03.20.13 by The Westlake Arrow

and Westlake history. (Page 16)

VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE 6

ARROW

THE

Boys basketball makes the shot...

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

MARCH 20, 2013

FUTURE BUSINESS LEADERS OF AMERICA SWEEPS THE COMPETITION

BULL MARKET: WHS FBLA members proudly display their plaques after coming in ﬁrst place overall at the Gold Coast Section Leadership Conference.

Frances Ling News Editor Months of tireless preparation paid oﬀ, as WHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) dominated the Gold Coast Section Leadership Conference. Although only in its third year of competition, FBLA has quickly risen to the top of the Gold Coast Section beating 14 other schools to win the Sweepstakes. FBLA also scored the most points out of all the other schools that attended the Section Leadership Conference by over 100 points. The conference took place on March 2 at West Ranch High School and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia. The numerous competitions were composed of both objective tests and speaking/ performance events. The objective tests ranged from Personal

Finance to Business Calculations to Economics. Members who wanted to compete in team events could choose from Global Business, Entrepreneurship, Management Decision Making, Marketing, and Parliamentary Procedure. Those who preferred to perform than take multiple-choice tests could compete in performance events including Public Speaking, Impromptu, and Job Interview. FBLA impressed at competition with many members taking first in their own category. Timur Vural ‘15, Max Wang ‘15, Kevin Ye ‘14, Rutu Shah ‘15, Sumant Iyer ‘15, Christopher Lam ‘13, Vivian Hu ‘14, Bharath Mohan ‘14, Ben Tran ‘15, and Isabel Jin ‘14 each placed first in their individual categories. Of the five team competitions, WHS finished at the top of the Entrepreneurship, Management Decision Making, and Parliamentary Procedure competitions. Gold Coast Section president as well as

club president Jane Chen ‘13 beat out five competitors from different schools to win the coveted title of Future Business Leader, one of the hardest competitions since the test takes questions from every single competition. “I am excited to have won this title and look forward to competing at State,” commented Chen. Such success did not come without lots of hard work and dedication. Members were encouraged to prepare by taking practice tests while some even found outside material to study. Of the 35 different competitions within the conference, WHS qualified in 29 of them to advance to State. Whereas 16 FBLA members advanced to the state conference last year, 33 members qualified for state this year, clearly showing that FBLA is excelling in leaps and bounds. “We’re pretty happy about how many

awards we won at sectionals this year. In almost every competition we participated in, someone placed, and a fair number of those people will be moving on to State. Last year we were all able to ﬁt into two vans, but this year we’re taking a charter bus out, so there’s a lot more people coming out,” commented vice president Mohan. “As Gold Coast section president, I am excited to have held such a successful conference! But I am especially proud of WHS for proving we’re the best,” said Chen. WHS FBLA will represent the Gold Coast section at the state competition held in the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara from April 18-21. As for the future of the club, Chen “knows that WHS FBLA will continue to thrive, as many underclassmen have shown great potential and leadership abilities. I hope that membership continues to grow and surpass that of Newbury Park! “

WISE changes potentially headed Westlakeʼs way Lauren Chin Advertising Manager A potential schedule restructure is on the horizon, and it promises big change through small diﬀerences. Labeled as the “Westlake Intervention Support and Enrichment” (WISE for short) program, the new schedule will be put to a vote for teacher-approval on March 18; to be approved for implementation next year it must have at least an 80% vote by the teachers.

Created to help students struggling with school, the new schedule allows for a 26-minute advisory period right before lunch, scheduled weekly Monday through Thursday. To allow for the creation of this period, each 52-minute period in the day will be shortened by two minutes to become 52-minute periods and lunch will be shortened from its current 40-minute period to become a 30-minute period. Despite the shortened lunch, however, future sophomores, juniors, and seniors have nothing to fear, as those with a 2.3 GPA or better

in this issue Page 2 Science Olympiad

Page 7 Anatomy Talent Show

are not required to enroll in the WISE period. If students haven’t had the incentive to boost their grades before, they do now, for they will enjoy the luxury of a 56 minute long lunch; this allows students to take advantage of the additional WISE advisory period to meet with teachers for help or enjoy their lengthened lunch. Students also have the opportunity to enjoy Common Planning Time (CPT) every week. CPT schedule will be in eﬀect every Friday, instead of occurring on the ﬁrst and third Wednesdays of every month. However, just as the entire schedule is be-

Page 13 Rising Star

ing restructured, so is CPT. Period 1 will now start at 7:05 a.m. and the free catch up period between Period 1 and Period 2 will be shortened to 40 minutes, therefore starting Period 2 at 8:46 a.m. instead of 9:07 a.m. These CPT Fridays will not include the WISE period. Lunch will also be shorter on CPT days, starting at 12:20 p.m. and ending 38 minutes later. The only time WHS will not have CPT Fridays in this new proposed bell schedule would be during rallies, in which WHS will revert back to its normal rally schedule. If the new WISE schedule is passed, it will be announced on Wednesday, March 20.

Page 14 Boys Tennis

THE ARROW

NEWS

MARCH 20, 2013

Science Olympiad wows at Regionals Woody Chung Feature Editor

Mock Trial members win honors

Winter Drum Line promoted to Open Class WHS Winter Drum Line was promoted to Open Class on March 2 for the ﬁrst time in WHS history. The indoor percussion program was previously in A class (the lowest level consisting of around 50 different groups) but it was raised to Open Class, with approximately 12 other contenders in the division. During the recent Rancho Cucamonga competition, the group placed second behind Torrance High School. Drum Line is coached by Paul Curci, Philip Idell, Deanna Hudgings, Brian Dinkel, and their show is entitled 10.17.89 and is about the San Francisco Earthquake.

Math Club hosts Pi Day To celebrate March 14, Pi Day, WHS Math Club hosted a plethora of Pi-related contests, ranging from art to writing to math. Students wrote short stories and created posters to celebrate Pi Day, submitting them on March 11. Creations were judged and announced on March 14, and winners received gift cards. On the day of, students participated in events such as Pi digit memorization and guessing the volume of a pie. Various ﬂavors of pie were also offered outside of the classroom for students to eat.

Staff Writer

At Regionals, Hsu, Kwon, Yang, Sumant Iyer ‘15, and Bharath Mohan ‘14 won medals for their subjects. “I feel like a large part of our success at regionals was our all-roundedness; we ﬁnished in the top 12 in nearly every single event,” said Vasant Iyer. High off its victory, the team looks

forward to the next level. The Science Olympians will next compete at Canyon High School in Anaheim on April 6. “For the past 11 years, Troy High School has advanced to Nationals. We would love to dethrone them, but our realistic goal as a team is to ﬁnish in the top ten or 15,” said Iyer.

Simone Moscovitch Staff Writer

What do Bill Gates and English teacher Leslie Bird have in common? The answer is they have both received the honorable and highly commended Paul Harris Fellow Award, which is an individual recognition for exceptional service in a community. Each recipient also gets $1,000 donated in his or her name to the Rotary club. Bird was given the award at the Los Robles Golf Course on Feb. 11. She was nominated by Steve Ricklin, the club’s Rotary sponsor. “Paul Harris was a great humanitarian who was really concerned about his community and Ms. Bird exempliﬁes these traits. She not only cares about her students

Still, not one to slack off, Olandt represents the dance team’s determination and drive when she states that they hope to do even better than before in the 2013 national dance competition. “This year, we are aiming to get three of our competition dances into Finals. My personal goal is for my solo to place ﬁrst at Nationals or at least make it as a top ﬁve soloist and perform in the Finals,” said Olandt. To prepare for nationals, the team continues to train to the limit. The team practices two to three hours from Mondays through Fridays and competes in 12-hour day competitions every Saturday and Sunday. Olandt credits any of their future successes to the team’s hard work. “It is a huge accomplishment that we have made it this far and I could not be more proud of our work and our results,” stated Olandt. With all their hard work and steadfast determination, the WHS dance team members are sure to impress at the upcoming national competition this spring break. “It takes an incredible amount of dedication to devote so many hours and energy into this art form, but the improvement and growth we’ve made makes it all worthwhile,” said Olandt.

but also cares about the well-being of others, as evident in her commitment to Relay For Life. For these reasons she exempliﬁes the Paul Harris Fellowship award,” said Rickin. Vice President of Interact Club, Haley Appell ‘14 said, “Ms. Bird is an exemplary candidate, for she has led and guided the Interact Club on campus for the last two years. Her dedication, commitment, and enthusiasm have steered the club to great success.” All of these factors have resulted in her obtaining this award. Many people who have come in contact with the club and Bird can agree that they have only beneﬁtted from their interaction. “This is my third year being a part of Interact. The club as a whole has grown

so much under the guidance of Ms. Bird, we really appreciate everything she does. Because of her guidance, we all have learned how to incorporate helping and leading others into our daily lives,” stated Appell. The day Bird was congratulated with her award she was very anxious. “I was nervous because I didn’t want to have to give a speech. At things like that, I cry really easily and didn’t want to do that. I don’t like being formally recognized in front of people. I’d rather just ﬂy under the radar,” said Bird. Now, the Interact Club is getting ready for the annual Relay For Life in Thousand Oaks. Appell encourages anyone who is interested in the event to contact the Interact Club.

Poetry coffeehouse recreated in English classroom Leah Henry Staff Writer

Dim lights, hot coffee, and the soothing sounds of beautiful poetry from ninth grade students ﬁlled English teacher Karie Lynch’s honors classes as students participated in the coffeehouse event on Feb. 27. Lynch decorated her room with lights to create a coffeehouse vibe. Lynch came up with this idea when she was teaching at Moorpark High School, from the 1993 Mike Myers movie So I Married an Axe Murderer. “Everyone wanted to share their poetry, but there was never enough time during class,” said Lynch. Students are able to gain an appreciation for each others’ talents and different styles of writing through the coffeehouse experience. Lynch enjoys listening to the emotions within her students’ different forms of poetry. For the ten or so years Lynch has been hosting the coffeehouse, she has never encountered any problems. “Although there are some shy and hesitant students, their classmates are very encouraging of others. No one has ever not shared a poem they wrote,” said Lynch. “It’s my favorite event of the school year.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE CHOI

After amazing wins at the state competitions this weekend, WHS Dance Team will have the opportunity to compete in the 2013 Dance/Drill Nationals at Costa Mesa on March 28-30. At state, WHS finished as top hip hop overall, top contemporary/jazz overall, and high point award for their team jazz routine. Individual awards went to Paige Ingles ‘15 who won first for her solo, Victoria Doder ‘14 placed fourth for her solo, and team captain Madison Olandt ‘13 won top soloist overall. “My team and I are grateful and of course excited to go to Nationals,” said Olandt. In the national competition, the team will dance against other competitive teams in events such as Lyrical Dance and Solo Dance. Last year’s results show that the team has a good chance of scoring highly. At the previous competition, five of the team’s dances qualified for the Championship level. WHS made it into Finals for the Extra Small Dance and Medium Dance events. Olandt won fourth place as a Solo dancer.

SCIENCE OLYMPIAD poses outside of Occidental College after placing ninth out of 48 teams in the regional competition.

English teacher receives prestigious honor

Dance Team to compete at nationals Harry Chung

COURTESY PHOTO

Three members of Mock Trial won honors at the Ventura County award ceremony on March 1. Brian Chang ‘13 won the most valuable player for the entire county competition. First place for pre-trial went to Kevin Shi ‘14, and Tiffany Han ‘14 claimed third place as a defense witness. WHS was the third seed after a score of 4-0 in the preliminary rounds. Missing the semiﬁnals by 0.33 points to NPHS’s gold team, WHS placed ﬁfth overall among the 28 competing teams. The Mock Trial county competition took place at the Ventura County Courthouse on Feb. 25-27.

WHS Science Olympiad opened the season with a rocky start; at its ﬁrst competition at Troy High School, the team placed ninth out of the 12 teams present. But after battling hard at the regional competition, there were no sighs of regret for the underdog Science Olympiad team. “Our team went to the Troy High School scrimmage excited and ready but was harshly splashed with the water of reality when we found out that we were being outclassed by a lot,” said Nathan Noh ‘13. “So we prepped endlessly for two weeks and went to Regionals ready for victory.” It was a victory well-earned, but at a hard price. Unlike other schools in the competition, WHS’s team lacked a scheduled class to meet every day to practice. In order to keep on pace with the other teams, a greater effort was required. “We had to study on our own time,” said Club President Vasant Iyer ’13. “We met on the weekends at the Thousand Oaks Library to study by ourselves and with our event partners. Students interested in engineering events met separately.” And the work paid off. At the Troy competition, Harry Chung ‘13, Samuel Hsu ‘13, Paul Kwon ‘13, Sophie Piao ‘15, Jasmine Yang ‘14, and Cynthia Yin ‘14 won medals at their events.

ANNIE HAEMAN ‘16 reads her poetry to her classmates in Lynch’s Poetry Coffehouse.

The students have the opportunity to share a piece of who they are.” The students also enjoyed this experience. “Overall, I really liked the entire atmosphere. Of course, I also enjoyed the hot chocolate and cookies!” said Margaret Dorhout ’16. Besides the delicious treats, students also listened to each others’ poetry. “I enjoyed being able to see the talents of my classmates when they went up to read their poetry,” said Brian Russo ’16.

FEATURE MARCH 20, 2013

THE ARROW

WHS welcomes student teachers

With a 50% dropout rate within ﬁve years for new teachers, student teaching is an important time for anyone who wishes to pursue a teaching career. This year’s student teachers have their work cut out for them.

Michelle Kane Q: Who are you a student teacher for? A: Kari Ballard. Q: Where did you go to high school? A: I went to La Reina for high school. Q: Where are you attending college? A: I am attending California Lutheran University. Q: What are you majoring in? A: I majored in English. Q: Who/what inspired you to want to teach? A: Passion for the subject and excellent teachers and professors inspire me to teach! Q: What are your plans for the future? A: I plan to be a high school English teacher and am eager to help students improve as readers, writers, and thinkers. Q: How would you describe your teaching style? A: I would describe my teaching style as enthusiastic, demanding, and fair.

PHOTO BY MICHELLE NOYES

PHOTO BY WILLIAM CULPEPPER

PHOTO BY MELANIE ROSEN

Brian Altrock Q: Who are you a student teacher for? A: Joe Nigro. Q: Where did you go to high school? A: Westlake High School. Q: Where are you attending college? A: Currently I'm with CLU for my teaching credential in English. Q: What are you majoring in? A: I majored in political science in college and studied English in graduate school. Q: Who/what inspired you to want to teach? A: Actually, two of my teachers in high school here at WHS did: Bowman and Battaglia taught my favorite classes. Q: What are your plans for the future? A: I plan to teach English in secondary school, hopefully in Conejo Valley. Q: How would you describe your teaching style? A: I am a fan of active discussions and exercises. Also, I think technology and humor help us understand our ideas, so I try to showcase different perspectives. That means sharing, seeing, and talking about ideas in new ways.

David Jones

Brian Brister

Q: Who are you student teacher for? A: William Culpepper. Q: Where did you go to high school? A: San Gabriel High School, CA. Q: Where are you attending college? A: I attended Brigham Young University for my undergraduate degree and now attend Cal State Channel Islands. Q: What are you majoring in? A: At CSUCI, I’m in the single subject teaching credential program. At BYU, I got my B.A. in International Relations. Q: Who/what inspired you to want to teach? A: It combines two of my favorite thingshistory and working with youth. Q: What are your plans for the future? A: To secure full-time teaching position ASAP. Q: How would you describe your teaching style? A: To create as much student engagement as possible. I believe instruction should be mostly student centered.

Q: Who are you student teacher for? A: Kristi Hronek. Q: Where did you go to high school? A: Newbury Park High. Q: Where are you attending college? A: California Lutheran University. Q: What are you majoring in? A: At CSUN, I majored in B.S. Environmental Science, and in CLU, I’m majoring in Education. Q: Who/what inspired you to want to teach? A: My high school biology teacher. Q: What are your plans for the future? A: To start a watershed organization for the Conejo Valley. Q: How would you describe your teaching style? A: I’d describe it as activity-based learning. Q: What expectations do you have of being a full time teacher? A: To learn from my mistakes. Compiled by Michelles Noyes and Melanie Rosen

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O PINION T HE A RROW 4 Do tragedies make us trigger happy? MARCH 20, 2013

No good deed goes unpunished

Gun Control? Let’s get real

Victoria Wang

A modest proposal: Government-purchased armored tanks and protective gear can protect the children much better

Feature Editor

state restrictions on the bearing of firearms, and sponsor semi-automatic handguns for youths. Target-shooting video games have infested the internet, hoping to augment the industry's support. Because of the law prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 to buy a rifle, industries are discovering other means of involving children. Youth competitions and shooting sports have increased opportunities for firearm industries to put semi-automatics in the hands of minors. They claim that it is a mechanism to teach them other life skills, such as self-defense. Parents used to give their children chores and tasks to teach them responsibility and citizenship. Shooting guns the size of a child is an unconvincing and ineffective means to an end. An issue of Junior Shooters features a smiling, cheerful 15-year-old girl holding a semi-automatic rifle—that is, of course, what every parent envisions for their small child, still struggling with their multiplication tables. "Who knows?" asks a quote in the article. "Maybe you'll find a bushmaster AR15 under your tree some frosty Christmas morning!" The hope to have 15-year-old children, who have not yet been taught civility and self-control, run around with a bushmaster AR-15 in their backpacks is not a goal of our country. A naturally impulsive youth mixed with exposure to guns will result solely in violence.

Guns are tools, just as kitchen knives and cars are. One drunkard gutting his girlfriend in their apartment does not make wielding a cleaver a crime. One unlicensed madman running a truck into a school bus will not—and should not—lead to a nationwide ban on any form of vehicle that can move faster than 20 miles per hour. The blame is not on the tool: all that matters is how it is used. For many law-abiding citizens, the gun is a means of recreation, self-defense, and an occasional meal. It has been deeply rooted in American culture (particularly in the South) since the nascence of the nation. Of course, in modern society, the need for guns has lessened; however, while the sale of guns has increased, the number of gun-related injuries has decreased, mainly because of an overall drop in crime rates, according to The Associated Press. The vast majority of guns sold have never harmed another human being. Those who would completely outlaw guns vilify them as nothing but weapons of mass destruction. They hide behind a swarm of angry mothers, and they can only stomp around riling up emotions. But the truth is that guns, while they should be handled with care, pose much less of a risk than proponents would have us believe. Over three times as many people die of drunk driving than die of firearms injuries. And as the national crime rate falls, gun violence decreases as well. The children of Sandy Hook were victims of an isolated tragedy: Adam Lanza, perpetrator of the Newtown shooting, was not licensed to have a gun. In fact, the source of the majority of gunrelated deaths, gang violence, receives guns and ammunition from a black market that most likely runs alongside drug trafficking and will hardly be affected by further government regulations. The McCook Daily Gazette reported that the prime reason for American gun crime is “a lack of access to mental health care and family dysfunction.” The problem lies in the wielder, not the weapon. Rather than treating guns like illegal drugs (as all the horrifically exaggerated antipropaganda leads us to believe we should), we should give guns the same careful freedom of use as alcohol, or cars. Let the lawful owners be.

use of his own concealed weapon against an armed holdup by two young men. The National Rifle Association claims that nearly half of American households have guns. That means there are roughly 300 million firearms owned by civilians in the United States as of 2010. The results of a 2005 nationwide Gallup poll of 1,012 adults showed that 58% use their guns for hunting, 66% for target shooting, and finally 67% for protection against crime. In a 1997 U.S. Justice Department survey of 14,285 inmates sent to jail because of gun-related crimes, 39.2% said they got their weapon through an illegal street source, and 39.6% said they acquired it through family or friends. If the law takes all civilian guns away, that just means numbers of innocent people will lose ways to protect themselves. What about the criminals? Nearly the same amount of guns were obtained from homes as were obtained illegally. The statistics show that to take guns away from civilians who would use them for self de-

fense is unwarranted, since criminals will ﬁnd ways to obtain weapons to commit crimes one way or another. These incidents occurred either out of psychopathic mentality or hatred that erupted from bullying at school. And if they were foiled, it was either because of concealed weapons or words from a trusted adult. But if we do not repeal all gun rights, what should we do? Some suggestions include having an armed guard on school campuses, registering all weapons, or having a waiting period on guns. Although background checks would be necessary for all personnel, knowing that armed guards are patrolling WHS like a prison is unnerving. And despite weapon registration, people can still acquire guns illegally if they plan to use them for illegal purposes anyway. It’s like the diamond industry. Though avoiding future attempts is impossible, we can still prepare ourselves for them.

Erik Steinman Staff Writer

As technology has progressed throughout history, violence levels have increased dramatically as well. In recent years, controversy surrounding recent brutalities in the United States have sparked questions regarding the necessity of private gun ownership. Many enthusiastic people promote laws that severely restrict gun ownership. However, I am here to convince you that strict government regulation of the purchase of guns will only be detrimental to the future of our country. Restricting the purchase of guns will not actually protect anybody from harm. If a violent human being desires to obtain a gun, he or she will ﬁnd a way. Instead of investing money in the strict regulation of gun purchases, we can use this money for more important, and more practical purposes. The protection of American children is of utmost importance in our modern society. In order to protect the future leaders of our country from harm, schools should implement well-planned, protective measures to ensure their safety. First, armored vehicles would be a great replacement for the average, indefensible school transportation automobile. In case a shooter attempts to attack an innocent school bus from the outside, bullet-proof windows are absolutely essential. Of course, an attacker may plan an inﬁltration from the interior of the bus, posing as a typical passenger. In this case, another suggestion is to provide bulletproof vests. Of course, this may leave our heads exposed as possible targets, so it may be wise to wear protective head gear when traveling in public. Instead of addressing the problem at its root (such as provide assistance for the mentally ill in our society), we must take precautions to protect American children from every potentially harmful situation. While protective gear is certainly helpful for the defense of the American population, we must provide each person with the opportunity to practice self-defense. By dispensing small, concealable weapons to every man, woman, and child, there will be no possible way for an attacker to escape the scene of the crime. If we aren’t going to restrict the purchase of guns, we might as well make them readily available for self-defense purposes. To educate the population about the proper use of their new weapons, the government can simply add classes in proper gun use to the curriculum of every high school, making the class a requirement for graduation. By implementing all of these precautions into our daily lives, the government can effectively reduce the fatalities caused by gun-related issues without severely restricting the sale of such weapons.

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON: the evolution of weaponry has resulted in fear for people everywhere

Gun show on display

Liz Mossessian Feature Editor

With youth shooting programs consistently increasing their marketing efforts, it is time we imagine and prepare for a possible WHS staff armed with guns. Picture this: teachers and staff members armed with semi-automatics. That is not a very bright picture. For decades, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has been funding youth shooting programs, like the Boy Scout councils and 4-H groups, through large grants. Single-shot rifles and BB guns are readily accessible for anyone to own, and anyone over 18 to purchase. In 2010, it was reported that the NRA gave $21 million in total grants to such programs, nearly double what it gave just five years before. Why is such a craze for owning killing machines so prevalent? As the interest in owning semi-automatic guns decreases and the country's liberality increases, major gun companies are forced to find new marketing strategies to promote their so-called safe products. And what is this new marketing plan that analysts and corporate executives have worked so hard to develop? Target the youth—very original. The firearm industry has poured millions of dollars into advertising programs to get their guns in the hands of this particular demographic. They aim to weaken any

Speak softly and don’t carry a big stick

Emily Parker Staff Writer

Every time a massacre happens, the nation goes into chaos. From the recent tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary to alltoo-familiar criminal activity that occurs daily, several controversies now challenge the right to bear arms. Gun violence has been broadcast in a higher frequency than usual. Locally in California, a teacher and a campus supervisor were able to talk a gunman into putting down his weapon after he had shot and injured one pupil at Taft Union High School. A more acknowledged massacre was in Aurora, Colorado at a local movie theatre, where James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 58 in a rampage during a premiere of Batman ﬁlm The Dark Knight Rises after taking 100 mg of prescription painkiller Vicodin and identifying himself as "The Joker". In Florida, at an internet cafe, a man defended himself and a group of people by

OPINION

THE ARROW MOOCs unable to replace traditional classrooms

MARCH 20, 2013

Feature Editor

It’s undoubtedly exciting. We’ve reached a point in our lives, in our collective history as Man, where technology has become incredibly advanced. We’ve reached a point where the thoughts and teachings of the greatest and most decorated minds of our generation are available freely at a single source to anyone who wants to explore them. Of course, it’s really easy to idealize these massive open online courses (MOOCs). The idea that knowledge from the best professors in the world can flow to anyone anywhere across the world is revolutionary. But one can’t help but wonder: are MOOCs really one of the greatest inventions of our generation? Or are they merely a scholastic sensation, a trendy waste of time for the academically inclined? MOOCs were first officially documented in 2008 at Canada’s University of Manitoba. In the aptly named course “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge,” 25 university students studied alongside 2,300 students from the general public; the students all shared the same online resources. Soon afterwards, other universities began replicating this style of teaching with their own independent MOOCs. In 2012, dubbed “Year of the MOOC” by the New York Times, three major players in the MOOC market emerged: the Stanford affiliated Coursera, MIT and Harvard’s Edx, and the privately operated Udacity. The MOOCs operated primarily in

Everyone watches the same videos, takes the same tests, and reads the same texts. Although the connectivist approach, where students converse with each other to contribute to the learning process, attempts to make up for this academic monotony, MOOCs cannot provide what a traditional professorand-classroom setting can: diversity in the knowledge and perspectives derived from the lessons. If traditional college professors are the navigators that adapt to the varying circumstances of each class, MOOCs are the autopilots that fly the same way, regardless of students’ needs. Another obstacle to the future of MOOCs is the student population itself. At their most idealized form, MOOCs can provide education to those in the worst of circumstances. But MOOCs lack the incentives that traditional colleges have to convince students to take classes. Universities keep students engaged through a combination of MOOCS VS BOOKS: The flexibility of MOOCs is both a benefit and a disadvantage; it allows motivated grades, scholarships, and career centers, all students to take the initiative but lacks incentives for lazy ones. of which MOOCs currently lack. one of two ways. The first, in a connectivist higher education. They were created to Therefore, Coursera may have approach, is when students would interact revolutionize, if not entirely substitute, a attracted a million users since its launch, together through peer review or feedback, college education. but it nevertheless functions in a market group projects, etc. This method embraced Therein lay the first issue. It was where less than 10% of enrolled students the large population of students, using this obvious that online learning could rapidly actually finish the course. It seems that as the main source of learning. accelerate the flow of information from MOOCs are more of a trend than a viable Alternatively, in a more objective person to person. But many skeptics alternative to a college education. approach, students would receive doubted how well it could be used to teach. The odds are stacked against MOOCs, automated feedback through online Ironically, the greatest benefit of but online educators are very quickly quizzes and exams. MOOCs, its accessibility to a wide variety adapting. Although they currently exist as Regardless of the teaching approach, of people, also acts as its greatest detriment. little more than a trend, it will be interesting however, it soon became clear: MOOCs In an effort to cater to so large a group, the to watch how MOOCs change the way we were not meant to take a backseat in courses on MOOCs must be standardized. learn.

Driving tests need a reality check Yangzong Guo Staff Writer

After six years of decline in traffic accidents in the United States, there was a substantial increase in traffic accident fatalities during the first six months of 2012. Bad driving is rampant across America. How many times have you had to sit hours in traffic or see ambulances and cop cars racing past as you waited on the side lines? The likely culprit of our bad driving epidemic is our easy driving test. Driving in America’s increasingly crowded cities and neighborhoods is difficult. Driving tests have not responded to the challenges of mega-urbanization. Nowadays, even people who lack driving skills or road sense can obtain licenses. For example, who among us has not crammed for the written driver’s test? Skimming the driver’s handbook

is enough to pass the test. Consequently, plunging into water, what is the best way many people quickly forget rules that to escape?” Tests that include questions like these assume that the motorist could prevent accidents on the road. The road test itself is also absurdly easy. encounter pretty much anything on the Drivers are allowed to make potentially roads. Driving tests need to measure critical fatal errors—such as merging without skills beyond mere knowledge of the checking traffic—a whopping 15 times. The problem is that current driving law. Rather than being tested under the simplest conditions, we tests only measure need to test a driver’s rudimentary knowledge ability to drive under more of the rules of the road. At he test should stressful ones. Additionally, some point in a driver’s life, include worst there should be specific they will have to operate case scenarios testing for concentration, their vehicles under difficult like ice, reckless drivhand-eye coordination, circumstances. ers, and heavy traffic. -Matt Gerken ‘13 and peripheral vision. “The test should include America must not worst case scenarios like ice, be afraid to make tough reckless drivers, and heavy decisions about who is fit to drive. If we traffic,” said Matt Gerken ‘13. The solution to America’s bad driving want to make the roads safer for drivers, is simple. Instead of putting questions like we must get incompetent drivers off the “What is the speed limit when driving road. At the same time, however, we in an alleyway?” put more practical should offer opportunities for learning questions like “When your car is suddenly driving skills to those who want to drive.

Boy Scouts yet to earn badge of equality Michelle Choi Opinion Editor

For 102 years, The Boy Scouts of America has not allowed openly gay members to join the organization. This controversial topic has risen again as the Scouts consider dropping the policy to allow scouts of any sexuality. At the moment, the decision has been delayed until May. The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Alliance (LGBTQA) has been persistent in convincing the Scouts to drop selective membership rules but many churches sponsor local troops and oppose homosexuality. Because the Boy Scouts is a private organization, they do have the right to deny membership to homosexual Boy Scouts. But is that really necessary?

Don’t all children have the right to feel loved, safe and be welcome members of any group? Scouting should be about equality and accepting people the way they are, not sexual preferences. In order for a Boy Scout to obtain his Eagle Badge, he must show good morals and character values such as kindness and integrity. Being heterosexual should not be considered one of these factors. In the BSA position statement in 1991, Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting programs were designed to “provide a variety of programs for both boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 21,” stating nothing about the segregation of homosexuals. Unlike Boy Scouts and their policy with homosexual males, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) allows lesbians to serve as leaders and members. The GSUSA is also an active member of the LGBTQA and

helps promote their rights. If the Boy Scouts of America chooses not to lift the ban, I have two predictions: The Boy Scouts organization will disperse and a new type of scouting program will be created in which both homosexual boys and heterosexual boys will be able to scout together. The other prediction is that the “in the closet” Boy Scouts will come out and serve as a wake up call for the BSA. This one is not as likely, but it is a hope. Over the years, the Boy Scouts of America has faced constant ridicule for not allowing atheists, agnostics, or avowed homosexuals to join because it contradicts their principles and tenets. If the BSA was to follow the GSUSA’s example, the likelihood of facing this criticism would decrease. It’s time for the 21st century to get a move on and stop this discrimination.

ARROW

THE

Woody Chung

Editor-in-chief

Brian Chang

Managing Editor Vivian Hu

Layout Administrator Ethan Reul

News Editor Frances Ling

Opinion Editors Michelle Choi, Julia Shi

Entertainment Editor Samantha Doctrow

Feature Editors Woody Chung, Orly Greenberg, David Huang, Hanyi Huang, Stacey Kane, Shayna Kudler, Liz Mossessian, Melanie Rosen, Victoria Wang

Sports Editors Michelle Noyes, Tara Spencer

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Staff Writers Ryan Cheng, Heidi Chiu, Harry Chung, Christian Coates, Emily Demsetz, Katelyn Eaton, Rachel Finegold, Yangzong Guo, Leah Henry, Kallyn Hobmann, Pranav Kaygee, Nick Ketterling, Simone Moscovitch, Emily Parker, Erik Steinman, Vallia Yu

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

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FEATURE

THE ARROW

MARCH 20, 2013

EDUCATION Online

Michelle Choi Opinion Editor

Geometry…fun? How is that even possible? With the advancements of technology, tedious tasks such as learning proofs can become an enjoyable pastime. YouTubers such as SciShow, Crashcourse, ViHart, and MinutePhysics create short video lessons for everything from “Hexaﬂexagons” to The Great Gatsby. These videos are targeted

at a previously unreachable audience with colorful diagrams and simple jargon. Viewers can ask questions in the comments, which are answered by other viewers and the creators themselves. Khan Academy has recently partnered with YouTube to create a YouTube Educators page as well as a customized learning experience at KahnAcademy.com, where students receive both text and video lessons for nearly any subject.

Also, several free tutoring services such as Learntobe.org oﬀer a direct tutoring service in math, science, and language arts with the help of college students. Learntobe’s tutors are equipped with a digital whiteboard which can be seen through the computer and the students are spoken to through a microphone. To keep things safe, no cameras are used and there is a “text to chat” option. All tutors are carefully selected through an extensive application and are college

students and young adults who are primarily educated in the United States. No appointments are necessary, but high school students can only receive tutoring during Priority Hours. Math teachers at local middle schools, including those at Los Cerritos Middle School, are also recording math lessons for students to review at home and take notes on. The schedule is ﬂipped: homework is done in class accompanied by a quick lesson, and at-home assignments

SciShow is a diverse way to learn science, ranging from International Skeptic’s Day to Physics. Furthermore, it includes segments on current events, great minds of science, self-conducted experiments, and a talk show that discusses interesting science questions (and features special animal guests). It is hosted by Hank Green, sometimes with Michael Aranda and Katherine Green.

CGPGrey is a legend. His videos are dubbed as “quickly spoken educational videos” and relay information speedily and eloquently. He does extensive research before publishing his videos and uses stick ﬁgure illustrations to keep watchers entertained. His subjects range from “The Secret City of London” to “How to Be a Pope.”

Crashcourse is literally a crash course on almost every subject: World History, AP Biology, Ecology, Literature, US History, and AP Chemistry. Just like SciShow, it is professionally produced and works with Thought Bubble to create quick, entertaining, and educational animations. It is hosted by brothers John and Hank Green.

Dropping the dropout rate Vallia Yu

Staff Writer Nearly two years ago, President Obama delivered a speech that addressed the country’s issue of high school dropouts. It was then that he spoke the followingwords: “In this kind of knowledge economy, giving up on your education and dropping out of school means not only giving up on your future, but it’s also giving up on your family’s future and giving up on your country’s future.” In an effort to improve low-performing schools, the government implemented the School Improvements Grant (SIG) program consisting of four models: the Turnaround Model, the Restart Model, the School Closure Model, and the Transformational Model. California received almost $416 million in 2010 to provide students with a better education. The Turnaround Model replaces an incompetent principal and at least half of the school staff, adopt a new governance structure for the school, and implement a new or revised instructional program. The Restart Model essentially restarts the school with a charter school operator that manages the school budget along with a more flexible and innovative approach towards student education. The School Closure Model simply closes failing schools and relocates students to a more effective school in the district. Lastly, the Transformational Model prompts schools to concentrate on either

improving school system effectiveness; creating better and reformed strategies towards educating students; extending planning time and creating a stronger, community-involved school; or creating a more flexible and stronger support for the school system. Flash forward to the present. Graduation rates are at an all-time high, and more students than ever are going on to receive their diplomas. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the number of people graduating has been on the rise ever since the year 2000. The SIG may not be the sole cause for increased high school attendance. Harvard economist Richard Murnan explained that the harsh competition in the recent decade may have boosted attendance. With more jobs in demand, students are looking for more ways to get an edge on their competitors. Students continue to drop out of high school, however. Continuing to combat this trend, Obama proposed in his State of the Union speech this January to require all U.S. students under the age of 18 to remain in high school. California already has a similar compulsory education law, but according to the LA Times, it ranks “second among the least-observed laws in the state, outflanked only by the law against talking on the cellphone while driving.” According to PBS.org, high school dropouts typically earn $10,386 less in annual income than a graduate. In general, a better education leads to better chances at better careers.

are to take notes on the video lesson and to complete any unﬁnished homework. Furthermore, Vulcan Inc. is creating a “Digital Aristotle,” both a tutor capable of teaching and assessing students and a research assistant to help scientists and others with their work. With the increase of technology, learning has become personalized and signiﬁcantly cheaper. In the future, these digital tutors may replace teachers in traditional classrooms.

KhanAcademy is the ultimate education data base created by Sal Khan. With 4,000 videos on virtually every subject, it makes reviewing, or learning, extremely simple. The short ﬁlms range anywhere from three to ten minutes. There is also a test prep section for the SAT Math, CAHSEE, STAR, and math league competitions, and a featured practice section.

Woes of an unhooked white girl Orly Greenberg Feature Editor

Name: Abasi Keeva Egner

“According to many colleges’ selfreported statistics for the class of 2016: the results aren’t encouraging for most ambitious seniors, and they’re especially dismal for ‘unhooked white girls’…smart girls with really good grades and solid SAT scores, but who lack some special ‘hook’…” - Steve Cohen, The Daily Beast

Ethnicity: One-fourth Swedish, one-fourth Irish, one-fourth Kenyan, and one-fourth Thai

Applying to college is hard. Really hard. Worse still, I wholly identify myself as an “unhooked white girl,” which does nothing for my conﬁdence concerning the application process. And although I’m still a junior, I can’t help but fret about my competition. So, to prepare myself for the worst, I’ve drawn up a quick list of some hypothetical rival applicants to compare with my own résumé. Name: Rajeeve Ellis

Notable accomplishments: Made Oprah cry with my acapella version of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Played a nine-hour set for a crowd of 30,000, only stopping to exchange instruments and intravenously hydrate myself. Remember when Beyonce lip-synced at the inauguration? She was mouthing to a recording of my voice. Brieﬂy battled an addiction to methamphetamines, but defeated the habit with the help of my two dads. Cumulative GPA: 4.94. Name: Orly Greenberg

Ethnicity: Half Guyanese-half Welsh

Ethnicity: Caucasian, but once remarked “aw, that’s so sad” upon learning about the Trail of Tears.

Notable accomplishments: Singlehandedly talked a pregnant woman out of suicide; helped deliver her child on the same day. Three years later, I would cure that very same child of Tay-Sachs. Regular contributor to The New England Journal of Medicine, and did I mention I have no legs?

Notable accomplishments: Once found a chip that slightly resembled the Virgin Mary. Can now time my clapping to the beat of almost any song. I have mastered the art of long-distance winking, and I can quote virtually any line from any episode of 30 Rock.

Cumulative GPA: 4.85. Are you really surprised?

Cumulative GPA: It’s deﬁnitely a number, ranging from 1-4. Take your pick.

FEATURE

THE ARROW

MARCH 20, 2013

Anatomy’s Got Talent Samantha Doctrow Entertainment Editor

The WHS Advanced Anatomy class hosted its annual “Advanced Anatomy Talent Show” on Friday, March 8 in order to raise money for the class’ dissections. In the two hour show, the Anatomy seniors performed an array of talents, from dancing to magic. Emceeing the show were Adam Arnaout, Blair Consales, and Ruby Gibson. “Although I was scared something would go wrong [while emceeing], it went so well and I had so much fun as a host,” said Arnaout. Kicking off the show, Physiology and Advanced Anatomy teacher, Nancy Bowman lip-synched two Carole King songs with her “Brainiac Band.” After, the girls in Anatomy performed a high-energy dance as “The Cheeta Girls.” Saige Moloian said, “Our dance represented how close all the girls in the class have become, just like the ‘Cheetah Sisters.’” Nick Jelinek left the audience in nonstop laughter after he performed his skit parodying a day in the life of Mrs. Bowman. Following the customary “Black Out” skit, where students dance in a dark stage wearing multiple glow sticks, families and guest student performers joined Anatomy stu-

dents on-stage for dance and musical numbers. After intermission, the boys performed an all male dance revue, “Thunder From Down Under.” Later, Sam Hsu performed a traditional Indian dance with ABCD club. “Because ABCD club opened up to non-Indian members, I was able to join and dance in the talent show with them. But onstage, I was so worried my pants would fall off,” Hsu said. Nathan Noh, Sarah Holloway, Kyle Aidukas and Nancy Liu paid tribute to popular K-Pop music with their dance skit “Super Happy K Pop Fun Time.” Later, Arnaout, Arun Bura, Courtney Hoffmans, Krista Lamorie-Foote, Amanda Tokuyama, Grace Ng, and guest Ethan Reul ‘13 performed an acoustic version of the classic, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” while audience members lit up and swayed their cellphones with the music. The last act, or “The Grand Finale Anatomy Bodaciousness in Action,” was a music video and live production of all Anatomy members performing the dance phenomenon, “Gangnam Style,” with Noh satirizing singer, Psy. The talent show proved to be both entertainment for the audience and a time to bond for Anatomy students. Ng said, “Dancing together as a class was deﬁnitely an adventure! We all had a blast and the amount of time we put into our performance made it completely worthwhile.”

FEAT

MARCH 20

“These late eclipses i

-William Sh

Doublethink about 1984 “He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”

Sophomores in Honors English and seniors in College Prep English read George Orwell’s novel 1984, broadening student’s awareness of the future. As we progress into the future, Orwell’s dystopian predictions display similar attributes to today’s world. The novel follows the life of Winston Smith, a party member living under Big Brother’s rule in London in the nation of Oceania.

As it turns out, Kristen Stewart isn’t awkward at all; in fact, it’s all a heist. In twenty years, her exploratory documentary will debut under the title: “How Many Movie Roles Can a Bad Actress Be Offered: The Psychology of Film Production and the Consumer Mindset.”

Pop Culture Politics Gay marriage will be an issue of the past. What is now a divisive topic will eventually be scoffed at by future generations, much like we now scoff at Jim Crow laws or other racially discriminatory legislature. The marriage related conﬂict of the future? Inter robothuman unions. It’s inevitable.

ly surveilled cities in the world. With about four million closed-circuit television cameras in place, the city uses these devices to reduce crime rates. Though advantages of the cameras outweigh the disadvantages, people worry that Britain will transform into the totalitarian society Orwell predicted. More than 60 years have passed since 1984 was released and no one could have imagined that Orwell would come so close in his portrayal. Advancement in technology is helping connect with society, but privacy still poses problems for individuals, especially regarding the use of the internet and cell phones. Just like telescreens in Oceania, social networks are able to monitor peoples’ lives. Facebook and Twitter are two of the most popular used sites and yet, people don’t mind that they are constantly being monitored. Disturbingly some don’t even know they are being monitored. Any-

Whether we are posting a picture on Facebook or tossing out a personal tweet, “Big Brother is watching.” A recent Wall Street Journal article identiﬁed that people are monitored when they browse the Internet, use their cellphones, drive their cars, and swipe their credit card among other things. Teenagers are the most active users of traceable electronic devices and though they are aware that such exposure is inevitable, they don’t take the initiative to do anything about the situation. Though there are differences that separate today’s world and Oceania in 1984, Orwell’s prediction was headed in a comparable direction. As we look towards the years to come, we can admire Orwell for his predictions helping us prepare for the future.

u o

gaze d l u co

o t n

u r t e u f e th

Feature Editor

The totalitarian government monitors everyone and telescreens spy on citizens 24 hours a day. Oceania’s citizens, history, and language are manipulated by the Party to promote conformity. Rebellious Winston is trying to overturn the Party by forming alliances with people he desires to trust, but everyone he thought would be faithful betrays him in the end. Decades later, our society is developing similarly to Orwell’s 1949 predictions. Sim-

If y

Shayna Kudler

Novels and plays we study in English classes o our world and lives we are now seeing come to kenstein and Hunger Games present us with im dents recognize the world of 1984 in our pre under constant surveillance. From Brave New W ilar to 1984’s setting, thing posted on the where soma-like prescription medications have London today is one internet is out there lion to 4 billion people in the past of the most intense- for the world to view. Come gaze into The Arrowʼs crys

BIG SISTER AND WORLD CONTROLLER: AP Government teacher Christina Harrison gazes upon a crystal ball to predict students’ grades at WHS and politics, pop culture, and technology throughout the world.

Portable, accelerated cosmetic surgery. Think about it. Consumers have the opportunity to give themselves painless tummy tucks and facelifts in the privacy of their own home. Recovery time lasts no more than an episode and a half of “Dance Moms.” Technology

Curiosity is basic human instinc humans have been cogn with impossible question one asks “what happens believes to have w cutting edge innov by any past or future employee at a patent ofﬁc 20th century once mused th can be invented has been i we all make fun of that man. In century alone, staggering prog And while past suggestions embarrassingly inaccurate, startlingly clos Here are The Arro

TURE 0, 2013

in the sun and moon”

hakespeare

Our Brave New World

often foretell aspects of o pass. Works like Franmages of the future. Stuesent world that is now World, we see a world increased from 2.8 bil- David Huang Feature Editor t 10 years. ystal ball.

s the most ct. For as long as nitive, we’ve grappled ns. The most tantalizing next?” Every generation witnessed the most vations, unparalleled achievements. An ce at the turn of the hat “everything that invented.” And today, n the relatively new 21st gress has been made. s for the future have been , some have proved to be se to reality. ow’s predictions.

“Technology progress has merely provided us with more efﬁcient means for going backwards.”

We are living in the age of technology, where people have instant access to worldwide networks through means such as the internet and the increasingly widespread iPhone. Human beings are making exponential leaps and gains towards a utopia where any human problem can be solved at the drop of a snapback. However, do we really want a society where we could cure any disease or illness with a powerful prescription drug; where we could have our desired material possessions without any struggle; where we could produce children out of the womb? Without a doubt, the problems in the fut u r e will not be

from natural causes, but will be caused by human beings. The human race and its progeny are bound to bring about their own fatal end if it continues on this road of unlimited scientific exploitation. This is not to say that all scientific progress has negative repercussions, but humans are generally willing to do anything to gain money, fame, and power over their peers at any cost. Depicting dystopias has been of interest to novelists since the 18th century. We, the seminal 20th century dystopian book by Yevgeny Zamyatin influenced some of the later, more famous dystopian books, such as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell, and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. The onset of a real-life “Brave New World” is often referenced in modern biotech articles. For instance, in a recent article from the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Eth-

ics (2011), an ethicist named Dr. Anna Smajdor called pregnancy a hindrance and a “disease” that separates man and woman from being equal. She even goes so far as to categorize pregnancy as any illness that lasts many months, such as measles, and claims that pregnancy is a painful task that men greedily reap the benefits of. Following this logic, pregnancy in utero should be eliminated all together. Talk about pro-choice. There are many “what-if” questions like this one that leads us to wonder how far exactly humans can push the limits of nature. Even in the music world, where tunes and notes can be manipulated by autotune, synthesizers, and midi files, how can we legitimize ourselves as human beings? If scientific progress reaches a point where it can no longer advance any further, a point of infinity, can creativity cease to exist? Will humanity sputt e r

CS BY D GRAPHI PHOTO AN VIAN HU NE AND VI STACEY KA

someone at Apple could invent an iPhone with a shatterproof screen so I don’t need a sheet created from mysterious material glued to the front screen, I’d be very much obliged. Thank you. Also, get those holograms on a roll, Technology my anticipation is too high.

and die? How will this affect us politically? In a 2011 article, Flagg Taylor purported that society would reach a state of “totalitarian communism,” where humans would have no natural or moral limits and thus, could obtain anything they wanted because the world would be at such a high level of technological proﬁciency. This is similar to Marx’s theory that at the end of history, human beings will be free to have and do anything because we will be freed from scarcity and obsess i o n

with struggle to obtain material items. The future is dark and mysterious. Humans will inevitably destroy themselves in their ambitious furor, just as the sun will eventually die as it internally combusts in its constant state of fusion. Aldous Huxley’s eloquence is always blunt: “Most human beings have an almost inﬁnite capacity for taking things for granted. That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.”

T e n years from now, everyone will love Adele. Thirty years from now, everyone will still love Adele. Fifty years from now, everyone will continue to love Adele. I don’t know how to make this any clearer; people will never stop loving Adele.

Pop

Culture Politics

North Korea will abandon its relentless quest to obtain working nuclear weapons. They will become the first functional Communist society, finally fulfilling Karl Marx’s vision of communal living. No, totally kidding. They’ll still be crazy. Oh and Kim Jung Il? Not actually dead. Mark my words, he’s frozen alongside Walt Disney somewhere. Predictions compiled by Orly Greenberg

FEATURE

THE ARROW

MARCH 20, 2013

Food Passport Take your taste buds on a trip to Iran

Liz Mossessian Feature Editor

Iranians have contributed greatly through their aromatic, palatable cooking. Dominated by tradition and impenetrable family bond, both Iran’s culture and cuisine have greatly inﬂuenced its neighboring countries; in fact, nearly all of the famous dishes that come from the Middle East have their origins in Iran, including that of basmati rice and kebab. Iranian food is quite extensive and includes a vast number of styles, normally cooked with spices and herbs that are not unbearably spicy, as in Indian food. It can

be broken down and organized into chelow kebab, roasted meat served either with or without bones (cornish versus koobideh), khoresht, a stew, like fesenjan or ghormeh sabzi, and ash (pronounced “osh”), a thick soup often made with beans and thick noodles, resembling a thicker American chicken noodle soup. Basmati rice, very similar to the rice cooked in Indian and Pakistani meals, is the most dominant staple item utilized in Iranian cuisine. Traditionally grown in northern Iran, Iranian rice is typically ﬂavored with saffron—a high quality, costly spice that was once used by Persians as a drugging agent and aphrodisiac, as it is

Ranginak Recipe

Ingredients

COURTESY PHOTO

RANGINAK is topped with crumbled pistachios and stuffed with dates and walnuts to create both a crunchy and chewy bite. For those who are allergic to nuts, you can replace that crunchy topping with crumbled graham crackers or oatmeal cookies.

said to increase sexual desire. The tastiest, most desired part of a traditionally cooked rice dish is the slightly burnt bottom part of the rice, called tah-dig, created when cooked with a small layer of a yogurt and egg mixture. A special rice dish made seldom is tahchin; typically, Iranian restaurants serve this only once a week or as a special. Tahchin is a dish of layered saffron rice and cooked chicken breasts bound together by a seasoned yogurt mixture. A variety of fresh, green herbs (sabzi khordan) are always served at an Iranian feast, along with a selection of dried fruits, unsalted nuts, and loads of onions. Iran is

• 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped • 3 cups pitted dates • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose ﬂour • 1 cup unsalted butter • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom • 1/2 cup powdered sugar • 1 cup ground unsalted pistachios Recipe 1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast walnuts for 3-5 minutes. Allow to cool. 2. Place a few pieces of the

also one of the world’s top date producers, implementing such sweetness into many of their rice dishes and desserts, including ranginak, a visually stunning, chewy cake stuffed with dates and walnuts, as shown in the picture below. Ranginak is closely related to the sweet, sticky Turkish dessert, baklava. Also notable is the Iranian integration of pomegranate in their stews, such as in fesenjan, a thick sauce made from pomegranate purée and grounded walnut, often cooked with either chicken, duck, lamb, or beef. As the Iranians say, “salamati,” or cheers and to good health!

chopped walnuts in each date and set aside. This is the most time consuming step of the entire recipe, but also the most time-worthy. 3. In a deep pan, add the butter and flour. Bring to medium heat and stir constantly for 1015 minutes, until golden caramel color. The mixture will be a thick paste at first, but as you get closer to 15 minutes, it transforms into a thin caramel. 4. Spread about 1/3 of the flour mixture in a 9 in. round ceramic tart pan. 5. Place the walnut-stuffed dates in a single layer on the hot flour mixture. Arrange the dates in rows and pack them tightly together.

6. Pour the remaining ﬂour mixture over the top and smooth out with the back of a spoon. 7. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, cardamom, and powdered sugar. Use a spoon to sprinkle this mix in a single layer over the date cake. Press the back of your spoon down on the mix. 8. Sprinkle the whole cake with a layer of chopped pistachios. Use your hands to press the nuts down so they adhere. Allow to cool before cutting into small squares. ** The squares may be stored either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

FEATURE THE ARROW They came, they saw, they conquered MARCH 20, 2013

And now alumni return (accompanied by their children—current students!) to share their stories

Shelley OʼShea

Sheryl Meyer Summer OʼShea

Amy Ballen Amanda Meyer

Wendi Campbell Emma Ballen

Tasha Campbell

Shelley O'Shea '85 did not plan on moving back to Westlake. However, almost three decades after her graduation from WHS, her daughters Shawna O'Shea '13 and Summer O'Shea '16 found themselves living in their mother's high school town, attending her alma mater. Shelley explains, "I went away for college, but came back due to a job opportunity. I was blessed to be back in Westlake to raise my girls. I think WHS is an amazing school for my children to attend. It gives them the tools and resources to become outstanding adults." None of Shelley's past teachers still work at WHS, but she occasionally recognizes the names of her daughter's teachers. Although they have not shared teachers, Shawna still maintains that it is strange for her "that [my mother and I] walked on the same grounds." Shelley—who played basketball during her high school years—notes that the WHS campus is remarkably similar to when she attended the school. Buildings and lockers have remained virtually the same, save for the additions of a pool and stadium.

Sheryl Meyer ‘82 set an academic path, and her daughter Amanda Meyer ‘13 followed suit. Both attended Colina Middle School and WHS and were fortunate enough to have two of the same teachers: Nancy Bowman and Carmella Ettaro. “My mom forgot she also had those teachers until the end of my junior year, when I had them,” said Amanda. After graduating from high school, Sheryl left for college and briefly lived in the valley. Ultimately, the alum moved back to Westlake Village to be close to her family and home. One of the benefits of sending your child to your alma mater? Sheryl has no problem finding her way around campus, noting that while “the classes and curriculum are much more intense, the school still is the same.” During her time at WHS, Sheryl was involved in the Drama Club and Rally Club. Sheryl commented that WHS today offers “many more clubs and activities.” “The weirdest part,” Sheryl said, “would have to be going through her old yearbooks and seeing teachers I had back then.”

Years before Emma Ballen ‘16 stepped onto the WHS campus for her ﬁrst day of school her mother, Amy Ballen ‘85 graduated. “In the early 80’s, everything was brand new, trees were young and the school did not extend past the gym. Only the seniors had lockers in the quad and we could not wait until we were seniors and able to hang out there,” said Amy. “My mom remembers her locker in the quad and it is right near mine. I stood in the same spot as her 30 years later,” noted Emma. At Colina Middle School, Amy was involved with choir and had Alan Rose— who now teaches her daughter—as a teacher. “She tells stories about how she used to paint out on the patio behind the art department and how they could sit on the grass areas during lunch,” commented Emma of her mom. “The current educational programs and opportunities available to students now are impressive, but overall, we all took great pride being Warriors years ago, so it is nice to see how that has not changed at all,” added Amy.

For Tasha Campbell ‘13, WHS has provided so much more than just a high school education. It was where her parents, Wendi Campbell ‘85 and Craig Campbell ‘84, met. The epitome of high school sweethearts, Wendi cheered Craig on as he played football. Said Tasha, “it’s weird to think of my mom in a cheerleading outﬁt and my dad in his jersey on game days. They have been together since high school so it would be weird to see them at that age with each other.” The Campbells brieﬂy moved from Westlake after graduating, but returned back because, as Wendi said, “it’s a great place to live.” Wendi’s roots in Westlake are particularly strong. According to Tasha, “we now live in the same house that my mom lived in when she was in high school.” And although she has not been a student at the school for a while, Wendi’s observations on the school are sure to resonate with most WHS students. “When it rains the water runs down all the stair cases. It is still freezing walking into school each morning.” Compiled by Michelle Noyes

Victoria Wang

A: Ah, that’s an easy answer. Finishing it. Q: Why do you write? A: I love to tell stories. Moreover, I love to figure out how the story unfolds, and I’m often as surprised as anyone. Q: Tying back into WHS, what do you still remember about your high school life? A: Many things. Some of my best friends today are from high school. In fact, a group of us are headed to Vegas in a few months to celebrate our 25-year reunion. But what do I remember the most? Well, it was the 80’s, so I remember hair. Really big hair. On everyone. Q: Did a WHS education affect your writing? If so, how? A: I’m sure it did on some level (shout out to Bill Csellak—English teacher!). But I didn’t get into writing until I was 33, and never went to school for it. I studied business, in fact. Q: When, and how, did you first begin to write or want to become an author? A: As I mentioned, I began to write when I was 33. One day, I simply had an idea for a story, and I started to write it. I was surprised

to have a finished manuscript in three months, and even more surprised when I was able to get an agent based on that story. That book never sold, nor did the three following it. It was my fifth book that finally sold to a publisher. Q: It sounds like your novels are geared toward an older audience. What is your opinion on high schoolers reading novels like yours? A: Well, I write thrillers, chock full of paranoia and some violence. Oh, yeah, and lots of profanity. I think most high schoolers would enjoy my books. Are they edgy? Yes. But not too edgy for most high school kids, especially 11th

and 12th graders, I think. Q: Is it diﬃcult to balance your writing life with other responsibilities? A: Yes, incredibly. I have a full-time job, two kids, a dedication to daily workouts, and a commitment to write a novel every year. That’s a lot to juggle. You have to be very disciplined to write a book. I try to keep it simple: two pages a day. Q: What is your opinion on teenage novelists? A: I think any novelists are great, regardless of their age. I would have loved to start writing as a teenager. My advice— if you love it, don’t stop. Keep at it!

Alum impresses with novel Final Crossing

Feature Editor

Over 25 years ago, Carter Wilson graduated from WHS and attended Cornell University. Now, his first published book is in the stores: Final Crossing, a suspense novel about a disturbed serial killer named Rudiger and his harrowing pursuit of both his next target and his release from worldly pains. Wilson lives in Colorado with his two children and works as a business consultant specializing in the hotel industry. Final Crossing is Wilson’s fifth written book, but the first released by a publishing company. “You just have to keep writing and keep getting better,” he said in an interview. Q: Where did you get your inspiration for the novel? A: I was traveling to Jerusalem on business, and I borrowed my co-worker’s Lonely Planet guide. I read a small excerpt about something called Jerusalem Syndrome. In essence, this is a very rare syndrome where seemingly healthy people travel to Jerusalem and then cannot mentally absorb the religious significance of that city. In simple terms, they go crazy, to the point of institutionalization. They are treated for a few weeks and then are sent home, at which point they are fine. And I thought to myself, what happens if they get home and they aren’t fine? That’s where Rudiger came from. Q: What was the most significant event in the writing of this book?

ENTERTAINMENT

THE ARROW

MARCH 20, 2013

MACBETH

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES... PHOTO BY BRIAN CHANG

DOUBLE DOUBLE: Damon Laguna and Nia Farrell star as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, respectively, in the upcoming production of Macbeth.

Katelyn Eaton Rachel Finegold Staﬀ Writers

Madness, magic, mayhem, murder, Macbeth- All will ﬁll the Carpenter Family Theatre when Theatre 1 and 2 classes perform the timeless Shakespeare classic Macbeth as this semester’s production. The titular protagonist, Macbeth, played by Damon Laguna ‘13, is a war general aspiring to become King of Scotland. He and his wife, Lady Macbeth, played by Nia Farrell ‘15, plan to murder the current king, King Duncan, in order to gain power. After they commit the crime, Macbeth and his wife soon descend into madness. Adjusting to their evil roles was not easy for either Laguna or Farrell. “I have to keep telling myself, ‘Forget Nia, be Lady Macbeth,’” said Farrell. Laguna also noted the diﬃculty of drastically switching character. “It’s been hard getting into the ‘devil’ role. It took a lot of practice,” he said. “We all had to do a research paper on our characters, which helped.”

Macbeth is full of action and adventure. In the ﬁght scenes, the actors will be using authentic swords. “The swords are real and dangerous, giving the ﬁght scenes a really cool look and feel,” said Laguna. The actors will be using many costumes and an elaborate set to make their characters come to life in their performance. “Using a single set for all of the scenes makes the play run faster…and the set will serve as the inside and outside walls of the castle and a heath for the witches,” said Drama teacher DeDe Burke. Burke wants students to be aware that the content of this play contains violence and is for mature audiences. Shakespeare’s writing is cryptic and complex, making it harder for the actors to memorize lines and deliver dialogue. “The language Shakespeare uses is different [from modern day writing], making the lines harder to memorize, but also fun,” said Laguna. “Shakespeare is an amazing playwright and I think it is really cool that we get to perform some of his work and inter-

pret it in our diﬀerent ways,” said Summer Laguna ‘15 (Damon’s sister), who plays one of the Three Witches. All sophomores read the play in English class. “I think the story of Macbeth is diﬃcult to read, but seeing the play makes it so much clearer,” said Farrell. Cast as Duncan, the King of Scotland, Riley Bathauer ‘14 stated that “this play is going to be one of the best Shakespeare plays this theatre has ever put on.” The relationship of the cast contributes to the performance and improves the actors’ ability to stay in character, as well. “I am very close to my cast mates; I enjoy their company, they make me laugh all the time, and they are a very talented group,” said Mara Meighen ‘15, who plays Lady Macbeth’s Gentlewomen. The play will run on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night April 4, 5, 6, at 7:00 p.m. in the Carpenter Family Theatre. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission and can be purchased one week prior to the showing in room 21K, the wigwam, or at the door on the night of the play.

R&B Resurgence COURTESY PHOTOS

Liz Mossessian Feature Editor

Whether you’re a lover or a hater of the recent explosion in electronic music, it is expected to take a slight plunge in the next few months due to major releases in the R&B industry. Here is some R&B/soul music to look forward to in 2013. Since the arrival of Blue Ivy Carter, new mother Beyoncé has had her hands full. Nevertheless, she headlined the Super Bowl’s halftime show. On stage she joined Destiny’s Child band mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, who are making a return to studio life as a group to record their ﬁrst song in eight years called “Nuclear.” Inspired by the fans who threw underwear at him in the middle of a concert, R. Kelly is expected to return to his risqué self with a new single called “Black Panties,” calling it a “mixture of 12 Play, TP-2.com and a little bit of Happy People.” After the atrocities committed at Sandy Hook Elementary, R. Kelly wrote “I Know You Are Hurting (Tribute to the Newtown,

CT. Kids),” a message of hope to those innocent families who suﬀered such loss. A group of children open the song with lyrics, “We need your love to shower down/In our hearts/Hear us now/We need some answers.” Ashanti will be releasing her newest studio album, “Braveheart” this June. It is her ﬁrst album released since 2008’s “The Declaration” and will mark the debut of her self-owned label, Written Entertainment. This next release is super sonic, funky, and fresh for Ciara fans. In an October interview, Ciara talked about releasing another album in 2013. The album, “On One Woman Army”, gets personal as she sings about her modern day life and her aspirations as both a woman and an artist. After coming out with her hit song, “Girl On Fire,” currently ranked #11 on Billboard Hot 100, Alicia Keys announced early this year that she was going on a 24day tour of the United States and Canada with singer-songwriter Miguel as her opening act. They will conclude the tour in Chicago on April 18 after stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Vancouver, the East Coast and a

myriad of cities in between. The biggest news in R&B today is the return of Justin Timberlake to music. His new album “The 20/20 Experience” has kept fans anxious since Jan. 10 when the star revealed via Twitter that he was back in the studio working on some new tunes, released March 19. Timberlake excited fans when he sent out an open letter unleashing the lead single, “Suit & Tie,” from the upcoming album, his ﬁrst release since 2006. Timbaland and J-ROC are expected to be featured in the album, along with Jay-Z and James Flauntleroy who co-wrote the song. Critics, however, believe fans may be disappointed by the relatively safe approach that Timberlake took. What they need to understand, however, if they haven’t already learned from the Frank Ocean and Miguel releases of 2012, is that the traditional R&B is changing. What used to be dominated by the soft Earth, Wind, & Fire and Boyz II Men is now leaning towards more pop sounds like those of R. Kelly. We are all very eager to witness R&B’s next steps in the studio.

Once more down the

yellow brick road

Samantha Doctrow Entertainment Editor

The Wizard of Oz is iconic, historic, and irreplaceable, but the new Oz the Great and Powerful is thoroughly effective at paying homage to the 1939 classic. Although Dorothy is nowhere in sight, fans of the original blockbuster will catch countless allusions to the classic. Both on its own terms and as a prequel to one of the most beloved movies ever, Oz truly holds it own magic. The movie follows Oscar, (James Franco) a circus magician on a dusty Kansas fairway, dreaming of bigger and better reality. He plans to escape his hometown in a hot air balloon, when a powerful tornado engulfs him whole and transports Oscar to Oz. Emulating The Wizard of Oz, this film transitions from a black and white Kansas to a majestically colorful Oz. The kingdom is a brighter and more modern version of the original Oz, complete with the Yellow-Brick Road, the Emerald City, and the requisite creepy Dark Forest with portentous talking crows. In the Emerald City, the beautiful and enigmatic Theodora (Mila Kunis) greets Oscar and insists he is the prophesied wizard who will save the kingdom. However, in order for Oscar to fully become a wizard, he must kill the Wicked Witch. Aided by a talking monkey named Frank (voiced by Zach Braff) and Glinda the Good Witch (Michelle Williams), Oscar battles the Wicked Witch to save Oz and its munchkin inhabitants. Despite its reputation as a predictable Disney movie, Oz remains compelling and surprising throughout. While Franco is sometimes lackluster and appears uninterested, Kunis and Williams both provide the film with passionate acting and interesting plot lines. In addition, Oz becomes an even greater phenomenon when viewed in 3-D—a rare time when paying the extra fee is fully worth the experience. While The Wizard of Oz was not a huge box office success on its initial release, earning only $3 million in its total run, Oz the Great and Powerful has already earned $80 million in its first weekend. With such a huge opening weekend, the film will likely follow in the footsteps of Disney’s 2010 blockbuster, Alice in Wonderland, another costly 3-D film which went on to gross over $1 billion worldwide. Though Oz the Great and Powerful does not compare to the classic, the picture truly holds its own as a prequel and a tribute. Oz proves that the Emerald City never loses its magic, even years after “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

FEATURE

THE ARROW

MARCH 20, 2013

Blogging has become a popular way to communicate to the public and share one’s thoughts and opinions. The Arrow has identiﬁed four wide-spread blogging platforms, and featured a WHS YouTuber who talks about her channel.

Join the blogging community Frances Ling

The sound of a Warrior

News Editor

RAISING HER VOICE: Chen shares her love for music with the world by covering songs and posting them on YouTube.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Three years ago, Lily Chen ‘13 decided that she needed to share her music, not just to those close around her, but to the world. And thus began her YouTube adventure. Chen made her first YouTube account in middle school to upload videos of herself playing the piano. She began her current passion of uploading videos of herself singing covers during her freshman year of high school. “It was definitely scary in some ways to post your first video. I felt nervous about what other people would think when they saw it, if people would see it at all,” said Chen. Now, Chen’s channel has over 172,000 total video views and over 2,100 subscribers. “For me to get that many views is pretty surprising and also makes me happy,” stated Chen. Usually, Chen covers Japanese songs in English, but she also writes her own songs as well. On average, each video receives around 3,000 views and is seen worldwide. Her videos reach 25 different countries internationally; they are mostly

viewed in the United States, but many Europeans, Asians, and South Americans also watch her videos. As Chen has realized, YouTubers never know which video will get the most views since Chen’s most viewed video is a Barbie voice-over video that she made for a friend as a joke. It now has over 20,000 views. Each video takes time and dedication to make. According to Chen, recording takes one or two hours and editing can take anywhere from 30 minutes to ﬁve or six hours. For those thinking about uploading YouTube videos, Chen recommends setting yourself apart from the crowd. “It’s hard to get known because there are loads of other talented people out there. It’s important to make yourself stand out in a way other than ‘I like to sing’ etc.” Chen hopes that her videos will keep receiving more views, and she plans to continue uploading videos in college. “There’s no such thing as being ‘good enough’ to post videos on YouTube; in the end, it’s about exposing yourself to the world and trying to improve with every video you upload,” stated Chen.

Perks of being a blogger In this day and age of vast social networking and rapid information sharing, a new form of entertainment has established itself: the blog. There are hundreds of thousands of blogs ﬂoating around on the Internet, and the most popular ones are usually news stations, useful catalogues, and advice columns of some sort. However, personal blogs hold a respectable niche of their own. Video blogging (vlogging) is also an increasingly popular—and lucrative— occupation. With these new, widely accessible media, it has grown increasingly common

for the author to become famous because of the blog rather than the other way around. Jenna Mourey was just another girl until she began vlogging on YouTube. Now, “Jenna Marbles” is a popular celebrity and professional YouTuber with over two million subscribers and raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Wong Fu and Nigahiga are further examples of the phenomenon. On the blogging scene, Julie Powell rocketed to fame with a blog that chronicled her attempt to cook all the recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year. By the time she had completed the feat, she had gained enough followers to publish a book based on the blog and to be dramatized, along with Child, in the movie

Julie & Julia. Though her second book was poorly received, her rise to fame was all thanks to her blog. Colby Buzzell, unlike Julie Powell, became infamous because of the stark boldness of his blog: real-time depictions of the war in Iraq, along with a sizable amount of bitterness and profanity. As a U.S. soldier, there was some controversy over the continuation of his blog, and the army took it down within a few weeks. However, in that time, Buzzell drew national recognition and now has written two books with positive reviews (My War: Killing Time in Iraq and Lost in America: A Dead-End Journey). Anyone with a computer and Internet access can start a blog—Wordpress,

LiveJournal, and Blogger, to name just a few, offer free writing startup platforms. YouTube is the ultimate vlogger’s haven, offering both a free platform and an easily accessible way to convert a proﬁle into a legitimate business, earning money from advertisements and subscribers. Of course, not everyone who writes a blog gains instant fame, but from these examples, the public clearly enjoys downto-earth honesty only available in blogs. Buzzell might have led an extraordinary life, but Powell was no less ordinary than the average American, trials, triumphs and all. The greatest appeal in a blog is its personal insight into the aspects of one’s life, without the stuffy, disconnected tone professional articles often have.

Blogger was launched Aug. 23, 1999 as the ﬁrst free blog-creation service. Google bought the website in 2003. This blogging platform allows its users to have the freedom to customize the design of their blogs with the multiple page templates that Blogger offers. Additionally, a blog can have multiple editors writing and making posts on the blog. Blogger's partnership with Google also offers the opportunity to blog with just a click of a button. Users only have to add the BlogThis! link to their browser toolbar to be able to blog faster and easier. Bloggers can also easily create a stationary "About" page if they desire.

LiveJournal is an online community and a social network where people can communicate through blogs. This bloghosting website is dedicated to creating a community where people can share their thoughts and be themselves. LiveJournal also respects its users’ privacy, providing tools that allow bloggers to choose what they want to share and whom they want to share it with. LiveJournal has ﬁve account levels: basic, plus, early adopters, paid, and permanent. About 95% of users have a basic account; however, their pages are plagued by ads when viewed by nonlogged-in readers.

Unlike other blogging platforms, Weebly allows its users to create a free website instead of a blog. However, once the website is created, a blog can be made as a part of the new website, or a previously made blog can be linked to the website. Weebly was founded in 2006 for the purpose of letting people share their thoughts and create personal or business sites. Weebly allows users to easily link other websites and embed Youtube videos on a page. Weebly also contains cool features, such as photo galleries, maps, and contact forms, that can be added to the page with just a drag of the icon.

Wordpress is the current most widelyused blogging tool. Since its start in 2003 as a blogging system, Wordpress has developed into the largest self-hosting blogging system. Like Blogger, Wordpress allows bloggers to create a static “About” page, meaning users can create non-blog content easily. Furthermore, Wordpress has a wide range of themes, making designing an easy task. From creating a simple blog to building the most complicated design, users can change the entire look of their blogs with just a single click. Wordpress also has sub-division blogging services, such as Blog.com and Blogetery.

Victoria Wang Feature Editor

Compiled by Hanyi Huang

FEATURE

THE ARROW

MARCH 20, 2013

Girls soccer scores 5-season run as Marmonte champs: Coach Marino guides team to semiﬁnal round of CIF for ﬁrst time in 10 years

COMMENTARY

Olympic wrestling is a tradition to keep Nick Ketterling Staff Writer

Emily Demsetz Staff Writer

PHOTO BY VIVIAN HU

For the varsity team, the prestige of being 2012-2013 Marmonte League Champions for the fifth year in a row was especially exciting. Roni Merrill ’16, one of two freshmen on varsity, was thrilled by the triumph, saying, “It’s incredible to see how much our commitment has paid off. I’m proud of my teammates for what they’ve accomplished.” Midfielder Clarice Douille ’15, was delighted, but explains that the victory comes as no surprise. “I felt really happy when we won Marmonte, but it was expected. Our team works incredibly hard to get where we are in the league.” Of course, the varsity girls had to reach an even higher level of determination following their Marmonte win. WORKING TOGETHER: Ishikawa and Molen work as a team during playoffs. Nevertheless, the Warriors In the match against Mira Costa on get this far. We just came up a little bit short proved their worth in the first CIF playoff game against Saugus. The match, tak- Feb. 21, stress levels ran higher and the in the end.” However, the girls had achieved what ing place on Feb. 14, was a quick victory Warriors faced tougher competition. Folfor WHS. Within the first five minutes of lowing Sarah Ishikawa’s ‘14 corner kick, their predecessors could not; they had the game, Arielle Ship ‘13 had scored the Molen scored the sole goal of the game. reached semifinals, a goal that had not been first goal off of an assist by Nicole Molen WHS’s defense never wavered, with Kait- achieved by WHS for 10 years. Kylie Appleford ’16 said, “The bond ‘14. The second, third, and fourth goals of lin Pitcher ‘14, Charlotte Bishop ‘14, Carly the game were scored by McKenna Mas- Pierson ‘14, and Kelsey Kimball ‘15 fight- we share on our team is unparalleled. The passion that you have for the game is what ing against the Mira Costa offense. ters ‘14 and Katelyn Kimball ‘13. However, the season came to an end makes you a victor. The field isn’t just a On Feb. 19, the Varsity girls prevailed yet again. Merrill showed her skill by pro- following the Division 2 Semifinals show- place for us to play; it’s a place for us to do viding Ship and Masters with a vital assist, down against Sunny Hills on Feb. 26. The what we love. It’s a safe haven for all of us. It’s a home.” leading to the first goal scored by Masters. Warriors were dealt a 0-1 loss. The Frosh-Soph team had a successful Coach Frank Marino told the Ventura Following the goal, Masters passed to Ship, who scored the second and third goals of County Star, “We haven’t been to the semi- 15-3 season, while the JV team ended the finals in 10 years and we had good run to campaign with a record of 8-9. the match.

Varsity tennis keeps playoffs in sight

Imagine the year 708 B.C., when the ﬁrst Olympics were held in Greece. Crowds roaring, royalty watching--all the athletes lined up to show off their strength. Competitions included discus, javelin throwing, weight lifting, and of course wrestling. Fast forward a couple thousand years, to 2013. Wrestling has been a tradition in the Olympics since the beginning. But wait! The Olympic committee has decided to drop wrestling from its agenda taking effect in the 2020 Olympic games. Wrestling is the Olympic sport almost every country in the world takes part in. In addition to affecting the Olympics this change affects high school wrestlers who aspire to become Olympic wrestlers. Wrestling fans all over the world are outraged by the IOC's decision to remove the traditional sport and many are even petitioning against the decision. One of the motives for the decision is possibly the sport’s limited commercial appeal, which in turn leads to a lack of sponsorship. Broadcasting companies make less money off of wrestling because it has a small TV viewership. Wrestling is a world wide loved sport which has been around since the beginning of the Olympics. Sadly, economics often are responsible for such drastic changes in long-standing traditions. The Olympic committee and other wrestling related entities don't think too much about the tradition and spirit of wrestling. This compromises the love of the sport coming from fans. Hopefully in the near future the committee will realize its mistake and decide to reinstate the sport back into the agenda of the Olympic Games.

Pick and Choose: Which sports should be in the Olympics?

Pranav Kaygee

Christian Coates

Staff Writer

PHOTO BY VIVIAN HU

Spring marks the start of the tennis season. Tennis coach and retired physical education teacher, Connie Flanderka, as well as Assistant Coach James Azevedo, hope to lead their team to success as they ﬁght for the CIF playoffs. Jeremy Model ‘16, is emerging as a dominating player in the league. As a newcomer to the varsity team, the freshman sensation is looking forward to the promising season as he and his teammates face against some of the toughest teams in California. Model is a top singles player, and has played against tough competitors, earning respect from his teammates. “I’m looking forward to playing with other kids and, well, winning! It’s my ﬁrst year, so I’m excited,” Model said. Returning players are glad to welcome new blood into the program and hope to get some wins under their belt. Sumant Iyer ‘15 said, “This year’s team has a lot of potential. We miss some of our seniors from last year, but we’ve made up for them with some other valuable additions, so we’re looking forward to the season.” Other veterans on the tennis team also enjoy Model’s presence on and off the court. Alexander Loh ‘14 explained the contributions he expects to see this year. “Some of the things I’m looking forward to are seeing the new teammates because there seem to be new faces, like Model and [the] new freshman,” said Loh. “Since a lot of seniors left, we’ll have a lot of incoming players, and I’m very excited

Staff Writer

THROWING IT DOWN: Michael Stevenson battles for WHS in a match against Calabasas.

to meet them.” The team had a strong start with a win against Newbury Park (14-4), but were tripped up during a loss to Calabasas (711). However, they quickly bounced back with blowout wins against Thousand Oaks (14-4) and Moorpark (18-0). “That was the best win against Thou-

sand Oaks in years,” Flanderka said, “I was really pleased.” Varsity doubles player Nathan Noh ‘13 said, “We’re looking for ﬁrst place, but, as always, Calabasas and Thousand Oaks are hard to beat.” The next match for WHS is against Agoura High School on March 21.

When it comes to watching sports, we are a diverse population. Some of us only like fast paced, high scoring kinds of games with a lot of excitement—like basketball. Others prefer games that challenge the mind as well as the body— like wrestling. The Olympics, however, has limitations to what sports they can accommodate. The list of sports changes every year, adding and removing different competitions. Fans have to ask: Which sports should be included and removed in the Olympics? Some of the Olympic competitions are more commonly found in family backyards and barbecues than in competitive environments. I don’t mean to offend anyone, but badminton, weightlifting, and table tennis should not be included at the Olympic games. First of all, how does anyone even get into a competitive ping-pong or badminton league? I have never seen such leagues except at recreational centers or old-folks homes. Also, isn’t weightlifting part of training for pretty much every other sport? It isn’t entertaining to watch a guy simply lift something. People make arguments on which new and trending sports and activities should be recognized all the time. Some of which are understandable, and some, like pole-dancing, just make no sense. The Olympics brings the whole world together for a few weeks every four years to share culture, and is the perfect opportunity to put exciting competitions on display.

SPORTS MARCH 20, 2013

THE ARROW

Girls lacrosse invades West Coast Michelle Noyes Sports Editor

COURTESY PHOTO

Last Friday, on March 15, first year girls lacrosse team won against rival Thousand Oaks High School. WHS was losing at half time 6-10, when the girls became fired up and won 13-12 at the end. Their first win was an away game against Royal High School, 6-3 on March 13. The team competed in its first tournament at Birmingham High School on March 9 and came in third place. New girls coach Brendan Edgerton coached lacrosse on the East Coast for seven years. The head coach for the LOOK OUT LACROSSE: The team displays their third place plaque at Birmingham High School. entire lacrosse program is Dennis Ray. Health teacher Mary Hauser is the assistant coach. ‘16, and Mikaela Vaspe ‘16 lead their and work on teamwork,” said defender Summer Hatae ‘16. “We are all a new team, “It is a privilege to be part of this team freshman team as team captains. in the first year and to be part of the sport “It’s a really cool experience to be the just starting to get the hang of the positions. of lacrosse,” said Edgerton. first girls’ team. Hopefully the sport grows A few experienced girls help the newer Edgerton has two goals for his team more,” said Aherns, who plays goalie, to players.” Most girls on the team have never held this season: to bond and to be a second half the Thousand Oaks Acorn. team. He does not want the girls to quit, The girls practice daily during 7th a lacrosse stick. In fact, only 6 girls have but instead make their comeback at the period and have an extra two hours of played lacrosse before. Despite the girls bitter end of each game. practice after school three or four times just starting, all of the players contribute on “We will always play with class a week depending on games, which are the field. Their next game is on Wed. March 20 and with respect for each other and our twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays. opponents, and we will never give up. The team is composed of 21 freshmen at 6:30 pm away against Simi Valley High Our team is made up of lots of different and one sophomore. In the next few years, School. “No matter what the score is or what personalities; however, when we come girls lacrosse will hopefully become more the adversities are we are going to work as together as a team we are united in our powerful in their league. purpose,” added Edgerton. “We really want to be able to bond as hard as we can to overcome any obstacles,” Bridget Aherns ‘16, Arden Edgerton a team and get to know each other better said Edgerton.

Hassan, wrestling ﬁnish record season Brian Chang

Editor-in-chief

PHOTO BY LIZ MOSSESSIAN

Wrestling concluded its most fruitful season in decades, with success from not only the entire team but also individual stars. For the first time since 1989, the team qualified for CIF competition. Despite a 3-4 record, WHS moved on thanks to a successful petition after placing fourth overall in league. Undoubtedly, the team’s star this year was Amir Hassan ‘13, a four-year varsity member. After earning first place in the 152-pound weight class at both league and CIF championships, Hassan placed fourth at the Southern Section Masters tournament, which hosted wrestlers from over 550 different schools. Hassan was the first individual from WHS to place at the Masters tournament since 1989.

Hassan’s success at the Masters tournament earned him a trip to the state competition, where he lost two consecutive rounds. Hassan expressed his disappointment at the state competition. “The guys at state have been wrestling since they were six or seven, some even younger,” he said. “It’s pretty clear to my coaches and myself that another month or two of practice could’ve made the differences between a win and a loss.” Hassan is looking towards universities such as Northwestern, Duke, and Brown University for potential wrestling scholarships. TAKEDOWN: Hassan won ﬁrst place in league and CIF and fourth at the Masters tournament. He plans on competing at the the 182-pound weight class, also won ﬁrst collegiate level next year. Glenn Castro ‘13, who competed in place in league and third in CIF.

Learning lessons in lacrosse Tara Spencer Sports Editor

Though many may not know it, lacrosse is considered to be America’s very ﬁrst sport. Created by Native Americans, lacrosse was named by French traders and popularized by Canadians. Known as “The Creator’s Game,” Native Americans played lacrosse to resolve conﬂicts, as well as to heal the sick. Lacrosse values agility and coordination over physical strength, allowing smaller players to be equally as effective as the stronger ones. Speed is valued in the fast-paced sport of lacrosse.

Long sprints back and forth along the ﬁeld with startling stops require exceptional alertness, as well as precision when passing to another teammate. Lacrosse has become one of the quickest evolving team sports in the country. According to usalacrosse.org, youth participation in the sport has grown over 138% since 2001 to nearly 300,000. There are also more than 500 college club programs, including around 200 women’s teams that compete at the US Lacrosse Intercollegiate Associates level. For women’s lacrosse, females played under the same rules and equipment as men until the 1930s. After that, while women’s lacrosse remained traditional

with the same rules from the beginning of the sport, men’s was fiercely evolving. As of today, men’s and women’s lacrosse remain similar, however played under different rules. Men’s rules include a limited amount of stick and body contact, but violence is never excused. Although field lacrosse is associated with violence and danger, statistics are contradictory. The game is designed to primarily focus on safety, although serious injuries do occur periodically. Safety is a major focus for US Lacrosse and the Sports Science and Safety Committee, which specifically researches injury data and recommends ways to keep the game as safe and practicable as possible.

Uphill road for softball Kelli DaRin

Advertising Manager It’s time to play ball—softball, that is. With the season just starting, the softball team is prepared for what is ahead of them. This year’s team is extremely young as they have no seniors and only three returning juniors. Coach John Ashley stated that his varsity team, “may not make it to playoffs this year but it is all about having the right players compared to having the best players.” The varsity team welcomes pitcher Meehra Nelson ’15, who transferred from Moorpark High School to WHS this semester. Ashley stated, “Their success depends on Meehra. She is extremely accurate and fast which is actually what they needed.” Nelson will help keep a tight game for WHS as she does not allow many players to get on base, but the team needs to execute the play accurately from there. Team captains, Karli Skrowup ’14 and Sarah Ho ’15, are preparing their team for what is to come this season. They will lead their team through the highs and lows. Skrowup stated that, “It’s going to be a slow start in the beginning, but as time goes by the team will mature and learn to understand the game better.” Every week the softball team has dinners in order to have the team bond. Ho stated, “It is all about team bonding and chemistry, which we will acquire over time.” Although, the players are young, they possess great spirit and drive.

Boys golf on a winning streak Heidi Chiu Staff Writer

Varsity golf has yet to lose a match. Led by Coach Rick Naranjo and team captains Brandon Kelley ‘13 and AJ Hopkins ‘13, this team has won all six games. With a couple younger players, the seven freshmen on the team have proved themselves on varsity. Jack Biwer ‘16 has already received letters from the University of Arizona and Oregon State University expressing interest in him. Biwer is grateful to be on the varsity team. “Boys varsity golf is a great experience, and is helping me prepare for college golf,” said Biwer. The sport is as demanding emotionally as it is physically. William Barrett ‘14 said, “It’s fun, but very intense. Golf requires physical and mental strength. Not only does a golfer need tons of practice to hone your swing and power, we also have to concentrate for four hours at a time.” Jack Kramer ‘13 agrees: “It’s hard to stay focused throughout the entire four hours,” says Kramer. As an upper classman, Kramer hopes “to help the team improve and grow.” On March 7 the team won by over 100 strokes against Thousand Oaks High School. So far, boy’s golf is on its way to victory.

SLAM DUNK

SPORTS

THE ARROW

MARCH 20, 2013

HALL OF FAME First Time winning playoffs EVER Second Most points in Ventura County history First Time winning league in 17 years PHOTOS BY LAUREN CHIN

League Champions earn trip to

State Regional semiﬁnals Kallyn Hobmann Staﬀ Writer

Earning the Marmonte League championship would have been enough, but once the opportunity to play at the regional state level became a reality, Coach Rob Bloom and his team gave it their best shot, moving all the way to the regional semifinals. Hopes were high until they confronted a larger team, Riverside-JW North on March 12. In a 58-50 loss the boys basketball team came the closest to playing for a state title in the history of WHS basketball. Coach Bloom can take credit for leading his team to a 28-win historic season that included the first Marmonte League Championship in 17 years. Feeling that he has created a team that will be competitive, Bloom sees a future for WHS basketball. The Warriors went to their first playoff game against the La Habra High School Highlanders on Feb. 15. They won the

game with a final score of 88-44, and went on to play the Newport Harbor Sailors. After their 87-78 win, the Warriors moved on to beat Beaumont High School 82-33, and the Tesoro Titans with a final score of 60-51. On March 6, the boys defeated Arroya Grande High Schools 72-45, and on March 9, they kept up their winning streak as they won 66-64 against La Costa Canyon. On March 12, the boys went on to play JW North High School in the state regional semifinals. By halftime, they had built a 3125 lead. As the fourth quarter began, WHS pushed their lead to 42-35, but JW North fought to catch up, and with 4:21 left, they had earned 10 points, earning a lead of 4542. By the end of the fourth quarter, JW North had won. Although their season ended there, the boys basketball team had earned trips to CIF-SS Division-2A final and Division II regional semifinal. The Warriors have set a new standard for their future seasons.

y favorite memory from this season was deﬁnitely beating Calabasas to win the MAD Marmonte championship. Everyone contributed, and we made history. We were the ﬁrst team to win league in 17 years. It was the greatest feeling ever. -Jon Schneider ‘13