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Westlake High School VOLUME XXXIV, ISSUE 1
WHS State Rank Jumps from 24 to 11 Brian Chang
Managing Editor
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Page 14 Paige Rasmussen ‘14 spikes the volleyball against TOHS.
100 N. LAKEVIEW CANYON ROAD, WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA 91362
‘12
September 23, 2011
OBEY YOUR SENIORS: (clockwise from top) Seniors scream for the first rally of the year. WHS Cheer shows off its professional stunts. Sam Wilson, Jason Blank, Javi Venegas, and Giuliana PeBenito channel their inner superheroes.
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE KIM
As a result of improvements in academic performance and provisions for school lunch programs, rankings for WHS in both the state and nation have increased this year. From a ranking of 241 in the nation and 24 in the state, WHS saw a huge improvement of 104 in the nation and 11 in the state. According to a recent Newsweek study, WHS ranked 11 overall of all high schools in California. However, two of the ten schools that rank above WHS do not match WHS in terms of enrollment and selection of students. Thus, among schools that are similar to WHS, it ranks ninth in the state. Assistant Principal of Instruction Nicole Judd explained the reasons for such a jump. The “success of our AP program and our students’ outstanding performance on the AP tests” were the main reasons for the significant increase in school ranking. Generally speaking, school rankings are determined by a variety of factors, mainly pertaining to academic success and certain services that each school provides. According to Judd, “AP tests taken, Scores on AP tests, Free and Reduced Lunch Program, and number of AP/CP courses offered are all examples of factors that affect a school’s ranking.” “This year we added AP Human Geography for 9th grade students and brought back AP Computer Science,” Judd added. Offering such classes helps increase school rankings, as more opportunities for students inevitably increases academic performance overall. School rankings play a factor in a number of decisions, including college admissions. Although some schools now focus more on SAT scores and GPA, collegeboard.com states that “most large state universities, however, still require applicants to report class [and school] rank (as do many scholarship programs), and rely on it to help sort through the high volume of applications received.” Thus, it does help students significantly if school rankings are high. The huge jump in rankings this year will indeed help seniors applying for college this year. Keeping the rankings high will take the effort of both the school and students. In order to maintain or even improve the school ranking as time goes on, the school plans to “continue to offer AP courses that are challenging for students,” according to Judd.
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Five new teachers join WHS faculty and adjust to the Warrior World.
Varsity Tennis player, Sarah Contrata ‘13 volleys against TOHS.
Super Seniors Steal Rally Spotlight
Shannon Reiffen
Entertainment Editor Seniors secured the golden crowns before entering the gym for the Welcome Back Rally held on Sept. 16, marking the beginning of the football season, and exited the victors of the first class competition. The theme for this year’s Welcome Back Rally was superheroes: seniors found inspiration in Batman; juniors, Spiderman; sophomores, Superman; and freshmen, the Hulk. ASG member Emily Detweiler ‘12, expressed confidence that the rally would be “better than last year’s. We’re going
big this year.” The seniors will continue to press for wins, as they need the money to support Prom 2012. This year’s MCs, Lovell Hairston II and Rami Saifan, ‘12 are really excited to get the school spirited. “Expect us to be dressing fresh and coming out with a surprise every time,” said Hairston. “We just want to get across to people and have some fun,” said Saifan. Homecoming lunch rallies are scheduled for the week of Oct. 10-14. Nominations for Homecoming princes, princesses, king and queen took place Sept. 20.
The Homecoming theme this year is TV stations: seniors are Nickelodeon, juniors are Cartoon Network, sophomores are TLC and freshmen are Disney Channel. The dance, also TV-station themed, will be Oct. 15. ASG member Nicki Ghazarian ‘12 said they are considering a new DJ—one that comes with “cool lighting and new and different decorations. We are thinking it’s time to try something new when it comes to music.” “We’re just excited to be fun and goofy and not get in trouble for it,” said Hairston.
Summer of Change and New Commitments Michelle Noyes News Editor
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MR. AND MRS. RUDAS: Bride Diane Blackburn and groom Roland Rudas celebrate their occasion. The wedding was held at Spanish Hills Country Club on July 2.
Summer time was busy for many WHS teachers. Two are newly married and another two teachers are planning their weddings. Other teachers expanded their families and some will do so this year. This summer ASG Adviser Diane Blackburn got married on July 2. Blackburn and her husband Roland Rudas had their wedding at the Spanish Hills Country Club with 200 guests in attendance. The WHS String Quartet played at the ceremony and the ROP Floral Design teacher Debbie Alvarez arranged the flowers. The pink and green color scheme complimented the romantic garden theme. Blackburn said a fun detail to her wedding was, “each guest received homemade jam made by Cheri Blackburn.” New mother English teacher Kari Ballard had her twins, a boy and girl, Shane and Clara, on Aug. 1. Taking a leave of absence for the semester, she is presently at home caring for the twins. Patti Davis has taken her classes.
Cassie Sandifer of the College and Career Center is expecting her first child, a baby girl, due on Dec. 23.. Spanish teacher Jennifer Garcia is planning a wedding for Nov 25. Her fiance is Steven Modolo, WHS shot put and distance coach for track and field. “I have always imagined my wedding to be traditional but at the same time very young and hip,” said Garcia. “Seeing my fiance's reaction when he sees me for the first time walking down the aisle with my wedding dress,” will be one of the most exciting parts of her wedding, said Garcia. Science teacher Kyle Skaff got engaged over the summer. His fiance, Kristen Rose, is a WHS graduate and the daughter of WHS choir director Alan Rose. The wedding date is set for next July. “A hidden or underlying theme is Maui. That is where I proposed to her,” said Skaff about his July 21 summer wedding next year. The most recent teacher wedding was that of Band Director Brian Peter. His wedding was held at the Westlake Village Inn on Sept. 4, after which he and new wife left for a two-week honeymoon in Europe.
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In Brief Studio Jazz and Choir Perform in Benefit Concert To benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Ventura County, WHS studio jazz and choir will perform in “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” on Sept. 30. Featuring music from the Depression era, the concert will be held in the Fred Kavli Theatre of the Civic Arts Plaza. Choir Director Alan Rose said, ”It is a great way to spend a Friday night.” Tickets start at $75.
Teen Center Holds ‘Skyline Saturday’ Concert Local Thousand Oaks Teen Center will host an exciting concert, “Skyline Saturday” on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. The concert includes multiple bands such as Bad Suns, Eyes on the Skyline, Jetstream, and My Distractions. Tickets are $5.00 at the door and the event is open to all ages. Food and drinks are available.
Preparations Underway for Early WASC Visit Michelle Noyes News Editor
Six years ago WHS earned the highest accreditation a high school can receive from Western Association, a full six year accreditation on the last visit. WASC is short for Western Association of Schools and Colleges. WASC is the association that accredits public schools, private schools and colleges. “Accreditation is important to schools as it impacts students’ access to colleges and universities and career opportunities in a variety of ways. An effective WASC self-study review is a powerful tool for schools to improve the quality of education and more effectively serve staff
Lightning Strikes WHS Graduate “Why not?” was Jennifer King’s ‘92 life motto. WHS alumna King was struck by lightning and died vacationing in Costa Rica on Aug. 11. Jennifer and three friends were driving ATVs when a lightning storm hit. King was unable to escape. King worked as an occupational therapist in the area.
the visitation team” added Dr. Looker. Dr. Looker explained the school’s three main goals: 1. WHS will increase student achievement in reading, writing, and math to more effectively meet the needs of all students, specifically English Language Learners and at risk students. 2. WHS will increase student achievement in English Language Arts and math for all students 3. WHS will increase student support to help meet the needs of all students so that students continue to achieve at the “proficient” and above level on CST/CaHSEE test, and continue to post yearly gains. The committee is set to visit for three days starting on Oct. 24.
Jilian Penn
Subject: English At what point did you know you wanted to be a teacher? I didn’t realize I wanted to be a teacher until I graduated college and moved to Germany. I taught English to high school students there and was immediately hooked. Would you rather speak everything on your mind or never speak again? Why? I would rather never speak again. It would force me to work on my creative writing!
Emily Dale
Subject: History What attracted you to the subject you teach? History is interesting to me because it is essentially the study of human beings and how they have interacted with each other and the world over the course of time. At what point did you know that you wanted to be a teacher? I knew that I wanted to be a teacher my freshman year of college! Would you rather be able to fly or read minds? I would rather fly.
C-Span Sponsors Video Contest C-Span Classroom is offering a student documentary competition for all students between grades 6-12. Students must create a video relating to “The U.S. Constitution and You.” Students may compete in a team of up to three people or individually. All videos must be between 5-8 minutes and must be turned in to C-Span by midnight on Jan. 20, 2012. There is $50,000 in prizes. For more information and rules about the competition, visit www.studentcam.org.
and students” said School to Career Coordinator Dr. Laurie Looker. Principals, administrators, and teachers from schools around California are part of the WASC committee who will visit. Linda S. Evans is the chair in the group of seven. Members include Justin Bartle, Griselda A. Delgado, Elizabeth Garica, Robert K. Lawrence, Win Saw, and Brooke Thomas. Every student is able to help with the WASC visit. “The student body can participate in the WASC process by welcoming the visitation team and sharing their thoughts about WHS. Our student body is the major component of our school and we want everyone to interact with
New Teachers Share Desire To Teach
U.S. Institute of Peace Holds Essay Contest The National Peace Essay Contest aims to stimulate debate among high school students regarding international peace and conflict resolution. To enter, interested students need to write a 1,500 word essay regarding the impact of media on peace, focusing on how “new media” such as Facebook and YouTube can help end conflict. Winning essays can earn scholarship awards of up to $10,000, and an all-expenses paid educational program in Washington, D.C. for a week. Essays are due by Feb. 1, 2012. Visit http:// www.usip.org/npecce for more information.
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
Jennifer White Subject: Math
What attracted you to the subject you teach? I have always enjoyed doing math and helping others to understand the concepts of Algebra and Geometry. Who is your favorite singer? Any Country singer is fine by me. What is your favorite travel destination? I absolutely love being in Hawaii. The smell just getting off the airplane is heavenly to me.
Joey Lang
Subject: Visual And Technical Arts What attracted you to the subject you teach? “It’s the thing I was always good at. It’s always been fun for me.” Who is your favorite heartthrob? “Olivia Wilde” What would be your dream superpower? My dream superpower would be to be a shape-shifter.
Patti Davis
Subject: English What attracted you to the subject you teach? I love literature and making learning fun for students At what point did you know you wanted to be a teacher? When I was a little girl. I used to make my brother be the student. Who is your favorite actor? I’m pretty crazy about Jake Gyllenhal. What is your favorite travel destination? My favorite places I’ve traveled are the Fiji Islands.
17 Earn National Merit Standing
Yangzong Guo Staff Writer
Seventeen seniors this year qualified as semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Competition. Seniors Meini Cheng, Kevin Chian, Aaron Demsetz, Frank Duan, William Green, Jordan Hannel, Shobha Jagannatham, Allen Li, Fandi Lin, Katherine Sun, Alper Vural, Siyuan Wang, Nelson Wu, Haikuo Yin, Heiwon Yoon, Joyce Zhang, and Allison Zhong are among the group of 16,000 qualifiers announced by the National Merit Scholar Corporation, and are competing to win the $2500 scholarship. Winning the National Merit Scholarship is no easy feat. Approximately 50,000 students each year qualify for recognition based on their PSAT/NMSQT scores, and only a fraction of these students receive scholarship checks. Recognition from the National Merit program can boost students’ chances of getting accepted into a good college and add a little spark to their college applications. This competition began originally with over 1.5 million entrants, with 50,000 high scoring students advancing to the next stage, and finally the 16,000 highest scoring students recognized as semifinalists. Although information regarding the minimum score on the PSAT to qualify for the National Merit is confidential, the best guess is that students who earn a 200 and above (out of a possible 240) gain recognition by the National Merit Program. These semifinalists must fulfill additional requirements and advance as finalists in the competition in order to be considered for a scholarship. Early next year, 15,000 of the 16,000 semifinalists will advance to the finalist standing; they must submit the PSAT/NMSQT scores that confirms their performance, submit an application that includes high school courses and grades, extracurricular activities, and write an essay describing themselves. All finalists receive a Certificate of Merit for their outstanding performance in the competition. About 8,200 of the 15,000 finalists earn Merit Scholarship awards. However, those who do not win a scholarship receive many other awards and services, such as a letter of commendation or recognition as an Honorary Merit Scholar.
TAKE NOTE ... UPCOMING
EVENTS
SEPT. AND OCT.
School Holiday: Sept. 29 Homecoming Voting: Oct. 3-5 Club Rush Oct. 21
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Opinion
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
The Dream Act:
Dream come true for students, or nightmare for California tax payers? CON PRO Monica Huskins
Vivian Xu
Staff Writer
Staff Writer California’s State Senate is on its way to approving the California Dream Act of 2011, an act which allows illegal aliens to be granted the opportunity to apply for a public scholarship. With the aid of the Dream Act, undocumented students will be able to get a higher education with a well-deserved scholarship. There are, however, requirements; the program is limited to high school graduates who have attended a California high school for at least three years, and have no criminal record. These students will be able to receive the public aid they deserve; if they work hard to achieve grades worthy of a scholarship, they should be able to receive the same opportunities as any other hardCROSSING THE BORDER: The opportunity for aliens to receive scholarships in America will increase working student. illegal immigration. Offering college scholarships will encourage illegal students to become prosome college education. A formal college In Georgia, the Board of Regents ductive factors of California’s labor force. It education is not necessary to become a banned illegal students benefitting from is crucial for California’s economic future member of the middle class, of course, but the Dream Act from access to the top five that immigrant students are fitted with the it is difficult to rely on pure self-taught skill universities due to space limitations, but alnecessary skills to replace the thousands of to adequately provide for oneself. lowed access to all other institutions. When baby boomers set to retire. By denying illegal immigrants the enrolled, these students would be required Most people stereotype illegal immi- chance at a higher education, we are deny- under state law to pay out-of-state tuition, grants as poverty risks, who do not partici- ing them a chance at a better income and which creates a profit for the colleges they pate in the work force. The act merely re- life. attend. According to an analysis done by inforces that stereotype by denying further Many Californians’ main concern is the Board of Regents, their enrollment is education to illegal students. that illegal students will take up and limit not subsidized by taxpayers. California Even with excellent grades in high the possible space in colleges normally re- could easily do the same, limiting the most school, anyone without a higher educa- served for legal students, and that Califor- sought-after colleges to legal students but tion is unlikely to exceed beyond the lower nia cannot afford to provide public aid to allowing illegal students to pursue higher middle class, which the majority has had legal students. education at more vacant schools. This bill gives illegal immigrants the confidence and opportunity to pursue higher education. The legislation should encourage learning and reward hard work. Illegal students deserve an opportunity to contribute to the country they have known as their home.
TRENDS SPEAK: With a drop in illegal immigrantion in recent years, many question whether or not the Dream Act will increase illegal immigration to its former levels.
Dream Act. The name says it all. A dream is not reality, but rather a fantasy within one’s mind. Here, dream stands for U.S. Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors. The Dream Act will allow illegal aliens who have lived and studied in America for a period of time the opportunity to gain scholarships and amnesty. The act would allow for immigrants to receive higher education for two years, or obtain residency for two years after six years of military service. The bill uses character as a means of selection, and the bill includes illegal immigrants up to the age of 35. “Why are we as Americans promoting illegal immigration? There is no reason why we should be giving more incentives to come to the country criminally,” said Rachel Phillips ’12. Within this “dream” is the misconception that it will cost tax payers nothing until 2020. What the act fails to mention is that after 2020 the cost will increase exponentially. There is no new source of revenue coming out of this bill. Additionally, the American taxpayer will receive the footing of the bill. “Our government is already so greatly in debt, they should first spend money helping the country’s citizens before aiding illegal aliens,” said Elizabeth Matusov ’12. The alternative included in the bill is for illegal immigrants to join the military. So, while the government is searching for a way to reduce military spending, the bill makers want to push millions of people into the military. When immigrants spend a couple years in the military they are given a lifetime of benefits, such as health care, education, and citizenship. From a student’s point of view, it is hard to allow immigrant students to go to college when they take spots away from legal students. “I believe the major issue with the law is how subjective it is. Yes, a person might have legal good character (no felonies and arrests) but they might not have quality moral character,” said Jacquie Teobaldi ‘13. The Dream Act rewards criminals living here illegally. If our country starts to reward unlawful behavior, it would not come as a surprise that more illegal immigration would follow. America should be for advocating for legal immigration and earning citizenship, not granting a costly pathway to citizenship.
Orwellian Curfew in Philadelphia Needed to Protect City Orly Greenberg Opinion Editor
by the curfew end where the rights of those attacked begin. It is the country’s responsibility to protect all citizens, and if Philadelphia allowed potentially dangerous people to roam the streets and put others in danger, Mayor Nutter would fail his city. While some may agree with the curfew itself, they may not necessarily believe that fining parents is just. After all, there is only so much a parent can do. It may be fair in saying that parents are not entirely a mob Mess: Flash mobs create utter chaos in Philadelphia. responsible, as they can only control their children to a certain extent. few, parents will be less willing to of Philadelphia deserve to know However, the fines provide let their child out. that they will be safe in their city. a better alternative to jail time. While his tactics may be se- And really, why bother with vioAlso, with the knowledge that vere, Mayor Nutter’s policies lent flash mobs when dance ones they will have to pay a fine if their work. Violent actions deserve ex- are all the more fun for all inchild is caught out past the cur- treme consequences, and citizens volved?
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Whatever happened to flash mobs? You know, the ones where people would break out into a highly choreographed dance number. Now the only flash mobs America sees are violent rampages in which teenagers brutally rob and beat citizens. Flash mobs have been a growing problem over the last several years, particularly in Philadelphia. However, the violent mobs were brought to the public eye after the July 29 attack, in which more than 20 Philadelphian youths beat and robbed innocent bystanders. This attack led the mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, to instate a strict curfew, which states that “residents younger than 13 will have to be home by 10 p.m., while those under 18 can be out until midnight,” according to www.businessinsider.com. Additionally, those under 18 are banned from downtown after 9 p.m on Fridays and Saturdays. Those who break the curfew once
will be fined $300, “while repeat offenders could face tickets as high as $500,” according to the BBC. Parents of the accused may be held responsible for their children But is this curfew constitutional? It blatantly breaks the First Amendment, which protects the right to assemble. Most of the country has been bitterly divided over the issue; some insist that the curfew is unjust, while others believe that it is helpful in a country where organized crime is common. And while citizens bicker over the fairness of the curfew, they fail to notice the most important aspect of the decision: 50 teens were arrested for breaking curfew. While the curfew might be unfair, it is working. Admittedly, the concept sounds distinctly oppressive, and there is the possibility that an innocent teen who does not keep track of time will get fined. However, as the saying goes, “the right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins.” The rights of those affected
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September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
Letter from the Editor
Girls State Offers Resounding Lessons of Courage, Patriotism, Conviction
Lisa Battaglia
participated in discussion groups, Party meetings Over summer for either the vacation, I met Whigs or the representative girls from Tories, campaigns, almost every high school and Senate/ of California at Girls Assembly meetings. State. June 26, 474 girls We developed gathered at Claremont understandings McKenna College for of how to pass one week to learn lessons legislation, create about patriotism, spirit, party platforms, and strength, and courage. peacefully debate Each girl brought current issues that a unique quality to face politicians the program: one girl today. Each Girls is publishing her own State citizen was book; another started her asked to bring a bill own business, and one to Claremont for her never stopped smiling-senator to evaluate even in her sleep. and present at Upon arrival, the Helping heroes: Girls State attendees put together Hero Packs for the military youth. Senate meetings. girls were divided into Our voices four counties and 16 were heard as cities. They were responsible for addressing goal was to provide a tangible way to gives our platforms took shape. (If only the five tasks everyday. These tasks became thanks to the military youth for the service U.S. Congress could have witnessed the the foundation of each day: with agendas they give while their loved ones serve for cooperative spirit, seriousness of purpose, and purpose to improve our counties and our country. and determination to complete our subsequently our state, we set out on our Task three: Be patriotic. Guest speaker assignments!) mission: Task five: Have fun. On the last day of Shannon Geaney, currently a homicide Task one: Be communicative. detective for the LAPD, shaped the lives our week-long adventure, the Mock Trial Communicating and working together with of us all on Wednesday night. She taught girls, including me, presented a dramatic nearly 500 girls—all assertive, confident, us to be passionate, be charismatic, and be trial that we had prepared. Presiding and smart—can be very intimidating. All thankful for the country we live in. After over the trial as the Superior Court Judge instinctively made the introduction stage serving in the Marines, Geaney worked gave me a momentary glimpse into pleasant. No mean girls here: all were nice, with a force that connected injured soldiers responsibilities of a judge. It was the final personable, helpful, and engaging. After who were located in Europe with their day and the defendants, victim, and other all each had a story to tell and we were all families back home, changing the lives attorneys became eager and frantic at eager to connect, knowing that we would of many. As she called the loved ones of times. The verdict to the mock case closed know one another for a brief week. injured soldiers, she said “I’m the second when the defendant was ordered to serve Task two: Be generous. Helping to last person you want to hear from.” Her 25 years tied to Snooki. Our laughs were an others was key at Girls State, and nothing simple stories put many aspects of life essential balance to the hard work we had became more important to us that day we take for granted into perspective. Just accomplished throughout that week. than helping children whose parents telling one person “thank you” for all the With those five tasks, I request WHS are serving our country. We donated to hard work they do serving our country to do the same in these short years of high Operation Military Kids. Thousands and can make the slightest difference. After she school and for the rest of their lives: make thousands of children’s items piled up and finished her speech and gained 474 die- positive first impressions; help others; be into backpacks to give to the thousands of hard fans, she sang “God Bless the USA” proud of our country by telling one soldier brave children whose mother or father is along with all Girls Staters, demonstrating “thank you” or by saying the Pledge of serving to protect our lives everyday. Girls American pride. Allegiance every morning; stand up for State sent 300 “Hero Packs” that night. Our Task four: Be heard. All girls your convictions, and have fun. Editor-in-chief
PHoto by Lisa Battaglia
Moving Toward Gender Equality pay. A study done by the National Women’s Law Center reveals that women No longer on average still make are women living only 77 cents for every in the United dollar paid to their States prohibited male counterparts. “If from voting. No a man and a woman longer are these do the same job and women publicly do it equally well, then denigrated as there is no reason for a the inferior sex. man to get paid more,” No longer are said Bella Gomez ’13. American women Gender inequality forced to keep exists at home as well. “making those Even in today’s age sandwiches” of equality, Census while the men Bureau statistics show “bring home a 15% increase in the the bacon.” For number of stay-atthese reasons, home moms in less and many more, than ten years. In fact, our age has been while researching extolled as an high-powered couples era of acceptance who announced their and equality, Uneven Pay: Women make only 77 cents for every dollar made by male counterparts. weddings in the New a generation in which women can flourish in a man’s 47% of the labor force, they make up only York Times in 1996, lawyer, philosophy professor, and author Linda Hirshman world without fear of belittlement. three percent of Fortune 500 CEOs. Despite this progress, women’s An even more sinister threat that was astonished to discover that “eightyrights groups, such as the Committee haunts the hallways of the workplace five percent of the women in [her] sample on the Convention on the Elimination of is sexual harassment; as reported by [were] staying home either full-time or Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the United States Equal Employment part-time.” Despite these inequities, women have believe that sexual inequality still thrives. Opportunity Commission, 83.6% of the Such injustices are still prevalent in 11,717 sexual harassment cases in 2010 made and continue to make impressive progress toward sexual equality. It is only the workplace. Women are often passed were reported by women. up on numerous opportunities that their According to the Los Angeles Times, a matter of time and effort till we live in a male counterparts receive. According to the one of the greatest impediments against world in which women are given the same Mineola Patch, although women make up equal gender rights is the inequality in rights as men.
Harry Chung Staff Writer
Hurt Caused by Hazing Meini Cheng
Opinion Editor In the dictionary, hazing is a noun defined as “subjection to harassment or ridicule.” College fraternities and sororities are notorious for incidents of hazing when they induct new members. Incoming freshmen at universities and colleges all over the nation are eager to join Greek life. Because of relatives, the media, and other social factors, fraternities and sororities have often been portrayed as a tightly-knit group of close friends. Joining a fraternity or sorority can be seen as a way of automatically entering a circle of friends in college. Therefore, Greek life can be a very positive, enriching part of a student’s life. A student in a fraternity or a sorority is immersed into a group of friends with common interests and goals. Students automatically enter a group in which they are accepted. However, in many of these institutions, the process of hazing is out of hand. Tracy Maxwell, the executive director of Hazing Prevention, a leading non-profit organization working against hazing, said, “Some of the hazing happening today is for entertainment purposes, based around ‘Let’s see what we can get them to do.” This past February, a 19-year-old sophomore at Cornell University was involved in “a hazing episode that included mock kidnapping, ritualized humiliation, and coerced drinking,” said the New York Times. As a result of this student’s death, the case is still being processed in the courts. The other students involved have been dismissed from the university and the fraternity chapter has been closed. Drinking, drug use, emotional blackmail, and humiliating acts are a few hazing methods that not only threaten students’ physical health but also psychological well-being. Hazing has been dealt with as a crime in the state of New York ever since 1983. Although “hazing” no longer exists there, it still continues under the name “pledging.” “National fraternities and sororities should end pledging across all campuses. I directed student leaders of Cornell’s Greek chapters to develop a system of member recruitment and initiation that does not involve pledging,” said David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University. Skorton defines “pledging” as “the performance of demeaning or dangerous acts as a condition of membership.” The consequences of pledging often include bullying, humiliation, and the destruction of self-esteem. In more serious cases, the results can be fatal. Although it is important for students to show commitment and dedication to their chapter, the methods of doing so should not be detrimental to their physical or emotional health. Some advocates against pledging have even suggested banning Greek life altogether. However, Greek life has long been a part of many universities’ culture and campus environment. Not all forms of pledging are harmful. It is only the ones that involve binge drinking, dangerous activities, or other deprecating and humiliating actions that should be banned. Hazing does not need to continue as the key to entering a fraternity or a sorority. According to Sally SpencerThomas, a suicide expert and author of Violence Goes to College, there are “other proven ways to forge bonds than to hurt people.”
Opinion
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
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Jobs Steps Down Leaving Hole in Apple Tim Cook now leads the expanding empire of Apple after former CEO Steve Jobs retired for health issues. announcements, Apple shares have already fallen 5%. The moment Furthermore, Steve Jobs, CEO and Cook appears as an co-founder of the energetic executive powerhouse company who single-handedly Apple, announced pulled Apple out of that he was retiring in manufacturing, closing mid-August, it became factories around the effective immediately. world, in an effort to When Jobs said, “I stem losses. The First have always said that if Post has even called there ever came a day him an “emotional when I could no longer workaholic.” meet my duties and From the expectations as Apple’s difference in the two CEO, I would be the company leaders first to let you know,” alone, the company he was not kidding. itself could very well The sudden start down a different replacement of Jobs END OF AN ERA: The genius behind Apple gave notice that he would no longer act as road diverging off of as the head of Apple CEO. iPhones and iPads into came as a shock to their a new technological In fact, stocks even grew for Apple territory. If so, Apple may or may not lose company’s zealous fan base. However, despite the immediate replacement of Jobs, within that amount of time. However, while its touch and be able to create something as many sources and people approve of the some believe that Apple will be fine, others popular as the iPhone. feel that Apple will face many obstacles in new CEO. The people under Jobs may still hold Meet Tim Cook. Jobs recruited Cook the future. Job’s approach to his company their loyalty to him. In fact, the first time to Apple in 1998, according to Wall Street was straightforward and simple. Jobs left Apple, it nearly went bankrupt. If As a man who stands his ground, he the workers are reluctant to join Cook, then Journal, and had already worked at IBM and Compaq before joining Apple. Cook pushed through on “every detail and had they could have issues in the long-term. already has experience dealing with the been the public face of just about every Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to be a problem daily work of his new position since he major product launch in the last decade,” as of now, and Steve Jobs will still be an took over when Jobs took his medical leave stated The First Post. influential figure and lend his expertise However, Cook’s business strategies and experience as the chairman of Apple. for nearly six months. Back in January when Jobs was on will most likely be different from Job’s. The While Cook probably won’t live up to leave, Cook stood in for him, carrying out company could be affected by something the name of Steve Jobs, he is by far the most the duties as the CEO and passing with as simple as the different personalities ideal choice for the next generation of the of the company leaders. Since the Apple. flying colors.
Vallia Yu
Staff Writer
A Dash of Sanity: A “Fresh” Look at School
Dashiell Young-Saver Editor-in-chief
COURTESY PHOTO
I recently had an enlightening conversation with a freshman. The five of you who have actually decided to keep on reading after that first line are awesome. Thank you for having faith. I saw a freshman looking towards the top of Building 4 on the first day of school. I could tell that he was a freshman by the pacifier in his mouth and the Toy Story lunch box and Toy Story backpack combo on his person. I had seen many freshmen before, looking at buildings with lost expressions. But there was no loss in his face, just wonder. So, I did my best Michael Jackson impression and snuck up on the small child. I asked, “Whatcha lookin’ at?” A little flustered, he replied, “That building.” I had seen that building many times before. I had been inside it, dropped things from it, and failed many exams in it. It is really nothing special. “You look way too interested to be looking at that,” I replied. “It’s just so high...” Must be three stories at least!” “You are really good at counting. Which school did you go to?” “Los Cerritos.” That explains it. Los Cerritos kids are good at counting because, like any prison inmate, they tally the days on the windowless walls until they are released. I attended Los Cerritos, so I should know. I stared at Building 4 with my freshman pal. I stared, and the social anxiety, the nervousness, the bewilderment of freshman year all came rushing back. WHS was so intimidating yet exciting. I felt like I was seeing boring Building 4 for the first time, again. Then I heard him say, “I wonder what the next four years will be like.” Where did the years go? It seemed like yesterday that I was a freshman, trying to spot the secret “faculty pool” on the roof of Building 1 that a senior had told me about. I can’t even remember sophomore year. They should take out the “more” from sophomore. Maybe it just means that you aren’t a freshman any-“more.” Junior year is a blur too (probably a side effect of the sleepless nights of doing homework). There are labor laws that prohibit the excessive working of “minors”; there should be at least one that does the same for “juniors.” At first, four years of high school seemed like a long time. But now, it feels like the first three years have gone by like short weekdays, and it’s Friday night. We look forward to the weekend, the shortest but most exciting part of a calendar week. I have come to take the school for granted. As kings of the school, seniors need to see WHS through a fresh set of eyes—or a freshman’s set of eyes—and enjoy it fully as a true kingdom. It is our last chance. I thanked the freshman, and, before I left, I told him about the faculty pool on the roof of Building 1.
The World in Our Pockets— Just Not at School Skye Kriger Staff Writer
As technology advances at an exponential speed, our lives are simultaneously becoming incredibly convenient. In 1973, the invention of the first practical handheld mobile phone was considered a huge leap in science; now, with the development of smartphones with internet connection, we can carry the world in our back pockets. Aside from the infinite amount of information available to us via our “intelligent phones,” the hundreds of thousands of applications created for them maximize the phones’ capabilities. We can go on Facebook wherever we are, listen to the radio, or even look up movie times and ratings on the way to the theaters. Our individual knowledge is expanding greatly and we are able to accomplish more at a faster speed than ever before. Yet, once we are put in a school environment, where often times cell phones are banned entirely or only allowed before and after school hours, our abilities are completely inhibited. Instead of looking up passages online, we use printed passages; if we all could just access the same page on our phones, we could save paper, ink, and class time. Instead of going as a class to the library or the computer lab to research, we could complete projects without leaving the classroom. The benefits to allowing smartphone usage during class are numerous. Using the calendar tool, students can easily keep track of school work without having to write everything down in an assignment notebook. By setting reminders, students can avoid forgetting about tests or missing appointments.
The camera function can be used to take quick pictures of information on the board when pen and paper are not readily available; the video camera can be used to record a lab so that observations can be recorded after the fact. Many parents support the allowance of phones because they feel more at ease knowing that their children will have a means of contacting them in case of emergency. Without cell phones, calls between parents and children would have to be done through the office--a method that is time-consuming and impractical. An obvious argument against allowing smartphones in class would be the issue of cheating. However, by having students turn in phones during tests, this issue could be easily resolved. “If I use my phone in class, it is usually to use my dictionary app or to take a picture of a list of homework answers our teacher put up on the board,” said Alex Nutkiewicz ‘12. “Teachers should adapt to and embrace the benefits of technology.” Some schools already provide students with personal laptops, so why not smartphones? Smartphones are more economical and compact. Now, they even have the capability of laptop computers. Currently, 28.8% of the American population (38% of mobile users) own smartphones, according to eMarketer. While the number of smartphone users is not quite enough to cause a drastic shift towards smartphone usage, schools can definitely begin to consider the possibilities of new technology. “Although I don’t see the school allowing cell phones in class for obvious reasons, we can definitely move towards integrating modern technology into our classrooms to help enhance learning,” said Assistant Principal Nicole Judd.
THE WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL
ARROW
100 N. Lakeview Canyon Road Westlake Village, CA 91362 (805) 497-6711 ext. 4225 westlakearrow@yahoo.com
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Lisa Battaglia, Dashiell Young-Saver MANAGING EDITOR Brian Chang NEWS EDITOR Michelle Noyes OPINION EDITORS Meini Cheng, Orly Greenberg FEATURE EDITORS Nicolette Blatt, Lauren Chin, Woody Chung, Vivian Hu, Alexa Lucas, Julia Shi ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Shannon Reiffen SPORTS EDITORS Alex Farkas, Stephanie Kim ADVISER Caron Battaglia STAFF WRITERS Katrina Brewer, Ryan Cheng, Harry Chung, Brian Danziger, Yangzong Guo, Hanyi Huang, Monica Huskins, Stacey Kane, Skye Kriger, Chris Lam, Frances Ling, Tara Spencer, Victoria Wang, Vivian Xu, Vallia Yu
The Arrow is written, designed and run by the students of the Advanced Journalism and Journalism 1CP classes at Westlake High School and is published monthly. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of the Conejo Valley Unified School District, Westlake High School administration, faculty, or student body. We welcome feedback. Letters must be signed by the writer, though names can be withheld by request in the publication. Please send submissions to Mrs. Battaglia’s box in the main office or to Room 42E. For The Arrow online, visit www.conejo.k12. ca.us/Default.aspx?alias=www.conejo.k12.ca.us/ whs and click on Activities menu.
Feature
6
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
Kindles Make Their Way into Schools Vivian Hu
Feature Editor Amazon released the first model of the Kindle on Nov. 19, 2007. It sold out in only five and a half hours. Since then, Amazon has enlarged and thinned the device, making it increasingly convenient. Currently, many schools are debating whether the Kindle should be used in school. Some people feel the Kindle is a wonderful application that will push us into the future, while others feel they can never replace books.
ADVANTAGES:
The Kindle has many applications on it. For example, it is possible to highlight, annotate, bookmark, and look up words on any type of text. In the middle of reading something, the user can open up the dictionary and look up synonyms or definitions while seeing the word in the text behind the window. People can “dog-ear” a page, or make notes. If users see a page they wish to save, they can save it as a clipping and download it with a USB cable. And for those people who always forget what page they stopped reading, the Kindle remembers the page and opens it up upon selecting the novel. Kindles are also portable. Instead of having three textbooks and one book for English class, it is possible to have all four books on the Kindle. The dimensions of the most current Kindle are 7.5 x 4.8 x 0.34 in, making the Kindle extremely useful, thin-
ELECTRONIC BOOK LOVER: Kindles may someday replace books.
ner than the average novel, yet able to store more text. Cushing Academy, a prestigious boarding school in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, has seen how useful these Kindles can be. This school was founded in 1865, and has had a library since opening. In 2009, the school replaced a large number of its books in the library with Kindles. The school has 65 Kindles available, plus many library PCs that are networked to 13 databases. These electronics have replaced about 10,000 books at Cushing Academy. At this school, the Kindles are circulated just like the average library book. Not only is the Kindle replacing hundreds of books, but it is also saving money down the road. Currently, it costs about $1,137 per student per year for textbooks in most colleges and academies. By replacing textbooks with $200-$500 Kindles, which can hold several textbooks, Cushing Academy is actually making things a lot cheaper. In five to ten years, they would be spending a gross amount of money on millions of textbooks instead of just buying the ones
Can’t Focus? HW vs. Technology
Vallia Yu
PHOTO BY VALLIA YU
portant as blocking out incessant chatter. Staff Writer Students with cluttered desks or uncomfortable seats find it hard to focus. Desks Summer has passed and with it the should be clean of loose papers, pens, and days of slacking off and sleeping in. De- pencils so there is enough room to place mands of school make it impossible to books instead and chairs should be comfy sneak a peek at Facebook or send a text to enough to sit in for an amount of time. friends while focusing on homework and Breaks between subjects or every 40 minstudying. So what can be done to stop stu- utes help relax some stress on the brain and dents’ eyes, hands, and minds from wan- increase focus when returning to the work. dering? Some people may also prefer to work in liStudies by The New York Times reveal braries, which is perfect for a reading envithat students age eight to 18 spend more ronment. Other options include bookstores than seven a half hours a day on elec- or cafes where desserts and coffee is availtronics, mostly able as well. multitasking. In If people other words, they are stuck in a surf the internet place where it while simultaneis impossible to ously ‘doing their avoid the chathomework’. In ter and clutter, the end, the avmusic is always erage amount of the way to go. time stacks up to Music can block nearly 11 hours per anything and day; that’s close to help a student twice the time they maintian a train spend in school. of thought. But MULTITASKING: Students can rarely concentrate The most logi- surrounded by distractions. special limical way to face this tations come problem is to simply remove the source with the privilege as well; music should be altogether. Without having a possible dis- smooth and soft. Fast paced music that intraction in the vicinity, it’s much easier for cludes lyrics can interfere with and delay students to finish their homework before homework. they get their relaxation time. If avoiding Classical, especially soft piano and the vast web of knowledge that is the inter- violins, is ideal background music Music net is, in short, unavoidable, then push all varies from person to person, but students necessary online homework until the last. need to find the perfect balance between Technology is not required in each Metallica and zen to be useful. class, and placing what must be done on Special apps also help students follow the computer to last will save time. Mul- through with their goals. Homework Focus, titasking with both the computer and the for example, is a program that blocks out books open on the desk simply cannot Facebook and other online websites that work in the long run. Homework isn’t ex- may distract students and sets time limits actly the most thrilling job in the world, for each subject, helping students complete and it is highly unlikely that students will each section quickly and efficiently. choose vocabulary words over the opporProcrastinating students need to stay tunity to surf the web. motivated and focus when doing homeChoosing a comfortable, quiet place work to ensure that they can succeed in to study or finish homework is just as im- school.
students wanted for only about $20 each. At Colina Middle School, students can now use Kindles for the mandatory SURE class (Silent Undisturbed Reading for Enjoyment), where students read silently for 15 minutes after lunch.
DISADVANTAGES:
Technology has quickly become obsolete in the past decade. For example, the floppy disk was invented in 1967, and today, just a few decades later, it is very rare to encounter a machine that can read one. Also, the first model of the iPod is practically unrecognizable by anyone who sees it today. It resembles a Nintendo DS more than the modern version of Apple’s music player. The cost of a Kindle is currently $114, but it is expected to drop to $49.95 next year, showing how this currently useful tool might not be very popular in a couple years. Although this tool is very convenient, books have still survived the test of time, and the Kindle might not. Students might also feel discriminated against if they cannot afford a Kindle. Although the price of a Kindle is expected to
drop, many families still might not want to buy it. The student might feel hurt or uncomfortable sitting in a class with a hard copy of a book while everyone else is busily typing away on his or her Kindle. The Kindle can also be difficult to operate. If a child is confused with the device, he or she might miss the whole lecture trying to open a certain page, highlight a sentence, or annotate in the “book.” Asher Chase, a sixteen-year-old from Cushing Academy, talks about how complicated the Kindle can be for people who are not technologically savvy. “It was terrible: ‘Shade, file, edit, highlight.’ We were like, ‘Wow, reading books on computers is awful.’“ In the end, the good old hard copy of a book is still simpler to use. Flipping to a page or a bookmark, writing in it, or just reading it is much easier than it currently is on a Kindle. This is definitely what Lora Novak, English 10H and 12AP teacher, feels. “I know that the Kindle is going to be the wave of the future,” she said. “I’m perfectly fine with students bringing a Kindle to school and using it in place of a book. I’m just worried about note taking.” She further elaborates, and points out how the Kindle is in black and white, therefore rendering it much less useful if a student wants to color code quotes or highlight certain things in yellow and others in green. Also, side by side comparison becomes very difficult, since the Kindle cannot open two pages at once. Novak loves the concept of the Kindle—“I’m glad that reading on the Kindle makes things more fun so kids are reading more”—but she feels in the classroom the Kindle will not be much use at its current stages. Allen Li ’12 said, “The Kindle will, in conjunction with other technology, replace the 20th century textbook.” Unfortunately, we must wait to see what the future holds.
Back-to-School Apps Help Students Study
Vallia Yu
Staff Writer Back-to-school doesn’t necessarily have to mean dozens of textbooks and pencils and pens anymore. Now that the iPhone and many other smartphones, such as Android, have applications available to them, students can buy and download tools that can help them through the year. An estimated 250,000 apps are now available, according to Google. Early apps may have been video games such as Plants vs. Zombies and Fruit Ninja, but now others, such as Tiny Wings, have joined the list as well. But applications on the iPhone are no longer confined to just fun and games, and people are quickly taking advantage of this. In school, it’s difficult to keep up with all of the classes sometimes, and apps were created just for that purpose. iPhones start off with a few basic apps such as ‘Notes’, but not many people really use the notes for notes. For the iPhone to become more convenient, people created apps that are specialized for note taking such as “Microsoft OneNet.”
Listed below are just some of the free applications that can make life easier:
CourseSmart- Instead of lugging around all the textbooks, using CourseSmart, students can access over 7,000 textbooks with just the tap of a button. Apps like these are made to give the students less stress and have their school supplies.
PocketCas- Graphing calculators are the secret to success in any high school math class, and PocketCas is just that. This app changes your iPhone into a complex graphing calculator and comes complete with the ability to simplify advanced equations and solve over 500 linear equations. Dragon Dictation- A popular and effective app, Dragon Dictation, lets you record speech and translates it down to text. Use it for lectures and notes to make the most out of it. Dictionary.com- Dictionaries are definite necessities in many classes.
SpanishDict- Just as dictionaries are needed for English, a language translator for whatever language is needed also comes in handy for homework.
Need a Tutor?
Biology, Chemistry, or Algebra
Contact Anna Carlson Ph.D. with many years’ experience Office Number: 805-380-4082 Kind. Knowledgeable. Dedicated.
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September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
Feature
Food Trucks Start New Crave
Woody Chung Feature Editor
They look both ways before stepping out into the world. They are seductive, beckoning—with their delicious goodies—the average person to approach them. They are flashy, almost ostentatious, with unparalleled chutzpah, a trait necessary to survive in their world. People worship them, stalking their every move. People lionize them, claiming that humans cannot exist without the products of their work. No, dear reader, they are neither the Lindsay Lohans nor the Justin Biebers of this world. They are the food trucks. According to the Food and Agriculture of the UN, food trucks serve almost 2.5 billion people a year. So, in theory, food trucks may and probably will be the next evolution in the way humans eat. After all, they have all the right elements: Meals on Wheels:The increasingly lucrative food truck business is growing more competitive. 1. The mobility to compete with pre-established brick-and-mortar restaurants (most, if not all food trucks make than 85 trucks updating their locations systems across America. their food on the road). through twitter). But, some of the very Unfortunately, in an arena where inno2. The innovative culinary creations to qualities that make food trucks so popular vation is a linchpin to economical survival, attract foodies and the countless lemmings devalue the purpose for which food trucks food trucks have over-acted, convoluting afterwards (the Kogi food truck offers a were created. the nature of food and blurring the trade‘s Korean-Mexican fusions like the Kimchi Street food, previously regarded as a original purpose. “It’s a business that reQuesadilla). suspicious imitation, was salvaged by the quires shock value. People have tried to 3. The flamboyant marketing that gal- creation of gourmet food trucks in 2008. fuse different foods in the past, but it often vanizes even the frumpiest of fogeys (The They were based on a relatively simple doesn’t work,” said Foods teacher Maria Cupcake Crew uses clever alliteration in concept: make food innovative and easy to Scirone. naming cupcakes like the Brooklyn Black- access for the customer while making good Granted, some food truckers discover out). money in the process. In this aspect, Bruce a style that does work, like Kogi’s owner 4. The ability to integrate the omni- Lee was correct when he once prophesied Roy Choi who won the 22nd Food & Wine present Facebook and Twitter to keep pa- that “simplicity is the key to brilliance.” En- Magazine’s “Best New Chef” title for his trons hooked on their food (http://www. trepreneurs delighted in the novelty of the synthesis of Mexican and Korean inspired findlafoodtrucks.com/ has a list of more idea and rushed to incorporate it into food dishes. But, in an effort to be one of the truly
avant-garde, many food trucks instead diminish the culinary effect of the food they serve. For example, the Burger Bus serves a CB&J, a combination of bread, beef, cheese, and preserved jelly. Uniting ingredients that have no other distinct purpose than to shock the eater only undermines the values that food purists have maintained for so many years. The overabundance of competing food trucks further bungle this once-original idea. According to the Portland Oregonian, some of the more abundant counties in America have nearly 400 food carts already. Why has the number of food trucks fluctuated so high? The reason lies in the same mindset that has blessed us with three different Spiderman movies and a Broadway play, the countless “Chi-Pods” that plague the streets of Chinatown, and the numerous Disney stars (Selena Gomez, Hannah Montana) that try their hand at singing: if it works, exploit it. Food trucks work, so we exploit them. We now have baked goods (Street Sweets), gourmet seafood (Red Hook Lobster), frozen yogurt (Berry Fro Yo), and even dog food (Arrfscarf) on wheels. With the success of the trucks comes considerable competition from other aspiring entrepreneurs. And so, food truckers drive in a perpetual U-turn: they beat their competition with innovative or shocking food creations. Their success lures others into joining the everlasting race. This increased competition builds the need for more innovation to survive in the now-enlarged group of food truckers. And the cycle repeats, with food purism blatantly disregarded in the process. Nevertheless, just as the drive-thru displaced the “sit-down,” restaurant, the food truck era will further evolve.
Printer Whips Up (3-D)elicious Dishes
Give me a byte: 3D food printing introduces a new way to cook food.
Harry Chung Staff Writer
Imagine eating like the Jetsons, having a machine like their futuristic Food-A-Rac-ACycle that can conjure up food with the push of a button. Craving such delectable technology? Do not despair; such a machine may end up in your household in the next couple of years. In fact, Fab@ Home’s 3-D food printer just might be the next step. In 2005, a team of Cornell University students led by Creative Machines Lab associate professor Hod Lipson started up the Fab@Home venture, a project aimed at creating do-it-yourself versions of machines that could manufacture custom objects ondemand; two years later, they started experimenting with food fabrication. Now, after years of research and trial and error,
Fab@Home has finally spawned interview with CNN. Any sort of paste works very a brainchild: the CCML food well with the printer; for example, printer. The printing device is batters such as cookie dough connected to a computer can be used to create uniquely which relays directions to the aestheticized desserts. The only printer’s food creating syringes. limitation for this printer is that Therefore, while the concept of the food substance has to be able to squeeze 3-dimensional through a syringe. printing may The CCML food Therefore, foods seem complex can’t be and futuristic, printer could possibly that easily forced out the process herald a new age of of the syringe, behind the such as meats and printing is culinary arts. vegetables, will actually very have to be ground simple and and mixed with innovative. “You hand [the computer] three bits liquids or other amorphous of info: a shape that you want, substances. The CCML food a description of how that shape printer could possibly herald a can be made, and a description of new age of culinary arts. With this how that material that you want technology, people will be able to to print with works,” said Jeff share food all around the world Lipton, a Cornell grad student with electronic blueprints known working on the project, in an as FabApps.
7
“The electronic blueprint specifies exactly which materials go where. It is essentially a blueprint of the food item,” said Hod Lipson in an interview with Fast Company. According to David Arnold, director of culinary technology at the French Culinary Institute, who has been testing out the technology since October 2009, the 3D food printer could provide new applications for professional chefs as well. “One of the main things I hope this machine will let us do is create new textures that we couldn’t get otherwise. This is the first time I’ve really seen this happen,” he said. Furthermore, stochastic printing, a new printing technique developed by Jeff Lipton in which the food paste buckles and spirals out of the syringe rather than falling in a straight line, will allow chefs to change the texture of the food being printed. “We can make an object softer, or stringy or absorbent. You can get things to more evenly steam or deep fry, or hold more juices inside,” said Lipton. Because the CCML printer is an educational project, it is currently commercially unavailable, but Fab@Home is collaborating with Essential Dynamics, a company focused on 3D printing, to roll out a marketable product. Those who cannot wait to get their hands on a 3D food printer can build their own using blueprints from Fab@Home website fabathome.org or they can buy a fully assembled one at nextfacstore.com for $3,300.
Fair Offers Freaky Foods Shannon Reiffen
Entertainment Editor Have you ever tried fried bubblegum, butter, or Kool-Aid? Fried food is all the rage this year, as LA Times blogger Jeannine Stein explained from her trip to the Orange County Fair in early August. She was able to sample the “Coronary Combo,” a delicious combination of deepfried butter and bacon slathered in chocolate. Sound tasty? It seems that dipping every food item in something fried or greasy is a growing trend. At the LA County Fair in Pomona, which started Sept. 3 and is open until Oct. 2, offerings include fried Kool-Aid balls and Krispy Kreme sandwiches. And if that doesn’t sound weird enough, what about a “maggot-melt” sandwich: maggots and cheese on a roll? Another popular stop at the fair is “George’s Jungle,” where the a visitor can get food that’s anything but average. At the top of the menu is the most popular alligator, followed by the raccoon. Also sold are beaver, crickets, ostrich and many more. Cut, fried, and put on a stick, exotic animal remains a delicacy for the fair’s visitors this year. Seventeen days remain until the close of the LA County Fair in Pomona. Whether you want to watch a horse race, play some games, or try beaver on a stick with a side of fried butter, the fair is the place to be.
Feature -Th
8
Seniors
HEAD
The M the R
HEART
THE FUN YEAR: On top of the school for the first time, seniors attempt to enjoy their last year despite the pressures of college apps. They are the head and heart of the school.
Senior Poll Results: Yes
No
schedules of many seniors. “The pressures of college applications overshadow the excitement of senior year. Afterwards, however, there is no reason not to enjoy the year,” said Kevin Chian ‘12. 37% of seniors said that they were both intimidated about and excited for the year, citing college admission as the main source of worry. According to author of “College Rankings Exposed“ Paul Boyer, worry over college admissions is a growing epidemic. “(Stress over college admission) is damaging at many levels and keeps getting worse every year,” said Boyer. But, there is hope for enjoying the last year of high school. “Senioritis,” the disease that infects seniors with slackening efforts usually after college acceptance, has already begun infecting the students. When asked about senioritis, 14 out of 15 students reported that they have already felt its effects. Overall, senior year is a party year for some. For others, however, they must wait and enjoy the year’s second half.
Total Seniors Surveyed: 71
Is being on top meeting your expectations? 54%
46%
Intimidated or excited for senior year? Neither
Intimidated
9% Both 37%
46% Excited 44%
FEET
Each grade year of high school has its own repu survey of over 300 students in Honors/AP and CP class
T he “ B od
“Seniors rule!” yelled Shawn Michael ’12, as he drove away from the student parking lot five minutes after lunch began on the first Friday of senior year. He was on the way to the beach, where, over the next few hours, he would enjoy a relaxing swim and tan. The majority of students, on the other hand, enjoyed a school-provided lunch and two more hours of pencil pushing over the next few hours. Michael returned home at 2:45. Three minutes later, the majority of WHS students finished their last class of the day. Michael is not alone in his enjoyment of freedom during senior year. Many seniors described the year as “fun” or “awesome” on the Arrow’s survey. 44% said that they were excited for the upcoming year. Sadly, not all seniors feel the same way. Due to applications for college, more seniors claimed that they have more work and stress than they had during junior year. Whereas seniors average 2.895 hours of homework per night, which is significantly less than what juniors average, the extra burden of college applications freezes the
Other findings:
• 93% of those who heard about “senioritis” are already feeling it • When commenting on work load compared to junior year, the majority of seniors said that there is more work • Average amount of homework per night is 2.895 hours, which is less than the junior amount.
Freshmen
FEET
THE ADJUSTMENT YEAR: As they rise to the ranks of high school, freshmen face social anxiety while trying to avoid being stomped on by upperclassmen. They are the feet of the school. Today, freshmen begin their 22nd day of high school. They look forward to about 700 more days of classes, activities, and social gatherings in the long road of their high school careers. The transition from middle school to high school can seem intimidating to many ninth graders. In high school, students can, for the first time, drive themselves and choose from a large variety of classes. Also, their grades affect college acceptance, and there are more than double the number of students as there were in middle school. According to the National Middle School Association, as 9th graders transition into high school, they experience “a larger, more impersonal, more competitive, and more grade-oriented environment than they experienced in middle school.” The result, as described in a 1998 survey of over 450 high schools and middle schools nationwide by the State University of Georgia, is that 25% of Freshmen fail their first year of classes. Despite the daunting change however, 61% of the WHS freshmen surveyed claimed not to have any “first-week jitters,” and almost all of those that did feel nervous found their nerves to be unfounded by the end of the first week of school.
” y
h t f o
The majority of WHS freshmen even claimed that their classes are easier than those they had in middle school. “There is not as much homework. The tests and subject matter are much easier as well,” reported Adrish Anand ‘15 The freshman class is often teased at rallies and the other classes in the survey claimed that the freshmen were the most “annoying” class; however, freshman, despite the reputation, are not picked on at an individual level very often. 70% of WHS freshmen claimed that they have not heard a single word of ridicule about their class yet. The vast majority of freshmen also do not predict being thrown into a trash can this year (although a couple said they predicted being thrown in a trash can over 9000 times). “Even though most of my classes are with upperclassmen, I don’t feel picked on,”said Ruta Shah ‘15. “The different grades are in separate spheres.” The famed social teasing and harder classes for freshman are, for the most part, false. The data shows that the transition from middle school to high school for the majority WHS freshmen is not too ruthless, barring a few physical and metaphorical growing pains.
CLASS ANATOMY: Each class has its own all represented on the man above.
Freshman Poll Results: Total Freshmen Surveyed: 72 Yes
No
Did Westlake meet your expectations? 93%
7%
Did you have first week jitters? 39%
61%
Some findings:
• 19% of freshmen predicted that they would be thrown into a trash can this year at least once • 93% of freshmen who were nervous the first week of school are comfortable now • A majority of the freshmen do not feel that they get picked on by other grades
he Arrow
9
Myths vs. Reality
APPENDIX
Sophomore year is known as the “forgotten year.,” the “Roanoke Island Colony,” or the “Millard Fillmore” of high school. The majority of WHS Seniors say that, of all their years at high school, they remember sophomore year the least. The problem is that sophomore year does not have a defining feature. When asked what differentiated sophomore year from their previous years of school, the majority of sophomores said that their “classes were different,” their “teachers were different,” or that they “have to go to different buildings of the school.” These answers are consistent with every year of school: teachers always change, classes always change, and rooms always change from year to year. There is little change specific to sophomore year. “The only thing different from my freshman year is that I can get around the school easier,” said
he St ud
d t Bo y en
Yes
Is sophomore year boring? 39%
61%
57%
43%
What has changed the most since Freshman year? Easier work (2%)
Better teachers
18%
14% 21%
Classes are more interesting
31% 14%
• When asked what they heard about sophomore year, 18% replied that they hear “nothing.” 11% replied that they heard that it was boring and 44% heard that the schoolwork is harder. • The average amount of homework per night is 2.38 hours, less than both seniors and juniors
More seniority
Juniors
ARMS
THE WORKING YEAR: Caught between a large amount of work and an even larger amount work. Juniors are the limbs of the school.
purpose in the living body of WHS. They are
Junior Poll Results: Total Juniors Surveyed: 82 No
Do you feel more free as an upperclassman? 37%
Is there really more schoolwork Junior Year? 83%
17%
Amount of homework per night
A 1996 international study reported that students should receive 10 minutes of homework per night multiplied by their grade level. Ninth graders, for instance, should receive 1.5 hours of homework per night. More than that amount, and homework becomes counterproductive and discourages students. WHS junior AP students receive, on average, about 3.68 hours of homework per night, double the amount of time that they should work. “It takes a lot more focus and a lot more hours to get all the work done,” commented Sebastion Afshari ‘13. A whopping 83% of the AP juniors confirmed the myth that junior year has the most school work. Many attributed the increase to AP United States History.
“AP US History can be a struggle for consciousness,” said Brett Meissner ‘13. In addition, two thirds of students from College Prep level classes have felt an increase in schoolwork. Ironically, despite the crushing amounts of schoolwork, juniors feel more “free” on campus as upperclassmen. The privilege of the off-campus passes and the ability to drive contribute to the juniors’ feelings of autonomy. “It’s nice to get more freedom to be where we want to be,” said Jack Kramer ‘13. So, junior year is paradoxical: the schoolwork is overwhelming to many, but the feeling of freedom that comes from being an upperclassman counterbalances the work.
Other findings:
2.38
Juniors 3.29 Seniors
Other findings:
Has it changed a lot since freshman year?
LEGS
Sophomores
Total Sophomores Surveyed: 80
No
More difficult work
63%
Alexander Loh ‘14 When asked what sophomores had heard about sophomore year before they started, 18% replied that had heard “nothing.” Many of the WHS sophomores claimed that their classes are harder than Freshman year (about 31%); however, the amount of homework per night is 2.38 hours, which, even though is more than studies suggest that high school sophomores should receive, is close to the school’s average of 2.86 hours of homework per night. The one aspect that the Arrow found that distinguishes sophomore year is that it is not freshman year. The students know one another, know the school’s geography, and feel better that they are not the lowest rung on the high school ladder.
Sophomore Poll Results:
More familiarity with student body
Yes
APPENDIX
THE FORGOTTEN YEAR: In their second year “slump,” with no defining features besides being caught between the freshmen and the juniors, the sophomores are the armpits of the school.
utation. The Arrow put these reputations to the test in a ses, asking for their first impressions of their grade.
*Anatomy Student Approved
Sophomores
All Articles Written and Compiled by Brian Chang and Dashiell Young-Saver
2.90
• When asked what they heard about junior year, 91% responded that they heard it was hard, and 82% of those students confirm that the rumor is true. • The total average of homework for juniors is 3.29 hours per night, much more than the average for any other classes.
Feature
10
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
Navigating the Future Victoria Wang Staff Writer
COURTESY PHOTO
CRASH AND BURN: Teens face the risk of alcohol poisoning, repercussions from bad decisions, or accidents involving their impaired judgment.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Lauren Chin
Feature Editor Underage drinking is a controversial issue, often with disastrous consequences. Teens feel the need to drink since they think everyone is doing it. According to firsteagle.com, “the greatest influence on teenagers and their drinking and driving habits is...peer pressure.” If teens cannot resist the temptation to drink, they could be pressured to do so in a more unrestrained setting such as at a club or party. One of the places with the most easily available alcohol, however, is another person’s house. According to SADD Statistics, in 2008, 56.2% of underage drinkers reported their last use of alcohol at someone else’s home. Since teens do not have the proper maturity to restrain themselves from excessive drinking, or know their alcohol intake limit, they face the risk of alcohol poisoning, repercussions from bad decisions, or accidents involving their impaired judgment. “Young people (15-24) have four times the reported chlamydia rate of the total population [tested, that range from] 10-
Rules of The Party Scottcounseling.com gives absurd advice on ways to stay safe on the way to homecoming or prom. Feature Editor Nicolette Blatt responds:
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“Hire a family member. Drivers can cost a pretty penny, so ask a family member or – if you don’t want to take Dad along for the ride – a close family friend. Most will readily agree, but offer a small payment in the form of a free dinner, a few movie vouchers, or a small gift card.” Nobody wants their creepy uncle hanging around them and their friends all night. An easy solution for this is to hire a regular limo but have your parents go out and talk to the driver and let them know that drinking is not allowed and have them stick to those rules no matter what the other kids say. Slipping the driver a twenty also wouldn’t hurt. “Keep the tunes in check. A little Justin Timberlake can really get the prom party started, but don’t get the base bumpin’ just yet. Wait until the dance to crank up your tunes so that the driver can concentrate on the road instead of the lyrics of ‘Sexyback.’” Do you really want to be bored in your limo on the way to a party? NO. Driving is that person’s professional job and if they can’t keep concentrated on the road then they should find a new job.
65+,” says the CDC website, and “sixty percent of the females diagnosed with a sexual disease reported being drunk at the time,” states soundvision.com. By not allowing themselves to become inebriated, teens significantly lower their chances of contracting numerous STDs. Also, many teens who drink illegally feel compelled to do so out of their homes
“Alcohol is the cause of 60% of all teen deaths in car accidents, and 40% of all fatal alcohol related crashes are caused by teens.” to hide it, creating situations where they consume alcohol and then are forced to drive because they have to return home or go somewhere else. According to car-accident-advice. com, “alcohol is the cause of 60% of all teen deaths in car accidents, and 40% of all fatal alcohol related crashes are caused by teens.” If adolescents did not try to drink with their friends away from their parents’
watchful eyes, they would avoid dangerous situations involving drinking and driving. Additionally, intoxicated minors can be persuaded by immature friends who may also be under influence. When teens are drunk, they are easily influenced and can be prompted to be reckless just to amuse their friends. The consequences of their actions can result in an arrest and embarrassment. A tarnished reputation can follow a teen throughout life. A life-altering injury to themselves or an innocent victim could be disastrous. A consequence would be to lose a driver’s license. Under the California DMV’s “Zero Tolerance” law, if any teen under the legal drinking age of 21 years old is found with a blood alcohol content of 0.1 or greater, the DMV has the right to take away his or her license. The social pressures to drink can cause disastrous repercussions with life-changing results. To an adolescent wandering through high school trying to fit in, it may seem like everyone is drinking. In reality this is not true. When presented with the temptation teens are wise to play it safe.
False Advertising
Alcohol companies broadcast the wrong messages to teens
Lauren Chin
Feature Editor Everywhere teenagers look, it seems that they are bombarded with messages about drinking alcohol and reasons not to drink it. Teen drinking is a hot topic these days; advertisements, television, and movies all frequently feature underage consumption of alcohol. However, parents, the medical community, and law enforcement do their best to fight back and advocate against underage drinking. Some sources make drinking seem like a common and fun activity for teenagers these days, while others emphasize the dangers of teenage drinking. Teens often feel pressure from friends; they may believe that drinking is part of having fun, being cool, or fitting in. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, almost half of all teenagers have had at least one drink by the time they are in eighth grade and over 20% report having been drunk. By the time high school seniors graduate, 80% of those students have had one drink. Drinking can cause many problems, such as brain damage and suicide, as well as reduce academic performance. People’s brains are not fully developed until a person is in his or her late 20s. Heavy drinking before 20 can cause long-lasting effects to an individual or cause alcohol addiction. Suicide can also become a problem for anyone who drinks because of depression or stress. According to dontserveteens.gov,
TV
TARGETING TEENS: Advertising companies influence teens by projecting the image that drinking helps people fit in.
“About 300 teen suicides happen each year due to alcohol abuse.” Suicide rates would significantly drop off if students did not respond to stress by drinking. Drinking can affect students’ grades as well. Statistics from dontserveteens. gov show nearly half of the students with “mostly D’s and F’s” are drinkers and teens with “mostly A’s are non-drinkers.” The message that drinking is cool, or necessary to fit in is echoed in the every day lives of kids and teenagers. Social media today appears to promote teenage drinking without any thought of the consequences. Instead of over-promoting alcohol to increase their own wealth, companies should spend a little bit of time trying to keep America’s future generations away from alcohol to protect them from bad grades, bad health, and even death. *Kelli Da Rin contributed to this article.
A fishing boat crashed into the roaring shores of Malibu on Sept. 1. From its broken hull bled 250 pounds of smuggled marijuana. Officials are searching around the area, but the ship’s crew still has not been found. Documents discovered near the remains suggest the cargo was from Mexico, said Capt. Mike Aranda of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. There has been a great increase in drug smuggling in recent months by traffickers trying to land in remote areas along the shoreline, he added. Early in July, Ventura authorities pulled up the largest plantation of marijuana in the history of the county. Over 68,000 plants valued at a total of $205 million were eradicated from Los Padres National Forest, north of the city of Ojai. The growers had cleared large sections of public forest land, dug water reservoirs, and camped out at the site. They had made a hasty escape by the time officials came on scene. “In the last several years, Mexican nationals, particularly from the state of Michoacan, have increasingly used public forest lands in California as places to grow marijuana without having to bring it over the U.S.-Mexico border,” the LA Times said. Two cases, each pointing to the tenacious grip marijuana has on California. Although the battle for legalizing the narcotic has more or less died down, prospects of a drug-free future are looking bleak. A disturbing portion of these illegal drugs trickles down to the root of the problem: high school students. Teen marijuana use overall has dropped in the past 15 years, corresponding with legalization of medical marijuana and anti-substance abuse education programs. But the scent still lingers in America’s schools. According to SAMHSA, 6.7% of youths ages 12-17 use marijuana. Busting plantations only leads to traffickers finding more dangerous ways to get around the law. Long lectures about black lungs and people choking on their own vomit have helped repel students from drugs and alcohol, but not completely. Will the presence of marijuana ever leave us? This depends on students who are not addicted, the ones who have yet to join the dark side. They can see the dangers of marijuana and make habits now to prevent the spread of drug usage. For those who view drugs through rose-tinted glasses, getting back on track takes both full support and absolute determination. And for those who insist on maintaining their self-destructive habits while knowing fully well the consequences, they do have the right to run away from life’s problems, at the price of giving themselves a long, slow, painful death—not to mention the chaos wreaked on their loved ones, the condescending public opinion of drug use, and the enormously inflated grocery bill. The most common illicit drug in America is undoubtedly marijuana. It dominates the drug trafficking business, used by 20 million people. Those 20 million people once had the same shot at life as everyone else, and they missed it. With a bit of willpower, this can change. Stopping a person from becoming an addict is vital. Not only will one life be saved, but future generations in America will be able to navigate through life without the dangers of drugs looming over them at every corner they turn.
Feature
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
The Angels
11
App Time is Coming Around
are Back
Compiled by Lauren Chin Feature Editor
Victoria Wang Staff Writer
The Angels are back in an upcoming reboot of the American action comedy “Charlie’s Angels.” Starring Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachael Taylor as the three Angels, this Miami version of the 1970s smash hit premiered Sept. 22, on ABC - the perfect way to celebrate the original show’s 35th anniversary. The story revolves around three female detectives who solve action-packed cases for their boss, Charlie Townsend. The original show had a fairly simple plot: a crime is committed, the Townsend office sends the trio to do an undercover investigation, one of the girls gets into trouble, and the other girls rescue their friend. The show ran for five years. To fill the legendary roles of the Angels, the screenwriters had to cast very carefully. In an interview with collide. com, Gough stated, “With the Angels, you want to find actresses who are smart, capable, warm, and beautiful. It’s a tall order. We saw a lot of people. And then, it’s about finding the right chemistry between the three women.” They started the search early, and after careful deliberation, are happy to say that the show has pretty good prospects. “(If you) have . . . confidence about who you cast, you’ve got a good chance of having a good show,” Millar said. To banish critics expecting an ugly butchering of the original story, the reboot must really knock viewers off their feet with a fresh, creative take.
Pose- Fashion; some may care, some may not. For the fashion conscious who want an opinion on what looks good however, Pose is the go-to app in the iOS app world. Available for Blackberrys, Androids, iPhones, iPads, and iPods, this handy little app has received acclamation for it’s good social networking coverage, graphics and interface. The whole idea of Pose is to allow people to upload pictures of good deals, something they find cute, or an outfit they want to gather opinions on. When people take a photo and upload it, they can say how much it costs and where someone can get it. Pose also connects to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and even email. This way people can share pictures and decide whether or not to buy the items. Overall pose is a great app for any fashionista.
RedLaser- RedLaser is a free application for iPhone and Android that has, according to their website, been downloaded “over 12 million times and has about as many uses.” RedLaser turns your smartphone’s camera into a super genius barcode scanner and comparison-shopping machine. Just walk into the store, launch RedLaser, tap a button, and aim your phone at the item’s barcode. In seconds, RedLaser automatically scans the code and displays a description and photo of the item along with a list of prices and places to buy it. However, if you prefer to investigate items more thoroughly or buy them from the comfort of your home computer, you can e-mail yourself a list of products you’ve scanned. This feature works with almost every brand-name packaged food in the U.S. Buying it is a no-brainer.
Beyond Ynth- Beyond Ynth is a puzzle game and it’s a perfect blend of technical polish and creativity that makes the game fun for everyone. One of the most notable things about the game however, is the amazing ability to be challenging and fun. The game is a fun puzzler that has you playing as Kribl the bug on a quest to bring light back to your kingdom. The goal of each level, most of which take under 5 minutes, is to get to the end while trying to collect two diamonds for bonus points. One word of warning though is that the game is extremely difficult. This game is not for the weak minded, it will take all of your physical and emotional strength to get through all 80 levels, Beating the levels on their own is tough enough, but going out of your way to get the crystals is brutal. If you like puzzle games, you’ll love Beyond Ynth.
Shazam Encore- For those of us who can’t recognize the name of a song upon hearing the first thirty seconds of it, know all the lyrics, Youtube it, start a Pandora channel from that song, find out the band’s touring info, or buy that song straight from iTunes, all in a moment, it’s ok! Now, there’s an app for all that. Shazam Encore is a really handy app that allows you to find the name of the song simply by the press of a button. Available for Apple products, Androids, BlackBerries, it is useful for many people on the go. The app listens to the song, then checks with the Shazam database, returning with the name of the song, the artist, and the lyrics 99% of the time. What’s a little troubling about the app is the price. In the iTunes app store Shazam Encore is $5.99.
Take a Leap at Thrive Dance Center Nicolette Blatt Feature Editor
Thrive Dance Center, a new dance studio, opened on Aug. 22. Located on Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thrive specializes in all types of dance and offers many classes. From Mommy and Me to Adult Toning, they have classes for all levels of dancers, taught by teachers who inspire and push the dancers to their limit. Most dancers stay all day to focus on dance. As a result, the
environment brings everyone closer together. The two owners, Ahjalia Hall and Jennifer Maples, are the inspiration behind this studio. Hall travels around the world teaching master classes to serious dancers. Ahjalia recently traveled to Japan to teach and inspire. Ahjalia went to UCLA at the ripe age of sixteen. She graduted UCLA with a degree in Sociology and a concentration in education. Ahjalia studied dance and choreography and was on the nationally ranked UCLA
dance team. Maples has toured with the Broadway production in CATS and starred in many others musical theatre productions. Jennifer specializes in emotion filled lyrical and contemporary pieces. Mrs. Maples is a triple threat; dabbling in singing, acting, and dancing. I would encourage anybody (girl or boy) to make a trip down to Thrive to try a class out and see if you would enjoy it. It is a great place to escape the drama of friends or family.
The wonderful teachers at Thrive have been recruited to go to colleges and high schools all around the country to choreograph and clean the teams’ nationally ranked dances. All of the teachers create a safe and creative environment that anyone would love to be around. All of these teachers have accomplished amazing things and are very well qualified. Thrive Dance Center is a great place to make friends, gain a family, and find a hobby you love.
Entertainment
12
Release Your Inner DJ Woody Chung Feature Editor
By day, people call me Woody Chung. By night, I'm known as DJ Lost.in.da.woods. No, dear readers, I do not keep a secret identity, choosing to come out in the dark. And no, I am not a DJ, at least not in the professional sense. I am merely a member of the up-and-coming music community found on Turntable.fm. What is Turntable.fm? Let me answer this question with another question: What do you get when you combine the music playability of Pandora Radio, the social networkability of Facebook, the playability of Massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (WoW, LoL, etc.), and a bucket of fun? Turntable.fm First, Turntable.fm focuses on the music. Named after the turntables that a DJ uses to mix music, and share tunes with an entire crowd, Turntable.fm essentially does that: lets people share music with a crowd. After logging in, people are greeted with a list of "rooms" divided with labels such as "Top 100," "Whatever Floats Your Boat!" and the occasionally enigmatic "Noodle’s House of Ramen." After entering the room, users may either join the venerable DJ table (an exclusive group of five DJ's) which plays music from their music library, which they can compile from the Turntable music list or upload from their own computer, or they can remain in the crowd, chatting with DJ's or fellow concert-goers. and judging the DJ's music-choosing ability by voting that the song is "Awesome" or "Lame." “Turntable.fm is pretty unique compared to other music sites. It has a unique lobby where a person can become the DJ and play music from his or her own library,” said Jeremy Tran ‘13. From the voting system branches off the networking factor of this website. Each time a song is voted "Awesome," the DJ receives DJ points, which he or she can cash in for different avatars (ranging from a smiley-faced cherub or cherubette to a muscular gorilla wearing bling). Every time a song is voted "Lame," however, the DJ loses credibility and may have his song skipped or be kicked off the table automatically. Turntable.fm is a fresh track on the playlist of life. On the basest of levels, it can be viewed as an innovative social network that allows people to connect with each other through the most primitive yet powerful medium of all: music. But, at the same time, it can be viewed as a maverick of melodies. By allowing the crowd to vote, Turntable.fm turns against the precedent that the people in the spotlight, the Lil Waynes, and R.Kellys of our world, are the stars of the show. Rather, Turntable.fm declares that the members of the crowd, the music enthusiasts who are usually ignored, are integral to the music experience as well. *Author's Note: Turntable.fm is available on an invite-only basis. If any of your Facebook friends are pre-registered, you can automatically join.
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
ABC Steps Up New Season of Shows Katrina Brewer Staff Writer
For its 2011/2012 season ABC is stocking up on new shows. From low-key comedies to fairytales, to CIA agent adventures, ABC has picked up dynamic new shows Apartment 23 June, played by Dreama Walker, is a naive Midwestern girl who moves to NYC to pursue her dream job and live in her dream apartment. Disaster strikes, (a minor cliche, but where else would the fun start?) and the show details her struggles to succeed in the big city. Scammed by her impromptu roommate Chloe, played by Krysten Ritter, scrambling to escape debt at her makeshift job at a coffee house, the story shapes around her experiences, situational comedy, and her dynamic group of oddball friends. Last Man Standing Tim Allen reappears in this comedy about a man's struggle in a woman's world. Mike, surrounded by estrogen in a home with a wife and three daughters, is a work oriented guy's guy. When his wife decides to head into the working world, however, he finds himself having to remain at home more and more and tackle parenting. Missing A family with a top secret passed is hit with devastation when CIA Agent Paul Winston is murdered in front of his young son Michael. The family retires into safety
and a decade later, Michael leaves home to study abroad only to abruptly go missing. The plot unfolds as the mother, also an ex CIA Agent (Ashley Judd), travels the globe to recover her son, digging up old skeletons along the way. Adventurous and suspenseful, the story of concerned mother goes to the next level. Reminiscent of "Lost," however, the question is raised of where will the show go once the son is found? Crime fighting team in action? We'll see if it lasts through season one. Once Upon a Time A princess lost in the modern world; young bail bonds officer Emma (Jennifer Morrison) is confronted by her long lost son, who tells her she is Snow White and Prince Charming's missing daugh-
ter. Emma, concerned for her son's safety (and most likely mental health) proceeds to head back to her son's hometown, unsurprisingly named "Storybrooke." There, she encounters fairytale characters who are unaware of their magic and have lost their identity due to an Evil Queen's curse. This far-fetched plot risks Redundancy due to the fairytale theme but could carry through with unexpected plot twists. Pan Am Depicting the glamour and adventure of being a flight attendant for Pan Am in the 60's, Christina Ricci stars in this flashy interpretation of culture during the cold war.
WHS Drama Department Presents:
Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”
Rehearsals begin Sept. 23 Shows will start Nov. 17 and continue through Nov. 19 Student admission is $7 and general admission is $10 Plenty of gender mixups and crazy love triangles for the whole family!
September 23, 2011
Book Review- The Arrow
Walker’s Blackbox:
A Container of Mystery Vallia Yu
Staff Writer The first thing that should be noted is the title of the book: Blackbox: A Novel in 840 Chapters. The ludicrous subtitle is sure to pull people in. After all, who would possibly write a book with that many chapters? Turns out that Blackbox doesn’t really have 840 complete chapters in it; instead, the reader is given snippets of a character’s thoughts or parts of an elaborate story line that explain the story line bit by bit from different story lines that are supposed to mesh into one. The book’s author, Nick Walker, takes an interesting concept and adds to it with a semi-intriguing plot, but fails to follow through completely by having the reader jump around multiple pages just to fully understand a single event that is occurring. Within the novel, many of the “chapters” can range from being single sentences to only about two pages, all the while switching from one point in the storyline to another. One moment, the narrative is in the first person view of a man attempting to get directions to somewhere, and the next moment, the camera pans to the contents of people’s dreams. While trying to follow along with one plot, the reader starts to get sucked into another and quickly forgets what he or she was even reading in the first place. The book mostly concentrates on the characters themselves, and Walker often spends entire chapters elaborating on the disjointed thoughts of most of them. The chapters often contain metaphors and reveal the thoughts of the characters, using the short chapters to imitate the sudden thoughts and random add-ons of the human mind. Although amusing and effective
in some places, none of the chapters are memorable enough or give much insight into the workings of the person’s personality. Many characters think of suicide often, and while it may fit with the context of the novel, it is usually filled with snark and dark humor, and, more often than not, it reflects upon morality and morbidity. In fact, the excessive amount of details poured into them are simply too much for even the most trained mind to handle. Too many characters along with too much character background can leave readers reeling halfway through the narrative, wondering whether or not they were already introduced. While the bumpy start leaves a feeling of slight disappointment and makes it hard to continue through the rest of the novel, as the narrative continues, the plots start to mesh together and become more fluid. As the book begins to connect the people’s stories, it creates an impression that at any moment, you could have connections to anyone at anytime. For example, that taxi driver could be your father’s college roommate; the woman at Starbucks could be your college professor. By the end of the novel, I had a faint understanding of what happened, but I was simply sent reeling by the inconsistency of the novel itself. So if a reader enjoys a depressed, melancholy, and quirky feel to their books, then by all means, try out Walker’s novel. However, unless said reader also has a good attention span and loves to delve into even the most minute details, he or she would probably get fed up with the choppy writing pretty quickly. With an unusual format, Blackbox could be an interesting read for people who like creative writing. Various issues aside, it certainly is an interesting experimental novel to attempt.
13
Wallflower Blooms as Coming-of-Age Novel Orly Greenberg Opinion Editor
Maybe it’s because there have been so many coming-of-age novels written since The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or maybe it’s because whenever teenage angst is mentioned in the description of a book, all I imagine is a Bella Swan-esque character complaining. Either way, when I read the brief summary of Perks, I was underwhelmed. So when beginning Perks of Being a Wallflower, wipe all previous notions of teenage novels from your mind. The book, written by Stephen Chbosky, spares no disturbing detail, and is as relevant today as it was in 1999, the year in which it was written. This is a comingof-age novel at its best, with Catcher in the Rye undertones, complete with the brilliant and tragic Holden Caulfieldesque main character. The novel is comprised of letters to an unknown figure in the year 1991, written by a high school freshman named Charlie. He addresses the reader as “you,” immediately giving the novel an intimate and personal feel. Charlie begins describing his personal life, noting that he has a college bound, football star brother and a highly academic older sister. He mentions his late aunt several times throughout the novel, praising her highly and claiming that speaking of her death takes him to a “bad place.” Charlie very quickly meets Patrick and Sam, high school seniors who befriend him
and expose him to drug use, alcohol, and love. The problems that Charlie comes across are fairly standard high school issues, but his insightful commentary, peppered with hilariously naïve statements, keep the novel from becoming too cliché. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is, at worst, a fun read. At best, the novel touches on something almost every teenager has experienced, but with such sensitivity and poignancy that the ability to relate to Charlie feels organic, not forced. The book doesn’t scream to be accessible. It merely allows the reader to sift through the issues, and pick out what has significance to them, unlike so many transparent young adult novels. Although the book does have a significant fan base, it is certainly not for all. The description of Charlie’s encounters with drugs, sex, and violence are sure to make some readers feel uncomfortable. However, these frank descriptions are the only reason the book sounds real, and not as though it was written with the intent to give teenagers the stereotypical dose of high school problems. The novel, which on the surface appears to be one of the thousands of young adult books, is so much more than a high school tale. Equal parts tragic, hilarious, and heartwarming, The Perks of Being a Wallflower puts so eloquently into words what every teenager feels at one point or another. This is one teenage angst novel worth reading.
Ship Breaker Takes Readers on Literary Odyssey
Victoria Wang Staff Writer
Fast forward a couple decades and natural disasters into the future. Global warming has taken its toll. There are two clearly defined castes now: rich and poor, as distant as the opposite shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Greed and betrayal make the world turn. Author Paolo Bacigalupi has created a brutal futuristic world in his science fiction novel Ship Breaker, all the more frightening for its ominous realism.
The main character, Nailer, has lived all his life as a dirt poor worker on the storm-ravaged remains of the Gulf Coast. He and hundreds of others like him must scavenge metal from ancient beached oil tankers in order to survive. Things change when Nailer finds a shipwrecked clipper, stuffed with enough valuables to lift him out of his wretched poverty forever. It has one survivor though, a beautiful and fabulously rich young girl. To claim the treasures of the ship he must kill her first. Nailer’s choice is about to throw him into the adventure of his lifetime, leading to struggles between morality and instinct. Ship Breaker is breathtaking. A true page-turner, this book grabs the reader’s attention by the first sentence and holds it straight to the end. The fluent writing and perfect pacing masterfully combine to tell this dark but hopeful tale. The characters are also pleasantly subtle; both protagonists and antagonists have depth and growth, fighting their own long lists of troubles and flaws. Bacigalupi’s forte is his ability to balance raw action with thought-provoking questions without slowing down the pace. He explores a broad range of topics in this book—from environmental awareness, to a sustainable economy, to genetically engineered humans. At times the plot can disconnect and hang in free-fall for a moment, though momentum quickly kicks it back on track.
The setting, however, is rather hazy. Everything is told from Nailer’s point of view, and all he has ever known is breaking down junk yard ships in the poorest parts of town. Because of the focus on his bottom caste, not much of the rich side of society is revealed. Most of the setting is merely implied. Bacigalupi’s style puts greater emphasis on the novel’s plot than detailed description, which may alienate the reader. On the flip side, things never slow down. Ship Breaker is a great read for anyone who can handle blood and cussing. Nailer’s journey to close the gap between rich and poor spirals into a classic battle of
wits against strength, luck against strategy, compassion against selfishness, and good against evil. Paolo Bacigalupi is a rising star in the science fiction genre. Ship Breaker is his first young adult novel. It has already won the 2011 Michael L. Printz Award and was a National Book Award finalist. Bacigalupi’s debut novel The Windup Girl was named by Time magazine as one of the top ten novels of 2009 and earned several prestigious awards. His numerous short stories have also been very well received. A sequel to Ship Breaker, called The Drowned Cities, is in the works. It is expected to be published in May, 2012.
Sports
14
Water Polo Pulls Ahead Monica Huskins Staff Writer
09/23 TOHS 9/28 NPHS 10/04 Agoura 10/11 Moorpark 10/13 @ Royal
Brian Chang
Managing Editor Girls tennis will see many changes in the upcoming season, which started with a loss against Thousand Oaks. After an 18-0 preseason win against Oak Park, an 18-0 victory at home against Chaminade, and 11-7 win at Hart, the team lost its first match of the regular season at home against TOHS. However, the girls grabbed a victory at Simi Valley 15-3 on Sept. 20. Coach Connie Flanderka has high hopes for the team this year. “We still have the largest team in the Marmonte League (29 girls) and the same drive to win and be the best we can be,” said Flanderka. The co-captains for this year are Monica Huskins ‘12
and Elise Bass ‘12. Gianna Insogna ’14, a returning player, will lead the team as the number one varsity singles. Chaya Boks ‘12, Sarah Contrata ‘13, Kristina Ferrari ‘14, Annie Sundling ‘12 and Bass are all returning varsity players from the 2010 Marmonte League Co-champion team. Contrata, a three-year varsity member, also believed that the team will thrive this year. “I think we have a very good chance of qualifying for CIF’s,” she said. “The main goal would be to get as far in or further in CIF than last year.” The team will not have the contribution of two-year Marmonte League MVP Sivan Krems. Furthermore, Contrata explained that the team “lost some varsity players from last year and
PHOTO BY LAUREN CHIN
Upcoming Games
Girls Start Tennis Season with Solid Wins
LOOK AT THAT GET: Kristina Ferrari returns a backhand.
the holes need to be filled in...To perform like [the team] did last
year everyone needs to pull their leg and practice and improve.”
Vegas Victory Sets up Girls Volleyball Stephanie Kim Sports Editor
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE KIM
Varsity water polo kicked off the season beating Birmingham 20-9. Former Moorpark and Crespi Coach Jason Nevis now heads WHS varsity water polo. Coach Nevis said that practices have been challenging and very structured. His goals include “making CIF, beating TOHS, playing well against Agoura and Royal, and annihilating NPHS in both games, never giving them a chance,” said Nevis. Team chemistry will play an important part in attaining his goals. “The team has responded surprisingly well after switching coaches so quickly. Both the coaching staff and the athletes have been open to previous knowledge and experience with the game,” said cocaptain John Marcozzi ‘12. Varsity captains include Marcozzi, Dillon Galvin ’12 and Luke Haga ‘12, but Nevis believes that every player has an important role. “I am truly blessed to be a part of a successful water polo program here at WHS,” said Nevis. When questioned whether or not the team is prepared for the season, Nevis said that “there is always room for improvement. Once we play the league in the first round, we can then recollect our thoughts, watch videos, and prepare better for the next game.” Coach Nevis is grateful for the team spirit and positive attitudes. He is also mindful that practice is the time to fix mistakes, “not during the games.” According to the Ventura County Star, Nevis stated that he wants “to lead the team in the best way possible.” With a solid victory in the first game it seems that Coach Nevis did just that. “Besides the new players and new leadership, we have great individuals,” said varsity player Matt Kaufman ‘12. “We have high scoring players as well as defensive-minded players, and I would say that is new this year. We were very good last year, but we definitely have a much more balanced team this year.”
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
SETTING THE STANDARDS: Lexi Ozder and Shawna Korshavn leap to block a TOHS spike.
Girls volleyball began with a 7-1 victory in the Las Vegas Tournament that kicked off the season. With floor captain Shawna Korshavn ’12 named the tournament MVP and outside hitters Courtney Birkett ’12 and Julia Mannisto ’14 named the All Tournament team, the Warriors are looking forward to a strong season. Playing against Nevada’s Bonanza High, who “had some amazing hitters who were nearly unstoppable,” WHS’ girls “managed a few more points at the end,” said Coach Ernest Rittenhouse. Led by many returning varsity players, the team’s “main goal is to make the playoffs and finish highly ranked in league. Once we achieve that, we hope to go further in the playoffs than we did last year,” said Korshavn. Even with the graduation of recordsetting setter Hannah Schuett ’11 last year, the team appears ready.
“For the first time in the rally scoring era, WHS will return with three hitters that each tallied more than 200 kills in the previous year,” said Rittenhouse. The three “blonde bombers” are Mannisto, Birkett, and Emily Detweiler ’12. Although the team lost its first league game against TOHS, the girls have high hopes and the potential to match or exceed last year’s record-setting season. “It is just the beginning and we can always go up from here. We will still work hard to play better for the next time we play against TOHS or other teams,” said Detweiler. The girls are a close-knit team and a positive atmosphere, the girls always demonstrate sportsmanship. “We are all good friends and have the best chemistry on and off the court. It’s really fun to play with a group of girls that get along so well,” said librero Paige Harris ’12. The next game will be away against Moorpark on Sept. 27.
Sports
September 23, 2011 • The Arrow
Alex Farkas
Warriors Focus on Present Not Past
15
Sports Editor
Photo by Shannon REIffen
Starting the 2011 season 2-0 with victories over Del Oro of Loomis (30-27) and Calabasas (63-0) helps to overcome a heartbreaking loss to Oaks Christian in last years CIF Finals. The Warriors look to put the past behind them and focus on succeeding this year. “As soon as the game was over last year, the memories of disappointment faded. It’s a new year with new kids and new expectations so we don’t really talk about the negatives in football from the kids,” said Coach Jim Benkert according to the Ventura County Star. Benkert said in that interview that the Oaks Game was the most disappointing ending to a season in his 22 years of coaching. However, star defensive end, Justin Solis ’12, has put the game behind him: “We came back this season with a chip on our shoulder. We all have been working hard and it showed on Saturday [Sept. 3] when we beat Del Oro. The loss has turned into motivation to make it back to that point and win.” To become 2011 CIF Championship, the team has to reach three specific goals: “Our goals are 1) make the playoffs 2) become Marmonte League Champions 3) become CIF Champions. We have to play together, stay healthy, play smart and win the close games,” said Benkert. The team will depend heavily on star
Round 2: The Warriors take the field for the second half against Calabasas last Friday.
players: Justin Moore ’13 has some big shoes to fill as he takes over Nick Isham’s ’11 job as the starting quarterback. Solis will join alumnus, Nelson Spruce ’11, at the University of Colorado-Boulder next year. Running back and cornerback Dashon Hunt ‘13, coming off a spectacular year with seven interceptions and three of those returned for touchdowns, is a verbal
The Real Miami Hurricane Disaster strikes football team accused of involvement in Ponzi scheme
Alex Farkas
Sports Editor
Alumnus Gives Back Brian Danziger Staff Writer
Billy Miller ‘95 had a great career football career at WHS and went on to play for University of Southern California (USC). Miller had a nine year NFL career in which he played for the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and the New Orleans Saints. Now the ex-pro is on to a new venture by opening multiple gyms called JRAW and The Factory. Miller has moved JRAW to a bigger
facility which is coincidentally back in his home town of Westlake Village. After so many years of contributing to the Westlake football community Miller is giving back to others who strive to compete at a high level in their respected sports and people who want to improve on how they look. “It’s about all the kids with their own dreams, that’s what gives satisfaction now,” Miller said to the Ventura County Star. JRAW is celebrating its first year in business and continues to gain a great reputation.
nation. Today, the team will face its undefeated crosstown rival, Thousand Oaks Lancers. The game is at Thousand Oaks High School starting at 7:00. There will also be a Tribe Tailgate before the game outside the Thousand Oaks Theater at 6:15. Last year, the Warriors defeated the Lancers, 31-3.
Yelich Builds a Reputation in Pros There is no doubt that Yelich will be playing in the Majors in the near future especially after getting a hit against highly talented pitcher Stephen Strasburg, a former No. 1 pick who is coming back from Tommy John surgery. Yelich is learning the ropes of being a professional athlete and how to train himself to be the best all around player he can be. According to the Ventura County Star, Yelich said, “I have learned how to prepare and how to take care of my body on off days and what to do after three straight weeks of playing to feel my best.” Clearly Yelich’s work ethic Bombs away: Christian Yelich connects on a pitch by Stephen Strasis paying off and burg in Single A baseball. is on his way to accomplish great Brian Danziger milestones throughout his career. Staff Writer After multiple stellar performances, Yelich is going to have to live up to high WHS graduate, Christian Yelich ‘10, expectations. was the Marlins 1st round selection in 2010 Yelich addressed the topic by saying and is making a big splash in the Minor that “ It definitely puts the you more in Leagues. the spotlight and things you do are more Yelich is currently playing Single A magnified. But there isn’t anyone who can baseball with the Greensboro Grasshoppers put more pressure on me then myself. The and is batting a remarkable .304 with 11 expectations I have for myself are going home runs, 25 doubles, 60 RBI’s and 27 to exceed expectations anyone else has for stolen bases. The minor league phenomenon me.” was selected as a South Atlantic League All There is no question that Yelich has a Star and was named player of the month of ton of determination, and that mentality July by the Florida Marlins. should take him all the way to the top. “Its a pretty big honor considering Most talented stars are just in it for it’s the entire minor league system of the the money but Yelich truly lives, sleeps organization,” Yelich said, according to the and breaths baseball. This small town kid Ventura County Star. has finally achieved his dream. Courtesy Photo
Nevin Shapiro, a former booster for the Miami football team, pled guilty to running a $930 million Ponzi scheme according to Yahoo! Sports. A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation. Shapiro had been providing the Hurricane football players as well as coaches benefits from the beginning of 2002 with cash, goods, prostitutes, and many other favors the players desired such as using his yacht. According to ESPN.com, Shapiro provided improper benefits to 72 football players and other athletes belonging to the basketball team at Miami. NCAA investigators have compared this situation to the 1986 case against Southern Methodist University (SMU) which led to the only death penalty in NCAA history. In the 1986 case, SMU’s entire football program was shut down for the 1987 and 1988 seasons. The death penalty is the harshest form of punishment that the NCAA can enforce on a sports program. After pleading guilty, the court sentence. NCAA investigators have discussed issuing the death penalty, or shutting down the Miami Hurricane football pro-
gram, but nothing has been final. This scandal is bringing back memories of what happened 16 years ago "when the Hurricanes lost scholarships and earned a postseason bowl ban for multiple violations," The Washington Post reports. In this 1995 scandal, Miami was hit with NCAA sanctions due to financial aid sandals involving some of the players on the team. The NCAA has recently named eight players ineligible between one to six games which include the star quarterback: Jacory Harris, but only for the first game of the season. Four other players must repay the amount of benefits they received to be eligible to play this season. It seems that the scandal may be in all the players minds and bothering them which cost them the loss to Maryland 32-24 on Sept. 5, but they were able to bounce back against 17th ranked Ohio State with a 24-6 victory. Within the past 18 months, the football teams at Southern California, Ohio State, Auburn, Oregon, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Louisiana State University all have either been investigated or sanctioned by the NCAA according to ESPN.com. Most of these scandals have been due to some sort of money gift, whether it is paying the players or for the team in general.
commit to UCLA as a junior. It is tough to compete in such a tough Marmonte League with high caliber teams such as Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure who are both ranked in the top five in California and top 25 in the nation according to Maxpreps.com. However, the Warriors aim to challenge the other teams with their rankings of seven in the state and 39 in the
The Arrow Helpful College Websites
http://www.conejo.k12.ca.us/whs
College Sites
UsefulPartCollege I Websites
Upcoming Dates: October 1- SAT Exam October 7-Registration Deadline-Nov. SAT October 15- PSAT October 22- ACT
Throughout the stressful process of applying to college, students may find themselves unable to find useful tools that could potentially alleviate some of the pressure. A variety of college websites can provide helpful information to untangle the web of questions weaving itself in the applicantʼs mind. Collegeboard.org and Naviance.com provide imperative college guidance. (Designed by Alexa Lucas)
CollegeBoard to the Rescue Katrina Brewer Staff Writer
Students Speak:
“CollegeBoard is useful because it includes the SAT/ACT scores per school as well what AP credits are accepted at each school.” -Zahra Farhadi ‘12
COUNSELOR CORNER
It started as the enemy: sign up for the SAT on collegeboard. org….but that’s in the past now so do not shy away from this useful tool. Collegeboard.org has a variety of information that can help a student find his or her perfect college match. From the home page, a search bar on the left is readily available to access any college or university. The page then transfers to an overview of that school with tabs such as “at a glance,” “admission,” “cost and financial aid,” “sports,” “deadlines,” “housing and campus life,” and “majors.” Each tab informs about different aspects of the college. “At a glance” provides the address of the school, contact information, degrees offered, and more basics. Students can
explore the website to find answers to their questions. For those students who still think Penn is a writing utensil and Harvard was invented for the sake of Legally Blonde, there is hope. Among the tabs along the top of Collegeboard.org is “Find a College.” On the “Find a College” page, a column on the left side says “College MatchMaker.” The college matchmaker is a comprehensive quiz that questions the student about his or her college preferences including location, size, majors, sports, and campus life. It matches the student with colleges that fit the student’s desires. Links to other helpful websites on topics such as the actual application process and financial details can be reached from tabs along the top of collegeboard.org.
The Powers of Naviance
Teachers Talk: “Collegeboard is beneficial for seniors because it has resources for the SAT and APs that ultimately help in choosing and getting accepted into colleges.“ -Hilary Waldinger English Teacher
“Naviance has everything a student needs to make a good decision on where to go to college. Super match allows you to customize everything you want (whether it’s sports and spirit, or a focus on the sciences), as well as discover where you will fit in academically. Collegeboard and Naviance are both good starting places to narrow down which schools you would like to visit.” -John Lisowski WHS Counselor
Lisa Battaglia Editor-in-chief
When applying to colleges, students are finding Naviance has become the “Facebook” of college websites. Naviance is connected to almost every college and university to help students become knowledgeable about which college meets their personal needs. Engage Parents Parents can easily Its main goals are to engage see everything their students, increase rigor, involve students must do in parents, and improve communithe college application cation. process. “Overall, Naviance is a great college search tool,” said College Increase Rigor and Career Counselor, Cassie Naviance keeps stuSandifer. “Our goal is for each dents up to date with deadlines and all nec- student to have an account and essary responsibilities. use it on a regular basis.” Through Naviance, applications have become predominantly electronic. Colleges, scholarships, Improve careers, personal statements, and Communication anything else needed for college Teachers, students, applications—all are accessible counselors, and parents can all communi- through Naviance. cate amongst this site. WHS counselors visited a Naviance convention in Austin, Texas this summer to widen their Engage Students Naviance helps students easily involve themselves in the college search.
knowledge about the program. “We learned how to integrate Naviance in the curriculum and more student usage strategies,” said Sandifer. The counselors attended seminars to brainstorm with other counselors from all over the world—including China and Japan—to get more students involved with Naviance. Under the “colleges” tab and “SuperMatch college search,” students can take a test to determine what schools adhere to the student’s needs. All seniors must register with a Common App account with Naviance even if they are not applying with a Common App, according to Sandifer. Seniors can get started with Naviance with their “senior brag sheet,” “parent brag sheet,” their resume, “colleges I’m thinking about list,” and a meeting with their college counselor. Counselors visited senior English classes to answer questons about the college application process.
Teachers Talk: “It is the number one most important website that any student will use to successfully get into college these days.” -Lora Novak English Teacher
Students Speak: “Naviance is a useful resource primarily because it allows students to not only specify what they want in their colleges, but also provides essentially all the information students will need in comparing college choices. -Jeremy Delahanty ‘12