04.01.14

THE

ARROW

VOLUME XXXVI, ISSUE 5

100 N. LAKEVIEW CANYON ROAD, WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA 91362

APRIL 1, 2014

PHOTO BY LAURIE LOOKER

FOUNDING FRAMERS: Swipe ID members, Vivian Hu, Lauren Chin, Kameron Butler, Hanson Shen, and Scott Wooldridge, pose in Washington D.C., where they competed at the Junior Achievement National Leadership Conference, spending three days presenting their business model and emulating our nation’s founders.

Swipe ID: How to make a model business

Orly Greenberg Opinion Editor

which goes by JA, focuses on business literacy and encourages the growth of financial and entrepreneurial skills among teens. WHS participated in a 12 week program, in which the JA chapter forms a business and competes in the JA Company of the Year competition against other local high schools.

The feathered headdress isn’t hard to miss.

Neither is the elaborate mask, white eyes glowing underneath the creamy smears of black, orange, and blue paint. The warrior getup not only makes the figure impossible to ignore, it makes him impossible to identify. The only distinguishable feature of Kameron Butler ’14 is a beaming smile as he ushers students in line and gleefully scans IDs before a WHS football game.

Swipe ID has been a staple at WHS since its conception last year. However, while the program is widely known around campus, the true breadth of Swipe ID’s accomplishments have yet to be fully recognized. So, without further ado, a comprehensive look at WHS’s most innovative, student led program.

To kick off the 12 week competition, JA brings in a local entrepreneur or business owner to brainstorm company ideas, a process known as “germination.”

The idea of gathering points through participation in school activities was casually mentioned in the last brainstorm session, but seriously gained traction once Butler went home and expanded the idea.

What is Swipe ID?

The Competition

According to Butler, Swipe ID is “an innovative point reward system designed to reenergize student engagement in the classroom and rejuvenate school spirit.” Essentially, students go to events, accumulate points, and are consequently rewarded.

What is JA?

To fully understand the birth of Swipe ID, one must first be acquainted with Junior Achievement. The club,

How was Swipe ID created?

Once a business model was created, the WHS JA chapter went to compete against 15 local schools at the Southern California level. Swipe ID excelled in the competition, collecting accolades such as Best Tradeshow, Best Presentation, and Company of the Year for the region.

From there, JA was selected as one of the 15

schools to compete at a national level. Nationals was a grueling weeklong process, consisting of various networking activities and marketing competitions.

The week culminated with a tradeshow in the Capital building, during which members of Congress roamed and explored the proposed businesses. The second part of the competition was a presentation in front of five entrepreneurs.

Swipe ID walked away with the Social Media Award (the fledgling company garnered a significant amount of buzz on the internet throughout the week).

Accomplishments and Future

So great, WHS’s chapter of JA started a business. But exactly what is it that makes Swipe ID so enormously impressive? In less than a year, Swipe ID has been fully implemented at WHS. The program is organized based on a point system, so the more points a student earns, the better the prizes.

Right now, Swipe ID boasts prizes such as iPods, two tickets of $200 to virtually anything (concert, theme park, etc.) and tablets. Recently, the business gave away gift cards to students boasting good grades, and it continues to sell membership for the program.

2 The WHS Winter Drumline ensemble placed 2nd out of 11 in the Percussion Scholastic A Round 4 at the SCPA Temecula Championship Preliminary Competition on March 29. They placed 8th overall out of 45 ensembles. WHS’s Winter Drumline group is directed by Paul Curci, Sean Knuth, Phil Idell and Scott Plambek.

FBLA to compete at state

FBLA will attend a state conference in Ontario, CA from April 10 to 13.

Members qualified for state if they placed within the top five of their events at the Gold Coast Section competition.

Currently, 46 members are to attend the conference and those who qualify for nationals will attend the conference in Nashville, TN from June 29 to Jul. 2.

WHS trombonist receives scholarship

At the Ventura County Honor Band Concert on March 2, WHS Wind Ensemble, Studio Jazz, and Regiment member Steven Robinson ‘14 was awarded with the Michael Doty Scholarship.

Applicants for the scholarship are limited to students who are active in a school instrumental music program and who are interested in pursuing music at the university level.

The recipient of the scholarship is chosen by a committee of county high school directors.

Honor band students hit all the right notes

The 28 WHS students who were admitted into the county’s top ensemble showed off their skills at the March 2 concert. With a last rehearsal on March 1 at Ventura High School, the students had to master six pieces. In rehearsal, each piece was conducted by directors including Brian Peter and Mike Gangemi.

Sci Oly wins second at regionals, moves on to state

On March 8, WHS Science Olympiad competed at the Aerospace Valley Regional Science Olympiad, taking 2nd place. The 15 students competed in 23 different events, winning six 1st places, nine 2nd places, three 3rd places, two 4th places and one 5th and 6th place. They will be competing at Canyon High School on April 5 for the State Competition.

AP test sales increase

About 50 more AP tests were sold this year than last year. In 2013, 2,217 test were sold. This year, however, WHS sold 2,266 tests.

WHS will continue to offer all its current AP courses next year with one change in name only: AP Physics C and AP Physics B are to be renamed AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 respectively.

Orchestra to have concert

Orchestra will perform a spring concert on April 9 in the Carpenter Family Theatre. The three orchestras have prepared pieces that include the Brandenburg Concerto, Momentum, and the Capriol Suit. Orchestra teacher Elizabeth Blake is excited for the concert because “the kids have done a lot of solid work” and are “doing beautifully.”

APRIL 1, 2014

Max Wang

Feature Editor In an attempt to present a more authentic interpretation of one of the most famous vampires in literature, (in other words, not Edward from the Twilight series) the WHS Drama Department will perform an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” from April 3 to 5 in the Carpenter Family Theatre.

“When approaching the character, I wanted to break all stereotypes, yet still keep him recognizable and believable,” commented Nathaniel Sylvester ‘14 who plays Count Dracula.

The production has been double cast with the “Wolves” cast performing in the Thursday and Saturday evening shows, and the “Bats” cast will perform in Friday evening show and the Saturday matinee.

For the “Wolves” cast, Matthew Katz ‘16 will play Count Dracula, Kat Eaton ‘16 will play Miss Lucy Westenra, Tegan Morley ‘14 will play Miss Mina Murray and Noah Sylvester ‘16 will play Professor Abraham Van Helsing.

For the “Bats” cast, Sylvester will play Count Dracula, Bailey Tait ‘16 will play

“W

hen approaching the character, I wanted to break all stereotypes, yet still keep him recognizable and believable.

Nathaniel Sylvester ‘14

Miss Lucy Westenra, Summer Laguna ‘15 will play Miss Mina Murray and Riley Bathauer ‘14 will play Professor Abraham Van Helsing.

Drama has been working hard, with

four hour rehearsals on the set all through the “Unhappy Week” from March 24 to 28.

“There’s always things to work on,” agreed Rachael Gula ‘15, who will play a vampire. “If something falls through, we always make up for it.”

Drama Department director DeDe Burke, said that though it usually takes the class six to eight weeks to put on a show, “Dracula” was done in four. Still, she says that she believes “the show will go pretty well. It’s nice and eerie.”

John Burke, the director’s husband, has put in overtime constructing the theater’s most ambitious set design to date, featuring multiple levels and trap doors.

“It feels great when the set, acting, and makeup come together with tech during the final few rehearsals and you can see the potential the show has,” said Bathauer.

Despite the work, Burke believes “Dracula” will “be a play that shows off everybody’s acting and artwork skill.” The actors agree, “It’s the best I’ve seen. It’ll really make you flip,” said Sylvester.

Tickets for students with ID will be $10; General Admission price is $15. The shows will be at 7:00 p.m., with a matinee at 1:00 p.m. on April 5.

College Board to change SAT

Austin Eis

Staff Writer In addition to the already challenging demands on students—including balancing schoolwork, managing stress, and preparing for standardized tests—conscientious underclassmen will now have to prepare for another change: the SAT. Changes are currently being implemented to the SAT and are expected to take place during the spring of 2016.

The most prominent of changes to take place is that the required essay, in place since 2005, will now be optional. SAT essays have faced criticism over the years from educators who said they focus too much on what test takers wrote, not whether their statements were true or their arguments reasonable.

Now, essays will be scored separately from the rest of the tests, and prompts will be exactly the same for every test so people know what to expect. The essay will ask students to consider a passage and write an essay using evidence and style ideas that analyze how the author made the argument.

Another change affects the scoring.

Students will not be penalized for selecting incorrect answers because College Board is now interested in students justifying their answers rather than just picking and eliminating them, according to College Board president and CEO David Coleman.

As a result of these changes, the score

will shift from a current score of 2400 to a new score of 1600 and will have tweaks to every subject, including vocabulary. Testtakers will no longer have to analyze obscure words that have nothing to do with high school and college knowledge, but will have to know words such as “empirical” and “synthesis” that students are likely to encounter in college.

“I’d like to be optimistic and believe some of this is going to be good,” said Steve Syverson, a member of the NACAC board and Dean of Admissions Emeritus for Lawrence University. “I just don’t know how it will work out.”

In addition, the math section will contain problems that include real-world problem solving, algebra, and more advanced math concepts to prepare students for college and a career.

“Admissions officers and counselors have said they find the data from admissions exams useful, but are concerned that these exams have become disconnected from the work of high school classrooms and surrounded by costly test preparation,” said Coleman.

To prepare students for the test, College Board will partner with Khan Academy for the first time, giving free test preparation materials starting spring 2015.

There has been concern over inequality for test preparation material, as students from more affluent homes are able to afford such material.

According to Khan Academy creator

Aca Deca adds to medal count

Heidi Chiu

News Editor WHS Aca Deca’s Team A competed at the State Championships in Sacramento from March 20 to 23, placing 27th overall.

Team A consists of David Suslik ‘16, Sophie Piao ‘15, and Alexander Loh ‘14 in the Honors category, Vladimir Kremenetski ‘14, Sabrina Shenker ‘15, and Rei Vardi ‘14 in the Scholastic category, and Conor Richards ‘15, Seamus McLean ‘15, and Ivan Vega ‘16 in the Varsity category.

Out of 65 schools competing in the state competition, the team improved several places over last year’s 33rd spot.

The other schools representing Ventura County, Oxnard High School and Moorpark High school, won 44th and 45th

place respectively.

In the Honors division, Loh won Gold in Math and Suslik won Bronze in Math and Science. In the Scholastic division, Kremenetski won Bronze in Speech. In the Varsity division, Vardi won Gold in Interview, and Richards won Bronze in Speech. Additionally, Kremenetski obtained the highest score on the team.

They had a team score of 42,015.6 with a super quiz score of 3,525, totaling 45,540.6 points.

“This year, because we did so well at the county competition, we were placed in the most challenging division at the state level. Nevertheless, I was extremely pleased with our performance. I can’t be any more proud of what my students have accomplished,” said Coach Joe Nigro.

Salman Khan, students’ classrooms are meant to be the best preparation for the new test. “It’s going to meet students where they are,” said Khan.

More info on the new SAT will be released along with sample test questions on April 16.

Coleman hopes students can “breathe a sigh of relief that this exam will be focused, useful, open, clear, and aligned with the work you will do throughout high school.”

ARROW

THE

Winter Drumline places second at SCPA

NEWS THE ARROW Drama bites into Transylvanian horror

Editor-in-chief

Vivian Hu

News Editors Lauren Chin, Heidi Chiu, Frances Ling

Opinion Editors Michelle Choi, Orly Greenberg, Max Wang

Entertainment Editor Erik Steinman

Feature Editors Hanyi Huang, Pranav Kaygee, Simone Moscovitch, Alisa Orlowsky, Ashwin Rangarajan, Alex Shi, Allison Weisenfeld, Vivian Xu, Vallia Yu

Sports Editors Christian Coates, Tara Spencer

Advertising Managers Nicolette Blatt, Kelli DaRin

Staff Writers Ryan Cheng, Matt Donovan, Austin Eis, Rachel Finegold, Bridget Flynn, Ariana Haider, Kallyn Hobmann, Taylor Li, Laura Marcus, Amanda Yao

Adviser Caron Battaglia The Arrow is written, designed and run by the students of the Advanced Journalism and Journalism 1CP classes at Westlake High School and is published monthly. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of the Conejo Valley Unified School District, Westlake High School administration, faculty, or student body. We welcome feedback. Letters must be signed by the writer. Please send submissions to Mrs. Battaglia’s box in the main office or to Room 42E.

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OPINION APRIL 1, 2014

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The ADHD explosion Academic pressures are forcing students to turn to performance-boosting drugs

Responsible use of ADHD medication provides many benefits to the user

The exponential growth of ADHD diagnoses leads to increased substance abuse

Max Wang

Michelle Choi

Adderall, usually prescribed to boost attention spans and increase focus in people diagnosed with ADHD, can be a potentially powerful tool in many situations.

Recently, diagnoses for ADHD have risen sharply, encompassing 11% of children in the United States. Though Adderall is a substance that can be abused, classifying Adderall as a performance-enhancing drug is about as ridiculous as comparing bananas to steroids because they give people energy for athletic activity.

There have been reports of people dying from overdose of Adderall or other ADHD treatments. However, controlled use rarely, if ever, leads to anything more serious than nausea.

Users might experience nausea, paranoia, or loss of appetite. Other widely publicized side effects, such as addiction or aggression, are actually quite rare.

However, the increase in focus and concentration can help in a myriad of situations. Surgeons can keep focus longer during difficult operations, and students can have greater concentration for long, standardized tests such as the four-hour SAT. Dozens of other drugs that we take on a regular basis, such as Tylenol or aspirin, have their own side effects. It is unreasonable to stop using a drug with such visible benefits because of a few side effects, especially if those side effects are mild or rare.

For the same reason that we take Five-Hour Energy or drink Gatorade to boost performance in daily activities or athletics, we should be able to take Adderall to help us in academics. Even if Adderall can be harmful in large quantities, so is everything else, including coffee, energy drinks, and bananas. Students should have the privilege to choose to take ADHD medication, and be personally responsible for any side effects. Because Adderall is not officially allowed for healthy people, users often lack information on how to use it. Allowing wider use of Adderall and ADHD medication can help people to know how to responsibly use them.

It’s perfectly reasonable to be uncomfortable with taking medication to earn higher grades. If you don’t want to take part in progress, no one will force you to.

The truth is, we live in a world where competition for colleges is basically like The Hunger Games with all the other graduating classes around the world. We can definitely use whatever can boost our performance, chemical or not.

It is inevitable that competition for colleges will only get tougher, and to meet these new challenges, the rest of us mortals may need Adderall.

Parents are pressuring doctors for a diagnosis to help with a child’s behavior and slipping grades. Doctors are quick to call any inattention complaints as ADHD, instead of checking for other possible causes. Pharmaceutical advertisements for ADHD medication emphasize how the medication can improve a child’s academic social life.

Through research, Drs. Stephen Hinshaw and Richard Scheffler (UC Berekely) of “The ADHD Explosion” concluded that when new academic policies with high stakes testing were introduced to a state, the diagnoses for ADHD increased dramatically. The rise was particularly sharp for poor children in public schools.

Alan DeSantis, a professor and researcher at the University of Kentucky tracked the use of the “study drug.”

His research found that 30% of students have illegally used ADHD drugs and the numbers only increase with upperclassmen. Half of all juniors and seniors used the drugs and 80% of upperclassmen in fraternities and sororities have taken them.

In the current education system, children are divided by age into a “one-size fits all” curriculum. Younger students are bound to be restless because they are forced to sit for hours at a time, and a 15 minute recess does little to release their pent up energy.

As these students grow older, they are bred for excellence, pressured by their parents, society and self to meet and exceed the given standards. The student is given a list of vast and expectations to meet, which are unattainable for most.

A minority of students have the ability to focus for an inhuman amount of time. This small percentage generally excels in school. They are able to study for hours and pay attention in class without a single falter.

To juxtapose, there are students with attention disorders who are unable to focus because of their imbalance of chemical hormones, which cannot be fixed without medication.

Often times, these students forget to take the mental stimulants, which causes them to be restless and impulsive during class. The majority does not fit into either of these two categories. They fit in between the two with varying attention spans.

Although it is important for a student to attempt to be high achieving, when the pressure is intense enough to influence students to take drugs in order to meet these expectations, a line has been crossed. Instead of drugging a child to have him or her fit into a school’s system, the system should change to fit a wider range of minds.

Opinion Editor

Opinion Editor

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A race for equal treatment Amanda Yao Staff Writer

Race and a college education have never, and should never, be linked to each other. Living in the United States in particular, where equal treatment across all racial groups is of paramount importance, one would expect ethnicity never to be a determining factor in the college acceptance process.

Earlier in February, a proposed California constitutional amendment, SCA 5, passed the California State Senate with a two-thirds vote. SCA 5 would allow public California colleges, including UC and Cal State schools, to consider race when accepting students. The act has since been sent back to the Senate due to the overwhelming opposition throughout California.

This act was proposed by California State Senator Ed Hernandez, and he reasoned in a press release that “there has been a precipitous drop in the percentage of Latino, African-American, and Native American students at California public universities...[with] campuses becoming less diverse and qualified high school graduates being ignored under Prop. 209.” Proposition 209, introduced in 1996,clearly states, “The state shall not discriminate against...on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin,” essentially banning discrimination in the simplest terms.

Senator Hernandez’s assertion is also proven completely inaccurate once statistics and numbers are put into play. Raw data indicate that the number of minority students enrolled in college has increased over the past few years since Prop. 209 was introduced. Hernandez continues to assert that this act would ensure diversity on college

campuses; however, college acceptance should be based not upon making the school a “melting pot” but instead upon merit and hard work.

Up to this point, California public colleges have been “colorblind,” and have instead focused on an applicant’s achievements with an objective mind-set. Merit, and not race, was considered before acceptance, ensuring that the students at California public colleges continue to be exceptional, hard-working individuals who deserve to be there.

If SCA 5 were put into place, college acceptance has the potential to become extremely subjective, and there would be many opportunities for discrimination and even racism to play a part. SCA 5 has caused disturbance in AsianAmerican communities throughout Southern California, and the main reason it was driven back to the Senate was due to the huge amount of opposition from Asian ethnic groups. Although SCA 5 was created with the intent of increasing diversity and helping students who have different backgrounds attend college, the act has proven itself to be a negative development for Asian students.

In a country that is constantly striving to accept and embrace diversity, for California schools to allow race to influence acceptance decisions is an astounding step backward that goes against purely American ideals.

“We need to continue to monitor this bill and continue to influence our legislators,” said Olivia Liao, a leader of a 40,000-member alumni organization, “And we are going to be talking about this to see what we can do to encourage all the Asian voters to make sure they get registered and get them to vote.”

SCA 5 will not be advancing this year; the soonest SCA5 could get on a ballot is 2016.

Graphics by Heidi Chiu

Source: Medical News Daily

Admission Statistics • In 2013, African-American enrollment in UC colleges were 4.3% of the total admissions, compared to 4% before Prop. 209 in 1996. Similarly, Latino enrollment comprised 27.8% of UC admissions in 2013, a dramatic increase from merely 14.3% in 1996.

• About 67% of American adults believe that college applicants should be admitted solely based on merit, even if that results in fewer minorities being admitted.

• College acceptance rates dropped to as low as 5.69% for the first time ever. A few of the most selective schools were Harvard University (5.79%), Stanford University (5.69%), Yale University (6.72%) and Columbia Unversity (6.89%).

• The admissions rate of many top tier universities including Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Duke and Yale have reduced by half since 2005.

• Many selective colleges encourage art, music and dance as a part of their application process. In 2009, Tufts University in Medford, MA encouraged students to submit a one-minute YouTube Video. Schools like Chapman University and Michigan State University have followed suit.

• In 2012, UC Berkeley was the most selective public university in the United States, admitting only 21.13% of applicants.

4

THE ARROW

ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 1, 2014

The Netflix rebound

Netflix has recently dominated the entertainment industry with its affordable rates and varied content. Thanks to the popularity of the company’s original productions, such as House of Cards and Arrested Development, networks have granted Netflix the rights to countless well-known television shows in the past few years. Although most WHS students were too young to watch the following shows when they premiered, these complete, long-running series are now available for instant streaming.

TAKING A BREAK: Michael and Fiona rest before taking on their next mission.

Burn Notice

COURTESY PHOTOS

LIFE OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS: Serena and Blair lounge around their mansion.

Gossip Girl

STALKING HIS PREY: Dexter seeks out his next victim with a murderous gaze.

Dexter

Erik Steinman

Ariana Haider

Erik Steinman

Die-hard Michael Westen fans can finally rejoice.

After six long months, Netflix has officially released the seventh (and final) season of Burn Notice for instant streaming.

The series follows ex- international spy, Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), after he is mysteriously discharged, or “burned,” from the CIA. Deserted in the heart of Miami, Florida with no identity or money, Westen remains determined to identify the people who burned him and regain his esteemed position.

To help realize his goals, Michael unites with his old friends, Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar) and Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell), in order to sell their Special Ops expertise to locals for cash and information. And in traditional action-adventure style, they make plenty of friends and enemies along the way.

Many categorize Burn Notice as primarily a crime or action series, but the show surprisingly excels in the laugh department. Supporting actors Bruce Campbell and Sharon Gless provide much needed comedic breaks from the heart-stopping action sequences.

Fans of suspenseful mysteries, intricate story lines, and clever banter should definitely take the time to check out Burn Notice. However, viewers should be cautious—this series is extremely addicting, and Netflix offers weeks worth of content to view in one convenient location.

Despite having over 100 episodes, the series never runs low on content or exciting plot twists. Westen’s goal to discover the cause of his burn notice unites all seven seasons under an overarching theme, while each individual episode focuses on minor missions and developing relationships.

After a long and popular six year run, Burn Notice creator Matt Nix wrapped the series in September of last year. Fortunately, interested viewers and returning fans still have the opportunity to relive all seven seasons online.

In a society where wealth and popularity are the status quo, the Upper East-Siders of Manhattan still manage to live unhappy lives.. The Gossip Girl series is based on the novels written by Cecily Von Ziegesar.

Fans of the series on Netflix have six seasons to look forward to watching. This means sitting around all weekend and watching episodes non stop. The show stars Blake Lively, Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley.

Gossip Girl is a notorious online blog controlled by an anonymous spectator who takes over the lives of the elite with the click of a button. Gossip Girl does this by publishing hurtful gossip and scandalous pictures of the local high school elites. When Serena Van Der Woodson (daughter of a well-known wealthy family in Manhattan) comes back to town after a secret leave to boarding school, Gossip Girl does not hesitate to spread the word.

On the other hand, Blair Waldorf (daughter of a well known fashion designer), is a sophisticated and deceitfully mature 16-year-old who thrives on blackmailing others to get what she wants. Blair and Serena were high school best friends until Serena did the unthinkable. After Serena’s betrayal, Blair continues her blackmailing (with the help of Gossip Girl) to destroy her ex-best friend. The drama spirals out of control after the very first episode and only continues to get intense along the way.

Fashionistas will enjoy watching their favorite characters sport high fashion trends all season long.

Once the show became a success, many famous designers, such as Oscar De La Renta, Dior, and Jenny Packham, had their clothes featured in several episodes. The fashion stylings of the Upper East-Siders created major buzz and a fashion revolution among school-age teenagers.

When you are ready to be engulfed by an addicting Netflix series, keep your eyes open for the drama filled world of Gossip Girl.

Dexter Morgan is a blood splatter analyst with a big secret. Scarred by traumatizing events in his childhood, he was left with a lack of human emotion and an insatiable desire to kill. Dexter must now learn to hide his true self and conform with the social standards set by the lively society of Miami, Florida.

On the bright side, Dexter follows a set of unwritten moral laws (created by his father) that prevent him from murdering the entire city. Dexter’s top two rules demand that he never get caught, and only kill those who deserve it. In effect, he becomes a serial killer who only kills guilty criminals who were falsely acquitted.

Dexter approaches the horror genre from an innovative, unique angle. As viewers, we are meant to sympathize with the killer, and often find ourselves rationalizing Dexter’s horrific crimes. The effect is a disturbing, thrilling adventure that forces us to question our own morals and integrity.

Although Showtime adapted the hit series from the Darkly Dreaming Dexter novels by Jeff Lindsay, there are many major and minor plot changes that make the program worth watching for even the biggest fans of the books.

As a testament to its success, the long-running show has been nominated for over 130 awards and won 37 of them. Some of its accolades include a Golden Globe for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama” and an Emmy for “Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.”

Dexter delivers the perfect amount of campy horror, mystery, and drama that leave viewers dying for more. However, as Dexter is broadcast on a private network, the show contains a fair amount of violence, graphic language, and some nudity, and should only be seen by mature audiences.

Each episode is approximately an hour long and every season has 12 episodes. The complete series is now available for instant streaming on Netflix.

Entertainment Editor

Netflix top three

*According to IMDB ratings.

Staff Writer

Entertainment Editor

FEATURE

5

THE ARROW

APRIL 1, 2014

From the unknown creator of the currency to the abstract nature of its existence, the Bitcoin is still just as mysterious as ever to the majority of society that isnʼt buried waist deep in computer codes and algorithms. Despite its notorious reputation, not many understand how the phenomenon came to be. Just why has its introduction been all the rage - and why is it so coveted?

THE

ITCOIN CRAZE

WHAT IT IS Taylor Li

Staff Writer The internet phenomenon Bitcoin is an online digital money that is changing the face of internet transactions. Bitcoins can perform a variety of online transactions, from purchasing items off Amazon to buying pizza.

They are created through a process called ‘mining,’ or using a computer to solve an algorithm. These problems get increasingly difficult and make it harder for simple computers to solve the code. This limits the number bitcoins found out of the 21 million in existence. By creating scarcity in the market, the value of the bitcoins inflates and becomes more valuable.

Basically, bitcoins are imaginary gold.

But what makes them so desirable is the elimination of middle men such as banks, allowing for direct transactions. This anonymity allows Bitcoin to remain unregulated but also leads to increased use on the black market. While there are massive benefits, owning a large sum can be potentially dangerous. For example, bitcoins are stored in “digital wallets” which reside in users’ computers or in cloud, so viruses and hackers can destroy or steal them. And because of its elusive nature there is little to no way to restore stolen bitcoins.

Bitcoins are increasingly being traded

and are somewhat similar to stock with users investing in bitcoins and selling them later at higher prices. People who invested in Bitcoin when it was valued at less than one cent before the surge of interest in Bitcoin suddenly became millionaires; as of March 31, the current sale price is worth around $462. The most bitcoins an online wallet currently contains has around $142 million. However, that account belongs to the creator of an anonymous black market site whose account has been seized.

And while Bitcoin is currently untaxed in most countries and regarded as a decentralized currency that has governments pondering if and how they will regulate it, the IRS declared on March 25 that bitcoins are now to be considered property. Its use is still the same, but its place in economics has been given a new definition. Many companies are now choosing to invest and protect bitcoins through reserves of offline locations. This prevents online threats and is currently the safest plan of action to keep their cache safe.

The future of bitcoins and its competitors is highly controversial as the commodity could be either extremely valuable or completely worthless in the upcoming years. However, what is known is that the concept of a legitimate, stable, online currency is sure to influence the future of online transactions.

WHAT NOW? Ryan Cheng Staff Writer

The bitcoin has a very unstable market value. After peaking at nearly $1,200 per unit, the price of bitcoins plummeted to nearly half that amount. Then, in March of this year, a false report stating that China had banned bitcoins caused the prices of bitcoins to drop again, shooting down 6% over the course of 12 hours.

As a result, many people are hesitant to invest in the online currency, believing that bitcoins are too volatile to put their trust and hard-earned money in.

Recently, Japanese company Magic: the Gathering Online eXchange (Mt. Gox), the largest Bitcoin exchange, declared bankruptcy. An alleged hacker stole half a billion dollars in bitcoin currency through a "weakness" in the system. Despite this, CEO Mark Karpeles had predicted a rise in the value of the Bitcoin, stating that the industry is "healthy and it is growing."

But on March 20, Mt. Gox rediscovered a "forgotten" bitcoin wallet valued at $116 million. The convenient recovery of missing bitcoins has caused suspicion from many, including Mt. Gox's 127,000 creditors. Steven Woodrow, who works with the law firm Edelson, believes the claim of the bitcoin wallet to be false. He discovered a recent transaction on the

blockchain, a public record of all bitcoin transfers, that placed smaller batches of bitcoins into the very wallet Mt. Gox claimed had been "dormant" since 2011.

The troubles don’t end there. IRS’ declaration of Bitcoin as property instead of currency has been met by heavy controversy. By officially labeling it into part of the government’s economic system, bitcoins now undergo the same scrutiny and taxations as vehicles, only with a method that is twice as complicated.

Because of the constantly fluctuating worth of bitcoins, it’s very hard to determine the actual profit gained. The solution created is for all users to keep a constant record of all transactions. When deals are made, bitcoin users need to take the price of the currency when it was purchased and when it was spent, and to pay taxes on the difference.

What used to be a user-run and casual experience is now an accountant’s nightmare. Users are afraid that this change in procedure will turn people away from virtual currency, and the anonymity makes it very difficult for the IRS to crack down on anyone.

Many argue that the law is going against the very ideology of Bitcoin, a free and unregulated currency. Others support the change, stating that it finally validates it as a possibility in real world economics.

Net Neutrality: how the internet has started tipping the scales Vallia Yu

Feature Editor In December 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed rules regulating broadband connections and web traffic that would prevent cable and DSL internet providers from purposefully manipulating online services.

But a lawsuit made by Verizon in January questioned the agency’s power to mandate such laws and led to the retraction of the FCC’s previous decisions, much to the outrage of many. The federal appeals court made the decision that the FCC cannot set rulings that would conflict with presently existing ones. And because “the commission has chosen to classify broadband providers in a manner that exempts them from treatment as common carriers...we vacate those portions of the Open Internet Order.”

Essentially, the entire argument boils down to semantics—a fight over definitions. Is the internet a part of the common carriers branch or is it not?

Common carriers are examples of certain services that are constantly available to the public. These include transportation services and phone companies but not broadband. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that broadband is not a part of the telecommunications category and thus

not a common carrier, a decision that has been the foundation for Verizon’s argument in the court ruling.

This means that because broadband is not under the same category of common carriers, the FCC does not have the ability to regulate its services.

So how exactly will the internet be altered now that the floodgates are open once more?

The biggest issue encountered will be over the heated competition companies will encounter for better service in the newly vamped internet. By making the connection to one site (say, for instance, Bing) faster than a rival site Google), companies in support of one over the other are able to give their favorite websites the edge in internet traffic. This cuts out many competitors and leaves a huge amount of control to the already monopolistic providers.

However, there are also many who say that this new rule has no influence on the status quo. Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T, answered in a developer conference that his company won’t be making any changes to their services.

“In the last couple of years, the industry has worked and agreed to a framework for net neutrality,” Stephenson states. “So the court order really changed nothing.”

But its new Sponsored Data plan has

already been under heavy debate as to whether it’s taking advantage of the new developments. This plan enables companies to promote their websites by paying for the data used to browse them. Stepehenson argues that this isn’t a violation since the changes “are voluntary and allow AT&T wireless subscribers to access services,” according to CNET. And though Netflix has reached an agreement with Comcast to pay a fee for better connectivity, their agreement technically does not fall under the regulations of net neutrality. Regardless, it’s cutting very close to the scenarios that many fear companies will start taking advantage of.

An appeal made online on the government’s petition website, We the People, has earned the attention of the White House. It was officially addressed in a response that reaffirmed the “White House’s commitment to net neutrality,” stating that with “absent net neutrality, the Internet could turn into a high-priced private toll road that would be inaccessible to the next generation of visionaries.”

Meanwhile, Brazil and the European Union have adopted new net neutrality rules that balance the rights of the users and corporations and prevent service providers from slowing down internet access, respectively.

6 NEWS EVEN WE DIDNʼT KNOW HAPPENED THE ARROW

FEATURE APRIL 1, 2014

Chemistry accident destroys classroom

Rachel Finegold Staff Writer

Mitchell Klein ‘16 caused a catastrophe on Friday March 27 during his 6th period 10H Chemistry class. As a result, Chemistry teacher Darin Erickson has relocated his classroom to Building 6.

The chemistry students were in the middle of a hydrofusion lab when Klein, shaking the table as he imitated a rabid musk ox, knocked over six gallons of the dangerous substance.

The students around Klein and in his lab group sprang into action as the dihydrogen monoxide formed a giant puddle. Crawford Pierson ‘16 ran to get paper towels in a futile attempt to clean the mess.

“I was so startled by the enormous amount of chemical spilled, the only thing I could think to do was try to reduce the problem as fast as I could,” said Pierson.

As Pierson ran to grab some paper towels he slipped in the puddle, taking Emma Ballen ‘16 and Jaime Ocon ‘16 down to the ground with him.

At that moment math teacher Victoria Diorio walked in to get papers from Erickson;

seeing the kids on the floor, Diorio ran to help them up and tripped, knocking over two chairs as she fell.

“I fell and I couldn’t get up,” said Diroio.

At the site of this catastrophe Gillian Howe ‘16 helped the victims of the spill up and out of the puddle.

Erickson had his back turned to Klein at a nearby table helping another group when the accident occurred. He then went to the other side of the room to get the proper chemical clean-up equipment.

Ocon, already covered in dihydrogen monoxide, pushed Kevin Barlev ‘16 into the puddle while Erickson was not looking, knocking over three chairs.

“I thought everyone could get a good laugh in this stressful situation and it wouldn’t be a problem just having one more student covered in the chemicals,” said Ocon.

Erickson then sent the four students to the emergency shower in an attempt to protect them from the harmful effects from dihydrogen monoxide.

Luckily, the local AprilFools Chemical Cleanup Service has volunteered to clean the puddle of H2O up as soon as possible. Clean up is projected to be finished by Feb. 31, 2015.

“A” IS FOR ART HISTORY: (Counter-clockwise from top) Biersborn showcases the results of his recent surgery. A picture of Biersborn’s Freed inspired sculpture that sits in the Vatican. Art teacher Joseph Lang is featured in Biersborn’s latest work, “Adam + Robot”.

Art teacher undergoes risky surgery Ryan Cheng Staff Writer

In an attempt to further his art career, AP Art History teacher and aspiring artist Roger Biersborn has had reconstructive cosmetic surgery, allowing his forearm to become a perfect straight edge. In addition, he had his elbows modified to rotate 360 degrees in order to draw perfect circles.

“I think it’ll make me a lot more efficient at putting out art,” said Biersborn, stroking his newly sharpened forearm. “I don’t have to fumble around with inferior tools like rulers or compasses (comp-i?).

My arms are all I need. They can spin now too,” he added, swinging his arm around.

With the adjustments made to his limbs, Biersborn has begun rapidly producing brilliant pieces of artwork, includ-

ing a painting of colleague Joseph Lang as Adam, featuring use of 17th century style chiaroscuro, and a sculpture of Doug Freed inspired by the ancient Greek sculpture of Doryphoros, displaying him in the perceived perfect form as a healthy 17 year old male from the Classical Art Period.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing my work grace the walls of museums,“ said Biersborn. His art will be displayed in the Los Angeles County Art Museum as well as the Getty Villa. In addition, he is being interviewed by Guinness World Records for his place in the newest edition for Riskiest Surgery.

For those interested in furthering their art careers, Biersborn recommends Dr. Daneeka for all those looking for under the table, black market procedures. Prices vary depending on the weather: rainy days are cheaper than sunny days.

useful links Happy

April

RESPONSIBLE PARTIES: This selfie taken by ASB President Will Barrett with classmate Charlotte Bishop showed up on Instagram shortly after the student parking lot accident.

Selfie causes parking lot pileup Orly Greenberg Opinion Editor

The 32-car pileup in the WHS student parking lot last Thursday has come under further investigation by administration.

The crash, which originated with Miranda Jones ’15 and a selfie taken while driving, caused a five hour delay the morning of March 30.

Roughly 100 students were held up by the incident, with 40 directly involved in the crash.

Another 50 were held up by taking additional selfies at the site of the accident.

Says Officer York, the first policeman on the scene, “this could’ve taken one hour, tops, to clean up. But these kids keep taking different pictures with the cars. I guess the sun is at a really good angle today.”

“I usually don’t like horsing around at a crime scene, but those pictures of the students sitting down at the crash, looking off into the distance, all wistful like? Those were beautiful, these kids are artists, man,” claimed York.

York could not be reached for further

Fools

comment; he was temporarily displaced by two juniors trying to catch the light for an Instagram post.

Says Jones, “I didn’t mean any harm! It’s just, like, the sun was coming in through my window at this great angle, and it made my eyes look ridiculously blue. And besides, I already had this really clever caption planned out. I’m sorry, okay?”

Upon further investigation, it appears that Jones was also active on Twitter a mere 37 seconds before the crash.

Posts such as “selfie game on point 2day,” “straight hur dont cur,” and “rough day :/ don’t wanna talk about it someone DM me plz” were sent out almost consecutively, about a half a minute before Jones hit Kevin Prince’s ‘14 car at a speed of roughly 54 mph.

Jones’s Instagram account has also been recently updated; the latest post consists of Jones’s tear stained face and the caption “parents taking away phone for a lil--UGH.” Prince, whose damage is estimated at $30,000, could not be reached for comment. #freejones is already trending on Twitter.

WHS!

APRIL 1, 2014

HAUTE COUTURE EVEN WE DIDNʼT KNOW WAS HOT

Let inspiration blossom Simone Moscovitch Feature Editor

New York Fashion Week brought a lot to the table, but fashion fanatics are especially excited for this season’s trends. Whether it’s the revival of religious orthodox clothing or spray-on jeans, the fashion world will never be the same.

Givenchy featured Kendall Jenner strutting a fur coat made with a special blend of possum and skunk, making heads turn and jaws drop. Priced at $400, the coat features a hood made from premium Canadian squirrel tail. The animals used to create the coat were fed an organic blend of meadow foxtail and fescue grown in the Japanese mountains of Honshu.

“Kendall looked absolutely stunning! The mink fur shoulder pads really brought out the shimmer in her horse mane boots. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that first. Kudos to you, Givenchy,” said Mark Jakobs.

Girlfriend jeans for your boyfriend also made a debut. The skin-tight denim is vastly popular among the customer base and has found success in the metrosexual fashion scene. “They’re so comfortable,” claimed self-proclaimed hipster Typhoon Chuang ‘14. “I love the way girls look at me when I wear them.”

For those who are too impatient to buy wellfitting jeans or who don’t have time to try on three pairs of jeans in the morning, True Religion Jean

7

released a line of spray-on jeans. The material is a deconstructed cotton and silk compressed in a 16 ounce canister. The colors released thus far include canary yellow, midnight purple, and a classic indigo blue shade.

The biggest hit, however, was the return of monk habits, among other religious wear. Critics are raving about the amaranth braided rope belt and cross necklaces made with authentic Spanish silver.

Aimed at the middle aged and balding demographic, those with a healthy crop of hair around the head but no hair on the scalp will look perfect wearing the traditional cowl. Head gear is also coming back into the fashion scene, as people look for new ways to express their devotion.

“I just want to, like, feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself,” said a recent convert. “I’m, like, really spiritually involved with this. Also, this outfit is supes cute,” she said, adjusting her robes.

Finally, rising fashion icon Alexa Chung brought out a line of powdered wigs to simulate the refined look of the Founding Fathers in an attempt to promote patriotism. The wigs have been revolutionized to hold ten times as many curls and now have compartments to hold cellular devices, wallets, and keys.

As a whole, New York Fashion Week was a massive success. The innovative new styles that debuted there are likely to remain in the fashion scene for years to come.

TOP: Alumnus Rocky Peterson expresses his faith with vintage monk robes, complete with imported silk lining.

RIGHT: Peterson gazes wistfully into the distance, his eco-friendly plastic bag shirt inspired by Chanel’s 2014 S/S line billowing in the wind.

PHOTOS BY SIMONE MOSCOVITCH

Trends to nip in the bud Vivian Xu

Feature Editor Perhaps it started with a lone article, or a single video; either way, the phenomenon that came into being mere weeks ago spread ripples of unrest over the fashion scene. Hundreds of “Trends Men Hate” posts sprang up like weeds, or perhaps like hundreds of crickets or jack-in-the-boxes, without warning and seemingly overnight.

Here are a few of the most commonly abhorred trends —and how to avoid falling into their clutches.

Sweaters and shoulder pads: Huffington Post’s sources expressed distaste for the vintage, commenting, “Overlarge sweaters—seriously, get out of the ‘80’s.” These sources shed invaluable insight on the present date: “This isn’t the ‘80’s.”

Seriously, catapult yourself out of the ‘80’s, past the’90’s, way past the ‘00’s, and straight into the 24th century. Try donning a sleek oxygen tank or toting a high-energy laser for blasting those who dare critique your sense of style into oblivion.

Bangles: One accessory to drop is bangles, which “just [get] super annoying when they’re clanging around all the time,” said Huffington Post’s source.

Those atrocious bands of metal have evidently done men’s delicate ears a great deal of harm. To

soothe those protesting auditory canals, ditch oversized bangles for oversized bracelets fashioned entirely out of enormous pompoms. The soft susurrus of the multitudinous yarn bits will lull your company of choice into a trance-like hypnotic state, during which you will be free to ditch those vitriolic fools.

Hair bows: Regarding hair bows, Huffington Post’s sources had but two enigmatic and grammatically-incorrect condemnations to offer: “Giant bows in their hair, after roughly the age of elementary school” and “It’s clothing that is too young for them.”

Assuming that Huff Post’s sources were critiquing the aura of youth bestowed by the mighty hair bow and are unable to discern the time at which aforementioned accessory sprang from the ether, there is but one thing that can be done: dive deep into the depths of your great-grandmother’s closet, deeper than any mortal has dared venture before, and do not return until you exude sagacity and continually smell of baby powder.

Tight clothing: One feature that seems to span the vast sea of “Trends Men Hate” posts is tight clothing, with many of the critical claiming it “leaves nothing to the imagination.” Encourage creativity by wrapping yourself securely and snugly in a cocoon of tree boughs and leaving everything to the imagination.

8 OPINIONS EVEN WE DIDNʼT KNOW WE HAD

APRIL 1, 2014

SAT: Silly Assessment Test Michelle Choi Opinion Editor

Oh, RealLY? Catch H220

Orly Greenberg Opinion Editor

It’s 6:10 a.m, and I’m crouched on a lawn. A stranger’s lawn, to be exact. At around 6:35 a.m, an elderly man shuffles out of his home, peers curiously at the teenage girl surrounded by water balloons and texting furiously. He approaches cautiously.

“Hi! Hi. I’m Orly. I go to Westlake High School.

We’re playing this game, water assassins? I’m here to throw water balloons at an Egurbide. Don’t worry about it. I’m not burglarizing your home. Have a nice morning!”

The elderly man smiled gently and slowly backed away. Either he was used to frazzled teenage girls attempting to assassinate his neighbor via Super Soakers at odd hours of the day, or he went inside seeking refuge until the police came. Both are equally likely.

And so goes Water Assassins.

“It’s funny,” I think, as I adjust my camouflage helmet and war paint. “I almost can’t remember life before the war.”

Well, that’s not completely true. I get flashes, sometimes. I remember how excited we all were, before we knew what we were getting into. We were fighting for a cause, we thought, and we accepted our targets with a solemn dutifulness.

However, the game quickly escalated. News poured in via Facebook: “First kill: h2oes got Jade Elliot.”

Jade? I had been in Calculus with her just the other day. We bonded over our mutual excitement for the game, our sheer enthusiasm for the simplicity of it.

To think she was gone, and within only 46 minutes of playtime? What, I thought miserably, had I gotten myself into? This game showed no mercy to Jade. What made me think, for even a moment, that it would show mercy to me?

My desperation escalated into an argument with my neighbor and good friend Brooke Edell.

“They’re trying to kill me!”

“Orly, they’re trying to kill everyone!”

“And what difference does that make?”

Brooke was a track star. She believed the best in everyone. No one was after her, no one would possibly stoop so low as to catch her off guard and eliminate her from the game forever. Brooke was crazy.

In fact, you would have to be crazy to want to keep playing Water Assassins. The maintenance is ridiculous, the time commitment absurd. You would also have to be crazy to want to stop playing water assassins. The rush is unparalleled, the sly plans thrilling. And therein lies the catch.

I wish I could tell my faithful readers just exactly how I got eliminated from the game. But it’s still hard for me to talk about. Suffice to say, it was quick. Painless. A shot or two, and it was over. I barely knew what hit me.

What scared me most was not the two teenagers brandishing water guns from behind my car at 7:42 a.m. No, it was that my attackers were once my peers.

These former friends, people with whom I had shared classes, homework, mid-Calculus snacks, now looked at me with fury in their eyes. We attended the same school, spoke the same language, and yet I would be hard pressed to find two people who hated me more in that moment.

I revisited the scene of the crime a short time later, the water marks splattered upon my driveway, a gory and unflinching reminder of my demise.

Sometimes I wake up screaming. I clutch the water gun I keep under my pillow, ready to take on assailants that aren’t really there. I still do double takes in my car, frantically checking the backseat to confirm that no, there is no one hiding behind me, patiently biding his or her time and listening to me belt “Love Is an Open Door” before spraying me.

So do I suffer from PTSD? Maybe. At least, that’s what my four therapists say. But was it worth it? Absolutely.

The only particularly frightening memory from my elementary school days was the spelling bee. It would be a time for your teacher to humiliate you, and your 10-yearold peers to judge you with scornful, smug looks. As one of the most cruel and unusual forms of punishment, my 5th grade self imagined the spelling bee being inflicted upon criminals of heinous charges.

The teacher would humiliate a child in alphabetical order, and as I was in the front half of the alphabet, I didn’t have the opportunity to let the anxiety boil inside of me as my fellow prison mates cringed with fear as a child spelled a word wrong.

I always held particular reverence for the child who would spell the simplest words intentionally wrong, in order to remove himself from the humiliating situation at hand.

Teacher: Spell dog.

SPELL “SAT”: Some argue that the new changes to the SAT, such as an optional essay and fewer points, render the test easier to tackle.

Student: D-O-G-E. Dog. Teacher: Incorrect. rectly bubbling in your name will award 800 points. The Student: [snickers as he walks SAT vocabulary list is being derived from Urban Dictionback to his desk] I knew there were 2 G’s.

As I made my way through the education system, ary with words such as “#struggle,” “soy chai latte” and I slowly began to realize that the pain and humiliation “twerk it.” Pretentious word dropping and correct gramembodied by spelling bees only grew more prominent. mar in the newly optional essay will result in a deduction We were slowly introduced to peer grading, where your of points.

The mathematics section will consist of basic arithmeneighbor’s red pen would slash at your test, each mark like a bullet to the heart. After AP exam results were an- tic, denitrifying geometric shapes, and counting. A social nounced, students who passed with flying colors danced, science section will be added on the test, focusing on curshowing off their score with pride as the ones who barely rent events, such as Lindsay Lohan’s arrest record. Calculators and cell phones will be permitted on the testing sites scraped by grew red with embarrassment.

Since my time at elementary school, the system has and during the exam. Team work is encouraged.

“I can’t even, like, wow. The new SAT is gonna be, like, been reformed. The ridicule from parents following the infamous spelling bee has been replaced with a ribbon such a strug. #whitegirlprobs,” said Yoko Nagasaki ‘16.

In celebration of the new SAT system, schools are proudly announcing, “I participated!” Parents and teachers desperately try to shelter their innocent babies against tearing down the walls separating classrooms. There are reports of students and teachers of all grade levels holding the harsh blade of judgment from the world.

The new SAT testing system follows suit of parents hands and singing Kumbaya in an attempt to annihilate and teachers; it is designed for everyone to achieve. Cor- academic segregation.

Lower the voting age to the age of reason Lauren Chin News Editor

Turning 18 years old has been a daunting milestone since the dawn of time. In the prehistoric era, it granted you elder status; in the Pride and Prejudice era, it made the distinction between a young, fertile, eligible wife and an old, shriveled, undesirable spinster; in our time, it means that we are finally legal… to vote that is.

As the teens from our generation bridge the gap between Scantron tests and slightly more important bubbles to fill out and boxes to check, a large disparity is quickly apparent. Voter turnout has been dropping over the years, despite the increasing number of voters registered. (Don’t ask me where I got these statistics… I wouldn’t know.) The only way to increase that percentage? The answer is clear.

Lower the voting age!

I hereby propose that the United States lower the legal voting age to 12 years old. But only the voting age.

It would be ridiculous to give those young children any greater freedom than that (i.e. the ability to buy tobacco products) when their minds will not even fully develop until their mid-20s, as stated by the MIT Young Adult Development Project. (After seeing that they have a PDF’d version of their reference list online, I’m sure we can trust their findings. I mean seriously, people, everyone around us has been saying that it’s true anyway.)

By giving citizens 12 and older the freedom to vote, we will be bringing ideas from the younger generation into consideration at those fancy Washington D.C. meetings. They will bring fresh, new, and exciting perspectives to light that the political parties will be able to take into consideration. As an added bonus, younger voters will not yet be jaded by the trials and tribulations from “real life,” and therefore will not allow cynicism to sway their votes.

Only idealistic presidential candidates who promise “Taco Tuesdays” and bounce houses to everyone will be considered by this voting demographic; who needs candidates

who approach modern day problems with practicality and rationality. We need a positive outlook here!

Addressing my initial reason for lowering the voting age, statisticbrain.com polling results clearly showed that the largest reason not cited for voting by registered voters was a “too busy conflicting schedule.” By including 12-17.999999999 year olds in the voting range, those teens who spend their time at the mall can now spend that time making their way to the voting booths! Without the heavy pressures and responsibilities that come from adulthood, this new voting demographic will definitely have time in their schedules to make it in time for voting. Since they will not be mired in taxes, insurance paperwork, or any other “real” responsibilities, kids will have much more time available to ponder for whom they would like to vote.

Lastly, a younger voting demographic will add more credence to adults’ votes, particularly parents. Since children normally follow their parents’ examples, they will essentially add more weight to each parents’ vote; octomom will be one of the most influential voters in the 2024 Presidential Election.

While some might argue we are merely adding uninformed voters to the voting pool, the fact that I as a legal voter know almost next to nothing outside of what I have learned through my Government class proves that the whole “maturity” idea is two things: overrated (like, totally) and inevitable. I postulate that by giving kids the freedom to vote earlier will even encourage them to become more informed and involved by 18 years old, thereby solving the problem of the younger generations being less informed than the older generations of voters. #LowerTheVotingAge It’s a thing. Make it happen, people.

You can support this petition at www.HappyAprilFools.com/petition/lower-the-voting-age/didyoureallyb elievethisarticle?/&sourceid=westlake%arrow=lauren38& chin_20=14&sr=WHS-0401

SPORTS

9

THE ARROW

APRIL 1, 2014

PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY MAGGLOS

Popularity of lacrosse scores second girls team Allison Weisenfeld Sports Editor

Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. according to businessinsider.com. Girls Lacrosse is the newest sport at WHS and has doubled in size to produce an additional new team—varsity and JV. With only two years of experience as a team, WHS girl’s lacrosse plans to dominate the field and accomplish their goals. With funding issues, struggles to get the field, and balancing two new teams, WHS girls lacrosse is persevering and growing stronger with every practice.

Boys vs. Girls

The sport usually considered for boys has recently branched out and is reaching girls all across the country, but the rules for girl’s lacrosse are very different compared to rules for boys.

While the two genders have the same objective in mind, which is to throw the ball in the goal, the similarities stop there.

Like in boy’s lacrosse, girls are allowed to attempt to knock the ball out of an opponent’s netting, but the pushing and checking of boy’s lacrosse is not permitted for girls.

Because of these contact differences, the attire of each gender varies. Women wear a tank top and skort as a field uniform and are only required to wear a mouth guard and eye protection masks.

The stick, or crosse, of a girl lacrosse player has a much shallower pocket than a boys lacrosse stick. For this reason, the catch-

ing, throwing, and cradling of girls lacrosse varies from boys lacrosse. Also, all women’s’ lacrosse sticks are the same size for all playing positions besides the goalie.

In the end, these two very different sports may have the same objective, but can barely be categorized with the same name.

The Game

Girl’s lacrosse is a mix of running, endurance, stick skill, and strategy that lasts for two 25-minute halves.

There are twelve players on the field at a time- a goalkeeper, attackers who attempt to score the goals on the offensive end, defenders who stay only on the defensive end, and midfielders who have free roam around the field.

Each goal on either side of the field sits in a circular crease, which can only be crossed by the goalie and the defenders.

The match is started with a center draw in which one player from both teams steps up and they hold their lacrosse sticks with the tops pressing against each other with the ball in between them. Both girls must push up and out with their crosse when the whistle is blown to attempt to fly the ball over their heads and to themselves or their teammates around them.

Once a team obtains the ball, the war starts. Only seven players may cross a certain restraining point at a time during a match and the other four must stay behind. Once a goal is scored, the center draw happens again.

If a whistle is blown during a game, all players must stop what they are doing and not move in their positions. The game is started again with another whistle blow and the players can unfreeze and continue to play.

If a ball goes out of bounds, the referee will blow the whistle, thus the players must freeze in their positions. The player whose body or stick is closest to the ball is given the ball. When both teams are equally close too a ball, a throw is taken which must be within eight meters of the goal circle. The throw in a girl’s lacrosse game can be related to a “jump ball” in basketball.

If a penalty occurs in which a yellow card is drawn, that player must sit in the penalty box, leaving that team with a player down.

To state the obvious, the team with the most scored goals is the victor.

The Team

Since WHS girl’s lacrosse has grown in size, the team has split into varsity and JV to maximize playing time.

As one of the three varsity captains this year, Jordan Kuchta ‘16 says she plans to help her team “grow and become so close that they are like family.”

The team’s leading scorers include Mikaela Vespe ’16 and Arden Edgerton ‘16.

Another scoring threat is midfielder Lexi Padilla ‘16.

“My strength would be getting down field as fast as I can to score a goal,” said Padilla.

TEAMWORK: Top- Mikaela Vespe chases down a player with the help of Cayley Corridori. Bottom- Goalie Ayana Baker and defender Vanessa Chen stop a shot on goal.

As for the JV team, Rachel Mason ’16 states, “By the looks of their first game against Simi, they are doing amazing. Their intensity is incredible, and I think they are going to do great this year.”

The JV team has just been formed this year to make more playing room for the wave of players who joined this year who are being lead by captains Natalie Anders ’17, Marissa Sommerfeld ’17, and Amy MacFarlane ’17.

“My goal for this season,” said MacFarlane, “would be that

anyone who walks by our lacrosse practice would not be able to tell the difference between Varsity and JV.” Why should someone want to join WHS girls lacrosse? “It’s really good,” says Merzia Subhan ’17, “Everyone has really bonded and likes each other. There’s a sense of sisterhood and friendship between everyone and it’s really amazing to be apart of that.”

Currently, varsity has a record of 5-2-1 and JV’s record is 0-3.

KEY TERMS: Crosse: The stick used by the lacrosse players Cradle: A back and forth motion using the stick to keep the ball inside the pocket webbing Checking: When a player uses a controlled tap with a crosse to try and knock the ball out of the opposing player’s pocket webbing Pick-Ups: The act of scooping up a ground ball with the crosse Pocket Webbing: The mesh net at the top of the crosse, where the ball is caught

10

SPORTS

THE ARROW

APRIL 1, 2014

Softball Track and field takes early lead makes a play for league contention

Tara Spencer Sports Editor

The WHS Warriors track and field team has gotten off the blocks quickly in the 2014 season. In their March 28 meet against Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks High School, the varsity boys and girls swept both schools and are now 4-0 in league.

Some of the stronger teams for WHS are the girls 4x100 team and the boys 4x400 team. The girls advanced to State finals last year and placed ninth, while the boys 4x400 team advanced to Masters and placed seventh.

“We have already come close to our PR and just keep getting stronger. We trust each other and are very focused and trying to stay as positive as possible despite our team’s injuries,” stated Sara Schwartz ‘14, who is on the girl 4x100 relay team.

Athletes to watch are Kyle Carrillo ‘16, Abigail Smith ‘15, Mikey Giguere ‘14, Ryan Finch ‘15, and Sean O’Bryan ‘14.

Carrillo has improved considerably in the Discus Throw. He can be a league champion and score points at CIF Finals. Carrillo also scored 161-03 at the Pioneer Invite.

At the Pasadena Games, Smith, who is on the girls 4x100 team ran a 11.98 in the 100m, which is sixth in the state. She also ran a 25.20 in the 200m. Both are now the WHS junior class records.

Giguere can make state, where he won the CIF 3200m last year. At the Pasadena Games, he ran 9:19.61 in the 3200m, the new senior class record.

Finch also was successful at the Pasadena Games, running 48.22 in the 400m. That is the best time in school history, the new junior record, now fifth in the state, and tenth in county history.

According to Coach Chad Scott, “The Arcadia Invitational traditionally has the highest level of competition, drawing athletes from around the nation.

It is great to be a part of such a high level of competition.” Being one of the most difficult invitationals, Arcadia will surely test the Warriors.

Christian Coates Sports Editor

COURTESY PHOTO

LEADER OF THE PACK: Senior standout, Mikey Giguere dominates in the 1600m race.

Baseball shows early dominance

Rachel Finegold Staff Writer

The boys varsity baseball team has four wins and four losses at this point in the season.

The varsity team captains are Luke Dykstra ‘14 and Adam Terrazas ‘14.

“Adam has always been a true leader and picking him for the captain this year was a no brainer,” said head coach Billy Ashley. “He has been around and he’s been a take charge kind of guy from the beginning so I trust that when I say something, it will get to the team,” said Ashley.

“Luke was picked out of status because he is the best player on the team and the team looks up to him,” said Ashley.

Dykstra is set to go to Fresno State to play baseball.

“Terrazas, Matt Donovan ‘15, and Grant Ferguson ‘15 are having a really good start to the season offensively and they are really good outfielders,” said Ashley.

“My goal is to do my job when I have the opportunity, and pretty much get on base every time I can,” said Terrazas.

Nick Noack ‘14 and Daniel Davanzo ‘15 are the two pitchers on the varsity team.

Davanzo is starting for the first time in his career.

The varsity team has already played Harvard Westlake, the team’s toughest competition. However, their “biggest competition is going to be Agoura,” commented Terrazas.

The varsity team played the TOHS Lancers on March 21 at WHS and had a close game, but pulled off the victory with a score of 2-1. “It was tied the whole game, and we scored in the last inning making it an exciting game with lots of people cheering in the crowds,” said Dykstra.

On March 29, the team played an away

game against Granada Hills and had a well deserved victory with the final score being 8-3.

The team’s upcoming games are an away game on April 2 against Newbury Park, a home game on April 4 against Newbury Park, and an away game on April 5 against Chatsworth Charter.

On the softball field, it looks as if the softball team is making progress.

After a brutal season last year in which the Warriors finished 4-19, they have already exceeded that number of wins so far in this young season.

WHS won three out of four games in the Suzanne Manlet Invitational Tournament, beating Righetti, Kennedy, and Alemany High Schools and losing to Simi Valley High School 5-3.

They followed up their successful tournament by defeating Thousand Oaks High School before dropping a close 1-0 game against Oak Park High School.

Pitching has been the key so far in the year. The team has an overall earned run average of 0.91 and has let their opponent score at most two runs only twice.

Meehra Nelson ‘15 has been a difference maker on the mound, with an earned run average of 1.00 and 42 innings pitched. She has completed every game that she has started and is credited with a 3-3 record as a starter. Nelson has been helped out by a solid defense behind her that has a .948 fielding percentage. On March 27, she threw a no-hitter against Calabasas High School in a 10-0 rout.

Offensively, WHS has been anchored by the performance of Taylor Spence ‘15, who is hitting .545 with two doubles and five runs scored. Spence has also stolen nine of the team’s 14 stolen bases and has been thrown out just once.

Although the team collectively is hitting .244, they have an on base percentage of .287, which definitely has helped them to average just under three runs a game.

At the beginning of league play, WHS (7-3) is in the middle of the pack among the Marmonte League. Royal High School is on top with an unblemished 5-0 record, followed by Simi Valley, Newbury Park, and Moorpark High Schools, who have not lost a league game yet.

Rounding out the bottom are Agoura, Calabasas, and Thousand Oaks High Schools, who have losing records and have not yet won a Marmonte game.

SPORTS APRIL 1, 2014

11

THE ARROW

Volleyball sets up for season Rachel Finegold Staff Writer

The boys volleyball team has a 4-1 record in Marmonte League play.

“This year is a rebuilding year for us, but I would say that we have really strong chemistry, but we also have some really big opponents like Newbury Park, Royal, and Thousand Oaks so we will have a lot of really good games,” said Jackson Hollister ’14, who will play Division I volleyball at UC Santa Barbara next season.

The team, led by captains Chris Shaffer ’15 and Hollister, wants to win its sixth consecutive Marmonte League title.

“The team needs to work on supporting each other and making sure that everyone is a part of the team,” said Brian ON THE UP: Brian Trephan taps the ball over the opposing defense in a Marmonte League match Trephan ’14.

“The team’s star players are Michael shots,” according to The Acorn. Head The team competed in the Poway Best Young ’16 who is a good setter and coach Douglas Magorien called Anand of the West Tournament on March 14 and Hollister, who is a very strong hitter,” said the team’s best defensive player. “I enjoy 15 and went 5-1 en route to a first place Trephan. playing with the guys from middle school finish in the silver bracket.

Adrish Anand ‘15 is the team’s to junior varsity and now varsity,” said The boys volleyball team played libero and “throws his body all over the Anand in The Acorn. “It’s fun to see the Newbury Park on March 14 at WHS and court-diving, ducking and sliding to dig growth of the team.” lost the first set and won the second, before

Alumnus lands pro-coaching gig can be.”

Opinion Editor “I attribute my success to my parents Mahdi and Linda Mazarei, my brothers WHS alumnus Adam Mazarei is Michael, Amir and Matthew, and my closthe new Player Development Coach for est friends. They believed in me all the the NBA team, Memphis Grizzlies. way and have supported me so much. I Mazarei started playing basketball wouldn’t be where I am without them,” when he was eight years old, playing in said Mazarei. He also credits his triumph the CYBA and travel basketball teams in to the Kings Basketball Academy, his club Conejo. When he played at WHS, Maza- basketball program which he runs with rei earned many achievements, includ- his family. ing being a three-year Varsity member, “All the parents involved and all the two-year All-Marmonte League Selec- players we have coached over the years tion, two-time varsity MVP and led the all trusted me and put so much confidence Marmonte League in assists per game in me to coach their kids. I really matured in his junior and senior years. Then he as a coach and as a person because of that played at the University of Redlands, program,” said the alum. an NCAA Division III school, as point Mazarei’s experience working with guard.

IMPACT Basketball in Las Vegas has pre“My favorite pared him for the part about playing job. Through IMbasketball at WHS PACT, he was able was the competito do Pre-Draft tion,” said Mazarei, Preparation with “[I] loved playing Terrance Ross of against rivals [such the Toronto Rapas] Thousand Oaks tor, Boston Celtics’ and Agoura. Some Phil Pressey and Jaof my closest friends maal Franklin of the to this day are guys Memphis Grizzlies.

I played against and He also had the opI [will] cherish those portunity to work memories forever.” with NBA players His first coachdirectly. ing job was at WHS “Last summer, for the Freshman working with Serge team. “Tom DonaIbaka (Oklahoma hue (Coach at the City Thunder) for time) saw something over a month in Euin me and gave me rope, was what remy first opportually gave me the noCOURTESY PHOTO nity. I will be for- MOVIN’ UP: Mazarei’s success at the coltoriety I needed to ever grateful,” said legiate levels jump-started his career. take the next step,” Mazarei. He was an said Mararei. assistant for DonaHe advises “ashue while attending the University of piring NBA players—get an education.

Redlands and was a Varsity assistant for Get your degrees and find a craft that you Steve Johnson at Newbury Park after really love and can develop into becoming college. great in, because basketball is not for evThe teaching aspect and develop- eryone. Playing in this league is near imment of players is Mazarei’s favorite possible. It takes a ton of hard work, skill, part of coaching. He wants to “prepare mental toughness, physical attributes and players the right way with proper fun- talent. I work with these guys everyday damentals and the physical and mental and the things they can do is absolutely necessities to become the best player one fake to ‘normal’ human beings.”

Michelle Choi

PHOTO BY KALLYN HOBMANN

dropping the third and fourth.

“We had an early loss to Newbury Park, but they are a really solid team and they just caught us off guard,” said Hollister.

The Warriors will host Calabasas on April 2 at 6:00 p.m.

Tennis serves up opposition Kallyn Hobmann Staff Writer The WHS boys’ tennis team is starting with a 4-0 record overall and 1-0 in the Marmonte League.

“The WHS boys tennis team has more depth this year, than in 2013,” according to Coach Connie Flanderka.

Some of the top players include captain Alex Loh ‘14 and co-captain Matt Hoisch ‘14, Jonah Dennis ‘15, Ben Lebedin ‘15, and Sumant Iyer ‘15, Jeremy Model ‘16, and freshmen Brandon Lam, Cody Lin, Andrew Whitehouse, Everbrook Zhou, and Marlon Blanquart.

The team’s goal this season is to go undefeated in the Marmonte League and

get past the quarters of CIF. “The team is very competitive,” said Flanderka. In 2013, they were co-champions with Calabasas in Marmonte League (13-1) and lost in the second round of Divison 1 CIF-SS playoffs.

This season, the team’s toughest competition will be Calabasas, along with the teams it will be facing in the CIF playoffs.

“We have a great shot at CIF and maybe even winning state championships.

Everyone is amazing on the team, including our one and only Coach Flanderka,” said Zhou.

The boys varsity team will play Calabasas High School at home on April 1 at 3:00 p.m., and play on April 3 at Moorpark High School at 2:30 p.m.

Lacrosse continues to win

Matt Donovan Staff Writer

WHS boys lacrosse is trying to repeat consecutive league championships from the last two years, beginning the season with a 3-1 record.

The team had a strong opener, dominating Simi Valley High School 17-2 and followed that up against Agoura High School, winning 10-6. However, they suffered a first loss to Newbury Park High School in a nail-biter, falling by a score of 12-11.

“We are young but very experienced and athletic,” stated midfielder Klayton Wood ‘15. Coach Dennis Ray has high hopes for the season.

“We expect to improve as a team, win

Florida 1

def. Albany, Pittsburgh, UCLA, & Dayton VS.

league for the third straight year and go deep into playoffs,” Ray said.

The team will call upon captains Jesse Cuccia ‘15, Conor O’Brien ‘14 in tough rematches against Newbury Park and Agoura. The team is looking “to win state and that’s what we are striving for,” claimed Wood. A few players to watch on offense are Cuccia, O’Brien, and Danny Avery ‘14. Key defenders include Christian Ahn ‘15, Drew Taylor ‘15, Patrick Mekari ‘15 and Matt Kilkeary ‘15.

The biggest setback so far in the season is the loss of captain Carlo Castenada ‘14 for the time being due to a foot injury.

“It stinks because this is my last year with the team… I was hoping to lead the team all the way to state but now I have to watch from the sidelines,” said Castenada.

Kentucky 8

def. Kansas St., Wichita St., Louisville, & Michigan

The Final Four

Connecticut 7 def. St. Joseph, Villanova, Iowa St., & Michigan St.

VS.

Wisconsin 2

def. American, Oregon, Baylor, & Arizona

THE ARROW 12 Coachella fashion:

FEATURE APRIL 1, 2014

step by step

Simone Moscovitch Feature Editor

Coachella. You’ve heard all the rumors, no doubt— from the hundreds of dollars for the tickets, to the historical reunions. You’ve seen the Instagram posts, and you’ve even thought to yourself: “Am I trendy enough to make an appearance at Coachella?”

As I get into character, I put on my non-prescription hipster eyeglasses. It’s all part of my pre-Coachella get up.

Keep reading to learn how you too can prepare for the concert event of the year and look like you haven’t showered in three weeks!

“My main concern for this year’s festival is to be as comfortable and as fashionable as I possibly can. I want to have a good time, but I also don’t want to be worrying about my bindi and if it is still intact,” said Alice Neary ’14.

In response to Neary’s request, I suggested she wear jean shorts, since they are a light, flexible, and breathable material. Along with that I recommended a stretchy and adjustable halter top with a tribal twist. To top it all off she added a pair of shades and some simple jewelry, and her look was complete.

Jackson Hollister ’14 also needed some help with his Coachella style. “I knew what kind of look I was going for but I just needed to make sure it was Coachellaappropriate,” said Hollister.

To add to Jackson’s laid-back personality, he chose a button-up Hawaiian shirt with some board shorts to keep him cool and still fashion forward. Hollister added the rolled up bandana to complement the look.

This year’s fashion icons, including Vanessa Hudgens, Lucy Hutchings and Alexa Chung, are expected to bring

FESTIVAL FINE TUNING!: Alice Neary and Jackson Hollister show their Coachella-inspired clothing.

PHOTOS BY SIMONE MOSCOVITCH

their A-game to the table after strutting their stuff in previous years’ festivals.

Chung in particular helped with the revival of the grunge flannel wrapped around the waist during last year’s Coachella. Pair that with a pin-striped jump romper and strappy sandals to complete the look.

Now that Neary and Hollister are Coachella-ready and fashion forward, they are ready to hit the festival grounds.

Keep an eye open for up coming posts on Instagram, that will be sure to come.

To achieve that Coachella look, check out some of these stores: Brandy Melville Soto Boutique Urban Outfitters American Apparel Forever 21 Pegasus

The iconic festival: from the 90’s ‘til now Bridget Flynn Laura Marcus Staff Writers

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is currently the biggest music festival in the country. However, it did not gain this huge popularity overnight, though.

Since the first festival in 1999, Coachella has gone from struggling with huge financial issues to becoming the highest grossing event of its kind.

Coachella’s evolution began in 1993: 1993: Pearl Jam rocks the stage. As part of the Ticketmaster boycott, the band hosts a concert at the hot, dry, and remote Empire Polo Club fields instead of a normal Southern California auditorium. Nearly 25,000 fans turn out, proving the venue to be great for holding large crowds, and the idea of Coachella is born.

1999: The first official Coachella festival is held and lasts two days, but the unbearable heat and low revenue make a future Coachella seem nearly impossible.

The next event is pushed up to 2001 and downsized to one day.

2002: Coachella returns to a twoday festival. Profits are much better and the event starts to show money-making potential.

2003: The festival gains worldwide recognition and turns into a hot spot for music-lovers all over the globe. Big band

names are used for the first time, which leads to the largest attendance thus far.

2004: Coachella has its first sold out weekend as its popularity continues to grow.

2005: Electronic music is introduced.

2006: Daft Punk records its most iconic performance of all time, attracting many dance music fans. Coachella starts to bring in dance music.

2007: The festival is extended to three days. Rage Against the Machine has the largest attendance for a single band in Coachella history at 100,000 attendees.

2008: A bad performance lineup causes difficulties in ticket sales. The lineup consists of mostly electronic music, including Deadmaus and Calvin Harris, who were not as popular at the time.

2009: Popularity rebounds with some of the best headliners of all time including Paul McCartney, the Killers, and the Cure.

This is the weakest year for electronic music.

2010: Over 200,000 fans attend.

2011: Dance music explodes with Kanye West.

2012: This is the most profitable and successful year in Coachella’s history.

The festival lasts two weekends and hosts iconic artists, including Radiohead and Dr. Dre. 2013: Coachella continues to draw thousands of music fans with its now solid reputation for electrifying performances.

2014 Coachella Lineup Ten days and counting: Day one of Coachella 2014 begins on April 11 for three days. Week two will follow the next weekend, April 18-20.

Day 1 — Outkast, The Knife, The Replacements, Broken Bells, Zedd, Girl Talk, Ellie Goulding, Chromeo, HAIM, Neko Case, AFI, Martin Garrix, Bonobo, Bryan Ferry, The Glitch Mob, The Afghan Whigs

Day 2 — Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, Skrillex, Pharrell Williams, Lorde, Foster the People, Pet Shop Boys, MGMT, Empire of the Sun, Fatboy Slim, Nas, Kid Cudi, The Head and the Heart, Sleigh Bells, Cage the Elephant Day 3 - Calvin Harris, Neutral Milk Hotel, Disclosure, Lana Del Rey, Motörhead, Alesso, Duck Sauce, Little Dragon, Beady Eye, Flosstradamus, The Toy Dolls

FEATURE APRIL 1, 2014

THE ARROW

A Spring in Your Step Westlake Travel Guide

Pranav Kaygee Feature Editor

With spring break approaching, there are ample opportunities to explore the great wonders of the world. WHS students and teachers share their former and future activities during this sunny time of year.

Whether people are kicking back at the beach or getting chased by bears in the wilderness, spring break is full of adventure, relaxation, and a

great time to separate from hectic school life.

Everyone’s ideal spring break is different. From Sweden to New Orleans, WHS students and faculty have different ideas on what they wish to experience during their one week break.

Spring break always allows for strange family drama, new and exciting activities, and time to clear your mind for the upcoming AP’s and other school shenanigans.

The choices are endless: from swimming with dolphins in Hawaii, to

touring the isles of Ireland and Scotland, spring vacation is something to cheer about. Why not take a visit to Dayatona Beach, the U.S.’s number one tourist destination? How about spending a week in the romantic city of Paris, eating crepes and escargot while wearing a beret? Or have you tried hang out with reprobates while piloting a zeppelin across the Atlantic?

Whatever plans lie ahead of you, live life to the fullest and enjoy the week off school. The experiences from exciting vacations can last a lifetime.

British Isles

Reprobates

Q: What did you do for spring break last year?

A: I piloted a zeppelin across the Atlantic.

Q: What are you planning to do for spring break this year?

A: I haven’t decided yet.

Q: Where is your ideal spring break destination?

A: Sweden Q: What is your most memorable spring break activity?

A: I worked as a maintenance man at a camp in the mountains during high school. I had to chase away bears from the trash cans.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of spring break?

A: I like the way people say, “Spring Break!

Whoo!”

Q: Whom do you typically spend spring break with?

A: Reprobates Q: Do you prefer relaxing or hectic spring breaks?

A: Hectic. Relaxing is another word for boring.

Doug Freed

Relaxing Q: What did you do for spring break last year?

A: I hung out at home with my boyfriend.

Q: What are you planning to do this year?

A: I’m planning to visit San Diego and to relax.

Q: Where is your ideal spring break destination?

A: Going to the Caribbean.

Q: What is your most memorable spring break activity?

A: Snorkeling in the Catalina Islands.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of spring break?

A: Just relaxing, staying at home, and not having to go to school.

Q: Whom do you typically spend spring breaks with?

A: I spend them with my family.

Q: Do you prefer relaxing or hectic spring breaks?

A: I prefer relaxing during spring breaks because the rest of the year is hectic.

Brianna Turpel ‘16

Q: What did you do for spring break last year?

A: I went to Las Vegas and celebrated my birthday.

Q: What are you planning to do for this year?

A: I’m taking students to Scotland and Ireland for an educational tour. Next year, I’ll be touring England with students.

Q: Where is your ideal spring break destination?

A: Going to Scotland and Ireland.

Q: What is your most memorable activity?

A: I’m still waiting for it.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of spring break?

A: Spring Break is the last stretch of vacation before summer.

Q: Whom do you typically spend spring breaks with?

A: With family and friends.

Q: Do you prefer relaxing or hectic spring breaks?

A: Hectic. Have full spring breaks and take up all the time you can.

Joanna Burns

Around the world in 8 days

Maui, U.S.A The luxurious and lush island of Maui is a top travel destination for tourist worldwide. Most people will start their trip in Central Maui, where Kahului Airport is located. Filled with historic, cultural, and sacred spots, Central Maui is an ideal place to visit. Consider taking a wind down the road to Hana in East Maui while enjoying the blooming rainforest and crashing waterfalls. Bask in the warmth of the sunny and dry South Maui, filled with sandy beaches like Wailea and Kihei. West Maui is filled with ideal beaches such as Honolulu Bay, ideal for surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Luau Q: What did you do for spring break last year?

A: I visited Hawaii and went snorkeling, hiking, and went to a Luau.

Q: What are you planning to do this year?

A: I’m planning to go to Six Flags and the beach.

Q: Where is your ideal spring break destination?

A: A cruise to the Caribbean.

Q: What is your most memorable spring break activity?

A: A mango almost fell on me once.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of spring break?

A: A week with no school.

Q: Whom do you typically spend spring breaks with?

A: With friends and family.

Q: Do you prefer relaxing or hectic spring breaks?

A: Hectic, because #yolo.

Annie Cheng ‘15

13

Cabo San Lucas, a beautiful 20 mile stretch of coast at the tip of Baja California, is one of Mexico's most popular attractions. Filled with numerous beaches, hidden coves, unique rock formations, and countless bird sanctuaries, Cabo offers a variety of experiences and activities. Medano Beach is filled with dazzling sights and lined with cantinas. If you're looking for unique and beautiful rock formations, Playa Costa Azul is the beach to visit. Playa Palmilla is a gorgeous and tranquil to cove where you can enjoy water sports and swimming without a large crowd.

Paris, France Filled with fine cafes, bustling shopping malls, and historical monuments, thousands of people flock to Paris for spring break.

Palais Garnier is a grand opera house built during Napoleon III's reign. The delicate design, marble construction, and astounding operas make Palais Garnier a poplar attraction. The Pont Alexandre III arch bridge connects the Champs-Elysees quarter and the Eiffel Tower quarter, and is regarded as one of the most ornate and famous bridges in Paris. Also, considered the most infamous building in France, the Eiffel Tower stands at 1,063 feet tall. The top of the tower gives an awe-inspiring view of Paris.

Compiled by Alex Shi

Page compiled by: Pranav Kaygee, Ashwin Rangaajan, Alex Shi

14

THE ARROW Youʼre hot and youʼre cold

Alisa Orlowsky Feature Editor

The lyrics of Katy Perry’s earliest hit “I Kissed a Girl” not only applies to dealing with relationships, but can also apply to the uncooperative weather WHS students deal with. Spring is on its way; birds chirp, flowers bloom, and sunny days are endless.

At WHS however, the temperature usually ranges in the 40’s when school begins, but by lunch it’s 75 degrees or hotter.

Thus students face an unanswerable question each morning: “What should I wear today?” The first choice that comes to mind is layering, meaning—layers that can be taken off or added throughout the day.

This way, students won’t be stuck freezing in the mornings or melting in the afternoon.

Layering can be tricky, but with a few helpful tips it can easily be accomplished. Madi McLaughlin ‘17 shows two ideas to spark inspiration.

With many pieces of an outfit, it’s best to stick with simple and neutral colors to avoid clashing prints. Wearing a solid color, flowy skirt with opaque tights will keep you warmer, yet won’t become a problem as the day warms up. Varying thicknesses of tights are sold everywhere.

Fashion blogger Lauren Conrad says, “Start with a basic, lightweight top. I suggest a solid, something neutral, or striped.”

Simple tees can be found almost anywhere and at low prices too.

FEATURE

APRIL 1, 2014

might provoke one to keep the sleeves unrolled.

As far as the under shirt goes, a plain white or neutral v-neck or tee is great. Another option would be to wear a graphic tee. Later in the day, the tee will stand out.

However, this is all preference.

Any shoes will do, but McLaughlin is wearing regular converse in red that add a pop of color. Long necklaces add a cute flair and complement the outfit. As the heat builds up, take off the denim button-up and tie it around your waist. This versatile outfit is perfect for the spring.

McLaughlin said, “The outfit was great all day because it was really comfortable, but I knew it still looked cute.”

Where to shop:

Long leggings $15.95 at American Eagle Outfitters $92.00 at Lulu Lemon PHOTO BY ALISA ORLOWSKY

PHOTO BY ALLISON WEISENFELD

SPRING INTO THIS SEASON: Madi McLaughlin shares two versatile spring outfit ideas.

Short booties go well with the tights and skirt but won’t overheat you. Extremely cold temperatures will call for a cardigan to match the skirt and a denim jacket. If it’s not too chilly, you may opt for just a denim jacket. Once lunch comes around, peeling off the denim jacket or cardigan will suit you as the weather heats up.

Again, the best way to ensure the out-

fit isn’t on too much is to keep things simple. It’s much easier to spice things up than to take it down a notch.

The second outfit McLaughlin wears starts with ankle length leggings. A pair of leggings are available at many varying prices. Denim long sleeves are usually worn with the sleeves rolled up to about elbow length; however, the cold weather

Denim long sleeve $22.99 at Target $19.99 at Forever 21 Black tights $5.95 2-pack at H&M $3.50 at Target Plain tee-shirts $5.80 at Forever 21 $5.00 at Target

Playful pastels for spring Bridget Flynn Laura Marcus Staff Writers

Pastels are soft, girly, and awesome.

They are a super feminine and refreshing way to welcome the season of spring. The colors range from lavender to pistachio to petal pink.

Here are a few tips for making your pastel outfits really pop. First off, if your outfit consists of pastels, add black accessories to balance out the soft colors.

Black will give your look a little edge, and dark gray also pairs nicely with colors like pastel yellow.

However, try not to add too many pastels to one outfit or you may enter Easter egg territory. “I think just one pastel piece is perfect, but if you do one pastel piece you have to make sure the rest of the outfit is tame. So mix basics with pastels,”

Amanda McCabe ‘14 said.

Second, most pastels look the best when you are nice and tan. Spray tans are a good and easy way to get tan fast, or just spend some time soaking up the sun; that’s what spring and summer are for anyways.

If you have naturally fair skin no need to worry. Try to rock the more girly pastel colors like pastel pink and lavender, because other pastels might wash out your beautiful skin tone.

Additionally, pastels have a soft vibe, so it makes sense to add lots of jewelry to a pastel outfit. Try throwing on a long gold necklace or some nice rings. If you are more daring, go for a chunky statement necklace. There are so many ways to wear pastels; the right jewelry can change your look from girly to edgy or even to hipster, it just depends on what you are going for.

Finally, simple makeup works best with pastels. You don’t want a lot of color around your eyes and face when you already have color in your outfit. Shades of browns and nude colors look the best.

This season, mint is a very trendy pastel color that has a cool hue and coordinates well with other colors. “It’s also an instant

way to freshen up previous season’s colors while staying on trend,” said Natasha Fussell, online stylist at lonnys.com.

“For someone who’s not really out there with their style, I think a great way to start with pastels is your nail color.

Then you can move to pastel jeans, which are great because they’re really easy. You can throw on a simple white shirt and still look cute. And once your comfortable with something like that you can venture into more daring items like pastel tops,” McCabe said.

Below are a couple of new spring additions to the website NastyGal.com.

The watermelon clutch adds a pop of color to any simple outfit and make it more appropriate for spring. The teal and green shoes are also appropriate for spring.

The light pink dress is a fresh outfit for any spring occasion, including Easter. The cute off the shoulder sleeves add the perfect look. Pair it with brown leather sandals or brown booties, and you can even add a cute sun hat and be ready to go.

Guys can also wear pastels. The same goes for guys as for girls, try not to overdo the pastel pieces in your outfit.

UPGRADE WITH DETAILS: Pastel accessories help any outfit pop this season.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Pastels are generally viewed as more feminine, but that is not necessarily true.

Try to ease into the color trend by picking lighter and more subtle pastel pieces.

You can start with something like a bright pair of socks that is flashed with the roll of a trouser hem to a complementing crisp white shirt.

Confidence is key in guys fashion. Be comfortable in what you’re wearing, and only go as far into the spring trends as you feel you want to go.

The model to the left wore a casual pastel look without looking too feminine or like he’s going to the country club.

Pastels are colors that are springing into this fashion season; don’t miss out on this bright, flirty, and fun trend.