Jasmine Mcallister ’11

jamie chang/chronicle

Listening to music can be meditative and soothing. It can get the adrenaline pumping through the veins of someone preparing for a big game. It can also be used to fill an undesired silence. Teenagers, according to Time Magazine, are the most frequent users of portable music players, which blast directly into their eardrums. “Teenagers like to feel the music, rather than listen to it, causing them to turn the volume on their mp3 players to full blast,” Raphale Nach, an audiologist at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said. “Even at concerts, the music is so loud that it causes temporary deafness after,” Nach said. Recent studies by Yale University associate professor of medicine, Peter M. Rabinowitz, show that listening to music on portable devices can lead to long term hearing loss. Teenagers are especially prone to harming their hearing because they listen to music at louder level than other age groups. Listening to music louder than 85 decibels that is filtered directly into the ear from a portable music device for extended amounts of time can cause extreme damage to the ears, according to the World Health Organization. In a recent article by Time Magazine highlighting hearing loss in teenagers, Cory Portnuff, an audiologist at University of Colorado who began studying iPodrelated hearling loss in 2006, said, “I honestly don’t believe that most people understand they are putting themselves at risk, or at what level of risk.” Listening from earbuds, or in-ear headphones, for 90 minutes a day at 80 percent volume is probably safe for longterm hearing, but the risk of permanent hearing loss can increase with just five minutes of exposure a day to music at full volume, Portnuff said. Over time, the noise can damage the delicate hair cells in the inner ear that transform sound waves to the electrical signals that the brain understands as sound.

New advanced noise cancelling headphones, such as the Beat by Dre™ or headphones made by Bose™, block out sounds from the outside world, making music through the headphone clearer and in some cases louder. These headphones can increase the noise level of music by six to nine decibels. Many teenagers and young adults realize the risk` but, despite warnings from media and experts, continue to listen to loud music. The impact loud music has on hearing is based on its volume and duration, Nach said. Approximately 90 minutes of loud music can lead to a temporary threshhold shift, or in other words, partial deafness to normal sounds. More than 90 minutes of exposure to excessively loud and localized sound though ear buds or headphones can cause irreversible hearing loss, he said. “Sometimes, I probably listen to music louder that I should,” Laura Silverman ’11 said, “but when you hear a song you absolutely love, it is very tempting to blast it through your headphones.” Portable mp3 players have become common among students for multiple reasons. “I use my Ipod when doing homework. It helps me zone out everything and focus on the work in front of me,” Anthony Thompson ’13 said. Apple Inc. claims that it is looking to standardize warnings of possible risk of hearing loss at certain levels on its mp3 devices. Users would receive warnings when the device is turned on, or when the maximum volume level of the device is increased. These warnings have caught the attention of some teenagers. “I rarely listen to my iPod with the volume all the way up, unless everything around me is really loud,” Skylar Tsutsui ’11 said. “I do not want to mess up my ears.” “It is important that teenagers know the severity of listening to excessively loud music and should be educated by their parents and the media on the repercussions this can have on their hearing,” Nach said.


B6 Features

The

Chron

Despite the recent failed efforts to permit the possession of marijuana in California, usage of the drug continues to be prevalent in teenagers’ lives.

Voters nix legalizing the leaf By Ingrid Chang ov. 2, 2010 was a general election unlike all others for the class of 2011. Many of the seniors recently became eligible to vote, and a certain controversial proposition was on the ballot. Proposition 19, which did not pass, would have legalized marijuana possession and use in California for persons over 21. It was a subject of great debate among students and their parents. The majority of students who answered an October Chronicle poll were pro-legalization, but regardless of their stances on the proposition, all had strong opinions on the subject. For some pro-legalization voters, the primary concern was freedom of choice. “The government should not control what you put in your body. I think I should be allowed to dictate what I do,” Will Davidson ’11 said. “It has been proven to be safer than alcohol.” The projected impact of the bill was an increase in tax and fee revenues up to hundreds of millions of dollars per year for the state of California, and would have potentially saved tens of millions. “Since we’re in a huge deficit, I think our state could use it,” Davidson said. Jason Mohr ’11, who thought the bill was poorly written, had a different opinion. “There was no provision for taxes written in the proposition,” he said. “So, any assumption of a revenue windfall is simply conjecture or misdirection to the real goal of just allowing people to get high legally.” The measure stated that licensed marijuana establishments would have to pay federal, state and local business taxes, and permitted local gov-

ernments to instate additional taxes on marijuana-related activities. However, the impact would have depended on whether the state and local governments chose to regulate and tax marijuana. Another projected benefit of the bill was to reduce costs for marijuana-related offenses and the handling of related criminal cases in the court system. “It takes money out of crimes and gangs and it will take money off the street and put it into legitimate businesses,” Josh Lerner ’11 said. “Law enforcement should be focusing on bigger problems.” One concern of anti-legalization voters was that there was nothing in the bill that forbade workers from being high at work, but some thought this was a trivial issue. “It’s the same thing [as with alcohol], you’re not going to show up to work drunk. And even if you do, you could get fired if you don’t perform properly,” a student said. Prop. 19 was a topic greatly disputed between students and parents. One student was able to sway his dad’s opinion, convincing him to change his vote from a “No” to a “Yes”. “Every argument he gave against it, I just countered,” he said. Despite the arguments for marijuana, there is still a stigma attached to it. Some parents agreed with arguments that their children presented but still had a gut instinct to vote against it. The result of the Nov. 2 election was a disappointment for some students, but others were in favor of waiting a few years for a better system and a better bill. “It’s an irresponsible system,” another student who requested anonymity said, “It’s better to wait a few years and create a better system.”

License to smoke By Mary Rose Fissinger

ean’s* ’11 18th birthday was a notable one. Officially an adult, he could now vote, buy lottery tickets and obtain a medical marijuana card – the latter of which he did, that very day. He went to Michael Morris, MD, in Westwood, who specifically consults for medical marijuana usage and provides prescriptions for cards. Dean had his card prescribed for his chronic elbow pain, though the list of ailments that can merit the use of medical marijuana is extensive. Proposition 215, also called the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, was passed “to ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to… use marijuana for medical purposes

where that medical use is deemed appropriate… by a physician who has determined that the person’s health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.” Dean paid $140 for his card, which he may now use at any medical marijuana dispensary in the state of California. “You can either get your card for one year or two,” Dean said. “I got mine for one because of college next year. I don’t know if I’ll still be in California.” He picks up marijuana about once a week. He takes his card to a dispensary, where they check to make sure it’s valid, and then he can buy up to three ounces at a time of any of the 20

Crime & Punishme Any marijuana conviction for a minor includes Smoking medical marijuana within

1000

feet of a school Selling any amount to a minor

Possession of more than grams

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or 30 strains they usually have. “It actually really helps [with my elbow pain], though that’s not the sole reason I use it,” Dean admits. Scott* ’11 also got his medical marijuana card from Dr. Morris. “They’re not hard to get,” he said. “I just filled out a form and then he took my blood pressure, and that was pretty much it.” Scott had his card prescribed for anxiety, and he said he uses it for the “therapeutic effects.” His favorite dispensaries are Buds & Roses and MMRC, both located near school on Ventura Blvd. Both Dean and Scott enjoy the fact that it is not against the law for them to possess marijuana. “If I’m going to smoke marijuana, I want to do it legally,” Dean said. “You can’t get arrested for it, so that’s always a good thing.”


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Although 18-year-olds can obtain a card to legally buy medical marijuana, there are still laws against use of the substance.

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month suspension of driver’s license

$250

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6 $500 fine

months in state prison and a

Source: www.norml.org Graphic by Allison hamburger and olivia kwitny

Marijuana not as harmless as believed

By Justine Goode

urrent popular culture presents teens with various representations of marijuana use, from the pot-dealing suburban mom on the TV show “Weeds” to James Franco’s stoner character in the movie “Pineapple Express”. It may be because of these lighthearted images that teens don’t view marijuana use as a serious health risk — according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the proportion of teenagers who perceived smoking marijuana as harmful and the proportion who disapprove of the drug’s use have decreased in the past year. In reality, the drug is not the harmless pastime some users believe it to be, but neither is it the “gateway drug” that it is sometimes demonized as, according to a 12-year study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh. Marijuana, made from the dried leaves of the hemp plant, contains the psychoactive substance THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is responsible for the feelings of euphoria, alteration of the senses, anxiety, disorientation and appetite stimulations (the “munchies”) that marijuana users experience. Though marijuana’s effect wears off within a few hours of smoking, THC remains in the body and accumulates in the fatty tissues of the liver, lungs and other organs. This means that it can be detected in urine tests up to three days after smoking and in blood tests up to 2-4 weeks later. However, there has never been a documented human fatality linked to overdosing on THC. Marijuana can also cause mental health issues. Studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Though uncommon, especially with teen users, high doses of marijuana can trigger an onset of schizophrenia or result in a psychotic reaction in more vulnerable users. Marijuana use also temporarily impairs cognitive abilities and lowers inhibitions. This negative impact on memory and learning can last for days or even weeks after drug use. “The damage is mostly psychological,” Dr. Jay A.

Naidu, a Los Angeles internist said. “It’s not like cocaine, where there is damage to the heart.” Marijuana is generally not classified as an addictive drug, especially when compared to cocaine and heroin, substances in which high percentages of users develop life-threatening dependencies. However, according to the Health Department of the University of Wisconsin, a diagnosis of physical dependence relies on two factors — tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. It is possible for users to develop a tolerance to THC, and experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, loss of appetite and decreased pulse. A study done at the University of Mississippi has also shown that the THC levels in marijuana have risen in the past decade due to selective breeding. The result is a much more potent drug than the one smoked in the ’70s, creating a greater risk for addiction to the chemical. Due to the fact that marijuana is a naturally occurring herb, it is not always thought of as posing the serious health risks that tobacco does. While smoking marijuana is detrimental to the lungs, a link between marijuana and death has never been established, whereas cigarette smoking causes one in five deaths in the United States each year. This is because most marijuana users stop smoking after young adulthood, and the general population receives less exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke (secondhand cigarette smoke causes nearly 50,000 deaths a year). But what people may not be aware of is that marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke does, according to the NIDA. Additionally, people who smoke marijuana usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers, exposing their lungs to more of the carcinogenic smoke. This high exposure to smoke can cause serious lung damage, leaving users much more susceptible to respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and bronchial asthma. Though marijuana has not been proven to directly cause cancer, the damage it causes can make lungs more vulnerable to the disease.

Hiding their highs By Cami

de

Ry

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Judd Liebman

or most students, the late afternoon hunger sets in because of a packed schedule and the daily stresses of academic life at this school. However, for some students, the hunger is just a bad case of “the munchies.” Immense hunger is a symptom of smoking marijuana, Nancy* ’12 said, and when a student is high at school, the cafeteria is a great way to alleviate that hunger. When the munchies set in after a quick “sesh” off campus, Nancy quickly headed to the cafeteria before going to English class. In English class, Nancy’s hunger was somewhat subdued. “Thank god for those Milanos,” Nancy said. With the help of the cafeteria snacks, Nancy could shift her focus from her munchies to the discussion at hand. Diving into deep analysis, Nancy had no filter to the great ideas that popped into her mind. “I kicked ass,” she said, “that was the best poetry I have ever written.” Both Nancy and Doug* ’12, who go to class with an intense rush of THC to their brains, are not worried about their teachers finding out because they know how to “play it cool,” they said. Doug knows how to hide his high because he has been smoking consistently since the end of last year.

“Now I know how to control myself,” Doug said. “When I started smoking, I didn’t know what I was doing — I didn’t know how my body was acting. Now I know how I act high — I just sound jazzy and a little out of it.” Self-control has been the key for Doug in keeping the buzz unnoticed by teachers and administrators. “Teachers were kids once, they probably know what it was like to be high, but Doug doubts any confrontation,” he said. “My teachers are not going to confront me about that,” Doug said, “They just ask me how I’m doing or something or [whether] I got enough sleep the night before.” This risk is worth it to Doug, and the feeling induced by pot is enough to eclipse the possible disciplinary action. “I enjoy the feeling,” Doug said. “It makes me feel better. It makes me happy. I have trouble with school and stuff, and weed just calms me down.” Whether it’s before school or during school, smoking became a common occurrence for Doug and Nancy. For Nancy, being high at school was just an excuse to have some fun, but for Doug, it has become the norm. Doug now smokes every morning in his car or at his house before arriving to school. The marijuana has affected Doug’s classroom performances but not enough to drastically change his grades. “I take tests when I’m not high, but I learn every-

thing when I’m high,” Doug said. “Maybe that affects my performance a little bit, but I also don’t get great grades on tests anyway. My effort level is not too hot. [It] has been the same since seventh grade.” A difference of effort level is sometimes sparks teachers’ suspicion of whether a student is high on campus, Head of Upper School Harry Salamandra said. The indicators lead the administration to take action in helping preserve the safe learning environment at Harvard-Westlake and getting the student help, he said. “If a student is having some problems in an area of their life, whatever that happens to be, we would like to work with them, but where that goes depends on the student and the family,” Salamandra said. The school has asked some students to leave the Harvard-Westlake community for drug possession and use, Salamandra said, but weed is not a pressing issue on the school’s current agenda. “With the availability of medical marijuana, it has been viewed a little differently, maybe a little more accepted,” Salamandra said. Despite the school’s strict policies on drug use, students continue to turn to weed for both relaxation and pleasure. The high outweighs the risks and consequences for Doug and Nancy as they sacrifice their academics for a chance to escape. “Just because of my current situation with my low grades,” Doug said. “My teachers don’t really expect a lot from me.” * names have been changed Photos by Allison Hamburger/Chronicle


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Set Theory plays at Oak Room By Ingrid Chang

Hank Adelmann ’11, Jordan Bryan ’11 and Nick Chuba ’10 donned skeleton shirts on Oct. 30 for their monthly show at the Oak Room in Pacific Palisades with their group Set Theory. They played for friends and family on the evening before Halloween while people sat down for dinner or just stopped by to enjoy the music. The group consists of Adelmann playing the bass, Bryan on drums, Chuba on guitar and the two other members Micah Gordon and Isaac Wilson both on keyboards. “We had a pretty good turnout,” Adelmann said. “There were some Harvard-Westlake people. A lot of people came with their families. A lot of people decided to go to the Oak Room just to go check it out.” Their set list consisted of jazz songs including “Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock, “Love for Sale” by Cole Porter, and “Footprints” by Terence Blanchard. Set Theory is playing another show at the Oak Room this month, with a tentative date set for the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Halloween jazz show: Hank Adelmann ’11 strums his bass while Jordan Bryan ’11 drums for their monthly jazz performance at the Oak Room.

Chloe Lister/Chronicle

Advanced jazz debuts at gigs upcoming jazz

By Jessica Barzilay

The middle school Jazz Explorers played their inaugural performances at the ninth grade parents’ party and the Vibrato jazz club last month. Jazz teacher Shawn Costantino formed the group made up of five

My favorite part is teaching the kids how to be self-directed and take ownership over their group”

—Shawn Costantino Jazz Teacher

middle school musicians to begin their orientation to the demanding upper school program. “I wanted to get the most advanced players and have a chance to work with them all year so I can help them prepare for the demands and rigor of the upper school jazz program,” Costantino said. After auditions by Costantino and middle school jazz teacher Starr Wayne, Andy Arditi ’14, Bridget Hartman ’15, Robert Lee ’14, Matt Leichenger ’14 and

Jason Oberman ’15 were selected as the first members of the advanced jazz level combo. The ensemble rehearses weekly, and plays events throughout the year both alongside and independent of the upper school groups. “They seem to be able to come back to big band rehearsal the next day and play all of their parts well. I am sure this is because of their advanced musical skills,” Wayne said. Wayne believes that initiating a middle school Jazz Explorers program provides an important stepping stone for the students. “In my opinion, the greatest advantage is that they are learning how to improvise, work as a team and arrange jazz tunes at a much higher level,” Wayne said. Costantino views learning the value of their work as an important lesson for young musicians. For many of the eighth and ninth grade students, the jazz combo shows are their first paid jobs. He also sees integrating the freshmen jazz players into the high school program as an important step not only to prepare them for the Upper School, but also to encourage their self-sufficiency as artists. The students select their own music and largely manage the combo on their own. “My favorite part is teaching the kids how to be self-directed and take ownership over their group,” Costantino said.

Popp’s artwork on display at Cal Poly Pomona gallery By Sanjana Kucheria Visual Arts teacher Nancy Popp is showing her work at an art show Nov. 13 at Kellogg University Art Gallery at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Popp and her collaborator, Denise Spampinato, are creating an installation called “Mimesis.” Her installation is about a performance she did in Naples, Italy during the summer. Popp has been working on the exhibit for the past nine months. The installation will use the gallery space much like she uses the space of the city in her performances, interstitially. She said she believes it’s a way of documenting her performance without actually showing photos or video of it.

The piece will include wall text, drawn images of her performance, false paper walls with text cut out of them, paper text on the floor, and audio of the performance and interviews with the viewers that were recorded during the performance in English and Italian that visitors listen to on an mp3 player as they look at the physical works. Popp said she was inspired to create this exhibit because of her trip to Naples, her friendship with Spampinato, her interest in architecture and public performance, as well as her past performances. “I hope to achieve recognition and exposure for my work, and richer and more interesting conversations and relationships with my friends, fellow artists and collaborators,” Popp said.

performances

Nov. 26

Set Theory at Oak Room

Dec. 4

Fall Jazz Concert

Feb. 17

Jazz Combo Concert


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Brenda Anderson

‘Destination’ gallery debuts Several multimedia projects of various media will be showcased in the new middle school art gallery. By Ingrid Chang

T ART with Heart: Sophie Gunter ’14 paints zebra stripes on a block of wood for her Mixed Media I project (left). Students take “12 o’clock self-portraits” in Intro to Digital Photography (top right).

he Middle School gained a new space to showcase drawings, paintings, photos, ceramics and mixed media on Oct. 2, “the first real destination gallery the campus has had,” Middle School Visual Arts Department Head Brenda Anderson said. The new gallery is a big step for the middle school Art Department; before its opening, artwork was hung on the walls in various places around campus and was often unprotected from weather. “A professional student gallery has always been a vision of the Middle School Art Department,” Anderson said. Head of Campus Operations Jim DeMatte designed the gallery, which is a converted foreign language room in Reynolds Hall. The gallery was constructed over the sum-

mer to pour a cement floor, replace the tinted windows with clear ones and install state of the art gallery lighting. A monitor was installed in the hallway to showcase work from the animation and video classes. The exterior of the gallery features garden sculpture and landscaping. A new tree and flowers were also planted over the summer. The gallery showcases work from mixed media, photo, ceramics and foundation classes. The current show, which opened on Back to School Day, includes photography and acrylic painting studies of bones, ceramic medallions and pots and wooden totem poles. “We’re planning on doing several openings and individual shows,” Anderson said. Students often come through the gallery to view the work, hang out or just sit and do homework during and after the school day and throughout the week.

Seniors exhibit experimental art By Chloe Lister, Mariel Brunman

instructed to experiment with positive and negative space using only black and white. A new art show was mounted in the Feldman-Horn “We hadn’t done specifically a perspective project gallery last week consisting of pieces created by mem- before, but I ended up really liking it so that was a bers of the senior drawing classes. good experience,” Melanie Borinstein ’11 said. Arthur Tobias’ Drawing and Alex Valdez ’11 chose to porPainting III students made emtray her uncertainty about her bossed and black ink printed senior year of high school in her self-portraits in the collographic self portrait, using acrylic paint printing method for their projects. and oil pastels. Tobias encouraged experimenta“I loved this project because it tion with nature and other unconwas really the first one where we ventional materials when making got complete creative freedom to their prints, resulting in more indo something, and I love the way dividualized products. mine turned out because I had Marianne Hall’s AP Studio Art that freedom,” Valdez said. and Drawing and Painting III stuA film is also being screened in dents contributed work from two the gallery, made by Jake Gutman -Melissa Gertler ’11 ’10, Jake Lasker ’10 and Henry projects for the show. The first was a self-portrait project in which Mantel ’10. The film is called “Sestudents could work in whatever media they wanted nioritis” and is the story of a student attempting to and had to portray how they felt at the beginning of have the “perfect senior year.” their senior year, and the second was an “inside out” “It’s a really good thing to have the show because spacial drawing meant to challenge the seniors’ use of art doesn’t get much press,” Melissa Gertler ’11 said. detail, light, shadows and ability to analyze the inside “It’s good because it’s an opportunity for students to and outside of the Feldman-Horn studio. They were come together and show or see what they’ve done.” and

Jamie Chang

It’s a really good thing to have the show, because art doesn’t get much press.”

All Photos by Chloe Lister/Chronicle

Senior art show: Emma Peterson ’11 selected a corner outside Feldman-Horn for her “Inside/Out” project (far left). Ingrid Chang’s ’11 print for her “Embossed Inked Printed” project makes use of a collographic printing method (left). Courtney Kelly’s ’11 self-portrait illustrates how she felt at the beginning of her senior year (above).


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Photos Reprinted with permission of Jake Gutman

Immersed: Jake Gutman ’10 films an interview in Ethiopia for his documentary, which won two prizes at the New York Reel Teens Festival (left). In an Ethiopian village, Gutman walks through a crowd of children (right).

Alum wins film festival awards By Alex Gura At the New York Reel Teens Festival, Jake Gutman ’10 took the prizes for both Best Documentary and Audience Award. Gutman, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, won the awards for his film “Doing Well in Ethiopia,” a documentary about the country’s water crisis. The Reel Teens Festival took place from Oct. 8-10 in upstate New York. Films in the festival were separated into 13 categories and prizes were given to the best of each. Though in two cases there were multiple films given the “best of ” title, Gutman’s was the only recipient of the award in the documentaries section. There were also three audience favorites selected based on a vote, of which “Doing Well” was one. Gutman attended the festival personally and was able to see his film screened. He also spoke in front of the audience and answered questions about his film, which made the experience “much more meaningful.” Gutman said the praise is “truly humbling.” Telling a story about the water crisis in Ethiopia, Gutman tried to show the effects of lack of clean water on education, health, women’s rights, and more. He also tried to explain solutions that are be-

Jake Gutman ’10 filmed a documentary in Ethiopia during winter break of junior year.

ing implemented in the country and how everyday people can get involved in helping the cause. “To be able to put the names of people and places on such an enormous issue makes it all seem much more manageable, and makes it easier to see the positive changes that can be made to help stem the crisis village by village, country by country,” Gutman said. The film, started two years ago, took Gutman on a trip across the world to sub-Saharan Africa accompanied by Head of Visual Arts Cheri Gaulke and a small group of teenagers. The process of filming was intensive and exhaustive to both Gaulke and Gutman. Though he conducted interviews before and after the trip, the majority of filming was done during the two week stay in Ethiopia. “We’d set up before dawn and shoot all day in dusty hot conditions, conduct interviews or debrief into the evening-then do it all over again the next day,” Gaulke said. Gutman said the festival itself was a meaningful experience as well. He said he was amazed at the diverse arrays of films shown and the opportunity to interact with the audience and filmmakers at the festival. “One of the things mentioned over and over to me

‘The Servant of Two Masters’ Performances on Feb. 11, 12, 13 Directed by Chris Moore

cast list Silvio.........................Ben Platt ’11 Clarice................Natalie Epstein ’12 Dottore.....................Noah Ross ’12 Pantalone............Hank Doughan ’12 Truffaldino..........Nick Lieberman ’11 Smeraldina.........Daniele Wieder ’12 Florindo....................Nick Healy ’13 Beatrice.................Megan Ward ’13 Brighella..................Rachel Katz ’11 Bob.........................Conor Eliot ’11 Jim......................Cory Batchler ’13 Steve....................Wyatt Kroopf ’12 Musicians..........Jacob Chapman ’12, Gil Young ’13 Graphic by Arielle Maxner

was how impressed [the judge] was with the work coming from Harvard-Westlake,” Gutman said. He says he now has better appreciation for the effort that goes into feature length films. Spending nearly a year and a half in editing and post-production, Gutman had to cut hours of footage collected during his trip to Ethiopia and numerous interviews with villagers. Gutman also began to appreciate the impact that both his film and individuals could make on spreading awareness. He said that though the initial range of people influenced by the film may be small, this is just the beginning. “For each person who hears about it or is curious and wants to know more, there might be one or two others who hears about it and spreads this information,” Gutman said. Gutman accomplished the filming and production of the film during his studies at Harvard-Westlake, where he also was highly honored by the school and the Visual Arts department for his active involvement in the program, which included codirecting the 2010 Harvard-Westlake Film Festival. He was awarded the 2010 Visual Arts Award by Gaulke, who was his main Visual Arts teacher and his advisor throughout the shooting of the documentary.


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DJ DQ’d

Although disappointed that he was disqualified from an international DJ contest for being too young, Justin Chernick ’11 is still motivated to make new mixes.

skimmed through the rules and carelessly checked the box that said I was 18 and The country code on then just kind of forgot about it,” the screen of Justin CherChernick said. nick’s ’11 iPhone said Sweden. Although Chernick was disqualiChernick was sitting on the fied from the contest and lost all his field with classmates during the prizes, he said that it was a good way fire drill, and at first he ignored for him to gauge his mixing skills. the call, thinking the caller had diChernick was introduced to electronaled the wrong phone number. ic music during a ninth grade Electronic Just a week before, the top 100 jury Music class. He began DJing when he reof DJ Magazine, a magazine widely alized that it was a way that he could share read by electronic music listeners and the music that he electronic musiwas making. cians, had named Chernick curIt really has given Chernick the best rently plays in front voted DJ in the me confidence and of live audiences Let’s Mix internathe drive to produce at Street Sounds, tional DJ contest. a record store on Five minutes afmore mixes.” Melrose. ter the initial call He entered from Sweden, Cher—Justin Chernick ‘11 Street Sounds for nick felt his phone the first time in September while buying vibrate in his pocket again. The screen a record for his friend. While shopping displayed the same caller I.D. Finally there, he started a conversation with Chernick answered; the caller was Stefan the owner Bob Bagha and told Bagha Kragh from letsmix.com calling to arhe was a DJ. range plans for Chernick to fly to EngChernick was then invited to land on Oct. 27 to play as the opening play at Street Sounds and is now act at a concert featuring musicians an apprentice under Bagha, who Afrojack, Fedde Le Grand, Laidback is himself a professional DJ Luke and Eddie Halliwell. Chernick well-known in Los Angeles. bubbled with excitement until Stef“Bob took me under his ski asked Chernick to send idenwing, and playing with tification and proof that he was him has improved my at least 18 years old. technique greatly,” “When I entered my mix Chernick said. in DJ Mag’s contest, I just By Matthew Lee

graphic by megan kawasaki, Ariell e Maxner and elana zeltser

Managing the music Eusene Lee ’12 juggles work from school and the maintenance of his popular Korean music website. By Claire Hong February of his sophomore year, Eusene Lee ’12 was struggling to finish all his homework on time while adjusting to the new Upper School environment just like many of his peers. Unlike most students, however, Lee had the additional task of hiring editors and writers for the website he had just created, www.kpoplive.com. What started as merely a curiosity for music other than the American music he was accustomed to, Lee’s interest in Korean popular music grew after a visit to Korea when he was only 5. “I just got into K-pop,” Lee said. “It was interesting to see how there are other types of music than just rap or rock music.” Years after discovering his new interest, Lee realized the potential income a website featuring live news feed could generate. “I knew that the blog would do well by the targeted audience,” he said. “K-pop is affecting people worldwide especially through the internet, and K-pop fans are diehard fans.” The website is a blog of all the latest Korean pop music news, which allows people interested in Korean pop who don’t understand Korean to follow their favorite stars. The website’s highest number of views in one day was 150,000 while the Facebook page for his website has almost 215,000 fans, and increases anywhere from 500

to 1,000 fans per day. During the website’s beginning stages, an average day for Lee was surviving through a day of school, and then going home to work on his website for several hours in order to have the website running smoothly. Although the website was a large time commitment at first, he says the work has “settled down.” Lee’s staff of 40 people, which he hired through the internet by advertising on YouTube, takes care of the day-to-day work required for the website to run smoothly. His employees are mostly high school and college students living in the United States, although some live in other countries such as the Philippines and Singapore. They write the stories and post them to his website while he oversees the bigger tasks, such as talking with advertisers and event organizers. Now that his website has been running for about six months, Lee finds that it is easier to focus on school work. “At first, it was hard, since I had to put in all my time, but now that junior year started, I have been allocating less time for the website and made preparations so that the system for blogging can run by itself without me,” Lee said. Lee is also trying to get sponsors for his website. Currently, he is speaking with companies like Monster Headphones and Forever 21 and is about to have meetings with LG and Samsung.

www.kpoplive.com

REFRESHING THE PAGE: Articles on Korean pop are featured on Eusene Lee’s ’12 music website, kpoplive.com. The site’s staff writes a variety of pieces on trendy Korean music groups.


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NEED

Nov. 10, 2010

SPEED

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Despite the dangers of street racing, for some, the lure of an open road and the rush of adrenaline and excitement that comes with it are too good to resist.

By Susan Wang

And though both Zack and Karl have not been caught by police for street racing, they are still aware At a red light on a deserted canyon road, the sound of the legal implications should they be cited. of roaring engines and squealing tires can be heard in Head of security, Jim Crawford said that along with the distance. Soon two cars pull up side by side. Engines getting a very expensive ticket, any person caught hum for an anxious 30 seconds. The light turns green. street racing will have his or her car impounded and Both cars take off, leaving nothing new drivers can lose their licensbut black tire tracks on the many es and privileges until they turn bends and curves of the road. 21 or older. To Zack* ’12 and Karl* ’12, the In addition to being illegal, The adrenaline rush excitement-fueled sensation they street racing can also be excan cloud one’s get from street racing vastly outtremely dangerous, especially weighs the dangers. JUDGMENT AND PUSH A among teens. “Racing is incredible,” Zack “During a street race the DRIVER BEYOND THE said. “It’s a thrill you can rarely adrenaline rush can cloud one’s CAPABILITY OF THE get, and racing is an easy, accessijudgment and push a driver to ble way to get it, albeit more dantake risks beyond the capability CAR. gerous. Everything calms down, of the car,” Crawford said. “Driv—Jim Crawford ers that race endanger everyyou focus, and the adrenaline makes your body and stomach feel Head of Security one’s safety, including their own. a bit cold, like a butterfly sensaWhen mishandled, a car is a letion.” thal weapon. If someone dies in a Both having raced for about crash as a result of street racing, one year, Zack and Karl claim that not all races are of- the police will charge the drivers with manslaughter.” ficially regulated. Zack’s races happen by circumstance; As racing always occurs at night, road visibility is when two speeders come across one another and show highly jeopardized. off who is more skillful, he said. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administra“It’s usually a single lane road and very curvy so tion reported that in 2008 over 34,000 fatal motor vethere is no overtaking,” he said. “It isn’t really a race, hicle crashes occurred in the United States, over oneone person just tries to keep up and show the other fourth of which took place between the hours of 9 p.m that they are faster.” to 3 a.m. Karl’s races usually begin at traffic lights, when two Despite these cautionary statistics, Zack and Karl cars agree to race, either by honking the horn, revving still actively pursue their passion for racing. Zack hopes the engine, or talking, he said. He also races across the to pursue racing outside of the streets in the future, he city with friends. said. “We see who can get to a destination first, using any “It’s not just recklessness for adrenaline,” he said. I means or with restrictions,” he said. appreciate motorsport and try to improve my racing Winding canyon roads are popular locations for rac- as a sport. I do plan to race officially and legally in the es, as they are generally isolated and rarely visited by future.” police. * names have been changed

cHLOE Lister/Chronicle


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Chronicle Volume XX Issue IV Nov. 10, 2010

Backcourt blues?

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Responding to a blog post by a Los Angeles Times sportswriter, basketball player Shawn Ma ’11 defends his team’s guards, including Jordan Butler ’11 (left).

Cross country trains for CIF, state meets By Julius Pak

Daniel Kim/chronicle

unblockable: Amanda Hall ’11 hits over Dos Pueblos blockers in the Wolverines’ Homecoming win. The victory was the 8th in a nearly month-long 13 game win streak, which ended at the hands of Presentation.

Volleyball eyes state title after perfect league finish By Charlton Azuoma The girls’ volleyball team is heading to the CIF playoffs after finishing first in Division 1AA. The team boasts a record of 23-2 and a .923 win percentage. Seniors Christina Higgins ’11 and Anne Cohen ’11 have led the way for the highly experienced team this season with 321 kills and 166 digs respectively. “There are a lot of teams out there that are out for us,” Cohen said. “We just need to focus on continuing to play strong as a team.” The team’s success, however, has unveiled a potential mental weakness. “I think that our biggest challenge will be coming out with focus and discipline every game,” setter Kellie Barnum ’11 said. “Everyone is good. The team who will win is the team with the most passion and chemistry.” “The thing with us is that we

On to CIF Girls’ Volleyball vs. Agoura Nov. 9 Taper Gymnasium

get bored easily against teams that we don’t consider a challenge to us,” Cohen said. “We need to focus on keeping on our toes because any one of these teams can come out with a lot of heart and upset us in the playoffs. We’d hate for that to happen to us.” “For us to get the state title, it would take us taking every game point by point and not underestimating any teams,” Cohen said. The team will be without the support of Yale-bound setter Danielle Salka ’11, who is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, and Milena Popovic ’11, who is out with a shoulder injury. “Milena and Dani were both key factors in our offense,” Katie Price ’12 said. “I think our CIF journey would have been much easier with both of them but we have made a lot of improvements as a team to work around it.” Even though the team is without of its two major contributors

of its roster, the team members believe that they will be up to the task in the playoffs without them. “Our girls have played some really good teams since the injuries to Milena and Dani,” Head Coach Adam Black said. “We’ll be ready.” “When I found out we lost Milena and Dani, my first reaction was that the rest of the season would be a struggle,” Sofia Davila ’12 said. “However after just a few games and practices, I realized we were really going to be okay. “We quickly adjusted to the new rotation, and the players taking their spot have really stepped it up. We haven’t let this loss slow us down.” The team has a bye in the first week because of its first place finish in the Mission League. The bye will give time for Popovic to have a chance at coming back from her shoulder injury before the end of the playoffs.

Wolverine cross country teams finished the Mission League finals with their strongest performance at any league meet this year. Coming off a third place finish in the Division IV sweepstakes race at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational Oct. 22, the girls’ team defeated second place Notre Dame 25-48, and defended its league championship. Cami Chapus ’12 led the team and the rest of the league with a time of 18.25, nearly a full minute before the next runner, teammate Amy Weissenbach ’12 (19:21.1). The girls’ team placed five runners in the top nine. Nikki Goren ’12, in only her third race of the season, placed fifth with a time of 19:59.2. Caitlin Yee ’13 (20:42.8) placed eighth and Yasmin Moreno ’13 (20:55.7) placed ninth. Having won both league cluster meets in addition to the league finals, the girls’ team qualified to the CIF Southern Section Preliminaries for a chance to race at the Southern Section Finals. The boys’ team edged Notre Dame 75-80 at the league finals to place second behind Loyola (26). Although Notre Dame placed a runner in second, a block of Wolverine runners were able to make the difference. Kevin On ’11 (16:17.3), David Abergel ’11 (16:21.7) and Aaron de Toledo ’12 (16:25.9) placed seventh, ninth and eleventh, respectively, to give the boys’ team the narrow lead they needed to take second place. The other scoring runners were Charlie Stigler ’11 (17:35.2) in 22nd place and David Manahan ’14 (17:39.7) in 26th place. At the end of October, the boys’ team was ranked as the third best cross country program in Division IV of the California Interscholastic Federation by ESPN’s Rise magazine. This was a jump from the fifth place spot the team had held since the beginning of the season. The girls’ team was pushed down to third place after sitting on top of the Division IV list since the preseason. “I think that the league results speak for themselves for the most part,” Head Coach Tim Sharpe said. “I feel good about the direction we are going as we start the post-season.” The boys’ team lost to Notre Dame in the sweepstakes race at the Mt. SAC Invitational Oct. 22. On led the team with a fifth place finish and a time of 15:30, 14 seconds after the fastest runner and the Wolverine record for the course. Despite placing first and second individually in the girls’ sweepstakes race, Chapus and Weissenbach were unable to lead the girls’ varsity team to a first place finish. In a race that pitted nine of the top 10 cross country programs in the state against each other, the girls’ team placed third behind Serra and La Reina. The CIF prelims will be held Saturday at Mt. SAC. “We have made steady progress with our program as a whole because more and more of the team understands what it takes: consistent training and a commitment to higher volume,” Sharpe said. “But none of that can happen without the special bond that this team has, we really are like a family. They embrace the training for themselves and the team.”

INSIDE Injured reserve:

ACL tears and concussions are two of the major injuries Wolverine athletes face.

C4-C5

Field hockey lost in the semifinals and girls’ golf finished 12th. Five fall teams are still competing in CIF playoffs. Below is the list of the remaining teams’ first games.

Girls’ & Boys’ Cross country in CIF Prelims Nov. 13 Mt. San Antonio College

Girls’ Tennis

vs. Palos Verdes, Nov. 11 Studio City Golf & Tennis

Boys’ Water Polo vs. Dana Hills Nov. 10 Zanuck Swim Stadium

winter previews:

What to expect this season from all six varsity teams, including Zena Edosomwan ’12 and boys’ basketball.

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photos by Daniel Kim/chronicle


Facts

Nov.10, 2010

Chronicle

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& Figures

1 4 5 20 50 330

Skyler Tsutsui ‘10, is the only one of five starters returning from last year’s varsity girls basketball championship team.

Number of overtimes varsity water polo played before defeating Cathedral 12-11 at Homecoming. The game ended in the second sudden death period.

Girls’ cross country runners who were named to the 11-person All-League team. Cami Chapus ’12 and Amy Weissenbach ’12 were the top two runners in the league.

Number of football players, nearly one third of the football team, that have missed time over the course of the season due to injuries. Fourteen starters have been sidelined.

Consecutive Mission League games won by girls’ volleyball, dating to the 2006 season. This year’s team went 10-0.

The number of kills Cal-bound Christina Higgins ‘11 has recorded during the regular season.

This Month

in

Wolverine History November 1992 By Micah Sperling Dartmouth striker David Moran ’92 is named the Ivy League’s soccer freshman of the year, becoming the first Wolverine alum to receive this honor. As a junior at Harvard-Westlake, Moran was named an All-American, helped take the team to the CIF smallschool championship, and led the track team to the CIF Division IA title. As VOX/’92 a senior, Moran received the SchuDavid Moran macher Award, given to the senior who contributes the most to Wolverine athletics. In Moran’s freshman year, he helped Dartmouth to the Ivy League title and scored the only goal in the Big Green’s upset of no. 6 St. John’s in the 1992 NCAA soccer tournament.

alec caso/chronicle

Cherish MolEzion/chronicle

the Right Guards: Josh Hearlihy ’11 (left) and Nicky Firestone ’11 were two of the basketball players overlooked by the Los Angeles Times’ Eric Sondheimer, writes their teammate Shawn Ma.

Don’t dismiss our backcourt players Shawn Ma Los Angeles Times sportswriter Eric Sondheimer recently blasted our basketball team for not having a “competent guard” to complement our talented front line. According to Sondheimer, our guards struggle to “make a shot or dribble the ball without making a turnover.” I guess it’s true that we currently don’t have a great “true” point guard. Many of our guards are score-first and pass-second players, but Jordan Butler ’11, Nicky Firestone ’11, Josh Hearlihy ’12, and newcomer Danilo Dragovic ’11 can all successfully run the point. Butler, the current starter at point guard, is a better fit as a shooting guard but is trying to make a permanent transition to the point. He has the quickness, handles and shot to be a quality point guard this year. However, he’s still unpolished as a true point. Butler can usually break down his defender and get to the paint

but needs to work on his decision making and passing once he gets there. Throughout the fall league games, he’s been working on improving as a distributor. His development has been highlighted by an impressive fall league game in which he threw three perfect lobs for buckets and catalyzed countless other plays. Many fans remember what Firestone did during his sophomore season. He was integral to our CIF championship and deep run in the state playoffs in 2008. His defense, slashing and three-point shooting were nearly the best on the squad. Injuries sidelined him last year when he suffered several shoulder injuries and then an ACL tear. He’s already returned to football practice and hopes to be at full strength once Mission League begins. He’s a proven three-point shooter (40 percent in 2008-09) and can break a press singlehandedly. If he can return to his pre-injury form, Fires-

tone will be the reliable point guard Sondheimer is looking for. Both 6’7” Hearlihy and 6’5” Dragovic also take turns running the point and both present huge mismatches for opposing point guards. Dragovic, viewed as a threepoint specialist, proved he was capable of running the point during a fall league game against Price High School, one of the best teams in California. Hearlihy’s improving all-around game makes him a threat as a distributor and a scorer. We might not have the prototypical point guard, but to say we don’t have guards with handles and a good shot is absurd. Our guards won’t slow us down. The talent at all the positions is there. We need to improve our team chemistry, focus and experience that comes with playing stogether. Hopefully we’ll resolve all this by the time league and playoffs roll around.

College Bound Spotlight: KC Cord ’11, Track: Dartmouth The Dartmouth women’s track & field team was selected as one of the 2010 All-Academic Track & Field Teams in the United States. This newly-awarded status epitomizes the decision of KC Cord ’11 to commit to Dartmouth. “I was torn because I had the option between running for USC, a Pac-10 school, or Dartmouth… I had to choose between hardcore athletics and hardcore academics,” Cord said. Cord decided to choose the more academic route, officially committing to Dartmouth Oct. 23 after a visit to the campus Oct. 16. Cord, who primarily runs the 100, 200, 400, and 4x4, noted that the application process

Other commits Sam Ruddy ’11, Swimming Penn

>> Kellie Barnum ’11, Volleyball Boston College

Chelsea Shannon ’11, Crew Stanford

was not as hard as anticipated. However, the road to finally being recruited wasn’t easy. Cord’s impressive start as a freshman (her 4x4 relay team advanced all the way to CIF finals that year) was suddenly stalled as she was sidelined for an entire season due to an ACL injury she sustained playing soccer — another sport for which she is a varsity starter. Her injury was too great to allow for a successful return. Junior year found Cord in the same position: trying to work her way back into shape. Despite these setbacks, Cord is triumphant in finally being committed to the school she knows is right for her. -Allana Rivera

For full stories on KC Cord ’11 and the three other Wolverine commits, please visit chronicle.hw.com. Coverage of Damiene Cain’s ’11 live committment announcement on Friday at Sportsmen’s Lodge can also be found online.


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Nov. 10, 2010

Water polo edges Notre Dame, begins CIF playoff run By David Gobel

Daniel Kim/chronicle

going for the goal: Katrina Okano ’11 runs towards the goal in the Los Angeles Field Hockey Association semifinal game. The team placed third in the tournament.

Field hockey places 3rd in final tournament By Chelsey Taylor-Vaughn Coming off their season as undefeated league champions, the varsity field hockey team finished third in the Los Angeles Field Hockey Association on Nov. 14 after defeating the Glendora Tartans. The team defeated Marina who they defeated earlier in the season twice in the quarterfinals 2-1. “My team likes to win,” said Head Coach Erin Creznic said, in response to the way her team played in their last game of the year, although they endured a big loss the day before. Even though the team distinguished themselves as LAFHA champions, they lost in the semifinals to the Newport High School Sailors. The game came down to the very end, with both regulation and overtime over, when the ball touched Kristen

The Wolverine water polo team is headed to CIF playoffs after finishing with an overall record of 14-8 and a league record of 5-3. Last year, the team made it all the way to the quarter finals before losing to Newport Harbor. Three starters, Langdon Froomer ’12, Kayj Shannon ’11 and Bradley Schine ’12 were all injured during the course of the season. Schine, who has returned for the CIF playoffs after suffering from a broken nose, has developed over the season into an important part of the Wolverine team. “Bradley Schine has emerged as an outstanding center defender who is an integral part of this team,” player Alec Zwaneveld ’12 said. “When he is in the water, he serves as an anchor for our defense and a speedy play maker on the offensive end,” he said. The team’s main focus is preparing for CIF playoffs. The first round playoff game is a home game today against Dana Hills at Zanuck Staduim. “The team is going over tactics and plays that will allow us to run them as if they were second nature during important times of games,” Zwaneveld said. One of the biggest games the team played this season was against the Cathedral Phantoms on Homecoming. “The greatest moment so far this

season was winning our Homecoming game in the fourth overtime period.” Zwanaveld said. “We really felt the support of the entire school that day.” Fans packed into Zanuck Stadium for the game and were treated to a spectacle of acrobatic goals and rising tensions. The Wolverines managed to come back from a 9-7 deficit with 2:30 left in the game and sent the game into overtime. Some Wolverine players, including goalie Tyler Greeno ’12 and Zwaneveld, left the game due to foul trouble during the overtime periods. Eventually, Shannon scored the winning goal in the fourth overtime, sending the huge crowd into a frenzy. Other highlights of the season included a 20-1 blowout against league foe Alemany on Senior Day and two big wins against league rival Notre Dame. The team won 11-4 against Notre Dame and then triumphed at home in the final league game of the regular season, winning 13-7. However, the Wolverine water polo team lost twice against Loyola and had a large loss to Loyola at home 15-6. “The most disappointing part of our season was losing against our biggest rival Loyola,” Andrew Hotchkiss ’11 said. “I am really proud of the team that I have the privilege to play on,” Zwaneveld said. “There are no better friends than the ones [with] whom you travel through adversity with.”

Lee’s ’12 foot and went out of bounds, which is a foul. Official field hockey rules state that even after regulation time expires the team is still allowed to play out the corner, even if there is no time left on the clock. The Sailors were allowed another chance at scoring a goal with the score tied. Adrianna Crovo ’12 blocked two of the Sailors’ shots but in the end the ball trickled into the goal, resulting in a 1-0 loss. “Field hockey is one of those sports where the best team doesn’t always win,” Creznic said. “It really sucks losing as a senior, because we came really close, but we came together as a family,” Chelsea Edwards ’11 said. “It definitely hit us after the game that we didn’t get as far as we wanted to, but we are looking forward to next year,” Brigid Sofen ’12 said.

Girls’ golf completes 2nd best season in history By Chelsea Khakshouri Finishing in 12th place at CIF division playoff championships, the girls’ varsity golf team has achieved the second best season in Wolverine history. The team ended the season with an overall record of 10-2. “We had a successful season since we came in second place in our league and placed in the top half in CIF, which was hard to do,” Amanda Aizuss ’13 said. The team advanced to the championships and was the only team to place all six of its players in the League Individual Finals. The finals on Thursday, Oct. 21 were an 18-hole tournament held at Hillcrest Country Club. It was the last match before the CIF-SS Ford Girls Northern Division Team Championships, which were held on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at Soule Park in Ojai. Captains Emily Firestein ’11 and

Melanie Borinstein ’11 ended their four-year varsity golf careers at Soule Park. “Since 2007, they have been the cornerstones for the winning reputation of the girls’ golf program at Harvard-Westlake,” Head Coach Linda Giaciolli said. The team started the season with a three win streak, but the team lost its next game against Notre Dame, which has the best record in the Mission League. Giaciolli now looks to Aizuss ’13 and Jessica Wibawa ’13 to lead the team next year with the help of freshmen players Kate Kushi ’14 and Madeline Abrahams ’14. She believes that they have a chance of winning the Mission League title in 2011 as they did in 2008. “The freshmen, Kate and Maddy were an asset to the team this year.” Aizuss ’13 said. Especially in the final matches when Kate shot her lowest score.”

Wolverines Eat Pizza From Mama’s and Papa’s !!!


C4 Sports

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Chron

on the

Disabled List

With the fall season winding down, one of the key stories has been the multitude of injuries athletes have suffered. ACL tears and concussions are among the most prevalent high school injuries.

ACL tears affect more females than males By Lara Sokoloff As a competitive athlete, tearing the ACL, anterior cruciate ligament, is both a physical and emotional injury. Benching the athlete for anywhere from five to 10 months, losing such a big part of one’s life, even temporarily, can be devasting. “I was heartbroken,” soccer player Briana Nesbit ’12 said upon learning she had torn her ACL last summer. “My initial reaction to the news was crying because I didn’t know what else I could do.” The ACL is one of four main knee ligaments critical to knee stability, along with the MCL, medial collateral ligament, LCL, lateral collateral ligament, and PCL, posterior cruciate ligament. According to the National Library of Medicine, an ACL tear is often accompanied by another tear of one of the ligaments surrounding it, or by a tear in the meniscus. Tears result from both contact and non-contact injuries and are most common in basketball, skiing, football and soccer athletes. ACL tears are more common in female athletes than male athletes. Although the exact reason is not clear, it is suspected that it is connected to the variance between male and female anatomy. The typical rehab period begins with a two week “pre-hab.” During the two weeks before the surgery, patients must strengthen their knee before undergoing surgery, the NLM said, which is done through bending exercises to regain some mobility in the knee. During the surgery, which lasts around two hours, the doctor creates a new ACL for the patient. The new ligament, either taken from the patient’s body or a donor, is used. After surgery, the patient’s rehabilitation can last anywhere from two to eight months. The goal of rehab is to redevelop your muscles and consequently regain mobility and strength. After six months of therapy with the trainers at school and outside trainers, Nesbit was released to full contact. It only takes a week to lose one’s muscle mass, but a year to completely gain it back, Danielle Salka ’11, a competitive volleyball athlete, said. Salka, who has

Play-by-play: ACL Damage Treatment

Surgery depends on prognosis

Causes

By the numbers

80,000 56,000

2-8

i was heartbroken. My initial reaction to the news was crying because i didn’t know what else I could do.”

daniel kim/chronicle

sidelined: Injured basketball player Claire Baba ’12 looks on while her team prepares for the season.

Symptoms

committed to play volleyball at Yale University next fall, has torn her ACL twice in the past two years. Knee pain Twisted knees “Both times I tore my ACL, I was hitting and Swelling Knee impacts landed awkwardly on one leg,” she said. “I felt a jolting pop like that of a rubber band stretch beyond its Awkward landing limit.” The first time Salka tore it, she had received a bad pass from a teammate and was stretching to keep the ball in play. While jumping for the ball, her body twisted outward, causing her to land unevenly on the outside of her left foot. Her leg consequently bent inward in a slight C, and immediately jerked upon impact. “I felt two jolting pops, of something ripping deep below the bone,” she said. The doctor’s original prognosis was positive. He Torn ACL noticed no swelling, and thus her pain was most likely a result of her knee-cap popping in and out of place. However, he suggested she get an MRI to confirm his prognosis. Although she expected the severity of the injury, it did not lessen the sheer devastation she felt after she received her prognosis. “I had not fully grasped the implications of my recovery, the meaning of surgery, crutches, physical therapy or eight months,” she said. “They were just words to me.” Salka missed almost two weeks of school after her surgery. Because she had to be medicated with Oxycodone, Salka could not get out of bed for an extended period of time for anything but physical therapy. Total ACL tears in USA anually “During the surgery, they drill through the thighbone, and bone pain is supposedly the most painful kind of pain,” Salka said. ACL tears that occur during The emotional effects of the surgery were equally painful as the physical ones. The pain was unbearsports in USA annually able, and worsened with every slight movement of months her leg, she said. But the injury also caused feelings of resentment towards volleyball to arise from withAverage recovery time in her, making her doubt whether she wanted to ever play again. After eight months of physical therapy, her knee Source: Usatoday.com Graphic by Austin Lee and Judd Liebman fully healed and she transitioned into playing again. However, playing again involved overcoming a huge increasingly less stable. mental hurdle of fearing re-injury, she said, but that “I don’t actually know the exact moment when too goes away eventually. Unfortunately, Salka retore her ACL earlier this it retore,” she said. “But there was a moment five season. She went into surgery on Tuesday, and will months after when my knee really hurt, and then again undergo the slow and arduous recovery pro- after that it just felt unstable.” The doctor insisted that it was normal to the cess. surgery, and she thus con“I don’t think I’ll tinued to play on it, although be more afraid when it frequently gave out during I play again,” she said. games. A little over a year “I’ve been through it ago, Stroud sought out a secbefore, and I know ond opinion, who encouraged what to expect, what her to get an MRI, and she pain is okay and what soon found out that she had pain to worry about.” retorn her ACL. Claire Baba ’12 “At that point, I knew I originally tore her was going to be out for more ACL and meniscus last January playing —Briana Nesbit ’12 than a year,” Stroud said. “At the beginning, it was really basketball, but did frustrating.” not have surgery unRehab the second time went smoother than the til a week ago. In January, her doctor declared that her ACL was still functional, and thus surgery was first. She could feel herself getting stronger and was not necessary. She continued to play on it, despite its able to do the exercises more precisely due to her unsteadiness, until she tore her second meniscus this experience. When Stroud plays now, she doesn’t go into games summer. She will be in physical therapy strengthenfearing she will retear her ACL. However, unconing her knee for the next six months. Elana Stroud ’13, a soccer player, has also torn her sciously, she may not go into a tackle as hard, or she ACL twice over the past two years resulting in over a wouldn’t cut a certain way. As she continues to play more and further strengthen her knee, much of her year and a half of rehabilitation. However, as she progressed through rehab, she unconscious fear has worn away and she has regained became increasingly more excited as she was able her aggressiveness and agility, she said. Despite the physical and emotional burdens, ACL to do more advanced exercises. During the first few months, she was restricted to slow biking, but was reconstructive surgery is an extremely successful then able to start running around her fourth month, surgery that yields in stable knees for the great maand allowed to touch a soccer ball during her fifth jority of patients. Doctors are continuing to revolutionize the surmonth. After recovering from her first injury, Stroud be- gery in order to expedite the recovery and eliminate gan to play again. However, five months after her re- complications with the surgery itself, NLM said. hab had ended, she began to feel her knee become —Additional reporting by Alex Leichenger


Sports C5

nicle

PHoto Illustration by Austin Lee and Photo by daniel kim/chronicle

head first: Head-to-head hits in football are the most common way that football players sustain concussions. This type of hit has been severely penalized by the National

Football League to protect the players from serious head injuries which can cause lifelong damage. The Harvard-Westlake Athletic Program works to prevent such injuries.

Facing concussions head on

By Judd Liebman

W

hen linebacker Nick Nathanson ’13 was a freshman and was practicing with the bigger upperclassmen during hell week, he sustained a concussion while practicing in the first day of hitting drills. Nathanson drove up to tackle the running back during the drill, and this helmet-to-helmet hit eventually kept him off the field for two weeks. “After the hit, I got up and shook it off and kind of played through it,” he said. “After two more plays I got really dizzy and got a headache and the lights started to hurt my eyes.” After napping through lunch, Nathanson visited the athletic trainers to make sure everything was normal. But everything was not normal. Concussions are ugly. They sometimes leave the concussed unable to function without experiencing fatigue and massive headaches. This problem has grown across the nation to the point where the National Football League has put in place massive fines and game penalties to those whom hit violently. Despite this widespread concern, Harvard-Westlake does not need to change its head-injury policies because the current protocol is “equal to if not better than any professional team out there,” athletic trainer Milo Sini said. A concussion is either a traumatic or mild injury caused by impact with anything from the ground, to another player’s helmet to a fast-moving ball. Softball pitcher and outfielder Madeline Kaplan ’13 has been absent from school for more than 30 days due to a concussion she sustained during her fall travel team’s practice. Kaplan’s mother, Jean, said that her daughter dove for a catch and hit her head against the ground. Despite being a little shaken up, Kaplan continued to practice until her symptoms got unbearable, Jean said. For Jean, the most important part of her daughter’s injury was the fact that she knew to stop playing since the “greatest risk is right after the injury happens,” she said. Kaplan was unable to be interviewed due to immense headaches. “She literally cannot work,” Jean said. “We really cannot come up with a plan until she gets better.” Kaplan has no plan to return to school anytime soon. “Unfortunately, this is a situation where you just have to wait it out, there is nothing that can speed up the process,” Jean said. Water polo player Kevin (Kayj) Shannon ’11 also sustained a concussion during practice. Shannon was warming up in the pool when a water polo ball hit him in the head on Oct. 27.

Shannon is unable to come to school and cannot physically exert himself, he said. Shannon is hoping to be fully recovered before the varsity water polo team enters its CIF run. Lacrosse player Matthew Carney ’11 sustained a concussion during his sophomore year. Carney got hit during a game and continued to play for five or six minutes, he said. “I didn’t realize that anything was wrong for a couple of minutes,” he said. Carney was able to attend school as usual, but was unable to play for three lacrosse weeks. Carney was not able to take tests for the first four days after the incident, and when he was able to take exams, Carney did so with extended time. Preventing concussions starts on the field for the Wolverine athletic teams, Head of Athletics Adrius Barzdukas said. “[Football Head] Coach [Vic] Eumont is relentless about coaching the fundamentals of hitting,” Barzdukas said. “If anyone watches our team play, you don’t see any kids tackling incorrectly.” Correct tackling or checking is extremely important to athletes who participate in contact sports because if one hits an opponent incorrectly, then both of the athletes involved could land off the field with concussions. “[The coaches] try to get everyone to tackle with the right form,” Nathansaon said. “They are trying to teach the right fundamentals. It is now natural instinct to hit correctly.” In addition learning fundamentally sound tackling techniques, each player at the beginning of the season went through a helmet fitting process to ensure that his head was best protected, Sini said. “We looked at the three biggest manufactures of helmets [Schutt, Ridell, and Zenith] and had the persons who do the product info make a presentation to us and

give us the research data,” he said. After each presentation, football players were individually fitted and given the helmet that best fit his head shape and size. If an athlete sustains a concussion despite all of the program’s safety precautions, he is assessed by the athletic trainers for a serious head injury. The athletic trainers ask the athlete some basic questions and ask them to memorize some words, numbers, or shapes, said Nathanson. If the athlete struggles to remember all that is asked, then he or she is sent to concussion experts at the Sports Concussion Institute in El Segundo. Before the season begins, all members of contact sports are tested in the Tech Center by a neuropsychologist from the Sports Concussion Institute. In this preliminary test, the institute takes a baseline neurocognitive test in order to establish the athletes’ normal abilities, Director of Sports Medicine —Matthew Carney ’11 Sandee Teruya said. The baseline exam tests the athletes’ visual memory, motor skills, and reaction time, among other things. If an athlete sustains a concussion, and the athletic trainers deem him or her unable to go back on to the field, he or she is sent to the Sports Concussion Institute for another set of tests. These tests are very similar to the baseline tests and can establish if the player has recovered from the injury. “We assess concussions, we make sure the proper specialists diagnose them,” athletic trainer Teruya said. The doctors at the concussion institute then make the decision whether or not the athlete is ready to get back on the field. The doctors do not give a set timeframe, Nathanson said, and the athlete must continue to get tested until his or her results return to normal. “My results were about 75 percent lower than they originally were,” Nathanson said of his testing, so he was off the field for two weeks until his symptoms cleared up and his results returned to those of the baseline test. Because Nathanson’s concussion happened during summer training, his schoolwork was not affected, he said. For an athlete who sustains a concussion during the school year, it is the doctors at the Sports Concussion Institute who determine whether the athlete is fit for school, Teruya said. The concussed works with his or her dean to get extended time until he or she is ready to be re-immersed Source: Athletic Trainers into regular life, Sini said. Graphic by Austin Lee and Judd Liebman and Photo by daniel kim

i didn’t realize that anything was wrong for a couple of minutes.”

Symptoms of significant head injuries • Difficulty remembering facts or events • “Fogginess” and/or balance problems • Confusion or inability to think clearly • Sensitivity to noise or light • Headache and/or dizziness • Irritability or mood swings • Nausea or vomiting


Nov. 10, 2010

Chronicle

The

C6 Sports

JV Roundup Football

With an overall record of 1-8 and a league record of 0-4, the JV football team heads into its final game of the season at home on Saturday, Nov. 13 against an sub .500 St. Francis team. “They did their best with the tougher circumstances given,” Head Coach Scott Wood said. The team is on a five game losing streak after suffering recent losses to St. Paul, Cathedral, Serra, Chaminade and Sylmar. “Although the score didn’t end up working in our favor, we fought hard,” Wood said. The players did a good job of playing out of position with all of the injuries that a lot of our guys suffered. Our players just need to work harder on learning our system as best they can for next season.” —Michael Aronson

Girls’ volleyball

After finishing its season with a 12 game winning streak, the JV volleyball team was crowned league champions last Thursday. It finished with an overall record of 14-1 and a league record of 10-0. It also finished first in both of the tournaments it competed in. “We played so well all year and I’m really proud to be League Champions,” Ally Hirsch ’13 said. The Wolverines have not dropped a set since their loss to Marymount on Sept. 30. With 11 varsity players graduating at the end of this year, many of the current JV players look forward to competing for varsity spots next year. “We should have a great [varsity] team the next couple of years,” Madison McAndrews ’13 said. “We all can’t wait to compete for the open spots next season.” —Luke Holthouse

Cross country

The JV cross country team competed in the Mt. San Antonio College meet on Oct. 22 with the girls finishing fifth out of 17 teams, including five Div. III schools. Despite being in a very competitive race, the boys’ JV team finished tenth. Both JV teams were entered in the JV National Championship Division, which is only open to teams that entered in the Varsity Sweepstakes races. Monica Nimmagadda ’14 led the team, finishing in the top 10 with a time of 20:53. Finishing soon after were Elle Wilson ’13 and Mary Rose Fissinger ’11, with times of 21:17 and 21:18 respectively. Austin Lewis ’11 finished first for the boys’ team with a time of 18:20, a personal record. Also beating his personal record was Xavi Villalta ’11, who ran an 18:37. Ben Saunders ’11 finished in 18:50. —Ally White

Field hockey

The JV field hockey team concluded its season with an overall record of 5-3-3 and a league record of 1-2-3. Harvard-Westlake, Bonita, Glendora and Chaminade are the only four teams in the league. The league games began on Oct. 4 and concluded Oct. 28 with the team ending the season in second place. There are no playoffs. “Although we didn’t win all of our games, the whole team learned a lot and gained lots of experience,” team captain Jamie Chang ’13 said. “We had a lot of fun playing, especially when we beat Fountain Valley 8-0.” —Cherish Molezion and Ally White

Boys’ water polo

By capping off its season with a 12-0 win over Notre Dame on Nov. 4, the JV water polo team improved its overall record to 12-5. The boys’ JV water polo team won its last three league matches, ending with a final league record of 6-2. Coach Pavle Filipovic believes that his team has improved tremendously from last year. According to Filipovic, the reason for the team’s success has been its hard work. “Pavle is a great coach,” Sean Fisher ’13 said. “He knows what he’s talking about and he always pushes us to do more.” —Nicole Gould

Daniel kim/chronicle

making the play: Max Heltzer ’11 runs the ball at Homecoming on Oct. 23 against the Cathedral Phantoms . The Wolverines’ 24-21 loss to the Phantoms was the third loss in the Wolverines’ five game losing streak.

Football drops five games in a row, remains winless in league By Judd Liebman After a nail biting homecoming loss to Cathedral, the football team lost two straight games against Junipero Serra High School and St. Paul High School, giving up 82 points combined. The team’s overall record dropped to 2-6-1 with a league record of 0-4. The team goes into the game against St. Francis winless in the Mission League. The move to the Mission League from the Del Rey League came at the cost of playing more talented teams, Head Coach Vic Eumont said. “The league is stronger from top to bottom, but we have played these types of teams every year, just not as many within the same year,” Eumont said. According to defensive lineman Ernie Zaferis ’11, the team’s winless league record can be attributed to the team’s inexperience and multitude of injuries. The team’s inexperience on both offense and defense hurt them when trying to close out games, leading wide receiver Noor Fateh ’11 said. In the loss against St. Paul on Friday Nov. 5, the Wolverines had an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter. After a late surge by the St. Paul offense, the lead turned into a two point deficit by the end of the game and Harvard-Westlake lost to the Swordsmen 30-28. “[St. Paul’s offense] was getting a big push off the line and we let them get back in it,” Zaferis said. “We made just a couple of mistakes here and there, and it went a long way for them.” In addition, the Wolverines gave up a 21-14 lead to the Cathedral Phantoms at Homecoming Oct. 23, and

lost the game 24-21 after a missed last-minute field goal attempt by Will Oliver ’11. “Everything kind of goes back to all the injuries,” Zaferis said. “That was the toughest part of the season, overcoming all of the injuries.” “Injuries have been killing us this year,” Fateh said. “Every week one or two guys get injured. They are big injuries too. Starting quarterback Max Heltzer ’11 suffered a finger injury. Also injured are running back Jamias Jones ’12 and cornerback Nick Firestone ’11. Both are expected to return to the line-up for the last game of the season against St. Francis on Friday. The Wolverines are thin at the conerback position, as Cameron Komisar ’12 is also injured. Correy King ’13 replaced Jones until King injured his arm at the Homecoming game. Despite the many injuries, the team evolved into a close unit, Zaferis said. “We grew together as a team,” he said. “In the beginning no one really knew what to expect, but we have now grown together.” “We were unsuccessful in the amount of losses that we had, but we were successful in the growth of the team,” Fateh said. Eumont and his young team look to the home game against St. Francis High School on Friday Nov. 12 with a sense of hope and optimism. The team is going to leave everything on the field for the last game, Fateh said. “Our theme is ‘Do better!’” Eumont said. “If not today, tomorrow! If not this play, the next one!”

Girls’ tennis wins league By David Kolin On Monday, the doubles’ and singles’ teams took first and second place in Individual League Prelims. After winning league last Wednesday, the girls’ tennis team will move on to the first round of CIF playoffs on Thursday, Nov. 11. The team’s closest league match was its match against Notre Dame. The final score was 14-4. Both times the team played Flintridge Sacred Heart, the Wolverines shut them out 18-0. Katherine Belgrad ’11 attributed the team’s success to its unique practice style. “The way that we train, we do lots of ball drills and focus on fitnes and footwork,” Belgrad said. “We do the same warm up every single day so we are in a routine. [The routine] involves ball drills, dynamic stretching, and practicing shots with a racket but without the ball.” The coaches schedule the toughest matches at the beginning of the season in order to prepare the girls for competitive match play, Belgrad said. As a result, the team lost three of their first four matches. “It was kind of like a wakeup call to us. We had to focus more during

David Kolin/chronicle

Undefeated in league: Melissa Gertler ’11 returns the ball in a practice at the Studio City Golf and Tennis Center before a match against Brentwood. The team won the league title with an undefeated league record. practices, and the coaches made the practices a lot more rigorous,” Kei Goldberg ’12 said. During practice the doubles teams work on coming to the net and finishing points as quickly as they can. They worked on first time put-aways, which require strong volleys. “I think that [approaching the net] was really key to our success [through] the end of the season,” Goldberg said.

During practice they also worked on lobbign opponents at the net and hitting it about 30 feet into the air to get it over the net players. The team’s season has been successful thus far, but both Belgrad and Goldberg do not expect their team to make it past the quarterfinals in CIF. “[Winning CIF is] not a realistic possibility, but we definitely hope to reach the quarterfinals,” Belgrad said.


Nov. 10, 2010

Sports C7

The

Chronicle

Winter Varsity Previews

Winter teams are coming off two CIF championships, four league titles and one state title. Will this year’s teams match last year’s success? defendingchampions

Girls’ Soccer

With many returning players from CIF title team, squad looks to defend championship By Charlton Azuoma

alec caso/chronicle

Closely Guarded: Esther Lee ’11 dibbles down the court in a preseason exhibition game while being guarded by a Canyon player.

defendingchampions

Girls’ Basketball

After a state championship season, girls’ basketball could face rebuilding year. By Chelsey Taylor-Vaughn Coming off a CIF division IV championship, the varsity girls’ basketball team is convinced that it has the potential to repeat the championship. Although it lost four of their championship starters including Nicole Hung ’10 and Nicole Nesbit ’10, both ranked nationally, it still has guard Skylar Tsutsui ’11, now co-captain. “Obviously I’m going to work harder [this year],” Tsutsui said. “We just have to keep pushing our team to make them try their hardest. I know we can win Mission League.” “People on the outside don’t expect much,” Leslie Schuman ’12 said, who was also an asset to last year’s success. Chaminade is one of the Wolverines’ biggest league competitors, though they are very

confident that they can beat the Eagles. The Wolverine roster is filled with guards, including Natalie Florescu ’13, who was moved up from JV for last year’s Championship game. Esther Lee ’11 will also take on a larger role for the team this year, replacing Nesbit as the starting point guard. “I’m excited for this year because even though we lost eight seniors we still have a really great team,” Florescu said. “It’s funny listening to others underestimate us. They don’t know how much fire and chemistry this team has,” . The team doesn’t have a lot of height, as Rae Wright ’10, their tallest player who stands at 5’10, is out with a knee injury. “We have an incredible speed that makes up for our lack of height,” Florescu said.

After a season in which the girls’ soccer team posted a record of 14-2-2 and a win percentage of .833, the team is looking forward to another promising year. “We’re hoping that we can repeat what we did last year or maybe do even better. We won CIF but we lost in the semifinals for state. But as a austin block/chronicle team we

did strongly and it was unfortunate to lose. We should not have lost that game,” goalkeeper Reba Magier ’12 said. One of the team’s strengths is its improved defense, since Briana Nesbit ’12 returned to the team. “We’re kind of strong everywhere, “Magier said. “We have good scoring forwards up there but we also have a strong backline. We lost Leah Merkle ’10, but KC Cord ’11 is looking to step it up this year.” The team also lost midfielder Haley Boysen ’10, who plays for USC. “I feel like we’re going to do well this year even though we lost one of our players in Haley,” defender Briana Nesbit ’12 said. The team considers its biggest challenge beating Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, whom they play Jan. 5. The Wolverines begin their season Dec. 1 against Palisades High.

daniel Kim/chronicle

Teaching moment: Coach Hilliard helps explain a drill to boys’ basketball players. The team’s six-game Pacific Shores Tournament will begin on Nov. 29.

Boys’ Basketball

Four new starters adjust to increased roles By Judd Liebman

Wrestling

Shortage of wrestlers plagues team By Julius Pak The wrestling team will have to overcome some of the same hurdles it faced last year if it hopes to improve on its record of three league losses. The team suffers from the same problem it had last year: a lack of team members. In the 14 weight categories in high school wrestling, the team does not

have enough members to qualify for every weight category. As a result, the team must forfeit several of the matches every meet. “We have to forfeit a lot of the upper weights because we don’t have many really big guys on our team,” Jake Sonnenberg ’11 said. “This makes it harder for us to win.” The team competes in the Chaminade Duals Nov. 27.

Even though the boys’ varsity basketball team picked up Danilo Dragovic ’11 to help relieve the loss of six seniors, the team is ranked fifth in the Mission League based on coaching polls. The 6’5” Dragovic is useful to the team for a multitude of reasons, most of which have to do with his offense. The senior is still adapting to the American style of basketball, which features fast paced defense and a lot of passing on offense. “We are getting familiar with his game and he is getting familiar with

his teammates. It’s a work in progress,” Head Coach Greg Hilliard said. Four out of the six graduating seniors were starters, including Erik Swoope ’10. Replacing Swoope is Damiene Cain ’11, has been working on his outside shooting. Hilliard said he hopes that Cain can put up a double-double in points and rebounds each night. This year’s Mission League ranking is the lowest in many years due to the common criticism that the Wolverine team lacks a strong point guard. First year starter Jordan Butler ’11 will be filling that spot this year. “Butler has very limited experience,” Hilliard said.

Boys’ soccer

Girls’ water polo

Squad rebuilds after player losses

Team aims to avenge last year’s 2nd round exit from CIF playoffs

By David Gobel Only five varsity players from last year’s CIF runnerup team are returning to the boys’ soccer team for the 201011 season. Three seniors, Alex Markes ’11, Ethan Mark ’11 and Advai Pathak ’11 are playing on academy club soccer teams instead of the school team. “Although we won’t have the depth that we did last year during this rebuilding year, that doesn’t mean our goals

won’t be the same as far as trying to win league or trying to make the playoffs,” Head Coach Freddy Arroyo said. Lack of depth and experience are the team’s biggest issues. “A lot of starting positions will have kids who have experience, such as Charlie Porter ’12, Will Oliver ’11, Alex Hong ’11 and Josh Lerner ’11 up front,” Arroyo said. “These guys have been on varsity for a while, [and] they need to step up and lead the young guys.”

daniel Kim/chronicle

focus: Adam Bailey ’11 dribbles down the field during practice.

By David Kolin The girls’ water polo team lost some players from last year’s squad, but two stars, Camille Hooks ’11 and Ashley Grossman ’11, will return. “[The loss of players may hurt] us a little bit, but I feel like my team will be able to overcome it without any problems [and will] look at it as just another way to get better,” Bella Gonzalez ’12 said.

Despite the team’s losses, Gonzalez’s hopes are high for doing well in CIF this year. “I think my team has a very good chance at winning CIF this year,” Gonzalez said. Last year, the team lost 11-9 in the second round of CIF. It also Murrieta Valley where the team lost 11-10. “If they work hard enough, they could go a long way in CIF and have a chance to win it,” Head Coach Robert Lynn said.


The

C8 Sports

Sisters in Arms By Alec Caso

Q A Q A Q A Q A Q A

and

Austin Lee

What motivated you to fence?

Emma: When I was little, I really liked fantasy books, especially those with pirates and sword fighting. My mom eventually signed me up for a few fencing lessons. I soon began to really love it and my coach thought I had a lot of potential.

Nov. 10, 2010

Chronicle

From across the country all the way to Switzerland, sisters Emma Peterson’11 and May Peterson’13 have competed together side-by-side internationally since childhood. Emma has won Nationals and recently commited to Harvard University. May aspires to follow in her sister’s footsteps into a college career.

Q A

What other extracurriculars do you particpate in?

May: I have played the oboe since childhood. I also participate in water polo at school. However, fencing is by far my favorite activity.

How often do you fence?

May: I fence five days a week at Los Angeles International Fencing Center. I go Monday through Thursday and then on Saturday. Four hours a day, 20 hours a week.

What led you to commit to Harvard?

Emma: I want to fence a lot in college. I’m going to school on the east coast and the fencing in New York City is really good. I’ll be traveling there a lot and I’ll be fencing a lot more than I am now with higher level people. I’m the oldest person in my club, and I just want to keep fencing.

Has there ever been a time when you have considered taking a break from fencing?

May: Not really. It is a natural thing at this point. When I was little I wanted to stop because it was hard, but I never did. Now I am happy with that choice.

Have you always enjoyed fencing?

Emma: I always thought it was cool but, because I always wanted to be a pirate when I was little, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Sometimes practices, especially when you’re young, can be really repetitive, so it was hard to keep me interested when I was an excited 12-year-old, but now it’s fine.

Q A

What are some of your most important accomplishments in fencing?

Emma: I got third in a junior event, which was 19 years or under, two or three years ago, which was cool because I was young, and I did well. It was a North American Cup, and I also won Nationals when I was 15. I have competed in Nationals every year since I was 11 or 12.

May: I used to do well when I was little but I haven’t had a lot of great results lately, so I don’t know. I’ve competed in Switzerland, in Ohio and in the North American Cup.

Q A

To what extent do you intend to pursue fencing?

Emma: I don’t know. The thing is that most women fencers in the Olympics are in their 20s or 30s, so it’s a thing that you can do for a long time at a really high level. I could take a gap year from college and train to go to the Olympics, but I’m not ready to do that so soon.

May: I will at least fence in college, but I don’t know if I will continue after that. It kind of depends on how things go in college.

Photos by Alec Caso/chronicle


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