3.21.18

the

Arrow 100 Lakeview Canyon Rd. Westlake Village, CA 91362 Volume XL | Issue 5 | March 21, 2018

Students Resist student activism page 9 public safety debate page 10–11 gun control opposing opinions page 12 social media & shootings page 14

2

EDITORIAL

4

Ending America’s arguing

New assistant principal

by the editor team

editorial

Grad night at Universal

6

5

Coffee break with Mr. Lynch

1968’s 50th anniversary

15

7

Women in film & TV

17

Athletes to watch

Cover photo by Connie Shi

In the aftermath of recent tragedies, there has been a massive outcry for change. Protesters have taken to the streets to march and students have walked out of class to fight against gun violence. Gun activists have responded with plans to tighten regulations for mentally unstable persons or to arm teachers and have scheduled meetings with video game executives.

Now is the time for us to make change and fix the problems that got our country to this point in the first place.

But lately, it seems as if the opposing sides have been more busy fighting against each other than fighting against the issues, such as school shootings. Both groups are completely dedicated to their respective arguments, with little room for a middle ground.

Oftentimes it seems like politicians’ political goals are more important than change and the welfare of this country’s citizens.

And to make matters worse, with the advent of social media, vehement members of either side of the argument have a tendency to not only utilize platforms such as Twitter to debate their ideas regarding gun reform, but also to hurl insults at one another. When at a loss for a retort, some people resort to responding by saying “fake news” or simply attaching a politically–themed meme.

This reveals the centuries–long problem of American democracy: indecision. It’s been over a month since the Parkland shooting, yet despite the nonstop debates, no significant action has been taken. And, ironically, action seems to be the one thing everyone agrees is needed.

Therefore, we are calling for an end to the arguing. We are calling for people to come to an agreement and finally do something to make schools safe. We are tired of watching people bicker back and forth. We want to see a united group of people pushing together to achieve a common goal.

A compromise is not going to satisfy every person’s demands. We know that there are strong arguments and ideas on both sides of the issue. But if the politicians try to tackle this issue with an all–or–nothing mindset, then we’re going to end up with nothing.

Though some people are reluctant to relent in their arguments, many measures can (and should) be taken to reduce the problem of shootings, even if they don’t solve the problem altogether. There is no quick fix— there is no one solution to instantly solve the school safety problem. But every small step will contribute to increased safety in our schools, a place where students should never feel unsafe.

Both sides need to acknowledge the validity of the opposition’s arguments. The left needs to acknowledge that the right to bear arms is a sacred right that Americans hold dear to their hearts and that laws regarding mentally unstable individuals

Correction: From the Feb. 13 issue, an article stated that President Donald Trump’s approval rating was forty–nine percent. His rating was actually thirty–nine percent, according to BBC News and Politico.

theArrow

www.westlakearrow.net westlakearrow@gmail.com @westlakearrow

should certainly be stricter. And the right needs to acknowledge that there is a correlation between the number of guns owned by Americans and the frequency of shootings in our country.

We recognize that students do not have the power to directly change laws or create policies. But students are American citizens, and they have the right to express themselves just as much as adults do. We encourage students to make their voices heard, whether that is through discussion or peaceful protests.

Instead of expressing unrelenting arguments, we urge students to listen to and embrace the opposition. Educating oneself on opposing arguments will not only expand a student’s world view, but will also help form a well–rounded, strong stance on an issue. And above all, students need to believe that their voices are worth something; we are the future of America, so it is imperative that we act accordingly.

We urge students to take up a new belief— one that embraces compromise, that takes both sides into account and that all Americans can accept to solve this issue. We urge for debate that is kind, positive and productive; insults will get us nowhere.

If we can finally agree with each other, then there is nothing standing in the way of action towards ending mass shootings.

Although the action taken is not going to be exactly what any one person wants and will not outright solve all current problems, it is certainly better to have some positive change than none.

Perhaps we are idealistic for believing in this utopia. Perhaps we are in over our heads when we hope for a world where everybody gets along with one another. Perhaps this is true, but we know that Americans are capable of great achievements. We were capable of it when we faced off against Hitler in World War II, we were capable of it when we came together in the Space Race against the USSR and we are capable of it today when we team up to fight cancer and disease.

Therefore, we believe that eventually Americans will come together as one and conquer the issue of mass shootings. We just hope that it’s soon and it doesn’t take another Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for America to figure it out.

editors-in-chief

graphics & photo editor kay lim & albert zhang

managing editor

megan king

social media manager caelyn pender

sona bhargava

news section editor

web editors

milla wu

isra din & connie shi 100 N. Lakeview Canyon Road Westlake Village, CA 91362 (805) 497-6711 ext. 4225 The Arrow is written, designed and run by the students of the Advanced Journalism and Journalism 1CP classes at Westlake High School. 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.

news editors

business manager

jamie lee & avery pak

michelle hang

opinion section editor

arts & entertainment section editor alex li

katie reul

arts & entertainment editor

opinion editors taylor chen, akhil gutta & prarthana kaygee

featured columnist

daryn mink

feature section editors amanda ju

marc choi & sydney schlesinger

feature editors

sports section editor lo yarnall

sports editors

nate brenner, sydney rosinski & melanie zhang

adviser elliot kim & matt zhang

karie lynch

3

NEWS

Local, national and international news PHOTO COURTESY OF GREAT RACE OF AGOURA HILLS

PHOTO COURTESY OF PUBLIC DOMAIN

PHOTO COURTESY OF PUBLIC DOMAIN

The Great Race of Agoura Hills will take place on Sat., March 24. Kids and adults from all around Conejo Valley will participate in several events to celebrate running.

Starting in 1986, the race has been recognized several times as a top 10K in the country and is a popular event for runners from all around the country. With seven unique events, consisting of a mix of one–mile runs, 5Ks and half marathons, there are events for everyone regardless of age or speed.

Students from WHS’s Spanish Honors Society will be volunteering during the races and supporting runners during the day.

“We’re planning on running a table where we can pass out water and other refreshments,” said Max Meyers ‘18. “It should be a good experience and we can get volunteer hours as well.”

Throughout the community, the race encourages students to participate in any way possible. With opportunities to participate in the preparation or just have a good time running, there are many ways to get involved.

The various races will be held at a variety of locations, including the Santa Monica Mountains, Old Agoura, Malibu Wine Country and Paramount Ranch. Runners will pass through many scenic sites while competing against people of all age groups.

Whether it’s for competition or fun, running the Great Race of Agoura Hills is a unique annual experience for people to try.

“I’m really excited to get involved,” said Brett Goldman ‘19.

“We can help the community and get service hours at the same time.”

For more information, visit runsignup.com/GreatRaceLA.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more commonly known as SpaceX, has revolutionized the concept of going to space through bold and advanced innovations.

SpaceX is a private company that allows customers to launch satellites, space probes and other objects into orbit. The company charges about $63 million per launch, which covers all expenses required to shoot a rocket out of Earth’s atmosphere.

Recently, SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time, its largest rocket to date. The rocket was carrying a Tesla Roadster with a mannequin dressed as an astronaut. The mannequin and the car will orbit Mars, fly in a path towards the sun and eventually orbit the sun.

SpaceX’s success is largely due to the fact that they reuse their rocket boosters, which saves a huge portion of their launch cost— about seventy percent.

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, condemns the traditional practice of discarding rockets, comparing it to throwing away an airplane after each flight.

This large reduction in cost makes launching objects into space much more accessible to corporations who produce technology that requires Earth’s orbit or space travel to properly function, such as GPSs and even shipments for NASA. Additionally, recycling the boosters eliminates much of the waste that results from a launch and the problems that come with discarding and managing it.

The whole process of launching the rocket, deploying the satellite and landing the rocket boosters takes place in under 24 hours.

For the fourth time since its inception, Voices of Faith, a storytelling event for Catholic women, met on International Women’s Day, March 8, to discuss women’s roles in the Catholic Church.

In years past, the event was held at the Vatican, but Catholic cardinals rejected three speakers, so organizers of the event moved the conference to the headquarters of the Jesuit order in Rome.

Former Irish president and social activist Mary McAleese was among the three rejected speakers.

Although the Church has made progress allowing positive discussion on equality, the controversy behind the event feels like a step backward for event director Chantal Götz.

“The women who spoke are faith–filled and courageous,” said Götz. “Listening respectfully to them will strengthen our Church and help carry out the work of the Gospel.”

Among the speakers, Joanna Gomes, Portuguese project director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, spoke about women’s vocations within Catholicism and the struggles that women of faith face.

“The role of women is not only marriage and having children,” said Gomes. “The Church and society are imposing certain roles on us, but there are other ways to happiness.”

The event claimed to include all opinions from women of all walks of life, but critics pointed out that the majority of speakers swayed left and don’t represent conservative Catholic women.

Pope Francis still hopes that change can arise in the Church.

“It is true that the presence of women is very weak in decision making processes,” said Pope Francis. “We must move forward.”

Local

National

International

Compiled by Akhil Gutta, Elliot Kim & Alex Li

DACA’s uncertain future impacts students by jamie lee & connie shi news & co–web editors Since its creation in June 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has protected about 800,000 total people, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

DACA aids undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. under the age of 16, allowing them to obtain two–year work permits as well as preventing deportation. The protection can be renewed, so recipients range from ages 16 to 35, according to The New York Times.

“In the absence of any immigration action from Congress to fix our broken immigration system, what we’ve tried to do is focus our immigration enforcement resources in the right places,” said former president Barack Obama.

“This is not a path to citizenship. It’s not a permanent fix. This is a temporary stopgap measure that lets us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic young people.”

A majority of the DACA recipients were originally from Mexico, according to data collected by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. California has the largest number of DACA recipients out of all of the states.

However, the Trump Administration announced the end of DACA in early September of 2017. The decision was met with protests, and the state of California as well as many other states sued the administration.

Sources: uscis.gov & politico.com

“This is a sad day for our country,” wrote Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on his Facebook page. “The decision to end DACA is not just wrong. It is particularly cruel to offer young people the American Dream, encourage them to come out of the shadows and trust our government and then punish them for it.”

The issue contributed to a government shutdown in January, and the March 5 deadline for Congress’ decision on DACA passed without resolution. The Supreme Court also declined to hear a case in late February on the Trump

GRAPHIC BY ELLIOT KIM

Administration’s appeal of a San Francisco judges decision to block the ending of DACA. “As I’ve said before, we will resolve the DACA issue with heart and compassion— but through the lawful Democratic process— while at the same time ensuring that any immigration reform we adopt provides enduring benefits for the American citizens we were elected to serve,” said President Donald Trump. “We must also have heart and compassion for unemployed, struggling and forgotten Americans.”

The final decision regarding the future

of DACA will concern much of the American population and will potentially have far reaching consequences, including deportation. WHS holds a large, diverse student population, and some students are directly affected by DACA’s ambiguous fate.

“I think the biggest thing that I see is just uncertainty, and … for many of our students, they have really amazing life stories of how they came to the U.S., and they have overcome a lot of adversity,” said Sophie State, who teaches English Language Development and biology.

“It’s just all added stress and added pressure for a lot of them right now because of how uncertain their futures are.”

Previous students who have been affected

by DACA have gone on to take more active roles in their communities, voicing their opinions about the need for this program.

“I have students who have decided to take on very vocal roles within their own communities here, … linking together the desire to further education and to think about how that would [help] our communities in the future,” said State.

Some DACA recipients were brought to the U.S. as young children with their parents or other family members. The ending of DACA would place them in uncharted waters.

“I don’t know what individual decisions certain families might make,” said State. “I do know that it would severely limit their future educational opportunities.”

4

NEWS

Food share table reduces campus waste

by avery pak feature editor

PHOTO BY AVERY PAK

Eco–schools and Earth Club, both clubs with a common goal of improving the community and environment, combined earlier this school year to form a single, unified club.

“The main purpose of merging the clubs together was to collectively combine two groups of students who have the same purpose and motivation of making our campus a more environmentally responsible and sustainable place,” said co–treasurer Daniel Chow ‘18.

With the newly collaborated club, the leadership positions have also combined. For example, the new co–presidents are Marissa Huang ‘18 and Katie Reul ‘19.

“The combination of Earth [Club] and Eco–schools allows us to have a lot more personnel focusing on one project at a time,” said Connor Kuhl ‘18. “It also brings a lot more ideas together.”

While the club is focusing on several projects that aim to benefit and improve the local campus and community, one of the newly developing projects is a food share table.

Every day during lunch, WHS students can donate unopened, unwanted food to the project by going directly to the cafeteria where food bins are located outside of the kitchen or by giving their food to runners.

“Most of our daily yield of collecting and redistributing food comes from our runners,” said Chow. “These runners basically hold a bucket and go around campus, around the amphitheater, the quad and through the hallways and classrooms of buildings to ask students and faculty if they would like to donate some of their extra food.”

Then, anyone who does not have a lunch or would like extra food can simply approach a runner or go to the cafeteria to pick up a free snack.

Last spring, Jennifer Boyd, club advisor and

SHARING IS CARING: Elyse Matsuura ‘18, co–secretary of the newly combined Eco–schools and Earth Club, participates in the food share table by walking around campus to gather unopened, unwanted food from students. Students collect and redistribute food to others on campus everyday during lunch. All extra food is donated to local charities such as Manna.

environmental science teacher, and her students gathered data during seventh period regarding trash and waste on campus leftover from lunch.

“I started showing [the data] at Back– to–School night, [and] students and parents were shocked at how much food is wasted and thrown away— perfectly good food,” said Boyd. “Especially now that I am a mom, I think about how much time I spend making my kids’ lunches. Even things that you’d think kids would want to eat were getting thrown away; it made kids want to do something about it.”

One of the main motives of the food share table is to significantly reduce the amount of food thrown away that could instead be given to other students and staff.

“Food waste is the number one type of waste in the U.S., and you can tell in the

school because a lot of people buy lunch or bring their own lunch, but [a lot] of their food ends up going into the trash cans because they think that’s the easiest way to get rid of it,” said Courtney Leung ‘19. “Through the food share table, I think that’s how [we can] reduce all of that waste.”

The table also helps educate the students by making them more aware of what is happening around them environmentally and how they can make a change.

“With relatively short time of exposure, many of the students have been more conscious about food waste and have been more open to donate,” said Chow. “We also have many volunteers who are not in the environmental science classes signing up to help out our program.”

Students taking AP Environmental Science

must take part in one service project, and many of them have been drawn to contribute to the food share table.

“I think [the food share tables] are really productive because we always end up with empty baskets,” said APES student Niki Golchini ‘20.

“We get a bunch of food and redistribute it, and whatever is leftover will go to a food bank, so it’s all going somewhere.”

The food share table is not only advantageous to students and staff, but also to the environment, particularly because it removes waste from campus.

“Eco–schools/Earth Club wanted to reduce the amount of food that is thrown away because we learned in [APES] that food waste is a major contributor to global warming as food decomposes in landfills to create methane, a potent greenhouse gas,” said Huang.

So far, no food has been leftover in the bins at the end of the day.

“We have been averaging a collection of three to four four–gallon tubs and have been redistributing 100 percent of the food we collect the same day to other students,” said Chow.

However, in the instance that there is some remaining food in the future, the non– perishables would be put into storage bins in building three, and the rest would be donated to a Manna Conejo Valley Bank, a local food pantry.

According to Huang, the students in the club come from a wide range of grade levels, so they will be trained by the current seniors to be able to continue running the club successfully.

The organization plans to significantly expand in the years to come.

“I would like to see the expansion to composting once again to truly make our school ‘zero waste’ in addition to educating more and more students,” said Chow. “I would like to expand and introduce this program to more schools in the CVUSD through the Thousand Oaks Public Works department which helped me inspire this program.”

WHS welcomes interim assistant principal

Phalba Thomas, born in 1936, grew up in the Delta Region of Mississippi. She later attended Blue Mountain, a private women’s college, where she studied elementary education before coming to California in 1960 with her husband. After moving here, she started working for CVUSD. What is your previous educational background?

Have you noticed any changes in the school?

“I taught in Mississippi for a couple years, then I married and moved to California and stopped working for a few years. After I had moved into Conejo Valley, I began to [substitute at] high schools and middle schools around the district.”

“There are a lot more clerical people working here from before. The trees and shrubbery have grown, and the campus has become much more beautiful. I see a lot of new murals and art around the school that make it really nice.”

What were some of the past jobs you’ve had at CVUSD?

You’ve worked at WHS before. What have you done in the past?

“I was Assistant Principal of Activities before, and Assistant Principal of Athletics. This is my ninth time to be back at WHS filling in for an administrator.”

“I was a full time teacher at Los Cerritos for a while.

I worked at the district office for one semester and helped out a lot of different schools.”

How many years have you worked in the district?

What is your administrative role at WHS?

“I’ve worked full–time for the district for 25 years.

I’ve been retired for almost 21 years, but I enjoy coming back to help high schools like WHS around the district.”

“My role would be to help students realize the importance of attending class regularly and being on time. It’s okay to miss class for important reasons, but too many times creates problems.”

Compiled by Akhil Gutta, Jamie Lee & Avery Pak

5

NEWS

In brief

Grad night & Senior Picnic ticket sales Grad night is scheduled for May 31 at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Students are to report to the gym by 12:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale from March 5–April 20 in the student store. The cost is $120 with an ASB sticker and $130 without.

Prices will continue to rise as the date gets closer, and tickets will not be available for purchase during spring break from March 24–April 2.

Payment can be made by cash, credit or debit, but checks are not accepted.

The Senior Picnic will be held at Calamigos Ranch on May 16.

Tickets will be on sale from April 23–May 4 in the student store, and the cost is $35 with an ASB sticker and $45 without. Prices will continue to rise as the date of the event draws nearer.

by michelle hang buisness manager Similar to Disneyland’s Grad Nite, Universal Studios Hollywood is hosting the Grad Bash celebration on May 31.

“Universal is fairly new in the grad night business, and they actually reached out to us,” said Assistant Principal of Activities Heather Godfrey. “When we knew [that] we didn’t get Grad Nite at Disneyland, Universal Studios had the nights that we wanted.”

Many rumors spread as to why seniors weren’t going to Disneyland this year. Godfrey clarified that Disneyland changed their system of how schools can get tickets for the events.

“Grad night traditionally has always been at Disneyland and that was what our goal was again this year,” said Godfrey. “Disneyland has changed the way they schedule it or allow schools to sign up for it, without telling anybody that they changed [it].”

Previously, schools would inform Disneyland that they were interested in attending Grad Nite and provide the school’s information. Then, the schools would receive a link to pick a date and buy the tickets; however, the process now resembles a lottery.

“They did it similar to the way you would get concert tickets,” said Godfrey. “Once you log into that link at that certain time, it puts you in a queue and you’re in line, which is something they’ve never done ...

By the time we got through on the computer, there were no dates left that worked for us.”

The option to attend a party at California Adventure was available; however, Godfrey and the senior class officers decided that it was a better idea to go to Universal.

“The other thing was that some of the tickets they had available were only [for] the Grad Nite party, which would’ve been only [in] California

National Honors Society applications

GRAPHIC BY MICHELLE HANG

Adventure,” said Godfrey. “[This] means you have to get there at 10 p.m. and stay until 2 a.m.” The cost would be about $100 without the transportation fee. Dates fell during finals and AP test weeks, and a large part of California Adventure is currently closed for refurbishment.

Some students have said that they have no interest in Universal Studios because Disneyland is a tradition for the grad night celebration.

“I’m not going to grad night because I feel kind of cheated out of the fact that we’re not going to Disneyland anymore,” said Bianca Ieraci ‘18. “Disneyland has a lot more options. There’s less rides at Universal, it’s a smaller park ... and, if you grew up around here, it’s kind of the norm … I’m going with my friends [to Disneyland].”

However, even though many students are disappointed about not attending Disney’s Grad Nite, some are

still going to Universal and making the best out of the situation.

“I’m not mad or upset. I just would have preferred [Disneyland], but I think there’s still a lot of things to do at Universal that’ll make it fun,” said Hannah Brock ‘18. “[I’m excited for] Harry Potter [World] because I haven’t been there yet.”

Students are mostly excited to hang out with their friends and enjoy the time celebrating the end of their high school experience.

“I like Universal, [but] it just doesn’t have as many attractions, and it might get a little crowded because its not as big as Disney,” said Alexa Mushovic ‘18. “[However, I’m excited to hang] out with my friends before we graduate.”

The point of this night is to reward seniors for the last four years of work they accomplished as well as allow them to spend time with their class.

“The entire purpose, or intended

purpose [of grad night], is just to have fun,” said Jake Kim ‘18. “After four years of test dates, assignments and homework, you just get to let loose, be with friends and go on wild rides.”

For future years, Godfrey plans on being prepared to try and get the Disneyland tickets.

“They don’t have their calendar yet for 2019,” said Godfrey. “[However,] when we do try to get into the Grad Nite party, we will have everybody in the office trying to log on at the same time and just holler, whoever gets through first.”

ASG juniors are already planning for grad night next year to try to ensure that the class of 2019 will attend Disneyland.

“A lot of seniors this year are obviously pretty perturbed by the fact that they’re not going to Disneyland,” said Scott Pugh ‘19. “The juniors are already trying our best to try to reserve a spot in Disneyland.”

National Honors Society membership is awarded to students based on their outstanding performance in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership and character.

Students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher meet the requirement for membership. The appointed faculty committee also looks for contributions to the school and the community. Candidacy forms for NHS are available on the school website and are to be completed with a signature from both the student and a parent. The forms are due no later than April 5 at 3 p.m.

Last day to level change or drop a class The final day to level change or drop a class is March 23. A form must be filled out with signatures from the student, teacher and parent to be given to the student’s counselor.

This form can be obtained from the student’s counselor.

Compiled by Prarthana Kaygee

6

FEATURE

COFFEE BREAK

with Mr. Lynch

Known for his passion for coffee, WHS’s No. 1 coffee connoissuer shares his thoughts on favorite drinks for coffee enthusiasts.

ON BREWING: There are multiple ways to brew coffee, including using a press, a dripper, an aeropress and more. Each one affects the taste of the drinks.

“Chemex is a German–made pyrex glass steeping device with really thick filters if you want a really clean coffee. A melitta is comb shaped; it’s called a pourover at Starbucks. It’s a much cleaner coffee, [and] it has a lot more flavor to it because it steeps at a different angle and you grind it differently.”

ON TYPES OF DRINKS: Brewed coffee can be served on its own, or it can be combined with varying amounts of steamed milk and other sweeteners to produce popular drinks such as lattes, mochas, macchiatos and cappuccinos.

“I like [an] Americano, just some espresso and water.

Macchiatos are good which is a little splash of cream on top ...

Also a good wet cappuccino. There’s a place in San Francisco called Caffe Trieste with the greatest cappuccino I’ve ever had.”

The type of bean contributes to the taste as well. Such varieties include: Arabica, Robusta, Liberica and Excelsa. Typically, Arabica beans have a sweeter and softer flavor, while Robusta beans are harsher and contain more caffeine.

“There are Arabica beans, which are craft beans almost, and there’s non–Arabica beans. Some of the junky coffee you buy, they’re just grown out in the bushes. They’re in full sun usually, on some big plantation in Brazil. Shade coffee is much more difficult to grow; it’s got to be within the trees.”

ON CAFFINE: Light–roast beans contain the most caffeine. Typically, they are used in morning drinks for people who need a jolt of energy.

Those who avoid caffeine stick to dark–roast beans, which are usually more aromatic. Medium–roast beans offer a balance between caffeine and flavor.

BY PHOTO

IM YL KA

“I like the heavier roasts because they have more complexity and flavors like chocolates and cherries. I like a nice rich blend, like an Italian roast or a Rome roast or a French roast, that you can drink at night and not worry about the caffeine.”

ON SHOPS: While many people brew their own coffee, going to a coffee shop is very popular among Americans. Places like Starbucks can be found in nearly every shopping center.

“I think [coffee stores] do a lot of good. Starbucks has a good reputation of treating their employees well. I like Peet’s the best.”

Notably, many coffee stores are dedicated to supporting farmers from around the world. Fair trade coffee ensures that coffee is bought in accordance with ethical standards.

“You as a consumer can always buy organic and you can buy direct trade. It’s really, really important because you’re paying the farmer, not a broker. Ethiopia is notorious for stiffening the farmer and having these brokers make all the money. If you go direct trade you can cut out the broker.”

ON LOCATION: The ideal locations for coffee trees to grow are along the equatorial zone, also called the Bean Belt, where the climate is hot and wet year–round; however, coffee is grown all around the world.

“There’s basically three coffee regions in the world: Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.”

With the rise of single origin coffee becoming a more popular option among other coffee enthusiasts, the demand for it has increased over the years.

“Panama has a really really high end powerful coffee market right now. It’s called the Geisha Esmeralda and it’s a specific bean you can only get in certain types of climates. It’s organic and some people just love it.”

Compiled by Kay Lim & Albert Zhang

free at last FEATURE

7

A 50TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO

GRAPHIC BY MELANIE ZHANG

by melanie zhang feature editor Of the unstable years of the ‘60s, one year stands out as the most tumultuous: 1968. With so many monumental events occurring during the year, 1968 is one of the most famous years in modern history. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the chaotic ‘68; from assassinations to protests, there is much to remember.

Assassination of MLK Jr. Possibly the most memorable event of ‘68 was the assassination of the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. On April 4, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot by a sniper in Memphis, TN; he was rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead an hour later. Known for his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, King advocated strongly for African American equality through peaceful protests for which President Lyndon Johnson hailed him as the “apostle of nonviolence.” People all over the country were shocked at such a prominent leader’s death.

“Anytime someone wants to stop or slow down a movement, they always target the leaders,” said AP European History teacher Emily Dale. “I think the reaction was so strong because he was considered the main leader of that movement, especially since the message he had preached for so long had been pacifist.”

Although a bullet may have stopped King, it did not slow down the Civil Rights Movement. Shortly after, the Fair Housing Act was signed by the president on April 11, making discrimination for housing sales illegal, one of the many steps towards equality.

Tet Offensive The Tet Offensive was a turning point in the Vietnam War, which started in 1955 and eventually led to North and South Vietnam unifying to become the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Starting on Jan. 30, 1968, North Vietnam utilized guerilla–style warfare in an attempt to stop U.S. involvement in the war.

The North Vietnamese and their supporters, the Viet Cong, fought against the South Vietnamese and United States. While North Vietnam supported communism, the United States and South Vietnam did not.

The Tet Offensive, named after a new year of the lunar calendar, became a “wake up call for Americans back home,” according to CNN. The U.S. government continued sending troops to Vietnam to fight despite knowing that they could not win this war, causing many Americans to speak out and protest against the prolonged fighting.

“The American public turned against the war as they realized that the war was not as close to a conclusion as they had previously believed,” said Ashley Tomkins, AP U.S. History and CP World History teacher.

Assassination of Robert Kennedy While walking out of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, Robert Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan, who had hidden his revolver in a rolled up campaign poster.

Kennedy, the former Attorney General and the younger brother of John F. Kennedy, had just won the California primary for the 1968 presidential election when he was shot by the 22 year–old. In addition to the death of Kennedy,

five other bystanders were hurt during the attempt to stop Sirhan.

Robert Kennedy had promised to unite the country and was expected to win the presidential election that year. With his assassination mere months after King’s, Americans were devastated at the loss of two leaders who had given them hope for a brighter future.

Prague Spring Czechoslovakian ruler Alexander Dubček began creating liberal reforms starting on Jan. 5, including increased freedom of expression.

This time period of his rule before the USSR invaded was known as Prague Spring. Due to the Warsaw Pact that Czechoslovakia was bound to, the USSR would not allow the country to have democracy and quickly invaded in August, ending the short era of democracy for Czechoslovakians.

First interracial kiss on T.V.

The first interracial kiss on American television took place on Star Trek between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura, played

by William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols, respectively. This kiss displayed on NBC was met with opposition. Director David Alexander wanted to have two cuts to the scene, one with the kiss and one with an embrace as to not offend the American viewers. But when filming the embrace, Shatner would purposely mess up the scene so as to force the filming team to use the kiss on TV. “People, of course, were probably upset about it in the ‘60s,” said Dale. “But if we’re seeing things on TV, then it means that it’s part of our culture and we’re okay with it.”

Technology With heightened foreign competition from the Cold War, there was an explosion of new, revolutionary machinery as the space race emerged as an important matter.

“Competition between the United States and the USSR was a driving force in the development of a variety of technology,” said Tomkins.

During the final month of the chaotic year, America’s NASA had its the satellite Apollo 8 orbit around the moon and successfully come back to earth. The astronauts, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, “became the first humans to orbit another world,” according to NASA. This mission gave way to the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, where Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

Demonstrations 1968 was a year of much protest all around the world. In Germany, students raised their voices in opposition to the former Nazis in their government and the universities’ undemocratic practices. In France, student activists were tired of the status quo. With oppressive rules such as women needing their husband’s permission to open a bank account and outlawing homosexuality, young activists questioned the authoritarians and advocated for democracy.

Each country’s activism spread around the globe, creating a chain effect.

Now, 50 years later, American students’ voices are louder than ever in response to recent events, prompting change. “[Students] were active because there was a national issue that directly impacted them,” said Tomkins. “Gun control directly impacts students today, and we are currently witnessing a similar rise in student activism.”

8

FEATURE

Werkneh Ourga: an inspiration

by prarthana kaygee & megan king opinion & graphics/photo editors WHS has much more to offer than meets the eye. Werkneh Ourga ‘18 grew up in an orphanage in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, from the age of four. After battling growing tumors in his hands, he moved to California in 2008 to receive surgery and experience new opportunities.

Ourga presented at the TedxYouth@Conejo event on March 18, responding to this year’s theme of “Connections.” In his speech, Ourga encouraged the audience not to give up in the face of a challenge.

“I’m actually sharing the story about myself.

I’ve been through so many things in my life since when I was born and I had a tough life [growing] up in an orphanage,” said Ourga. “How does my life transform from nothing to something?”

When Ourga moved to the U.S., he faced even more challenges; he had to adjust to a new world, meet new people and learn English while undergoing multiple surgeries, but he never let that stop him from achieving his dreams.

“I had a tough life in my childhood, [but] things happened for [a] reason,” said Ourga.

In 2016, Ourga began attending WHS as a junior. Since then, he has taken part in multiple activities and clubs on campus. He is a member of the varsity soccer team and runs in distance events for the track team; he is also a member of Action Team, a volunteer organization.

“He has what I like to call a ‘mamba mentality,’ meaning he is fearless and always tries to be better tomorrow than he was today,” said teammate Erol Arik ‘18. “He has great natural ability as an athlete and, in addition, adds a great work ethic in his training.”

In addition to his limitless effort and talent as an athlete, Ourga stands out as a person. His positive words and friendly attitude touch the lives of the students and teachers around him. “ We r k n e h is the most

outgoing person I know, and when you walk by him, he is always smiling or waving at someone,” said Lexi Hartsuyker ‘18. “I think his bubbly outgoing nature is what sets him apart from so many other teenagers on the Westlake campus.”

Each day, he strives not only to be a better athlete but a better student as well.

“He is always making sure he understands the material, even if that means staying a few minutes after class or stopping by after school to clarify anything,” said math teacher Marina Morales.

Ourga has inspired

students to be grateful for the lives they have been given. Before moving to California, he had never been on a plane or owned a cell phone, something most students cannot relate to.

“Hearing about his major surgery and struggles in his early life, I just thought it was crazy that I was having a conversation with someone my age who has lived a totally different life than me,” said Arik. “But, in terms of personalities and people, I think we are very similar, which allowed us to become good friends from the first day we met. He has given me motivational talks, life advice and most importantly has taught me to be fearless and pursue all my goals.”

Ourga’s dedication and efforts were commemorated in 2015, when a Grey’s Anatomy episode (season 12 episode six) featured his story in alliance with the Mending Kids organization that helped him receive his surgeries.

Ourga hopes to continue to be an inspiration to those around him and to one day make an impact on the world.

Ourga said, “I hope one day I will go travel on around the world to accomplish my dreams [of doing] research on hands.”

PHOTO BY CONNIE SHI

FEATURE

9

Students inspire change

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by megan king & caelyn pender graphics/photo & managing editors After the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL that killed 17 people, students across the country began speaking out about the government’s handling of school shootings. From survivors at MSD to WHS’s very own students, the young generation has been making its voice heard.

Students from MSD, including Emma Gonzalez, Cameron Kasky and David Hogg, started a movement called “Never Again” to fight for safer schools and protest the government’s response to the shooting. After the shooting, they began taking interviews with media outlets and utilizing social media to spread their message.

The “Never Again” movement has grown to include students all across the country. Tweets have been tagged with hashtags such as #neveragain, #marchforourlives and #msdstrong to show support and solidarity.

In Conejo Valley, 38 students from WHS, Thousand Oaks High School, Newbury Park High School, Agoura High School, Calabasas High School and Oak Park High School attended a meeting with California senator Henry Stern on Feb. 23 to discuss organizing walkouts. “[The meeting] was really inspiring because I met a lot of people who are just as passionate about activism as I am,” said Victoria Barrios ‘18. “We were talking about how this movement is our movement — it’s a movement by teens. So really they’re giving us a platform, but we have to decide what to do with that and … do our own thing as long as it’s reasonable.”

WHS attendees, including Jillian Butler ‘19, Ritika Iyer ‘18 and Quinn Muscatel ‘20, planned the walkout that took place at WHS on March 14. The walkout corresponded with other walkouts the same day across the country.

“The message [behind the walkout] is that … we’ve had enough and we want to see change,” said Muscatel. “I think that students need to stand up if we want the government to change something, and I think that this is one of the most beneficial ways to show that there needs to be a change.”

The walkout was not based on the ideology of one political party; it was meant to be a way for students to band together and peacefully express their desire for safer schools.

“This walkout [was] bipartisan, so it’s not political at all. [We] think that we need to increase school safety and raise awareness to the safety within our schools,” said Butler. “I hope that the walkout just inspires more students to stand up for what they believe in and to use their voices in a positive way.”

WHS administration supported the students’ right to free expression,

working with the students as they planned the walkout. Assistant Principal of Activities Heather Godfrey met with students during CPT on Feb. 28 to discuss student visions for the event and ensure the safety of students at the walkout.

“I would be happy if there was no walkout and that we just did these things because they’re things that we

should b e d o i n g ,” s a i d Godfrey. “But we are looking to support kids and … support their voice … I want kids to feel like they have a voice and be heard, and if anything, I want everybody to realize that we are all in this together.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y, Principal Jason Branham said that “the safety of [the] students and staff is [his] number one priority, period.” Administration worked with the students to make sure that the walkout was conducted safely and that no students left campus. Staff and teachers have shown “nothing but support” for the movement.

The March 14 walkout, organized by Women’s March, lasted for 17 minutes. At WHS, participating students left class at 10 a.m. and “walked out” to the amphitheater where students could sign a banner to send to MSD and send kindness grams to people on campus. Iyer, Barrios, Rylinn Cafferty ‘20 and Jasen Cummings ‘20 gave inspirational speeches on the steps of the ampitheater, and many students brought handmade signs with messages like “#never again,” “Enough is enough” and “Protect people not guns.”

The April 20 walkout, sparked by the work of Lane Murdock, a sophomore from Connecticut, begins at 10 a.m. and lasts the rest of the school day; it takes place on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

“The majority of teenagers have no right to vote, leaving our voice unheard. The government does not hear or care how these tragedies affect our lives,” said Murdock in the introduction of her petition. “The violence of guns is being performed in our schools and our communities. Not the senate floor. As the future of America, it is time for teenagers to speak their minds and put their frustration into action.”

WHS twins Amy Steinman ‘19 and Julia Steinman ‘19 organized a letter writing campaign at WHS to send letters of support to the students at MSD. They were compelled to do something in response to the shooting because they grew up in Parkland, FL and still know people there.

“It’s really shocking to see the name of your hometown on the news,” said Amy Steinman. “In light of [the shooting], our school wasn’t really doing much, and they didn’t mention it at all over the announcements ... In Parkland we see [students] all rising up and speaking out about this finally, so we’re like, you know what, let’s show them some support because they need that right now.”

The Steinmans talked to the English department, and some

LEADERS OF CHANGE (top left): (from left to right) Quinn Muscatel, Victoria Barrios, Ritika Iyer, Taylor Nitzsche ‘20, Julia Steinman, Emma Adams ‘19, Avi Kapur ‘19, Jillian Butler and Leah Merjan ‘20 are among many students fighting for change at WHS. FREEDOM OF PROTEST (lower left): Baylee King ‘20 protests gun violence at the March 14 walkout.

THE POWER OF SPEECH (left): Rylinn Cafferty speaks about the victims of the MSD shooting at the walkout.

IN SUPPORT ( b o t t o m corner): Students sign the banner f o r MSD.

PHOTOS BY MICHELLE HANG, MEGAN KING, CAELYN PENDER & CONNIE SHI

teachers, including Lora Novak, Danielle Sanford and Deana Fechner, gave up class time for students to write the letters in support of students at MSD. “I think just supporting [the Steinmans] in what they decided to do about something that they felt strongly about … was important,” said Sanford. “And offering a little bit of class time to facilitate that in order to support my students I thought was a good thing to do.”

Many students and teachers participated in the letter writing.

“It was a good way to actually get to the students because I feel like a lot of the thing[s] that have been going on don’t have a direct effect on the people who have been affected by this, so I thought it was cool,” said Molly Beals ‘19, who participated in the letter writing.

There are many other ways students can take action in their community, no matter the issue or what their views are. Although many students cannot yet vote, there are a plethora of ways to make one’s voice heard.

“If you use your voice and your methods in appropriate ways, you can enact change,” said Branham. “Change occurs when people utilize their voice in an appropriate manner which causes people to listen.”

In California, minors can pre–register to vote at age 16 or 17, and then on their 18th birthday, they will be automatically registered to vote.

“I think it is really up to us to not only care about big government officials such as the president, but [also] to really be involved in our community and the politicians we elect close [to us],” said Barrios. “As youth, we can understand who’s representing us, register to vote, vote and voice our opinions.”

In addition to voting, students can contact state senators to express their opinions on any subject or send letters to the Thousand Oaks Acorn to be considered for publication.

“One day we’re all going to be adults, and we’re going to be the ones in charge, so we won’t have anyone to rely on,” said Butler. “We need to know how to speak up and use our voices in an effective way.”

To read the unabridged story, visit westlakearrow.net

10

CEN

A Timeline of U.S. Shootings April 20, 1999

The timeline identifies some of the deadliest and most tragic mass shootings in the United States. in the last two decades. These statistics do not include the perpetrator.

July 20, 2012

M

Virginia Tech University Sandy Hook Elementary School Blacksburg, Virginia Newtown, Connecticut 32 killed, at least 17 injured 26 killed, at least 1 injured Columbine High School Century 16 Movie Theater Littleton, Colorado Aurora, Colorado Is 13 killed, 24 injured 12 killed, 70 injured 6

April 16, 2007

COLORADO Columbine

CONNECTICUT Sandy Hook

The shooters were Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, both seniors at Columbine High School. They took their own lives after the massacre.

Adam Lanza, age 20, entered Sandy Hook Elementary School with a semi– automatic shotgun, semi–automatic rifle and two semi–automatic hand guns.

They killed 12 students ranging from 14–18 in age and one staff member, and wounded 24.

He shot and killed his mom in their home before going to the elementary school, killing 20 six and seven–year– old first–graders and six staff members before killing himself.

The shooters obtained their guns legally from a gun show and illegally through a straw purchase.

After the shooting, school security increased and lockdown drills became more common.

the

Public Safety

debate

Ever since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on Feb. 14 in which 17 lives were lost, the United States has been embroiled in a debate on how to tackle the issue of public safety. by kay lim & caelyn pender co–editor–in–chief & managing editor

December 14, 2012

In response, Junior West Virginia senator Joe Manchin drafted the Manchin Bill, which would require background checks at thousands of different gun shows around the country. It was voted down 54–46 in the Senate; the bill needed 60 votes to move forward.

The Parkland shooting sparked a nationwide debate led by MSD students– turned–activists over how the government needs to handle tragedies such as these. In addition to the call of many students for a bipartisan movement, many Republicans and Democrats hold different platforms in regards to the issue. There are several proposals currently in discussion to solve the public safety issue, some with bipartisan support and others with the majority of support from one side.

One point highly discussed over the past weeks is the possibility of implementing stronger background checks. Currently, background checks for purchasing a gun, which were introduced in the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 in the form of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, scan for “certain indicators of past violence, misconduct and mental health issues— but not all,” according to CNN. “It’s up to local police, sheriff ’s offices, the military, federal and state courts, Indian tribes and in some places, hospitals and treatment providers, to send criminal or mental health records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, but some don’t always do so, or they may not send them in a timely fashion,” said ABC News.

There has also been much debate over the so–called “gun show loophole.”

Most states allow individuals to purchase a firearm from private individuals without a background check; these states only require background checks for licensed dealers, which does not encompass all gun sellers.

V

Seung–Hui Cho op Tech’s residence h using a Walther killing 32 people before committing

Cho suffered from and selective m state of Virginia ne National Instant C Check System.

After the shooting legislation to inc NICS and Virginia possession and st on campus by stu other visitor or third

Other people believe that the culpr the mental health system, an argument t background checks.

“Two things typically happen in the Monahan, a psychology and law profess New York Times. “First, politicians claim violence in America. Then, advocates fo denying there is any relationship whatsoe Both groups are wrong. Research shows th and violence is not strong, but it does exi Many others have also argued that m of gun reform, stating that guns don’t kill However, a report by James L. Knoll Psychiatric Association, details that “mass illness represent less than one percent of a “the overall contribution of people with s only about three percent.”

Another proposal discussed over rec The Semiautomatic Assault Weapon made it illegal to “transfer or possess a se to the law’s text, expired in 2004. Althou

11

NTER

May 23, 2014

June 12, 2016

November 5, 2017

Emanuel African Methodist Route 91 Harvest festival Marjory Stoneman Douglas Episcopal Church Las Vegas, Nevada High School Charleston, South Carolina 58 killed, over 500 injured Parkland, Florida 9 killed, 1 injured 17 killed, 17 injured UC Santa Barbara Pulse Nightclub First Baptist Church sla Vista, California Orlando, Florida Sutherland Springs, Texas 6 killed, 14 injured 49 killed, 53 injured 26 killed, 20 injured

June 17, 2015

October 1, 2017

February 14, 2018

Compiled by Lo Yarnall

Since 1982, there have been 150 mass shootings in the United States, according to The Washington Post.

In total, these shootings have taken the lives of 1,077 people with 153 shooters and 292 guns. Some of the deadliest mass shootings are detailed below, as well as the change they incited.

VIRGINIA Virginia Tech

pened fire at Virginia hall and Norris Hall P22 and Glock 19, e and wounding 17 g suicide.

m severe depression mutism, which the ever reported to the Criminal Background

g, Congress passed crease funding to a Tech banned the torage of all firearms udents, staff and any d party.

rit behind mass shootings in America is that often ties into the need for stronger

e wake of a mass shooting,” said John T. sor at the University of Virginia, to The m that mental illness is the major cause of or people with mental illness respond by ever between mental illness and violence. hat the association between mental illness ist.” mental health needs to be the main focus l, the people using the guns do. and George D. Annas from the American s shootings by people with serious mental all yearly gun–related homicides” and that serious mental illness to violent crimes is

cent weeks is banning assault weapons. n Violence Prevention Act of 1993, which emiautomatic assault weapon,” according ugh crime rates did fall during the ban, a

NEVADA Las Vegas

Stephen Paddock shot at the people attending the Route 91 country music festival from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino using multiple weapons, including semi– automatic rifles. He stored 23 guns in his room and had 24 more guns at his home.

He killed 58 people and wounded over 500 before killing himself.

FLORIDA

Parkland & Pulse Nightclub Omar Mateen attacked a gay nightclub in Orlando using a rifle that took AR–15–style magazines and ammunition, as well as a semi–automatic pistol, killing 49 people and injuring 53.

In response, Florida state representative Carlos Guillermo–Smith and Florida state senator Linda Stewart introduced similar assault weapons ban bills. Neither measure was allowed an open hearing.

No state laws have changed since the shooting.

Nikolas Cruz, age 19, opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland using an AR–15, killing 14 students and three staff members and injuring 17 more.

More than 450 people filed lawsuits against Paddock’s estate, MGM Resorts, Mandalay Corp., Live Nation Entertainment and Slide Fire Solutions.

Survivors Jaclyn Corin, Emma Gonzales, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky and Delaney Tarr are heading the student–led Never Again political movement sweeping across the country.

Compiled by Nate Brenner, Kay Lim, Caelyn Pender, Sydney Schlesinger & Lo Yarnall

federal study funded by the Department of the Treasury concluded that “the ban’s effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement.” They decided that the decline could have been from other factors.

Although assault weapons “only figured in about two percent of gun crimes nationwide before the ban,” according to The New York Times, the ban did decrease the number of deaths in mass shootings. Louis Klarevas, a gun expert who researched 50 years worth of shooting data to analyze the effect of the assault weapons ban, found that “the number of gun massacres during the ban period fell by thirty–seven percent, and the number of people dying from gun massacres fell by forty–three percent. But after the ban lapsed in 2004, the numbers shot up again— an astonishing 183 percent increase in massacres and a 239 percent increase in massacre deaths,” according to the Washington Post.

Another idea that has been proposed is the possibility of raising the purchase age of rifles and shotguns to 21. According to federal law, licensed dealers cannot sell a handgun to a purchaser under the age of 21 and a rifle or shotgun to a purchaser under 18; however, unlicensed sellers can sell a handgun to anyone over the age of 18 and a rifle or shotgun to a person of any age.

Many people express concerns because they do not want to take away the Second Amendment rights of 18, 19 and 20–year–old law–abiding citizens. Some companies, including Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart, recently made the decision to raise the age to purchase a gun in their stores to 21 even without federal action.

Arming teachers is yet another proposal that has been discussed lately, albeit a controversial one. President Trump has suggested arming qualified teachers and offering small, one–time bonuses for the added responsibility.

Some schools have already introduced this measure with success. For instance, some public school systems in Texas have select teachers who go through training so they can have access to a firearm at school. Lawmakers and advocates there have said that the program has “eased fears of armed intruders and have not led to any firearm accidents or mishaps,” according to the The New York Times.

On the other hand, many teachers have responded to the proposal with concerns. Teachers expressed these concerns with the Twitter hashtag #ArmMeWith, listing supplies such as books and computers that they would prefer be funded instead of guns.

The MSD students, leading a movement called Never Again, are striving to tackle gun issues from a bipartisan point of view; they say that although the Democrats and the Republicans might disagree on what needs to be done regarding gun control, they need to agree that something needs to be done.

“At the end of the day, this isn’t a red and blue thing, this isn’t Democrats [and] Republicans, this is about everybody and how we are begging for our lives,” said Cameron Kasky, a MSD student, to Face the Nation. “We need to make real change here, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

To read the unabridged story, visit westlakearrow.net.

12

OPINION

Opposing Opinions:

Gun Control FOR from a handgun … The damage is far greater than that of a simple handgun–shot injury.”

And while gun control has the power to encompass what types of guns are regulated, As a society, there exists a preconceived it is, most significantly, a method of regulating notion that we are unaffected by the sorrows what kind of people qualify to purchase a gun, of the world around us, as though the especially a semi–automatic rifle or something troubles outside of the bubble we live in are of even higher caliber. Many perpetrators simply nonexistent. But in the aftermath of some of the most recent mass shootings of the recent Florida shooting at Marjory purchased their guns completely legally, as seen Stoneman Douglas High School, students, in the case of MSD shooter Nikolas Cruz, who parents and teachers alike received a rude has a history of mental illness.

Out of the 185 public mass shootings in the awakening that as long as the current system of gun regulation is in place, nowhere is U.S. from 1900 to 2017, the amount of shooters who had been diagnosed with a mental disorder truly safe.

Commonly misconstrued as a complete is a staggering fifty–nine percent, according ban of guns and encroachment on the to Grant Duwe and Michael Rocque of the Los Angeles Times.

Second Amendment, gun Thorough control is in actuality the hooters with [high psychological “regulation of the selling, capacity] magazines testing should be owning and use of guns,” according to Merriam– can fire at large enforced to ensure Webster Dictionary. No numbers of people without that deadly weapons are not being placed right is completely limitless, taking the time to reload into the hands of and at the end of the day, no right should ever infringe ... and the number of lives someone not of on another’s natural rights shattered by senseless acts sane and stable mind. An argument to life, liberty and the of gun violence increases could even be made pursuit of happiness.

The right to bear arms dramatically.” against putting a has always been a double– –Giffords Law Center gun into the hands of someone who has edged sword. While it allows an immediate family guns to be available to those with malevolent intentions, it also provides member with psychological illness, making the comfort and protection to innocent, law– gun much more accessible to someone not fit abiding citizens. But that being said, comfort for the responsibilities of deadly weapons.

And in joint action with stricter should not be based on the size or fatality of the gun, but rather the concept of having a background checks, it would be beneficial to weapon for protection should be enough, thus raise the legal age for purchasing a gun. As of making high capacity magazines superfluous. late, the argument has been made to raise the age According to Giffords Law Center, for purchasing a gun to 21 in correspondence “shooters with [high capacity] magazines can with the drinking age, but this could even be fire at large numbers of people without taking pushed further.

The University of Rochester Medical Center the time to reload, those in the line of fire do not have a chance to escape, law enforcement identifies that the “rational part of a teen’s brain does not have the chance to intervene and the isn’t fully developed and won’t be until age 25,” number of lives shattered by senseless acts of which raises the question of why undeveloped brains are being entrusted to make decisions gun violence increases dramatically.”

Weaponry of this caliber is capable of regarding the life and death of others. That being holding up to 100 rounds of ammunition, said, mental capability cannot be relied on as a enabling the shooter to fire senselessly scapegoat for humans inflicting pain on others.

“We need to pay attention to the fact that without aim, in a shorter time frame and still cause fatal damage. Giffords Law Center this isn’t just a mental health issue,” argued MSD also denotes that the shooter at the 2012 student survivor Emma Gonzalez. “[Cruz] Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy wouldn’t have harmed that many students with equipped his gun, an AR–15, with 30–round a knife.”

And she’s right. While mental health is an magazines, allowing him to fire 154 rounds in under five minutes. The AR–15 was also used important factor in the handling of a weapon, it’s only a fraction of the bigger picture; humans in the recent MSD shooting. “[The AR–15 is] a semi–automatic rifle are only be able to do as much damage as the that delivers a devastatingly lethal, high– weapon they get their hands on can.

The key to change is to act now. Pursuing velocity bullet to the victim,” said Heather Sher of The Atlantic. “A typical AR–15 bullet gun control allows the student victims to not leaves the barrel traveling almost three times have died in vain, but rather have their bravery faster than­— and imparting more than three attributed to a movement for the betterment of times the energy of— a typical 9mm bullet society as a whole.

by katie reul a & e section editor

“S

AGAINST in the shooting.

The government’s negligence resulted in opinion editor his ability to obtain a semi–automatic firearm.

Current federal law prohibits possession “SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!” of firearms by any person who has been That was the rallying cry of millions “adjudicated as a mental defective” or of Americans after the devastating school “committed to any mental institution.” shooting, which took place on Feb. 14 at Despite this, no federal law requires states Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. to report any information identifying these Many students have picked up this issue, individuals to the NICS. seeing it as the fight to define their generation.

The solutions to gun violence are not Nobody can blame the students for responding easy, but gun control is just not a solution that so emotionally. They are passionate, and they will work in reality. want to change the world.

One of the left–wing’s big policies Students and the rest of America have been focuses on the AR–15 and other semi– bombarded with mainstream media politicizing automatic rifles. The semi–automatic rifle, the loss of life. Soaking in all of this politically– more accurately identified as a modern charged news, millions have begun to demand sporting rifle, is one of America’s most solutions from government officials; however, popular rifles with over 13.7 million legally the solution they want to hear primarily owned by citizens. concerns gun control.

A ban on this weapon would be On international television, students of unrealistic. The term “assault rifle” is a bogus MSD presented their opinions concerning this term used to describe the cosmetics of a topic. One student said, “If you aren’t with us, scary–looking rifle. In reality, these so–called you’re against us,” which already presents a assault rifles are no more powerful in terms false dichotomy. of impact force than any other rifle or gun.

They believe that passing laws to regulate Assault rifles fire one round per pull of the guns is the best and only solution to the issue trigger like most other firearms. at hand, and apparently you either support or Thus, a measure banning “assault rifles” oppose the students. There’s no medium. would provide no fix to the issue. The Gun Gun control can mean many things, Violence Archive found that “those deaths from a complete ban to merely raising the age account for about two percent of gun deaths to legally purchase a gun. However, none of and less than one percent of gun injuries.” these policies will provide a pragmatic solution The fact is, assault rifles are rarely for the gun–related incidents saturating our present in crime scenes. Usually, the weapon country’s news. is a standard handgun or other sidearm.

It is easy to throw guns under the bus; Another commonly proposed solution however, they are is to raise the current age just tools. It is easier hose deaths [by to own guns from 18 to to demand laws to 21. However, the idea that assault rifles] we send 18–year–olds to deal with these tools instead of looking account for about a foreign country with a towards the real two percent of gun deaths weapon in the name of problem: people. national security but can’t and less than one percent of trust them to possess a Supporters of gun control do not want gun injuries.” firearm is an absurd notion. to talk about society.

In the end, only the –Gun Violence Archive However, the law–abiding–citizens government cannot are affected by any merely legislate away society’s problems. Simply government legislation. put, anyone with ill intention will not acknowledge However, for those that do not obey the any laws passed by Congress. Government can law, there are always other avenues to carry only have influence on law–abiding citizens. out their malicious intent. In countries with For example, Nikolas Cruz, the shooter at tougher gun laws, there are higher rates MSD, should never have been able to obtain his of fatal knife attacks, intentional vehicular weapon. The FBI, the Boward County Sherifs manslaughter and even bombings. office and other agencies were notified that Cruz Recent events have shown that other had put guns to others’ heads in the past, self– methods are much more efficient than using harmed, tried to commit suicide through the guns. The truck attacks in London, Nice and ingestion of gasoline, posted blatantly violent Stockholm and homemade, improvised bombs photos with weapons online and posted that claim many more lives per attack than the he would be a “professional school shooter.” If shootings which many are trying to prevent. these notifications had been acted upon and What we really want to end is violence. The filed through the National Instant Criminal proposed solutions by the left–wing are simply Background Check System, it would have made policy levers. Gun control measures proposed it impossible for Cruz to obtain the AR–15 used by the left–wing fail to consider the real world.

by taylor chen

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OPINION

Shutting up isn’t the solution by nate brenner & marc choi feature & co–feature section editor Fox News host Laura Ingraham is many things: an author, a political commentator and a person who hates when celebrities enter the realm of American politics.

This was evident when her criticism of NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant went viral, as she told the athletes to steer clear of politics and “shut up and dribble.” This was in response to an UNINTERRUPTED video segment, “Rolling with the Champion,” where James and Durant were both critical of President Donald Trump.

She has faced a great amount of backlash ever since she made those comments on Feb. 17 on her show, The Ingraham Angle. James and Durant both dismissed her sentiments and told the media that they would continue to voice their political opinions, as they received support from fellow athletes and coaches.

Gregg Popovich, the head coach for the San Antonio Spurs, has been critical of Trump’s performance as well. He stood by James and Durant, calling Ingraham’s comments “an unbelievable show of arrogance.”

During Kobe Bryant’s Academy Awards acceptance speech for winning Best Animated Short for his short film Dear Basketball, he made a subtle comment on Ingraham’s remarks.

“As basketball players, we are really supposed to shut up and dribble,” said Bryant.

“But I’m glad we do a little bit more than that.”

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley also spoke out against Ingraham when he hosted

Saturday Night Live on March 3.

“I’ve got a message for people complaining about athletes,” said Barkley during his opening monologue. “We can do a lot more than dribble. Athletes are the only ones speaking out in their communities.”

Barkley has a point here. Even though Ingraham is concerned that “children, and some adults, take [James’] comments seriously,” athletes, including James, should have a voice due to their profound impact on the lives of children in communities all across the country.

Take Akron, OH, the town where James grew up, for example. From August 2016–July 2017, the Lebron James Family Foundation donated over 5,000 toys to LJFF children, took over 5,000 children to Cedar Point Amusement Park, donated over $16,000 worth of groceries to LJFF families and more.

James isn’t the only athlete who has impacted the lives of children across the nation. Recently, Dwyane Wade, one of James’ best friends and a former teammate of his, posted a picture of Joaquin Oliver, a student who was shot and killed during the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, on his Twitter account.

Oliver was a big fan of Wade and the Miami Heat, so much so that he was buried in a Wade jersey; Wade took this to Twitter, exclaiming, “This is why we will not just SHUT up and dribble!”

More specifically, Ingraham’s “shut up and dribble” comments were made on the basis that Durant only attended college for one year and James did not attend college. However, attending college does not correlate directly to intellect. For

instance, former President Harry Truman led the United States out of WWII and co–founder of Apple, Steve Jobs revolutionized the handheld device industry— both without a college degree.

Additionally, this doesn’t remotely justify the comments she made. Whether or not a person agrees with James and Durant, they and other athletes and celebrities have just as much of a right to comment on politics as anyone else, including Ingraham.

Athletes have a voice that people across the nation care about, and people are willing to listen to them. Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took the nation by storm when he began his protest against U.S. politics by kneeling during the national anthem, and he has continued to fight for racial equality ever since.

He has donated over $1,000,000 to various philanthropic organizations with his #10 for 10 program and his Million Dollar Pledge. He founded and runs the Know Your Rights Camp, which raises the American youth’s awareness about higher education, self–empowerment and how to properly handle law enforcement situations.

While people like Ingraham may still believe that athletes and celebrities should not have a political voice, Barkley said it best: “LeBron, keep dribbling, and do not shut up.”

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Matt Damon’s ponytail, and why Asians are invisible

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Amandatory Reading by amanda ju featured columnist So here’s the picture: I, along with 20 other panicking adolescents with last names H through J, are 40 minutes into what should ideally have been the PSAT testing period, bubbling in each individual letter of our street addresses and longing for the Second Armageddon to come already and end our suffering, when we meet again— my age–old nemesis and I. “Please indicate how you identify yourself: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White (including Middle Eastern) or Other.”

I never know what to do when I see this thing. I usually just check the Asian box and move on. But then, they don’t tell you why they need that information or how they’re going to use it.

And I know that makes me sound like I’m writing this from my nuclear bunker wrapped in tinfoil (which I will neither confirm nor deny), but if you look closer, nothing good ever comes from

a faceless test score with “Asian” attached to it.

And the reason why is affirmative action.

If you don’t know what that is, Asian cultural standards mean that Asian kids generally get pushed to work harder and get better grades in school. It’s not a race thing. We’re not born smarter than anyone else. It’s just built into the culture.

Now, according to the American Psychological Association, to establish “diversity,” I, as an Asian American, need to score “140 SAT points higher than whites, 320 SAT points higher than Hispanics and 450 SAT points higher than African Americans” to get into the same school.

And yeah, that’s massively unfair, but the really scary thing is that it pushes the pretend racial barriers it’s supposed to be getting rid of into reality by forcing some kids to work more and letting other kids work less. It’s like segregation, but smarter and a whole lot harder to see.

There were a solid three months in third grade when I was convinced I was a superhero. I counted the days until my powers would “grow in” so Marvel would make me my own line of comic books. All I ended up getting was puberty, but I’m still crossing my fingers for laser eyes.

My big thing, though, was invisibility. I thought it was the coolest thing since Dora Saves the Snow Princess was released on VHS. I could shout at the top of my lungs or I could sit back and watch the world go by and no one would see, hear or even care. Little did I know that that dream was the only one that would actually come true.

When it comes to my race in America, “invisible” is the operative word. It’s not like we’re actively oppressed. It’s just like we’re not there at all.

Ask anyone to name an Asian celebrity and they’ll probably say Jackie Chan. And we love

him, but to the media, the fact that he’s Chinese is the main thing about him. He’s a Chinese man from China who’s really good at the Chinese thing. And for Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian and even Chinese American kids who are desperately searching for role models, there really isn’t a lot we can relate to in that.

And aside from a few other household names— Bruce Lee, Yao Ming, Sandra Oh, Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari are the only ones I can think of— we Asian Americans have basically no foundation in pop culture. In politics and history, it’s even less. In the entire history of the U.S. government, there have only been nine Asian American senators. Even in APUSH, when it came to the Chinese Exclusion Act, we didn’t learn much else besides the name. Sixty–one years of suffering for my ancestors, one blank on my PowerPoint notes.

And the key thing to remember here is that we’re not being openly attacked or harassed.

Gone are the days of yellowface, Chinese exclusion, Japanese internment. When my mom came to America, a guy threw a bottle at her in the street and yelled, “Chinaman, go home.” I don’t have to worry about that.

But while Mickey Rooney wore buck teeth for Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961, Tilda Swinton played a Tibetan character in Doctor Strange in 2016. While Marlon Brando taped his eyes for The Teahouse of the August Moon in 1956, Scarlett Johansson played the Japanese main character in The Ghost in the Shell in 2017. There’s no race to discriminate against if it was never there in the first place.

And when a Hollywood movie actually headlined a mostly Chinese cast in The Great Wall (alternatively titled The Dialogue Might as

Well Actually Be in Chinese for All the Sense It’s Making, So Here, Have a Special Effect), Matt Damon, resplendent in cartoonish armor and dinky ponytail, got top billing as the classic “white savior.” Whitewashing is the new yellowface.

When I was little, I thought I was white. I knew about black and white, and I figured I wasn’t black, so I was white. I never even imagined that there was another option, and that’s because the racial discussion at its most fundamental level— the only level that reaches a three–year– old Chinese girl sucking her thumb in suburban Virginia— does not include another option.

And when I started looking for people who looked like me in the media, if Asians weren’t absent completely, they were usually either doctors and scientists, which gave me a false impression of who I was meant to be.

I aspired to be a doctor for years without even thinking about what it meant to me.

And for lots of Asian kids, going into STEM is their dream, and good for them! But there’s something about my race that makes us alien, exotic— as proved by the online ads I see on a daily basis promising dates with “submissive, hot, single Asian women in your area.” It’s never reassuring to know that your race is a fetish.

Now, I’m lucky enough to have discovered what I want to do. But I think that in order to help this growing generation skip all those years of self–doubt and uncertainty, we as a people and as a nation need to undertake motives giving Asian kids healthy messages and role models so they can blossom into beautiful and diverse education and career paths they, like all other children, are destined for.

We’re here. Can you see us?

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OPINION

Social media influences change

by sydney schlesinger co–feature section editor Over the years, social media has become a prevalent aspect in most lives, specifically those of teenagers. Many media outlets have covered topics concerning the impact of social media regarding cultural pressures, such as body image, cliques and the high school environment in general. Recently, the issues of social media have risen to more serious matters regarding student safety at school.

In the last month, WHS teachers received training regarding emergency drills with an emphasis on an active school shooting situation. For students, the phrase “see something, say something” has become an everyday lesson. The phrase not only applies to what students see while at school, but also someone’s potentially violent or aggressive behavior on social media platforms.

Many adults emphasize the importance of reporting threatening online messages or social media posts because they do not have the access to social media that students do.

For instance, Nikolas Cruz exhibited signs of violence on social media; even though many appropriately reported, correct protocol was not always be followed.

Cruz, the 19–year–old shooter of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, filled his Instagram with pictures of his numerous guns, and recently his private Instagram group chat conversations have surfaced. Throughout this chat, Cruz expressed his hatred of other religions, races and sexual orientations.

“I think I am going to kill people,” said Cruz in his group chat.

His violent behavior was also prevalent on other platforms such as YouTube, where he commented, “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.”

People saw these threatening remarks and reported them, but sometimes seeing something and saying something is not enough to keep everyone safe.

The FBI was notified of Cruz’s comments on two separate occasions, one on Sept. 24, 2017 and another on Jan. 5, 2018.

According to Time, the first notification was regarding his YouTube comment, but it was not further investigated because the FBI could not identify the person who made the comment.

The second report on Cruz was by someone close to him.

Sources: time.com & eschoolsafety.com

That person reported him as a “potential threat to life.” The FBI did not follow the correct investigative protocol regarding this threat.

Despite the tragedy that occurred, the survivors of the Parkland shooting are using social media for the better. They are constantly tweeting and garnering support for reform, and have become fully integrated in the nation’s politics.

Emma Gonzalez is a MSD survivor and advocate for gun control. She uses the attention from all media platforms and utilizes her platform in order to demand the change that lawmakers have been hesitating to give.

Gonzalez has grown from an average high school student to a well–known supporter of gun reform, all thanks to the world of social media. She has 1.23 million followers on Twitter, and she spoke in front of thousands of attendees at the gun control rally in Fort Lauderdale, FL on Feb. 17.

“We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks,” said Gonzalez at the rally. “Not because we’re going to be another

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statistic about mass shooting in America, but because ... we are going to be the last mass shooting.”

Even though the “see something, say something” approach didn’t manage to halt this one horrific accident, it still needs to be followed. Every situation is different and, after the Parkland shooting, we, as students, are expecting correct protocol to be followed by the people we trust in order to keep our schools safe.

WHS’s procedures encourage students to report concerning or threatening behavior at school or on social media to administration or any trusted adult in order to ensure the safety of students and staff at school.

Before, gun reform seemed out of the victims’ hands.

They had no way to reach out to the masses and elucidate their educated opinions to lawmakers; however, with the expansion of social media, students are joining together to share their stories, their opinions and, most importantly, make an everlasting change in history.

NCAA scandal jeopardizes future talent pool by nate brenner & marc choi feature & co–feature section editors The recent National Collegiate Athletic Association corruption scandal has reached a new boiling point after multiple schools were exposed for giving basketball recruits monetary incentives to attend their schools.

In the past, there have been dozens of instances where certain schools were punished by the NCAA for multiple rule violations, including paying athletes, faking grades and failing to report illegal activity. Although multiple sports have been affected by NCAA punishment, mens basketball is currently under the most fire.

College basketball recruitment has been a broken system for years. Because of the NBA’s “one–and–done” rule, players have to spend a year removed from high school before they enter the league; thus, many athletes are pressured to take illegal bribes if they want to make money to support their families, many of which live off of low income jobs. This, along with the desperation of colleges to recruit the best athletes, leads to the massive corruption scandals that tarnish the sport’s reputation.

In September 2017, the FBI released documents from its probe into the world of college basketball recruiting, which exposed a partnership between multiple universities and Adidas that paid the schools money to recruit the nation’s best players. Since the original bombshell, Yahoo! Sports obtained documents from the probe which revealed that ASM Sports, one of the nation’s largest sports agencies, had sent illegal payments to multiple NBA athletes during their time in the NCAA.

Some of college basketball’s best athletes were also exposed by the schools like Duke University, University of Kentucky and Kansas probe, including five star recruits Collin Sexton, Deandre A y t o n , University thanks to their reputation and profound coaching.

Miles Bridges and Wendell Carter Jr., all of whom If the NCAA allows schools to pay athletes based graduated high school last year and were accused of on a fair salary cap basis, then it not only encourages accepting bribes from their respective colleges. more athletes to compete in the NCAA rather Since these scandals have been than overseas, but it also creates fairer unveiled, NBA players have spoken competition within the sport itself. out, exposing the corruption of these And it’s not as if the NCAA can’t colleges and advocating for these college afford to pay athletes. Last year alone, players to make money. the NCAA eclipsed the $1 billion mark “Everybody knows everybody’s in revenue from March Madness, and getting paid and that’s how it is,” said schools pay coaches seven figures a Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball. year to retain their services.

“Everybody’s getting paid anyway. You The NCAA must act soon to might as well make it legal.” develop a system to pay athletes, as other Ball is right. It is obvious that players solutions could provide competition to the are being paid, and it should not have to be world of college basketball. done in secret. Players need to have the NBA commissioner Adam Silver has right to make money off of their names by talked frequently about expanding the G signing autographs, selling jerseys, receiving League into a system similar to the MLB’s sponsorships and more.

Minor Leagues while mentioning interest in However, the main problem comes lowering the NBA age requirement of 19 years from the competition between schools to old and eliminating the infamous “one–and– sign players rather than simply paying done” rule. Also, recruits are exploring other them in general. Colleges mainly refuse to international leagues in order to play against GRAPHIC BY NATE BRENNER pay athletes because they believe it would talent comparable to college while making create a bidding war between colleges— money in the process. the more money a college has, the better team they can assemble.

We need the major upsets and close games that come with Colleges are already doing this— just under the table. March Madness. If the NCAA fails to listen to its athletes and Hypothetically, athletes would still be attracted to “name–brand” consumers, then all of us might lose out on Madness in March.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

2018 is proving to be the year of female empowerment in the entertainment industry, toting the #TimesUp movement, Natalie Portman’s comment on the “all–male nominees” for best director at the Golden Globes and the rise of accomplished female directors. Director Ava DuVernay is the perfect embodiment of the up–and–coming successful female director.

DuVernay’s passion wasn’t always directing.

In fact, she never attended film school. She was born in Compton, CA. As a student at University of California, Los Angeles, she studied English and African American Studies before pursuing a career in public relations. She served as a junior publicist at Fox and other P.R. agencies before founding her own agency in her late 20s, self– titled The DuVernay Agency, but also known as DVAPR. Her agency specialized in movie marketing for African American audiences.

Over the holiday break in 2005, DuVernay created her first short film. Saturday Night Life was released in 2006; it takes viewers through an uplifting 12–minute journey of a struggling single mom, inspired by DuVernay’s own mom.

“I didn’t make my first little short until I was 32,” said DuVernay in an interview. “It was kind of intimidating coming in to it all so late ...

But I did start to recognize that being so close to really great filmmakers and watching them direct on set and the experiences that I did have … were still super valuable.”

DuVernay made her feature film debut as a director and screenwriter in 2010 with I Will Follow, a drama about a woman grieving after losing her aunt to cancer. I Will Follow officially put her on the map as a director; esteemed film critic Roger Ebert deemed the film “one of the best films I’ve seen about coming to terms with

the death of a loved one.” an Academy Award for Best Picture and Best In 2011, she co–founded the African Original Song.

American Film Festival Releasing Movement, In 2016, she co–wrote and directed the created for the purpose of supporting and documentary 13th, a Netflix film named after publicizing African American indie movies. the 13th Amendment. The documentary details This group’s development was an extension of the history and progression of the American her P.R. agency’s focus on getting appealing criminal justice system, mass incarceration and movies to the African American community. race. 13th received an Oscar nomination in the Her second feature film came two years documentary feature category and ended up after her first. Middle of Nowhere had its world being one of the most critically–acclaimed films premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival of 2016. and earned her the U.S. Directing Award: Her most recent work is the Disney fantasy Dramatic, making DuVernay the first African epic A Wrinkle in Time, based upon the famous American woman to ever win. The film also novel by Madeleine L’Engle. DuVernay took helped her win the 2012 Independent Spirit daring angles with A Wrinkle in Time, changing John Cassavetes Award. the protagonist’s character from a red–headed Her first big–budget film was Selma. girl to a young African American girl (Storm She helmed the $20 million budget film Reid) living in Downtown Los Angeles. alongside producers Oprah Winfrey Many of the main characters will be and Brad Pitt. It focused on the 1965 ethnically different than how they are Selma to Montgomery march, with described in the original novel. For Martin Luther King, Jr. serving as example, the leading actresses are one of the protagonists.

Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and “I’m really allergic to historical Oprah Winfrey. dramas,” said DuVernay. “I just “[A Wrinkle in Time is for kids] at don’t like them … so to be that tender age when you’re trying charged with making one, to figure out who you are and I had to build a true what you mean to the world character and a large and how you fit in,” said part of that are those DuVernay in an interview intimate moments with PopSugar. that color in between DuVernay is one of the lines.” the most accomplished Selma’s release female directors of the in 2014 helped current era.

DuVernay make All of her works are history. She became made with “[her] blood the first African in them” and focus on American woman bringing awareness to to receive a Golden racial diversity in the Globe nomination for entertainment industry, Best Director. The film reflecting on African was also nominated for American culture.

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Females take over Jessica Jones by daryn mink

discussion at the University of Southern California in October. arts & entertainment editor “Those women ended up being the best Marvel’s favorite female empowering people for the job,” said Krysten Ritter in an series, Jessica Jones, has returned to Netflix interview with Collider. “I can’t wait for it to be with its second season, which includes not only totally commonplace and not that crazy.”

Some of the featured directors include Jet strong female characters, but also a variety of creative women behind–the–scenes as well. Wilkinson, Jennifer Lynch, Jennifer Getzinger The creators of the series made this new season and Neasa Hardiman, just to name a few.

Though it was not part of the original plan entirely female–directed.

The story follows the young, righteous Jessica, to make season two an entirely female directed played by Krysten Ritter, who possesses the ability season, both Rosenberg and Marvel supported of flight and superhuman strength after being it immediately when the idea was proposed.

“I’ve been on 25 years of shows, and nine exposed to unknown chemicals in a car accident.

The show’s executive producer, Melissa out 10 times, those directing staffs are all white Rosenberg, shared her plan to hire only men,” said Rosenberg in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “So why not all women?” female directors for the second In choosing those to work behind the season at her p a n e l camera, Rosenberg said it’s “a conscious decision and it’s very important that showrunners do that.”

So far, Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar is the only other series to use an entirely female directing roster, and with with the uprise of female PHOTO COURTESY OF PUBLIC DOMAIN directors gaining popularity,

it will be interesting to see if any other creators follow suit.

Recently, female directing talent finally started to receive some recognition. For a long time, a director’s leap to fame has been reserved for men.

In a study done by San Diego State University’s Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film in 2017, women only comprised “eighteen percent of directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and cinematographers working on the top 250 grossing films.”

With statistics like these, it seems like there may be a long road until women have equal representation in such a competitive business, but with the initiatives such as those of the creators of Jessica Jones and Queen Sugar, equality of recognition in the film industry may be on the horizon.

The use of all female directors by these shows not only provides opportunities for women in a male–dominated business, but also upholds the new idea in Hollywood that women are a strong and capable force.

The season premiered on Netflix on March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day.

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Worth the time? by katie reul a & e section editor The perfect blend of subtle sci–fi and bildungsroman, Madeline L’Engle’s novel A Wrinkle In Time was a childhood favorite, detailing an expansive universe of unruly magic while still offering adult themes, both of which I had hoped to see brought to life in the recent film adaptation.

The book focuses on the internal struggles of Meg Murry (Storm Reid) as she copes with the mysterious disappearance of her father (Chris Pine), a quantum physicist who has discovered the capability to travel across dimensions of time and space. With the help of her brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and her schoolmate Calvin O’Keefe (Levi Miller), she journeys across galaxies to rescue her father from the darkest force in the universe: IT. While I felt that director Ava DuVernay’s interpretation of the book encapsulated the general plotline and attempted to stay true to the magic of its origins, the film was strongly lacking in terms of CGI quality, which tainted the illusion. The planets were artificially bright and looked as though they strongly relied on green screen. While I appreciated the attempt to use vibrancy to mimic the magical feel in which L’Engle describes other worlds, it simply felt fake. This was amplified by the implementation of characters that were completely computer–generated, such as the gossipy flowers and flying leaf creature.

The film also contained many clichés, making certain implications feel … not implied. Charles Wallace comments on the sheer size of Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), one of the magical entities of the film, to which she responds something along the lines of, “Is there really such a thing as a right size?”

Oprah might as well have broken the fourth wall based on how forced the line felt, making the message feel uncomfortable rather than empowering. And as the film progresses, the entities continue to enforce ideas of body acceptance onto Meg, who ultimately comes to terms with who she is (shocker there, right?). Overall, the main themes that the film encompassed felt overused and unoriginal, making scenes that could have been impactful seem almost cheesy.

The biggest accomplishment of the film was not the actual filmmaking itself, but rather its diversity of cast. DuVernay took a book that contained all white characters and transformed it into a film in which the family is of mixed race, and has several strong, African American figures playing central roles. The film is a great example of how filmmakers can use their art as a platform for social change, but definitely not the best representation of top–tier filmmaking.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Love, Simon (2018)

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PUBLIC DOMAIN

Everyone deserves a great love story. This is the central theme of the recently released film, Love, Simon based on Becky Albertalli’s novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

Seventeen–year–old Simon Spier (Nick Robinson), while hiding the fact that he is gay from his friends and family, falls in love with a stranger named Blue through e–mail. As he grows closer to Blue, Simon discovers himself admist the chaos of high school. The movie features other notable actors and actresses, with Jennifer Garner playing Simon’s mother and Josh Duhamel as Simon’s father. With elements of humor, drama and, of course, romance, Love, Simon will take audiences on a unique and heartfelt journey through growing up and coming out.

by milla wu news section editor Kickstarting 2018 off with a strong LGBTQIA+ presence in cinema, Call Me by Your Name, a film about a 17–year–old boy, Elio, and his burgeoning relationship with 24– year–old graduate student, Oliver, saw wide– release on Jan. 19, 2018. At this past Oscars, it was nominated for Best Picture, and Timothée Chalamet (Elio) was nominated for Actor in a Leading Role.

“As Timothée Chalamet fever sweeps the country, and Call Me by Your Name envelops audiences in the golden hue of Italian summer romance, the future of queer cinema looks bright indeed,” wrote Jude Dry of IndieWire.

Call Me by Your Name is not the only recent movie featuring LGBTQIA+ storylines to gain widespread recognition— last year, Moonlight won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali) and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars.

Similarly, Carol won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; however, it received no nominations for the 2015 Oscars, which led many film journalists to believe that,

despite increasing LGBTQIA+ representation in movies, there more work needs to be done to undo the heteronormative status quo. “[Until Moonlight in 2016,] in the 88 years that the awards have been given, not a single gay–themed movie has ever been named Best Picture,” wrote Stephen Farber of the Los Angeles Times. “In recent decades, a few gay– centric movies have been nominated for Best Picture, though the total number is tiny. Actors have won Oscars for playing gay characters, but some of the movies that featured their winning performances … never made it into the Best Picture category.”

Statistically, “only 22 of the 126 major releases in 2015 included characters identified as LGBT,” according to the Los Angeles Times’ highlights of a 2016 study by LGBTQIA+ advocate organization GLAAD, entitled Studio Responsibility Index. “That’s … 17.5 percent and not a change from 2014’s 17.5 percent value … [However,] in those 22 films, there were 47 LGBT characters, up from 28 [in 2014],” the article continued.

Yet critics note that Hollywood as a whole appears to be increasing its representation of LGBTQIA+ characters and themes.

Everything Sucks (2018) In the not–so–classic bildungsroman Everything Sucks, high school students in the A/V and drama clubs in the town of Boring, Oregon band together to take down the enigma that is high school through the power of film. Although the LGBTQIA+ aspect of the show is not the main focus, the subtlety of the show’s implementation of such themes exhibits the ever more accepting nature of today’s society, regardless of one’s sexual orientation, and furthers the plot in a positive manner. In the essence of Freaks and Geeks, this Netflix original set in the 1990s presents a fresh, classic and sincere comedic drama for audiences, while touching on the bittersweet aspects of first loves and adolescence.

“Gone are the days when queer cinephiles counted their lucky stars for one gay–related film a year, a trend that films like Moonlight and Carol seem to have nipped in the bud once and for all,” wrote Dry. “The month of January alone saw three queer–related indies [The Strange Ones, Saturday Church and Freak Show] open in theaters. Though all saw limited releases, these films garnered enough early praise on the festival circuit to secure a healthy streaming life.”

But the increase of LGBTQIA+ characters does not always bode well for the quality of representation, as the characters are sometimes reduced to the punchline of jokes.

“Just because LGBT characters are present, of course, does not mean they are presented in a positive light,” wrote Eliza Berman for Time magazine.“Though the report found comedies to be the most inclusive genre, it also singled out two films from that genre, Get Hard and The Wedding Ringer, for having what it called ‘more blatant and incessant gay panic humor than we have seen in a Hollywood film in years.’”

Currently, a type of media that LGBTQIA+ representation is faring better in is in TV, with shows such as Orange is the New Black featuring prominent LGBTQIA+ characters. The first

Compiled by Sona Bhargava

episode of the new NBC drama Rise, loosely based off of Michael Sokolove’s book Drama High, premiered March 13, 2018. Rise features a transgender character, Michael, and Simon, a boy who is grappling with his sexuality while being raised in a religious family. Furthermore, Michael is played by a non–binary and trans– masculine identifying actor, Ellie Desautels.

“I’ve heard other stories from trans women and trans–feminine people about their not–so–good experiences,” said Desautels.

“Many of them were weren’t considered for transgender roles because they ‘don’t look trans enough.’ That idea, that trans characters need to look a certain way, rules out many trans artists.”

Students support the increased inclusion, especially on digital media.

“Media is vital ... in order to promote tolerance and raise awareness about social issues,” said Victoria Barrios ‘18. “Especially since newer generations are ... interacting more with media through social platforms, television, movies, Netflix, YouTube, etc., entertainment has a lot of power to undermine bigotry and help teens interpret and internalize messages that will impact how they see others and themselves.”

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SPORTS

On the down Lo Boys swimming and basketball

Girls softball

Jeremy Marcin is a dual varsity student–athlete for WHS boys basketball and swimming. Being one of the top–ranked swimmers in Marmonte League, Marcin hopes to bring the varsity swim team to a CIF title and qualify for state. An experienced swimmer, Marcin has been on the varsity team since his freshman year.

Alexa Campbell has been committed to Stanford University since her sophomore year and will pursue her career into college.

She has been on the varsity team since freshman year and has been a dominant player throughout her high school career. Her positions include shortstop and pitcher, but she prefers being on the mound.

Would you rather win a gold medal at the Olympics or win the NBA championships?

I’d choose winning a gold in the Olympics because it’s probably a great feeling winning something for your country.

What do you listen to before you swim or a game?

Usually just loud, fast– paced music to get me going and hyped up.

Do you have any role models?

My parents keep me in line, and I’ve always looked up to them. I just want to make them proud.

If you couldn’t play sports anymore, what would you do?

I would focus more on school and try to do something that benefits society.

What is your greatest strength and weakness in softball?

Pitching is my strongest, but fielding is my weakest area.

Do you have a softball related pet peeve?

It’s not exactly a pet peeve, but when my hair was longer, I used to always need my ponytail to be braided.

You have to flee your house in a fire. What would you save?

I have my phone with me already and my family’s all safe, so I would just save all my pictures.

What is your greatest fear?

I’m scared of being murdered late at night.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you off the field?

I peed my pants in front of the whole school in fourth grade. Someone spit on me at recess, so I was laughing so hard that I peed myself.

Kailee Follette ‘20

Seamus O’Brien ‘18

Kailee Follette is a midfielder for the girls varsity lacrosse team. Averaging five points per game, she is one of the leading scorers on her team. Follette plays lacrosse year–round and believes that the training she gains from her club team in the fall will carry over into the spring season. She also believes that the bonding and chemistry within the team creates a better dynamic on the field, strengthening the team.

Seamus O’Brien is an important player for the boys varsity lacrosse team, helping the team to a phenomenal start. O’Brien averages four goals per game and has been a critical component for the team’s success so far. O’Brien primarily plays as a midfielder and believes that a more focused team, working in collaboration with their new coach, will carry over into better coherence in games.

What would you say your greatest fear is?

I have a lot of high goals and standards for myself, so not getting into my dream school is probably the most scary.

If you had to choose another sport to play, what would it be?

Football or basketball.

Girls lacrosse and field hockey

Do you have any lacrosse related pet peeves?

When you’re trying to go to the goal and someone doesn’t move and they’re just standing there preventing you from scoring the goal. It’s really annoying.

Boys lacrosse

If you could play lacrosse with any professional player, who would it be?

LeBron James because he is the best athlete of all time, and it would be funny to see him play lacrosse.

What would you say your greatest strength is in lacrosse?

I think moving the ball around and my speed are my strengths.

What is your g r e a t e s t achievement in lacrosse?

I remember being the leading scorer of the team sophomore year.

What are your greatest passions outside of lacrosse?

I coach for recreational leagues and inner city leagues in Compton. Seeing that I’m instilling a new passion in someone else is really rewarding.

If you couldn’t play any sports anymore, what would you do instead?

I would probably focus on playing more instruments like the guitar or piano.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CORNERSTONE PHOTOGRAPHY

Compiled by Elliot Kim, Alex Li & Matt Zhang

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Alexa Campbell ‘19

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Jeremy Marcin ‘19

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A sports drink fallacy by lo yarnall sports section editor Thanks to the 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, I’m now on my prom/summer diet. For me, that doesn’t mean counting calories. It means being aware of what I put in my body, which also means reading a lot of nutrition labels to see exactly what makes up the food and drinks I consume.

Reading all of these labels was not only shocking, but it led me to the idea for this column: the sports drink fallacy.

Unfortunately, a lot of kids, teens and even adults are under the false impression that sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are “healthy.” There isn’t one televised sporting event that goes by without commercials showing some big– name athlete throwing back an ice blue Gatorade before stepping on the court and hitting a three–pointer. And a lot of these televised sporting events like football, basketball and baseball have literal gallons of the stuff sitting on the sidelines at the ready for players to drink and at the ready for an occasional celebratory coach shower. So the logic is that if professional athletes drink it, it’s clearly good for you!

For them, yes. Sports drinks do help professional athletes refuel and replenish important nutrients lost during a strenuous workout, thanks to the high quantity of sodium and potassium electrolytes and sugar in the drinks. Sports drinks were created to serve as a better hydrator than water itself.

All of the sugar and electrolytes in sports drinks are only recommended after heavy workouts that last at least an hour, especially if done so in the heat. So if you have a football game in Arizona in the middle of summer, by all means, drink away.

The problem begins to develop when less active people start consuming the drink, and according to a 2014 UC Berkeley study, “most people who drink sports drinks at least once a day aren’t as physically active as they should be.”

While it does have less sugar than soda, the margin is slim; a 12 ounce can of Coke has 39 grams compared to Gatorade’s standard 20 ounce bottle’s 34 grams. And while soda has a bunch of gnarly chemicals, sports drinks have a lot of sodium to check off all those “electrolyte” boxes.

Less physically active people don’t need to pump their bodies full of extra sugar and sodium. If they’re not exercising in order to use the energy, it’s basically overeating.

Just to put this into perspective, a 20 ounce bottle of Gatorade has 140 calories, 270 milligrams of sodium and 36 grams of carbohydrates with 34 of those carbs being sugar.

One order of In–N–Out french fries has 395 calories, 245 milligrams of sodium and 54 grams of carbs, according to In–N– Out’s website. So, Gatorade has more salt than In–N–Out’s fries.

Researchers at UC Berkeley believe that sports drinks could be contributing to the child obesity epidemic with their extra calories, sugars and sodium. If consumed enough by children, the high sugar content could easily lead to tooth decay. The extra calories could cause weight gain if consumed enough and not worked off, and constantly intaking that much sodium could increase the risk of high blood pressure over time.

As if all of that information wasn’t enough, sports drinks contain food dyes such as Red No. 40, Blue No. 1 and Yellow No. 5. These food dyes have been linked to cause hyperactivity in children and according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, they have also been linked to cancer.

In summary, sports drinks are fine if used for their lab– created purpose: to rehydrate the depleted athlete after an intense workout. If this doesn’t apply to you, please, just drink water. Your body will thank you.

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19

SPORTS

Dance team soars to nationals

PHOTO COURTESY OF YVONNE SAPUTO ALLEN

Tennis makes a racket with young lineup

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before the start of Marmonte League matches.

“Our new coach is more experienced in tennis,” said Ginzburg. “He understands the game, ... and he can help us with any technical aspects that we’re lacking.”

Overall, the players and the new staff are working together to improve day by day.

Neither the team nor the coaching staff is worried about the lack of seniors and veteran leadership due to the individualistic nature of the sport.

“Tennis is so individual at its core, so I don’t think having any seniors or high school veteran experience will be a detriment,” said Yasgoor.

“Bottom line, you’re playing as an individual out there, so it falls on me to prepare them for every match.”

As the season progresses, upwards is the only path for the team.

Yasgoor is confident in his young team and hopes the little things the coaching staff is doing will prove to be valuable out on the court.

“Improvement doesn’t happen overnight,” said Yasgoor. “We’re putting our time into the things we can control, and I think and hope that it’s inspiring the boys.”

boys

B aseball

girls

Record: 5W–4L Next game: 3/21 vs. Agoura HS

Softball

boys

Record: 3W–2L Next game: 4/7 @ Birmingham

Tournament

Golf

Record: 0W–2L Next game: 3/22 vs. TOHS

Tennis

Record: 3W–3L Next game: 3/22 vs. Agoura HS

Cheer

Record: 0W–2L Next game: TBA

Volleyball

Record: 10W–6L Next game: 3/21 @ NPHS

L acrosse

Record: 6–0 (Boys) 5–1 (Girls) Next game: 3/21 @ NPHS (Boys)

3/21 vs. NPHS (Girls)

Swimming

Record: 0–1 (Boys) 0–1 (Girls) Next meet: 3/23 vs. Agoura HS

Track & F ield

Record: 1–1 (Boys) 1–1 (Girls) Next game: 3/22 @ NPHS

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As boys tennis gears up for its 2018 season, the young team has to adjust to a new coach.

This year’s varsity team is unique because there are no seniors. However, many expect the juniors on the team to step up and lead.

“We don’t have any seniors, but we have a lot of strong juniors that can fill the void,” said doubles player Will Nonnemaker ‘20. “We still get leadership from them, and they’re good role models.”

Although WHS had a rocky start to preseason, new coach Scott Yasgoor has ample time to continue to adjust to WHS and improve the team.

“Having a young team is great to give players proper time to develop under a new coach and get used to high school tennis,” said three–year varsity player Rudy Zhang ‘19.

As the veteran players begin to guide the team, Yasgoor and assistant coach Joe Tomasello are working to bring excitement and culture to WHS tennis.

“We’ve given them a better environment by beautifying the courts and adding little touches here and there,” said Tomasello. “We’re bringing one of the better tennis environments for our

school to make them proud of their home.

School pride is everything.”

Although seniority doesn’t mean everything in tennis, last year’s seniors were integral to the team’s success, and many went on to Division I programs. This year’s returning players recall how the seniors boosted morale and encouraged younger players to play their best.

“Last year we had a lot of good seniors that pumped up the team,” said Zhang. “This year we’re left with a small void in motivation.”

Even though leadership can still be found in strong upper–class players like Ryan Lam ‘19 and Ethan Sherwood ‘19, some players feel like motivation can dip during matches.

“The seniors were our biggest motivation; they hyped us up the most, and we don’t have any seniors with hype this year,” said returning player Jacob Ginzburg ‘19. “It’s kind of hard to stay driven during matches.”

However, with Yasgoor and Tomasello, the boys are confident they can patch up their weaknesses

PH

by alex li & jamie lee opinion section & news editors

(as of March 20)

boys

our dancers have kept up with everything and haven’t missed a beat,” said the coaches. “They’re very resilient and we are proud of the strong team that we have.”

Practice involves cleaning, during which the team focuses on clarifying counts and movements so that dancers move in sync with one another. The team also worked on perfecting its dances at regional competitions in February.

“I think all of us have gotten stronger as individuals and working together as we’ve been cleaning the dances, and everyone has gotten a lot stronger and tighter as a group,” said Kyra Berg ‘21.

The team plans to compete in six dance categories at the WCE Nationals: extra small, small lyrical, medium hip–hop, medium jazz, intermediate and prop, in addition to seven soloist performances. At the second competition, only three soloists will qualify, and the team will drop its lowest scoring dance.

“We’ve gotten the dances down, and now it’s just down to the nitty–gritty and cleaning every little slight movement that could be possibly different,” said co–captain Dani Saputo ‘18.

The team has taken top honors in every category it has competed in thus far in the season. Members hope to continue the team’s success at both national competitions.

“Not many people are able to do what we do, and I think that all the team members can do it together ... It’s kind of just a special bond that we all have and it makes me really appreciate what we have as a team,” said Saputo. “Just the sisterhood of all of us and being able to share d a n c e together is special.”

stunt

co–web editor With new coaches, new members, new moves and new energy, WHS’s dance team is ready to take on nationals.

Starting the weekend of March 23–24, dance team will compete in back–to–back competitions.

After the West Coast Elite National Competition at the Long Beach Convention Center, the team will take their talents to the United Spirit Association Nationals from March 30–31 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“Everyone, including us, wants to take home a title, but what we want even more is to perform our best and take in every moment,” said coaches Savannah Hooks and Autumn Hooks. “We are excited to see [WHS] leave it all out on the floor and create some lasting memories as a team.”

With six freshmen and two sophomores joining, the dance team has looked to upperclassmen to lead the way for newcomers.

“In past years our team was very upper– class heavy,” said head captain Paige Higham ‘18. “This year’s a little different … we get to teach [underclassmen] and take them under our wings and just show them what the team’s all about.”

The team has only five seniors, and sixty percent of the t e a m consists of underclassmen.

“Because we have so many new people on our team, it’s a different e n e r g y, but so far, it’s been

good,” said co–captain Courtney Park ‘18.

Contrary to last year’s team, which was split up into a competition team and a performance team, this year’s 20–member dance team competes and performs together.

“Everyone really loves each other and we really have a sisterly bond,” said Higham.

“When we get to competitions, we have such a fun atmosphere ... I feel like other teams in other areas may not be as close as our team.”

Dance team also performs at school events, including rallies and football and basketball games.

The team spirit is evident, and members encourage not only each other, but also other dancers.

“They are the loudest team at awards, and are always supporting other teams as well as their teammates,” said the coaches. “Numerous coaches have told us how supportive our dancers are, and that makes us more proud than any award we could receive.”

Dancers start practicing during the summer, and typically during the school year, practice Monday through Wednesday from 3–5 p.m. Competition season, which starts near the end of January, comes with an increase in the intensity and frequency of practice, some even taking place before first period.

“Our routines are constantly changing and

boys

by connie shi

Spring Sports

For the latest sports updates, stories and scores, visit the WHS athletics website at westlakeathletics.net.

Compiled by Matt Zhang

20

PHOTO ESSAY

2 All divisions of WHS track and field won in a home meet against Calabasas High School on March 8. WHS’s track and field team is the largest team at WHS, containing over 100 athletes.

Led by interim head coach Chad Scott, the team looks forward to the rest of its season.

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TO THE FINISH: Varsity athletes Drake Nienow ‘19, Erol Arik ‘18, Andrew Burr ‘18 and Owen Kobett ‘21 race in the boys varsity 1600–meter run; Nienow placed first with a time of 4:38.87, followed by Kobett with a 4:49.08 and then Arik in third with a 4:49.38.

Nienow also raced in the varsity boys 800–meter run.

“It’s just fun because it’s a lot of speed, but it’s also tactic, and the more time you do it the more experience you get.” –Nienow

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FRESHMAN STAR: Paige Sommers ‘21 competes in the girls varsity 100–meter hurdles event at the meet. She placed first in the event and also placed first in the varsity girls high jump and pole vault.

“What I love about it is that there is no limit to how

fast you run or how high you can jump.” –Sommers

“[Track] pushes me to be better and keeps me working hard.” –Burr

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“I love [track]. I like running in general; [however],

“Track is more about competing with yourself,

track is my conditioning for cross country.” –Kobett

VAULTING HIGH: JV athlete Luke Jones ‘20 excels in the pole vault, placing second in the event. He hopes to set personal records through the rest of the season.

not against other people.” –Jones

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LEAP OF FAITH: Olivia Dinardo ‘19 competes in the high jump, placing first in the girls JV high jump. She also competes in the girls JV 200–meter dash and the girls JV long jump.

“There’s ... just a thrill to it when you get over the bar.” –Dinardo

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FACE OF CONCENTRATION: Brett Goldman ‘19 races in the 110–meter hurdles for WHS’s boys varsity team. He placed second in the race with a time of 18.97.

“The competition is fun. [Track is] more individual, ... but it’s also a team sport too.” –Goldman