W ILDCA T UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
Volume LXXXIX Issue 14 Friday, February 27, 2015
“Black Lives Matter” on campus By Shirin Enayati Feature Editor
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lack Student Union hosted Stand Up Don’t Shoot, a spoken word rally to spread different positive and relatable messages on Feb. 26 in the grove. This was part of a larger week celebrating Black History Spirit Week. Since February is Black History Month, seniors president Destinee Ross and vice president Sara Flamer took inspiration from the song Glory by John Legend and Common. They were also inspired by civil disobedience practiced during the Civil Rights Era. As students recited their spoken word poems, other members of BSU stood in the back holding up posters with original quotes, quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. and the expression “Black Lives Matter,” in reference to the recent racially motivated police brutality. Spoken word poem topics
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he Westwood Village Rotary Club held its fourth annual talent contest on campus Tuesday, Feb. 17. Contest categories included musical performance, speech and visual arts. The Westwood Village Rotary Club hosted this talent contest as a means of selecting talents to sponsor at the Los Angeles Rotary District Talent Show. Placing first in musical performance was senior duo Robin Kopf and Nathan Lopez, who sang and played the Marcus Mumford and Oscar Isaac version of the traditional folk song “Fare Thee Well.” “The opportunity to perform is a privilege in itself,” Lopez said. “It gives kids the ability to express themselves and be recognized in a way they wouldn’t be able to in a classroom setting.”
AP night approximates work load By Christina Barrett Staff Writer
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Zoha Syed
Senior Shyra Thomas recites a poem for the Stand Up Don’t Shoot rally in the grove. This was a lunch event part of Black History Spirit Week, hosted by Black Student Union.
and subjects included the embarrassment of being black, women loving themselves before loving others and fighting stereotypes. “The purpose of today’s rally was to bring attention to the fact that our world is not as perfect as we think it is and that as people we should stand up for what we believe in,”
Ross said. Recently, many people have expressed their disagreement with the police department’s actions by staging walkouts or protests. In December 2014, neighboring Hamilton High School also staged a walkout to demonstrate that social injustices should be solved and no longer relevant. “It’s important that
students our age participate because we need to be aware that injustices can happen to us and the people we care about,” Ross said. “Only we can stop it. Only we can be the generation that stops the injustice by standing up and speaking our minds. People have to understand that you are never too young to change the world.”
Students shine at Rotary talent show By Alissa Nardo Editor-in-Chief
wildcatpaper.com @uniwildcatnews
Out of the nine musical entries, sophomore Cynthia Jacinto came in second playing a piccolo solo by Vivaladi and junior Lizbeth Arellano came in third singing “Ave Maria” by Beyoncé. This year’s speech and visual arts prompt was to test a challenge faced in the contestant’s community, school, family or nation. In speech, both senior Josh Menifield and freshman Ramila Forouhari talked about service above self, the Rotary’s mission statement. Menifield came in first with his speech on combating world hunger, one small act at a time. Along with the speech component, the Westside also brought in judges to evaluate the 11 entries submitted to the visual arts category. The artists were evaluated not only on technical skill, but also on how well they interpreted the theme in their piece.
Cheyenne Sullivan
Seniors Robin Kopf and Nathan Lopez received first place in the musical performance category with their cover of “Fare Thee Well.”
Coming in first in the visual arts was senior Samantha Elms with her painting “Manifestation,” an abstract portrait consisting of fingerprints on self-identity within her community. “My painting shows how it can be hard to identify ourselves from our influences within our diverse communities and the overwhelming media,” Elms said. “The theme was incredibly flexible and allowed for students to create art that resonated
with themselves.” Second place went to a student from Marymount High School who produced a collage, followed by senior John Poglodzinski in third with his photograph “Life Passing by.” Each winner received a monetary award. First place winners from Uni’s visual arts and speech contests will move on to perform at the Los Angeles District Rotary talent show at Loyola Marymount University on March 28.
tudents and parents attended Advanced Placement Night to get information about AP courses on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Students were required to attend AP Night if they are planning on taking AP courses the following year. AP Night is held annually for students who are considering taking advanced placement courses next school year. AP classes have more rigorous curriculums and offer students the opportunity to gain college credit by passing the AP exam in May with a score of 3 or higher. Students and their families met at the Stivelman Theater for a brief presentation by college counselor, Paula Van Norden, about the benefits and expectations that AP classes entail. She explained that about 85 percent of selective colleges and universities favor students who take AP classes. “AP Night is very important to attend because we want students to know how serious taking an AP is,” Van Norden said. “They need to know how much an AP class can benefit them, and the consequences of not succeeding in an AP class in terms of college admissions. We want every student here on track to go to college.” Students were then given 20 minute periods where they were able to go to different classrooms and listen to teacher presentations. Teachers gave a detailed overview of their course and explained what is expected of students in the class. Classes are chosen according to the AP student contracts and the amount of students that took part in each course presentation. This helps the faculty plan AP courses for the 2015-2016 school year. This year, there was a huge turnout of students compared to years before, two of the most visited classes this year were AP Bio and AP English Literature. Aside from the core APs, Uni offers many elective courses such as Computer Science and two types of Studio Art. “The AP Statistics presentation was very interesting because the teacher had us solve a statistics problem,” junior John Shin said. “I got a good feel for what the class is concentrated on.”
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February 27, 2015
UNIVERSITY HIGH WILDCAT
OPINION
Don’t anticipate, just participate
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oter turnout amongst youth is shockingly low and does not seem to be increasing anytime
soon. People complain about certain policies and acts passed by Congress, but refuse to vote or to let their voice be heard. They are apathetic and disinterested when it comes to following through on political issues. It is imperative for this generation to become involved in politics. In the 2012 election young people ages 18 to 29 made up 19 percent of the voter turnout and in the 2014 election, young people only made up 13 percent. There are 46.5 million eligible voters between 18 to 29. Another cause to this dilemma is not enough people between 18 to 29 are registered to vote. The voting rate of young Americans has declined by 12 percent since 1964 to 2012. To fix this problem young adults should register to vote at one of the many government buildings like the Department of Motor Vehicles, the post office and online registration is available too.
Cartoon By Samantha Elms
Voting is not the only way to be active in the government. America’s youth also has the opportunity to participate through political campaigns, protests, petitions or even just putting a bumper sticker on their cars to show for a cause or candidate.
A large distrust has burdened our government for the past few decades. If young adults were to take a leap of faith and trust our political process by participating in politics, the U.S. might start seeing the societal change many young people seek, such as equal rights for all, lower tuition,
Better food for a better future By Sania Syed News Editor
Consumers, by nature, refuse to buy apples that are imperfect, so a product that can prevent brownness caused by bruised apples is entirely very week, shows such as Dr. Oz choose to beneficial to reducing the amount of waste. Less waste also leads to lower prices for target Genetically Modified Organisms. In consumers. In addition, despite regards to GMOs, the shows say many claims that are made, the fear-mongering phrases such as apple was simply altered by turning “We Are Running Out Of Time” “...no negative off the enzyme that controls and “The Global Conspiracy.” browning, not by some wildly It is easy to point fingers and effects on unnatural process. blame society’s health problems human health Those against GMOs almost on GMOs; however, the science always point out potential health behind GMOs deserves more have been risks that arise from the introduction credit than it currently receives. shown as a of these types of crops. However, According to a paper result of the the World Health Organization has published by Nature Education, GMOs are used in the production consumption of deemed that no negative effects on human health have been shown of a variety of crops for many such foods...” as a result of the consumption necessary functions: increased of such foods in the countries crop yields, reduced costs, where they have been approved. reduced need for pesticides, enhanced nutritional value, resistance to disease, GMOs undergo extensive tests by the Food and greater food security, medical benefits to the Drug Administration to ensure their safety to world’s growing population and resistance to consumers. Changing the DNA of an apple does not make it any less healthy nor more dangerous harsh environments. Last week, the U.S. Department of to a person’s health. The long term risks of GMOs are currently Agriculture approved a genetically modified apple specifically altered to resist browning unknown, but GMO products undergo extensive that may be caused by bruising or slicing. This testing before they are released to the public. It is important for members of society to type of achievement is something that should be make informed decisions about what they buy. commended instead of criticized. According to a paper from the Natural The decisions we make when we purchase items Resources Defense Council, 40 percent of the are often the most important. It is essential for society to remain openfood that is grown today is uneaten, a value of $165 billion. Developments such as the minded and informed about the advancements of genetically modified apple reduce the likelihood technology and science. If we resist change, we that apples will be thrown away so quickly. will not be a society that moves forward.
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Wildcat
University High School
11800 Texas Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90025 The Wildcat student newspaper is published by the Journalism 2 class at University High School. Letters should be directed to room C-261, Wildcatpaper@gmail.com or the Journalism mailbox in the main office. Please include full name and grade. Letters are subject to editorial discretion. Call (310) 914-3551, ext. 504 or email Wildcatpaper@gmail.com to place an advertisement.
improvement of education and the plight of the working class. Although it seems that in high school teenage voices are never heard there are many political program’s and groups that are specifically tailored for teenage involvement in politics. Groups such as Youth and Government, Teenage Republicans and Young Democrats of America were made to educate young adults in politics and teach them how to become involved in their society. To become involved teeangers should reach out to guidance counselors to see which programs are suitable for them. Teenage involvement in politics might not seem like an issue to most, but when the young adults of our generation become older they will remain politically uneducated, allowing the government to run without restraints or to completely fall apart. The lack of involvement will cause a government controlled by a small group of loud voices or monied interests. Without young people becoming involved in government who will lead the nation?
Join the Wildcat staff! Seeking the opportunity to improve and display your writing, photography and editing abilities? Need an extracurricular for college applications? Looking for the chance to take on a leadership role within your school and community? Want the behind-the-scenes look on the biggest events of the school year? Interested in kickstarting the broadcast program on campus? Join the Wildcat staff and work side-by-side with your peers in making school history and lasting memories! Come by Room C-261 during sixth period or Mondays during lunch.
Let Drill Team sponsor U! Hey you! Yes, you! Are you a girl who’s always dreamed of prom? Has that dream been placed on pause due to financial reasons? Drill Team knows how important that big day can mean to you, and we would like to pay for your experience. If you would like to apply for Drill Team to sponsor one of your most memorable high school moments, you can pick up an application in the Dean’s Office anytime before March 18th. The application/selection process wil be 100% confidential. - Drill captain Kayla Walls
Into the Woods coming to Uni Scheduled performances: May 8th, 7:00 p.m. May 14th, 3:30 p.m.* May 15th, 7:00 p.m. May 16th, 2:00 p.m.
Editor-in-Chief ...............................................................Alissa Nardo Managing Editor...........................................Eduardo Cuellar-Aguilar News Editor........................................................................Sania Syed Opinion Editor............................................................Emma Nicoletta Feature Editor................................................................Shirin Enayati Sports Editor........................................................Brandon Berookhim Creative Director.........................................................Samantha Elms Online Manager............................................Matthew Goriachkovsky Business Manager........................................................Samantha Elms Copy Editor......................................................................Alissa Nardo Photo Editor.................................................................Stephanie Zeck Writing Coach...................................................................James Ward Journalism Adviser......................................................Alexandria Lau
Shows at Stivelman Theater Ticket prices: $5 pre-sale at Student Store $7 at the door * $2 May 14th performance
Wildcat Staff: Zoe Adams, Christina Barrett, Ashley Drew, Destiny Frazier, Bethlehem Habtewolde, Jesse Herrera, Ariana Kidd, Erica Kopf, Robin Kopf, Ivana Lehocka, Trevaughn Conrad, Julissa Lopez, Nancy Lopez, Sha’terra Myles, Alexandria Parker, David Parris, Chloe Pourmashadi, Matthew Song, Zoha Syed, Shyra Thomas, Tristan Vito and Trenyce Williams ************************************************ The Wildcat is a student-run, student-operated student-produced newspaper, which does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the administration or the school at large. Staff editorials represent the collectively agreed upon opinions of the Wildcat editors. All writers published in the Wildcat are protected under Calfiornia Education Code 48907.
February 27, 2015
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UNIVERSITY HIGH WILDCAT
FEATURE
Sabbagh scats his way to the stage Choir and guitar teacher and drumline coach Kahlil Sabbagh discusses his career in music. Read the extended interview at wildcatpaper.com. By Robin Kopf Staff Writer How did you get your start in music? I was in music school and I knew music was something I would probably do for the rest of my life. I didn’t know in what capacity, but when I was younger I
decided I would go into music school for my undergrad. I knew it was the right decision because it came very naturally to me. It was something I was able to share with others as well as make a living doing. It was not something I had to labor over. It was fun.
What projects are you working on right now? Well, I always have multiple projects going on. I play multiple instruments so I’m always getting multiple gigs and doing different things. I’m an orchestrator and an arranger and I have a studio in my house where I produce various projects for clients. I usually make TV able to share with commercials, movie scores or TV Who is your musical role theme songs for kids shows. I others as well make a model and what have you learned just did a commercial for from them? living doing.” Delta Airlines and I’ve got My number one musical role two TV shows in the model is Frank Zappa. Everything works right now. In is a far second. Frank Zappa to me addition, I have a very is the epitome of musical genius busy blues band called and that’s a word that I don’t throw the Hard Shine around casually or frequently. I think there’s like ten Blues Band musical geniuses in the universe and Frank Zappa with my wife was one of them, but I obviously set the bar very high. G i n g e r Smith. She is Do you have any other hobbies outside of an amazing music? singer-songwriter I played basketball and soccer at Louisville, where and together we have this I got my undergrad, so athletics has always been a great collaboration. I also huge part of my life. I was also in music school, so I direct a big band called Suzy had a very interesting college career, since no one Robin Kopf and her Solid Senders with a seems to combine music and sports, but I did.
Marine club marches on By Samantha Elms Creative Director
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ni welcomes the United States Marines Corps club with a hearty “oo-
rah.” The club was created by club president seniors Pablo Lopez and Victor Arellano with the help of recruitment officer Sgt. Vincent Lo Webb in October 2014. The club stands out from its counterparts at other schools in that it does not only focus on JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps). “The purpose of the club is to spread awareness of the Marine Corps,” Lopez said. “It is to clear any misconception of the armed forces, to teach people the history of the Marine Corps and to help out the community and the injured veterans.” The club activities mainly include presentations to instill knowledge of the Marine Corps from lectures to documentaries to guest speakers. It also provides information on the various opportunities of the Marines including the financial, medical and educational benefits like the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps which offers a full tuition scholarship. The club plans on holding numerous field trips like their recent trip to Camp Pendleton in San Diego. On these trips, the students are able to experience a boot camp graduation, watch a canine demonstration, visit the barracks and eat at the chow hall. “We try to get them out of the classrooms so they can experience [what it’s like to be a Marine],” Webb said. “They
wonderful singer named Suzy Williams. How do you incorporate your music ability in your family life? My six-year-old kids are very musically inclined, but we haven’t officially taught them anything. We have purposely waited and resisted the urge to teach them, which is such a common thing for parents to do with their kids. There’s also music constantly playing in our house. In addition, my wife and I have hosted a musical open house in our family “[Studying music] room every month for 10 years. We’re very much an epicenter of was something I was the West LA underground music scene.
can touch it, feel it, actually be there; ask questions and get them answered by actual Marines.” The club often holds physical events on campus such as the PullUp Challenge in which the student body is invited to do pull-ups for prizes such as t-shirts and gift cards. Of course, the club does provide aid to prospective recruits with their physical and mental fitness training. They also hold knowledge lectures on subjects like the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, better known as the ASVAB, an aptitude test for qualification into the United States Armed Forces, as well as weekly workouts. Students practice their public speaking and public awareness with student presentations and debates about current topics such as politics and world events. Those especially interested in the Marine Corps can join these workouts every Thursday at Westfield Culver City mall. They go for runs at various locations ranging from the Culver City Stairs to Santa Monica beach. All students are welcome, whether they are interested in enlisting in the Marines, plan on joining another branch of the Armed Forces or simply have an interest in physical fitness. The club is filled with the feeling of brotherhood and is open to all of the student body. The club meets every Wednesday at lunch in Rm 382. For more information, contact president Pablo Lopez or recruitment officer Sgt. Vincent Lo Webb.
Wildcats take over capitol with Youth and Government By Brandon Berookhim Sports Editor
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he California YMCA’s Youth and Government program is the largest non-athletic high school program in the state that gives teens the opportunity to have their voices heard and hold session in the state capitol. It convened its 68th annual Model Legislature and Court program in Sacramento over Presidents’ Day weekend. This year a special guest from Uni was invited to attend. Seniors James DuPrey, John Poglodzinski, Sean Victory and Brandon Berookhim and sophomore Georgie Rosales, along with 30 other delegates from local high schools, prepared for this final conference in Sacramento during delegation meetings. These meetings are held every Tuesday night at the Brentwood Youth House on 731 S. Bundy Dr. from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Here, they practice public speaking, hold icebreakers to get to know each other, learn parliamentary procedure and debate issues at every level of politics. They also attended two other conferences before Sacramento, the first at Camp Roberts and the second at Fresno. They learned about Y&G and its respective program areas. Delegates formed ideas for ways to balance the state budgets, campaigned for candidates and thought of ways to solve problems abroad. At the Sacramento convocation, Westside Y&Gers participated in all different aspects of government alongside thousands of other California high school students. They debated proposals, prepared and delivered speeches,
argued court cases, created budgets and shot and edited videos. For the first time ever, Uni sent up representatives to the state capital to participate in VIP day. Executive director of the Westside Family YMCA, Anne Samson, flew out Principal Eric Davidson and his wife Gloria to Sacramento as VIPs on Friday, Feb. 13. “It was just awe-inspiring to see so many young people that were enthusiastic and passionate about government,” Davidson said. “It was amazing to watch and listen to 3,000 members speaking, responding, reacting and engaging.” The Westside Delegation is headed by a Uni alumnus, Dorian Roohi, making for six Wildcats in the current program, but Davidson is hoping to increase Uni’s involvement in this program even more in the coming years. “I learned so much not only about Youth and Government, but government itself,” Davidson said. “It was AP Government in reality and seeing that motivated me to take this to a higher level within the district.” The YMCA will have a teen center on campus so Y&G will be more accessible to Wildcats. The Y will be built in time for students to attend Spring Conference in mid-April in Corcoran to get a small taste of the program before it officially begins in August. Economics and Government teacher Steven Clotzman, is set to host a Y&G club at school as well. “With the YMCA coming here next year, that would give us about a year to move forward in developing a much larger group of representatives for Uni in Y&G,” Davidson said.
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February 27, 2015
UNIVERSITY HIGH WILDCAT
SPORTS
Boys’ basketball falls in playoffs By Emma Nicoletta Opinion Editor
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he boys’ basketball team (17-14 overall, 5-7 league) fell to the Washington Preparatory High School Generals (13-12, 8-4) on Friday, Feb. 20 in a very close home game. The final score of the game was 53-50. The Wildcats were only able to play one game in the 2015 CIF Los Angeles City Section Division I Playoff Brackets, as they got a bye (an automatic advancement) in the first round. Due to their loss, they were eliminated from the tournament, marking the end of the 2014-2015 season. This game started off strong and energy ran high with many Wildcats coming down to the South Gym to support the boys. The team fought hard for the remainder of the first quarter and ended with a tie of 13-13. By the end of the half, the scores differed by one point at 22-21. Senior and forward Cushan Allen, stood out with a total of 21 points and a 100 percent free throw percentage. He also scored a three-pointer during the fourth quarter and tied up the game. The majority of the game was back and forth with both teams scoring late in each quarter. However, the teams were not equally matched. Uni was playing at home therefore the Wildcats were expected to win. “I feel like we had control for most the game, but we just lost it for some reason,” senior and guard Nick Brooks said. By the middle of the fourth quarter, tensions ran high. In the third quarter, they were up by seven points, but their lack of defense led to their defeat. “I felt that we lacked killer instinct. We were doing well when we were up by seven points, but unfortunately we just couldn’t hold on late in the game,” Allen said. “We played consistently throughout
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he Wildcat swim team is excited to jump in the pool for their first preseason meet on Wednesday, Mar. 4 against the Carson Colts. This year, Uni welcomed a new head swim coach, Ariana Silva, a science teacher here at Uni, in addition to the new changes to the team. In the past, most who tried out made the team, but the squad found themselves making multiple cuts this year. The first cut was based on grades; students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or above. The second is based on athletic performance, determined by coach Silva. Due to doubled pool costs, the swim team had to downsize. There are currently 48 swimmers, whereas last year’s team had closer to 60. This has led to a tighter bond between the teammates and more time for everyone to swim.
Zoha Syed
Seniors Nick Brooks and Keijon Hickmon block a Washington Preparatory General in their first playoff game at home on Friday, Feb. 20. The Wildcats were defeated with a close score of 53-50, ending their season with a record of 17-14 overall and 5-7 league. the game. There were times where we were slipping, but we didn’t let it get to us, we kept fighting.” Due to on and off injuries, some of the boys were not as fit as they had to be not only for this game, but for this entire season. Because of the lack of seniors, underclassmen had to be moved up causing a less experienced team. These factors led to coach Steve Ackerman’s lowest win
“The team is making major improvements that I am very excited about,” Silva said. “Everyone passed our first time trial!” The swimmers practice at the Westwood pool every day except for Mondays and BTSD Tuesdays. When they are not at the pool, they still work out by doing dry-land training, which includes weight training and running. “I’m excited to see our hard work pay off this year,” senior team captain Sean Victory said. “Coach Silva has been making us work pretty hard and she is always pushing our workouts so that we can be a dominant team in our league.” Last year, the varsity girls finished in 13th place out of 14 at CIF finals and boys varsity finished in 9th out of 22. Returning swimmers are very eager to get back into the water and advance farther than they did last year.
“The team is making major improvements that I am very excited about.”
Interview by Zoha Syed
Name: Luka Milenkovic Age: 16 Height: 6’4” Weight: 195 lbs. Grade: 11 Sport: Swimming
percentage in a decade. This might not be an issue for next year’s team, which will have seven returning players. “I think next year they’re going to have a chance to do something very special. They [underclassmen] now have the experience from this year’s season that’ll help them next year,” Brooks said. “I’m excited to see those guys develop and accomplish great things next year.”
Brandon Berookhim
The swim team practices at the Westwood pool with a new head coach, Ariana Silva. Their first preseason game is on Wednesday, Mar. 4 against Carson. “I’m looking forward to seeing how our team performs and how we can stack up to our competitors with our new coach,” senior Andrei Voicu, varsity butterfly swimmer, said. The Wildcats embrace these changes to have a positive outlook for the season. “The goal for this season
Q: Why did you join the team? A: I joined the team because swimming has been a very important part of my life since 5th grade, and I have loved it ever since. It is very challenging sport because it requires a lot of effort and mental toughness. Q: What is your favorite part of the sport? A: My favorite part of swimming is the competitive spirit that fills the area around the pool during a meet, and I enjoy working with my teammates, who are also my close friends. Q: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to join a sports team? A:People that are interested in joining a sports team should always be determined and never give up on improving their skills in that sport. Also, people need to be prepared to work well with others in order to maintain a good relationship with their teammates.
Swim team dives into season
By Erica Kopf Staff Writer
Get to know your athlete
is to build a strong foundation of swimming, camaraderie and friendships with the ultimate goal of constantly improving,” Silva said. Go support the swimmers in their first league meet on Wednesday, Mar. 25 against the LACES Unicorns at LACES at 2:00 p.m.
Q: What has been your greatest motivation? A: My teammates encourage me at every meet. They really boost my confidence, especially when I start to give up. They are always there for me. Q: What is your greatest memory with the team? A: One of the most memorable experiences I’ve had is when my team and I went to City Finals during my freshman year. It felt nice to swim beside such high caliber athletes.