August 2021 Issue by The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

Harvard-Westlake • Studio City • Volume 31 • Issue 1 • August 25, 2021 • hwchronicle.com

School mandates vaccination The school administration mandates proof of full vaccination for school year. By Claire Conner The school required all students, faculty and staff to submit proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 by Aug. 13, which President Rick Commons announced in an all-school email sent July 30. The school released a packet on its website detailing the conditions that would lead to potential exemptions from vaccination, which can be discussed with the Community Health Office. According to the packet, the school will only consider exemptions for documented medical reasons, sincerely held religious beliefs, age-related vaccine eligibility issues and vaccinations in process of completion. Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said while the school initially planned not to require vaccinations amid declining cases in the spring, rising numbers due to the highly transmissible delta variant prompted the administration to reconsider their policy. “We asked people to voluntarily submit their vaccination status and found that a very large majority of our students, faculty and staff had already been vaccinated, but there were still a number of parents, students, faculty and staff who were expressing the sentiment that a vaccine requirement would make them feel much more comfortable returning to school,” Slattery said. With students, faculty and staff now fully vaccinated, Slattery said the school has adjusted several COVID-19 prevention measures from last year. “At this point, we plan to do regular [COVID-19] testing on anyone with a medical exemption and for students playing contact or indoor sports,” Slattery said. “We may have to do regular testing for vaccinated individuals, but that is not [what we] plan [to do] at this moment.” • Continued on A3

JUSTIN GOLDSTEIN/CHRONICLE

TESTING IN TRANSPORTATION: Adam Luse ’23 prepares to receive a COVID-19 nose swab test from a Mend Urgent Care representative at the school’s drive-thru rapid testing facility Friday. All students, faculty and staff are required to file proof of full vaccination with the school in August.

Administration announces COVID-19 safety protocols as both campuses reopen at full capacity

By Tessa Augsberger and Milla Ben-Ezra

President Rick Commons released COVID-19 protocols and other reopening guidelines for the upcoming year in an allschool email sent Aug. 17. Both campuses will reopen at full capacity, resuming all campus programs in accordance with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health guidelines. Students will be required to wear masks indoors but may choose to wear either KN-95 or two-ply masks. Similarly, athletes must wear masks when practicing a sport indoors but are not required to wear masks if they are training or competing outdoors. Varsity cross country runner Leo Craig ’24, who wore a mask while practicing last year to align with school guidelines, said he is grateful that he can run without a mask this season.

“I think having the mask on lowed on campus. sort of hindered our performance Students are also required to in allowing us to run as best as we submit proof of a negative basecould,” Craig said. “We obvious- line COVID-19 test result in ly weren’t running as fast as we August. The school offered sevwould have without the masks, eral opportunities for on-cambut our coach did try and show pus drive-thru testing via Mend us the bright side. Being able to Urgent Care on campus Friday, breathe in less air sort of does help Saturday and Sunday. a little bit. It’s almost as Associate Head of if you were running at School Laura Ross altitude. But, just not said the purpose of the having the mask on is a school’s vaccine manpositive overall and just date is to ensure the makes the running easschool community can ier and less exhausting.” safely transition back to The school also imin-person school. plemented a vaccine “Our most importmandate for all stuant goal is [that] we white’s dents, faculty and staff. want students, teachers Leo Students and faculty and [the rest of ] our Craig ’24 with documented medcommunity to feel safe ical grounds, sincerely held reli- coming back [to campus] togious beliefs or age-related vac- gether,” Ross said. “The science cine eligibility issues are exempt is becoming very clear, even with from the requirement. Those breakthrough [cases], that the who have not yet filed their proof incidences of serious illness are of full vaccination will not be al- much less pronounced for people

who are vaccinated.” Although he said classes will take place entirely in person, Commons also said the school will continue to use Zoom as a substitute for in-person learning when a student is sick, away or otherwise unable to attend their classes on campus. “We are not making online school an option or a choice that somebody can make,” Commons said. “Yet, we will use the advantages we’ve learned from being online to take care of students who are not feeling well and should stay home [...] I want us to use what we learned from remote school to give people the opportunity to be careful about the community and to give themselves the rest they might need without falling as far behind.” Contact tracing procedures will only be implemented again if there is a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 on campus or in the community. • Continued on A2

IN THE ISSUE

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Delightful Dinner: Jewish Family Alliance members meet for an outdoor Shabbat dinner before the school year.

The Golden Games: Though they bring on a myriad of issues, the Olympics are a pillar of unity and are integral to society.

Fake it Till You Make It: High School students have been using fake IDs to acquire contraband and enter nightclubs illegally.

C1 Vampires on Demand: Students reflect on their streaming platform preferences as millions stream The “Twilight” Saga.

D6 The Boys are Back: Members of the boys water polo team reflect on their new season, hopeful to acquire another championship.

A2 News

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

School implements COVID-19 rules

last year’s spirit and a little bit of typical normalcy will make this Commons said he believes the [school] year different but also school’s COVID-19 protoreally amazing.” cols will prompt community Harvard-Westlake Outreach members to be more considerate Performers (HWOP) leader of each other’s comfort levels in Gisele Stigi ’22 echoed Offner’s social interactions. “I think we’re going to be sentiment about the newly remore attentive to one another,” laxed restrictions, saying she is Commons said. “It does not eager to regain the camaraderie take very long to make sure that that comes from rehearsing an somebody is comfortin-person performance. able shaking hands be“No one’s been able fore you shake hands to really perform on or to make sure that a stage in such a long somebody is comforttime,” Stigi said. “Being able taking off a mask able to be in a senior outside before you take year production would off [your] mask […] I really mean a lot to me, think we’ve all become really careful about and I know it would white’s protecting the commumean a lot to the other Gisele nity, and I see that as a seniors because our last Stigi ’21 very positive outcome.” chance performing [toJunior Prefect Aiko gether] is really special.” Offner ’23 said that although she Commons said he hopes curexpects the return to school to rent seniors will continue to fosfeel different from the return to campus last spring, she hopes the ter last spring’s sense of excitestudent body will maintain last ment and unity from being back on campus together. year’s community spirit. “I’m counting on the class of “I honestly hope we can maintain the energy we had last year 2022 to carry forward the festive and the appreciation we had for atmosphere and the joy of being each other and [about] being back at school and being togethwith each other because I think er,” Commons said. “We did not that was really special and I never know how much we’d lost until really felt that at school before,” Offner said. “I think the little bit we were apart from one another of leniency we have with the new for more than a year, and it has guidelines will help make the made us recognize that school is community a little more relaxed not the same without the chance [...] Hopefully, a combination of to be together.” • Continued from A1

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF QUINCEY DERN

PREFECT PICNIC: Members of Prefect Council discuss plans for the upcoming year during their August retreat. The prefects, who were elected at the end of last school year, bonded over games for several days.

Prefects outline plan for 2021

By Sydney Fener

As Prefect Council prepares for the start of an in-person school year, members of the council said they are hoping to create an enjoyable student experience by prioritizing school spirit and inclusivity. Sophomore Prefect Nyla Shelton ’24 said she hopes to re-establish the school’s sense of community through school-wide events. “As we come out of the pandemic, I think it’s more important than ever to host events, socials, and give members of the HW community a chance to interact again,” Shelton said. Senior Prefect Joy Ho ’22 said she wants the year to feel normal and said the student body had an irregular school year because of the pandemic. She said she feels dedicated to making students feel comfort-

able and included on campus. “I really want to focus on making our first year back from online school as enjoyable and ‘normal’ as I can,” Ho said. “There are still so many uncertainties as we move forward, but the past year was a clear sign to me of how important our school community is. I want to revive the passion of the student body. I really want people to be comfortable in this environment, so I hope to help diminish any hostility, especially on the basis of an individual’s identity.” Ho and Shelton believe their position on campus this coming school year should be more grounded in student service. Shelton said she envisions the role of the Prefect Council as a reliable student resource. “I see Prefect Council as a liaison between students and faculty,” Shelton said. “I believe our role is to be rep-

resentatives for everyone at Harvard-Westlake—listening to the desires of students, faculty, staff, and the [school] community as a whole, and working to advocate for and create changes to further improve upon everything we love at [the school].” Ho said while the council shoulders many responsibilities, its top priority should be helping the students with their school experience. “Even though I’ve only been on Prefect Council for a little bit, I’ve realized how many roles the council plays on campus,” Ho said. “We’re the communication bridge between the student body and administration. We’re the planners and organizers of countless events. We’re leaders of the student body. Most importantly, we have to stay personable and grounded to the people around us.”

Parents organize LGBTQ bash By Natasha Speiss

said they feel connected to thecommunity through their dads The Harvard-Westlake Alumni and friends. “I am so genuinely proud to Association and Harvard-Westlake Pride hosted the school be a part of the LGBTQ comcommunity’s first LGBTQ munity,” Mercado-Quinn said. Grace Kosten ’22, who had event, the End of Summer Bash, the opportunity to aton Aug. 22. tend virtual and inThe event took person LGBTQ events place outdoors as a during the pandemic, result of COVID-19 said moments like the safety concerns. The End of Summer Bash function was orgaare helpful in connectnized for alumni, ing people within the parents, faculty and LBQTQ community students apart of the and in celebrating diLGBTQ community. white’s versity together. Ofek Levy ’23 said Grace “[Community the event was a great Kosten ’21 events] are important opportunity to connect with members of the com- to show the majority unnoticed things about the minority,” munity in-person. “It’s amazing that the school Kosten said. “Sometimes nuwants to connect not only stu- anced things go unnoticed and dents but also staff and alumni education outside the classroom in this type of event,” Levy said. is equally as important.” Mercado-Quinn said they “Considering the time we’ve all spent apart during the pandem- attended the End of Summer ic, it’s nice that we can focus on Bash because LGBTQ pride events help them feel underuniting our community.” Blue Mercado-Quinn ’23 stood and accepted.

“When there is an event celebrating a certain community that has experienced oppression in the past, it shows the progression of society in the way that we are less scared to be ourselves,” Mercado-Quinn said. “The reason I say ‘less scared’ instead of ‘not scared anymore’ is because there is still fear in all of us to be ourselves. Not all of the societal hatred has passed, and it is our job to hold celebratory events like this to spread kindness and acceptance.” Howard Cohen (Lucas Cohen-d’Arbeloff ’23) said he was grateful for the opportunity to attend and connect with fellow parents and students in the LGBTQ community, to celebrate the group. “Events like these [...] help different communities feel seen,” Cohen said. “The LGBTQ community is like other minority communities in that visibility helps with changes in mindset, in political progress and in relationship with the larger school community.”

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

Aug. 25, 2021

hwchronicle.com/news

News A3

Full vaccination required by administration for school year • Continued from A1

Joie Zhang ’22 said she will feel more comfortable on campus knowing her peers and teachers are fully vaccinated. “In addition to the required negative COVID-19 test and mask mandate, the vaccine mandate definitely makes me feel safer returning to campus because the chances for breakthrough cases to occur would be lower,” Zhang said. Echoing Zhang’s sentiment, Lila Daoudi ’24 said the vaccine requirement will make her in-person classes and activities more enjoyable. “I have a lot of high-risk people in my life, so it is important to know I will not be endangering them by wanting to get the best possible education,” Daoudi said. “It also makes my extracurriculars easier when everyone is fully vaccinated.”

Amid the surge in COVID-19 infections caused by the delta variant, Zhang said she will remain flexible with potential changes to the school’s policies. “If this fourth wave gets more serious, I would completely understand if the school administration decided to implement more social distancing measures or return to hybrid schooling,” Zhang said. “Though I am looking forward to having an in-person senior year and getting to trek across our campus again, I know that everyone’s health is the highest priority.” Alex Lee ’24 said although the vaccine is effective in limiting the spread and severity of COVID-19 cases, he is concerned the emergence of new COVID-19 variants will prevent campus from operating at full capacity for the entire school year. “While I hope the Greek alphabet is able to limit the num-

ber of variants, it’s inevitable that current and future [variants] will disrupt the academic year,” Lee said. “[The vaccine] is a first step. If we do not all take it, we cannot course-correct for the second.” CC Mesa ’22 said the school’s vaccine mandate is an important step toward reducing COVID-19 case numbers. Mesa worked at a vaccine clinic over the summer and said boosting vaccination rates is the most effective way to decrease the rate of infection in the community. “At the clinic I worked at, you did not have to sign up to be vaccinated, and vaccines were completely free,” Mesa said. “A lot of the people I registered [to get their vaccines] were not even American citizens. Having accessibility makes sure that everyone can be protected. Helping everyone get the vaccine is important to ending the pandemic and making people feel safer.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF DONNA YANG

ALL SMILES AFTER VACCINATION: Konnie Duan ’23 holds up her sticker after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru clinic.

JFA hosts summer Shabbat dinner

By Natalie Cosgrove

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

AN EASYGOING EVENING: Jewish Family Alliance (JFA) members mingle and enjoy the food provided at the summer JFA Shabbat dinner. ADVERTISEMENT

Harvard-Westlake Jewish Family Alliance (HWJFA) hosted their first Shabbat potluck dinner Aug. 20. The gathering was a back-to-school celebration meant to allow student members to sing hymns and discuss religious topics. Before the club members ate dinner, they performed a candle-lighting service and recited blessings. The event was held outdoors, and each person in attendance was required to be fully vaccinated. News Section and Photography Editor Sandra Koretz ’22 and her HWJFA co-leader Gabe Glassman ’22 said they will host more events throughout the school year to promote community among Jewish members of the school. “Our main goal, in general, is to aim to educate the community and bring awareness to certain issues either within our

community or internationally,” Gabe Glassman said. “We want to educate people and guide them into making their own conclusions about what is happening. I think overall our goal is making the community a better place and a more inclusive and safer environment for all.” Throughout the school year, HWFJA will plan more Shabbat dinners and host guest speakers. HWJFA parent co-chairs Susan Lynch (Alexandra ’20, Danielle ’23) and Shana Glassman (Jessa ’20, Gabriel ’22, Samuel ’24), who helped organize the event, said the service and dinner were led by students. At each event, Lynch said she strives to create an environment that welcomes all Jews and Jewish allies who want to participate in activities. “For the [HWJFA], this is just part of our mission statement to develop and create events for the community that represent our tradition and cul-

ture,” Lynch said. “Everyone is welcome. We’re certainly greatly inclusive. But for the most part, this was just done in good spirit out of the community and [HWJFA] wanting to create just another avenue of possibilities for students to come together and participate in any way that they can [in order] to bring everyone together and represent a bit of Judaism.” Shana Glassman said she tries to facilitate inclusive conversations at HWJFA gatherings between Jews, regardless of their different religious customs and political leanings. “In terms of political issues, our goal is to provide education and learning opportunities,” Shana Glassman said. “We’re not going to weigh in on issues because it’s not really our place to do that but [instead] give [students], [students’] peers and other parents like us tools to learn about the issues and to make their own decisions.”

A4 News

The Chronicle

Athletic facility in works

Aug. 25, 2021

By Will Sherwood

The school said it hopes to begin construction on the $100 million River Park athletic facility, a 16-acre property complete with environmentally friendly features. After a summer of preparing for upcoming approval meetings, construction is estimated to be completed by 2025. The school spent over $40 million on its purchase of the Weddington Golf & Tennis property, located 1.3 miles from the upper school campus between Whitsett Avenue and the Los Angeles River. The school revised its plans in March 2020 to include two athletic fields, eight tennis courts, a gym, an Olympic-size pool, subterranean parking and a walking path set to run along the perimeter of the property. The school will allow shuttle buses to run between the Upper School and River Park and will encourage carpooling. Drivers will be able to park in the underground lot, entering and exiting off Whitsett Avenue. The project was created to allow school sports teams to practice without having to share field space or practice late into the evening. Boys soccer player SJ Schaeffer ’23 said having more field space will benefit most sports teams.

WILL SHERWOOD/CHRONICLE

PARK PASTIMES: At the Weddington Golf & Tennis Property, Studio City residents use the driving range to practice golf on a summer’s day. This property was purchased by the school and will be converted into the River Park athletic facility, which is scheduled to be completed in 2025. “I think that having one field often forces practices to get cut short for another team to practice on it, making each team’s schedule more confined,” Schaeffer said. “Having more fields will give each team more time and space for every team during practice.” The public will have access to the park every day from 7 a.m. until the facility closes. The athletic fields, tennis courts, pool and gym will also be open to the Studio City community when not in use by school athletes. Last April, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission analyzed the property’s history and ultimately determined the school should move forward with its plan to preserve the clubhouse, putting green and golf ball-shaped floodlights.

Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg said the school is bringing the plans to the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee (PLUM) for approval in September. “Once that PLUM meeting is complete, the school anticipates moving forward with the entitlement process, which would include circulation to the public of the draft Environmental Impact Report that has been prepared for the project,” Engelberg said. “It’s too early to tell exactly when the project will break ground, but we sincerely believe that groundbreaking will take place within two years, hopefully sooner.” Despite the school’s efforts to continue forward with River Park construction, not everyone in

School carries out new schedule By Leo Saperstein

The updated rotating block schedule will be enforced completely in person for the first time this school year, including changes to last year’s provisional version. Head of Upper School Beth Slattery said the schedule will include a slightly shorter lunch period and longer grade-level class meetings. Additionally, school days will begin at 8 a.m. rather than 8:30 a.m. Slattery said she is excited for student interactions during shared free times, despite logistical issues the blocks might present.

“We hope that seniors will use the privilege of going off-campus for lunch and sophomores and juniors will spread out between the [two cafeterias and the food service in the lounge],” Slattery said. “There are a lot of bonuses with this schedule, but the biggest one for me is common free time. In the old schedule, sometimes kids didn’t have any frees with their friends or a common free time with teachers, and now they do.” After receiving positive feedback on last year’s temporary schedule, Slattery said she is enthusiastic to officially implement

the block schedule. “We found that teachers really liked it, and so did the vast majority of students,” Slattery said. “I’m so excited to finally get to implement the schedule in person and to see everyone back on campus.” Latin Teacher Brad Holmes said he has come to appreciate aspects of the block schedule. “I was pretty dead set against it initially, although I recognized that it would probably be beneficial at least for my Kutler Center classes,” Holmes said. “In practice, it actually wasn’t so bad, but I can’t really make a full judgment

the community is in support of the project. The Save Weddington movement [dedicated to preserving Weddington’s history] nominated the property as a historic landmark, which could hinder the school’s construction plans. “Save Weddington expects Councilmember [Paul] Krekorian to listen to the over 11,000 community members who have signed a Change.org petition in support of the Historic-Cultural Monument designation for Weddington Golf & Tennis,” Save Weddington representatives told The Chronicle in June. Girls tennis player Chloe Appel ’23 said she believes Weddington is an important facility. “I think that there is a great community at Weddington among the coaches and the different peo-

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ple who currently come to play tennis and golf,” Appel said. “I want to make sure that others feel welcomed to the park and it remains a community space, not a place solely reserved for those who already have so many resources.” Engelberg said that he understands community members’ opposition to the project, but that there are also many people who support the school’s plans. “It’s reasonable for community members to be concerned about change and the impact that it might have on their lives,” Engelberg said. “That said, there are lots of neighbors who are strongly supportive of the project because of the investment that it will make in beautifying and securing the neighborhood and in improving the local environment.”

Having homework from a smaller range of classes each night prevented the need to prioritize the work from harder classes at the expense of others.” — Shanti Hinkin ’22

on it until I have a more ‘normal’ year under my belt.” Like Holmes, Shanti Hinkin ’22 said last year’s version of the schedule was occasionally helpful, specifically in managing homework, but said she worries about in-class work distribution. “Having homework from a

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smaller range of classes each night prevented the need to prioritize the work from harder classes at the expense of [other classes],” Hinkin said. “However, I don’t think that 75 minutes every other day is equal to 45 minutes every day, so I occasionally worry about rushed material.

Sophomore wins gold in national speech and debate tournament By Davis Marks

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF NILUFER MISTRY SHEASBY

USING HER VOICE: Reading from her note cards, Nilufer Mistry Sheasby ’24 develops and refines her speech for an upcoming competition.

Nilufer Mistry Sheasby ’24 won first place overall at the 2021 National Online Forensics High School Championship (NOF), a speech and debate competition held online May 29 and May 30. Mistry Sheasby won first place in the Original Prose and Poetry, Extemporaneous Argumentation and Spontaneous Argumentation (SPAR) categories. Her accomplishments helped lead the school to a first place overall win in the school sweepstakes category. Mistry Sheasby joined the school’s speech team at the beginning of her freshman year, and though she had competed in other tournaments and practiced throughout the year, she said she was surprised by the outcome of

the championship. “Winning gold overall in NOF was a very unexpected surprise,” Mistry Sheasby said. “I had just started speech in the fall, and for one of the events that I placed first in, SPAR, it was actually my first time competing in it.” The competition lasted close to seven hours on both days, meaning Mistry Sheasby prepared her speeches and spoke back-toback throughout the competition in order to compete in all her events. Speech Coach Sarina Wang said she is proud of Mistry Sheasby’s win and the work she has put into the team. “I’m especially proud of [Mistry Sheasby’s] accomplishments because she had pulled together events last minute to compete against folks from across the coun-

try and ended up coming out on top,” Wang said. “[Mistry Sheasby] won multiple gold awards in both the speech and debate categories, which is truly impressive considering how this was her very first year.” Mistry Sheasby also said aside from her accomplishments, the championship was deeply meaningful because it gave her an opportunity to share her personal and cultural experiences with an audience of competitors, peers and coaches. “In the Original Prose and Poetry category, I had written and delivered a deeply personal piece about being multiracial in America,” Mistry Sheasby said. “I felt like my story had moved other people and helped them feel heard as well, which is, at its core, the point of the competition.”

Aug. 25, 2021

hwchronicle.com/news

Fellowship Features

The Summer Junior Fellowship program provided eight juniors with a grant of $4,000 to fund an independent project based on the topic of interest they applied with.

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Mia Karathanasis ’22

Sadye Lackman ’22

Studying the Art of Ancient Greek Beekeeping

Understanding Victorian Corsetry and Criticism

News A5

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Ava Tran ’22

Researching with the Vietnam Sustainable Shrimp Alliance

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Cate Greenman ’22

Exploring Identity Among Third Culture Arabs and Muslims

By Becca Berlin

By Chloe Park

By Fallon Dern

By Lucas Cohen-D’Arbeloff

This summer, the buzzing bees followed Mia Karathanasis ’22 as she studied the ancient art of beekeeping and its connection to climate change on Kos island, Greece. There, Karathanasis gathered some footage for her Junior Fellowship Project and is currently in the process of putting together a short film covering her cross-continental journey. Karathanasis said she enjoyed the application process because of the connection her topic had to her family’s native Greek ancestry and culture. “I knew I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, and the idea to study beekeeping in Greece came to me pretty easily because of my family relation to Greece,” Karathanasis said. “I enjoy writing and [was interested in] what I was writing about, so the application itself was enjoyable for me.” Karathanasis said as she delved further into her research, the central question thather fellowship project aimed to resolve became clear. “As I looked more into it, I found a ton of information on the problems that the beekeeping industry worldwide is having due to climate change, which is an issue that I also really care about,” Karathanasis said. “But in Greece there didn’t seem to be nearly as big of a problem. This begged the question of why, and I ran with that for the fellowship.” The fellowship grant gave Karathanasis the opportunity to interact closely with her subject matter on Kos island, explore her ancestral ties and immerse herself in Greek culture. “I used the money [in order to pay for] plane tickets to Greece, a translator for whatever Greek I couldn’t understand, some meals and tickets to various ancient sites on Kos from where I’m using footage in the little film that I’m putting together,” Karathanasis said.

The Junior Summer Fellowship program awarded Sadye Lackman ’22 a grant this summer for her corsetry project. Lackman said the project, titled Victorian to Vogue: Corsetry and Criticism, combined her artistic and historical interests. She said she was intrigued by the program when the school gave a presentation introducing it toward the end of last year. Lackman said although it was difficult at times, working on the corset proved to be a rewarding experience. “Watching it become an actual corset was probably the most exciting part of this project,” Lackman said. “For me, there is nothing quite as satisfying as making something that ends up becoming the vision that you imagined.” Lackman said finding sources on the historical and artistic aspects of the project was difficult, since many books on Victorian corsetry were written much later and were not always accurate. “For the historical side of my project, I really didn’t want to go into any biases or inaccuracies, but instead focus on how corsetry was affected by industrialization,” Lackman said. “The sewing machine was invented right at the beginning of the Victorian era, so I wanted to look at how that impacted the corset industry.” Lackman said the long-term nature of the project taught her to budget time more effectively. She also said she was grateful for the opportunity to learn the mechanics of sewing a corset. Lackman said students should follow the passions they want to pursue regardless of how others perceive them. “That idea that has been in the back of your mind that you don’t know if anyone cares about is definitely worth pursuing,” Lackman said. “It doesn’t matter if others don’t care about it. If you care and want to learn about it, then it shouldn’t be ignored, and you should definitely study it.”

Ava Tran ’22, one of eight upper school students chosen by The Kutler Center Junior Fellowship Program, used her $4,000 to research rural aquaculture in Vietnam. The program sponsors independent research in the academic, artistic, cultural or creative spheres; Tran’s project satisfies all four fields. “My fellowship is a documentary about environmentalism in Vietnam, more specifically the Vietnam Sustainable Shrimp Alliance (VSSA) made in 2018,” Tran said. “It’s headed by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s seafood sustainability program called Seafood Watch and is a partnership with international organizations dedicated to supporting shrimp farms in Vietnam.” Seafood Watch provides support consisting of financial aid, technological advancements and business consulting to improve the quality and sustainability of shrimp farming. Tran researches these practices and communicates with the environmentalists and farmers themselves. “I’ve been attending Zoom conferences with organizations to learn about the actions being taken for VSSA, how the industry is impacted by COVID-19 and new technology,” Tran said. “I’m also communicating with farmers in Vietnam to learn about their perspective and get video footage.” Tran said she hopes her project can inspire sustainable dietary changes within the school community. The project aims to emphasize exactly how consumers, farmers and the environment benefit from eco-friendly farming. “I believe this issue is important because sustainability is very important,” Tran said. “VSSA tells a great story about international cooperation towards a greater good. It spreads awareness about the sustainability of agriculture to the [school] community and may influence choices students make regarding food.”

Cate Greenman ’22 studied Arab and Muslim youth in Southern California and created a podcast entitled “Of Two Minds: An Exploration of Identity Among Muslim Youth” for her Junior Fellowship. Greenman recorded interviews with young people in Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif. Her project was initially geared toward adolescents, but she later shifted her focus to college-age interviewees after History Teacher Katherine Holmes-Chuba put her in contact with Dr. Amir Hussein, a professor of contemporary Muslim societies in North America at Loyola Marymount University. Greenman said she was inspired to cover Muslim youth because she felt that they have not been accurately represented in the past. “The portrayal of Islam in the media is often negative,” Greenman said. “In recent years there has been an increase in Islamophobic hate crimes and legislation, both domestically and globally.” Greenman organized the interviews by sending surveys to Muslim college student organizations and said she was surprised at the participants’ willingness to share their personal experiences. “The interviews were extremely insightful and many of the participants were friendly, which I was so appreciative of,” Greenman said. Greenman also said she aims to assist those who listen to her podcast in deepening their understanding of the Muslim American experience. “I really hope my podcast can serve as a resource to help educate people about a group that is often not represented or misrepresented in the media,” Greenman said. “I also want to [help them] understand a bit more about the struggles faced by Muslim Americans by hearing from them, and most importantly, [help them] understand that no one group is monolithic.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MIA KARATHANASIS

EXPLORING ANCIENT ROOTS: Sophie Ramirez ’22 films as Mia Karathanasis ’22 converses about the impact that beekeping has had on climate change with a resident of Kos.

Check out the other four junior fellowships on our website:

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF SADYE LACKMAN

GLAMOROUS GARMENTS: Sadye Lackman’s ’22 finished hand-sewn corset, the final product of the research she conducted during her fellowship, is showcased in her backyard.

Read and learn more about Lola Cortez’s ’22 project, The Women of the Dragoon Mountains: Exploring gender roles within the Chiricahua Apache Tribe, Olivia Sparks’s ’22 and

Ella Watkins’s ’22 photojournalism and poetry project, Shades of Brown: A visual & written portfolio capturing the Black experience in America during quarantine, and more. hwchronicle.com

A6 News

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS AND SYDNEY FENER

Jesus Salas: Science By James Hess Jesus Salas joined the Upper School Science Department this school year to teach Physics 1 and Honors Physics 1. Before coming to the Upper School, Salas worked as an instructor and researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he received

his master’s degree and doctorate in astrophysics. He has also volunteered for science outreach programs and served as a coordinator of the UCLA planetarium. Salas was born in Texas but spent most of his childhood in Mexico, where he first became interested in science. He said asking basic questions about the universe developed into a pas-

sion for physics and mathematics as he grew up. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always been curious and I liked reading and learning new things,” Salas said. “When I was seven years old, I picked up a book about the solar system, and I was completely blown away by what I learned about [Earth’s] place in the universe.”

Salas said he is excited to explore different ideas in physics with his students and join a new academic community at the school this year. “I find math and physics fascinating, and I enjoy sharing my passion about these subjects with my students,” Salas said. “I’m looking forward to being part of the school community.”

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Venice Arts: Los Angeles Center for Photography and Film Education and the Barbara Seniors Harkins Foundation. Rockwell-Charland said she looks forward to meeting her new students in person now that classes will be held on campus. “I’m so excited to share space physically with students, to be

in the darkroom with them and to see what kind of work and interests the students have,” Rockwell-Charland said. “I’m really excited to get to know my fellow faculty, to have really wonderful, critical conversations and just make some art.” She said she is excited to join the school, especially since she

will be able to work closely with students throughout the year. “I’m really excited to put some roots down, dig in a little bit in terms of getting to know the culture of the school, [bring] my best and [have] the possibility of really getting to engage with students over a longer period of time,” Rockwell-Charland said.

for teaching inspired him to become an English teacher. “My late professor was so influential,” Traynham said. “As I watched and observed him, I said, ‘One day, I want to be him.’ I loved how he helped us see beyond what was written, and that inspired me to teach English.” Traynham said he is eager to join the English Department and

work closely with students. “I could say that I’m excited to teach here because of the amazing campus and all, but I think that runs the risk of downplaying how brilliant the students are,” Traynham said. “In general, working with students is my heart, sort of my ‘bread and butter,’ and working with students will always rank number one.”

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Medical Center since 2017, where she has helped incubate other healthcare technology businesses such as Tasso Inc. and WELL Health Technologies. Wellington said she felt inspired to focus on impact in her teaching of entrepreneurship when she witnessed healthcare technology business founders turn their medical solutions for

blood collections into reality while working at Tasso Inc. “I love the idea that we can use technology to improve the world around us, ” Wellington said. “Especially not being a doctor [and] not being a nurse, [I appreciate] using other tools to accomplish helping other people to be able to enjoy their lives more.”

Brannon Rockwell-Charland: Visual Arts By Lily Lee

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Multimedia artist Brannon Rockwell-Charland joined the Upper School Visual Arts Department as a Photography and Video Art II teacher. Rockwell-Charland previously taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),

Kyle Traynham: English By Chloe Park Kyle Traynham entered the Upper School English Department this school year to teach English II and English III: The Living American Odyssey. Previously, Traynham taught English at various independent schools such as Germantown Friends and Chadwick School.

He also taught as an Adjunct Professor at Santa Monica College. Traynham earned his bachelor’s degree from Temple University and his master’s degree from Villanova University. Traynham said he did not originally plan to become a teacher and instead wanted to pursue a law degree. However, he said witnessing his college professor’s zeal

Anne Wellington: Interdisciplinary Studies By Abigail Hailu

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Anne Wellington joined HW Venture this year to teach Social Entrepreneurship and Impact-Focused Enterprises, two courses in which she will teach students about the pursuit of social value and impact. Wellington earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from

Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Va. She worked as a Chief Product Officer at the startup company Stanson Health in 2013, assisting in the company launch and the expansion of their evidence-based clinical decision support library and analytics platform products. Wellington has worked at Cedars-Sinai

Aug. 25, 2021

hwchronicle.com/news

News A7

Hijoo Son: History By Will Sherwood

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school levels. Son has over 25 years of experience in the field of Asian studies. She received her bachelor’s degree in modern East Asian history from the University of Chicago and received her master’s degree in premodern East Asian history from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Son also received her doctorate in modern East Asian

history from UCLA. When students come to class this fall, Son said she plans to emphasize the importance of strong historical writing as well as the editing process. “I like mottos, and one motto I always remind students of in history classes is that good writing is rewriting, and rewriting is good writing,” Son said. Son said she hopes to make

an impact on the lives of her students by teaching history that she thinks will inspire them. “Teaching history can actually make a difference, and I am living proof of this fact,” Son said. “My history teachers from high school, Randy Quaid and Paula McLaughlin, have had a lasting impact on my life and are part of the reason why I teach history today.”

man Jazz Theory. “[The class] was my introduction to key signatures, chord progressions and improvisation, and I was fascinated with the way that math and art were able to intersect,” Sullivan said. After moving to Los Angeles in 2016, Sullivan said he immediately became involved with the school, privately teaching saxophone and improvisation to

students and supporting them by attending their concerts. Sullivan said he is honored to take a leadership role in the school’s music program and officially become a member of the school community. “After teaching at the college level for years, I am ecstatic to once again work with high school students because of how impactful those years were for me.”

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Queala Clancy joined the Upper School Performing Arts Department as a dance teacher this school year. Clancy will teach The Art of Dance, Advanced Dance I: Choreography and Advanced Dance II: Performance and Production, and she will direct the annual end-of-year dance showcase in the spring.

With over 20 years of experience teaching and performing, Clancy worked at Crenshaw High School, Dorsey High School and Laurence School before spending three years performing in Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity” in Las Vegas. Most recently, she taught dance at California State University, Long Beach and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Clancy said her favorite styles

of dance are modern and jazz due to their versatility and ties to African American culture. “These styles are close to my heart because they are dance forms that brought happiness and excitement during my early years of training,” Clancy said. “They connect to soul, spirit and particularly to African American dance culture and aesthetics, and they are dance forms that allow

complete freedom of expression.” As the school year begins, Clancy said her goal is to promote dance as a form of artistic expression on campus. “I want to advance the cause of offering visibility of the dance department for campus and community events and also to initiate relationships in dance through collaboration with varied departments,” Clancy said.

of Southern California. Prior to joining the school, Lopez taught math and computer science at Providence High School, where he led the school’s Technology Focus program, a four-year curriculum dedicated to teaching students various modes of technology. Lopez attributes his love for math and computer science to his

upbringing, as his family members possess an aptitude for math. “My family is very math-oriented, although for different reasons,” Lopez said. “I am a firm believer that the more you understand mathematics, the more artistic you are. My whole family is artistic. They know how to make sculptures, bake and cook. While they’re not into finances and the

more nitty-gritty aspects of math, I think that I received my knack for math through their artistic side.” Lopez said he looks forward to collaborating with colleagues who share his passion for teaching. “Everyone here is dedicated to their subjects and dedicated to helping students grow,” Lopez said. “I am excited to work alongside this team of educators.”

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Erik Wade entered the Upper School History Department this school year to teach Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography and Urban Studies and AP U.S. History. Since starting his teaching career at Phillips Exeter Acad-

emy in 2011, Wade has taught courses including world history, government, Latin American and Caribbean history, Black history and history of hip-hop at various independent schools in New Hampshire, Georgia and California. Wade earned his master’s degree and doctorate in American

studies and history from Purdue University. He credits his elementary school teacher with sparking his passion for history. “[What inspired me to pursue history was] probably Mr. Herman, my elementary teacher from fourth or fifth grade,” Wade said. “I thought it was a really interesting subject at the

time. Although I had tried pursuing other areas like veterinary medicine during my [time as an] undergraduate, I didn’t like it, so I eventually went back to my original passion, history.” Wade said that his teaching style is demanding but supportive and that he is committed to encouraging his students.

Cox earned her master’s degree in library and information sciences from San Jose State University. Last year, Cox procured resources for the incarcerated as a Jail and Reentry Services Intern for the San Francisco Public Library. Cox said working as a librarian during the pandemic required additional empathy and responsibilities in order to sup-

port her community throughout the uncertainty. “A lot of librarianship changed to [require knowledge of ] the pandemic because so many people were asking about it,” Cox said. “I learned that as a librarian you can still give so much support from your own home, and that’s a good feeling.” Cox said she was drawn to her

line of work after observing the lack of books she had access to in her youth. “I grew up in a town that was very small,” Cox said. “My high school and middle school didn’t even have a library. I fell into the path of librarianship because I want everyone to have access to information to support them throughout their life.”

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Loyola Marymount University and a master’s degre in Spanish from Sonoma State University. In addition, Pleitez is pursuing a master’s degree in advanced Hispanic literature from the University of Barcelona. Pleitez said he discovered his passion for teaching while helping out at his local school at an early age.

“When I was in high school, I was able to start teaching elementary school,” Pleitez said. “I had such a great experience with all the different teachers and priests at my school that I got involved in teaching.” Pleitez said he is excited to get to know his students more and provide them with a unique classroom experience.

Hijoo Son joined the Upper School History Department after teaching at Phillips Academy Andover in Massachusetts. Son will teach The Rise of the Modern World to sophomores. She previously taught U.S. history, world history, art history, East Asian history and other courses at the collegiate and high

Chris Sullivan: Performing Arts By Alex Hahn Chris Sullivan joined the faculty as the new Upper School Director of Instrumental Music this school year. Sullivan previously taught jazz saxophone at the collegiate level, working with students from the Los Angeles College of Music, Glendale Community College and the California Jazz

Conservatory, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in jazz studies. Sullivan received a master’s degree in jazz studies and a doctorate in jazz performance from William Patterson University and the University of Southern California, respectively. Sullivan said he became captivated with the art form his first year of high school after enrolling in the introductory class Fresh-

Queala Clancy: Performing Arts By Lucas Cohen-D’Arbeloff

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Juan Lopez: Math By Kriste An Juan Lopez joined the Upper School Mathematics Department to teach Algebra II and Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science A this school year. Lopez earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Occidental College and his master’s degree in teaching at the University

Erik Wade: History By Grant Park

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Kacie Cox: Library By Natasha Speiss Kacie Cox entered the Library and Information Literacy Department this school year as a part-time librarian. Her responsibilities include staffing the circulation desk, proctoring make-up exams for students and working with teachers on acquiring educational resources.

Harold Pleitez: World Langugaes By Paul Kurgan

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Harold Pleitez joined the Upper School World Languages Department to teach Spanish III and Honors Spanish II this year. Pleitez brings over 25 years of teaching experience to the school. Most recently, he worked at Brentwood School as a Spanish teacher for six years. Pleitez

grew up in El Salvador during the Salvadoran Civil War. He said his exposure to the violence and upheaval in his neighborhood motivated him to become involved in his community. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from José Simeón Cañas Central American University, a master’s degree in secondary education from

A8 News

The Chronicle

A Summer of Smiles

Aug. 25, 2021

As COVID-19 rates dropped early this summer, students took the opportunity to travel to participate in athletic tournaments, bonding retreats and academic programs.

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BIOLOGY BUDDIES: Evan Rappaport ’22 (left) joins three of his fellow research team members on an abandoned island off the coast of Palapas Ventana during his marine biology trip to Mexico over the summer.

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INTERNATIONAL SPLASHES: Coaches and players from the boys water polo team pose for a photo in the Budapest airport before representing the USA Mens Cadet National team in an international tournament.

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BIG STRIDES IN BIG BEAR: A group of cross country runners pause for a break on a boulder during their training retreat at Big Bear Lake.

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ART ADMIRER: Eva Salas ’22 examines marble statues in the Vatican Museums as a part of her month-long Italian art and immersion program.

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SENIORS IN SUNHATS: Head Prefects Jade Stanford ’22 and Chronicle Executive Editor Quincey Dern ’22 smile during the five-day Prefect Council Intensive Week where they bonded with the rest of Prefect Council.

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

Opinion The Chronicle • Aug. 25, 2021

Studio City • Vol. 31 • Issue 1 • Aug. 25, 2021 • hwchronicle.com

Editors-in-Chief: Tessa Augsberger, Milla Ben-Ezra Print Managing Editors: Will Sheehy, Caitlin Muñoz, Julian Andreone

editorial

Digital Managing Editors: Katharine Steers, Amelia Scharff Presentation Managing Editors: Melody Tang, Ava Fattahi, Kate Burry, Mimi Landes Executive Editors: Sydney Fener, Sophia Musante, Quincey Dern News Editors: Sandra Koretz, Josh Silbermann Assistant News Editors: Natalie Cosgrove, Lucas Cohen-d'Arbeloff, Natasha Speiss, Will Sherwood, Alex Hahn Opinion Editors: Sarah Mittleman, Caroline Jacoby Assistant Opinion Editors: James Hess, Daphne Davies, Claire Conner Features Editors: Mia Feizbakhsh, Alec Rosenthal Assistant Features Editors: Lily Lee, Fallon Dern, Harry Tarses, Emmy Zhang, Allegra Drago A&E Editor: Keira Jameson Assistant A&E Editors: Becca Berlin, Lily Lee, Jina Jeon, Vasilia Yordanova Sports Editors: Maxine Zuriff, Justin Goldstein Assistant Sports Editors: Charlie Seymour, Danny Johnson, Paul Kurgan, Leo Saperstein, Andrew Park Multimedia Editors: Ava Fattahi, Julian Andreone Photography Editor: Sandra Koretz Broadcast Producers: Chad Bacon, Zach Berg, Jack Coleman, William Moon, Mikey Schwartz Business Managers: Kate Burry, Justin Goldstein Assistant Broadcast Editors: Andre Birotte, Audrey Yang, Hunter Bridgett, Bill Coleman, Jack Limor, Aaron Milburn, Rayaan Rao Engagement Editors: Liam Razmjoo, Ryan Razmjoo Art Director: Alexa Druyanoff Freelance Writer: Davis Marks Freelance Artist: Sophia Evans Layout Assistants and Staff Writers: Jackson Mayer, Christopher Mo, Chloe Park, Grant Park, Averie Perrin, Tate Sheehy, Jackson Tanner, Ella Yadegar, Jaden Bobb, Nathalie Leung, Kriste An, Madison Baffo, Grace Coleman, Dylan Graff, Abigail Hailu, Eleanor Koo, Iona Lee Advisers: Jim Burns, Max Tash Layout Assistant: Alexis Arinsburg

The Chronicle is the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial Board. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to chronicle@ hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format. Advertising questions may be directed to Business Managers Kate Burry and Justin Goldstein at kburry1@hwemail.com and jgoldstein1@hwemail. com, respectively. Publication of an advertisement does not imply any endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or school.

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

Embracing Each Other Once Again

In our first issue of Volume 30, published last August, we wrote about missing the "little things" in school that we would normally take for granted. We longed for leisurely walks around campus during free periods, glances through the cafeteria snack bar with friends and meetings in our teachers' offices during our spare time. What were once insignificant greetings, brief smiles and casual handshakes became coveted interactions between long-estranged community members. After the pandemic separated us from our peers for nearly an entire school year, we learned that a strong community is crucial to fostering a healthy learning environment. Given the school’s newly implemented vaccine mandate and continuation of its indoor mask requirement, we finally have the opportunity to return to campus for a complete school year. Although eager to immerse ourselves in energizing social interaction, we must remember to cherish the small but meaningful moments we craved just one year ago. After all, we never know when negligence of health and safety guidelines can cause a spike in COVID-19 cases, sending us right back to Zoom. With "PROMposals" on The Quad and HW Fanatics rallies on the bleachers to look forward to, it may become easy to overlook the day-to-day interactions like exchanging fist bumps on The Quad, making eye contact in class and sharing laughs during passing periods. Indeed, smiling at a classmate in the hallway or greeting a new teacher in the cafeteria is more important than it may seem; these moments strengthen the sense of community on campus. Beginning a school year on campus will be new for everyone. Sophomores are transitioning from the Middle School to the Upper School, juniors are spending their second year in high school as the "new kids" on campus after spending most of their sophomore year online, se-

niors’ last year in high school is their first full year on the upper school campus and teachers are instructing their students entirely in-person again for the first time in over one year. As we all readjust to normalcy, every student should put in an effort to build up the sense of community that quarantining chipped away at by staying cheerful, feeling thankful and keeping things in perspective. Zoom classes will fade into the past as we spend more time together on campus. However, we must continue to treasure the ordinary gestures between community members. As our workload increases and the seasons come and go, we at The Chronicle aim to unite our audience in a shared appreciation for the community that surrounds us. The teachers who eagerly support our education, the students who spend their weekends preparing for school events and the parents who read our newspaper are what make this school an environment rich with opportunity, growth and progress. We must also remember to remain vigilant throughout the upcoming school year. Meaningful moments can still occur without sacrificing the health of the community we are working to cherish. COVID-19 has not disappeared, and although many of us are setting aside the hand sanitizer and gloves, the delta variant is still spreading across the nation. Although this school year will provide experiences we lost in the previous one, we must remain actively dedicated to the safety of our community. It may take some time to acclimate to our surroundings this year, as bonding with peers we haven’t seen in months may be difficult. However, we are confident that the community will adjust to the necessary changes. After all, if there is one thing this experience has taught us, it is that we are undoubtedly strong enough to persist through adversity together.

Our Story

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

PUBLICATION INFO:

Founded in 1990, The Chronicle is the Harvard-Westlake Upper School’s student-led newspaper. Now in its 31st year, The Chronicle strives to uphold its legacy of journalistic integrity and to report stories accurately and fairly. The newspaper is published eight times per year and is distributed to students, parents, faculty and staff at the Upper School. Additionally, the paper is affiliated with two upper school magazines, Big Red and Panorama.

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Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of staffers and are written by the seniors on the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editors-in-Chief, the Managing Editors and the Section Editors.

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Questions pertaining to advertisements may be directed to Business Managers Kate Burry and Justin Goldstein at kburry1@ hwemail.com or jgoldstein1@hwemail.com, respectively. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or school.

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS:

Letters may be submitted to chronicle@ hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited to conform to Chronicle style, space and format. We are committed to uplifting the voices of marginalized or underrepresented individuals and groups in accordance with our efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Though we always strive to be as accurate as possible, staff members identify inaccuracies and receive feedback from readers. The Chronicle publishes corrections when we discover a factual error within a piece. We will continue to uphold transparency even in the face of mistakes following the publication of each issue.

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A10 Opinion

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

Vote "YES" on democracy, "NO"on the recall By Lucas Cohen-D'Arbeloff ILLUSTRATION BY SYDNEY FENER

illions of Californians, including many school seniors, can now find mail-in ballots on their doorstep. The helm of our state government hangs in the balance. Recall organizers garnered more than 2 million signatures in their campaign to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom, reaching the necessary threshold to trigger a recall election Sept. 14. Estimated to cost taxpayers $276 million, this election presents a clear choice: Vote “NO” on the misguided recall scheme. As we recover from COVID-19, a sudden change in leadership would be disastrous for our state. Introducing a new set of bureaucrats to Sacramento with a governor who requires on-the-

job training makes for a perfect storm, impairing progress during critical months. This scenario is compounded by the Republican frontrunners' utter inexperience. In particular, conservative radio host Larry Elder, businessman John Cox and reality star Caitlyn Jenner have no business running a government. The group of candidates is so dreadful that the California Republican Party chose not to endorse a single one. The significance of this election reaches far beyond Gov. Newsom's occasional errors. We must examine the likely alternatives when choosing whether to vote to remove him. Guest editorialist Jack Coleman ’22 wrote that the recall effort is "not a partisan issue" in March.

This is simply untrue. A July Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll states that 87% of Republicans support the recall, compared to 9% of Democrats. Coleman’s other criticisms of Newsom—namely unopened schools and vaccine rollout issues—are now irrelevant: Schools are fully reopening and remote learning will soon be far behind us. The ostensibly “slow” vaccine rollout is now unimportant, since vaccines are widely available. And Newsom’s French Laundry scandal from a year ago, in which he violated lockdown rules to go to dinner, is a comically inconsequential reason to remove him in the middle of his term. We should not have an emergency election because Newsom

attended a dinner party. The recall process is meant purely for crises and is undemocratic. It’s true that if 51% of voters vote “YES,” and 49% vote “NO,” Newsom will be removed from office. But if the replacement candidate with the most votes only garners, say, 15%, they will become governor of California despite more people supporting Newsom. Thus, the recall system will likely be abused in the future by disgruntled California Republicans who are tired of losing big in a blue state. If they succeed, we can expect recall petitions every time a Democrat is elected governor. Let us also remember Sen. Dianne Feinstein. She is now 88, and if she were to retire in the time

between now and 2022, the victor in the recall would appoint her successor. This potential scenario serves as another example of the undemocratic nature of the recall process, as Republicans could gain a seat in the evenly divided Senate through the appointment. As young residents of California, we must be able to determine our representation and stand against those who are trying to sabotage it. While this election might feel insignificant, the consequences are very real. To those who don’t like Newsom: Don’t throw the state into chaos by voting him out in the recall election—just vote him out in 2022. Do not fall for the Republicans’ cynical power grab. Turn out to vote “NO” Sept. 14.

Elections, Claire-ified By Claire Conner

ILLUSTRATION BY SYDNEY FENER

Keeping the Olympic flame alive By Daphne Davies

y heart pounded as I rubbed chalk onto my hands, hoping I would remember the intricate sequence of skills that comprised my uneven bars routine. I rehearsed it mentally for weeks, a welcome distraction from fourth grade classes. But despite my experience with competitions, stress clouded the excitement of sticking my landing. This setback led me to quit gymnastics, but the sport remained an important part of my life. Why? It goes back to the first Olympics I can remember: London 2012. Ever since I watched gold medalists Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney soar through the air, the Olympics, and particularly gymnastics, captivated me. Although I love the Games, there is clearly a systemic issue with gymnastics and the Olympics themselves. In 2017, Judge Rosemary Aquilina sentenced former U.S. women's gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing hundreds of young women. The following year, USA Gymnastics closed a U.S. Olympic training camp owned by coaches Bela Karolyi and Martha Karolyi; the ranch allegedly incited physical and psychological maltreatment and exposed athletes to Nassar's abuse, according to the Washington Post. U.S. gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman sued USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee, claiming they were aware of Nassar’s abuse and

failed to act. A victim of Nassar's abuse, Raisman said USA Gymnastics is “rotten from the inside out.” Sexual abuse within gymnastics has a decades-long history. But the Olympics, the pinnacle of elite gymnastics, have only intensified this issue, allowing abuse to occur on the sport’s most influential platform. The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games spotlighted additional issues caused by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other U.S. athletic associations. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency prohibited track runner Sha'Carri Richardson from competing after she tested positive for marijuana consumption following her mother's death. Conversely, in a misogynistic and morally incorrect twist, the IOC allowed fencer Alan Hadzic, who has three rape allegations, to compete. The IOC also banned swim caps for natural Black hair and Black Lives Matter apparel during anthems. And above all, COVID-19 cases in Tokyo reached a record high while the Games were taking place. These problems are urgent. But after a year of separation and loss, can we afford to lose the camaraderie of the Olympics when we need it most? We should be critical of the parts of the Olympics that are inequitable, and, when necessary, of the institution as a whole. It is impossible to deny there is much work to be done, legal action to be taken and voices to be heard. There is a need, however, for the Olym-

pics, especially after the isolation caused by COVID-19. We need the togetherness and joy that come with the Games. Athletes need to see their years of work pay off, and we need the pride and patriotism of cheering them on. We need the chance to shift focus from our everyday lives and consider what it means to operate as a country and a world. We must remember that at the core of the Olympics are the Olympians themselves. The Olympics both divert our attention from our lives and teach us about life. They inspire us to be perseverant but also to take care of ourselves, as Simone Biles exemplified by stepping down from the individual gymnastics finals. It is crucial that we remember these international representatives are humans who grapple with obstacles ranging from trauma to tendonitis. The Olympics are a microcosm for our global community: flawed, dynamic, diverse and human. They are possibly the only thing we truly have left in common and the last platform we have to coalesce. Although I gave up on gymnastics myself, the Olympics allow the sport to remain a treasured piece of my life. We can’t give up on the Games, for the sake of all the people like me who cherish watching them, for the athletes and for the international unity the Games encourage.

hen students submit their ballots for prefect elections in the spring, they will make two reasonable assumptions: Their votes will be counted, and the candidates with the highest number of votes will win the election. Imagine what would happen if, upon receiving the election results, voters learn that these assumptions were misguided. What would happen if the incumbent council publicly threw out students' votes and announced their own set of results? Nobody would even consider reading through the Honor Code to see if this model of election could be justified, because it goes against our basic understanding of democracy. Unfortunately, this scenario is not hypothetical, and it is happening in a much larger and more consequential election: the 2024 presidential race. Americans are witnessing the beginning of a shift in right-wing politicians' strategy to win elections by tearing away at voting rights and standard procedures that aim to make voting accessible. After the 2020 presidential election, conservative judges and politicians began to popularize an interpretation of the constitution that would allow conservative state legislatures to easily overturn the results of elections. This “independent state legislature” doctrine suggests that these governing bodies should have a staggering amount of power over the entire elections process. The doctrine gives legislatures the ability to determine that election administrators and courts have violated the legislature’s rules and choose their own set of electors for the state, regardless of who voters selected. State legislatures have always established the basic rules of elections, and that was the extent of their oversight. They let election administrators plan the details of the vote and allowed state courts to decide the meaning of their rules. The United States Constitution allows state legislatures to determine the "time, place and manner" of elections, and until now, this summed up their responsibilities. The independent state legislature doctrine throws out this fair and effective elections process by making baffling legal claims that would be rejected by any average high school history student.

But somehow, the idea that a state legislature should be able to overhaul a presidential election by discounting votes is gaining serious traction. Four supreme court justices supported this idea during the 2020 election season. Republican Governor of Montana Greg Gianforte signed a bill requiring state legislatures to approve governors' changes to election procedures. In Arizona, Republicans tried to pass a bill that would have allowed the state legislature to rescind the certification of presidential electors with a simple majority vote. Immediately following the 2020 election, the right-wing political strategy consisted of a confusing mixture of conspiracy theories and angry revolts culminating in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Trump and his allies attempted to prove voter fraud without any evidence in a ludicrous effort led by an unhinged CEO of a pillow company. They falsely claimed that Italian satellites subverted the election, and they preyed on the vulnerabilities of voters who are easily influenced by conspiracy theories. Many Americans assume that after electing President Joe Biden, a paragon of reason and stability, the fight to preserve democratic institutions is over. This assumption could not be further from the truth. By branding conservatives' strategy as nonsensical, Democrats have set themselves up to ignore another baffling attack on voting rights that is disguised as a legitimate interpretation of the constitution. This perceived legitimacy is dangerous, because unlike conspiracy theories, it can have a massive impact on policy-making. The proponents of the independent state legislature doctrine know that if they can get us to engage in seemingly rigorous constitutional debates, they can make an absurd concept look like a serious policy option. Thus, politicians must be careful not to respond to claims about state legislatures' power in a way that bolsters their validity. We must immediately call out this strategy for what it is: a dangerous and baseless power grab that discredits millions of votes. If we do not, we risk losing any chance at saving our democracy.

Aug. 25, 2021

Opinion A11

hwchronicle.com/opinion

HW VOICES

It’s a first for everyone A junior and a senior share their hopes for the upcoming year at the upper school campus.

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

Making up for lost time

Embracing uncertainty

By James Hess

By Sarah Mittleman

s a new ninth grader who came to the school without the friendships and memories usually forged in seventh and eighth grade, I’ve always perceived the upper school campus as a place to make up for lost time. After having spent my first year adjusting at the Middle School, I awaited the true beginning of my high school career, when I would walk through the Coldwater campus classrooms and lunch tables for the first time. I would finally be unrestricted by awkward introductions or first conversations. I looked forward to forging relationships, developing passions and at last feeling like a true member of the school. Then, the pandemic hit. My freshman and sophomore years suddenly shifted from sports practices and newfound friendships to social distancing protocols and virtual meetings. The three years of upper school joy I had dreamed of soon became an unrecognizable reality. With each new day came the realization that the memories on which our high school experiences are based would be impossible to create on Zoom. Any emotion—the stress of finals, joy from homecoming or sadness while saying goodbye to a favorite senior—was dimmed by one text message on a laptop and could be stamped out completely by a click of the red “end” button. Was more time lost than could be made up? I’ve only experienced a few socially distanced weeks on the upper school campus. Even if

we attend school completely in person for the next two years, one of my three years here will still have occurred mostly over Zoom. The festivals, speeches and graduations talked up in brochures are only recognizable to me in photos and videos; the traditions I have been lucky enough to experience are stifled by masks and the looming fear of catching COVID-19. Most juniors experienced these sentiments. We have spent more time with middle school students than with students at the Upper School. Next year, the normal routine of homework, tests and classes will be complicated by locker misunderstandings, accidental classroom mix-ups and social miscues. We face a problem with no easy answer. Administrators have done an excellent job safely providing on campus activities since last December, and many students have taken these opportunities—practicing sports, performing musicals and writing articles, all while masked and socially distanced. These activities have lost some of their spirit online, but in spite of these circumstances, they still serve to teach us a valuable lesson: intention. For these events to function, we have worked harder and strived to produce the same quality in more restrictive conditions. We have learned to be thoughtful and considerate in our interactions with others. Whether or not we are able to make up the lost time, let’s be intentional with the years we have left.

hen students departed for what we expected to be a two-week quarantine, I was a sophomore who had yet to experience a full year at the Upper School. I hadn’t started behind-the-wheel driving lessons, I still struggled to analyze text in English and Seaver Academic Center and Munger Science Center were indistinguishable to me. Now, in 2021, I return as a senior. Over a year has passed since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and during those months my junior year came and went. Each year of my high school experience has felt more bizarre than the last, and this one takes the cake—even as school starts up again, I just don’t feel like a 12th grader. I used to imagine senior year as the spectacular culmination of my high school career, one final hurrah. I should be entering this year confident that I know how to end off my high school experience on a strong note; instead, I’m still trying to learn things I should have discovered in 2020. I would love to say that I have emerged from quarantine ready to lead the unprepared sophomores and juniors through this challenging adjustment, but honestly, I’m just as baffled as the rest of the student body. I didn’t have the junior year of my dreams, but it was not all bad: I had the benefit of studying from the comfort of my own bedroom, rather than finding myself stuck in daily 5 p.m. traffic on Coldwater Canyon Avenue. Many of my teachers were incredibly understanding throughout the year, treating

students with compassion. I still managed to make friends and discover myself. There were aspects of online school that I believe we should not discard, like saving paper and remaining empathetic to each other. Nevertheless, we learned last year that online school is deeply unsatisfying and unbelievably frustrating. Trying to comprehend math when my internet moved at a snail’s pace and my microphone glitched every few seconds was practically impossible. Focusing on U.S. history while my dogs yapped in the background and my parents mowed the lawn directly outside...You get the point. Most importantly, I missed the camaraderie that comes from struggling through anxiety and stress together, the new friends I would greet in the halls and the thrill of watching my classmates’ football game. That’s what I’m hoping for this time around. I cannot wait to come back and enjoy what I missed out on. Even if I struggle to motivate myself to wake up at 6 a.m. to drive to school, I can spur myself on with the knowledge that this will be my first and last full year on campus, and I need to make the most of it. I may not feel like a senior just yet, but I’m making it my mission to, at least, feel like a student. I skipped over a large portion of high school, so I have decided to appreciate every single moment of the year I have left. No, I don’t exactly know what I’m doing, but neither do any of my peers. To quote "High School Musical," “We’re all in this together.”

ILLUSTRATION BY SYDNEY FENER

*165 students polled

Letter from the Editors

Committing to our community By Tessa Augsberger and Milla Ben-Ezra

eering over the tops of our PC screens in Weiler Hall and seeing the faces of our 76-person staff, we cannot help but remember our view while laying out Issue I of Volume 30 last year: bedroom walls, tired eyes and armchair backs confined to a grid of 5-by-5 Zoom boxes. In a school year spent isolated, we put together the paper miles away from one another and we pivoted to provide coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic while writing about online school events. Without in-person experiences and our collaborative work environment, we were forced to reevaluate what community means to The Chronicle. Closing the newsroom taught us that community comes in many forms that cannot be taken for granted.

Our mission for Volume 31 is not only to revitalize the sense of community within our staff but to actively facilitate its growth. We plan to connect to the Studio City neighborhood at large by engaging with newly constructed businesses and continuing our local coverage (see Community News). We also hope to branch out into greater Los Angeles by finding new audiences, developing connections with other high school journalism programs and creating a mentorship program with Spectrum, the middle school news magazine. Volume 31 will also see more online content, with the expansion of the hwchronicle.com website, Student News Source app and a more active social media presence facilitated by our Digital Committee.

We will prioritize the natural environment by reporting on climate change’s impact in the community and examining what the school can do to improve its carbon footprint. The Chronicle will also conserve SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE resources, like paper and ink, QUEENS OF WEILER HALL: Editors-in-Chief Tessa Augsberger ’22 which we will achieve by using a digitally based editing process. and Milla Ben-Ezra ’22 pose at the first Chronicle layout of the year. At the same time, we recognize that the familial nature of members on respectfully concontinuing our 31-year print the newspaper staff, forged by ducting sensitive interviews. The tradition. long hours and a shared desire to committee will also ensure that The fortitude of The Chronproduce high-quality journalism, our coverage is representative of icle staffers throughout the past can only be created and mainthe entire school community. year showed that we can come tained if every staff member feels Last year’s volume saw many together as a staff to persevere, included, welcome and safe at firsts for The Chronicle as we and indeed flourish in the face of The Chronicle. transitioned online and virtually unforeseen challenges. As such, we have established produced a print newspaper. As we return to normalcy, we a new Diversity, Equity, and As we move into a new era for have implemented systems that Inclusion Committee that will The Chronicle, we are commitwe hope will preserve that sense align The Chronicle’s DEI goals ted to building community while of esprit de corps on The Chronwith those of the school. It will implementing the digital lessons icle for generations of passionate hold workshops to educate staff learned during COVID-19 and journalists to come.

Community The Chronicle • Aug. 25, 2021

Restaurants accommodate COVID-19 By Davis Marks

MELODY TANG/CHRONICLE

BUILDING OUR FUTURE: Construction workers continue their development of The Residences at Sportsmen’s Lodge, which is undergoing a renovation from a hotel to affordable housing as part of Project Roomkey. The building will ultimately hold 500 new apartments for residents.

Sportsmen’s Lodge hotel renovates housing By Chloe Park

Sportsmen’s Lodge, a Studio City hotel from the 1880s, resumed the renovation process that it began in 2019. The hotel will be renamed to The Residences at Sportsmen’s Lodge. Project Roomkey, a program providing shelter to homeless people, spearheaded the conversion. The renovation, originally scheduled for completion in June 2021, was delayed by the COVID-19 lockdown, according to the Los Angeles Times. The renovation plan involves converting the hotel into over 500 apartments, including 78 units of subsidized affordable housing and new retail and restaurant spaces. Midwood Development CEO

John Usdan said the property, which was purchased by Midwood in 2017, struggled financially in recent years before being shut down by the pandemic, the Los Angeles Times reported. Considering the circumstances caused by the pandemic, Midwood decided to replace the hotel with housing. Studio City resident Zoe Fribourg ’24 said the apartments would be a practical addition to the local community. “I think it is great that the hotel is being converted into apartments,” Fribourg said. “The hotel was never a major part of our community, and the people of Studio City will most definitely get better use out of the apartments and affordable housing in

the area.” Other community members voiced their concerns regarding the short-term effects of construction, such as increased noise levels and heavier traffic in the already congested intersection of Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Ventura Boulevard. Studio City Starbucks employee Marvin Paiz said he is concerned about how business will be impacted by the construction. “Business might slow down a bit if people don’t want to pass by the construction or drive through traffic,” Marvin said. “I’m not sure how long any potential challenges will last, but we will deal with them as they come.” Math Teacher and Studio City resident Catherine Campbell said

the increase in traffic inconveniences her in the commute to school. “Initially, being a resident of Studio City, I wasn’t super happy about the construction because of the traffic,” Campbell said. “The traffic at that intersection in the mornings is really tough, especially while driving to school.” However, Campbell said she supports the reasoning behind the construction, as the renovation will ultimately create greater housing opportunities. “Turning the hotel into housing, specifically affordable housing, is great,” Campbell said. “Particularly in this area, it is very [difficult] for people to find affordable housing, so I think this conversion will be beneficial for Studio City.”

As cases of the COVID-19 delta variant increase, restaurants near the school have adjusted protocol for customers. Il Tramezzino owner Rick Walken said his restaurant persevered despite the challenges presented by COVID-19. “As the pandemic started, we acted quickly to ensure that our restaurant would be safe,” Walken said. “We hired someone for sanitization, built up connections with food delivery providers such as Postmates and made adjustments, and as a result, our business has grown tremendously.” Although the delta variant has not seriously impacted Il Tramezinno’s flow of customers, Walken said their priority is the safety of their customers. “As cases got better, we opened outdoor seating options for customers who wanted a restaurant experience rather than take-out experience,” Walken said. “However, since cases are rising, we’re monitoring the situation to see if we’ll have to change anything.” OVE Pizzeria owner Jack* said the restaurant has maintained a steady customer base throughout the pandemic despite the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases. “Even though cases have been getting worse recently, we’ve still had pretty consistent business,” Jack said. “The only real difference we’ve seen [is] people being more cautious at the restaurant in order to stay safe.” Jack said he will prioritize customers’ safety, adapting protocols as case rates change. “We’ve required masks and had closed indoor dining throughout the entire pandemic, and we hope cases improve,” Jack said. “But if cases get worse and new requirements are released, we’ll adjust again to ensure the safety of customers and our staff.” *Surname redacted

Coming to Sportsmen’s Lodge in fall 2021 Roberta’s Pizzeria

Erewhon

Luxury organic supermarket chain offering vegan, kosher and other alternative diet options.

Tocaya Modern Mexican restaurant accommodating vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets.

Well-known American pizzeria selling wood-fired pizzas and other Italian foods.

Civil Coffee

Cafe serving craft coffee, espresso and pastries, as well as light breakfast and lunch foods.

SUGARFISH Sushi based on Chef Kazunori Nozawa’s style, which focuses on the purity of traditional dishes. ILLUSTRATION BY MELODY TANG

Features The Chronicle • Aug. 25, 2020

Leading Ladies: women take initiative on campus

Students and administrators react to the recent increase in female leadership in several activities on campus. By Harry Tarses

Two single-sex schools came together in a long-anticipated merger to form a single coed institution in September 1991. Thirty years later, at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, an email addressed to the student body announced the results of the Head Prefect election: Quincey Dern ’22 and Jade Stanford ’22 won, making history as the first two women to serve as Head Prefects together. One month later, The Chronicle announced Tessa Augsberger ’22 and Milla Ben-Ezra ’22 as its new Editors-in-Chief, followed with the appointment of Violet Barron ’22 and Paris Little ’22 as the Editors-in-Chief of Vox Populi.

An article published by The Chronicle in 2015 reported an undercurrent of ingrained sexism within the student body, citing unchecked microaggressions like sexual assault jokes and stereotypical “play like a girl” comments, alongside negative responses to anti-sexism speakers. Now, the upcoming school year sees young women occupying many student leadership positions. The school’s progress toward gender equality began with its aforementioned merger, which President Rick Commons said he witnessed firsthand as a former teacher. “The [students at] The Westlake School [for Girls] did not think it was a good idea,” Commons said, “There was a sense, back when our school became Harvard-Westlake, that the boys school had in some way overtaken the girls school.” To dispel this growing concern, the administration required that there be coed heads for the Prefect Council and

other student-run groups. Upper School Dean Nia Kilgore recalled her first day interviewing at the school, when she saw an election underway. She said she was confused at the fact that a boy and girl were required to win and described the administrations’ explanations. “The assumption was [the boys were] going to be in-your-face leaders,” Kilgore said. “They didn’t want to silence the girls’ voices from Westlake. They wanted to make sure the girls had an equal voice.” Kilgore recognized the rule’s importance at the time of the merger, when the student bodies of Harvard and Westlake stood divided, but said the rule was antiquated by the 2010s. “Are we saying that we don’t trust students to elect the best candidate?” Kilgore said. “We’re trying to teach kids democracy. You go into a booth and you vote for who you think should win. If two cisgen-

der boys win, that should be fine. If two girls win, that should [also] be fine.” Soon after being hired, Kilgore shared these concerns with the administration. With the added initiative of Head Prefect Ryan Stanford ’19, the rules were changed and gender was removed entirely from consideration in the Head Prefect election process. The new mandate was fully realized by Dern and Stanford’s appointment in 2021. Senior Prefect and Asian Students in Action (ASiA) leader Joy Ho ‘22 said the outcome of the election was a result of the shifting social climate. “I think there just has been an overall push for equality,” Ho said. “The Black Lives Matter protests gave cause to a lot of other movements to start getting momentum, and I think at Harvard-Westlake, the school became really focused on pushing these initiatives to make sure that they were equal.” • Continued on B2

ILLUSTRATIONS BY FALLON DERN AND SOPHIA MUSANTE

Dylan Perkins ’23, the school’s first transgender athlete, shares his experiences with coming out. By Fallon Dern Dylan Perkins ’23 leaned on a poster-covered wall and said he’s never known how to smile in photos. Casey Ross ’23, Preston Yeh ’23 and Ryann Castanon-Hill ’23 surrounded him, calling out poses for a flashing phone camera. To Perkins’s left, Chiara Umbeko ’23 painted on Perkins’s bedroom wall near his light switch. For the duration of the

interview, Perkins encouraged his friends to freely decorate his room. Perkins came out as transgender in November of 2020, and as he sat between Yeh and a box of art supplies, he said he was ready to share his journey. “There’s a nice version of this story, and there’s one that I probably shouldn’t say because some people will get mad at me,” Perkins said. “Let’s go with the nice one.” Perkins said he grew up without transgender representation in media and didn’t learn about gender and sexuality in his classrooms. Instead, he relied on the internet to answer the questions he felt uncomfortable asking adults in his life. “I had a lot of anxiety as a child and spent a lot of time online,” Perkins said. “I learned about LGBT identities very young. I learned about what it meant to be trans. I knew it fit. I’ve known I was trans since fifth grade, solidly.” Throughout his elementary school years, Perkins used social media to share different pronouns, names and interests. In fact, the name Dylan was chosen in a virtual space; Perkins came out to his closest friends and asked them to pick a name from his list of options. Ross, who had been listening to Perkins’s stories from her spot on Perkins’s bedroom floor, said she wishes her name ideas were chosen. • Continued on B2

Influencers in the Spotlight Students with large online platforms discuss their varying experiences and the mental effects of online culture. By Leo Saperstein Staring in the mirror, Irene Bae ’24 said she could not recognize herself behind her makeup and new clothes. As she looked down, her hands shot toward her phone, where she knew a rolling stream of likes and comments waited to distract her from her parents, peers and school. The glow of the screen lit up her face, and she smiled—another one of her videos had gone viral. Bae sighed, feeling happy and peaceful for just a moment. Bae joined TikTok on March 28, 2020. At first, Bae said she used online interactions to make up for the love she never felt at home. As she received virtual support on her videos, though, Bae said she began to crave online validation. But her growing fame did not only lead to likes and comments from her 85,000 followers; she said she quickly became “an egotistical douchebag who only cared

about social media.” Bae said she now recognizes the trouble that virtual dependency presents to adolescents. “As months went on, [social media] became an addiction,” Bae said. “Every time I felt depressed, I would hop on social media to distract myself from reality. As I grew my platform, I started to feel pressured in so many ways: beauty, followers [et cetera]. I had a huge ego from having followers, which put me in an unhealthy mentality that I was worth more than someone else, which is simply not true.” To complement her TikTok relevance, Bae said she adopted an influencer’s lifestyle, going to parties and surrounding herself with new friends. “Not only were my looks changing, but I was becoming this Los Angeles girl who partied and talked to a lot of guys,” Bae said. “To be completely honest, I’m an introvert and despised all those things. Inside, I wanted to focus on school, hang out with close friends and just be happy. I thought that if I can’t be this [Los Angeles] girl, then I’m not living up to an influencer life.” • Continued on B7

B2 Features

• Continued from B1

mandate was fully realized by Dern and Stanford’s appointment. Senior Prefect and Asian Students in Action (ASiA) leader Joy Ho ’22 said she believes the outcome of the election was a result of a shift in the social climate. “I think there just has been an overall push for equality,” Ho said. “The Black Lives Matter protests gave cause to a lot of other movements to start getting momentum [in society], and I think that at Harvard-Westlake, the school became really focused on pushing these initiatives to make sure that they were equal.” In contrast, Kilgore said she believed the results to be unaffected by outside sources and exclusively connected the victory to the merit of the Prefect Council candidates. Junior Prefect Yoshimi Kimura ’23 proposed a third hypothesis that is independent of the social climate and merit-based arguments. “This year, there has been increased transparency about the rules of the election, [and] that might be just be-

The Chronicle

cause they’re communicating more thoroughly online,” Kimura said. “This year, I heard a lot of my classmates saying,‘Oh, I didn’t know that we could vote two girls in.’” Among other student organizations, though, there is more consensus surrounding the cause for female appointments, with many of the leaders exclusively citing the lack of male participation in their groups. Ho said shebelieves it was the sensitive nature of her club’s subject material as well as the limitations imposed by pandemic that attracted more young women than men to join the group. “ASiA became a very [female]-based club,” Ho said. “[In having] these discussions [and] these open conversations online, I think a lot of females are [now] more willing to be vulnerable.” Vox Populi Editor-in-Chief Barron sad she attributes the leadership appointments of her publication to the estimated gender breakup of the staff. “There have been all-female EIC’s going back years,” Barron said. “I

Aug. 25, 2021

think most years, the class will be said this environment may be perpet95%, if not 99%, female.” uated by men, Senior Prefect Jason Rhea Madhogarhia ‘22 said she Thompson ‘22 said he supports the thinks girls feel they have more to dynamic it has created. prove, which she believes sparks their Thompson praised his classmates disproportionate on Prefect Council levels of particiand said that he pation in student recognized the organizations. significance of “I feel like the their victory. girls are just more “I was just willing. Maybe so excited for we feel like we what they acGirls feel the need to excel have something to c o m p l i s h e d ,” in everything that we do. If prove. Guys don’t Thompson said. we don’t, it feels like we’re feel the need to be “Prefect Council part of something is going to be in not pushing for progress. else to feel like a amazing hands. —Yoshimi Kimura ’23 part of the comIf it were up to munity,” me, there’d Madbe a hogarp i c hia said. ture of “They’re [Stancomfortford and able in their Dern] at own groups.” convocation Kimura on the front echoed Madhogarhia’s of the [Los Angeles thoughts regarding the gen(LA)] Times.” der culture at the school. Though Kilgore said she shared “I think [girls] feel [the] need to ex- Thompson’s excitement, she acknowlcel in everything that we do,” Kimu- edged there are more goals to be ra said. “ If we don’t, it sort of feels achieved. Still, she said she is optimislike we’re not pushing for progress. I tic these goals will be acheived. think that’s a big reason why women “We’re definitely behind [the get generalized so often. They’re try- curve],” Kilgore said. “But you’ve ing so hard to be a shining example of grown up in an era where you have one thing.” seen these improvements in gender Despite the stress she said it creat- equality, even if they’ve been slow. ed, Kimura explained that she thinks Clearly, something’s not perfect. But the pressurized environment is the are we actually doing it poorly? No, most prominent factor in pushing and I think this year’s [leadership] is them into leadership. While Kimura a great sign.

“

illustrations by sophia musante and alexa druyanoff

Aug. 25, 2021

The Chronicle

Features B3

Los Angeles teens are increasingly interested in obtaining fake IDs for the sake of purchasing alcohol and illicit substances. IDs. He said 16 and 17-year-olds are most commonly trying to buy alcohol and tobacco, while 18-to-20-yearolds usually attempt to enter bars and nightclubs.

By Allegra Drago Outside of Bootsy Bellows, a trendy Los Angeles nightclub, Buckley School alumna Francesca Taylor ’17 shifted in her stilettos as she waited in line with a group of friends. Her legs shook, not from the discomfort of her high heels, but from the anxiety and potential embarrassment of being turned away at the door. Approaching the bouncer, she handed him her ID. Just like that, she was in. Taylor exhaled and joined another group of 19-year-olds, all of them ready to party as though they were the 22-year-old college students listed on their fake driver’s licenses. Taylor said she found that having a fake ID was necessary to keep up with her friends’ social lives. “It got to the point where there was no birthday party or social gathering that didn’t require a fake ID,” Taylor said. “There were no alternative weekend plans that didn’t include 21-plus restaurants, “The clubs or concerts.” conseLike Taylor, Brenda* said she ordered q u e n c e s a fake ID in her junior year in order to range from maintain her social life. She found it was being given important to have this identification for a warning and social events that required her to purchase having the idenalcohol, though she said she greatly feared tification confisgetting caught. cated [to]possibly “When I first got my fake [ID], I only being arrested for went to places that were known for taking a misdemeanor vifakes so I could buy [alcohol] for parties olation,” Fair said. and hangouts,” Brenda said. “Probably the issue She said a majority of her high school with the [greatest] conclassmates owned fake IDs and that most sequence would be that of her peers purchased them from the these violations could show same individual in their graduating class. up on the person’s record “My experience with fakes at [the for years to come. This could school] was pretty simple,” Brenda said. limit their ability to be accepted “We all knew who sold them, and as long when applying for a job or possias you knew someone who knew [the sell- bly even limit their chances to get er],it was easy. Now that I’ve graduated, into a good college.” I recently put in an order with him for Brando Fuqua ’23said he underother people. We just [direct messaged] stands why one might feel socially him on Instagram.” pressured to purchase a Ordering an alcoholic bevfake ID. erage at a restaurant without an “I think for people who ID is nearly impossible, Brenda love to be social and party, a said. As she transitions into her fake ID would help you make freshman year of college, Brenfriends and be more included,” da said a fake ID will continue Fuqua said. “It would suck if all to be crucial in her ability to fulof your friends went out every ly immerse herself in college life. night without you because they “I think the objective is for all have fakes.” white’s most kids to not have to ask In contrast, Logan Azizzadeh Brando their parents for alcohol,” Bren’24 said any reasoning behind Fuqua ’23 da said. “My parents know that purchasing a fake ID does not I have a fake [ID]. I told them a year after justify the risk at which one puts themI got it, and then they were pretty cool selves and others. with it around senior year, and now obvi“The rules for underage drinking are ously that I’m going to be going to school made for young adults’ safety, and being in New York, they’re pretty encouraging able to purchase a fake [ID] renders the about it so I can actually have a social life.” law useless,” Azizzadeh said.“I personally Beverly Hills Police Department Ser- would not get a fake ID because I don’t geant Billy Fair has served on the police want to deal with the risks that having force for the past 17 years and said he one has. Having a fake ID is illegal, and has caught multiple teenagers using fake breaking the law is obviously not the

right thing to do.” disciplinary standpoint since it’s being Having handled juvenile cases, Beverly handled by them,” Slattery said.“There Hills Police Department Detective Ubal- might be exceptions to that if it clearly do Mendoza said he commonly encoun- impacted our community.” ters two main types of fraudulent IDs: Taylor said she has multiple underage The first type accurately lists one’s infor- college friends who have been caught usmation, including their address and name ing fraudulent identification. with only the birth year changing, while “I had friends who were leaving for the second ID card involves stealing the a very casual night out at a bar,” Taylor identity of a real person by said. “At the end of the taking on both their name night, [they were] facand birthdate. ing six months of court I personally “[In] the first case, we trials trying to clear would not get a fake ID usually confiscate the iltheir names.” because I don’t want to legal documents, counsel Taylor said she bethe minor in the presence lieves teenagers feel deal with the risks that of their parents and make comfortable using false having one has.” it an educational expeidentification because rience,” Mendoza said. —Logan Azizzadeh ’24 they are rarely caught. “[In] the second instance, She said the more she the information belongs and her friends got to another person, so the minors are ac- away with using fake IDs, the more comtually [committing identity theft]. The fortable they felt using them. minors are arrested, released to the Marlborough School alumna Stefani* custody of their parents, and the dealt fake IDs throughout their grade and case [is] presented to the Depart- said they can remember a point at which ment of Probation.” they found themself with over $4,000 Head of Upper School worth of fake IDs. Beth Slattery said she is aware “It all started when my best friend and that many students on cam- I were trying to get [fake ID] cards and pus own fake IDs and hopes our dealer said that the more people we that the disciplinary mea- got in the order, the cheaper it would be sures in place will discour- for us,” Stefani said. “It was super interage students from con- esting to see how fast people came to me tinuing to purchase them. once they found out that I was involved Slattery also said if a with something like this. Soon enough, I student is caught with was sitting with an order of 40 IDs.” a fake ID, the school The process of making a fake ID entails ordinarily plays a taking a profile photo of the user with a limited role in dis- white background, as one would at the ciplinary action. Department of Motor Vehicles. Stefani “If the police said in the fake ID production process, were involved, they and their peers used Money Gram. we would This site allowed them to send money dip r o b a b l y rectly to banks in China, where Stefani’s not get in- IDs came from. volved Stefani said they believe the key to from a getting away with using a fraudulent ID does not have to do with the quality of the card, but rather the mindset and maturity that the user puts forth when asked to present it. “I was most scared that the IDs would arrive and be awful quality–which they were,” Stefani said. “But the thing is,no matter how good the card really is, the thing that matters most is the way that you behave while using it.” Detective Mendoza said he feels using a fake ID is not necessary to having an active social life in one’s youth. “As far as advice, I would tell [people]to enjoy their youth,” Mendoza said. “Enjoy the opportunities and activities available to them and don’t be in a rush to grow up.”

“

*Names have been changed

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SYDNEY FENER

The Chronicle

B4 Features

CODE RED: 2021 CLImate report Following the United Nations’s climate report, students and faculty reflect on the efforts currently being made to combat climate change. By Natalie Cosgrove

ter 2050. In order to meet these net-zero goals, the amount of greenhouse gas emitted must be equivaA recent report from the United Nations’s (UN) lent to those extracted from the atmosphere. As part of their efforts to reduce their carbon footclimate panel details the full extent of the damage human behavior has caused to the environment. As print and in response to the AR6 report, the school greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, the newer administration is addressing their excessive water usgeneration will likely have to reckon with the damage. For example, the River Park Campus will use age caused by major corporations. In light of these a drainage system that captures, purifies and reuses rapid changes, students and faculty have been work- excess water. President Rick Commons said as the ing toward reducing the school’s carbon footprint school makes large infrastructure changes, it prioritizes sustainability and water conservation. and water usage. “There is a tremendous amount of planning and Global temperatures will rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees Celsius over the course of the expense being allocated toward water reclamation, 21st century unless carbon dioxide and other green- solar power and native plantings at River Park,” house gas emissions decrease significantly, according Commons said. “That is where we have the opporto the “AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Sci- tunity to do the most good [for the environment], not only because we’re starting from scratch on ence Basis (AR6 report).” UN Secretary-General Antónico Guterres de- our [facilities], but because what is there now is a golf course that uses pesticides, has clared the situation a climate emernon-native plants and does not have gency. The UN’s report outlines a water reclamation system.” that human behavior is acceleratIf we don’t take In order to learn more about the ing the melting of the Arctic sea, care of this planet, climate crisis, upper school students raising sea levels, and increasing the nothing else is going to have the opportunity to enroll in frequency of fatal droughts. The reAdvanced Placement (AP) Environport also states there is no inhabitmatter.” mental Science and Honors Topics ed region across the globe unaffect—Nadine Eisenkolb in Evolution and Ecology. AP Ened by climate change. According to The Weather Channel, this past AP Environmental vironmental Science teacher Nadine Eisenkolb said she is extremely supsummer saw historic heatwaves Science Teacher portive of the school’s decision to across the west coast as La Niña, move towards sustainability, through the cooling of ocean temperatures on the west coast of South America, heavily affected changes such as ceasing to sell plastic water bottles. weather patterns. Furthermore, the climate is pro- Eisenkolb said this is the first of many steps towards jected to get increasingly hotter and drier in Cali- a sustainable campus, and said she believes there is fornia, creating an environment where wildfires can more the school can do to educate its students about climate change-related issues. spread easily. “If we don’t take care of this planet, nothing else Environmental Club leader Maya Mathur ’22 said although she was upset to hear the AR6 report is going to matter,” Eisenkolb said. “We can pump state that human influence has inflicted permanent out the best students that are the most educated, damage to the environment, she is glad that the ex- but nothing is going to happen because there’s gotent of the crisis is being accurately ing to be environmental and economic collapse. So if the school was to say [that climate studies] is not communicated to the public. “I think the climate re- [optional curricula], and this is something we are port really highlights putting priority on, I think that would change the the need for us to act story dramatically, and that would really change the quickly and cut down amount of difference we could make.” Eisenkolb said there are multiple strategies the greenhouse gas emissions,” Mathur school can employ to reduce their carbon footprint said. “It was sad to and usage of fossil fuels: reusable dishes and silversee how the report ware, charging ports for cars that promote driving stated that global energy-efficient vehicles, drought-tolerant plant life warming has al- instead of live grass and solar energy heated pools. “When we have students walk across campus every ready caused irreversible changes. I day, we teach them that it is okay to heat our pool, really hope the re- that it is okay to water all of these tropical plants, port communicates that it is okay to eat [out of plastic] containers and how dire the climate not care about where the trash comes [from],” Eisensituation is to people kolb said. “I don’t think that [is] what the school who don’t believe in wants to teach.” While the Upper School offers AP Environmental global warming.” The report set a target of Science, the Middle School does not offer an envnet-zero carbon emissions af- iornmental science class. Middle School

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Aug.

hwchronicle.com/features

25, 2021

Features B5

Science Teacher and Environmental Club Ad- that are really contributing to environmental visor Daniella Ellingson said the Science De- problems to change anything.” parment does not uniformly enforce climate Madhogaria is part of a student-run orgachange education. nization, The Global Youth Climate Database, “Part of the science standards include hu- which encourages climate change activists to man impact,” Ellingson said. “Every science spread awareness and demonstrate to the pubyear, there are units and lessons that are sup- lic how to take action. The organization’s web posed to be about human impact on the planet. page features frequent news articles to educate However, Harvard-Westlake doesn’t use those others about climate catastrophes and advancestandards. For our curricula, it’s mostly how ments against climate change. much each individual teacher wants While Madhogaria believes peoto bring into the classroom.” ple do not need to uproot their lifeHowever, Ellingson also said the styles to help the environment, she Middle School is working to integrate said supporting local, sustainable more climate studies into its seventh businesses is critical in helping the and eighth grade lesson plans. environmental cause. “For the seventh graders, we acIn addition, Madhogartually revamped our curriculum a hia said there are mulcouple of years ago, and now there is tiple ways that stua unit dedicated to weather and clidents can help white’s mate,” Ellingson said. improve the Rhea Aside from the school’s efforts, stusituation as Madhogaria ’22 dents work independently to support individthe sustainability movement, creating founda- uals, such as by tions and joining organizations. Max Thomp- utilizing reusable son ’23 founded the SoCal Beach Cleanup in water bottles 2015 to inspire students to fundraise for the and bringing World Wildlife Fund. He said he has focused t u p p e r w a r e his efforts on raising student involvement in c o n t a i n e r s beach trips to reduce human waste. to school “A lot of the work that we do has to do with or through spreading awareness,” Thompson said. “But a v o i d i n g obviously, I think letting people know about plastic bags. problems is really different from actually makEchoing ing real, tangible change. I think our biggest M a d h o g a thing is actually getting out into natural habi- rhia’s sentitats. What we’re doing right now is cleaning up ment, Combeaches and cleaning up areas that marine life mons said need to survive, hunt and get food.” students should In response to hearing about the report and take on their own seeing the media’s growing concern, Thomp- initiatives to work son said he worries the data may contribute to toward the goal of hopelessness and consequently prevent people living sustainably. from participating in the sustainability move“I think students need ment at all. to [start making] decisions “I think the report can be sort of damag- for themselves, whether that’s ing because I think that for a lot of people, if carpooling or whether that is how they see something that’s telling them that we they use and dispose of waste,” Comdon’t have any time left, and it’s already irre- mons said. “And I think that students need to versible, then I think in some ways, or at least push us to look at sustainable plantings [and] for some people, it can be a way to give up and to look at ways [to decrease] water use.” say, ‘There’s nothing I can really do [to help],’” As the school year begins and carbon dioxThompson said. ide levels continue to increase at a rapid pace, Climate activist Rhea Madhogarhia ’22 said according to the AR6 report, Commons said the most crucial part of helping the movement he will search for ways to actively respond to [gain traction] is bringing awareness to import- infrastructural issues with sustainability under ant issues, even if it means relaying concerning school policy. news [to the public]. “I recognize that gradual probably isn’t good “If the collective is more aware of the situa- enough,” Commons said. “There likely need to tion, they are more likely to act,” Madhogarhia be some more extreme corrections. Speaking said. “I think overall awareness from the public for Harvard-Westlake, I think we need to idenis always good and support for the cause is al- tify what those are [so] that we can make in a ways good because if there is no support, then way that is more responsible, given what we’re there is no motivation for larger corporations learning [and] the new data.”

according to the climate report...

“Global warming of 1.5-2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in co2 and other greenhouse gases occur.”

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“each of the last four decades has been successively warmer than any decade that preceded it since 1850.” ILLUSTRATIONS BY MELODY TANG

B6 Features

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

Members of the school community share their opinions on recent conflict in Afghanistan involving its occupation by the Taliban. By Sandra Koretz

ing schools and placed several strict restrictions on women’s legal rights. The United States Armed Forces The United States government entered Afghanistan in 2001, after announced that U.S. troop withthe Sept. 11 attacks. This marked the drawal from Afghanistan would be beginning of the war in the Middle complete by Aug. 31, 2021, after East as the U.S. attempted to fight the U.S. and the Taliban signed the terrorist forces abroad. Agreement for Bringing Peace to Luke Madden ’24 said that he Afghanistan Feb. 29, 2020, under the believes the country’s refusal to Trump administration. As the date intervene and the reversal of women’s for military withdrawal approached, rights will be consequential. the world watched closely while the “The dangers of the Taliban Taliban seized Kabul, the capital of continuing to take away the rights of the country. women is that it completely destroys U.S. Army Engineer Officer and the future of so many promising alumna Kimberly Jung ’04, who was deployed to the Middle East in 2010, young women in the country,” Madden said. “It also sets a dangerspent time aiding Afghan women ous precedent that shows that the after earning her bachelor’s degree United States will not intervene in in mechanical engineering from the the case of human rights United States Military abuses, which is extremeAcademy in 2008. ly worrying to our allies Jung said promoting in Taiwan and elsewhere peace in Afghanistan is that are being threatened crucial to the developby major powers.” ment of the country. According to a poll, “An Afghanistan that 53.3% of surveyed stuis connected and engaged dents disagree with U.S. with the world is a more military involvement in peaceful and progressive Afghanistan. Stephen Afghanistan,” Jung said. Purdum ’22 said the After spending 20 years white’s intricate nature of the onfighting Taliban forces in Stephen going war has only led to Afghanistan, the United Purdum ’22 the turbulent withdrawal States left Kabul, which from the region. was previously overtaken “It’s a fantastically complicated by the Taliban on Aug. 15. issue and one on which neither This marked the end of U.S. myself nor any high schooler is really military aid in the country. equipped to comment on,” Purdum Millions of Afghan said. “However, there is no denying citizens now struggle that despite 20 years of involvement to escape the and over $1 trillion in expenditures, we have failed to improve the lives of the people of Afghanistan and rather have, country as Taliban in many instances, forces continue to block made them signifiroads and retract liberties previouscantly worse.” ly granted to women. Purdum also said although the As the Taliban holds power over effects of involvement in Afghanistan the country, women’s rights in the have been both positive and negative, area continue to be repressed. More he feels there was never a reason for specifically, the Taliban is known intervention in the first place. for their strict adherence to Shariah “Obviously too much intervenlaw, and previously forced women tionism is never a good thing, to abide by those laws. This banned and long-term involvement in Afghan women from attend-

Afghanistan has been pretty bad, but, at the same time, the way in which we are leaving has only made the problem worse,” Purdum said. “It is kind of an impossible situation, and ultimately the only real solution [is to] never [have gotten] involved in the first place.” Madden said social media has continued to play

U.S. State Department and other refugee organizations are working to aid legible Afghan citizens to safety. “Congressional staff and the State Department have

been a large role attempting to assist influencing Afghans since last week,” the opinions of Sugarman said. “The State Departstudents, and the rapid ment is working to process the visas spread of information has also been of Afghans and get them to safety.” dangerous during other historical Sugarman said the current situaevents over the past year. tion in Afghanistan is unique due to “We have seen this a lot over the of the power dynamic between the past year, the fast spread of informaU.S. and Afghanistan. tion can be a good and bad thing,” “I think what is unique is we just Madden said. “But it also informs haven’t seen the United States get and encourages people about the beaten in such an obvious way by a subject in question. With social non-state actor, close to a terrorist media and the internet, you are able group,” Sugarman said. “I don’t know to get a lot more information a lot that it is unique in American history, more quickly, but I think that it from a variety of is unique in terms sources, across of U.S. having I think what’s unique all different to ask or beg an is we just haven’t seen the viewpoints and enemy to leave across the politiwithout attacking, United States get beaten in cal spectrum.” rather than acting such an obvious way by a Middle East from a position of non-state actor, close to a Studies and strength.” Advanced PlaceJung said terrorist group.” ment (AP) U.S. Afghan citizens are — AJ Sugarman ’10 now learning how History Teacher Dror Yaron said Former White House Staffer to adapt and restudents should build the country continue to eddespite restrictive ucate themselves government meaon the power struggle in Afghanistan. sures recently reinstated by the new “Students need to read a combina- Taliban government in Afghanistan. tion of mainstream press, foreign pol“The Afghan people [have been] icy or foreign affairs journals,” Yaron strong in the face of adversity and said. “Students shouldn’t be seduced have proven themselves time and by the punditry that you might find time again, despite the international on news broadcasts that seek to connarrative,” Jung said. “Although the stantly publicize information.” situation is chaotic, Afghan security Although the U.S. military is no forces and businesses are taking steps longer actively fighting in the counto establish a new normal under [the] try, millions of Afghan citizens are new Taliban government, and they left trapped by the Taliban. Former will survive and thrive. There are President Donald Trump White complex relationships and politics [at House Staffer and alumnus work in the situation] that many of Alec “AJ” Sugarman ’10 [us here in the] U.S. can only begin said the to understand.”

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ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

B7 Features

The Chronicle

Unfiltered

Aug. 25, 2021

Students reflect on their experiences as social media influencers and the consequences of internet fame.

By Leo Saperstein

finding a healthy system, Li said she was fixated While Bae considers on her virtual self-image. “Social media was hardherself wrapped up in the life of an influencer, Sofia er to [enjoy] when I used it Li ’22, who has amassed as merely a platform to post 54,300 TikTok followers, pictures of myself, because said she does not view her- I was constantly comparing self as an influencer. Li said myself to others, which I she curated her TikTok and think is common in a lot Instagram profiles to attract of young women,” Li said. buyers for her Depop ac- “When I started posting count, where she negotiates about other aspects of my prices and delivery times life, like art and fashion, of clothing items with her and receiv[ed] online sup11,000 followers and cus- port from that, social media became tomers. much more Li said enjoyable that social I was constantly because it media has comparing myself to felt [like] taught more than others, which I think her about just a platvarious is common in a lot of form to business young women.” showcase interactions and —Sofia Li ’22 my looks.” A l that it has though made her she said a more proficient merchandiser. she feels confident in her “I do not think I will business-first attitude toever become an influencer ward TikTok and other in my adult life, but I defi- platforms, Li said she emnitely can see the benefits pathizes with potentially influencof social media in market- disillusioned ing and business,” Li said. ers who use social me“Being on social media so dia to integrate into LA often allowed me to really culture and worry about learn how to reach an au- their own appearance. “I think for students in dience and create a sort of following that would other states or other parts be willing to support my of the world, [LA] is robusiness endeavors. This, manticized as a hub for in turn, taught me so social media stars, and they much about communica- may think that moving to tion and customer service.” LA and working in social While Li now utilizes media is an easy path to social media as a branding success, which can be distool, she said she only de- appointing, as [success is] veloped fluency in online pretty much the luck of the culture recently. Before draw most times,” Li said. • Continued from B1

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“Social media also heavily revolves around looks, especially those that conform to Western beauty standards, which I think has damaged LA’s reputation.” Unlike Li, Davis White ’23, who has 226,800 TikTok followers, said he has always had a carefree attitude toward his social media profiles, using applications like Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok as sources of relaxation rather than stress. Before COVID-19, White said the idea of attracting such a robust following did not cross his mind. “I got into social media in quarantine,” White said. “I was just playing around and realized I could actually make something of it. Before I knew it, I was signed with a huge modeling agency, and I am still having fun with that.” Now working at Wilhelmina Models, White said he has had both positive and negative experiences with people in the influencer social network. He said he attributes his experiences to the individuals in the field rather than influencer culture in general. “The influencer culture in [LA] really fluctuates wherever you go,” White said. “I have met some amazing people, and I have met some other people that I have not really kept in touch with.” Though he does not have set plans to maintain his online profiles, White said he expects social media

will always be something on social media is common he can return to as an adult. among teens. She said ad“I never accumulated diction is primarily due to extra amounts of stress a substance called cortisol, based on how many fol- a stress hormone found lowers I have,” White throughout the body. said. “I think I can real“The attention that an ly pick back up where I influencer gets from social left off with social media media followers plays into whenever I want. It’s fun the developmental stage [and] very pressure-free.” of teenagers [and their Students’ fixation on in- sense of ] identity versus fluencer culture is an exam- role confusion,” Bracken ple of what Upper School said. “When we get a like Counselor Michelle Brack- or comment on a post on en described as a common social media, cortisol is phenomenon, released in our which she often brain. This is a observes in LA: very similar reyoung adults deaction to a drug. termining their Our brains creown happiness ate more recepbased on culturtors for the inal surroundings. creased cortisol, “Beauty and and [as a result] wealth and ultiwe need more.” white’s mately happiness As BrackMichelle [are] defined by en considered Bracken what we see,” whether social Bracken said. “I don’t think media is primarily positive young people in other parts or negative, she concludof the country feel the same ed that each situation is pressure or desire to focus different. She said there on outward beauty in the are not yet long-term same way. [Of course], studies that concretely this is a generalization as define the effects of innot everyone in LA focus- fluencer life on teenagers. es on beauty and wealth. “Some people handle But for young people who [social media] better than are figuring out who they others,” Bracken said. “I are, it can seem very dis- cannot say there is any retressing to not look the search that suggests that same as some of these in- a young person will not fluencers who did not just do well in school or life if take a selfie, [but] spent they spend too much time hours getting prepped on social media. However, for a [photo]shoot.” it can interfere with sleep, Beyond the cultural schoolwork, extracurricupressures to post photos lars and family life. All of and videos, Bracken said these things are important neurological dependency to a healthy development.”

illustrations by fallon dern printed with permission from sofia li, davis white and irene bae

B8 Features

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

Dylan Perkins ’23 opens up about field hockey, friendships and coming out as transgender.

oss, who had been listening to Perkins’s stories from her spot on Perkins’s bedroom floor, said she wishes her name ideas were chosen. “You didn’t like my suggestions,” Ross said. She recommended ‘Grier’ and ‘Urine.’ Perkins said neither landed well. “I did not like your suggestions,” Perkins said. “Someone else said ‘Fork’ was a good idea. Eventually, we decided that ‘Dylan’ suited me best.” After his mind was made up, Perkins shared his new name with his Peer Support group, parents, other close friends, deans, teachers and Instagram followers. He came out in late November, soon after the field hockey season ended. Perkins said he feared whether he would be allowed to play field hockey, an historically all-girls sport, after coming out as male. “I planned to wait until after field hockey season of 10th grade because by then, I’d have played for two years in high school,” Perkins said. “Then, if they kicked me off, I still would’ve had those years, and that’d be fun. But then [COVID-19] hit, so I couldn’t play hockey. Nonetheless, I knew I had to stick to my plan, so I came out November of 10th grade.” Perkins said he has devoted himself to field hockey since seventh grade, playing for the school program as well as West Coast Riptide, USA Futures U14 and USA Futures U16.

“[The Field] Hockey season “It’s not a new thing,” Perwas my main concern for [the] kins said with a shrug. “I’ve timing [of ] coming out,” Per- always played games in a skirt, kins said. “It’s an all-girls sport, and I’m honestly okay with it and there’s no boys field hockey because clothing doesn’t have a team at the school. I knew that gender.” even if they had to kick me off, I Gender expression and its would’ve wanted to have played discussion have become second for a bit.” nature to Perkins. He said he Despite his concerns, Perkins doubts those in the school comsaid his coaches and teammates munity would be intentionally have been nothing but sup- transphobic towards him beportive since coming out. cause of the consequences those Field Hockey head coach actions would have. Erin Creznic said that the team “What are they going to do?” is lucky to have Perkins. Perkins said with a laugh. “I “Dylan has been doing re- didn’t really care. Nobody’s been ally well for us,” unaccepting Creznic said. to my face. If I didn’t really “The coaches [anyone] miscare. If [anyone] were always exgenders me, misgenders me, I’ll go to I’ll go to the cited to bring the deans. Then what him up to varsideans. Then are [they] going to do?” what are [they] ty, and we knew he’d be by this —Dylan Perkins ’23 going to year. Everyone’s do?” really warm and T h a t welcoming and embracing the line drew a few laugh from changes, and we’re really grate- Perkins’s four attentive listenful to have him on our team.” ers, and Ross said that Perkins Perkins gushed about Coach has “friends in high places.” Hamzah Hashmi in particular, The friend in question is Ross’s and said he now calls the team mom, Associate Head of School over by shouting, “Girls and Laura Ross. Dylan! Come on!” “Oh yeah!” Perkins said. “I’m “Hamzah’s wonbesties with Ms. Ross.” derful,” Perkins said. Perkins, who “I’m sure he guessed has been a friend this two years ago. He asked of the Ross family me if I had any other pronouns since 7th grade, said he first told one day and I said, ‘No,’ but Casey Ross he was transgender in my head, I was wondering, via a crumpled-up note in Latin ‘How do you know that?’” class that read, “I don’t like my Perkins said although he is name.” still subject to wearing field “I was confused,” Ross said, hockey skirts for games, turning to Perkins and adhe doesn’t mind.

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dressing him. “I think I just responded with something stupid like, ‘I don’t like yogurt,’ but a minute later I got it. Years later, you came out, started dressing like yourself and got that haircut. When you became comfortable with yourself, that made me happy. I like seeing you happy.” The friends reflected on how Perkins gained the strength and confidence to come out. Castanon-Hill, seated on Perkins’s bed and fiddling with his guitar, said she has always been proud of Perkins. As Perkins paused to remember that day, Umbeko stood up from painting, her brush unintentionally hitting Perkins’s eye with a spec of paint. Within seconds, the friends offered to clean his eye as five different pitches of laughter rang and Perkins freed himself from their grabbing hands. Perkins said he doesn’t push their affection away often, and when asked who he’s most grateful for, he pointed to his friends. “I had people I was going to spend time with whether or not I was in the closet,” Perkins said. “My gender has never mattered to them because, really, it’s just a spectrum. It can also change. You can be kind of a girl or kind of a guy or not, or in between, or whatever. It’s your life. It’s all just labels. And labels are stupid.”

ILLUSTRATION BY FALLON DERN

Arts &Entertainment The Chronicle • Aug. 25, 2021

“Twilight” fans offer insight on the 2000s hit saga’s arrival to popular streaming platform Netflix, reigning in a new audience. By Becca Berlin Upon the release of the first “Twilight” film in 2008, millions of moviegoers across the world packed theaters, eager to indulge in the film’s forests, vampires and soundtrack. Although teenagers today are unable to experience t h e

“Twilight” fandom at the height of its popularity, they continue watching the films through various streaming platforms. Based on Stephenie Meyer’s book series of the same name, “The Twilight Saga” was added to the Netflix library July 16, and all five films quickly became a part of Netflix’s top ten rankings. B i l l y Johnson ’22, who watched the films for the first time this summer, said he enjoys the series despite thinking they were poorly made. “I watched all of [the movies] for the first time with a small group of friends [who had] varying ‘Twilight’ experience levels,” Johnson said. “[The movies are] terrible but awesome.” Before they were available on Netflix, the “ Tw i light” movies were

streamed exclusively on Hulu. Approximately 5,000 Hulu users binged all five movies on the day of their release, and over 135,000 users finished the saga within the first week of its availability, according to Cinema Blend. Like Johnson, Carter Staggs ’23 had not watched the first film before i t s

Long-time “Twilight” fan Adison Gamradt ’23 said she watched “The Twilight Saga” with her younger sister over the summer after they read all four books. Although Gamradt read the original “Twilight” books years ago, she said she waited to finish watching all of the movies until they were released on Netflix. “Finally getting to watch the movies felt super satis-

you really listen, the songs actually add so much to the experience and capture the vibe of the movie.” Dani Lynch ’23 said it seems that streaming platforms have perfected a game of tug of war with the rights to the “Twilight” movies: Each streaming platform vies

illustrations by alexa druyanoff & sophia evans

release on Netflix. He said he was initially reluctant to join the millions of “Twilight” fans because of the negative preconceived notions he held against the films. “Going into the movie, I did not expect it to be very good,” Staggs said. “However, I had fun watching the movie. Though it would not be something I would choose to watch by myself, I can now see the appeal of the ‘Twilight’ series.” Staggs said many of his friends are “Twilight” fans and that their contagious excitement over the films convinced him to watch them for the first time.

fying,” Gamradt said. “I’m actually glad I waited to watch because the timing ended up being perfect to watch with my sister, and I feel like movies are always more fun when you watch with someone and have a running commentary.” Gamradt said said she enjoyed the films more the second time she watched them. “I was really able to focus on the more cinematic elements of the movie and look beyond just the characters and plot,” Gamradt said. “I love the soundtrack of ‘Twilight’ because when

to release the film to their subscribers, wrangling in mass viewership and reviving the popularity of the films. She said this is true for several other teen movies from the early 2000s, noting that Netflix has

r e c e n t ly brought movies like “Legally Blonde,” “ W i l d Child” and “ M e a n Girls” back onto their platform. Lynch said she appreciates the trend of reviving previous-

ly popular movies on modern streaming platforms, and she said Netflix’s strategy has worked in motivating her to stream the films through the platform. “I love rewatching movies because you always notice things you wouldn’t notice the first time you watch,” Lynch said. “I think it’s exciting to find things I didn’t see before, so when a movie shows up on Netflix, of course I am going to watch it.” Donya Ghassemieh ’23 said she tends to favor streaming platforms over traditional television and believes streaming platforms are

necessary to attract a new generation of viewers to older films. “I never watch regular [TV], so I don’t even look to see if older movies are playing live [on TV],” Ghassemieh said. “I go straight to Netflix, Hulu and even HBO Max to find something to watch when I want to see my favorites again.” Lynch said the wide array of crowd-pleasing films on Netflix keeps her engaged with the platforms content. “I love those movies that are kind of stupid, but t h e y ’r e there so you watch them just to watch them,” Lynch said. “That’s what made me watch ‘Twilight’.”

C2 A&E

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

Students highlight the hits and misses of the summer by sharing their honest reviews of music, movies and TV the season offered.

By Natalie Cosgrove From Billie Eilish’s first EP at 15, to her latest album at 19, Eilish’s fans have watched the singer evolve with every piece of work she releases. Her listeners have followed her transformation from a green-haired, baggy-clothed, edgy teen to a blonde, simply-styled, mature young adult. This past year, as Eilish redefined her look, she channeled a fresh energy into her music. Eilish’s long-anticipated album, “Happier Than

By Lucas Cohen-D’Arbeloff

Given the two singers’ similarities in tone, this was an artful choice “Respect,” the new biographi- that rendered Hudson’s perforcal film depicting the life of singer mance as Franklin believable. The most captivating portion Aretha Franklin, fantastically of the movie is also probably the balances both originality and least known by Franklin’s fans: historical accuracy with a her childhood. Audiences keen storytelling eye. learn that Franklin wowed Actress Jennifer Hudsmall audiences as a child son, who stars in the film, (played by Skye Dakowas hand-picked to play ta Turner), serenading the role by the “Queen them with tunes like of Soul” herself before “My Baby Likes to Franklin’s death in 2018. Hudson shines illusttrations by sophia evans Bebop” at her father’s dinner parties and singing regubrightly from her first moments on screen. She opts not to perform larly at church. But the film does not shy away a formulaic imitation of Franklin’s killer voice and instead allows her from Franklin’s significant trauma, own strong vocals to stand out. such as enduring sexual abuse and

By Daphne Davies and Ava Fattahi Described as “The Comedy of the Year” by The Independent, HBO Max’s satirical comedy-drama, “The White Lotus,” masterfully captures complex characters in a binge-worthy format. Throughout the airing of its first season, the six-episode series was released weekly and had an average viewership of just under 500,000 watchers per week, according to The Observer. Starring an award-winning cast consisting of Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge and Sydney Sweeney, the show has since been renewed for a second season, although the next season will feature a new set of cast members. With a captivating,

Ever,” was released in late July. After debuting a series of singles off of the album, she dropped her “Lost Cause” music video in early June. The video received a wave of backlash on Youtube for seeming to use sexualization as a form of female empowerment. Each of these efforts, including her album, were intended to completely shift her public image.

Unfortunately, her drastic album style change simply did not work. Eilish’s new album deviates from her previous edgy, goth style. Although glimpses of Eilish’s artistic voice are a part of the album, her inexperience with these new styles is apparent. And when she reverts to her older methods, they are repetitive, lifeless versions of

losing her mother at an early age. “Respect” handles these plot points well, approaching them in earnest without being insensitive. The film also weaves the origin stories for some of Franklin’s most famous songs into its narrative. Franklin’s musical experimentation with the Muscle Shoals band in Alabama resulted in her first hit, “I Never Loved a Man.” Her sister Carolyn wrote the ballad “Ain’t No Way” and sang backup for her. Viewers now have context as they enjoy Franklin’s music, and they can imagine Franklin’s mindset as she created these songs. This is the mark of terrific art; it transcends its format to shape people’s experiences for

years to come. As the film progresses, it does take a few liberties with the facts of Franklin’s life. Singer Dinah Washington probably did not violently flip over a table after Franklin tried to sing a tribute to her, as the movie suggests. But inspired choices like these are key to differentiating an exceptional biopic from a standard one, as they indicate thoughtful storytelling. Hudson’s performance would be enough to make the film great on its own, but the movie also delights fans by providing insight into fascinating little-known details of Franklin’s life. It is safe to say “Respect” has done the “Queen” justice.

THE WHITE LOTUS

bass-booming soundtrack, “The White Lotus” takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions from stress to bliss as they follow a group of privileged, predominantly white characters throughout their stay at The White Lotus resort in Hawaii. The show depicts the glory that lies within gross wealth inequality and privilege; the hotel staff and native inhabitants of the Hawaiian island quickly become pawns in a very elite game of chess. Most notably, Tanya McQuoid (Jennifer Coolidge) offers to help spa worker Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) start h e r own business

before abruptly leaving the island without fulfilling her promise. The season is filled with various dramatic events, from a jewelry heist to secret romances and ultimately, a murder. Amidst these circumstances, complications arise in the guests’ daily lives at the resort: being placed in the wrong room, losing luggage and theft. The adult guests find issues with nearly everything. Their endless complaints are the truest exhibition of their entitlement. Contrasted with the struggles of the residents and staff, such one employee having to work even as she goes through labor, the affluent characters’ ‘problems’ are angering to watch. The show successfully challenges the privileges of the wealthy in an entertaining manner. However, the series

does not accomplish an accurate portayal of teenagers and young adults quite as convincingly. Several episodes feature minutes-long scenes of Olivia Mossbacher (Sydney Sweeney) and Paula (Brittany O’Grady) doing various drugs, which ultimately consumes the majority of their screen time. Teen viewers often found these scenes, in addition to the accompanying dialogue, to be difficult to relate to. Words like “cringe” alongside their

the songs that originally carried Eilish to fame. In these new songs, she sings about her life experiences as an international icon, rather than the emotions correlated with her struggles, making each track significantly less relatable. Each song in the “Happier Than Ever” album falls into one of three categories: remakes of old songs, failed, new experimental songs and the exceptions. Despite the disappointing majority of her album, the songs in the third category hit her usual mark and were far from letdowns. • Continued on hwchronicle.com

excessive swearing expose the adult scriptwriters who think they know more about our generation than they really do. Furthermore, the show’s writers reduce Olivia’s 16-year-old brother Quinn to a stereotypically screen-addicted teenager who seems unable to function without a phone in one hand and a game controller in the other. By contrast, the adult characters, though equally irritating, are at least written with dimension and far more holistic narratives. In the end, “The White Lotus” follows the metaphorical transformation of the mind, body and soul through the journeys of various members of the Mossbacher family. • Continued on hwchronicle.com

illusttrations by alexa druyanoff

The Chronicle

C3 A&E

Aug. 25, 2021

Members of the school community share their artistic hobbies and how their aspirations grew over the break.

Permission Of Gol With di e

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s Goldie Grube ’23 looked over the top of her easel, she could see the July sun beaming through her bedroom window, illuminating her canvas and casting colorful reflections through the room. Immersed in the golden hue, she said she pulled out her acrylic paints, itchBy Natasha Speiss

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eep in thought, Kieran Cooper ’23 sits at her piano and taps out notes. The faint sounds of the keys echo throughout the room. When surrounded by music, Cooper said she feels at home and

nt Pr i

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By Davis Marks

aker B m To

tanding in front of his mirror, Tom Baker ’22 felt confident in the outfit that reflected back at him. His clothes were not storebought nor did they adhere to current fashion trends. Each clothing piece had been hand-designed and hand-sewn by Baker himself. He said

ing to recreate the scene she saw. Grube said she felt inspired for the first time in a while. “I primarily used acrylic [paint] as a kid, then quickly transitioned into oil paints when I was in 7th and 8th grade,” Grube said. “I knew I wanted to use a different kind of paint for my next project, so when I had the idea for the piece, acrylic seemed like the way to go. I did not expect to so quickly fall in love with the medium again, but now I am planning to do a whole series of related works solely in acrylic.” Grube said experimenting with painting styles over summer break

was exciting, noting that time off of school allowed her to hone in on her painting skills. “Summer break allows me to have more time to give to the creative aspects of my life,” Grube said. “My days are generally less busy, and I’m able to have more control over how I spend my time.” Additionally, Grube said having less academic stress allowed her to grow personally beyond her artistic work. She said that although the significant improvement in her painting skills is very rewarding, her real motivation as an artist is the realization that she can create art independantly. • Continued on hwchronicle.com

her creativity runs wild. Softly, she starts to sing, the rhythm and lyrics coursing through her. Cooper spent five weeks of her summer at a singer-songwriter intensive at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. She said the program helped her grow both as a musician and person. “The quality of my music became a lot better because of the friendships that I made, the collaboration with other musicians and the inspiration [I received] from the environment [at camp],” Cooper said.

Cooper said her experience at the Berklee intensive was unforgettable. “I loved being surrounded by music constantly, even in random moments like harmonizing in the elevator,” Cooper said. “However, even the moments that weren’t related to music but helped me bond with fellow musicians, such as eating pancake bread while watching the sunset, will be memories that I will never forget.” Cooper’s childhood was filled with music, having started singing at age five. • Continued on hwchronicle.com

fashion has always acted as his outlet to express his individuality. “Art and fashion [have] always meant self-expression to me,” Baker said. “I think that everyone has their own medium [in] which they feel most comfortable expressing themselves, and for me, that is art and fashion.” Over the summer, Baker said he began his AP art portfolio and learned how to sew. “The summer felt like a time where I could be super experimental and not feel pressured by any deadlines or other stressors,” Baker said. “[I have had] a lot of time to think about the ideas like fluidity

and structure and how they can influence the idea and creation process of both the art portfolio and different garments I have been working on.” Baker said his time in quarantine allowed him the space to realize his passion for clothing design. He said by allowing himself to see clothing as a method of self-expression, he disconnected himself from societal fashion expectations. He said his interest in fashion d e s i g n ultimately evolved into a fully realized passion that allowed for design experimentation and greater self-confidence. • Continued on hwchronicle.com Illustrations by Alexa Druyanoff

C4 A&E

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

Live performing arts reopen By Georgia Goldberg

Performing arts return in-person this school year, though there will be modifications in rehearsal due to COVID-19. Classes and performances will remain as they previously were. Performing Arts Teacher Aaron Martin said while the school has developed a system to allow community members to attend performances, the Performing Arts Department is prepared to adjust COVID-19 protocol as circumstances in the county change. Performances are currently scheduled for the fall play “J.B.” as well as the winter musical “Spring Awakening.” “We aren’t yet certain how students and policies will change as these things progress, recess and change,” Martin said. “Currently our strategy is to be ready for everything while planning to restore

as much normality as possible.” Martin said the department is working to offer theater attendees a hybrid version of productions, entailing both livestreamed

teams to create projects,” Martin said. “All of the physics, time and metaphysics that take place in those in-person processes make up much of those experiences.” Performing Arts Teacher Queala Clancy said she is developing creative strategies Arts being in person is to produce both prerecorded pretty vital, especially when and live performances in this upcoming year. dealing with performing “I think it is important arts where, much like sports, to hold onto both methods,” we work in teams to create Clancy said. “There is this projects.” tangible energy when you [perform] in person, let alone —Aaron Martin Performing Arts Teacher on a stage embodying a story and then conveying the story to people.” Kieran Cooper ’23 performances and opportunities said she is excited to return to join in-person audiences. to in-person performanc“Arts being in person is es because she feels Zoom pretty vital, especially when deal- failed to mimic their energy. ing with performing arts where, “After over a year of much like sports, we work in being online, [people are] more

“

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

THE BAND IS BACK: Kieran Cooper ’23 leans into her microphone as she performs with other music students at a concert over the summer. eager to go back to the way [live performance] used to be,” Cooper said. “[While performing], it is crucial to be able to have the connection with your peers that seems to get lost over Zoom.” Performing Arts Teacher Lisa Peters said she felt Zoom performances weakened the

connection between performers and audiences. “There’s truly something magical about live performance [and] witnessing this thing that will only happen in that moment,” Peters said. “If you blink, it’s gone. That can’t be replicated in other forms.”

Chronicle staff members share their favorite sunny summer tunes, spanning across genres and decades. Scan the code at the bottom of the page to get a taste of summer fun even as school kicks into gear. Think About Things – Daoi Freyr

Monster – Lady Gaga

“A super fun song that gives me great vibes for when the sun is blazing down on the Pacific Coast Highway.”

– Sophia Musante ’22

Gimme More – Britney Spears (Glee Cast Version)

“It’s funky, it’s one of the best modern rock albums. I love my female bands. #ListentoHaim.”

– Sydney Fener ’22

Jackie Onassis – Sammy Rae and Friends

“The glee cast version really does it for me because I think Britney 2.0 from glee has a better voice.”

– Alec Rosenthal ’22

“This is such a chill and upbeat song! It’s perfect for a beach day or ice cream run.”

“The song I listen to at midnight as I drive way too fast with my sister.”

– Kate Burry ’22 3AM – HAIM

The Adults are Talking – The Strokes

“It is great vibes and I love the chorus.” – Justin Goldstein ’22

– Quincey Dern ’22 Come Through and Chill – Miguel ft. J. Cole and Salam Remi

Bad Girls – MIA “[It] gives me life. It is the perfect driving song. It makes me feel like a baller.”

3005 – Childish Gambino “The ultimate summer bop, it’s timeless. You can listen to it until 3005.”

“Every single verse on this song is incredible. It’s five minutes and 22 seconds of perfection.”

– Milla Ben-Ezra ’22

– Mia Feizbakhsh ’22

– Ava Fattahi ’22 Country Girl – Luke Bryan

Heat Waves – Glass Animals

Whole Lotta Money – BIA ft. Nicki Minaj

“It really puts me in a happy mood and is overall a fire song.”

“Such good vibes to drive down Mulholland Drive with my sunroof and windows down.”

“Often I’ll be home rather than having summer adventures, but this song really helps me feel like a bad gal.”

– Sandra Koretz ’22

– Fallon Dern ’23

– Maxine Zuriff ’22

Scan this code with your phone to listen to the Staff Summer Picks playlist. ILLUSTRATIONS BY SOPHIA EVANS AND SYDNEY FENER

Sports The Chronicle • Aug. 25, 2021

Wolverines

Take on

Tokyo

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF NICOLE MAHONEY

1. Attacker Johnny Hooper '16 drives against an opponent and with me throughout my professional and Olympic career." looks to score during the Wolverine's first game of the season. Wolverine water polo alumni 2. Center Ben Hallock '15 poses for a photo during his senior Hooper and Hallock finished year of high school, when he won the CO-D1 Player of the Year. sixth with the U.S. mens water 3. Coach Gianna Woodruff competes in the 400-meter hurdles polo team, losing 14-11 to Croawhile rain falls around her in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. tia in the squad's final match. They scored two goals each. By Charlie Seymour The team finished with an overall record of 3-5 in the Four athletes from the school ed Panama in the final of the Olympic Games. The teammates community competed in three 400-meter hurdle race in the played together for three condifferent sports and represented track and field competition, plac- secutive years, winning the 2013 three separate nations in the To- ing seventh with a time of 55.84 and 2014 CIF Division I Southkyo Olympic Games. Ali Riley seconds. She opted to compete ern Section Championship. '06 captained the New Zealand in international competition in Throughout his high school womens soccer team, Johnny 2016 after running track for Uni- career, Hooper was a four-time Hooper ’15 and Ben Hallock ’16 versity of Washington, Seattle. All-American and the 2015 CIF competed on the U.S. mens waWoodruff said her love for Division I Player of the Year. ter polo team and middle school track and field has been a moti- At the University of California, Track and Field and Cross vating factor throughout her ca- Berkeley, Hooper graduated with Country Coach Gianna Wood- reer, and she hopes to emphasize the second most career goals ruff ran for Panama in the enjoyment of the sport over com- scored in school history and won 400-meter hurdles. petitive mentality as she contin- the 2016 NCAA Championship. Making her fourth appear- ues coaching the middle school Hooper said the bonds he ance in the Olympics, Riley led Track and Field Team. developed with his teammates the New Zealand womens soc"I will always emphasize [mak- in Tokyo restored a feeling of cer team to 12th place overall, ing] sure that the kids I coach have normalcy while dealing with losing to the U.S., Sweden and fun with everything they do," the unique circumstances of the Japan. After graduating, Riley Woodruff said. "It is definitely games because of COVID-19. captained the Stanford womens serious when you are grinding “It was great to [compete in soccer team, leading them to and working hard but making Tokyo] with guys that I’ve been two NCAA semifinals and one sure you love what you do, [mak- training with for five years and NCAA final. i n g ] guys that I’ve known my entire Although New Zealand's life,” Hooper said. “The family team failed to win a medal, curaspect [of the team] was what rent school soccer player Alyssa made everything a little bit norThompson '23 said watching mal since our other families an athlete from the school couldn’t [spectate the games].” community compete on an Although he left Tokyo international stage motivatwithout a medal, Hooper ed her to pursue higher levsaid he was proud of both els of athletic competition. the team’s performance and “[Seeing Riley in Tokyo] his own personal growth since has pushed me and showed playing for the school’s water me that it is possible [to reach polo team under the leadership the Olympics],” Thompson said. of Boys Water Polo Program “I’ve always wanted to go to the Head Brian Flacks. Olympics, and seeing people that PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF NICOLE MAHONEY “[Flacks] definitely prepared have come from the same posime to the best of my abilities tion as me helps me gain confifor the next level, and even indence in pursuing my goals.” the most of it and always [having] herently for the national team’s Coach Woodruff represent- fun are things that [have] stuck level,” Hooper said. “There are

foundational traits that you keep as you move forward onto the next level, and the discipline and work ethic [Flacks] taught me was definitely unparalleled at any level I’ve played at so far.” Thompson said she agrees with this sentiment, because the resources offered by the school's

to competing at the Olympics, Hooper said his years of competing professionally taught him universally applicable lessons. Hooper said these lessons are necessary in order to maintain a stable life in general, both in academics and athletics. “Don’t be afraid to reach out

3. PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF GIANNA WOODRUFF

athletic department will ideally prepare her for a future professional soccer career. "With the support you get from trainers and coaches, there is no surprise that so many amazing athletes come out of this school," Thompson said. "I hope that I can be another one." Reflecting on his journey from playing at the high school level

for help, but don’t take anything for granted,” Hooper said. “As you’re competing, be a balanced student-athlete, take care of the guys around you and treat [them] as family. Don't just compete one thousand percent for sports and not compete in the classroom, because being balanced is the most important thing as a human being."

D2 Sports

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

Succeding through sports psychology

By Dylan Graff

As youth sports grow more competitive, student-athletes are learning more about sports psychology to gain a competitive edge over their opponents. Recently, the school decided to delve into the field, hiring Sports Psychology Program Head Kat Scardino in 2018. “Sport psychology focuses on training the student-athlete’s mind like training any other muscle in the human body,” the school said on its website. “An athlete’s psychological state has a direct effect on sport performance, making it an essential training component. The ultimate goal is to support our student-athletes in gaining a mental edge over competitors and develop unshakeable confidence.” Star U.S. gymnast Simone Biles highlighted the importance of sports psychology when she opened up about her struggles with mental health at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Biles won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and became the first woman to perform a Yurchenko double pike at the U.S. Classic in May. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics however, Biles revealed via Instagram that she suffered from a mental block known as the ‘twisties’ or ‘yips,’ which she said had affected her performance and forced her to withdraw from the games. A term originally popularized by golfer Tommy Armour in the early 1900s, the yips have plagued athletes for decades. In a sport such as golf, the yips can include trembling wrists or muscles locking into place. In a sport like baseball, the yips could cause repeated errors on a routine ground ball. While many high school athletes are not looking to defend a historic Olympic performance while competing, pressure can exist in any athletic environment. Several teams at school now work frequently with Scardino to improve everything from game performance to inpractice concentration. Wrestler Jack Welsh ’24 said the wrestling team met with Scardino after several teammates arrived late to practice, which resulted in tension with the coaches and the team running sprints. “Coach Scardino taught us that every

illustration by alexa druyanoff

day is a new opportunity to learn and grow as an athlete and a person,” Welsh said. “She has taught us that you can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new match every day, and that’s the way wrestling is.” Prior to working at the school, Scardino served as Director of Mindset Development at the Mamba Sports Academy and adjunct professor of sports and health psychology at California Lutheran University. While initially hired by the school to work with the girls basketball program, Scardino soon expanded to other teams at the school. Scardino explained the responsibilities and expertises sports psychologists posess and how they contribute to the success of athletes. “A sport psychologist or certified mental performance coach (CMPC) is a trained professional who works directly with athletes on the mental aspect of performance as well as managing an

athletes overall emotional and mental well being,” said Scardino. “Essentially, we work to help athletes train their minds just as they would their body. This can look different in action depending on the specific athlete or team. Scardino said she now works with both coaches and athletes to help teach them how to grow as athletes, which can look different depending on each athlete’s individual needs. “Some athletes I work with benefit most from mental skills training which is the development of tools to manage things like performance anxiety, confidence, improving focus and getting into the zone more consistently,” Scardino said. “Other athletes benefit most from working on aspects of their broader mental health, including managing depression, anxiety [and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]. An athlete’s mental health directly affects their performance and vice versa, so we work to provide each athlete with individual skills that help them to be

the strongest version of themselves in and out of their sport.” Wrestling Coach Junior Amazan said the utilization of the resources the school’s sports psychology program provides has significantly impacted both the wrestling team’s mental health and their performance in competitions in a positive manner. “Sports psychology is extremely important to what we do as a wrestling team,” Amazan said. “In fact, we refer to our sport [psychology] training as ‘Wolverine Mentality.’ It gives all of our wrestlers the tools that they need to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted by a lot of the obstacles that our young men and women [athletes] will always face. It also gives us a way to check in and monitor the mental health of our wrestlers during the chaotic stretches of the season. Without Coach Scardino, we would not be able to make the significant strides that we have recently made as a wrestling program.”

Wolverines host Angel City Sports

By Claire Conner

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF TERRY BARNUM

ANGEL CITY SPORTS: Promoting the Paralympic movement, Mayor Eric Garcetti ’88 speaks with participants and athletes on Ted Slavin Field. July 31.

The school partnered with Angel City Sports, a Paralympic organization based in Southern California, to host an event for athletes with physical disabilities or visual impairments July 31. The organization provides free athletics programming, training and equipment for people of all ages and ability. Head of Athletics Terry Barnum saidover 100 athletes participated in sports including track, basketball, table tennis and martial arts. Mayor Eric Garcetti ’88, who attended the event, said in a tweet that he takes pride in the progress Angel City sports has made since he joined them in 2013. “Having participated in @AngelCitySports [sic] games since it began, I’m excited to see how far this program has come,” Garcetti said. “L.A. is committed to increasing access to adaptive sports and low-cost fitness to all young Angelenos [sic].” Angel City Sports Associate

Director Camille Mahlknecht said the event brought the community together again after months of quarantine. “It was one of our first events after such a long time in isolation, so I think it was really impactful for not only the athletes with disabilities [who] were able to come out and play sports but also for the nondisabled community to be able to come out and see that everybody is capable of being active,” Mahlknecht said. This event marked the first time the school has worked with Angel City Sports. Barnum said he understands the value of sharing the campus with athletes who would otherwise not have access to its facilities. “We are blessed to have great facilities and great athletes here at Harvard-Westlake, and we are trying to find ways to make our school accessible to a wider section of the Los Angeles community,” Barnum said. “We want to be a school that is open and accessible to everyone in Los Angeles, and this was a way for us to get people on campus who might

not otherwise have been.” Barnum said that the Athletics Department is planning to host another Angel City Sports event soon and students and coaches will be encouraged to participate. “What we are trying to do next is to get some of our athletes and some of our coaches involved as volunteer coaches for the oranization,” Barnum said. Mahlknecht said she encourages students and coaches to participate in upcoming events, regardless of their familiarity with Paralympic sports. “I think it would be a life-changing experience,” Mahlknecht said. “You will learn more about your sport and you will learn more about yourself and giving back to the community through a passion like sport is a home run. You do not have to be nervous if you do not know much about disabilities or if you have never interacted with someone who has a disability. You just have to come out and try to stay open-minded.”

Aug. 25, 2021

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D3

inbrief

Matty Liu ’22 commits to Wesleyan University By Andrew Park

Lacrosse midfielder Matty Liu ’22 announced his commitment to the Cardinals Wesleyan University’s Division III lacrosse program July 16. During his previous season, Liu’s efforts propelled the school’s lacrosse team to a 12-3 record, and he was drafted to the All-Mission League 1st Team. The Cardinals won the Division III Men’s College Lacrosse Championship in 2018, and Liu said he hopes to repeat this title during his college career. “It would be an incredible experience to be part of another Wesleyan championship team,” Liu said. “I chose Wesleyan because it allowed me to study in the field I’m interested in.”

School baseball athlete joins UCLA program By Davis Marks JUSTIN GOLDSTEIN/CHRONICLE

MASK OFF: During practices on campus over the summer, the school allowed sport teams that practiced outdoors to remove their masks, but sports that required indoor practices were heavily encouraged to continue wearing masks. Although discouraged, masks could be sometimes removed indoors during extreme activity.

Vaccination mandate sparks controversy By Andrew Park

The school announced all athletes must be vaccinated and wear masks indoors to participate in athletic activities this school year. An all-school email sent by President Rick Commons July 30 outlines these new requirements and sparked varying reactions from coaches and athletes. Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg spoke on the school’s health and safety policies. He said the mask requirement will remain in place because the school plans to continue abiding by mandates set forth by the Los Angeles County Department of Health. “All students at the school, including all athletes, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or must get a vaccine exemption from the Community Health Office ,” Engelberg said in an email. “Masks are required to be worn indoors except during strenuous physical activity. So, outdoor practices may take place without masks, but masks should be worn indoors for athletic activity whenever possible.” To be excused from the vaccine mandate, a student must

obtain an exemption from their physician that explains the reasons they will not be receiving the vaccination. Then, the school’s Community Health Office must approve their reason for not getting vaccinated. In certain cases, students may also be excused from vaccination requirements because of religious beliefs, agerelated vaccine eligibility issues or CDC time requirements that restrict them from receiving a second dose of the vaccine. In the upcoming fall season, the football, field hockey, water polo and cross country teams are not required to wear a mask during practice and games because these sports take place outdoors. The girls volleyball team, which is the only indoor sport that occurs during the fall season, is required to wear masks unless players are performing strenuous activity. Coach Jeremy Moore* said he disagrees with the school’s vaccination requirement protocols “I do not think vaccinations should be mandatory in any capacity until the side effects are known and they are proven to stop the spread of [COVID-19],” Moore said. “It should be the parents forcing the vaccine, not

schools. At this point I think it should be up to the parents, who allowed their kid to play the sport.” Moore said he particularly disagrees with the indoor mask requirement. “If the athletes were able to be tested before an indoor event, I don’t think they should have to wear a mask,” Moore said. “If everyone is fully vaccinated, then they shouldn’t be forced to wear a mask. Otherwise what was the point of the vaccine?” Varsity swimmer Ethan Wang ’23 said vaccines shouldn’t be mandatory for all athletes, especially because not all levels of athletic competition are equal in terms of physical contact and potential exposure to COVID-19. “I think it should depend on the sport itself and whether or not the sport has a social aspect or not,” Wang said. “Vaccines should be encouraged for everyone, but I do not think they should be required for people who are only casually into sports. However, I think they should be required for professional athletes at high-level competitions, as they are held to a higher standard, and because these competi-

tions often take place with several people involved.” Lacrosse midfielder Kameron Rabizadeh ’23, conversely, said he agrees with the school’s vaccine mandate. He said other schools should follow the same protective protocols by requiring their athletes to provide proof of vaccination before participating in athletic competition. “It would be unfair for our athletes to be forced to miss practices to get the vaccine if other teams and schools don’t require vaccinations,” Rabizadeh said. “Other schools need to agree with [the school] about the rules for athletics, and all of them need to enforce the same rules to keep us all safe and healthy.” Rabizadeh said he is not concerned about the vaccine’s side effects that could prevent them from playing in practice or games. “I think it’s fair to require all athletes to be fully vaccinated before allowing them to play since everyone has the chance to get vaccinated before their season starts,” Rabizadeh said. “Since side effects typically only last for a few days, they can skip a couple days of practice if necessary. *names have been changed

Toussaint Bythewood ’22 committed to play Division I baseball for the University of California Los Angeles July 6. Bythewood is an outfielder who has played for the school’s varsity baseball team since his freshman year. His performance and statistics throughout the 2021 season earned him the title of 2021 Mission League MVP. Bythewood and his varsity teammates lost one game in the 2021 season, ending with an overall record of 29-4 and a league record of 17-1. The team advanced to CIF playoffs and became 2021 CIF State Regional Champions for the second time in team history.

Alex Shane ’22 commits to Johns Hopkins team By Andrew Park Pitcher and outfielder Alex Shane ’22 announced that he will continue his education and baseball career at Johns Hopkins University Aug. 15. During the CIF-SS Division I championship game this past season, he contributed with an RBI single to give the Wolverines an insurance run. Shane said he is excited to join Johns Hopkins University because it provides both academic rigor and strong athletics. “I’m looking forward to trying to help Johns Hopkins win its first ever baseball College World Series,” Shane said. “College baseball is obviously a step up from high school baseball and it’s going to be a fun experience.”

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ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA EVANS

The Chronicle

D4 Sports

Aug. 25

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF WOO SIM

JUSTIN GOLDSTEIN/CHRONICLE

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

5, 2021

hwchronicle.com/sports

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Sports D5

MAXINE ZURIFF/CHRONICLE

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ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXA DRUYANOFF

JUSTIN GOLDSTEIN/CHRONICLE

D6 Sports

Water polo prepares for season

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

Boys Water Polo

By Danny Johnson

Last year’s water polo season was postponed from the fall to the spring due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Playoffs were ultimately canceled, and the team was unable to contend for a championship. The Wolverines finished their shortened season with an overall record of 8-1, and a league record of 5-0. The team dominated opponents with an average victory margin of six goals. They have an opportunity to win its third consecutive California Interscholastic Federation Southern-Section (CIF-SS) Division 1 championship, previously winning in 2018 and 2019. Center Jeffrey Koretz ’23 said the team has become stronger over the off-season. “Simply put, we spent this off-season on improving,” Koretz said. “Our goal was to improve as much as possible both individually and in our chemistry as a team so that when it comes down to the wire, we can be prepared to adapt for anything that comes our way.” Koretz played for the 2019 championship team, and said he will never forget the feeling of winning with his teammates.

SANDRA KORETZ/CHRONICLE

SHOOTING INTO SEASON: Jack Burghardt ’23 winds up to gather power before shooting the ball between two defenders in the team’s preseason training. Boys water polo looks to start its season off strong in its Mission League home opener against St. Francis High School on Aug. 25. “I am feeling very excited to finally have a full season again and the opportunity to win another championship this year,” Koretz said. During the summer, Boys Water Polo Program Head Brian Flacks, Coach Matt Kubeck, Baxter Chelsom ’23, Jaxson Tierney ’23, Christopher Arakelian ’23 and Daniel Mnatsakanian ’23 traveled to Budapest to represent the U.S. on

the Men’s Cadet National Team. Chelsom said he enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to travel with his friends. “My trip to Budapest really opened my eyes to all the places water polo can take me,” Chelsom said. “It was amazing [to represent] my country. [Competing] at the same time as the Olympics was inspiring as well because it gave me a glimpse into the possibilities that come from

Staff Updates

my sport.” Ben Oerlemans ’24 said the team is confident and ready to win again. He said he noticed improvements in the team’s skill set over the summer. “I have seen our team grow exponentially over the start of the new season,” Oerlemans said. “We are stronger, faster, and our efforts have really shown through in the water. I am excited for what the season holds.”

Athletic teams welcome two new program heads By Leo Saperstein Jennifer Jamison

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JENNIFER JAMISON

GATHERING THE TROOPS: Pictured in black, new Girls Water Polo Program Head Jennifer Jamison leans over the pool during a time out to give feedback to players on her club team, Pride Water Polo Academy.

The team will start its highly anticipated season against the St. Francis High School Golden Knights and the Crespi Carmelite High School Celts, on Aug. 25 and Aug. 27, respectively. The team looks to redeem itself against the Newport Harbor High School Sailors Oct. 2. The Sailors handed the Wolverines their only loss in the 2020-2021 competitive season.

The Athletic Department officially announced Jennifer Jamison as the new Girls Water Polo Program Head for the 2021-2022 winter season in a July 27 press release. Jamison served as an assistant water polo coach at Brown University, where she oversaw recruitment and game footage analysis. She also coached the Division III Pomona-Pitzer mens and womens teams, leading both to back-to-back Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championships in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Head of Athletics Terry Barnum said he is enthusiastic to watch Jamison lead her own program in this school year.

“We are excited to welcome [Jamison] to the Harvard-Westlake community,” Barnum said in the July 27 press release. “She is a bright, young coach, and I’m looking forward to watching our program grow under her leadership.” Jamison said she is grateful for the opportunity to coach at the school and looks forward to bolstering the Girls Water Polo Program going forward. “I know I’m walking into a program where everyone is family,” Jamison said. “I feel lucky to be able to join that family.” In the 2020-2021 school year, the girls water polo team finished with an overall record of 6-3, with losses to Oaks Christian, Los Alamitos and Newport Harbor, and were undefeated 2-0 in Mission League play. The water polo team will kick off its season this winter.

Natalie Morgan

Coach Natalie Morgan will join the Athletic Department as the new Girls Volleyball Program Head in the fall, replacing former Program Head Hayley Blanchard. Morgan will also teach Physical Education at the Middle School. Morgan received a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University in 2014. As the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Loyola Marymount University, Morgan was part of a winning coaching staff that

led the team to its first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament victory since 2015. In the school’s May 12 press release, Morgan said she is excited to join the school community and coach high-level students and athletes. “From my first conversation with the administration, it was clear that Harvard-Westlake is a special place,” Morgan said. “Its reputation for academic and athletic excellence precedes it,

and I am honored to accept the opportunity to continue this tradition and take the volleyball program to the next level.” Ava-Marie Lange ’23 said Morgan has been the ideal coach throughout pre-season summer practices and competitions because of her volleyball knowledge and compassion toward her athletes. “Everyone on this team has the same goal: to win,” Lange said. “[Morgan] is absolutely amazing, as she is not only one

of the best coaches I have had, but she is also a friend.” Morgan said she plans to hit the ground running with a successful first year of coaching. “We have high goals for the year and are looking to go as far as we can go in November,” Morgan said. “We will accomplish that through our team’s chosen core values of accountability, trust, and fun.” The team competes against Marymount High School in its first league game Aug. 31.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF NATALIE MORGAN

Aug. 25, 2021

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D7

Cross Country

Squad secures victory in successful opener

By Paul Kurgan

The team traveled to Big Bear Aug. 10 to train for upcomThe cross country team ing races. The Wolverines had a kicked off the 2021-2022 season 34-athlete turnout at their anwith a two-mile run in the 27th nual four-day retreat, staying in annual Summer Series Run at cabins on-site and undertaking Gahr High School. daily hill runs, 10-mile workouts Runner and Chronicle Print and canoe races. Managing Editor Will Sheehy Runner Sophia Rascoff ’23 ’22 placed first in the male divi- said she feels prepared for her sion and runner Daniela Quin- season races and said spending tero ’22 placed first in the fe- time training with the team was male division. special and rewarding. Quintero said she is excited “The [Big Bear retreat] was for the upcoming season. a super fun and valuable expe“Winning rience, both for the Gahr race running and team was a really bonding,” Rascoff “Winning the good start to said. “It was aweGahr race was a really the season,” some getting to good start to the Quintero said. hang out with the “I was able to team outside of season.” use this race as practice time, and —Daniela Quintero ’22 the [retreat] has so a check-in with Cross Country runner many fun tradimy training, so winning it motions that we got tivated me to to partake in.” continue putting in the work Cross Country and Track and training hard.” and Field Program Head Jonas Runner Violet Barron ’22 Koolsbergen ’83 said his team said she is proud of her team’s faced many obstacles because of success and its ability to over- the pandemic. He said he has come a turbulent season. high expectations for his group “The race made me realize of athletes given how hard they how much of a team we remain, have worked this season already. even after the loss of last year’s “The team has learned a lot season to the pandemic and sev- about being adaptable, being flexeral key senior members to gradu- ible and finding ways to make it ation,” Barron said. “We all came work over the pandemic,” Koolstogether on a summer weekday bergen said. “We were super sucafternoon and showed the world cessful because we had taken on that the Wolverines are back and an approach [that prepared us] better than ever.” to [win].”

“

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FIRST TO FINISH: Following the first race of the season, Daniela Quintero ’22 and Print Managing Editor Will Sheehy ’22 lift first place trophies for the girls and boys divisions, respectively, at the Gahr High School Race.

Gir irls ls Volleyball

Wolverines look to maximize success after undefeated start to 2021 season By Ryan Razmjoo

JUSTIN GOLDSTEIN/CHRONICLE

SERVE IT UP: Ava Lange ’23 serves in a 3-0 win against Calabasas High School. The squad dominated, moving to a 3-0 record this season.

ball Club in Manhattan Beach. Morgan said the team’s strong The girls volleyball team’s team spirit and its core values start to the 2021 season contin- will be conducive to its success. ues, with the team staying unde- She also said that she has high exfeated in August. The Wolverines pectations for her new team. played three matches: two in the “We have high goals for the Lakewood Tournament against year and are looking to go as Valley Christian High School far as we can go in November,” and Los Alamitos High School Morgan said. “We look to do this and one against Calabasas High through our team’s chosen core School. values of accountability, trust Last season, the and fun.” team finished with Morgan also said she a 3-3 record in Misexpects growth from the sion League play and team throughout the a 14-16 record overall. year as the Wolverines Then, the Wolverines compete together and lost to Westlake High build stronger relationSchool in the second ships. white’s round of the CIF-SS “I am very excited Sophia playoffs, effectively to watch these young Lindus ’22 ending the squad’s seawomen grow and comson. pete,” Morgan said. Girls Volleyball Program Outside hitter Sophia Lindus Head Natalie Morgan, who was ’22 said she spent the summer hired in May, hopes to steer the training in hopes of a successful team to success. Morgan said she season and that she is excited for served as an assistant coach and the coming year. recruiting coordinator at Loyola “I really look forward to Marymount University, worked playing with this team again and with USA Volleyball and cur- really progressing and gelling torently works at Surfside Volley- gether [to] go to [the CIF State

Regional Championship],” Lindus said. Now, the Wolverines play its league opener against Marymount High School on Aug. 31, followed by a second league match against Notre Dame Academy on Sept. 9. Next, the team will participate in the Durango Classic tournament in Las Vegas on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18. Middle blocker Kennedy Hill ’22 said she is excited to see her summer training culminate in success this upcoming season. Hill, who leads the squad as a team-captain, said she hopes the team will surpass last year’s record and compete in the CIF championship. “Our main goal this season is to play our best and win,” Hill said. “I am most excited to grow as a team together and hopefully make it all the way to [the CIF State Regional Championship].” Outside hitter Katie Caras ’23 said she is hoping for the team to have an undefeated season this year. “My goal for the season is for my team to go as far as we can undefeated,” Caras said.

D8 Sports

The Chronicle

Aug. 25, 2021

WOLVERINES WOLVERINES ONLY ONLY

BY A

KEIRA COOK

s cheesy as it may sound, my biggest dream has always been becoming a high school varsity cheerleader. I feel incredibly lucky to have been involved in the cheer programs every year since seventh grade. Now as a senior, it is so crazy for me to think about the amazing things I’ve experienced throughout the last six years in cheer. I’ve been a dancer since I was two years old, so performing has always been one of the biggest parts of my life and has brought me happiness. In general, dancing and performing in front of a crowd has always been something I’ve enjoyed more than anything else, but the joy I get from performing has exponentially grown from doing so each week with my team. There’s something very special about going out onto the football field or basketball court, doing something so nerve-wracking with such an amazing group of girls. Knowing we have each other to lean on in times of high emotion, intense stress and adrenaline rushes is a feeling I’ll always feel so fortunate to have. In my opinion, the best part about sports at the school is the people you meet and the friends you make. As a big introvert, it is difficult for me to be outgoing and friendly with people I don’t

know well. I have been able to meet many amazing girls over the years from different grades that I would have otherwise never gotten the chance to know. We have grown so close, which would have been impossible had we not been on the cheer team together. One of the many other aspects I love most about being on cheer is how close I’ve grown to our coaches. They are just two of the best people. They lead the team each year with such grace, support and love, making us all feel comfortable each week. I genuinely feel so connected to them, especially because I’ve known them both since I was 12 years old. They’ve played such huge roles in such an important phase of my life. They have helped me grow so much as a dancer, performer and person, more than they could know. I’ve been so incredibly lucky to have had them as such great role models throughout the last six years and I know that even after I graduate and move on from this team, they will always be there to support me and be there to help with anything that is going on. Cheer has given me so much and I’ve been able to learn so many new things about myself through it. In seventh grade, my confidence was at an all-time low in dance and performing. I had

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just left a competitive dance team that I competed on for two years, where I was constantly judged and compared to other dancers, which destroyed my confidence as a dancer and person. After joining cheer in seventh grade and meeting one of our two varsity coaches, I started to feel a lot more confident in myself and my dancing. From then on, it has only gotten better. Starting cheer when I joined the school in seventh grade has been a huge blessing in other ways too. It is really great for me to have cheer as a constant each year, and it’s been such a grounding experience. No matter what I may be going through or feeling or what the school or the world might be going through, I’ve been able to have cheer as something solid. It is something I can really rely on every single year, which is more remarkable than I even realize sometimes. I feel so lucky to have found so much confidence, love and overall happiness in my time as a cheerleader. Thinking about having to say goodbye to this team and the environment of cheer at the school will be really difficult and challenging for me. I know I’ve grown so much as a person and teammate and have made numerous memories that will last a lifetime. I will be eternally grateful for the coaches and girls on this team.