06.01.10

the VOLUME XXXII, ISSUE 9

arrow Westlake High School

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

June 1, 2010

PHOTOS BY SAM WEXLER

A FAMILY AFFAIR: World-famous musician Richard Carpenter (above) is the featured guest at the Gala Premiere which opened the Carpenter Family Theatre on Thursday, May 27. Choir Director Alan Rose is also pictured above. Mindi Carpenter (top right) and Colin Carpenter (bottom right) also performed.

Carpenter Family Theatre Opens with Gala Premiere Tiffany Loh Editor-in-chief After a year of planning and construction, the new Carpenter Family Theatre at WHS has opened its doors.

Featuring guest performances by Richard Carpenter and his children Mindi Carpenter ‘10 and Colin Carpenter ‘13, the Gala Premiere Celebration took place May 27.

The evening included a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, guest speakers and announcements, and a concert that featured choral music, band, and drama department students.

World-famous musician Richard Carpenter’s generous donation helped to build the new theatre.

“It wasn’t long after our family moved to Westlake Village that Mary and I learned that due to budgetary constraints at the time of its inception, the theatre at Westlake High School didn’t equal not only the choral program that its director Alan Rose had developed over the years, but the theatres at both Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park High,” said Carpenter. “We couldn’t have that now, could we?! Add to this the fact that at least three of our children would be attending WHS, and you have the inspiration. Our goal was to make the facility more a theatre and less a lecture hall.”

The theatre’s architecture and design have exceeded the expectations of all involved.

“Considering the variety of limitations placed on the architects, the ultimate design has more than met our expectations,” according to Richard Carpenter.

“The theatre will be a wonderful venue for all of the performing arts shows that are produced at WHS,” said

Principal Ronald Lipari.

“The sound, lighting and recording facilities are of a professional quality, and the interior decor is incredibly beautiful,” he added.

The newly-built Carpenter Family Theatre will be the venue for many upcoming activities.

Events such as band and choir concerts have already been scheduled to take place in the new theatre before the school year ends.

Choral music department will be the first as they put on the end-of-the-year concert, American Pop Forever on May 28 and 29.

Senior Awards Night will take place on June 1 and will also be held in the new theatre.

“It’s a real theatre, which we’ve never really had before,” said Rose.

“The kids have always been outstanding. They have done very professional shows, so it’s nice to have a building that fits the kids.”

In addition, with such a “professional building” that the students can now use, Rose hopes that more people at WHS will be encouraged to participate in the performing arts.

“It’s amazing. I can’t fathom the kind of money that’s been invested in it. I have always hoped that a new theatre would come along, and that dream has now finally come true,” Rose said. “Let the show begin.”

“On behalf of the WHS staff and students I would like to thank the Carpenter Family for their generous donation without which the new theatre could not have been built,” said Lipari. “We are looking forward to many years of performing arts productions in the Carpenter Family Theatre.”

2

NEWS

IN BRIEF Wah’ Kon-Tah Wins Excellence Award

Choral Music Dept.’s Final Show To Highlight American Pop Choral music department will perform its end of the year show American Pop Forever. Shows will be Fri. and Sat. night starting at 7:30 and a Sat. matinee at 2:00.

Under the direction of Alan Rose, musical numbers will highlight pop favorites like Jailhouse Rock, Blue Suede Shoes, and Hound Dog.

Loh Places 2nd Place at Bank of America Awards Tiffany Loh earned $1500 for her second place finish at the Bank of America Achievement Awards held May 7 at the Marriott Hotel in Ventura. She competed against three other finalists in the Liberal Arts category. She was the plaque award winner from WHS.

Arrow Staff Earns Awards Arrow members earned awards at the Ventura County Star Best of High School Journalism Competition. Jacob Cavanah took home a first place award in Sports and a third place in Sports Feature writing. Three writers—Annie Gerlach ‘10, Michelle Noyes ‘13, Haley Pearson ‘10— earned a first place in Review. Jose Ermac ‘10 earned a third place in Review. Dashiell Young-Saver ‘12 earned a second place recognition in Sports Photography. The newspaper earned a third place in the Design category.

Students Works on Display at Spring Art Show Artists and photographers have the opportunity to display their personal works at the Spring Art Show to be held during lunch outside the library on Friday, May 28. Art Club presidents Lucy Gao ‘10 and Vivian Shi ‘10 and vice presdients Ashley Chang ‘12 and Juanna Zhai ‘12 organized the display under the advisorship of art teacher John Farmer.

T.O. Library to Offer Prize Drawings Teens are invited to “Make Waves @ Your Library” this summer by participating in the Thousand Oaks Library Teen Reading Club.

Teens who submit book rating forms for each book they read will be entered into weekly prize drawings for gift certificates for Starbucks, Best Buy!, Muvico, and more.

Sign up occurs anytime between June 14 through August 14, at either the Grant R. Brimhall Library, the Newbury Park Branch Library or online at toaks.org/ library.

Funfar To Return from Leave of Absence Nicole (Funfar) Judd will return in June to her previous position as Assistant Principal of Instruction.

Judd spent one semester on maternity leave, after giving birth to her first child, Cameron Randall Judd, on Feb. 7 of this year at Los Robles Hospital. The newborn weighed in at a lucky 7 pounds, 7 ounces on Superbowl Sunday.

Arrow: Is there any significance to the name you chose?

Judd: Randall is my husband’s middle name. If we have a daughter, we would like her middle name to be Marie...like me! We chose the name Cameron because both my husband and I have had former students named Cameron that we liked very much. They were kind, polite, fun, and hard working—all personality traits we would like our son to have!

Arrow: How has your life changed since the birth of your son?

Judd: Life? I have no life! Just kidding. In all honestly, your life is no longer about you. It is about the safety and well-being of your child, and I would not have it any other way. It is amazing the amount of love you feel for your child. It is unlike any love I have ever felt for anyone or anything.

Arrow: What personality traits have you noticed in him?

Judd: Cameron is full of energy. He does not nap during the day. I think he is afraid of missing anything! He can be quite moody: one minute he is smiling, laughing, being happy as can be, and the next minute he is screaming.

For the most part, I believe he is going to be a very happy little boy. He smiles all the time at everything, loves to jump in his Jumperoo, loves to go on walks, and loves to watch Baby Einstein. I think he is going to be an adventurous little guy!

Arrow: What is your favorite part about being a mom?

Judd: The best part of my day is waking up in the morning, going into Cameron’s room, and he looks up and

COURTESY PHOTO

The 2010 Wah’ Kon-Tah received the Gallery of Excellence Award.

It will be displayed at regional, state and national conventions as an example of comprehensive coverage, innovative design and superior copy and photographs.

Only a small percentage of yearbooks are chosen for this distinction, according to Yearbook Advisor Joanna Burns.

The 2010 yearbook is Westlake’s fourth consecutive book to be inducted into the Gallery of Excellence.

The award-winning 2010 yearbooks featured an Alice in Wonderland theme and were distributed on Friday, May 21.

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

WELCOME: Nicole (Funfar) Judd will return from maternity leave in June. Pictured is her son Cameron.

smiles at me. It is the best feeling in the world! life?

Arrow: Who has helped you transition into this new stage of

Judd: My mom has been a huge help. She spends several days a week with Cameron and me hanging out. I call her about everything.

Arrow: Does he take after you or your husband in any way?

Judd: Cameron looks identical to my husband. My family and friends refer to him as “Mini Kevin.” It is kind of freaky how much they look alike!

Arrow: How do you feel about returning to work?

Judd: I am going to miss Cameron very much when I return to work and I am dreading the thought of leaving him; however, I miss the staff and students at WHS very much. The staff and students are my second family and I am anxious to return and get back to business!

I plan on doing my very best to create a sense of balance in my life that includes spending as much time with my family as possible and doing the very best job I can for the students at WHS.

Youth Recognition Awards Ceremony Recognizes 9 WHS Volunteers Hanna Hong Staff Writer Hosting the Youth Recognition Awards Wed. May 19, the Thousand Oaks Youth Commission acknowledged nine WHS students for their unprecedented amount of volunteering at the Civic Arts Plaza.

From over 100 applications, these nine students were hand selected for their achievements.

Mayor Gillette presented either a certificate of appreciation or achievement award to each of the 80 youth volunteers who were also.

However, one WHS student was awarded that night’s highest honor—the Volunteer of the Year Award—which exhibits not only numerous of volunteering hours but also purposeful causes and reasons for volunteering.

From his hours of volunteering that go beyond an average student, to his goals that changed the WHS campus, Adam Raudonis ’10 exhibited every quality and accomplishment that was needed to earn the Volunteer of the Year Award.

Raudonis—president of the Students for Solar Schools and Junior State of America—not only strongly advocates for going green but also impacts our school, community, and our environment.

Raudonis’ passion for his work has inspired thousands to pursue his many causes. Other high schools within and outside California are also following in the school’s lead.

The leadership, initiative, and achievements can only be described as “astonishing for a young man his age” described nominator Dr. Laurie Looker, WHS School-to-Career Coordinator.

Hannah Barrett ’11 and Hannah Mandell ’11 were both awarded the Cer-

tificate of Achievement Award, which was the second highest award that night.

Both individuals initiated similar clubs that tutor young kids after school and both convey avid dedication to volunteering and aiding others.

Mandell not only started the club Brain Connection, but also interns at the Westminster Free Clinic. Similarly Barrett started a mentoring group that tutors middle school children at Los Cerritos and contributes to Relay for Life.

Eszter Boldis ’11, Julie Ferguson ’11, Ezra Levy ’11, Lexi Ozder ‘12, and Phoebe Ng ’11 were also awarded the Certificate of Appreciation Award for their significant amount of volunteering.

At the end of the night, the Chair of Youth Commission, Rebecca Sadwick ’10, was also presented commendations from the Mayor. Sadwick was a three-year Youth Commissioner and Chair her senior year.

ASL Students Honor the Deaf in Day of Silence Sofia Talarico Feature Editor American Sign Language 2 and 3 students took part in an assignment that enabled them to walk in the shoes of a deaf person.

The assignment was for the students to take a Day of Silence and only communicate with their parents and peers through the use of sign language; it helps the students understand what it is like to be deaf.

The ASL 2 students had to keep their silence for a solid 24 hours while the ASL 3 students had to keep their silence for 48

hours. The Day of Silence began at 8:00 a.m. on May 19.

ASL 2 student Cryshelle Jeffery ‘10 kept her day of silence for 24 hours straight. “Simple things like hanging out with your friends become so much harder,” said Jeffrey. Though conversation was difficult, students were allowed to carry around a pencil and paper, since not everyone can understand sign language.

Students were not supposed to listen to music or talk on the phone, and if they wanted to watch TV, the closed captions would have to be turned on and the sound muted. If the students had work and needed to talk, they had to make up the hours afterwards.

For proof that the student participated in the required number of hours, teachers

and parents had to sign a form to indicate the participation of the student.

“It’s hard to become fluent because the grammar is different,” said Jeffery, when asked about the difficulty of the assignment.

Max Jann ‘10 had a different outlook on the assignment. He realized who his real friends were; the true friends were the ones who could understand him even though they did not speak sign language.

Despite this, Jann said, “I remember it being 10 times harder than it would normally be. Conversations went where other people wanted.”

Jann stated that, “not listening to music was the hardest part,” while Jeffery said that, “just talking to people was so difficult.”

3

NEWS

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

Ricafort to Tour with ‘Chorus Line’ Production Michelle Noyes Feature Editor

Sisters Use Business Skills to Start SAT Tutoring Co. Julia Model Feature Editor

UP ON THE ROOF: Adam Raudonis oversees the installation of 28 large panels, a reflection of his two years of hard work with Students for Solar Schools.

Sun Shines on Panel Installation Sarah Gerlach Feature Editor Students for Solar Schools accomplished their goal of getting solar panels installed at WHS on May 13.

This goal has been two years in the making when seniors Adam Raudonis and Michelle Carney formed Students for Solar Schools in the fall of 2008.

The club raised $5,900 for the panels through multiple activities such as grants, coin drives, and restaurant nights.

Students for Solar Schools had the most popular restaurant night last fall at Sea Casa, where they raised over $600.

The actual value of the system is $45,000, but Solar World donated 14 free panels to the club so it could achieve its goal.

Advanced Solar Electric alsodonated free installation for the panels.

Both of these drastically reduced the price of the panels.

The entire system was installed on the roof of the maintenance shed behind the band room.

It is 6.3 kW DC and includes 28 large panels, which is equal to 36 normal 17 SW panels.

It is 540 square feet and weighs about 1,200 pounds.

Students for Solar Schools is proud to have this system

installed because it is the world’s largest student-funded solar installation.

“These solar panels are just one step in the right direction.”

Carney said.

“I hope they inspire other students and the community to start other green efforts.”

Two other local high schools, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park, have been so inspired and have formed chapters to duplicate the efforts at WHS. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Mon. June 7 in Room 31 and will feature Mario Contini, Superintendent of CVUSD.

PHOTO BY BECKY SADWICK

Many juniors entering into the beginning stages of preparing to take the SAT may be stressed and overcome with the amount of material and strategy needed to do well.

However, there are many companies and tutoring specialists willing to guide them towards raising their scores.

For WHS alumna Dorothy Li ‘03, starting a test preparation company was something she took interest in when she discovered her love for teaching.

After graduating from UC Berkeley, the unemployment crisis was at its peak, but Li decided to quit her public accounting job and dedicate her undivided attention to this venture.

The business became a family collaboration run in San Francisco. Li is the President of the company myesat, alongside her sister Diana Li ‘05, who is the co-President of the company.

“My sister and I have spent a good portion of our lives studying for the SAT,” Li said.

“And although there are not many areas that we know so well that we can teach with confidence, the SAT is that one area.”

Originally, Li had a very different career path in mind.

After graduating from Berkeley, she went into the field of public accounting.

However, contradictory to many beliefs, success cannot be measured from test scores alone.

At this age and time, success is something to stress about, but

students can look to impress colleges through other distinctive attributes of achievement.

Li advises students and parents not to look at this test as a life or death situation because there are other important factors colleges look at, such as GPA, extra-curriculars, and personal statements.

“These factors show colleges who you are as a person. It’s important to develop your interests and unique personality rather than spend your whole high school career studying for a test that will be largely meaningless after you enter college,” Li said.

For those who are unable to afford the high price that comes with SAT preparation, a motivated student can study on his own and ultimately excel on the SAT. “In cases of proven financial difficulty, I’d like to offer scholarships. Test prep is something that deepens the socioeconomic divide, with wealthier students receiving better prep.

This is not a fair situation, and My-eSAT should do what we can,” Li says.

As for reflecting upon how her years at WHS influenced her SAT tutoring career, Li says that “WHS is such a beautiful and protected environment. In college, you’ll meet a thousand other students. My takeaway is that there is a much larger world out there with more diverse people than I could have imagined at high school.”

For more information about her company, email Li at Dorothy@myesat.com.

COURTESY PHOTO

Singing, dancing, and performing on stage are part of Catherine Ricafort’s ‘05 daily life. Now she is performing in the Broadway tour of “A Chorus Line.”

She was a WHS alumna who was a four-year choir member and participated in Drama.

Her choir teacher Alan Rose describes Catherine as “always enthusiastic, has lots of energy, and lives to sing and dance.”

Ricafort started performing at age three: “ From the moment I stepped onstage I was hooked in performing arts, and I continued from then on to sing, act, and dance.” Rose said, “She choreographed two major shows and was a leader while she was at Westlake.” She sang at her 2005 graduation to end her high school experience here at Westlake.

After attending University of Southern California and majoring in engineering, Catherine still wanted one last chance to pursue her dream. Ricafort explained, “Upon graduation, I realized that my heart wouldn’t be satisfied unless I gave performing arts a try, so I moved to New York

the fall after graduation to start auditioning.”

After only rehearsing for two and a half weeks after the long audition process, Ricafort performed on opening night in Houston, Texas. The tour will reach Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre June 1-13 for its final stop.

Ricafort added, “At Westlake, doing choir with Mr. Rose gave me a creative performance outlet throughout high school, where I got the opportunity to audition for solos, choreograph for a room of 50 choir kids, and put together original numbers for our talent shows.”

She never imagined this path in life.

“The best part about doing this tour is that I get to do what I love for a living, which I had never dreamed I would get to do. Though it requires a lot of discipline and is very hard work, it is extremely gratifying to know that I am actively chasing my dream!” Ricafort said about following her dream. Broadway in New York city is only one step away form Broadway on tour.

The next step in the industry is to perform in a musical on Broadway in New York City.

WITH HONORS: 33 juniors pose at the Candlelight Ceremony after their selection in National Honor Society. Below are the names of the inductees.

NHS Inducts 33 new members Joana Abed Elahad Jessica Au Maxwell Avruch Hannah Barrett Eszter Boldis Elizabeth Callahan Michael Chang Nicole Chang Shannon Chen Catherine Gebhardt Sarah Gerlach

Pamela Guo Joacin Gurrola Neda Hajian Caroline Hollister Katie Keane Ashley Lim Hanna Mandell Phoebe Ng Ali Ohringer Lisa Peng Juana San Martin

Vivian Shen Joyce Shi Baradwaj (Simha) Sankar Matt Sullivan Connie Sun Anabiah Syed Helen Szeto Emily Turner Kayla Walian Jenny Zhou Sarah Zou

4

OPINION

Arizonaʼs New Law Canʼt Keep Out Protestors between 2005 and 2008.

Such decrease in crime is also followed by a decrease of drug trafficking.

Recently, the state of Arizona has According to the Untied States passed a new law that was unheard of. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the police in the state will now have full con- number of drug violation arrests in the trol over detaining anyone who seems like past 5 years have decreased, after a state an illegal immigrant. Also, the new law high 1356 in 2005. will permit the arrest of any immigrant So the question is, why in the world is that does not carry his or her immigration Arizona passing this law? documents.

The answer lies in the harms of the popAs soon as the new law was passed ulation increase. The Pew Hispanic Center by governor Jan Brewer on April 23rd, estimates that there are about 500,000 illethousands of citizens and non-citizens gal immigrants in Arizona. That’s 500,000 protested, more people arguing in the hospithat the tal where citnew law izens should was abusbe, 200,000 ing their classroom rights to seats taken, freedom. and about The another debate 200,000 jobs over the taken from m o r a l the citizens rightness in this state. of the law C u r has been rently, to argued take a stance greatly in the new by many TAKING A STANCE: Protestors argue for a veto on the new bill. law would people. be faulty, for Shortly a law in such after the approval of the bill, President degree has never passed in the United Obama commented, “Indeed, our failure States ever in the past. to act responsibly at the federal level will One thing however, that can be deonly open the door to irresponsibility by termined, is that no matter how good or others. just this law is, the outcome will be most Meanwhile, Arizona state representa- affected by how the police acts. tive Russell Pearce replied with a short If the police decide to abuse this law comment, “Illegal is Illegal.” and discriminate against Latin-Americans, He further continued to comment then such racial profiling would never be about the crime, tax rates, as well as the morally correct. size of classrooms and emergency rooms In order to justify this law, Arizona’s that would decrease due to this law. law enforcement must act prudently.

According to a research posted in The fact that 500,000 illegal immi2009, violent crimes declined by 1500 cases grants must be removed, whether through in the last four years, while poverty cases attrition or amnesty is true, and Arizona dropped 8000 cases, despite the fact that is simply taking a new approach to the Arizona’s population increased by 600,000 method.

Brian Chang Feature Editor

1984 in 2010?

Parents of students in a Pennsylvania school are enraged after finding out that the district is spying on their children through webcams.

David Samuels Staff Writer

COURTESY PHOTO

Privacy is taken for granted to the point where people do not realize when it is taken away from them.

This ultimately leads to disastrous consequences such as in the Lower Merion School District, PA, where the laptops which were distributed to students were actually spying on them via webcams.

Though it was explained that the webcams on these laptops were not originally supposed to be on unless they were suspected of being stolen, the innocent Robbins family had to endure the horror of discoveing that thousands of pictures had been taken of their son in his bedroom doing activities to working on the laptop, and even sleeping.

The Robbins family had first realized that something was wrong when the Assistant Principal of Harriton High, Lindy Matsko, punished Blake Robbins because of “improper behavior in his home.”

Of course, this led the Robbins family to realize the intrusive crimes which their district had committed.

If the camera issue was indeed a mistake by the school district and their alibi was truth, then they should have turned off the camera immediately rather than manipulating the faulty system to their advantage.

They are just as guilty as if they had planned on purposely using the cameras in the first place.

If society continues to let events such as the Lower Merion School District issue go unchecked, more and more cases as this

Do Students Have a Right to Red, White, and Blue?

Jose Ermac

Feature Editor

A recent controversy regarding patriotism and freedom of speech arose when five students at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California, wore American flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo.

These teens’ display of patriotic paraphernalia, which included shirts and

COURTESY PHOTO

STARS AND STRIPES: Wearing shirts that represent flags has caused controversy at Live Oak High School.

bandanas, was apparently enough cause for the Morgan Hill Police Department to be called in for gang-related retaliation among the five boys and for the viceprincipal of the school to unfairly and unjustly send the students home.

Asked if he wore the shirt to make a statement related to the ongoing immigration debate, Daniel Galli, one of the five Live Oak students sent home, said, “No, it had absolutely nothing to do with that.” Galli was also reported as saying he frequently wears the American flag T-shirt to school and that he wasn’t trying to incite any disruption.

Whether the students wanted to bring attention to the immigration fiasco or not, what happened to them was unfortunate and unfair. Since when should a student be reprimanded for proudly wearing and displaying the colors of his country’s flag?

The school’s Latino/Hispanic community, comprised of more than 200 students, gathered to form a protest, in response to the five students, at the Morgan Hill Unified School District headquarters on the day following Cinco de Mayo, while waving the Mexican flag marching to slogans like “Si Se Puede” and “We Want Respect,” reported both “Fox News” and the Morgan Hills Times.

What the Latino/Hispanic community in Morgan Hills, and most of America for that matter, seem to forget is that Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican celebration, and not an

June 1, 2010• THE ARROW

American one. This is still America, where the American flag should always take precedence over the flag of other nations.

The decision by the vice-principal to send the students home is also coming under heavy criticism and response. According to law professor Eugene Volokh of UCLA, the students should have been protected under California Education Code 48950.This forbids schools from enforcing a rule subjecting a high school student to disciplinary sanctions solely on the basis of conduct that, when engaged outside of campus, is protected by the First Amendment.

“If the school could point to previous incidents sparked by students who wore garments with American flags, they could argue that the flag is likely to lead to “substantial disruption,” Volokh said.

“If, for example, there had been fights over similar things at past events, if there had been specific threats made.

But if [school officials] just say, ‘Well, we think it might be offensive to people,’ that’s generally speaking not enough.”

Many critics who have followed the Live Oak case say the students and their parents could have a winning case, should they decide to pursue it in court, but that is not the case according to Ken Jones, stepfather of Daniel Galli.

“We’re keeping an open mind,” he said. “We simply just want to stand up for our First Amendment rights.”

one will become a commonplace and legal occurrence. From innocent conversation between mother and son to an important business arrangement between CEOs, absolutely every aspect of American life will devolve into a regulated cesspool of paranoia.

In a related online survey, 94.3% of people claimed that school districts should not under any circumstances monitor their students outside the classroom.

Such a stunning majority of those people opposed to these changes should be a wake-up call to voyeurs who insist on spying on others to promote a “secure” civilization.

The frightening issue is that there was still 6.7% of the people who were either passive about the changes or believed that school districts should indeed spy on students in order to scrutinize their actions.

Though a minority, this amount of people still exemplifies how a small amount of people can still demand change in contemporary society and perhaps even attain it.

Are we really that close to a horrifyingly despotic reign?

The Patriot Act leads America down the road of totalitarianism by allowing the FBI to wiretap conversations over the phone which have even the slightest chance of being a threat to the United States.

If one correlates the Patriot Act to the Robbins’ laptop issue, the similarities are staggering.

Ultimately, the line between the two is thinner than most might think, leading one to believe 1984 is becoming our 2010.

THE WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL

ARROW

100 N. Lakeview Canyon Road Westlake Village, CA 91362 (805) 497-6711 ext. 4225 westlakearrow@yahoo.com EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Tiffany Loh, Iris Yan COPY EDITOR Max Avruch NEWS EDITORS Lisa Battaglia, Aaron Demsetz OPINION EDITORS Jose Ermac, Sarah Gerlach, Katelyn Masket, Josh Pearlman, Christina Vasiliou FEATURE EDITORS Brian Chang, Meini Cheng, Sophia Chen, Jared Erman, Celine Flores, Charlotte Gibson, Yimeng Han, Jamie Mark, Julia Model, Karisma Nagarkatti, Michelle Noyes, Marika Price, Katie Roughan, Sofia Talarico SPORTS EDITORS Jacob Cavanah, Sam Wexler, Dashiell Young-Saver PHOTO EDITOR Annie Gerlach CARTOONISTS Kristen Augustyn, Kabir Nagarkatti ADVERTISING MANAGERS Rachel Bernstein and Alexandra Biston ADVISOR Caron Battaglia STAFF WRITERS Celine Decker, Grant Geiselman, Kayla Greenberg, Tucker Higgins, Hanna Hong, Zak Kukoff, Steven Paro, Haley Pearson, Becky Sadwick, David Samuels, Julia Shi, Delaney West, Katie Wurtzel 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, though names can be withheld by request in the publication. Please send submissions to Mrs. Battaglia’s box in the main office or to Room 42E. For The Arrow online, visit whswarriors.com and click on Activities menu.

5

OPINION

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

The Art of Balancing It All

A student athlete’s constant juggle of daily activities may be harder than the game itself

Delaney West Staff Writer

The life of a student-athlete is one of the hardest lives to lead. Between long hours of practices and coming home to a stack of textbooks and homework, life becomes almost like a job. And for those athletes who are trying to get college scholarships or play at the next level of their sport, some would say balancing it all is practically impossible. So how does one keep it all together and balanced?

Here are some helpful hints to becoming a successful student and athlete.

Rest

Sleep is necessary when you’re speeding through your week doing all your activities. You do not get much time to rest, so you have to make sure the time you do get to rest is not wasted. Turn off all electronics when going to sleep. Take the iPod out of your ears, turn the television off, and turn the cell phone on silent, and just relax and close your eyes. You will be surprised at how much more rested you feel when you wake up.

Fun and Free Time These two things are very rare and hard to come by when you’re a studentathlete. Almost all free time goes to doing homework or spending time working on your sport. Try to find at least a couple hours out of the week to just relax and recuperate your body and mind. Finding time goes along with time management.

Use your time wisely and get everything done so that at least one day of the week or weekend you can spend outside at the beach, seeing a movie, or just being with friends.

Teachers Tell your teachers the extremely hard schedule you are facing. Try to work out something with them especially if you need a little extra help in that particular class. Most teachers once played sports and others who did not are big sports fans, so they will be happy to help. Remember though that to get help from your teachers you have to be deserving of their extra time, so pay attention in class and make sure they know how serious you are about accomplishing the tasks at hand.

Reaching For the STARs Steven Paro Staff Writer

WHS has implemented the new STAR “incentive” plan. This plan gives students benefits from reaching proficient or above, or receiving a three percent increase in their score from last year.

These benefits include Westlake tribe shirts, Homecoming tickets, parking passes, and off campus passes.

Although these benefits sound promising, some students believe that seniors should be given off campus and parking passes automatically. When asked his opinion about the incentive program, Collin Sasse ‘11 said, “I’ve waited three years for a parking pass and now it’s my turn.

If the system is about giving, then why are we being threatened with things being taken away?”

Dean of Activites Brandy LaRue explains that the change serves to “challenge our own students to do well and improve and rewarding them when they do.”

Many students believe that they have waited their time for upperclassman privileges, but some believe that the process is more than fair.

“They are called standardized tests, they’re standards, they’re supposed to be met,” said Zoltan Batoscki ‘11 When asked whether or not students will breeze through STAR testing, as in previous years, he responded, “Students will do better

with their scores because they actually have to care now.”

On the other hand, Lexi Sloan ‘12 said, “I’m not strong in all my subjects and I will not be able to get some of the privileges next year.” She continued to say, “It makes me read every problem thoroughly and try my best to get a high score, but it doesn’t mean that’s an extra effort.”

According to star.cde.ca.gov, Westlake’s Star scores have increased in eight categories from 2008 to 2009. Even scores that have dropped over the course of the year only had dropped a few percent.

We s t l a k e ’ s scores are near the top within the district, but are nearly mirrored by rival school, Newbury Park.

Newbury has increased almost every category within 2008 and 2009.

Some of the students believe that the new policy is used as a fear tactic to better students scores. Dani Davidson ‘11 believes that, “The policy pressures students to do well, but evoking fear in students will not make them perform better.”

A solution to accommodate the majority of Westlake students is to implement the new STAR incentive program to only the class of ‘13. This way the seniors and juniors of next year will not feel as if they have been cheated of promised privileges. This year’s freshmen really do not have as much concern or drive to earn parking and off-campus passes as juniors and sophomores.

“They are called

standardized tests, they’re standards, they’re supposed to be met.”

-Zoltan Batoscki ‘11

CARTOON BY KRISTEN AUGUSTYN

Time Management This is probably the most important trait a student athlete must obtain. You have to make sure every moment is used wisely and precisely to avoid everything piling up at once and inducing stress.

When you come home from a long practice the easiest thing to do is just pass out on the couch and forget about homework until late hours into the night. It’s going to be hard but instead of coming home and just lying down, get all your homework done first, that way you will not be up late and you will be done with homework and can just relax.

BALANCING ACT: Student athletes play the toughest sport of all, with teachers versus coaches and practices versus homework.

Friends Friendships are one of the hardest things to keep up on when all your time is going towards school and sports, and unfortunately some friendships will not be able to survive the tough schedules.

But take comfort in the fact that the ones that do survive the hard times will be there

through it all and will be true friends who understand what you are up against. Make sure that these friends know just how much they mean to you. Spend some extra time with them when you can and tell them how much you appreciate their putting up with all the cancelled plans and declines to hang out.

Silence of the Bells

Are school bells necessary for student achievement?

Christina Vasiliou Opinion Editor

As students, our lives at school are controlled by one thing, the bell. It is simultaneously a symbol of oppression and freedom. On Mondays at 7:00 a.m. it begins five days of dread and on Fridays at 2:48 p.m. it ends the long week and launches students into freedom.

Ever since kindergarten, the bell has had the power to silence a classroom full of rowdy kids, dismiss an entire class, completely stop class discussions, and even dispense tardies. It often elicits feelings of dread before a test or feelings of ecstasy on the last day of school. Most students are completely under its power.

According to schoolbellsystems.com, “From ancient times until now the Bell has been used to signal the start or the end of class lessons.” The presence of bells in societies throughout history and fact they are easy to use, transport, and can be heard from so far around.

Over 1,000 years ago the Chinese used clay gongs as school bells, and the hand bell has been particularly popular in schools for the last 400 years. Now schools are equipped with automated bell schedules and computerized tones.

As such a staple to the whole institution of school, can it even be imagined what would occur without the bell? Well, WHS students had to endure this unthinkable tragedy during the two weeks of AP Testing. Did riots occur? Were the students unmanageable? Did anything drastic happen? Not really.

School went on like normal. Most students arrived on time to classes, with the rest showing up 1 to 2 minutes late, and classes were dismissed on time after the

normally allotted 54 minutes.

School order remained and most students were not even fazed by the absence of such a fundamental aspect of school.

After experiencing the lack of bells for two weeks, we must ask ourselves: are the school bells really necessary?

Some teachers have already dismissed the importance of the bell by commonly saying “I dismiss you, not the bell.” If this is true why have the bell at all?

Rachel Lang ‘11 agrees that school bells are unnecessary and quite annoying.

“The bell makes me feel like a cow, being herded from class to class by its ringing.”

On the other hand, bells provide a certain concrete structure to a school day providing organization and a less stressful environment for students. Warning bells and dismissal bells are especially important for students to get from class to class.

Marissa Meichtry ‘11 stresses the importance of bells at school by saying, “Bells make the school day easier because teachers have a definite signal to release the class and they cannot detain us any longer than they are supposed to.”

Historically speaking, bells were always a huge aspect of people’s lives.

In medieval times, bells dictated when to eat, when to sleep, when to attend church, when to pray, and when to work.

Bell towers were usually the center of towns and cities providing schedules for citizens when clocks were unheard of. This reliance on bells has trickled down through the generations to its current status in schools, and yet the classic ringing tone has been replaced by a computerized sound no longer resembling its former glory.

Schools are remaining the last frontier for the bell, but how long will it last?

6

Petco ParFinding ticipates a Fix:in ALTERNATIVE Peta TESTING METHODS Josh Pearlman Opinion Editor

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

ANIMAL TESTING: ARE THE BENEFITS WORTH THE COST? Against

For Christina Vasiliou Staff Writer Animal testing, while generally deemed socially unacceptable, is a necessary aspect of scientific research; and throughout history and today it has been essential to the advancement of medicine.

In 1947, Dr. Jonas Salk began his medical research career focusing on the development of an immunization vaccine for the poliovirus. Salk used testing on monkeys and their organs to develop three types of the polio virus and chemicals that inactivated all of them.

The polio vaccine is only one of many cases where animal testing was employed to save the lives of thousands of people all around the world. Penicillin, insulin, almost all vaccines, and anesthetics can thank animal testing for their common reliance and usage throughout the world.

According to Pro-Test, an Oxford-based group that campaigns for the support of animal testing involving scientific research, the major arguments against animal testing revolve around science and philosophy.

Advocates for the eradication of animal testing question whether animal testing is scientifically helpful and valid. However, cancer treatments and virtually all medicines were tested on animals before they were approved to be used on humans.

Due to their anatomical sim-

ilarities to humans scientists and doctors depend on how animals react to medicines to make sure that the medicine will not be harmful to humans. Scientists understand that they are not perfect models but rodents are excellent substitutes for predicting the effects of medicinal substances.

A common argument against animal testing consists of the ethics side of the tests. One could argue that all animals on earth have the right to life. However in a world where chickens, cows, and pigs are bred to be eaten and stuffed full of antibiotics and corn so they will develop quickly and get slaughtered for meat, how can this argument be valid?

Replacements for animal testing do exist and scientists are required to use them if possible before they use animal testing.

Common processes such as micro dosing and in vitro testing are publicized by anti animal testing advocates as perfect replacements for animal testing. This is untrue because micro dosing is already used when administering dosages of medicine to human subjects. Also, in vitro testing uses test tubes, so scientists cannot understand the effects of the testing substance on the whole organism.

Scientists work for the betterment of the human race and are not purposely cruel to animals used for testing. Animal testing is essential for the advancement of science and medicine and the betterment of human life.

Sarah Gerlach Opinion Editor School budget cuts and the national deficit: these are the two main topics Americans are concerned with. Another important issue—animal rights—is usually overlooked, but it still needs attention.

Animal testing is the largest wall preventing more animal rights. According to the United States Humane Society, 70 million animals are maimed, blinded, scalded, force-fed chemicals, genetically manipulated, and otherwise hurt and killed every year because of animal testing. Animal testing is considered animal cruelty because more often than not, animals die directly or indirectly from the effects of animal testing.

The first type of animal testing is commercial testing. Everyday substances such as eye shadow, soap, furniture polish and oven cleaner, are tested on a variety of animals. These tests are mainly used to only test the degree of harmfulness of products.

No antidotes are ever sought, so animal tests cannot be used to prevent or treat potential human injuries. These tests are not required by the law, and they are only done to protect companies from consumer lawsuits.

The other type of animal testing is prescription testing. These are performed on animals to test the possible reactions of a prescription medication on a living being. In these tests, the animals

are being tested for conditions and diseases that are not found in them naturally, such as different types of cancers or HIV. This is unreliable because the animal will have a completely different reaction with the medication than the reaction of a human being who has the actual disease. Scientists will implant the disease into an animal just to test the effects of the medication. On top of this being incredibly cruel and unjust, there is still no guarantee that the animal would have the same reaction as a person.

Humans cannot replace animals for testing unknown effects of products. However, current technology now allows animals not to be tested either. Now, there are many alternatives to animal testing, such as in vitro testing.

With in vitro testing, a procedure is performed not in a living organism but in a controlled environment, such as in a test tube or Petri dish. In vitro research is better suited than animal testing because it has fewer variables and it amplifies reactions, leading to more discernable results.

Another alternative is computer simulation. The most common type of simulation is crash test dummies, where a computer operated mannequin is placed inside a car that is to be crashed instead of live animals.

For more information on animal testing or for ways to get involved in the fight against animal cruelty, visit www.humanesociety.org.

PETA Helps Petco Protect Animal Rights David Samuels Staff Writer One of the most pressing issues of modern day is the inhumane treatment of animals and how to resolve this situation.

The leading force against animal brutality, P.E.T.A. (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), fights valiantly to preserve the natural rights which animals deserve.

Operating in Virginia, P.E.T.A. is an international foundation with cooperatives located around the world. P.E.T.A. even boasts a total of over twomillion members despite being founded in 1980.

The dawn of P.E.T.A. twinkled on the horizon when they had unveiled the brutality which experimental animals suffered through. Ultimately, this revelation to society was a victory to P.E.T.A. due to the first arrest and conviction of an animal experimenter in the United States in addition to an enormous U.S. Supreme Court triumph for animals which are tested on.

In addition to this event, P.E.T.A. had been active in undercover laboratory investigation, recording footage of animal cruelty for public

viewing purposes, removing animals from crash tests, and convincing the U.S. to pull out of forcibly sending primates into space. Most recently P.E.T.A. has convinced PETCO to be more responsible when it comes to the health of their animals.

More specifically, PETCO is no longer selling large birds to better accommodate the small rodents.

P.E.T.A. actually focuses on the top four fields where animals suffer the most for selfish productivity reasons.

These include the entertainment industry, retailer clothing trades, laboratories, and factory farms.

Perhaps one of the most effective methods of avoiding animal overpopulation which P.E.T.A. utilizes is its mobile clinic: S.N.I.P. (Spay and Neuter Immediately, Please). Tens of thousands of dogs have been sterilized thanks to S.N.I.P., thus avoiding the birth of unwanted animals who will inevitably endure difficult lives.

To learn more about P.E.T.A., go to PETA.org.

C o w s A re C o o l . c o m , FurIsDead.com, or GoVeg.com.

Those interested in attuning their lives to benefit animals can read Making Kind Choices by Ingrid Newkirk, P.E.T.A.’s president.

CARTOON BY KABIR NAGARKATTI

Animal testing has become an intense and highly controversial topic in recent years. Many believe that it is wrong and immoral to use animals as test subjects for new medications, while others think that it is the only way to find cures for diseases without harming humans. Numerous alternatives have come up as substitutes for using animals.

In 1959, Russell and Burch first introduced the three R’s: “Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement.” Replacement is referring to the use of other methods that would not require the use of animals whenever possible. Reduction is finding a way to gain the same amount of information from fewer animals, or getting more information from the same number of animals.

Finally, refinement is referring to finding means to alleviate the pain and suffering of the animals that are still used.

The two major alternatives to in vivo (using animals) animal testing are in vitro (cell culture) and in silico (computer simulation). These two techniques can possibly be the answer to the long struggle for an end to animal testing.

Ezra Levy ‘11, said, “Methods of bacteria culture provide definite relief, however animals remain a priority in the science community as they provide the best example of a drug’s effect on humans.”

However, some claim that these two substitutes are not true alternatives to animal testing. They claim that computer simulation would have to use information from prior animal tests to work, while for cell culture would require products from animals.

Sawyer Fox ‘11, said, “Even though these alternatives may be able to lessen the amount of animals that are actually being harmed, they aren’t a complete change.

Animals would still have to be used in the processes.” The Humane Society states that “the Environmental Protection Agency needs to make the reduction of animal testing a top priority,” but is that possible if alternatives have not been accepted by society?

These methods could be the end to this struggle, however, some believe that the alternatives presented are not completely taking animals out of the picture. In any case, they are a step in the right direction, and hopefully the beginning to a gradual decline in animal testing. “The ethics of animal testing is best summed up by the uncanny ability of humans to disregard the feelings of those we feel to be lesser for the advancement of ourselves,” said Levy. “To be born to experimentation, as the abused animals in labs today, is a cruel gesture of human nature.”

OPINION

DEFEAT MEAT: P.E.T.A helps protect animal rights by endorsing vegetarianism.

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

7

FEATURE

Barry Follows in Futuristic Tradition Zak Kukoff Staff Writer

I magine a world where taxes have

been abolished, government has been privatized, and credit card ownership is compulsory.

Sounds good, right?

Wrong. In Max Barry’s 2003 novel Jennifer Government, the protagonist deals with these issues and more, leading to a series of misadventures that eventually refocus the protagonist’s view of society.

Jennifer Government takes place in the near future. The United States has taken over the entire Western Hemisphere and no longer deals with “non-US nations.”

Two mega-conglomerates, US Advantage and Team Alliance, vie for prominence in consumer’s hearts and pocketbooks.

Schools are sponsored by corporations, and people take the last name of their employer. Within this backdrop, Hack Nike, our protagonist, gets an unexpected

Karisma Nagarkatti

promotion within Nike.

After signing an employment contract (without reading it), he learns he has been hired to kill Nike customers after they buy new shoes.

After the job goes wrong, Hack is placed on the run from both government agents (led by Jennifer Government, the title character of the book) and rouge Nike agents.

Elsewhere, the NRA assassinates

the President, stockbrokers cave under pressure, and single parents struggle to stay employed. Jennifer Government is the rare book that both captivates and educates. Despite its preachy overtones, the book manages to maintain a satirical edge without crossing over fully into sarcasm or comedy.

Characters are developed admirably and with depth, and the book over presents a very compelling story.

While reading Jennifer Government, the book that constantly springs to mind is Ray Bradbury’s classic Farenheit 451. The two books share many of the same motifs, themes, and setups. The coincidence does not go unnoticed. Commenters on Barry’s website have pointed out the similarities, and Barry has agreed.

Jennifer Government is a unique satire and science fiction novel that continues the tradition of classic Orwell or Bradbury.

Not only is Jennifer Government a highly entertaining read; it’s one with a moral, too.

Memory Keeper’s Daughter Captures the Meaning of Redemption

Feature Editor

A ward-winning

writer Kim Edwards’s book The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a brilliantly crafted family drama. It explores the life of a family that became dysfunctional due to one occurrence. The novel begins in the year 1964 when Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his twins in the midst of a blizzard. His wife gives

birth to a son who is perfectly healthy and a daughter who David realizes has Down syndrome. After contemplating, it as a means of protection for his wife Nora, Dr. David Henry makes a split second decision which will alter the course of his family’s life forever.

He asks his nurse, Caroline to take the baby to an institution so that he can feign the death of his daughter.

Caroline upon arriving at the institution is unable to leave the child and so she decides to move out of the city to care for the child as her own.

And so begins the brilliantly told story of the two families both ignorant of each other and are yet bound by that Dr. David Henry’s decision that long ago winter night. The Memory Keepers Daughter is a rich and deeply moving book of love, loss, and redemption as it captures the way life takes unexpected turns.

Kim Edwards wrote the book so that the reader can watch the progression of the

two families throughout the years. Several news publications and authors praise Edwards for her writing technique and the way in which she connects with the reader through an insight intothe lives of fictional families with realistic traits.

Sue Monk Kidd stated “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter unfolds from an absolutely mesmerizing premise, drawing you deeply and irrevocably into the entangled lives of two families”, also Jodi Picoult and acclaimed author wrote “Kim Edwards has created a tale of regret and redemption, of honest emotion, of characters haunted by their past.”

Though written a while back Kim Edward has written a novel that can connect to any person whether it is a teen or a person of old age.

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter should be on everyone’s summer reading list because of it is an enthralling page turner that will fill your head with controversy and mystery.

Readers Travel to the Mission Jose Ermac Opinion Editor

T

he Mission, the sophomore effort

by California native Jason Myers, is a novel that details the debauchery that occurs when one fifteen-year-old Iowa farm-boy takes a week-long trip to San Francisco in a last-minute attempt to honor his dead brother, and inevitably, find himself.

Self-described high school loser Kaden Norris’s small world in rural Dysart, Iowa is turned upside-down when his brother Kenny, his best friend and hero, is killed while on active duty in Iraq. In a final letter written to him before his death, Kenny introduces Kaden to Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club and Kenny’s favorite author. After reading Fight Club and being inspired at how much Palahniuk changed his brother’s life, Kaden manages to convince his parents to let him go to San Francisco for a one week mini-vacation to go see Chuck Palahniuk and get an autographed copy of his book at an author meet and greet.

While in San Francisco, Kaden stays with his older cousin James, a self-cen-

tered, egotistical author and hard-partier, and James’s girlfriend Caralie, whom Kaden describes as “the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen who’s ever said a word to me.” Kaden’s week in San Francisco is filled with a plethora of hard-drugs, alcohol, sex, indie-music, gangsters, the “Whip Pad,” pretty Bay Area girls, Amoeba Records, and The Mission neighborhood (the novel’s namesake), just to name a few.

In many ways The Mission is a parallel to author Jason Myer’s life. The novel’s protagonist is from a small town in Iowa called Dysart, the same small town where Myers was born and raised.

Myers also traveled to San Francisco when he was younger, to attend college at the Academy of Art University. Perhaps this novel should also be placed in the autobiography section of the bookstore, as it is suggested that the novel is a glimpse into Myer’s growing up and moving-out.

Kaden’s hopes are finally realized at the end of a long and strange week of mayhem when he gets his brother’s copy of Fight Club signed by Palahniuk. Kaden also finds that by the end of the long week, he is a different person.

A more grown-up, realistic, and version of the small town Iowa farm boy he was a week ago. In this way, The Mission is the quintessential coming-of-age story, with a 21st century modern-day Bay Area spin to it.

At its best, the novel is a memorable, yet exciting story filled with unique characters, an unpredictable plot, and entertaining dialogue.

However, this novel probably won’t appeal to the more socially conservative.

San Francisco is one of the most liberal cities in the world, and that liberalism is reflected with frequent swearing, and graphic yet predictable scenes of drug abuse and sex.

But still, this novel, all mature and graphic content aside, is an entertaining capture of a boy becoming a man and honoring a loved one he held near, all while trying to be himself in a world surrounded by people who hate all that he is and all that he stands for.

This novel will satisfy the child growing up in all of us, all while making us laugh, wince, cry, and smile at the same time.

Early King Novel Delivers David Samuels Staff Writer With Stephen King’s recent publication of Under the Dome, interest in the author’s other work has steadily increased. Avid readers have been exploring from shelf to shelf for more macabre novels, like the ones that King penned in his younger days. Many of these enthusiasts find solace in one of King’s most praised masterpieces: The Stand. With plenty of correlations between The Stand and Under the Dome, those who like the latter will definitely enjoy The Stand with zeal.

Nothing is more frightening than a worldwide epidemic. In King’s work, a military testing facility accidentally unleashes a deadly virus onto America and ultimately the entire world which eliminates nearly every human being on the planet.

Readers can expect to explore this barren world alongside the few survivors who remain. The depth of these characters is definitely profound; each person involved in the story line has his or her own intricate background and logic.

This novel is not for those who enjoy reading about pleasant pastures. King maintains a completely apocalyptic environment which is gruesomely explicit; no gory detail is left behind.

There is absolutely no doubt that The Stand is one of the best pieces of American literature of the 21st century.

It was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1979 and was eventually adapted to a graphic novel and television miniseries.

Suspense overwhelms the reader as he or she peruses through the novel and he or she reads over the dry, cynical, yet slightly humorous tone of King’s novel.

Though at times the novel my seem to drag on at certain periods of time (which can attribute to the whopping 1,163 page count), it makes for fantastic recreation.

To sum up this enormous novel, it has every necessary aspect of literature which a piece of prose can possibly have.

Do not miss out on your opportunity to read The Stand because the future is a frighteningly unpredictable thing.

2010’s Beach Reads

• One Ray

by David Nicholls • The Passage

by Justin Crown

• Cecily Von Ziegesar

by Cum Laude • Anthropology of an American Girl: A Novel

by Hilary Thayer Hamann

8

FEATURE

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

Summer:

What to do, where to go, and how to prepare

Hot Jobs in the Summer

Best Beaches in SoCal

Haley Pearson Staff Writer Continuous talk about the depressed job market tells us that there are fewer employment opportunities than in the recent past. But that doesn’t mean that summer jobs for ambitious teens are shriveling up, too. The real secret to sealing that burger-flipping gig at the local fast food joint is hopping on the opportunity.

Nearby franchises such as Taco Bell and Yozen Frogurt are always up for new able-bodied employees. Summer camps are also a great find for friends and fun too. Depending on individuals’ flexibility and skill-level, they could land a job scooping ice cream or volunteering at a big-time corporation.

As for advantages for parents, dedication to a summer job is more often than not followed by a teenager’s understanding of responsibility thereafter. Another benefit for weary parents is being able to know where their teens are and how exactly they will be occupying their time. Likeminded coworkers with similar interests and goals will serve as helpful aids in sharing and reminding each other

of the advantages of working for the future. Another advantage for parents is the money source, which for the first time would be coming from their child’s hard work. And whether they spend it on evening activities or put in the bank and save it for a new car, handling money will accelerate the process of growing up.

Transportation issues should not be a hindrance to securing a job. Whether those applying for jobs can drive themselves or need to maneuver around their parent’s work schedule to arrive on time, the answer to, “How will I get there?” can be resolved thanks to the bus and bikes.

On the political side of employment, unions are always something to address carefully, especially if those applying are under 18. Unions serve as a protection for their workers’ rights, but to do this, they also require a lot of funding from their members to stay afloat. Employees under 18 who belong to a union, such as at Vons supermarket, pay into the cause but because they are minors most don’t reap any benefits from the pay deduction (such as health care and dental insurance).

A summer job is valuable. Even if you don’t score the one you wanted most, the experience offers a chance to gain both money and maturity.

Meini Cheng Feature Editor Summer is the ideal time to hit the beaches. In addition to the popular and convenient Zuma Beach, there are many others within the area.

Venice Beach is already a popular favorite among the residents in the area.

The beachfront walk gives Venice the status of one of the most eccentric beaches, complete with street performers and flea market bargain shops. A long path for roller-blading and biking is a fun way to catch all the scenery along with the international musicians, tattoo stands, elaborate sand sculptures, and daring entertainers performing their signature tricks.

Manhattan Beach is perfect for sightseeing. Many scenes from television shows have been filmed in the town by the shore. Volleyball courts cover a lengthy stretch of the sand near the waves. The waves provide a pleasant environment for bodysurfing. An aquarium at the end of the pier has rare sea creatures in a touching pool.

Malibu Surfrider Beach is the perfect place to bring a surfboard. The waves roll in towards the shore, while the surfers paddle out to catch the waves. Experience is not needed to feel the exhilarating sensation of surfing.

Santa Monica Beach is one of the widest and most popular beaches in the Southern California area, with attractions

Skin’s Nemesis: Sunlight Michelle Noyes Feature Editor Summer is all about spending time out in the sun for hours and not worrying or caring. However, being tan for summer is not always healthy. Tanning for long periods at a time is worse than you think.

Instead of lying out in the sun for hours in the afternoon, during the most harmful sun rays, use a lotion with a tanning tint. Lotions with a tan cream mixed in can be bought anywhere, easier and it is healthier for your skin then a real tan.

Tanning creams are less time consuming then spending hours in the sun. Tanning in summer sun causes wrinkles when

you get older and skin cancer. Cancer can be life threatening and can form as a teen if you do not protect your skin. Freckles also form from the suns rays, as do wrinkles.

Sunscreen is important and taking the time to apply it can save your life someday.

Most kids rack up between 50% and 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18, so it is essential to wear sunscreen at a young age. The most dangerous time to be in the sun is between 10a.m. and 2p.m. everyday. Even when you think early morning sun at ten is okay it is worse than afternoon rays at three. UVB is the most dangerous sun ray and most sunglasses do not protect against it. UVB can actually burn your eyes and make them irritated.

Unprotected eyes in the summer can lead to problems in your future eye sight.

Some contacts have UV protection but not UVB. If you wear that type of contact lens, sunglasses are still needed to protect the rest of the eye.

Reapplying sunscreen is crucial because after water gets on your skin the sunscreen wears off and no longer works as effectively. Even those who do not go swimming or in the ocean should still reapply sunscreen of at least SPF 15 every two to three hours.

Sunscreen may seem useless now, except wrinkles and many other skin problems form from too much sun exposure at a young age.

ranging from roller coasters to volleyball courts. With a total length of 3.5 miles, the mild surf is perfect for swimming, bodysurfing, or boogie boarding. On the pier, the Pacific Park amusement center provides everyone with a nine-story Ferris wheel, the first solar-powered wheel in the world.

Leo Carrillo Beach stretches along the coast for more than a mile. Sea caves, tide pools, and small rocky cliffs are plentiful and provide beautiful scenery for pictures. Planning an overnight stay in the State Park campsites and picnic grounds is a fun way to camp outside for a night close to the ocean.

Newport Beach offers the usual beach-side activities of sunbathing and relaxing by the waves, along with boat tours. During the summer, the beach town can be crowded with sightseers and tourists, but it just adds to the friendly atmosphere. For a day of shopping in a new environment, visit the Mediterranean-style shopping plaza, Fashion Island. With almost 200 shops and department stores, it is one of the ultimate coastal shopping destinations with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.

Southern California provides students at Westlake with a variety of beaches filled with fun activities among the sun, sand, and waves. Grab some friends and drive to a new beach, since summertime is the best opportunity to explore new places.

Healthy Tips For Summer

Apply Aloe Vera lotion to sooth sunburns and help them heal faster.

Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration.

Use lotions and moisturizers with a minimum SPF 15 to ensure that the face is protected from harmful UV rays.

When on an outdoor camping trip, two-in-one sunscreen and insect repellents keep the skin safe from bugs and sunburns.

9

FEATURE

June 1, 2010• THE ARROW

Stark Suits Up Again

TOP 10 SUMMER MOVIES OF ALL TIME

Haley Pearson Staff Writer

COURTESY PHOTO

Robert Downey Jr. is at it again as the iron-clad man, this time privatizing peace by exploiting the very suit that brought him so close to ruins last film. It is this weapon which Tony Stark uses as leverage when outwardly mocking the U.S. government that hangs so delicately in the balance.

It would seem that nothing could stop this force of nature—or rather science— and nothing does present itself as an obstacle for Downey Jr. until the unveiling of Russian arch nemesis, Whiplash.

Played by Mickey Rourke in an excellent portrayal of a tough brute of a man, Whiplash secretly conspires with his pet bird in leaky basements. His foes tend to underestimated him.

He tumbles drunkenly through his quest to defeat the Iron Man and inevitably brings Downey Jr. to his knees a couple times. However, with a hero like Tony Stark, who has an unparalleled level of patriotism, the combined forces pull together to reclaim technological domination of the globe once again.

Tony Stark’s blooming relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow went on long enough during the first film even for its optimistic audience to eventually give up before wings of love finally enveloped them.

I AM IRON MAN: Robert Downey Jr. plays the role of Tony Stark in Iron Man 2.

The movie is full of explosions and martial arts. Though it is debatable whether Scarlett Johansson was chosen for her role because she could best perform the ninja manuevers or whether she was cast because she could best fill out the skintight jumpsuit, she is a welcomed addition to the progressively higher-grade celebrity cast.

It’s easy to laugh at a character like Tony Stark, whose ego becomes

large enough to challenge even his own invention’s integrity.

He falls from grace hard enough for his previously amused audience to seriously hope for his quick return to grace by the end of the movie (despite his “textbook narcissism”).

Iron Man 2 is a great fast-paced action movie. See it or miss out on Scarlett Johansson running up walls in a leather onezy.

10. Ghostbusters 9. Indiana Jones 8. Back to the Future 7. The Sixth Sense 6. E.T. 5. Airplane!

4. The Dark Knight 3. Star Wars 2. Terminator 1. Jaws Compiled by Zak Kukoff

Toys Are Back for the Summer

COURTESY PHOTO

WHEREFORE ART THOU?: Amanda Seyfried stars in Letters to Juliet as Sophie.

Letters Motif Inspires Juliet COURTESY PHOTO

ONE MORE TIME: Woody (voice by Tom Hanks) and his friends go on another adventure in Toy Story 3. It has been 11 years since the last Toy Story movie was produced

Karisma Nagarkatti Feature Editor Woody and the toys are back in Pixar’s latest film Toy Story 3. The story begins when Andy, now 18, packs for college.

Conflicts arise when Andy chooses to take Woody to college and leave the rest of the toys behind. However, due to a series of mishaps, Andy’s mother accidentally throws the toys in the trash.

After feeling dejected, Jessie convinces the toys to take charge of their own destiny and so the group stow away in a box of toys for donation to Sunnyside Daycare.

In an attempt to save the toys from being thrown away, Woody is put in the donation box by Andy’s mom. When the toys arrive at Sunnyside they meet many new faces such as Ken, who becomes a potential love interest to Molly’s Barbie doll, and Lotso, a care-bear who is the leader of the Sunnyside toys.

All the toys are excited about their new life in Sunnyside Daycare, except for Woody who wants the toys to return to Andy. Woody tries to escape Sunnyside but is taken home by a child from the daycare center.

In the meantime, the other toys find out that Andy misses them and is looking for them. The toys now must all work together to get Woody home before Andy leaves for college.

Toy Story 3 is unique because of the actors and actresses who are involved with the production of the movie. Some actors whose voices you will recognize in the movie are Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, and Joan Cusack as Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl.

The original, Toy Story, was made in 1995. Toy Story 3 is due for release on June 18.

This movie is anticipated to be another huge Pixar hit. It just goes to show that you are never too old to enjoy a Disney classic.

Delaney West Staff Writer A movie can not go wrong when you have actress Amanda Seyfried in the lead role and the plot is a twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet love story. Seyfried is at it again, taking her superb acting skills to this fun and uplifting love story, Letters to Juliet.

In the movie, Seyfried plays a young woman named Sophie, who is a fact checker at the New Yorker magazine and dreams of being a writer. She and her husband-to-be go on a “pre-honeymoon” to Verona, Italy. To her dismay, Sophie and her fiancé, Viktor, do not spend much time together in Verona, due to his obsession with finding the newest tastes and foods for his restaurant back in New York.

While sightseeing one day, Sophie tumbles upon the mansion that the famous Juliet Capulet, from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, supposedly lived in. On the wall of the house, people write letters about their love lives and lovers to Juliet and post them on the wall. Sophie waits to see what happens to the letters at the end of each day and finds out that three young Italian ladies take the letters and answer them. Sophie decides to join them and help answer the letter. Sophie finds one

interesting letter from 1957 buried behind old bricks from a woman named Claire. It discusses Claire’s lover, Lorenzo, and how she must leave him even though he wanted her hand in marriage. Sophie takes the letter and spends all night contemplating how she is going to write back.

A few days later a young dashing man named Charlie comes and asks for whoever wrote the letter back to Claire.

He explains to Sophie that she responded to his grandmother’s letter and they are back to find his grandmother’s true love.

The movie takes its viewers on an amusing and charming trip through Verona, as Claire, Sophie, and Charlie weed through generations of Lorenzo’s to find the true Lorenzo Bartolini, Claire’s one and only love.

The movie is not a typical love story.

With the chase through Verona, it brings a much needed twist to the usual boy meets girl plot line, and Sophie and Charlie fall happily in love.

Some may feel that Amanda Seyfried is being over exposed, since she already was in a love story that came out this year, Dear John. But the two movies are dissimilar and her mature style of acting can never get old. Letters to Juliet is a movie everyone should treat themselves to; viewers will not be disappointed.

10

‘Let’s Move’ Moving Forward Meini Cheng Feature Editor

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

Salads: Healthy or Hidden Harm?

When eating at a fast-food restaurant, customers usually order salads with the thought that salads are the most nutritious and healthy item on the menu; however, do the ingredients of some salads really make a healthy meal?

COURTESY PHOTOS

With her “Let’s Move” action plan, First Lady Michelle Obama has become an ardent advocate for the prevention of childhood obesity.

In a recent speech, Mrs. Obama announced her plans to reverse the trend of childhood obesity in America.

Nearly one-third of American children are overweight or obese.

Over the last 30 years, this rate has more than doubled for younger children, and tripled for adolescents. “$150 billion a year is spent treating obesity-related illnesses. So we know this is a problem, and there’s a lot at stake,” explains Mrs. Obama.

In order to encourage healthy eating habits among children, a goal has been set to increase the servings of fruit that children consume to 75 percent of the recommended level by the year 2015. By the year 2020, the amount will hopefully reach 85 percent. If all goes according to the plan, children will be eating amounts of fruit that fulfill 100% of the recommended amount.

Mrs. Obama ensures that all primary care physicians will assess BMI (Body Mass Index) at all child and adolescent visits by the year 2012.

Benchmarks for schools are also being set. Obama said, “We’re aiming to add an additional two million children to the National School Lunch Program by 2015.” This federally assisted program operates in public and nonprofit private schools, provides low-cost or free lunches to students each school day. President Harry Truman first established it in 1946, and Mrs. Obama hopes to increase its influence among schools today.

“To help kids stay active, we’re going to increase the number of high school students who participate in daily P.E. classes by 50% by the year 2030.” The Department of Education is providing $35 million for schools to support physical education programs.

Currently, in CVUSD, students are required to complete two years of Physical Education, in either a P.E. class or a sports team.

The First Lady plans “to make it easier for parents to put healthy food on the table” by keeping “track of the low-income areas where residents live more that a mile from a supermarket or large grocery store.” Although it may be an unrealistic idea, she wants to “set a goal of eliminating all those ‘food deserts’ within seven years.”

Even with all these demanding objectives, Obama does not want to impose drastic changes in the lifestyles of American families. “I love burgers and fries, you know? And I love ice cream and cake. So do most kids. We’re not talking about a lifestyle that excludes all that.”

President Obama believes that this action plan “has enormous promise in improving the health of our children, in giving support to parents to make the kinds of healthy choices that oftentimes are very difficult in this kind of environment.”

Let’s Move has ambitious goals, such as providing parents with support, offering healthier foods in schools, encouraging kids to be more physically active, and making healthy and affordable food available in all parts of the country.

As Mrs. Obama says, “We want to eliminate this problem of childhood obesity in a generation. We want our kids to face a different and more optimistic future in terms of their lifespan.

We want to get that done.”

FEATURE

Panera Classic Cafe Salad is a mix of field greens, romaine lettuce, vine-ripened tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and reduced fat balsamic vinaigrette, and has 36 grams of fat, 2.7 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 4 grams of fiber, and 340 mg of sodium. With a total of 400 calories, the fat free poppyseed dressing has 30 calories, the Asian sesame vinagrette has 110 calories, and the Greek dressing has 290 calories.

Subway Veggie Delite Salad with fat-free Italian Dressing contains lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, olives, and pickles, with 1 gram of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, and 3 grams of fiber, 920 mg of sodium. Composed of 14% fat, 68% carbs, and 18% protein, there are 60 calories in one serving.

This salad is high in dietary fiber, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, but also contains a high amount of sugar.

McDonald’s Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Newman’s Own Ranch dressing is a combination of greens tossed with grape tomatoes, carrots, jack and cheddar cheese, and hickory-smoked bacon, containing 51 grams of fat, 11.5 grams of saturated fat, 85 mg of cholesterol, 3 grams of fiber, 1570 of mg of sodium, and 260 calories.

Although there are some amounts of vitamin A and vitamin C, the sodium level is too high for a healthy salad.

Michelle Noyes Feature Editor

to the skyrocketing prices at restaurants, the portions have also increased. Lower quality foods are used and customers do not notice the difference in the taste so they consume more than they need.

To observe those sizes, experts recommend that consumers compare the meal from a fast food drive-thru by putting it on a normal size plate. Many may be shocked by the result. If teenagers take in too much unnecessary food, the less food they can burn, thus adding useless weight to their bodies.

Many sodas from a vending machine are 20 oz. which is about two and a half servings if you read the fine print. Being aware of labels will help more people realize that they are overeating.

WHS cafeteria is supporting healthy portions by offering pre-planned lunch

meals set at a certain price. The meal has the right amount of food high school students need for lunch.

Then again, the cafeteria sells enormous cookies at nutrition, and students buy multiple cookies at a time. Although they may not have many calories, they are teaching youth it is acceptable to have that much sugar in the morning. At one point there should be a limit; if students can only buy a certain amount at a time they will not be as likely to come back to buy a couple more.

A freshman states “I don’t have cookies at home so I buy them at school. If there were a limit,” the freshman remarked, ”I wouldn’t go back because I wouldn’t want more after the set limit.” Teenagers need to learn how much food is enough and have the right amount of servings.

Perfecting Food Portions

Reports that American adults have become more obese in the last couple of decades are presenting the food industry with countless challenges as to how to combat the resulting problems. Because today’s teenagers are tomorrow’s adults and the future depends on our generation, we have a responsibility to stay healthy.

Proportions have become larger in restaurants and fast food outlets in this century.

Restaurants and even grocery stores are making larger portion sizes. Grocery stores have sales on lower quality food so consumers can buy a larger amount of food for a lower price as opposed to a smaller amount of better quality food. In addition

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FEATURE

June 1, 2010• THE ARROW

Summer Jobs vs. Unpaid Internships How to decide which route is the best for your future

Celine Flores Feature Editor Based on the money factor alone, the decision between unpaid internships and compensated summer jobs might seem obvious. On the other hand, the experience of working inside the industry of your choice may be far more valuable than the extra cash you would pick up in a short-term position. The differences between the two run deeper than face value, and the decision is one that could shape your career path.

Of course, making money of your own is a plus, and the working environment of a summer job is authentic, giving you real-world experience which you can hold onto in nearly any career you pursue. Even if working in a paint shop was not the frontrunner of your dream job search, the experience of working in a creative setting may still come in handy in the postcollege job market.

“I’m looking forward to my first job,” said Jackie Kossoff ‘11, who opted for a short-term job over the season. “I would like to make money. I do want the real work experience though, and it looks good on college applications.”

Choosing a job over an internship is a tough decision for the many students who are unsure of their career field, but who still want to build up their college resume and reap the many benefits of actual employment.

Especially if the motivation driving you to get a job is saving up for a car or paying for guitar lessons, a job at a small local business or music store can teach you the basic skills necessary to any field of work.

Usually, businesses offering internships are in industries notorious for being near impossible to break into, so the advice given to a summer intern is priceless.

“With internships,” said the College & Career Center Counselor Cassie Sandifer, “you get hands-on experience and insight into the daily work in a particular field.”

For the many who have their hearts set on the highly competitive and complicated filmmaking business, a number of studios and production companies are willing to take a group of interns each summerusually in exchange for hours of tedious filing- and for those eager for a career in fashion, magazines hire several hopefuls

each season.

Some interns find themselves working their way up the corporate ladder and into longlasting positions.

“They’re a great way to network, and the people you work with give you guidance,” said Sandifer.

Colleges look at both internships and jobs as indicators of a hard worker who made something of their time off school instead of frittering it away, but the specificity of internships show a student is more futureoriented.

“As a high school student it’s hard to get a job that’s career specific,” Sandifer continued, “Colleges will think [internships] are more focused.”

At WHS, School-to-Career Coordinator Dr. Laurie Looker and Sandifer are currently developing a website to connect students with businesses accepting interns. The online site, due in the fall of 2011, will replace a book available in the College & Career Center that serves students looking for parttime work in the community.

For more on the process of becoming an intern or part-time worker, visit Sandifer or Dr. Looker in their offices throughout the week.

Career Paths That Won’t Make You Rich Grant Geiselman Staff Writer In today’s depressed economy and competitive job market, everyone is scrambling to get the highest college degrees in order to receive higher paying jobs. Throughout the search, one main question remains the same for most jobseekers: “What jobs or career paths should I avoid in order to ensure higher pay?”

Here is a list of six career paths ranked with this year’s Worst-Paying College Degree title from PayScale.

6. Weighing in at number six is Drama, with a starting annual salary of about $35,600 and a mid-career annual salary of about $56,600. Many millionaire movie stars with drama degrees may seem to contradict this ranking, but for every highly paid star there are thousands of wannabes struggling to make it in the business. Yet many students pursue drama not because they desire wealth, but because they have a passion for the art and theatre profession.

5. Ranking in the fifth position is Fine Arts, with a starting annual salary of about $35,800 and a mid-career annual salary of about $56,300. With a declining demand in the market for fine arts, and with the introduction of computers and higher technology, fine arts has become a slowly fading career in the job world.

More efficient techniques have been developed to mass produce and create art digitally, slowly making the field of fine arts obsolete.

4. Ranked number four is Hospitality and Tourism, with a starting annual salary of about $37,000 and mid-career annual salary of about $54,300. Jobs in this field that include tips may be altering these numbers, but this industry seems to be recovering as the economy is improving.

However, the advantages associated with jobs in hospitality and tourism may make up for the relatively low salaries due to the many jobs in the industry that allow expensive travel.

3. In third place is Education with a starting annual salary of about $36,200 to mid-career annual salary of about $54,100. For some, teaching is an incredibly rewarding career and a truly noble one.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics opportunities for employment in primary, secondary, and special education teaching positions are predicted to grow by 14% in the coming ten years. So there will be many new opportunities in continuing education for adults with professional skill requirements changing faster than ever.

2. Ranked second is employment in Horticulture, with a starting annual salary of about $37,200 and a mid-career annual salary of about $53,400. Horticulture can be a great tool to utilize when helping countries out of poverty, but in a stable country it doesn’t earn much green. With a low entry level salary, and machines replacing much of the human labor force, horticulture doesn’t seem to have any pay increases for employees anytime soon.

1. Coming in first is Spanish (teacher/ translator) with a starting annual salary of about $35,600 and a mid-career annual salary of about $52,600. Learning Spanish can benefit you greatly, and widen the gap of jobs you can apply for, but as a full-time career it doesn’t bring in much. Spanish is the language with the second-highest number of native speakers and being a fluent speaker, in addition to English, helps open up a world of job opportunities beyond just a Spanish teacher or translator.

The value of a college education is very important when it comes to careers in the real world. According to U.S. Census surveys, the midway salary for college graduates is more than $20,000 higher than that of applicants with only a high school diploma. In addition, the unemployment rate for people with bachelor’s degrees is almost half the rate for people without.

Plan on a college education if you want a high paying job, but be sure to choose a career wisely.

Tips for Job Hunting Success

• Begin your search locally and immediately.

According to snagajob.com, a recent survey shows eighty-five percent of high school students asked plan on working a summer job or internship, and more than three-fourths of shop owners hoped to hire for summer positions. “Look at the Promenade

and local businesses as soon as possible before college students take your spots,” said Sandifer.

• Do not be discouraged by rejections.

Optimism is the key for any search for work, but in the most competitive job-hunting season of the year it is an absolute must. “If you get rejected, you think there aren’t any other places,” Sandifer said.

• Know what employers want in a summer employee.

“Because summer is such a short period of time,” continued Sandifer, “employers are looking for people who aren’t taking off a lot of vacation time, people who are flexible and hardworking.” Show a genuine interest in the job you are applying for; you must learn the tricks of the trade quickly!

• Practice before you go in for your interview.

“Sit down with a friend or parent and do a mock interview,” advised Sandifer. Take time to prepare yourself for answering questions about yourself, your work ethic, your past work or volunteer experience, and your goals.

• Act professionally.

Nothing is more off-putting to employers than a potential employee who does not take an interview seriously. Be sure your first impression is a strong one with a neat appearance and resume, bring a notepad and pen to your interview.

List Compiled by Celine Flores

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

FEATURE

Get Ready To Rev Your Engines

A Car for every student -There’s an old adage in Westlake: that every student’s first car is like a Ferrari. While this will never be true, it doesn’t mean that students should be forced to drive boring econoboxes. For this page, we gathered a selection of cars that are fun and cheap, a perfect match for students. To qualify, these vehicles need to excel in style, performance, and value.

Ford Mustang No name is more instantly recognized and revered than that of the Mustang.

When Ford launched this vehicle in 1964, its instant popularity formed a new class of vehicles known as pony cars, named after the Mustang’s iconic logo. From the beginning, the term “pony car” was used to honor inexpensive, stylish, and ridiculously fast cars. And more than 40 years after its conception, the sales of such autos are still going strong.

Over nine million Mustangs have been sold, and it is easy to see why. The styling is sleek and retro, and the car’s handling is nimble and light. However, the new Camaro’s design and performance has stolen much of the Mustang’s thunder, surpassing it in sales for the first time ever.

Luckily, Ford is ready to bounce back.

After a mild redesign in 2010, the new 2011 Mustang has taken a revolutionary leap. The old, noisy 210 horsepower V6

engine has been replaced with a faster 305 horsepower engine, and fuel economy has increased over 25%, making it the first car to reach 300 horsepower and still get 31 MPG highway. The frame and suspension have also been re-tuned, enabling the humble base Mustang to achieve 0-60 MPH in just over five seconds.

Performance is a major factor for buyers, and a category in which the Mustang rules. When asked about the car’s strengths, Alec Kaplan ‘12 says “It’s classy. Its strengths are its abilities to climb walls and shoot ham out the tailpipe.”

The Mustang is back and better than ever. As long as its timeless design and attitude can continue to attract buyers, it remains the king of pony cars.

Honda Civic When it comes to cars, sometimes practicality is more important than succulent styling or blistering performance.

Sadly, many manufacturers use that as an excuse to release boring, uninspired vehicles. The Honda Civic clearly breaks free from such molds, and is a perfect example of a wellengineered commuter.

The Civic’s design is clean and sleek, and possesses a smooth, sophisticated appeal.

The sedan version is a great family vehicle, while the coupe is cheaper and sportier, a perfect choice for students. A sportier Si version is also available for the road warriors out there, although the base model is fun enough for most.

The interior of the Civic (especially the dashboard) is a bit strange, but spacious and ergonomic. Front and rear visibility is outstanding for a car in its class.

All cars have flaws, but the Civic manages to do almost everything well. The fuel economy is an impressive 25/36 MPG for the automatic, and the $15,455 base price is light on the wallet. A high resale value and top-of-

Best-selling Cars April ‘10

Overall Test Score: 60

1. Ford F-150 Sales 32,895 MSRP $21,820* Overall Test Score: 68^

7. Ford Fusion Sales 16,459 MSRP $19,695 No Overall Test Score

2. Honda Accord Sales 20,024 MSRP $21,055 Overall Test Score: 88

8. Nissan Altima Sales 16,198 MSRP $19,900 Overall Test Score: 93

3. Chevy Silverado Sales 19,822 MSRP $20,850 Overall Test Score: 70

9. Ford Escape Sales 15,156 MSRP $21,020 Overall Test Score: 66

4. Toyota Corolla/ Matrix Sales 16,996 MSRP $15,450 Overall Test Score: 70

10. Chevy Malibu Sales 15,150 MSRP $21,825 Overall Test Score: 74

5. Toyota Camry/ Solara Sales 16,552 MSRP $19,595 No Overall Test Score 6. Honda Civic Sales 16,471 MSRP $15,455

11. Chevrolet Cobalt Sales 14,101 MSRP $14,990 No Overall Test Score 12. Ford Focus Sales 13,708 MSRP $16,290 Overall Test Score:

71 13. Honda CR-V Sales 11,828 MSRP $21,545 Overall Test Score: 74 14. Chevy Impala Sales 11,740 MSRP $24,290 Overall Test Score: 64

Best-selling cars of all time 1. Toyota Corolla 32 million sold 2. Ford F- series 30 million sold 3. Volkswagon Golf 25 million sold 4. Volkswagon Beatle 23 million sold 5. Ford Escort 20 million sold 6. Honda Civic 17.7 million sold

7. Ford Model T 16.5 million sold 8. Honda Accord 15.8 million sold 9. VW Passat 14.1 million sold 10. Chevy Impala 14 million sold

Top 10 Best Cars for Teens 1. Ford Focus 2. Honda Civic 3. Honda Fit 4. Honda Insight 5. Kia Forte 6. Nissan Versa 7. Pontiac Vibe 8. Smart Fortwo 9. Subaru Impreza 10. Suzuki SX4 * MSRP is the manufacturer’s suggested retail price ^ Overall Test Scores are taken from consumerreports.com

the-class reliability, as well as the five-star crash ratings, further push this car to sales super-stardom.

The Civic is smooth, fuel-efficient, and fun to drive. But most of all, it’s a great car at a great price, and deserves to be at the top of every car buyer’s list.

The Honda Civic (above, coupe shown) is an inexpensive, fun to drive car. Its artistic styling and driving characteristics shame its competitors (we’re looking at you, Corolla), and the interior room is versatile. For high school students and first time buyers, you can’t go wrong with a Civic.

BMW’s Mini Cooper (center) is a premium small car. First introduced in 1959, the Cooper has been a bestseller in Europe for decades. And thanks to its unique character and frugal fuel economy, it’s also a bestseller in the states.

Chevrolet’s Camaro (below) and Ford’s Mustang (top left) are worst enemies, and the newer generations are no exceptions. The Camaro offers sexier styling and a smoother ride, while the Mustang provides a sportier suspension and better fuel economy.

Mini Cooper

The Best-sellers

13

Small, cute, and affordable. These adjectives define the Mini Cooper, a perennial best-seller in the United States.

Made by BMW, this diminutive yet fun hatchback has charmed people around the world, and proved that not all Americans are interested in big, heavy gas-guzzlers.

The Cooper is light on weight (it’s 2568 lbs., or about 2/3 of its competition), and light on power (118 horsepower).

Although t h o s e characteristics may seem like faults, they actually create the Mini’s spirited and nimble drive.

Fuel efficiency is a major selling point.

Chevrolet Camaro The world first saw this car in a Transformers movie, and it has commanded the awe and respect of millions ever since.

However, the Camaro’s name dates far back to 1967, when it was established as GM’s opponent to Ford’s wildly popular Mustang. Over the decades, the Camaro proved a formidable foe, although it could never match the Mustang’s performance and sales. After a brief discontinuation in 2002, the new Camaro not only surpasses previous generations, but has the potential to leapfrog over the Mustang as well.

Arguably the hottest car of all time, the new Camaro is no pushover when it comes to performance. The powerful and sophisticated 312 horsepower engine is carved from solid aluminum, and is identical to the one in the acclaimed

The Cooper’s 28-37 MPG is hybrid-like, without the inconveniences of being one.

And despite its name, the car is relatively roomy, and safety is great for a car its size.

Chelsea Tomasi ‘11, is the proud owner of a blue Mini Cooper. “I like how it drives,” she said. “It’s really small, fast, and reliable. It’s not too expensive, and I really like it.”

The Mini Cooper is a right sized car at a right sized price. And despite its shortcomings, it remains a perfect car for many Americans.

Cadillac CTS. The car’s frame is also built on a solid multi link platform, which is more expensive and translates to a smoother and more stable ride.

The bold styling is guaranteed to arouse the envy of anyone who passes it.

However, the muscular door pillars and hood lead to poor visibility. The interior, luckily, is unique and artistic, making up for the cave-like experience.

The Camaro is a sports car for the masses. It delivers an amazing fuel Articles written by Han economy of 18-29 Yimeng Feature Editor MPG, and starts compiled at a bargain price Sidebar by of around $22,000. Sophia Chen Who needs a Feature Editor bailout?

The Photos by Han and Camaro is all GM Yimeng Sophia Chen needs.

FEATURE

14

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

The Scream Leaves Audiences Speechless David Samuels Staff Writer

Fazzino Designs Unique Art Forms Celine Decker Staff Writer

The dawn of the 20th century was an utterly confusing time filled wit technological advances, chaos, and strife.

N o t h i n g encapsulates this atmosphere more than Edvard Munch’s Scream, a beautiful masterpiece which has been glorified by the media and historians alike.

Painted in 1893, Scream is otherwise knows as The Cry and its German titles, Der Schre der Natur, or The Scream of Nature.

Some historians argue that the reddish sky in the background is due to volcanic eruption which occurred shortly before Munch painted this art.

According to records, ash and other TOO MUNCH OF A SCREAM: Edvard Munch’s Scream pervolcanic debris could be plexes art historians through its enigmatic artistic display. seen as far as the United States.

Other art virtuosos disagree with the volcano rather than a descriptive artist home. hypothesis and claim that will leave this an unanswered Popularized from every instead, Munch is depicting the question. corner of the media, Scream Munch’s inspiration came cataclysmic events which had can be seen from cartoons to simple and without warning. been occurring in his time. commercials.

Supposedly, Munch was Nevertheless, the fact that It is one of the finest pieces of Munch was an expressionist strolling along a path with a art in European history. few friends when he noticed COURTESY PHOTO

Art student captures perfect image Steven Paro Staff Writer

overlooked obstacle is choosing the right angle or moment or idea to best showcase the artist’s Haley Pearson ‘10, is an up purpose.” and coming artist with lots of artistic.”

The photographer also has a promise that’s not afraid to show calling for ceramics. her own personality T h i s in her work. year she has “My passion constructed an for photography eyeball, a fish, came when Mrs. and two candle Aggazzotti told me lanterns in the I need a class to fill shape of Sully’s up my schedule.” (from Monsters Regardless Inc.) feet. she has developed Haley likes to a passion for incorporate photography. her love of Unlike most photography people who prefer with ceramics black and white to form photography or great arts of digital, she prefers work.

One to use color film. of Pearson’s According favorite photos to her the colors is a shot of are “Rich, milky, a chair with and vibrant and a book and dank Pearson’s PICTURE PERFECT: Hayley Pearson’s favorite picture is the cranial a cigarette favorite type of close-up of the California Horned Lizard, pictured above. placed on it, photography is surrounded by portraiture. leaves.

Haley has found inspiration She goes out of the norm in photo teacher, Nancy Opitz.

“It creates a dark and eery by doing “odd “ things to her She says that Opitz puts a lot of feeling and messes with the models. effort into her photos and the person looking at it.”

She says that- it humanizes way she approaches each shot.

Her favorite picture is the her subjects and it brings out The smallest detail can make the cranial close-up of the California people’s true personality and largest change.

Horned Lizard, pictured colors.

Haley can best describe above.“Reptiles are my biggest When asked if she prefers photography in the statement, inspiration.” the technical or artistic side “When an artist is moved by Pearson is very adamant of photography she said,”In something and is inspired to about properly capturing the reference to the technicality, capture its essence through “essence that is the California I prefer the artistic aspect of a medium, the commonly Horned Lizard.” photography and in reference to the artistic side, I tend to focus on the technicalities of being

COURTESY PHOTO

If America is a melting pot, New York City is a big meatball stuck dead in its center. It is the heart of the country.

It is a cultural, economic, and emotional Mecca, the Athens of this generation, and perhaps no other artist is able to capture its life and bustle and color better than modern pop artist Charles Fazzino.

Fazzino’s work is displayed in hundreds of fine art galleries worldwide.

He is well-known for his unique, colorful, 3-D style. His pieces are quirky, flamboyant, and full of vibrant detail.

In “New York, New York,” dozens of buildings are stacked above, below, and on top of each other.

The sky is a smoggy gray and the street is overcrowded with people and vehicles.

Central Park is sandwiched in with the Plaza Hotel and the Canadian Pancake house on its left, Broadway above, and skyscrapers to the right.

The Statue of Liberty is smashed together with the Natural History Museum, and the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes are at the center of it all.

The only real thing absent from this madness is the dismal gray concrete seen all over the city.

Instead, everything is colorful and cartooned.

While the painting is whimsical and fun, several items within it remind viewers of the problems found in New York.

There is a sanitation truck on the highway, which reminds viewers of the dirt and trash that is abundant on the streets.

A plane above brings to mind the terrorist attack that brought down the World Trade Center.

Protesters on the street are holding picket signs, urging people to eat fat-free.

And at the very right a strictly adult night-club reminds one that the city is not always child friendly.

This rendition of Manhattan captures the city’s fast-paced lifestyle and metropolitan edge.

It brings a new light to the cultural hub of America, and has a quirky flair to make it all that much more fun.

Being about a decade old, it also reminds people that while the world might be changing fast, there are still plenty of great things that remain the same.

that, “...the sun was setting and suddenly the sky turned blood red.

“I paused, f e e l i n g exhausted, and leaned on the fence - there was blood and tongues of fire...I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature.”

S c r e a m has been popularized in modern times partly due to a heist in which a group of thieves managed to steal one of the two copies of the painting from the National Gallery of Norway in 1994, and then again in the 21st century.

Both times, the painting was reclaimed and returned to its

Morning Star Inspires Starry Night Michelle Noyes Staff Writer

Starry Night is a classic painting that will only become more famous in the future.

Painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1888, Starry Night is one of his most famous paintings.

Van Gogh painted Starry Night after seeing a morning star. The sky was two-toned and stars were shinning across at dawn.

Later he realized the star was actually Venus so he made it the main focal part of the painting.

The colors work well together making it blend with the other designs in the painting.

Painter, Van Gogh created some of the greatest paintings ever.

He had a certain style that is hard to duplicate.

Swirls in all of his paintings made it very easy to distinguish his pieces from others artist of his same time.

While Europe was into Still life paintings Van Gogh took a chance and tried something different. He used oils to create swirls in the sky.

Starry Night is one of his many oil paint pieces of art.

In many of Van Gogh’s Paintings, he used downward stripes of the oil paint to create texture. The vertical lines near the bottom were used across the sky.

Colors were added in the corners and bottom center to create more dimension in the small city.

One piece of art can explain the artist’s life.

His work on paintings influences 21st century artists. Using marbles to create designs is a technique of the past and is still being used by painters in 2010.

Currently his paintings lay in rest at the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands.

15

SPORTS

June 1 2010 • THE ARROW

Tennis Finishes Season Satisfied

PHOTO BY SAM WEXLER

with them- WHS cruised by MDHS, 12-6, but selves, and their next match, against SBHS, with their they fell 13-5. coach, is also “It would have been nice to what made move farther in the playoffs, but them have I am not surprised with anything. such a memo- I knew we had a strong team so rable season. we could at least won one CIF F i n i s h - match, which we did,” explained ing the season Greentree. with a 18-2 Although the Warriors tenoverall record nis team was eliminated from the and a 14-0- in playoffs rather early, the boys saw league, WHS the season as a success. placed first in “I am completely satisfied the Marmonte with this season ending my seLeague. nior year because we’ve been so To seal the successful, being undefeated in number one league, and winning first place,” spot in their said Tate Nelson ‘10. league, they Even though the majority of were able to the team is graduating this year, escape a close WHS still has a lot of solid players match against to fill those empty spots.

TOHS, 10-8.

Number two singles player The num- Mitch Krems ’12 will return next ber three dou- season, along with Brett Kaplan bles team, ’12, Brian Ho ’12, Harrison Han Adam Kane ’12, Greentree, and Kane.

‘11 and Richie Talented players from JV, Greentree ‘11, such as Frank Duan ’12 and Alex won the decid- Farkas ’12, are also expected to be ing set 7-5. a factor in a successful 2011 sea“It meant son.

JOSH LEFKOVITCH ‘BACKHANDS’ HIS OPPONENTS: Lefkovitch positions himself to hit a a lot to me beLike the boys varsity team, backhand back to his opponent. cause that so- the junior varsity boys tennis lidified the team also went undefeated this Jacob Cavanah Lee’s ‘10 optimistic energy the M a r m o n t e season. Their talent was able to Sports Editor team feeds off of, the boys tennis championship. I had to just fo- outdo every other JV team. A team always finds a way to play cus and not think about what couple of clutch wins against Whether it is inspiration to their full potential. would happen if we lost,” said Calabasas, by James Freymouth from Kevin Weiss’ ‘10 motiva“It’s not just one person. It’s Greentree. “My mind was so fo- ‘11 and Erik Lauer ‘13, secured tional speeches before match- because everyone contributes on cused on every point, and that is JV’s outstanding record. es, Zach Drost’s ‘10 exceptional the team,” said Head Coach Con- how we won four crucial games WHS boys tennis looks to be play that inspires the rest of the nie Flanderka. in a row.” fully prepared for another sucteam to play their best, or Clyde The chemistry the team had To begin the post season, cessful season next year.

Boys Golf Shoots Low: 3-peat as League Champ

Finishing 47 strokes over TOHS, WHS Boys’ Golf Team once again reigned supreme, winning the Marmonte League Tournament.

Finishing first in both categories, the boys’ team won the league tournament and earned the Marmonte League Championship, for the third year in a row. With Jake Katz ‘10 finishing third in league and Chris Doyle ‘10 finishing fifth in league, both moved on to the CIF Individual Tournament.

On May 17, Katz and Doyle advanced in the Northern Individual Regional to move onto the Individual Finals on May 24 at La Purisma Golf Course. Doyle posted a 70 and Katz posted a 74 to qualify for the Individual Finals.

Although winning the CIF Team Northern Divisional at Soule Park in Ojai, CA, for the past two years, this year’s team posted a 390 and finished fourth.

The previous two years, the boys’ team posted repeated scores of 358.

Coach Dave Costley said, “Everyone played below

potential at Soule Park. It’s the curse of the one day tournament: play well and move on or play poorly and go home.”

Although the team hoped to take home another CIF Team Northern Divisional Title, it still proved a strong contender in the overall spring boys’ golf season.

On Monday, May 24, Doyle and Katz played at the CIF-Southern Section Individual Finals at La Purisma Golf Course.

Both Doyle and Katz advanced to the next level at the CIF-SCGA Championship Tournament on June 3 where they will need to place in the top six in order to move on to the California State Championship.

Doyle tyed for fourth place at La Purisma Golf Course posting a 1-over par 73. Katz trailed behind with a 2-over par 74.

After winning the Marmonte League title once again for the third year in a row and advancing two seniors to the Individual finals and Championship, this season proved to be yet again another strong contender for golf.

Although the boys’ golf team will lose two seniors, they will have a full roster with numerous seniors next year.

PHOTO BY SAM WEXLER

Charlotte Gibson Staff Writer

leadership generated from Scottie Chapel and Travis Woloson.

With four starting seniors and two more in the rotations off the bench, LBHS came into the match with an arsenal on experience.

After losing in the semifinals last year as juniors, LBHS’s seniors looked primed and BOYS VOLLEYBALL HITS HARD: Adrian Powditch ready to lead prepares to unload his serve. their team to a CIF title.

Although WHS took a tough loss last weekend at Cypress, there is a lot to be said for the adversity the team overcame throughout the playoffs.

After losing three of their starters due to unspecified reasons, the Warriors continued to battle for this year’s CIF Championship—a display of the team’s determination and love for the game.

Tucker Higgins In addition, WHS will have Staff Writer similar motivation as LBHS did In last weekend’s showdown this year.

Juniors like Keats Stanley at Cypress College between No. 1 seeded WHS and No. 2 seeded and Travis Magorien ‘11 will take Laguna Beach High School, on the role of senior leadership for the underdog team was led to next season, and will no doubt be victory by an experienced group gunning for another shot at the title game. of seniors.

Although Westlake lost 3-0 Although outside hitters Keats Stanley ‘11 and Jacob last Tuesday in the State Finals, Delson ‘11 had nine kills each, the Warriors will be prepared to WHS struggled to match LBHS’s take the title next year.

Tough Loss Ends Volleyball Season

Alumni News Sophia Chen Staff Writer WHS alumna Danielle Kang, ‘09, has been currently crushing the golf courses in her beginning college golf season.

The first round she played, she tied 17th at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational.

This was just the first drop of blood that started her off.

In the proceeding round, she unanimously won at the Bruin wave Invitational leading the field by three strokes shooting 8 under par and leaving the 2nd place winner, Jodi Ewart, in the dust at 5 under par.

As all golfers have every once and a while, Kang had a mediocre round at the PING/ ASU Invitational shooting a total of +15 and tying for 65th place.

Following the tournament, she placed 2nd not shooting the best, but just enough for a +11.

She fell behind the lead by 2 strokes, but the school still took on 1st place beating the other schools by 32 strokes or more.

She has been recently playing a tournament at the NCAA Division I Women’s East Regional in which she had very low scores in the first 2 rounds.

But on the last round, she fell back to 6th place shooting a -2 just four shots behind the lead.

Kayla Greenberg Staff Writer Cory Primm, a WHS class of ‘07 alumnus and current student at UCLA, won the 800-meter event at the Oxy Invitational this season with an impressive time of 1:46.

Primm’s time distinguishes him as the second-best all time competitor in UCLA history.

In addition, Primm also took second place on the 2010 Track and Field 800 list.

Despite these amazing feats, Primm “hates to talk about stuff before [he] does it”.

This motivation to perform, along with his talent, is sure to keep Primm turning out record times.

Jacob Cavanah Sports Editor WHS ‘07 alumni, Ryan Campell, is one out of the 22 top-performing cadets in a 4,571-member Cadet Wing at Air Force Academy in Colorado.

For maintaining a 4.0 GPA over the fall semester, in 2009, he is being placed as one of the Dean’s Aces.

Over the past three years, Campell has been serving in the military. He has now been assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

16

SPORTS

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

STROKERS: (Above) Sam Chen launches off a wall to begin the back stroke. (Right) Pabasara Jayasena gets ready to dive during a relay against Santa Barbara.

SWIM TEAM GLIDES TO CIF Aaron Demsetz News Editor This year’s WHS swim season has yielded some outstanding results. Both the boys and girls swim teams have much to celebrate, as the boys finished second only to Thousand Oaks High in the last relay of CIF Finals, while the girls decimated the opposition with 190 points at the Marmonte League Championship while also remaining undefeated during the regular season.

Swim Coach Todd Irmas has had much to say about the accomplishments of

the swim teams during the finals: “I think both groups did extremely well. The boys finished second to Thousand Oaks but were right in it until the very end of the meet. They lost the meet by eight points, so it was very, very close.”

The season brought about some stellar athletes, including the members of the 400 relay team: Sam Chen, Hunter Householter, and David Sommers. The athletes collectively achieved the second fastest relay time in the last ten years.

Although the Girls Swim Team nabbed fifth place at CIF, the team’s outstanding performance during the regular season

and at the League Championship cannot be ignored: they are still a force to be reckoned with. After all, this year’s victory marks the fifth consecutive win at the League Championship for the girls team.

Considering this, it would seem that both teams do not have much more to improve on for the next season.

However, with the new year on the horizon, it will be the team’s responsibility to fix even the smallest chinks in their armor. Disqualifications during the finals may have deprived the team from key victories, and in order to stay at the top of its game, the team will need to analyze and

resolve these nuances.

Thousand Oak High School’s swim program gave the team a bit of trouble at the playoffs, but will be graduating some of their key players this year. This bodes well for WHS, since much of their team will be returning for next year’s season, giving the Warriors a preliminary edge in terms of team composition.

Overall, current expectations of WHS’ swim program are extreme. With a very solid foundation for the boys, and an impeccable seasonal record for the girls, it is no wonder that there are high hopes for future WHS swimmers.

of 1:52 in the event, DeMello has the 6th fastest time in the CIF Southern Section, the 10th fastest in the state, and the 42nd fastest in the nation.

After earning a time of 1:53.21 in the 800m and placing second at CIF-SS Finals, DeMello garnered a spot at State Finals, which will be held June 4-5 at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif.

However, DeMello does not let the competition get the best of him. “The hardest part is staying focused while waiting for the race to start,” DeMello said.

“But running a new personal record or winning makes it all worth it.”

DeMello also excels in the 1600 and 400 meter races, with personal bests of 4:21 in the first event and 0:50 in the second.

DeMello has been a natural runner for years. “My dad signed me up for track in fourth grade,” said DeMello. “I found out I

was good, so I stuck with it.”

His greatest accomplishment in high school was receiving Distance Runner of the Year for Ventura County, he said.

In the past few seasons DeMello has mastered juggling a successful athletic career with an academic workload. “I’ve learned how to use my time wisely,” DeMello said.

DeMello counts the “tight group of guys” as a primary motivator during the season. “We keep each other going strong and focused during the long seasons,” said DeMello.

“Sam has been a pleasure to coach over the last four years,” Snyder said. “He has not only been a good athlete, but he has been a good role model as well.”

As far as plans for the future, DeMello hopes to continue running in college. In his own words, “I want to do the best I can.”

Demello Races into Post-Season Success Annie Gerlach Photo Editor

RUN, SAM, RUN: Sam DeMello practices for the State Finals.

For seniors, the weekend of June 5 brings prom; but for Sam DeMello `10, it brings the hope of winning State Finals.

DeMello specializes in middle distance running, and his talent lies in the 800m race.

“Sam is gifted with both speed and endurance,” said Coach Joe Snyder. “He is a mentally tough runner who has learned to race the 800m.”

With a record time

5 Track Stars Pull Ahead at CIF Finals Dashiell Young-Saver Sports Editor WHS boys varsity track and field finished the season in third place in the Marmonte League, following Moorpark and Thousand Oaks High Schools.

“Our goals were to do as well as we could and possibly win the league,” said Coach Joe Snyder. Some injuries may have prevented the team from reaching this goal.

Although both the boys and girls teams did not win the league, many individual athletes qualified for CIF finals.

Dylan Rios ‘10 and Jordyn Colemon ‘10 made CIF for their 100 meter dash times.

In addition, Slade Rheaume ‘10 competed in the discus; he earned a 134 foot, 4 inch mark at the league prelims. Brian Brousseau ‘11 competed in the high jump at CIF, qualifying with a mark of 6 feet at league prelims.

The team’s most recognized athlete, Sam DeMello ‘10, earned a chance to compete at the State level.

According to Snyder, if DeMello races

MOVIN’ ON UP: (Above) Brian Brousseau competes in the High Jump during a season meet at WHS against TOHS and RHS. (Right) Slade Rheaume throws a shot during a shot put match in the regular season.

well in upcoming post season competitions and gets a fast time, he can compete at State Finals. He has run this time before in previous competitions and should be able to run it again. DeMello was the only WHS athlete who placed in the CIF Southern Section finals where he took second place

in the 800 meter run with a 1:53.21 time.

Coach Snyder is looking forward to next season; talented athletes from this year’s junior varsity and frosh/soph teams will join the returning varsity athletes to compete next season.

“We will lose some athletes next year,

but we will have a lot of guys coming back who will really improve the program,” said Snyder. “I would like to see the girls’ and boys’ teams improve to a point where we can win league.”

All Photos by Sam Wexler