Harvard-Westlake • Studio City • Volume 31 • Issue 3 • November 17, 2021 • hwchronicle.com
‘JB’ opens live to full capacity
Performing Arts hosts a full-capacity audience for the opening of the fall play. By James Hess The Performing Arts Department opened the fall play, “J.B.,” to audiences in Rugby Theater on Oct. 29, 30 and 31. The show marked the first largescale in-person performing arts production since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Written in 1958 by American poet Archibald Macleish, “J.B.” is a modernist interpretation of the biblical Book of Job, in which God permits the Devil to test the faith of a deeply religious farmer named Job. In the play, Job is reimagined as J.B., an affluent banker who endures moral trials from two circus vendors. The production won the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1959 Tony Award for Best Play. • Continued on C1
PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF WOO SIM
A STOIC SCENE: Billy Johnson ’22 plays the part of a circus vendor who takes on the role of God in the annual fall play, “J.B.,” a modern take on the Bible’s Book of Job. The play ran at full capacity in Rugby Theater Oct. 29-31, making it the Upper School’s first full-scale production since COVID-19.
Student uses racial slur on social media and serves a one-day suspension two years later, community reflects on implications
By Julian Andreone and Will Sheehy
The school issued a one-day suspension to a student* Nov. 3 after obtaining evidence of a twoyears-old Snapchat photo that he captioned with the N-word. Prefect Council announced that the student would also be required to read “The N-Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn’t, and Why” by Jabari Asim in an all-school email Nov. 4. The student will be required to discuss the text with Dean of Students and Chair of the Honor Board Jordan Church. The student is committed to play baseball as a college athlete. After the Honor Review Committee decided evidence warranted a case, the student was sent to the Honor Board, which rules on violations of the school’s Honor Code in consultation with Head of Upper School Beth Slattery.
The Honor Board consists of the two Head Prefects, two senior prefects, two junior prefects, two sophomore prefects, two faculty members, two deans and Church. Baseball Program Head Jared Halpert said he approached his players at practice after receiving a tip from community members that a player on the team might have engaged in discriminatory language. He said the student then came forward and admitted potential involvement. “I brought to the kids that some adults in our administration had passed along that some of our prefects, and potentially some other students, felt that there was something going on in the baseball program that wasn’t in line with the morals and values of our school, and in line with our baseball program, which are hand in hand,” Halpert said. “So when I presented it to the team, [the stu-
dent] didn’t know if they were ref- [the student] here. This is someerencing him, but [he] did come thing that’s going to carry on with forth with the potential that [the him and our immediate commuincident was] communication at nity of baseball for quite some some point in his past history with time. All I’ve shared with our kids a friend of his.” is that I really hope that we can Halpert said this insupport our guy. We cident will have longcan continue to evaluate term implications for ourselves and make sure the student and the that we’re doing things program that he did not in the best positive way.” elaborate on. Although Halpert, who bethe team has not forcame Baseball Program mally discussed the inciHead on July 20, 2015, dent together since the said the student made a student was sent to the mistake, but he said no white’s Honor Board, he said member of the baseball Jared he plans on addressing program has intentionHalpert the events with his playally hurt other members ers in the near future. of the community on the basis of “We actually haven’t had a identity. chance to really [digest] and talk “None of our kids and no one about it,” Halpert said. “We cer- in this program has ever done tainly have some gatherings ahead anything to hurt or harm anothof us. It didn’t end with whatever er person, regardless of it being has been kind of bestowed upon race, sex or religion,” Halpert said.
“This is a rather large group of student-athletes that I think believe in the school’s mission, [which] is also the mission of the baseball program. You know, was it a mistake, potentially, in [the student’s] past? Certainly, I think no one would deny that.” When asked whether the student’s suspension may affect his college commitment, Upper School Dean Sharon Cuseo said students are often asked by colleges to report disciplinary action, but there is no method of fact-checking student responses. “[Colleges] no longer ask [our school] if a student has been suspended or had disciplinary action,” Cuseo said. “It is on the student to report [it].” Cuseo said athletes are not treated preferentially in the disciplinary process and often face more disciplinary action. • Continued on A2
IN THIS ISSUE
A6
A11
B4-5
C3
D8
Westlake Welcome: The Westlake School for Girls’s Class of 1991 reunites as the final class prior to the Harvard merger.
Political Professors: A student discusses the necessity of including politics in the classroom without the imposition of opinions.
Careers and Courses: Students, faculty and alumni reflect on the correlation between courses they take and careers they pursue.
Family Feasts: Chronicle staff members describe their family Thanksgiving traditions, key dishes and favorite holiday memories.
Marathon Madness: Siji Smolev ’22 reflects on his experience running the Los Angeles Marathon and how he pushed through the pain.