December 2011

PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION:

colleges

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR:

What is the proper etiquette for advertising college decisions on Facebook?

C

A12 The Harvard -Westlake

Wolverine teams won 67 percent of their games in 2011.

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hronicle Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue IV • Dec. 14, 2011

Coldwater down to single lane

By Eli Haims

Starting Dec. 19, Coldwater Canyon Avenue will be reduced to a single lane from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., said a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power official. This stage of construction is scheduled to take four weeks, but Head of Campus Operations and Construction JD De Matte said it will most likely take longer.

During this period, a flagman will direct traffic. Outside of the construction hours, lanes in both directions will be open, the LADWP official said.

De Matte said LADWP initially scheduled this stage to begin a couple of weeks ago, but he negotiated for them to start when Harvard-Westlake was out for winter break.

The goal of the project is to replace a nearly 100-year-old trunk line.

“Once the pipe in front of [Harvard-Westlake’s] north driveway is backfilled and paved, the LADWP crew will concentrate effort to construct the pipeline at the north end of the work zone near Dickens Street,” LADWP construction engineering supervisor Todd P. Le wrote to the Sherman Oaks Patch in September. This zone is due to be completed in February 2012. Construction will then move to around the school’s southern driveway.

Last June, Head of Upper School Harry Salamandra told the Chronicle that delays would most likely be 15 to 20 minutes. The Harvard-Westlake website warned drivers of additional delays.

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

AUSTIN LEE/CHRONICLE

SEASON’S GREETINGS: Richard Chung ’12, top left, plays the violin during Sunday’s Christmas Convocation in Saint Saviour’s Chapel. Lee Batchler and his son Cory ’13, bottom left,

sing carols. Senior Prefect David Olodort ’12, above, follows a crowd of students into the chapel before the ceremony, which was led by Father J. Young. See A3 for further coverage.

6

Girls’ soccer beats Valencia, INSIDE opens season undefeated

CLASS ACTS:

By Lara Sokoloff

JULIUS PAK/CHRONICLE

FULL CONTROL: Hannah Lichtenstein ’13 weaves toward the goal in a 7-0 rout against Notre Dame Academy at home on Dec. 6. The team remains undefeated in its first five games.

Last year, the varsity girls’ soccer team went undefeated at home until a CIF loss against Santa Margarita. The team has continued its regular season home win streak, opening its season with a 5-0 win over Valencia on Dec. 12 and 8-0 and 7-0 victories over Palisades and Notre Dame Academy.

In the Valencia game, Catherina Gores ’15 and Hannah Lichtenstein ’13 each contributed two goals, and Mackenzie Howe ’14 added the fifth.

The team stands at 4-0-1 as of press time.

“I attribute pretty much everything to the defense,” said co-captain Danielle Duhl ’12. “If the defense is staying tight and winning balls in our half, it puts much more confidence in our offense, which allows us to stay composed, keep the ball and go forward to score.”

The team emphasized defense early on, Duhl said. The team now plays a flat back-line, allowing them to stay compact and play as a unit.

The team lost defenders KC Cord ’11, Christine Kanoff ’11 and Erin Landau ’11 in addition to holding centermidfielder Katy Park ’11, leaving a large hole to be filled by underclassmen this year.

“Not only the coaches but the team is asking a lot of the underclassmen to step up into those positions, which is a big job,” returning player Briana Nesbit ’12 said. “Our defensive line is pretty young, but with no doubt talented.

Our game against Oaks’ Christian definitely showed we have the potential to stop great players.”

The team’s younger defensive talent includes Mckynzie Dickman ’14, Lucy Putnam ’14 and Malanna Wheat ’14. The team overall is very young with five freshman on the team, the most in head coach Richard Simms’ history.

Freshman talent includes standout Gores, who has averaged two goals per game over the first five games of the season.

“It’s a new team with a lot of young

Continued on page C7

A3

New classes were approved by the Faculty Academic Committee for the Kutler Center.

CARRY THAT WEIGHT:

B4

Carrying a backpack improperly could have detrimental effects on one’s spine and posture.

SHARP SHOOTER: Co-captain Natalie Florescu ’13 is one of three returning varsity players this season.

C8

The Chronicle Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave. Studio City, Calif. 91604

A2 Preview

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

TED TALK: Performing arts teacher Ted Walch, left, greets Jon, Caroline and Sara Kutler, from left, at the Nov. 28 groundbreaking for the Kutler Center, which is

scheduled to be completed in August. Walch designed one of the six interdisciplinary courses the Faculty Academic Committee approved for the 2012-2013 school year.

Features B8

News A5

DAVID LIM/CHRONICLE

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

‘PARANOID ANDROID’: Martin Riu ’13, front, and Cory Batchler ’13, back, play a Radiohead song with the Studio Jazz Band at “An Evening of Jazz” on Dec. 3.

TRAPPED: Lucas Czinger ’12, center, corrals the ball, surrounded by three West Ranch defenders on Dec. 9. The varsity boys’ soccer team won the game 3-0.

MARIEL BRUNMAN/CHRONICLE

OSCAR-WORTHY: Director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu spoke to Cinema Studies classes Nov. 30 about his films and how he began filmmaking.

Offbeat

Parents give seniors stress relieving gifts

By Arielle Maxner

STRESSED OUT: The HarvardWestlake Parents Association gave stress balls to seniors on Dec. 8 in anticipation of college decisions.

Sports C6

Seniors received red stress balls in their mailboxes on Dec. 8, the day the first round of Early Decision and Early Action decision notifications were released.

The balls were wrapped in plastic bags bearing the message, “Stressed?

Squeeze the ball with all your might.

Only 183 days to Grad Night.” The stress balls were provided by Cece Feiler (Jackie ’10, Jamie ’12, Jake ’13), Janet Kleinbart (Kyle ’09, Jay ’12), Winnie Poon (Julius Pak ’12, Jensen Pak ’14) and Gale Volpert (Cary ’09, Nikki ’12, Ashley ’14), the four parents organizing Grad Night.

“We know [the seniors] are under a lot of pressure,” Poon said. “We wanted

to help with that.”

According to Head of the Parents’ Association Susi Gaylord (Ben ’13), there will be other small surprises throughout the year for the seniors to build up Grad Night, which occurs the evening of graduation.

The parents thought the stress balls were a “cute idea to be spirited and fun as a surprise,” Feiler said.

The idea for the stress balls came up, and the parents decided it was “perfect,” Kleinbart said.

“We know that you’ve got finals, getting into school, having to finish applications and there’s stress even when you’re driving to school with Coldwater traffic,” Kleinbart said. “Everybody has a little stress in their lives. We’re hoping to put a smile on your face.”

“The stress balls turned out to be more useful than I originally thought,” Danni Xia ’12 said. “They soon became a bonding experience among seniors when everyone was using them. I don’t think the teachers were too fond of them, but they really do help. And they are just fun to play with.”

However, some teachers said the stress balls were detrimental to focusing, as seniors would play with them in class.

“If [the stress balls] are used as intended, excellent, but I did not see much of that,” science teacher Walt Werner said. “At least they didn’t do too much damage when they hit something or someone. Perhaps even that bit of hijinks may have been stress reducing.”

ALLISON HAMBURGER/CHRONICLE

The Chronicle is the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School. It is published eight times per year. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial Board. Letters to the editor may be submitted to chronicle@hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be

signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format.

Advertising questions may be directed to Alex Gura at (310) 467-1797. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 14, 2011

News A3

Trips offer foreign immersion

By Caitie Benell

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

HOLIDAY CHEER: Kristen Lee ’12 shares a missal with her father at Christmas Convocation on Dec. 11, left. Four members

of the Upper School orchestra perform outside Saint Saviour’s Chapel to entertain guests as they enter the service, right.

Choir sings, orchestra performs at annual Christmas Convocation

By Luke Holthouse

Performances by the Middle School Madrigals and four upper school orchestra members as well as readings of nine Bible passages ushered in the holiday spirit during the Christmas Convocation: A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in Saint Saviour’s Chapel last Sunday night, Dec. 11.

The traditional service featured nine Bible passages documenting the history of Christianity with music and carols such as “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Hark! The Herald Angel Sings” sung between passages.

“It takes you through the whole Christian story from God’s creation in Genesis all the way to the birth of Christ,” school chaplain Father James

Young said. “It’s kind of like the Christian story in Spark Notes.”

Young said that the ceremony had been an annual tradition at the Harvard School for Boys since the school was created and has continued to be a school tradition since the merger with the Westlake School for Girls.

Young said the service is meant to represent the beginning of the holiday season at school.

“For me, my Christmas doesn’t really start until right now,” Young said after the event.

Middle School Choral Director Nina Burtchaell said she has brought a choral group to perform at the service for the past 20 years.

“It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful acoustic for choral music on either

Administration prepares for noise, disturbances

By Eli Haims

Administrators are taking steps to alleviate concerns over the noise due to the construction of the Kutler Center for Interdisciplinary Study and the new pool, both of which are slated to open around Aug. 15.

The majority of the noise concerns have come from the construction of the Kutler Center, which is adjacent to history and foreign language classrooms, Head of Campus Operations and Construction JD De Matte. There have been few problems due to the noise from the pool construction. Some teachers have also raised issue due to the fumes coming from the heavy machinery being used.

A soundproof door was added to the Tech Center and a wall was added on the second floor of Seaver by the construction site.

“There’s a little bit of a noise issue up top, and the reason why we haven’t closed that off is pretty soon we’re going to be coming through the wall,” he said. “It would not really be cost effective to soundproof that.”

History teacher Francine Werner said the noise and the diesel fumes from the machinery were an issue for a couple of days, but the disturbances are not constant.

“I just try to overpower it,” she said.

“Not much you can do. I think the con-

struction will just go through different stages so there will be different noises at different times. They get done what they need to get done, and then, it’s not noisy.”

De Matte said there is a plan in place in case the noise on the third floor of Seaver becomes too much to be able to teach, including using the Emory Room as a classroom.

“It’s pretty annoying,” Andrew Friedman ’14 said. “Especially when the windows are open, it’s pretty loud, but I mean what can you do?”

Finals testing is impacted by the construction because of the loss of Chalmers East, which has become the temporary MiniMudd Library. Assistant to the Head of Upper School Michelle Bracken said approximately 100 seats were lost because of this. She said 84 seats will be added to the Dance Studio, and Ahmanson Lecture Hall and Rugby Auditorium will be used more than in previous years. She said there will be very little to no noise due to the construction.

“I’ve talked with [Head of Upper School Harry] Salamandra and [Head of School Jeanne] Huybrechts,” De Matte said. “When it comes to finals, we are either going to stop working or move work to another area or do a different type of operation, because obviously finals have to be done. Just like SATs, they have to be done properly.”

campus,” Burtchaell said. “To have the opportunity to sing in Saint Saviour’s is a big treat.”

Burtchaell said that the ceremony gives many of the choir members their only opportunity to perform at a Christian service.

After the nine lessons were read by student council members from each of the six grades, Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts, Parents Association member Katie Holthouse (Chris ’10, Luke ’13, and Roman ’15) and President Thomas C. Hudnut, Young urged the congregation, which was so large that folding metal chairs had to be brought in to the chapel to seat everyone, to maintain the cheerful and giving holiday spirit every day, not just during the holidays.

and

Elana Zeltser

Middle and upper school students will snorkel with stingrays in Tahiti, visit a volcano in Costa Rica and view picturesque scenes in China over spring break. The jazz band will also travel to Argentina, and there may be a trip to New Orleans. For the first time, students can sign up online.

Chaperoned by Chinese teachers Qinru Zhou and Binbin Wei, the trip to China is from March 27 to April 7. Students will spend 10 days in Beijing and stay at the High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University.

Every day students will take four-hour classes divided into spoken Chinese, taught by Harvard-Westlake teachers, and culture and history, taught by the school’s master teachers. After Beijing, students will stop in Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai.

From March 22 to April 6, a group of students will travel to Tahiti for a marine biology and cultural anthropology experience. The students will snorkel, scuba dive, kayak and participate in Tahitian dancing.

On the Costa Rica trip, students should expect four-hour classes and two hours of community service six days a week. Each student will stay with a host family and visit popular sites around the Heredia area such as a butterfly site, a volcano and a number of restaurants. The group will also spend a weekend at a beach resort and will go whitewater rafting.

“I love to see how much progress we make in two weeks,” said Upper school foreign language teacher Javier Zaragoza. “I wish we had three. The kids come back with enormous confidence and noticeably stand out in the classroom.”

The Trip Committee is also considering a community service trip to New Orleans, but nothing is definite yet.

“It is not that New Orleans doesn’t still need our help – they certainly do – but there may be other places that need it more,” Father J. Young said.

Approved The Faculty Academic Committee approved six new courses on Nov. 15 for the Kutler Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.

The Creative Process: From Inspiration to Fruition Ryan Wilson proposed a class to explore the creative process through various media such as music, art, writing and dance.

Ryan Wilson

Criminal Law and Advocacy

David Hinden

The two-semester class was proposed

by David Hinden, to explore intricacies of criminal law.

Middle East Studies

Video Game Design

Jacob Hazard

Computer oriented and artistic students will collaborate in this class proposed by Jacob Hazard.

Business and Life Rob Levin proposed a class to teach core business principles and business literacy with additional guest speakers.

Dror Yaron proposed a class to explore religious, political and economic issues of the Middle East.

Dror Yaron

Rob Levin

The Philosophy of Art and Science Kevin Weis and Ted Walch proposed this class which replaces the Self and the Spirit elective.

Kevin Weis

Ted Walch

PHOTOS BY NATHANSON’S SOURCE: INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES DEPARTMENT CHAIR LARRY KLEIN INFOGRAPHIC BY MADDY BAXTER

The Chronicle

A4 News

Dec. 14, 2011

Junior wins national computing contest

By Keane Muraoka-Robertson

Elana Stroud ’13 received the 20112012 National Center for Women & Information Technology Award for Aspirations in Computing, a competition which recognizes achievements in technology and computing of female high school students.

Stroud, who began programming in ninth grade, is currently in Design and Data Structures Honors. She found out about the competition from computer science teacher Jacob Hazard.

“I noticed there aren’t a lot of girls who are really into computer science,” Stroud said. “I thought it was a great opportunity to meet more girls who are interested in the same thing.”

As one of 35 girls chosen to receive the award out of 1,177 applicants, Stroud received $500, a new laptop and a plaque as a prize.

She will also attend an awards ceremony in North Carolina, courtesy of NCWIT. “It’s an awesome privilege to be selected,” Stroud said. “To see all the past winners and all the stuff they did, it’s really cool to think that the selectors thought I was in the same boat as them. It’s an honor.”

Molly Cinnamon ’14 was also recognized by NCWIT, earning runner-up honors in the competition.

Cinnamon created an application for Android, designed web pages, started a blog and created animations that have been featured in film festivals across the country.

JOYCE OK/VOX

SHARING SKILLS: Vox Populi member Ingrid Hung ’13 teaches computer skills as a part of the Impact for Family

Learning event on Dec. 10. Computer software for the service event was donated by the Computers for Youth Organization.

Yearbook staff teaches computer skills to underprivileged families

By Jack Goldfisher

Yearbook staff members spent Dec. 10 teaching more than 90 underprivileged families how to use computer software that was given to them by the Computers for Youth organization.

Joyce Ok ’13, a staffer on the yearbook who also serves on the Community Council, wanted to find a way to put the Vox Populi computer skills to work and to fulfill the Community Council’s goal of groups of students volunteering while bonding. She found the Impact for Family Learning event through vol-

unteermatch.com.

The students taught families how to use programs like Microsoft Word and other education-oriented software and played computer games with them.

The computers and software were donated by CSY, an organization centered around increasing accessibility for students across the US by affording them access to educational technology.

The organization collects computers from donors and uses a government grant to refurbish them.

Then they install new software and organize a training day with volunteer

groups and give away these refurbished computers.

According to CFY’s website, “more than 95 percent of parents said the CFY program enabled them to see more potential in their child to learn.”

Ok said she hopes to get more people involved in charitable projects that harness their specific abilities. Ok said playing games with the kids and their families was her favorite part of the experience.

“The entire family would get really into playing the game,” she said. “It was really touching.”

Alum helps Harvard team win College Fed Challenge

By Lauren Sonnenberg

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ALAN SASAKI

GETTING A NEW PERSPECTIVE: Clay and Glass teacher Dylan Palmer helps Matthew Szosz, from left, with his presentation about different artistic methods.

Glass artist shares techniques

By Noa Yadidi

Matthew Szosz, who was recently selected to take part in an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, spoke to glass students last Thursday about his different techniques and experiences in the art world.

Visual arts teacher Dylan Palmer invited Szosz to speak to his fifth and sixth period classes and Directed Studies glass students. Szosz demonstrated glass processes he has developed.

“I thought, ‘wow, that’s really cool,’” glass student Mark Swerdlow ’12 said.

“I was able to start to see the applications of what we do and where they would end up going.”

Szosz has been selected to be a part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s upcoming exhibition “40 under 40: Craft Futures” from July 2012 to February 2013.

The exhibition will feature and

investigate the evolution of different types of art and will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the museum’s Renwick Gallery.

Szosz is also the Interim Executive Director of Public Glass, a non-profit hot glass studio and school in San Francisco.

Szosz attended the Rhode Island School of Design and received a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts, a Bachelor of Industrial Design and a Masters Fine Arts in Glass. Szosz taught students real-world application of glass and all the unique techniques he uses in his art.

“I learned to explore different stuff and not get so stuck in the stuff that we learn,” Directed Studies student Jake Schapiro ’12 said. “Especially in Directed Study, we can just explore, which is a lot like what he did and stuff he’s doing now. He just did what he wanted to do.”

Ben SprungKeyser ’11 and four teammates at Harvard College won first place in the College Fed Challenge, a competition for undergraduate college students nathanson ’s/chronicle interested in the Ben Federal Open Sprung-Keyser ’11 Market Committee.

The competition is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, part of the Federal Reserve system, which is the United States’ central bank.

It is charged with managing US fiscal and monetary policy, and is most recently responsible for the “quantitative easing,” intended to respond to the current economic strategies.

Using their understanding of the Federal Reserve System and American modern economy, undergraduates formulated a 15-minute presentation for a panel of academic and professional economists.

The second part of the competition consisted of a 15-minute question and answer interaction where students were asked to defend their proposed economic or monetary policies. Five different Federal Reserves ran regional competitions, and the winners of those moved on to a five team national competition that took place in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 29.

Sprung-Keyser and his team first competed against 22 other teams at the Boston Federal Reserve. Upon arriving at the national competition, they

presented in front of a three-judge panel.

The Eastern Economic Association judged students on their economic analysis, their ability to respond to questions, teamwork and presentation.

Harvard’s team proposed the Federal Reserve should adopt “price level targeting,” meaning it should target a 2 percent inflation rate each year, but it would be adjusted based on previous failures. If it failed to meet its inflation target, the Fed would have a higher inflation the next year.

“Part of our proposal was that the economy right now needs moderately high inflation,” Sprung-Keyser said.

“In fact, although it’s not normally true, right now inflation would be good for the economy.”

Sprung-Keyser auditioned at the beginning of this year and was one of the two freshmen selected to be on the team.

“It allows you to get involved in government monetary policy more than any other activity that I’ve ever participated in,” he said. “It also gives you a sort of experience in economic policy in a way that I never had.”

His final round was the Federal Reserve Board Room where the Board of Governors sits.

“There is a sort of sense of knowing the ways in which stuff actually happens in the real world so you feel somewhat connected to it because of that,” he said. “It was also a great opportunity to meet different professors and to meet people also interested in this stuff.”

To prepare for the competition, Harvard’s team started by researching and reading necessary materials and met with professors to get their advice on their proposal.

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 14, 2011

News A5

Iñárritu tells students not to plan their lives

By Hank Gerba

ALEX GURA/CHRONICLE

QUESTION AND ANSWER: Jason Reitman ’95 and Drake Doremus, from left, take questions from the audience

in Ahamanson after finishing their interview, which was prefaced by a clip of Doremus’ recent film, “Like Crazy.”

‘Like Crazy’ director talks about independent filmmaking with alumnus

By Michael Sugerman

Four-time Oscar nominated director Jason Reitman ’95 interviewed independent film director Drake Doremus in Ahmanson Lecture Hall on Dec. 1.

The sit-down was conducted as part of a four-year running series with Reitman called “Speaking of Movies,” where he interviews current figures in the film industry. The series is hosted by Harvard-Westlake Video Art and the Harvard-Westlake Entertainment Network.

Doremus recently directed and co-wrote Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Like Crazy,” a story of two lovers whose affection continues despite having a long distance relationship.

Doremus is known for his rapid filming — 80 hours of footage for “Like Crazy” was shot in only 22 days on what he called a small budget of $250,000.

The movie was shot on a Canon 7D, a handheld digital single-lens reflex camera. Doremus said this camera was similar to those that video art classes use, and while it is professional, not nearly comparable in size

to the larger movie cameras that a “The actors have to understand director like Reitman would use. fundamentally the beginning, middle “Doremus established clearly and end,” he said. “The in-between that you can make a film with store- bits naturally come to fruition.” bought equipment,” Reitman said.

Doremus also chose to film his ac“Kids today are making films like we tors from a natural distance, rarely would draw on shooting closepaper as kids.” up scenes to Doremus, preserve their who grew up integrity.

Doremus established surrounded by “The acting a family that is about the moclearly that you can make loved improvisament,” Doremus a film with store-bought tion, has always said. “I like to equipment. Kids today are appreciated cinlet the actors ematographic making films like we would feel and interimprovisation. pret the scene draw on paper as children.” for themselves.

His childhood background inthey know the —Jason Reitman ‘95 If spired him to camera is close become part of to them, they the American might put on an Film Institute act rather than after he graduated high school. really understanding the moment on One of the defining parts of his a personal level.” films, including “Like Crazy,” is that Reitman, however, said bringing Doremus rarely uses a script — he his cameras close to the actors was makes outlines and speculates on the a good thing. moods of certain scenes, but most of “I need my actors to know where the dialogue is off the cuff. the camera is,” he said. “The angle Reitman said he admired this allows them to really interpret the style of film. moment.”

“

Best known for his films “Amores Perros” and, more recently, “Biutiful”, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu (Maria Gonzalez ’13) spoke to three sections of Cinema Studies students on Nov. 30.

“My story is simple,” Iñárritu said.

“I’m not the 8-year-old boy who went to the cinema with his father and dreamed of one day making films.”

As a student, he studied law and became a communications major.

However, as he studied, he began to drift from his original plans. He briefly pursued a career in music, and became a filmmaker after his musical pursuits failed.

Eventually, Iñárritu started writing scores for movies and television, but he never felt satisfied with his progress.

When his first film, “Amores Perros,” was released, it was well received and launched his career.

Iñárritu credits his ability to get through the three-year production process of “Amorres Perros” to the years of experience in the world of entertainment.

After reflecting on his career, Iñárritu advised Cinema Studies students not to plan their lives.

“If you know what you want to do with your life, what a boring life that will be,” he said. “I integrated a saying into ‘Amores Perros’ that I think is very important. It’s ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.’”

Iñárritu believes film has become more about entertainment and less about expression.

“It’s now about entertaining the masses,” he said. “Of course it should be entertaining, but it must be rooted in the art of self-expression.”

Among his favorite directors are Frederico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman, whose films he thinks are very profound and experimental.

Speaking to those who have dreams of making films in the future, Iñárritu encouraged students to think innovatively.

“This really is the best job in the world, but it’s a very challenging one,” he said. “Be original. Be aware of your responsibility to provoke thought and, most importantly, be real.”

Student starts tournament for charity in China

SYA students will celebrate winter holidays overseas

By Mazelle Etessami

Harvard-Westlake students who are spending their junior year in Europe with the School Year Abroad program are celebrating their winter breaks in a variety of different ways.

Eli Kogan’s ’13 parents and brother, Ben ’11, will be visiting him in Zaragoza, Spain over the break. They will tour his school and the stables where he works with wild horses and meet his host family.

The four will then take a train to Barcelona to visit museums and explore Spainish culture. Kogan will then return home with his family for four days.

Allana Rivera ’13 will be doing “more traditional celebrating” with her host family in Spain, without her parents coming to visit. Rivera will be going to the pueblo with her host mother and spending Christmas with her extended host family. Rivera also plans on spending part of her break studying

Since Alex Rein ’14 moved to Guangzhou, China two years ago, he created Hoops for Hope, a charity basketball tournament.

The tournament, which was on Thanksgiving weekend, raised enough money to pay for three life-saving surgeries at the Zhujiang Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Ghuangzhou, China.

The tournament was a round robin that included four age divisions: elementary school, middle school, high school and adult.

Rein’s father moved the family to China to set up the Institution for Western Surgery, a surgical company that brings specialists from the United States to operate on expatriates, Chinese citizens and orphaned children.

“Though I was originally inspired after hearing about these children, my

By Claire Goldsmith

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ALEX REIN

TIP OFF: Two players compete to get the ball in the Hoops for Hope tournament, created by Alex Rein ’14 who is currently living abroad in China. real inspiration came when I visited the hospital,” Rein said. “I want this tournament to show students that if they see someone who needs help, they can do something about it.”

for the SAT and spending time with the friends that she’s made on the SYA program.

For break, Eli Putnam’s ’13 entire family will join him in Spain. His parents and sister, Lucy ’14, will tour his school and meet his host family before traveling around Spain with him.

“We Skype every week, but it will be great to see Eli. I’m really excited to see Zaragoza,” Lucy said.

At the request of her host family, Ally White’s ’13 parents will not be visiting her in France until a break she has during February so she can spend more time with her host family over the holidays.

White and her host family will vacation during Christmas in Paris and New Year’s in either Bordeaux or Normandy, France.

“I’ve been able to get much closer to my [host] family by taking part in their Christmas traditions like decorating the Christmas tree and helping to put up Christmas lights,” White said.

The Chronicle

A6 News

inbrief

Dec. 14, 2011

Together With the Children

Robotics team reaches final round of competition Matt Heartney ’12, Julie Ko ’12 and Eden Weizman ’13 reached the finals of the Zero Robotics SPHERES Challenge 2011. Their code will be used on the International Space Station.

“The tournament is about programming satellites called SPHERES to mine asteroids within a simulated environment,” Heartney said.

After ranking 49th and advancing to the semifinals, the team allied with Fayette-Manlius Central School District in New York and Montclair High School in New Jersey. Their alliance placed fifth out of 18 alliances, now advancing to the final round.

—Jensen Pak

Film Festival team extends deadline to tomorrow The deadline for submissions for the 2012 Harvard-Westlake Film Festival has been extended to tomorrow, Dec. 15.

The committee has received approximately 100 movie entries so far.

The festival will take place at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome on March 16 and 17. On the second day, there will be a “Day After” event where the filmmakers will get to participate in workshops led by professionals in the movie making industry.

—Meagan Wang

Preciado conducts survey for Character committee Head of Attendance Gabriel Preciado, a member of the Character Education Committee, randomly surveyed students in his office on Nov. 16, asking students to write down who their role models for good character have been.

The committee is looking to get feedback to decide in what direction they should move.

“We want to know what makes you [students] tick,” Preciado said. “We hear good things about students and want to find out what’s behind that.

We want to provide more than learning an academic discipline.”

Preciado received about 50 responses during the day.

—Victor Yoon

Faculty members display arts, crafts in annual sale Faculty displayed and sold their arts and crafts on Dec. 6 in the faculty lounge. This year, visual arts teachers Dylan Palmer and Art Tobias and science teacher Wendy Van Norden participated. Palmer displayed his glass and ceramics, Tobias showed his ceramics and Van Norden sold her handmade soaps and oils.

Van Norden originally organized the crafts sale, but Tobias has taken over in the last few years.

—Maddy Baxter

Scuba certification class available to faculty, students A Natioal Association of Underwater Instructors scuba certification class will be offered at the Middle School over the next two months. Chuck Kopczak, who works for the Science Center, and Tom Boyd, a professional underwater photographer, teach the UCLA scientific advanced scuba classes and will offer certification classes to students and faculty.

Middle school science teacher Florence Pi organized the program for those interested in diving or learning about the ocean. There is one class planned that has already met twice, and there will also be a make-up class.

—Mazelle Etessami

KEANE MURAOKA-ROBERTSON/CHRONICLE

FOOD FOR A CAUSE: Alejandra Reynoso ’12, left, founder of the Harvard-Westlake chapter of Together With the Children, sells baked goods to Arianna Lanz

’13 during the second annual Mexican Bake Sale on Dec. 9. The proceeds went to organizations aiming to end the poverty and abuse affecting children in Mexico.

Theology professor discusses human capacity

By Chelsey Taylor-Vaughn

Amir Hussain, Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University and editor of the journal of the American Academy of Religion, discussed religious ethics and Islamic law with humanities teacher Malina Mamigonian’s Ethics class on Nov. 29.

Hussain showed a clip from Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” that mocked people for overreacting to anything that is Muslim, including Oklahoma banning Sharia Law, the traditional code of Islam. Retired humanities teacher Martha Wheelock laughed as the show mocked people making a distinction between eating

under the rules of Halall versus kosher, which are virtually the same with the only distinction being that under Halall animals are killed while saying Allah.

Hussain suggested that people have relationships with animals if they live on the land, but as people become urbanized they lose this connection. He used an example relating to meat preparation and consumption to illustrate this loss of relationship between humans and animals.

“I’m a city kid,” Hussain said.

“Meat comes the way God intended — wrapped in plastic on Styrofoam trays.

You give me a cleaver and a cow, [and] I have no idea how to kill this animal.

You give me a New York strip, I can do wonders with that, but I don’t know how to get from Bessie to the New York strip.”

Hussain discussed the distinction between animals and humans and why humans believe that they are superior, referring to a story from the Quran.

“Animals are better Muslims because the animals can only obey God,” he said. “We tend to think of free will as a good thing but it means we have the capacity to obey or disobey that will.”

“The Quran talks about human beings being the best of God’s creation because we do things that other created things don’t do,” Hussain said.

Math teacher’s textbook fosters critical thinking

By Eojin Choi The Critical Thinking Co. recently published middle school math teacher Darin Beigie’s “Mathematical Reasoning Middle School Supplement,” a collection of theme-based activity sets that contain non-routine math problems for seventh and eighth graders.

After 16 years of teaching, which included years of experience creating his own material, Beigie decided to put a book together to have others see his work.

For about two and a half years, he worked on putting the materials together, creating new problems and finding a publisher. Last year, he finalized his book with the help of students, who tested out his problems.

Beigie watched their reactions to learn whether a question was a little too hard or easy and sometimes altered the wording of some of the problems.

“I am grateful to all my students and school workers, who helped me bring the book collection to life,” Beigie said. “It was very exciting to watch them work on it, and I have been learning from them as much as they have learned from me.”

Beigie added that publishing a book was both a new experience and a familiar process. He thought about publishing a book after reading his favorite author Malcolm Gladwell’s theory that

EOJIN CHOI/CHRONICLE

FINISHED PRODUCT: Math teacher Darin Beigie spent years creating his workbook. His goal was to offer conceptually challenging but student-friendly problems. generally 10,000 hours will make someone an expert.

Since Beigie has been creating worksheets for many years, he said he considers writing his book to be a continuation of what he has always been doing. However, this was also a new experience because he had to make his book marketable and appealing to a wider range of students.

To distinguish his book from other workbooks, Beigie designed it to foster greater critical thinking and problem solving in the context of day-to-day curriculum. He said he meant it to be connected with the content that students see every day but also put a little twist on it to make them think more.

He worked to make his book more

accessible and have problems possible to solve without direct instruction.

“I tried to strike a balance by including problems that students have to think about, but hopefully that are not too difficult for them,” Beigie said.

Although working on publishing his supplement was time consuming, it did not affect his schedule.

In addition, Beigie said that this experience has helped him become a better teacher.

“Writing this book helped me think more about what type of problems I was giving my students while helping me grow as a teacher,” he said. “I hope to keep publishing, but regardless I will always be creating new materials and fresh problems for my students.”

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 14, 2011

News A7

inbrief

Ambassadors volunteer at Heart of Los Angeles

Upper school admission ambassadors visited Heart of Los Angeles on Dec. 2 to assist underprivileged children with an art project, put together music stands for their performing arts program and help clean the gym storeroom.

Emily Plotkin ’13 and Ambassador Program head Melanie León organized the trip and hope to make it monthly.

“I would love to go again to HOLA,” Megha Srivastava ’14, an ambassador who participated in the trip, said. “I loved meeting the children at HOLA and helping them.”

—Sarah Novicoff

Debaters place in and win national tournaments

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF CHERI GAULKE

SPREADING THE WORD: Rebecca Hutman ’12 and Holocaust survivor Harry Davidson, who she met through the Righ-

teous Conservation Project, review a public service announcement about buying products possibly produced with slave labor.

Students create, screen 2 PSAs

By Aaron Lyons

The Righteous Conservation Project, a program created by four Harvard-Westlake students which joins Holocaust survivors and teens to address injustices in the world, screened two public service announcements created by the teens and Holocaust survivors.

The PSAs were part of a pilot program started by RCP. The program was created last year with support from Remember Us, a non-profit organization that pairs bar and bat mitzvah aged kids with chil-

dren who perished in the Holocaust.

The teen’s bar and bat mitzvah services are then dedicated to the children killed.

The students worked on their public service announcements for a week with the Holocaust survivors.

Rebecca Hutman ’12 said the public service announcements are a way to pair teens with Holocaust survivors to create something that confronts modern day social problems.

“When you hear something that violent and unjustified, you want to do something, and you want to respond,” Hutman said.

One of the public service announcements was “Love Our Families,” starring and written by Xochi MaberryGaulke ’12 and Anjoum Agrama, a student at Marlborough School, and produced by Gabe Benjamin ’11. The PSA addresses unethical treatment of gay couples.

The other announcement was “Learn the Difference,” which aimed to make consumers concious of the background of the goods they purchase.

It was written by Hutman, Adam Yaron ’16 and India Wilson, a student at Crossroads School, and produced by Nick Lieberman ’11.

Sophomore wins competition, turns down chance to become pop star

By Lizzie Thomas

When Sanah Ebrahim ’14 came back from her Thanksgiving break, she found an email alerting her that she’d won the SBS KPOP STAR competition, its nathanson ’s/chronicle grand prize of Sanah $285,000, an inEbrahim ’14 ternational album release and a fulltime career as a Korean pop star.

It was not some kind of cruel joke.

Ebrahim had entered the singing competition in September and had subsequently advanced through each of its three rounds, uninhibited by the fact that she doesn’t speak Korean.

“I honestly didn’t think I’d win since there’s so much talent in the world,” Ebrahim said. “I literally auditioned because of the hot Korean boy bands, and I wanted to see how far I could go.”

But Ebrahim surprised the three major K-pop companies, JYP entertainment, SM entertainment and YG entertainment, who hosted the competition by sending an email of her own that night, turning down award and its proposed fame and fortune. She objected most to the stipulation that, as a Korean pop star, she would have to move to Korea.

“It’s really cold in Korea, and I’m assuming I’m going to work there and not come back for a while,” Ebrahim said. “I really want to continue and finish my studies at Harvard-Westlake.”

While the decision may have been a quick one for Ebrahim, it was not so easy for those around her.

“All my family and friends were pestering me about it, trying to ask me to email them asking if there was a way that I could do it over the summer or in a few years,” Ebrahim said.

Ebrahim said she might just be more comfortable singing for a group of family and friends, explaining that she often serves as entertainment for her parents and any guests they have over.

“I kind of experienced a little bit of what it’d be like to be a celebrity from being in the Chronicle [in November],” Ebrahim said. “It was kind of fun but a bit too much for me.”

In spite of this early success, Ebrahim remains nonchalant about a potential future in music.

“I don’t mind if I don’t pursue that kind of career. If an opportunity comes up then I’ll be happy to take it. But if not, then so be it,” Ebrahim said.

Security enforces new policy to use track

By Michael Rothberg

The security staff, in conjunction with the administration, will now require people not affiliated with Harvard-Westlake to carry identification cards when using the upper school track.

Head of Security Jim Crawford proposed this new requirement. It has the full support of the administration, he said.

“The idea was mine and has full support from the heads of school,” Crawford said. “My thinking was with

all the people that run on campus, how do we really know who everyone is?”

To obtain a track ID, runners must fill out an application to be reviewed by the security staff. If accepted, they will then be entered into the school database.

The application requires applicants to include their name, date of birth, address and phone number.

The track ID is free for those who qualify and will include a photo of the runner.

Thus far, the school has received 75 applications and rejected two be-

cause they lived too far from the upper school campus, said Crawford.

“With Megan’s Law and other data available to the public, it seemed prudent to check everyone who is on our campus, for our safety and for the safety of our neighbors who enjoy our track,” Crawford said.

Card holders will be able to bring one guest with them to run on the track.

“We will be adamantly enforcing this new policy effective Jan. 1,” Crawford said. “However, many of our neighbors already have their cards.”

Debater Annie Kors ’14 won top speaker at the Alta High School tournament in Salt Lake City. Debaters Aneri Amin ’12, Adam Bennett ’12 and Andrew Sohn ’13 also placed in the top 16 competitors. Junior varsity debater Thomas Choi ’14 made it to the finals of a tournament at Glenbrook High School near Chicago.

The team attended a tournament in New Orleans last week and will leave tomorrow for a tournament in Minneapolis.

—Alex Gura

Environmental club collects clothes to donate The Environmental Club will host a clothing drive from Jan. 9 to Jan. 13.

All clothing will be donated to Goodwill.

Items in better shape will be sold in Goodwill thrift stores, while unwearable items will be recycled.

“We hope to educate people about how easy it is to recycle clothing,” said Kevin Adler ’13, co-president of the Environmental Club.

The clothing drive accepts all types of clothes.

“If you can wear it, we’ll take it,” Adler said.

—Susan Wang

Crickets used in APES experiment disrupt classes Crickets infested the Munger Science Center after about 6,000 were released outside following an experiment by the Advanced Placement Environmental Science class.

Some crickets, upon being set free, scurried back into the building. To rid Munger of the crickets, Schuhl and Ethe searched for crickets during passing periods and relocated them outside.

“It was really disrupting to take my biology test while those pesky crickets were chirping,” Ben Gaylord ’13 said.

—Michael Rothberg

Chronicle wins award at newspaper convention The Chronicle’s Nov. 16 issue won Best of Show for the large newspaper category at the National Scholastic Press Association convention in Minneapolis Nov. 17-19.

Sixteen Chronicle staff members attended the convention in Minneapolis along with 4,000 other journalists.

The Spectrum also won second place in the middle school newspaper category. The Chronicle website took second, and the Homecoming edition of sports magazine Big Red came in eighth place in the Special Issues category.

“When we won we all jumped up and we were screaming and there was so much excitement,” said Chronicle editor-in-chief Lara Sokoloff ’12.

—Lauren Siegel

A8 News

The Chronicle

Informing voters

Dec. 14, 2011

Austin Sherman ‘12 created an online quiz that matches voters up with a compatible presidential candidate. Jacob Soboroff ‘01 advocates for weekend voting and increased voter awareness.

Senior creates online quiz for 2012 election

By Nika Madyoon

Opinion” and are then asked how much the issue impacts them. This scale of After a year’s worth of importance ranges from least to most conceptualization, organization and important from “Low Importance” to design, Austin Sherman ’12 invited “Deal-Breaker.” all of America to his party — his The responses are then compared to interactive, online, political party, that stances of the presidental candidates. is.

Upon completion of the political quiz, His recently-launched website, the site generates a page that provides thepoliticalparty.com, is primarily users with their “Best Match” out of motivated by the political education those running for office. of the “millennium voter,” otherwise At the bottom of that page is a known as the younger, less-acquainted detailed look at how the user’s views and less-experienced participant in the compare with those of the remaining political system. candidates. Visitors may also watch “The general voting populace really videos of the candidates addressing doesn’t know enough to cast a ballot,” specific issues.

Sherman said.

To avoid future confrontations with He was first inspired to create the the candidates regarding their stances site after performing a concert with a on these subjects, Sherman “made each friend and fellow musician who wrote question based on a definitive bill that a song about the American political each politician has voted on.” system.

“We wanted to The two began make it as accurate discussing the as possible,” he said. lyrics and the fact Sherman worked that in one year’s with graduate time, Sherman students at the would be voting in a California Institute presidential election. of Technology whom With the he met during an facilitation of the internship this voting process in summer as well mind, Sherman as with two other set out to provide programmers on the visitors with a website.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION simpler way to figure “They were OF AUSTIN SHERMAN out which candidate talking in languages best matches their SOCIAL POLITICS: Austin I didn’t even begin political views, so he Sherman ‘12 plans to expand his to understand,” he site into a more social experience. created his website. said of the computer Upon entering science aspect. the site, visitors identify which district A difficult part of the process was they belong to with the help of a labeled creating what is known as a “vo-bot”. map. Then, they create a username Vo-bots are intended to learn what and are subsequently presented with a users of the site are like as voters to series of 12 questions. predict their stances on upcoming These questions ask visitors issues or elections. about their opinions on key political The interactive feature of the issues. These topics include abortion, website will launch on Jan. 3, the date military involvement in Afghanistan, of the Iowa caucus. This portion of the government funding to stimulate the site will allow users to create an avatar economy, federal education standards upon completion of the initial survey and environmental regulations. and to enter virtual rooms rented out Visitors are asked to respond to the by politicians. above questions with “Yes,” “No” or “No Each room will be focused on a

XXXXXXXXXX/CHRONICLE

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF AUSTIN SHERMAN

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ISSUES: Austin Sherman’s ‘12 new website features a 12-step quiz on major election issues that help guide voters to candidates with whom they agree. The quiz recommends a presidental candidate after the questions. specific issue of political significance with candidates providing a live feed through which they speak to all of the users in the room.

The users can then either type a question they have for the candidate or record a video of themselves asking their question, which is then broadcast to the entire room.

The politician is given the opportunity to respond to the question, and users may employ various emoticons to demonstrate their reactions, Sherman’s favorite part of the experience, he said. Small rooms will be able to hold up to 50 users and the largest rooms up to 200 participants.

One of Sherman’s goals is to “make it easier to take advantage of the new

social media generation,” he said.

Though he acknowledges the existence of social media geared toward politics, he said that people are still largely unresponsive to the political system, despite their freedom to criticize it.

“We want to be the exception,” he said. “The social media platform changes things.”

Sherman has a vision for the site beyond the concrete results of increasing voter education and turnout in the 2012 presidential election. He hopes to zone in on the local level in the future, providing voters with the voting history of congressmen and local representatives.

“We’re trying to make it viral,” he said.

Alumnus pushes for weekend elections to increase turnout

By Michael Sugerman

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JACOB SOBOROFF

ROCK THE VOTE: Jacob Soboroff ’01 works with Why Tuesday? to increase voter turnout by moving election day from Tuesday to the weekend. Soboroff interviewed presidential candidates on increasing votur turnout for the organization’s website.

Jacob Soboroff ’01 seeks to increase voter turnout as executive director of the website-based organization Why Tuesday?, which pushes legislation to move election day to weekends.

“From the minute I walked into [Vice President] John Amato’s history and politics class in seventh grade, the way he talked about politics made me realize that politics aren’t random, but about how we live our lives on a regular basis,” Soboroff said.

Even if voting days are not moved to weekends, Why Tuesday? aims to increase turnout, as the poll attendance in the United States is one of the lowest in the world. Soboroff, whose father ran for mayor of Los Angeles, was motivated to punch a ballot when he became eligible to vote. He wishes to give the majority of Americans a reason to vote too.

“We want to let young people like Harvard-Westlake students who are voting for the first time know that they should care about voting in our country,” Soboroff said.

Why Tuesday? is working to push

the Weekend Voting Act in Congress.

The organization said the legislation reserving Tuesdays for voting is outdated and no longer relevant.

The United States Government Accountability Office is currently conducting studies on voters to ratify the legislation.

“Just like when your computer slows down and you need a new operating system, America needs a new voting system,” Soboroff said in a CBS interview.

Soboroff joined Why Tuesday? in 2006, one year after its establishment.

Soboroff, who manages publicity for Why Tuesday?, has appeared on MSNBC and CBS and posts videos of his interviews with politicians on the Why Tuesday? website. In the 2008 presidential election, Soboroff asked candidates how they would improve voting numbers if elected to office. This week he will travel to Iowa to interview next year’s candidates.

“For me politics are about having your voice heard no matter the issue,” he said. “By not voting, you make as much noise as you want, but you don’t affect the decisions your leaders make.”

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 14, 2011

News A9

Deans encourage students to take concerns to teachers

By Saj Sri-Kumar

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

TREKKIE: Rod Rodenberry ’91, son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Rodenberry, poses in his new documentary, “Trek Nation” about his own discovery of his father’s legacy.

Alumnus documents father’s ‘Star Trek’ legacy

By Camille Shooshani

A documentary by Rod Roddenberry ’91, son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, debuted on the Science Channel Nov. 30.

The two-hour documentary chronicles Roddenberry’s discovery of the influence of the “Star Trek” television series and movie franchise on its fans.

“Star Trek” absorbed his father’s life, so Roddenberry’s documentary gave him a new view of his father, he said.

During Roddenberry’s senior year at Harvard-Westlake, his father died.

After working on “Earth: Final Conflict” a TV show based on his father’s ideas, Roddenberry became

much more interested in his father’s legacy.

“I’d go to conventions and ask fans, ‘what is it about this show?’” Roddenberry said. “I traveled all around the world and discovered this kind of commonality, this sort of hope for the future, this positive outlook on what our human potential was. That’s what inspired me.”

The documentary features “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane and the director of the new “Star Trek” franchise, J.J. Abrams.

“People like George Lucas were really interested in the father-son angle,” Roddenberry said. “I think this really connected with him.”

Despite the school’s effort to recruit the best faculty possible, the administration receives many complaints each year from students about their teachers. Upper School Dean Jon Wimbish said students’ concerns cover a wide variety of topics.

“Students might come to the dean because of something they’ve seen in a class that’s happened over a series of class periods,” he said. “Something they had never experienced before with another teacher or it’s a quizzing or test method, or comments that were made in class. I’ve had students approach me about comments on papers.

I’ve even had students say ‘You were an English teacher. Do you think this is a B- essay?’”

Most often, Wimbish said he encourages students to talk to their teachers directly if they have a concern.

“It is, I think, potentially very personally rewarding to have one-on-one conversations where you are working through conflict,” he said.

Head of Upper School Harry Salamandra also said it is important for students to voice their concerns to their teachers.

“If for some reason it’s not working in the classroom, I can’t believe there is a teacher at our school that wouldn’t want to know what isn’t working for a particular student,” Salamandra said.

Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts said that new teachers often receive a higher number of complaints than returning ones.

“They’ve been in a different community with a different set of stan-

dards, a different way of working with students, a different way of teaching,” Huybrechts said. “In some situations they haven’t understood what the expectations are. It’s a lot coming into a new school. Five classes, new colleagues, new place, you don’t always get it right the first time around. I would say it happens a third of the time with a new teacher. Something just doesn’t seem to be perfect the first year.”

Wimbish said he disagreed with students’ and parents’ belief that voicing concerns directly to a teacher would lead to revenge on a student’s grade.

“We don’t have teachers who go down the path of retribution against students,” Wimbish said. “I don’t think anyone’s out to get students. I’ve had some nasty parent calls [when I taught English] — you just don’t take it out on the kid.”

If the deans find a pattern of complaints about a particular teacher or course, Wimbish said it might be brought to the department chair or Salamandra, who may work with the teacher to address the issue.

One common criticism that Wimbish said he receives from students is that they feel that no action is taken as a result of their complaint. However, he said that when intervention is required with teachers, students aren’t notified of the result and may therefore feel dissatisfied.

“That’s a personnel issue that we don’t report back to students,” he said.

“Conversations are being had that students aren’t necessarily made aware of.

I hear from students ‘I said this, but nothing ever happened.’ Well, that may or may not be true.”

The Chronicle

A10 News

‘Teen philanthropista’ nominated for award at the hospital. The event raised over $150,000 and has since developed into a Last month Bosilka An ’12 was one larger organization that now also holds of three finalists nominated for the other fundraising efforts and organizes Los Angeles Outstanding Youth Vol- events for teen patients at the hospital. unteer award given by the Association The BASH has also become a global of Fundraising Professionals as part organization with chapters around the of National Philanthropy Day. Though world, including ones in San Francisco An did not end up winning the award, and London. she said it was still an honor just to When An first started The BASH be nominated. An, who calls herself “a she didn’t expect it to become as large teen philanthropista” on her blog, has as it did. worked with “Everyone who many differknows me knows ent charities, that I’m really driven most notably and stubborn, and if We just kind of looked The BASH, an you tell me I can’t do at each other and said organization something, I’ll probawhich she cobly do it without realwe should do something founded. izing what I’m doing,” about [giving gifts to An was inshe said. “Eventuspired to start ally it just got to the patients.]”

The BASH point where I was —Bosilka An ‘12 so consumed with it when she visited Children’s and ended up falling Hospital Los in love with it, so I Angeles in Dewanted to expand it cember 2008 with a friend and actress and take the message further and the Nathalia Ramos to pass out gifts to pa- success further.” tients.

Since starting The BASH, An has “We walked in, and there was just a become involved with a variety of othcardboard box lined with a black gar- er organizations. She now serves as bage bag of old MP3 players and Bath a youth ambassador for In a Perfect and Body Works soap,” she said. “We World, an organization which aims to just kind of looked at each other and empower children to become socially said we should do something about it. “ conscious and responsible leaders. As In 2009 they held The BASH, a fun- part of her work as a youth ambassadraiser that specifically benefits teen dor, An visits schools where she talks patients at the hospital. An decided about ways kids can change the world, to focus the event on teens because An was also selected as 2011 Global she said she noticed many programs Teen Leader by the We Are Family in place focused on younger children, Foundation’s Three Dot Dash Initiative while teens were in need of more age- and attended the organization’s “Just appropriate ways to improve their stay Peace Summit” last March with other

Dec. 14, 2011

By Abbie Neufeld

“

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BOSILKA AN

HELPING HAND: Bosilika An ’12 poses with two patients and their gingerbread houses at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Teen Impact Party last December.

Global Teen Leaders.

Though An did not win the Los Angeles Outstanding Youth Volunteer award, she has been recognized by other organizations for her work. Last April, she won a Community Leader PLUS award given by Forgiving for Living, Inc. An is continuing and expanding her work, she says, by helping spread the message to others and empowering them to change the world. She has started a website and blog, BosilikaAn.

com, which has about 6,600 readers a month and is currently in the early stages of writing a book.

An said a favorite part of her work has been seeing the growing interest of teens in philanthropy.

“I knew I wanted to grow [The BASH] but I didn’t really know how or when,” she said. “The reason it grew is because kids asked me ‘can I start my own chapter.’ Knowing our message somehow got all the way to Malaysia or London means the world to me.”

Wilson writes 1,000-word short story in collection

By David Lim

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

PRACTICAL SOLUTION: Egg cartons, acquired by maintinence, line the walls of the temporary library set up in Chalmers to reduce the echoes in the cramped space.

Egg cartons soundproof walls of noisy MiniMudd library

By Rachel Schwartz

What appears to be textured wallpaper in MiniMudd library is really a puzzle of cardboard egg cartons plastered on the walls to soundproof the temporary space. Maintenance imported the cartons from Texas as a lowcost solution to the intense noise problem in the smaller library. Librarians didn’t want to invest in an expensive sound-abatement system like acoustic foam used in recording studios, but the echoing sound in MiniMudd was too much for them to handle.

Head Librarian Shannon Acedo spearheaded the initiative to soundproof the library.

“We didn’t realize that the amount of flat wall in the new space would echo when we moved in,” Acedo said.

She contacted the maintenance department to try and find a cheap solution and temporary.

Acedo said that they kept on discussing possibilities to solve the noise and the librarians brought up egg-cartons. Plant Manager Felipe

Anguiano,took the request literally and found that egg carton producers market their product not only as packaging, but also as inexpensive tools for sound-abatement.

Although it took a few weeks for the materials made of paper pulp to arrive from Texas, the actual application took the crew two Saturdays in November.

“It makes a difference and I’m just thrilled with it,” said Acedo. “I think it looks cool too. That’s just a personal preference, but I think it looks like Japanese matting.”

Acedo added that she would like to let students decorate the cartons.

“That’s the freedom of something temporary,” she said. “You can do anything. It has been crazy for us this year.

We’re off balance. Put some egg cartons on the wall — it’s not that crazy.”

For students who still feel the library is too noisy, noise-canceling headphones are available for checkout from the librarians’ desk. Students are allowed to use them in the library but cannot remove them from MiniMudd.

From a photograph of a shopping cart laying among discarded clothes and trash, Dean Coordinator Ryan Wilson found his “thousand words” in a familiar sight in the streets of Los Angeles.

“It’s something I see fairly regularly along a certain stretch of Hollywood Boulevard close to where I live,” Wilson said. “It made me think about discarded things and people in our culture, how we ignore certain people and circumstances, but in the end, there they are, right in front of us, reflecting what we choose to care about.”

Wilson’s story “American Trash” was published as the first of 26 short stories in the book “In Search of a City: Los Angeles in 1,000 Words”. Each of the exactly 1,000 word stories features a brief narrative inspired by a photograph taken around Los Angeles.

The project’s limited word count pushed Wilson’s creative boundaries.

“I’m much more at home in a sprawling narrative like a book than I am in short pieces like the one in this collection, so it was a challenge to make sure I’d written something that was a satisfying experience for the reader in 1,000 words,” Wilson said.

The collection’s editor, Michael Gonzalez, recruited Wilson to the project. In his literary magazine Thunderdome, Gonzalez previously serialized the first four chapters of the “novel-inprogress” that Wilson has been working on for the past few years.

“When he told me the idea for the book, I was completely on board,” Wilson said.

Armed with only the Hipstamatic app on his iPod Touch, Gonzalez took all the photos “of the strange and won-

DAVID LIM/CHRONICLE

A THOUSAND WORDS: Dean Coordinator Ryan Wilson poses with the book of short stories he contributed to. derful things” he saw biking around Los Angeles. The book aims to capture the “invasive and pervasive” soul of the city, Gonzalez m writes in the preface.

“Los Angeles is whatever you want it to be and nothing like you think,” Gonzalez said.

Wilson is no stranger to Los Angeles’ literary scene and organized similar projects when he was a fiction editor at a local magazine.

“It was called the 90-Minute Assignment, wherein a bunch of writers would meet at a specified location (we did Venice Beach and Hollywood), and they’d have 90 minutes to find a centerpiece for a story,” he said. “These kinds of projects are cool because you end up really penetrating a setting, getting multiple perspectives on a place. It speaks to the diverse way in which see our environment, our culture.”

Dec. 14, 2011

chronicle.hw.com

News A11

Wimbish to serve as Head of Middle School

By Eli Haims

English for me.”

However, Wimbish said he soon reUpper School Dean Jon Wimbish alized that Harvard-Westlake was not will replace Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau a typical middle school. as Head of Middle School next year, “Here we are discussing literature Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts and reading Shakespeare and Cyrano announced in an email to all faculty de Bergerac,” he said. “I don’t think members Nov. 29. Cazeau will move to you get to do that at a lot of middle Seattle to serve as the head of the Ev- schools.” ergreen School. Wimbish said his main After just four years of teaching, responsibilities for this year will still be Wimbish was offered a position as a helping the students in his dean group. middle school dean.

Any work involving the Middle School “I was 26 years old and I think will be additional, he said. there was a little risk that the school “At the end of the day, he had the was taking and I knew I had to prove most to contribute to the position,” myself,” he said.

Huybrechts said. “He brings [his One of the most important things teaching exWimbish said perience and he gained being a dean from his time on both camat the Middle That’s what’s exciting to me — puses] to the School was laying the foundation not only of learning from position, and no one else the teamwork what happens in the classroom, had that exthat is an imbut of ethics, morality and perience.” portant part The school of the school’s community.” will immedifoundation.

—Jon Wimbish ately begin For the looking for a Upper School Dean 2 0 0 7 - 2 0 0 8 replacement school year, for him. WimWi m b i s h bish said one of the advantages to the transferred to the Upper School to announcement being early in the year replace Upper School Dean Sharon is that he can work with the new dean Cuseo, who had gone on maternity for the remainder of the year. leave. Wimbish said it was the way Just two years out of college, Wim- the dean team worked that made him bish was hired as a Middle School Eng- choose to make the transition. lish and public speaking teacher for “When I saw this team work, where the 1998-1999 school year.

I can go to a meeting and ask a dumb “I was thinking ‘Okay, middle school question and no one is going to judge English,’” he said. “‘What do I remem- me and I would get great advice, I was ber from middle school English?’ We like ‘This is great,’” he said. had spelling tests, we had vocabulary He said one of the best examples tests. Those aren’t the exciting parts of of teamwork that he has seen was the

“

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

DEANING: Upper School Dean Jon Wimbish will leave the Upper School after five years of working with students to serve as the new Head of Middle School next year.

Honor Board case in 2008 that dealt with the midterm cheating scandal, during which students stole history and foreign language midterms and distributed them before the test. Wimbish said deans, faculty, students and administrators all came together, not just to decide the punishments but also to discuss “what this school stands for, about what it should stand for, about community and what it means to violate the trust of that community.”

“I shudder to think of being handed that and being told, ‘You decide. You’re in charge,’” he said. “There’s no way [I could have done this] without all of those constituents having a voice and coming up with conclusions that made sense and were fair. That’s one thing I look back to that is a great example of teamwork.”

One way that Wimbish said he hopes to instill a sense of teamwork in students is to encourage interaction between the different Middle School grades, similar to how they interact at the Upper School.

Wimbish said he is very excited to work on creating the foundations for a successful student when he makes the move to Head of Middle School over the summer.

“Creating all those parts into a cohesive unit, that’s what’s exciting to me — laying the foundation not only of what happens in the classroom, but of ethics, morality and community,” he said.

Working at both the Middle School and the Upper School has allowed Wimbish to see the whole spectrum of development, he said.

Although Wimbish’s new position will not allow him to work with students as closely as he currently does, he said it is very important to him to continue to interact with them.

“I understand this job is about working with adults, faculty members and parents, as much as about working with students, but I can’t imagine working in an educational environment and not having my first priority be to the students,” he said.

15% Discount for Harvard Westlake Students

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Chronicle The Harvard-Westlake

3700 Coldwater Canyon, Los Angeles, CA 91604

Editors in Chief: Judd Liebman, Lara Sokoloff

Managing Editors: Eli Haims, Allison Hamburger, Austin Lee, Saj Sri-Kumar Executive Editors: Justine Goode, Rebecca Nussbaum Presentations Editors: Chloe Lister, Arielle Maxner, Victor Yoon Ads Manager: Alex Gura Business Managers: Sanjana Kucheria, Susan Wang Assistants: Tara Stone Chief Copy Editor: Micah Sperling of Photography: Daniel Kim Photoshop Editor: Hank Gerba

O

The Chronicle • Dec. 14, 2011

A12

pinion

facebook •

Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue IV

Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.

Best Friend Betty

CONGRATS TO JOHNNY SMITH ON GETTING INTO STUDIO CITY UNIVERSITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like • Comment • See Friendship • about an hour ago

Chief

News Managing Editors: Maddy Baxter, Nika Madyoon Section Heads: David Lim, Keane Robertson, Michael Sugerman News Copy Editor: Ana Scuric Assistants: Julia Aizuss, Beatrice Fingerhut, Jivani Gengatharan, Jack Goldfisher, Claire Goldsmith, Lauren Sonnenberg, Noa Yadidi Opinion Managing Editors: Abbie Neufeld, Anabel Pasarow Section Heads: Mariel Brunman, Rachel Schwartz Opinion Copy Editor: Ana Scuric Opinion Assistants: Sarah Novicoff, Lizzy Thomas Features Managing Editors: Cami de Ry, Megan Kawasaki Features Section Heads: Michael Rothberg, Megan Ward, Elana Zeltser Features Copy Editor: Carrie Davidson Features Assistants: Eojin Choi, Sydney Foreman, Eric Greenberg, David Gisser, Jessica Lee, Jessica Murdock, Morganne Ramsey, Emily Segal, Lauren Siegel Science & Health Editor: Jessica Barzilay Science & Health Section Head: Gabrielle Franchina Centerspread Editors: Caitie Benell, Jamie Chang Arts & Entertainment Managing Editor: Claire Hong Arts & Entertainment Section Heads: Maggie Bunzel, Aaron Lyons Sports Managing Editors: David Kolin, Julius Pak Section Heads: Michael Aronson, Luke Holthouse, Camille Shooshani Sports Copy Editor: Robbie Loeb Senior Sportswriter: Charlton Azuoma Assistants: Eric Loeb, Grant Nussbaum, Patrick Ryan, Lucy Putnam, Sam Sachs

Chronicle.hw.com

Editors in Chief Eli Haims, Austin Lee Online Editors: David Gobel, Alex Gura, Sanjana Kucheria, Chelsea Khakshouri, Cherish Molezion, Shana Saleh, Meagan Wang, Susan Wang Online Assistants: Mazelle Etessami, Jensen Pak, Malanna Wheat Adviser: Kathleen Neumeyer

36 people like this Exuberant Ellie Ahhh congratulations Johnny!!!!! You’ve worked so hard and couldn’t deserve it more! They’re lucky to have you!

Cautious Carl This is kind of inappropriate...a lot of people didn’t get into SCU today and now they have to see this status.

Exuberant Ellie Chill, I’m just excited for Johnny!

Cautious Carl I’m just not sure this is the right timing. Acceptance letters came out today — you should wait until the spring when everyone has gotten in somewhere to be public about where you’re going.

Exuberant Ellie We are just us congratulating our friend! It’s all in good spirits. I’m sorry if someone didn’t get in, but this was just directed toward Johnny.

Cautious Carl I don’t know. If you want to congratulate your friend, just text him. When you post something on Facebook everyone sees it, even if that isn’t your intention. We shouldn’t make this process more stressful for other people than it has to be.

Sensitive Sam Hey guys, not to butt into this, but I got deferred from SCU today, and I’m seeing this...which isn’t very fun for me. Try to put yourself in my shoes.

Nonchalant Nicholas I got rejected from SCU today. Obviously I’m upset because I wanted to go there, but seeing this post doesn’t make it worse.

This is just how the college process goes. Some people get in and some people don’t, and we know that. Grow up guys.

Obedient Olivia Yeah, the deans warned us to be careful with each other at school this week, why behave any differently online?

Exuberant Ellie I think you’re being hypersensitive. You know that people are going to be posting about college on Facebook. If you can’t handle it, you shouldn’t log on.

Nonchalant Nicholas Come on, admit that you were checking people’s walls today to see if they got in... we all want to see if our friends got accepted to schools, and this is a way to tell without asking a potentially awkward question.

Best Friend Betty Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to start anything by posting this...

GRAPHIC BY SYDNEY FOREMAN, CHLOE LISTER AND REBECCA NUSSBAUM

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 14, 2011

CULTURAL IMMERSION: Allana Rivera ’13 has traveled throughout Spain with the School Year Abroad program while living in Zargoza for the nine-month

Opinion A13

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF KANAIZA IMBUYE AND NATALIE VILLASANA

school year. Rivera strolls through a citadel in Jaca, Spain, left, takes in the sights of a church in Alquezer, top, and sits atop a castle in Teruel, bottom.

‘I cannot translate my experience’

By Allana Rivera

T

hese are the times I wish I were Ernest Hemingway. The times where I am feeling the grooves of the cobblestone beneath my feet as if the stones were braille and the streets a book. The times where the fresh smell of baked bread mixes with the crisp morning air, and I feel autumn in its truest form envelop me. These times, when I want to describe what home has become with flowing adjectives and run-on sentences that bring you here with me. These times, when I want to move the feast that is Spain to those who have not or may not ever know it the way I am beginning to, these are the times that I wish I could write it for you like Hemingway would.

I have started and restarted many times, doubling back on sentences that seemed dull and

pointless, picking apart descriptions to fit a form that is most telling of my experience here. However, each time I fall embarrassingly short. I attribute most of this to my amateur writing ability, but I can only apportion so much of my lack of success to this fault.

I am then left with a painfully obvious conclusion: I cannot translate my experience. I could, perhaps, explain the unique beauty that Spain has to offer with its hidden castles amidst the country side. Or I could possibly attempt to generalize the fiery passion of Spaniards and their way of seeing the world. Some have and succeeded, but as much as I try, I feel I cannot achieve the same success.

I suppose what I mean to say, is the tired yet honest adage that things truly do become lost in

translation.

The more I translate, the more I lose myself in the translation.

The more I begin to slip away into the pages of English-Spanish dictionaries, the more my newfound knowledge and experience diminish in my trying to marginalize the culture of another into my own.

I understand at first it is necessary to use one’s own language as a guide through someone else’s.

However, after a time, it becomes a crutch that inhibits one’s ability to fully become steeped in the intricacies of this new and beautiful idiom.

You cannot learn a language in a classroom, you can only learn its rules. To truly know a language, lose yourself in the culture of the language’s root. Extract yourself from the normal constructs of

Prejudice, as taught to you by society

By Alex McNab

F

ifty years ago, black people fighting to be equal to their white counterparts were sprayed by police with fire hoses. One month ago, Occupy Wall Street protesters fighting for equality to their upper class counterparts were sprayed by police with fire hoses.

The history books have us believe racism ended when “separate but equal” was abolished and women were on the same level as men when they were given the right to vote and work outside of their homes. These assumptions are wrong.

Today, a woman who is just as qualified for a position as a man is still less likely to get the job because she is a woman, and, if she is accepted, she will most likely receive a lower salary than a male in the same position. The system is flawed, and the police are still spraying those brave enough to say something about it.

At the 18th annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference, 1,500 students from independent schools across the nation congregated in Philadelphia from Dec. 1 to Dec. 3 to discuss the “–isms” still present within today’s society. Mazelle Etessami ’14, Malanna Wheat ’14 and I represented HarvardWestlake at the conference, which was hosted by the National Association of Independent Schools.

At the conference, five pieces of paper were taped on the walls, each with the name of a different race. The students were given markers and told to write the first thing that came to mind when they read the name of the race on the sheet of paper.

The words “cracker”, “n****r” and “terrorist” were written in big letters visible from across the room, and then the sheets were taken down, and two others were put up. These papers had the words “man” and “woman”

on them and a rectangle drawn in the center of each page. Again, the students were told to put the first word that came to mind when they thought of a man or woman and put it in the rectangle. “B***h,” “slut,” “housewife.”

“Strong,” “dominant,” “big ego.” Next, the students were asked to write what words came to mind when they thought of a man or a woman who did not fit the words in the rectangle, and they were asked to write these words outside of the rectangle. “Tomboy,” “d**e,” “lesbian.” “F****t,” “p***k,” “lil punk b***h.”

Although the students were appalled at the words written on the walls around them, they had written them. None of the students were racists or sexists or homophobes, so why had they written these hateful words?

The facilitators of the group explained they were victims of a cycle of oppression, and that society had

learning and place yourself wholly and fully into the language.

I have come to feel that this is the only way to truly learn, for in reality, language is a vast interplay of millions of cultural surfaces, all merging together to produce a series of sounds that allow us to connect with our fellow man.

This I have taken away above all, and this is the problem I run into when I try to relate some of my best moments here.

There have been Spanish moments and though they have their English equivalent, I feel it to be an injustice to cheat them of the magic of their own tongue.

So what have I truly experienced?

What do I have to share about the core of my studies abroad? Well, I suppose I could tell you, but you would have to learn Spanish first.

The system is flawed, and the police are still spraying those brave enough to say something about it. instilled within them an internalized oppression which had caused them to write “cracker” while their white friend was finishing the “r” on “n****r” right next to them.

The students did not really believe the words they had written, but the constant societal repetition of these terms had caused them to be forever in the students’ thoughts.

People are products of their society. American society has caused 1,500 bright young men and women to write the word “n****r” on a wall, showing that America has made little progress since the Civil Rights Movement.

Rodney Glasgow, one of the directors of the conference, said, “Barack Obama is the first black president, but we still have not had a president descended from slaves — just keep that in mind.” * Although students at conference wrote the full words, the Chronicle edited them.

The Chronicle

A14 Opinion

Dec. 14, 2011

Curiosity is no killer

By Allison

Hamburger

A

few weeks ago, I lost my pencil case. (Fascinating, I know.

Bear with me.) After searching places I had potentially left it, it occurred to me to check Lost and Found, but I had no clue where it is located.

So I asked. And I soon realized how foreign the situation felt. After attending the Upper School for two years and Harvard-Westlake for almost six, the words “Excuse me, where is the…,” once so familiar, now felt incredibly out of place coming out of my mouth.

I like to think my ego has not been obscenely inflated over the years, but it was undeniably humbling to ask for directions once again. For months, underclassmen have approached me with questions about where to find the Business Office or what time the period ends. The number of my own discoveries has petered out, perhaps making me somewhat jaded. But, really, there is no reason to be.

Even as we become more and more familiar with our surroundings, unknown details still exist, and they always will. There is truth in the idea that we can never know everything, clichéd as the saying is. And that’s pretty nice to know.

As students, we ask questions at school all the time. Not knowing is what keeps our academic lives worthwhile. Discovering where the Lost and Found is may not be nearly as intricate or engaging as learning calculus, for example, but it is new knowledge nonetheless, and makes life just a touch more interesting. A small but new detail can break the mundane, even for a moment.

My actual trip to the elusive Lost and Found, which is in the corridor outside the bookstore, was inconsequential. My pencil case was nowhere to be found among assorted notebooks, sweatshirts and backpacks, though I did wonder how one could lose a backpack.

Sure, I do feel a little bit naked each time I now reach for a pen. But the loss was a pleasant reminder that, as knowledgeable and aware as anyone may feel, there are still questions to ask and Lost and Founds to be found.

GRAPHIC BY AIDAN YETMAN-MICHAELSON GRAPHIC BY AIDAN YETMAN-MICHAELSON

Being sick is hard enough

By Michael Rothberg

A

nyone who has ever been sick knows that it’s not easy. Even the common cold has the ability to make one’s daily routine into a miserable fight. The near constant nose-blowing, sneezing and coughing makes it difficult to do much of anything besides sleep.

Combined with the focus and critical analysis demanded by an average day at school, these symptoms are practically unbearable.

So, when I woke up a few weeks ago on a Monday morning with a cough and a runny nose, my first instinct was to take the day off and recuperate. However, with the flood of tests and assignments approaching, the fear of falling behind compelled me to get up and go to school sick.

Of course, I knew it was not the smart thing to do. I didn’t have a fever or any serious symptoms, but I didn’t want to give whatever I had to any other students or teachers.

However, both teachers and students had been exhibiting cold-like

symptoms for weeks and everyone seemed to be saying, “There’s definitely something going around,” following an emphatic sneeze or cough. I convinced myself that if almost everyone else was sick, and I washed my hands frequently and thoroughly, I might be okay.

The Student Parent Handbook states if a student contracts a communicable disease, his or her parents must notify the school, and the student should not attend classes. I think this is a perfectly rational policy and is certainly necessary to uphold the health of the school community.

On the other hand, the pressurized and competitive environment at school implicitly urges students to show up regardless of sickness.

Missing lectures, quizzes or tests is often quite detrimental to a student’s grades and overall understanding of the material.

Students can get notes after missing class, but it is often difficult to

With detours come progress

By David Lim

C

onstruction brings noise into our classrooms, backs traffic up on Coldwater and, worst of all, forces me to embark on the extended trek up to history around the back of Seaver. Oh, the horror.

But in all seriousness, when the dust finally clears, construction will reshape the campus into a place better suited to our academic and athletic pursuits.

The Kutler Center promises six fascinating courses with no other issue than figuring out how to cram them into my senior year schedule.

From a class focusing on the Middle East to the Philosophy of Art and Science, the new additions to our curriculum hit the right chord with classes relevant to our modern world and ones that will draw passionate students.

I hope the Kutler Center will live up to its lofty expectations and benefit

our community for years to come.

For the students now at the Upper School, this is not the first time construction was brought into our lives, offering new and improved modern facilities at the end of the tunnel.

My years at the Upper School have been partly framed by the constant transformation of the school’s landscape. Heavy machinery roving around mounds of dirt has just been a normal part of my school experience.

Walking into the new Middle School performing arts center for the first time was surreal, and I appreciated the new labs where I made some of my best middle school memories.

But we cannot neglect what we lost with these technologically wired, earthquake-safe buildings. After we moved out the last day of our golden seventh grade, bulldozers moved in to tear down the old Administration Building and its almost century-long

understand the information without hearing the teacher explain it. Some teachers won’t even allow students to make up missed quizzes.

If a student does show up to school when they are sick, they are bound to be miserable. Half asleep, with a runny nose, it is near impossible to concentrate. Learning becomes a futile experience.

To resolve this inconsistency between academic pressures and health concerns, the school should make it more manageable for students to miss school when they have contagious infections without falling behind in class.

Perhaps the school should draft a uniform policy on sick days, indicating the specific protocols for administering quizzes and homework.

Something is seriously wrong if students are choosing grades over their health. After all, a healthy community is bound to teach and learn more effectively than a sick one.

We can enrich our high school experience by the memories made in whatever buildings are around and honor the history of our school with our actions.

history as the entrance to students at 700 North Faring.

We lost the curving plaster walls in the Great Hall, the heaters that failed to heat in the winter and the air conditioning that failed to provide much-needed relief as summer approached.

After the middle school construction project had been finished, I toured a few Westlake alumni, some of whom stood in awe and others who mourned the loss of their school. They called the new campus “office buildings,” stripped of their memories.

Of course, the replacement of the old with the new has been inevitable for the buildings to keep up with changing building codes and for facilities to fit the needs of the present.

Surely, the changes to the Upper School scheduled to finish in a year or so will not be as radical as the changes on the Middle School and will not

change the character of the school nearly as much.

But throughout this inevitable and somewhat painful metamorphosis of our school, we must remember that what is important is not the physical structures but the memories we make in them.

We can enrich our high school experience by the memories made in whatever buildings are around and honor the history of our school with our actions.

When we finally walk into the Kutler Center for the first time next year, we may appreciate the new space from the addition, but what we’ll remember when we come back to visit is the teachers and what they contributed to our view of our world and view of ourselves.

The extra calories burned sixth period on the long walk to history class won’t even cross our minds.

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 16, 2011

quadtalk

Opinion A15

The Chronicle asked:

“Is it okay to post your college acceptances on Facebook?”

332 students weighed in on the Chronicle poll:

“Yes, I’m proud of those seniors. I’m empathetic to how other seniors would feel, but I’m happy for the kids who got into the schools they wanted.”

168

Yes

—Arthur Troy ‘14

164

No

“There is a difference between posting early decisions versus regular decisions.

“No, I don’t think so because I With early decisions, some students will think it’s a personal choice that does not need to be broadcasted inevitably be disappointed. We have to be sensitive to that.” to the whole world.”

—Nicky Hirschhorn ’12

—Sam Wolk ’13

“It’s only ever all right to post about college acceptance if it’s regarding the school which you actually plan to attend.

Posting about each acceptance is pretty obnoxious and inconsiderate. ”

“I didn’t apply early anywhere, but for the people who didn’t get in, it’s kind of hard to see statuses on Facebook.”

—Miranda Van Iderstine ‘13

“The information dispersal is inevitable, accelerating it therefore has no moral weight.”

—Gabby Trujillo ’12

—Daniel Palumbo ’14

PHOTOS BY MARIEL BRUNMAN AND SARAH NOVICOFF

“Is it appropriate to congratulate your friends on their college acceptances on Facebook?”

331 students weighed in on the Chronicle poll:

“Yes, it’s a great way to get support, and if you’re excited for a friend, why not share it with other people?”

253

Yes

—Gaby Romano ’14

No “It’s inappropriate when people post statuses saying ‘class of 2016.’ If someone posts on your wall saying they are proud of you, I think that’s cute.”

78

“It depends. If they’ve already announced it publicly that they were accepted, then yes.”

—Kenneth Kim ’13

—Graham Cairns ’12

“I think that excessive celebration, even if you mean well, can end up hurting other seniors.”

“I don’t think so, because it shouldn’t be a public display. A lot of people are sensitive about whether or not they got in to the college they wanted, and this could offend them. If you really wanted to congratulate your friend, there are non-public ways of doing so.”

—Aliyah Daniels ‘14

—Kyle Sugarman ’13

“Of course. A celebration alone is not fun.”

reportcard + B A

—Maria Quinonez ’12

PHOTOS BY MARIEL BRUNMAN AND SARAH NOVICOFF

The Parents’ Association gives seniors stress balls.

The editorial board of the Chronicle evaluates recent campus developments.

Jim Brink dresses up as Santa Claus for Winterfest.

C+

Testing calendar puts science and history on the same day.

C

Crickets disrupt science classes.

exposure

Dec. 14, 2011

A16

5

3

2

4

DANIEL KIM/ CHRONICLE

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

winterfestivities ARIELLE MAXNER/CHRONICLE

Clutching warm cups of hot chocolate and desperate to escape the cold air outside, students crowded in the lounge and Rugby Auditorium to enjoy performances of familiar holiday tunes and an assortment of festive activities.

By Rebecca Nussbaum

1

ARIELLE MAXNER/CHRONICLE

With an old-fashioned ice cream truck parked outside of Rugby Monday morning, it was clear that the Winterfest Committee counted on having a sunny holiday celebration, one only possible in Southern California. However the steady stream of rain began the week’s festivities with a surprising, yet appropriate, wintry mood.

Music started off the annual Winterfest celebration during break. Morgan St. Jean ’12 sang while Max Quilici ’12 played the guitar, and the two performed “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele and the Christmas song “Last Christmas” in Rugby Auditorium. The Activities for Retarded Children’s Chime Choir followed the duo, playing three holiday songs including “Christmas

Tree.” This is the second year that the ARC came to Winterfest. Last year their bell choir played.

“I really enjoyed seeing the ARC players, especially since I missed them last year,” Savannah de Montesquiou ’13 said.

Next, the Jazz Singers performed an a cappella set in the lounge. Students walked in with complimentary hot chocolate, listened to the singers, helped themselves to bagels at a table set up by the Jewish Awareness Club and wrote holiday cards to patients at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Prefect Council, Social Committee and Winterfest Committee will continue the festivities throughout the week. They dubbed yesterday “Tacky Sweater Tuesday” and encouraged students to wear

Christmas sweaters. Today is pajama day, or “Onesie Wednesday.” On “Thankful Thursday,” students will dress in holiday colors, and, along with the theme, they can write cards to patients at the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disease and support the Helping Hands bake sale, whose proceeds will raise money for people with autism. The quad will be full of free holiday treats and KHWS’s holiday music on “Flannel Friday” to send students off to winter break.

“I think it’s really nice when the whole school gets together and it’s all about having a good time,” Maddy Lear ’13 said.

She added that this week is stressful due to tests before winter break, and Winterfest helps to balance that serious energy with fun activities and dress-up days.

ARIELLE MAXNER/CHRONICLE

HOLIDAY CHEER: Tommy Choi ’14 laughs in the decorated lounge (1), Jazz Singers perform “The Christmas Song” (2), The Activities for Retarded Children Chime Choir plays (3), Head Prefect Rishi Bagrodia ’12 sells wintergrams (4), Max Quilici ’12 strums his guitar (5).

F

The Chronicle • Dec. 14, 2011

eatures Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue IV

Dancing in a

winter wonderland

Ballet and traditional Indian-style dancers leap, twirl and step in renditions of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.”

Pages B6-7

GRAPHIC BY HANK GERBA, JUSTINE GOODE, ALLISON HAMBURGER, AUSTIN LEE AND VICTOR YOON

The Chronicle

B2 Features

Dec. 14, 2011

CAMI DE RY/CHRONICLE

GOING TO THE CHAPEL: The façade of Saint Saviour’s Chapel has not changed since its construction in 1914, far left. The parallel walls of the church have stained glass windows with religious images, top.

The central altar is where Father J. Young holds weekly services for anyone who is interested, bottom.

CAMI DE RY/CHRONICLE

JESSICA BARZILAY/CHRONICLE

Link to the past

By Jessica Barzilay

headmaster at the time, Father John Chalmers, led the student body in both Los Angeles drivers have very near- spiritual and academic pursuits. The ly seen it all on the streets of South- services were especially central to the ern California. However, even the school experience for students who most seasoned driver would have been lived on campus, since boarding was surprised to see a chapel, split into 16 optional, . fragments, fastened to a procession of “I looked forward to the services,” flatbed trucks, hurtling down Sepul- Shaw said. “The ones in the evening for veda Boulevard during the rainiest boarders were a lot more communitymonth of 1938. oriented, since we knew each other reSo transpired the relocation of ally well.”

Saint Saviour’s Chapel from the former History teacher John Johnson beHarvard School’s campus in Venice to gan working at Harvard in 1976, when its current position across from Feld- students were required to attend serman-Horn Gallery, vices once a said School Archiweek and the vist Alan Sasaki. school no longer Now a Culturoffered a boardNot attending a service al and Historical ing option. before you graduate is kind Monument of the Jo h n s o n ’s City of Los Anconnection to of like not ever seeing a geles, the chapel the chapel has school play — it’s a major serves as one of a very personthe only remaining al aspect to it. part of the experience.” physical connecJohnson was —Father J. Young baptised in Saint tions between the old Harvard and Saviour’s when today’s school. he first joined Since its conthe community. struction in 1914, the chapel has evolved He also became the godfather to the from a house of worship at the heart of son of a former student and has spothe Episcopalian Harvard School to a ken at memorial services for students space for select performances and ser- and collegues. vices at Harvard-Westlake.

“As is true of the best traditions Architecturally, the chapel serves and institutions, the chapel combined as one of the only links to the old Har- the personal and the school into a vard. A few members of the commu- single experience or memory for me,” nity connect the school population of Johnson said. the present to that of the past.

As the school steadily grew, its reliAthlete Study Hall Coordinator gious character became less prominent Steve Shaw ’71 remembers his ex- so that there were only optional weekly periences in Saint Saviour’s as a stu- services by the time Shaw returned in dent when Harvard was an Episcopal 1985 as alumni director. After the 1991 military boading school. At that time, merger with The Westlake School for students participated in services every Girls, the significantly increased class day of the week, which often served size and the secular nature of Westlake not only as religious proceedings, but made grade-wide church services loalso as a sort of class assembly. gistically impossible, Shaw said.

The chaplain who designed the Today, Chaplain Father J. Young stained glass, Father John Gill, and the conducts weekly open services on

“

Boarders at the old Harvard School attended daily mandatory services in the historic Saint Saviour’s Chapel.

Tuesday mornings, with a group of eight to 10 regulars. He believes that each member of the community would benefit from attending at least one of the weekly services before graduating in order to honor the school’s past.

“The school has always had a historical connection to the Episcopal culture from the Harvard end of things,” Young said. “Not attending a service before you graduate is kind of like not ever seeing a school play — it’s a major part of the experience.”

Outside of the weekly prayer sessions, the chapel serves as the setting for weddings, memorials as well as for the annual Christmas service, which was held Dec. 11.

In addition to its religious functions, the chapel provides a prime location for one of the school year-end vocal performances of the school’s musicians. Traditionally, “Senior Solo Night” in the spring is the only concert that choir singers perform in Saint Saviour’s, said Choral Director Rodger Guerrero.

Although the relatively small seating capacity makes it difficult to hold other concerts in the chapel, Guerrero appreciates the effects of the architecture and acoustics.

“No other building on campus brings as much vibrant warmth to singing as does Saint Saviour’s,” Guerrero said.

All of the choirs record their vocal performances in the chapel in the spring, since the sound resonates so well.

Although the campus continues to undergo construction projects and renovations, the chapel stands almost exactly as it did upon its installation in 1938.

“Saint Saviour’s is a beautiful and tranquil space with

magnificent windows,” Johnson said.

“But it is more than that for me. It is a center of tradition and emotional attachment that reminds me of the history of the school, and of all schools for that matter, and of course, of my own youth, former students I cared about and miss and colleagues whom I respected and who inspired me in my own career.”

JESSICA BARZILAY/CHRONICLE

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 14, 2011

Following faith of her father

Features B3 Caroline Maeda ’12 continues her devotion to Buddhism as a way to remember her father, even though her family practices Christianity.

GRAPHIC BY GABRIELLE FRANCHINA

By Susan Wang

all of my temple friends, and it’s nice to have a set of friends who you share Every Saturday morning, Caroline something spiritual with,” Maeda said.

Maeda ’12 makes the hour-and-a-half At school, however, Maeda does not drive from her house in Northridge to talk about Buddhism because she does Torrance for religious services. Maeda not know any other Buddhists. is a Buddhist — the only one in her At home, Maeda’s mother is CathoChristian family. lic while the rest of her family is ProtMaeda is half Japanese and was estant. Her family actively practices raised a Buddhist after her father’s religion and attends church services religion. Maeda’s father died before on Sunday mornings. However, Maeda she was born, but does not attend.

Maeda continues Maeda’s famto practice her late ily celebrates father’s religion as Christmas and My parents really support a tribute to him.

Easter as both [my religion] because they cultural and reMaeda’s grandparents on her father’s ligious holidays. think that it’s good that side, who were also “I’ll pray with I’m keeping a relationship Buddhist, took her my family at the to temple every with my dad, even though I dinner table for weekend and enrespect and benever got to meet him.” rolled her in youth cause it’s someclasses when she —Caroline Maeda ’12 thing that’s imwas younger. portant to them “On weekends even though I’m I’d be dropped off not Christian,” by my parents and sleep over at my she said. “They always come support grandparents’ house, and they’d take me at [temple] events.” me to my temple,” she said.

“My parents really support it beSince then, Maeda has been an ac- cause they think that it’s good that I’m tive member in her temple community, keeping a relationship with my dad, leading a youth group for high school- even though I never got to meet him,” ers. Every month, her group gets to- she said. gether with other Southern California Maeda believes she can connect to temple groups to socialize, participate and eventually understand what her in leadership workshops and take father was like through Buddhism. classes to learn more about the reli“I feel a bit closer to my dad every gion. They also discuss how to apply time I walk out from a temple service,” Buddhism to everyday life.

Maeda said. “It’s a relaxed type of zen “I like [being part of the youth feeling that calms me down, and I feel group] because I’ve become close with really content.”

“

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF CAROLINE MAEDA

GOOD KARMA: Caroline Maeda ’12 demonatrates a Buddhist hand symbol representing teaching or discussion, at the 1000 Buddha cave of Kosanji Temple.

Change of scenery

By Megan Kawasaki

Stepping out of Penticton Regional Airport in Canada, Upper School Foreign Language Department Chair Paul Chenier was greeted by his older brother Peter, a fruit farmer, driving up the road in an enormous flatbed truck.

“He picked me up from the airport and said, ‘We have to go to this farm right away before we head home,’” Chanier said.

Chenier was not surprised, since his entire family has farmed for generations in Canada.

After a short drive, Chenier was standing amidst acres of strawberry plants, his Calvin Klein shoes stained with dark mud.

Only 10 minutes after landing, Chenier was already back in the throes of his bucolic childhood in his tiny native town of Naramata, a small community in rural British Columbia, nearly surrounded by the broad Okanagan Lake.

“The village had about 1,200 people,” he said. “The core of the village was very, very tiny.”

In such an isolated area, Chenier’s childhood was far from that of the average city kid. Chenier recalls summer days of buying candy from the local penny shop and lazing on beaches for hours.

“It was very peaceful,” he said. “It was like the Garden of Eden. When you were hungry, you just walked among the trees and ate all of the fruit.

Nobody cared.”

Throughout this idyllic childhood of fun and freedom, though, Chenier was already working various odd jobs on family farms.

“I was employed very quickly,” he

After a childhood of farming in rural Canada, Upper School Foreign Language Chair Paul Chenier was drawn to classics because of how in touch the literature is with agriculture.

said. “In seventh grade, my mom took me to my uncle’s farm and gave me a bucket and told me to go pick some cherries. After that, it really took off.”

From casual fruit picking as a youngster to part-time work during his high school years, Chenier gradually learned more about agriculture by irrigating farms and tending to young plants in nurseries. By the time Chenier was a college student, he was grafting trees full-time in nurseries, putting different varieties together to form ideal breeds.

“It wasn’t hard to get employment, and I liked it a lot because it taught me a pretty good work ethic,” he said.

“You’re working alongside adults, doing adult things, and as a kid, you loved it because there was lots of responsibility.”

Chenier studied at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada,.He paid for his tuition using the money he had accumulated over years of farming. At the University of Victoria, he discovered a fondness for classics because its literature often deals with the contrast between country and city living.

“I was surprised when I would read poetry like Vergil’s,” Chenier said. “We read the ‘Georgics’ and the ‘Eclogues,’ and I was stunned how in touch with farming they were and how profound their thoughts were on the lifestyle that the countryside offered.”

That connection spurred his studies, and eventually he spent more time studying independently in the university’s libraries than going home to farm.

Once he finished college and received his first graduate degree, Che-

nier went south to California for a second graduate degree at Stanford University, where he continued to research Greek and Latin literature.

Afterwards, he returned to Canada to teach classics, but his fondness for California and an open teaching position at Harvard-Westlake convinced him to move to Los Angeles.

“It made a lot of sense to come down and do it,” he said. “The job is tailor-made for my interests.”

Chenier considered the major move to be an eye-opening experience, for the ease of living in rural Canada was lost. One of the major drawbacks was he did not know how to drive, a necessity in Los Angeles but certainly not in Naramata. Only in 2004 did he receive his driver’s license.

“I’ll never be super comfortable driving because I started so late,” he said. “My first day driving alone was scary. There’s no one in the car to grab the steering wheel and jam on the brake as you head onto the sidewalk.”

Sometimes, however, Chenier said he feels a bit disconnected from Canada.

“I feel a bit impractical, a bit useless, when I go home now because they all know so much about the environment around them,” he said.

He said he would not want to be anything but a classics teacher, though.

The hard work and lifestyle of a fruit farmer seemed less attractive to him as years passed.

“In college, it became clear than I would rather work 12 hours with a book than with a shovel,” he said. “Latin books don’t give me calluses.”

Chenier imbues a vibrant spirit in his classes, which he attests to his

MEGAN KAWASAKI/CHRONICLE

BACK TO HIS ROOTS: Paul Chenier grew up in Canada, but moved after discovering a love for the classics. love of sharing his intellectual passions with those whom he teaches, and he has aspirations to keep doing so for the rest of his life.

“If you could spend the rest of your days reading Vergil, I honestly think that’s a life very well spent,” he said.

“I sincerely mean that. I find that text just endlessly interesting. There’s not the slightest chance I’ll ever get bored.”

The Chronicle

B4 Features

Weighed

down

Dec. 14, 2011

Teenagers endure spinal and muscular aches after lugging around their heavy backpacks, but experts say there are ways to prevent pain and long-term complications.

Securing both backpack straps tightly ensures that weight is evenly distributed between both shoulders and neither must overcompensate for the excess weight.

Carrying a backpack on just one shoulder can lead to permanent curvature in the spine.

Using just one arm to swing and pull a backpack off of the floor can strain muscles in the arm and shoulders, or cause muscle spasms.

While most students overlook the waist strap, locking it in place can relieve shoulders of some of the weight and keep the backpack as close to the body as possible.

SOURCES: JACQUELINE ETESSAMI, D.C., AND TRAINERS ROBERT RUIZ AND MILO SINI GRAPHIC BY ELANA ZELTSER

By Elana Zeltser

E

very day at 7:45 a.m., Bronty O’Leary ’13 makes the 0.3-mile trek from her car in the Upper St. Michael’s parking lot to the Seaver Academic Center, carrying all the books and supplies she will need for the day. Again at 3 p.m. she takes the same trip, her backpack still strapped to her shoulders.

“The weight of my backpack constantly hurts my right shoulder,” O’Leary said. “I got an injury in water polo last year, and it makes it so much worse.”

O’Leary, who is on the varsity swimming team, finds the weight of her load even affects her athletic performance.

“When I do strokes, I can feel more pain in the arm I pick up my bag with,” O’Leary said.

Upper School Athletic Trainer Milo Sini said both athletes and nonathletes come to him with the same symptoms: lower back aches or pulled muscles. Also, students feel pain in both thier shoulders and are unclear of

the reason why they feel this discomfort. He then assesses the severity of the condition, reccomending some to visit a doctor.

“I see students with lower back pain, which relates to improper carrying of backpacks, books, even musical instruments,” said chiropractor Jacqueline Etessami, D.C. “Carry only as much as you absolutely have to and use your locker.”

Jazzi Marine ’13 also has a previous injury that is only worsened by carrying around her stuffed backpack. Marine pulled a muscle in her back during a dance intensive over the summer and was told by her doctors to use a rolling backpack.

“They said it would be good for my spine and posture,” Marine said.

“I tried it for a few days, but the rolling one didn’t work out. There are too many stairs at this school for that.”

It is not just the layout of the school, however, that contributes to the chronic back pain. Many students carry around all their supplies for the entire day because they do not have time to visit their lockers and take out

Their backpacks weigh...

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Bronty O’Leary ’13

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what they no longer need.

“I feel like I can’t take the weight sometimes, but the five minute passing period is too short to get to my locker and next class on time,” Joey Lieberman ’14 said.

The Moore Chiropractic Wellness Centre and National University in Redding, Calif., did a study of 531 high school students and concluded that backpack weight should not exceed more than 10 percent of the students’ body weight.

“Carrying this backpack I should weigh 220 pounds. Trust me, I don’t weight 220 pounds,” said Andrew Meepos ’13 whose backpack weighed in at 22 pounds.

Middle School Athletic Trainer Robert Ruiz faces other concerns when assessing the injuries of students at a younger age.

“Especially at the middle school age, everyone is still growing, and the growth plates in the spine are open,” Ruiz said. “A heavy backpack can compress them.”

Another main concern the trainers have is students carry their backpacks

on just one shoulder for convenience or opt for tote bags. Shoulder muscles then have to compensate for unevenly distributed weight. This can lead not only to muscle spasms, but also to curvature in the spine.

“When the backpack isn’t cushioned and worn properly or the adequate size for one’s body height, slouching or compensatory bending occurs to counteract the effects of an unfit backpack,” Etessami said. “It prevents you from carrying yourself upright and puts excessive strain on your lower, mid and upper back.”

However, there are measures that can be taken to prevent the detriments caused by a heavy backpack.

Sini recommends students make sure always wear both backpack straps secured tightly and evenly. He also advises that students bend down and use their leg muscles to lift up their bags.

When packing, put larger or heavier items closer to the body while placing smaller items in front compartments.

“Also, use the waist straps,” Sini said. “Even though they look silly, it’s not meant to be a fashion statement.”

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Dec. 14, 2011

highstakes

chronicle.hw.com

Features B5

the global application

From Beijing to Bucknell

By Rebecca Nussbaum

After school, 18-year-old Yang Yujie studies at her desk for four hours, yawning through her chemistry homework.

She glances at her phone to check the time, hoping to finish the problems in time to watch a movie before bed. Last year, like many American students, Yang spent countless hours preparing for the SAT Reasoning Test, and this summer she wrote college essays.

All of her preparation paid off, as she was accepted early decision into her first choice, Bucknell University. She is excited about attending the university next year to study economics and develop her budding interest in fashion design.

But one minor detail distinguishes Yang from Harvard-Westlake students.

She lives in China.

Next fall, Yang, a senior at Beijing No. 101 High School, will join the rapidly increasing community of Chinese public high school students matriculating to American universities.

At 157,000, Chinese students make up the largest international contingent at American schools, according to the Institute of International Education. Five hundred forty-four Chinese students studied at Yale University in the 20102011 academic year, triple the second largest population of international students, from India. Chinese make up 27 percent of the international population and almost five percent of the total Yale enrollment, according to the Yale website.

Study abroad is getting so popular in China that many public schools prepare their students for the SAT Reasoning Test and the Test of English as a Foreign Language in addition to the Gaokao, the national college entrance examination to attend a Chinese university, said Jiang Xeuquin, Deputy Principal of Peking University High School and director of the International Division.

Yang read college guide books and talked to Chinese students at Bucknell

before she decided to apply Early Decision there, she said. She loved the way her friends described the school and is excited for the American academic environment.

“In Chinese schools, teachers talk more about the knowledge in books,” Yang said. “That is boring. I think in an American university, the professor can combine knowledge with real experience.”

Jiang confirms that the typical Chinese and American educational philosophies differ significantly. Chinese public high schools’ main goal is to get their students into one of the top 50 American universities, he said, focusing on SAT, TOEFL and AP scores. Although this quantitative mindset will place their students into colleges, it will not ensure that they are prepared for the college experience, Jiang said.

“For most Chinese students, secondary education means lectures and memorization and cramming for exams,” Jiang wrote in The Chronicle of Higher Education. “Other skills, like communication, critical thinking and speaking English, get slighted. As a result, these students often show up in freshman classes unprepared for the challenge of an American college education.”

Academic suspension and dropping out are common among Chinese international students, as is to social reclusion, Jiang said.

Jiang’s school, Peking University High School International Division, is a school of 50 students within a large public high school, and it is designed specifically for 10th to 12th graders planning to matriculate to an American college. One of the school’s main goals is to bridge the educational and social gap between the distinct school systems.

“We are interested in ensuring our students are prepared well for study abroad and for life in society,” Jiang said. “While that sounds intuitive to an American, it’s actually a distinctive and progressive approach in China

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF YANG YUJIE

CENTER OF THE CEREMONY: Yang Yujie, a senior at a Beijing high school, smiles before a school ceremony. Next year, she will study at Bucknell University. where most educators believe it’s their job to get their students into a top university, and that’s it.”

“What makes our program special is our focus on the soft skills, imagination, empathy and resilience, that our students will need to overcome obstacles and to succeed at both university and life,” Jiang said.

Jiang helps students develop these “soft skills” specifically through the English curriculum, focusing on developing the students’ reading and writing skills.

“Of course I’m excited to come to America to study,” she said. “But to be honest, I’m also very nervous. I’m not sure how to deal with the gap between the two cultures. I have many friends who have gone to the United States and told me that they feel lonely.”

Students apply to universities abroad

By Allison Hamburger

than most U.S. early deadlines.

Some universities in Great Britain Despite the notoriously hectic test- only consider the UCAS application ing period before winter break, Wiley when making a decision, which does Webb ’12 traveled to England for a not include extracurricular activities. week. He had been granted an inter“You apply directly into a degree view at University of Cambridge, part program, so the applications are reof an international application process ally interested in having you suss out that varies from the U.S. process. why you want to major in whatever it “I applied to Cambridge more or happens to be, whereas in the United less on a whim, but States, they are have grown to revery interested in ally like the idea of the other qualities leaving the U.S.,” you are going to I applied to Cambridge Webb said. “Eubring to campus,” rope offers a rich Patterson said. more or less on a whim, world to explore.

International but have grown to really Each major city is schools tend to so unique and so like the idea of leaving the emphasize acaclose.” demics, particuU.S.” Webb applied larly standardized to Cambridge in —Wiley Webb ‘12 testing, Patterson October. said. These collegUsually fewer es accept common than 15 seniors U.S. standardized apply to schools outside of the United testing like the SAT, ACT and AdStates each year, Upper School Dean vanced Placement scores.

Jim Patterson said.

“In addition to high passes in the Overall, the most popular choices High School Diploma and the SAT, from the last five years include Mc- successful applicants have normally Gill University in Canada, University achieved 5s in at least five Advanced of Saint Andrews in Scotland and the Placement Tests in appropriate subUniversity of Oxford in England. jects,” the Cambridge website said.

For schools in the United Kingdom, Oxford also specifies testing restudents submit a variation of the quirements, including either an SAT Common App called the Universities score of above 2100 or an ACT score and College Admissions Service earlier of 32 or over and three 5s on AP tests

“

or three scores of 700 or above on SAT Subject Tests.

“It’s a pretty high bar,” Patterson said.

However, if a Cambridge or Oxford applicant has not yet met all of the standards of testing, the school may decide to accept the student conditionally, offering admittance if the student meets the expectations by a later date, Patterson said.

Another component of the Oxford and Cambridge applications is an invited interview. After reviewing applications, the Admissions Office narrows down the pool and offers interviews to them.

Unlike those at U.S. colleges, European school interviews are conducted by a tutor in the applicant’s major and are primarily content questions. Webb travelled to England to interview last week.

“My interview consisted of me taking a test on Computer Science, then two professors giving me hints on the problems I missed and essentially timing how fast I thought — very different from a U.S. interview,” Webb said.

The school used to conduct interviews in New York, Patterson said, but the policy changed, so students now must travel to England.

The school used to conduct interviews in New York, Patterson said, but the policy changed, so students must travel to England.

“Chinese parents cannot imagine the psychological costs of sending young children overseas to a completely different culture,” Jiang said.

Therefore his school takes steps to smooth the large transition to American culture. Jiang’s students spent six weeks in America this summer studying, hiking, canoeing and touring colleges in the Northeast to foster confidence and give his students an opportunity to see colleges firsthand. Additionally, a group of students will travel to Botswana in January to do service learning, Jiang said.

He plans to keep developing study abroad opportunities similar to these programs in order to give his students the tools and skills to adapt to new situations, a skill that will smooth their transition to American college life.

Applying overseas Over the course of the last five years, dozens of students have looked across the pond to further their education. Since 2006 there have been:

50 30 8

applications submitted to international schools

acceptances to colleges outside of the U.S.

students enrolled in international unviersities SOURCE: UPPER SCHOOL DEANS GRAPHIC BY MAGGIE BUNZEL

“If you get to that point and you are really serious about Oxford or Cambridge, you’ve got to make it happen because if you don’t do the interview, it’s highly unlikely that they’d be able to offer you a spot,” Patterson said.

Colleges abroad do not provide financial aid for international students, other than some scholarships from Canadian schools.

“For the right kid, I think it’s a really tremendous opportunity,” Patterson said.

The Chronicle

B6 Features

’Tis the season for Nutcracker performances

After training for many years, dancers perform in the seasonal Nutcracker Ballet, playing lead roles, embracing Indian culture and even appearing on television.

Dec. 1

Traditional Nut

By Elana Zeltser

Tara Joshi ’14 layered on the many pieces of her silk costume, pinned flowers and jewels to her hair and tied bells around her feet. She stood backstage at the James Armstrong Theater and braced herself for the show. On Nov. 26 she performed an adapted take on the classic Nutcracker Ballet in the Indian style of dance Bharata Natyam with the Shakti Dance company.

“It had the same story line as the Nutcracker, but the styles of dance we incorporated took in a whole new direction,” Joshi said. “We did Bharata Natyam, and we had guest dancers doing belly dancing and hip hop.”

Bharata Natyam is one of the oldest and most traditional dances from India. While not religious, it is considered the highest form of yoga and is extremely spiritual. Live musicians, including a drummer, a violinist and a flautist accompany the dances, with a vocalist singing in Hindi, Sanskrit or Tamil. For the girls, dance has become a way to connect with their Indian culture that they would

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF TARA JOSHI

otherwise b The pro Joshi’s Bha Prakash, fo School, was a Christma was inspire composition lington. Josh pany began early Novem ending at 12 Joshi, Sa hya Nadadu Amita Pent darth ’14 h childhood a together at Working wi learned cou dance.

After ye mitted into pany, and h forming in s California, York and Te “I’m usu but it is su and I get so friends,” Pen Joshi ha Natyam sin 2010, after and a sum Joshi perfor three conse of her frien but dance p arengetrum in the tradi “Its just

Ballerinas feel th with Tchaikovsk

By Megan Ward

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ISABELLE JAFFE

NUTCRACKER OVERTURE: Isabelle Jaffe ’15, as the main role of Clara, is supported by her partner, who plays Drosselmeyer, in the Nutcracker Ballet, above. Nicolena FariasEisner ’13 stands in the ballet position of attitude while holding hands with two other dancers during the “Waltz of the Flowers,” right.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF NICOLENA FARIAS-EISNER

and

Caitie Benell

Every September, Nicolena FariasEisner ’13 stands with other dancers at the side of the room in a dance studio waiting for her audition. She wonders which part she will receive and if her steps and pirouettes will be like she practiced. She takes a breath and walks to the middle of the room. The song is one she has heard for the past seven years: “The Waltz of the Snow Flakes.”

Farias-Eisner performed last weekend as the Snow Queen in her studio’s annual Nutcracker Ballet, which Farias-Eisner describes as a “tradition for every ballerina.”

The Nutcracker Ballet, written and composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, centers on Clara, a young girl who receives a nutcracker for Christmas. As she sleeps, she embarks on a journey with her Nutcracker Prince to the Land of Sweets.

For seven years, Farias-Eisner has been studying ballet and participating in the Nutcracker at the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet in Hollywood, a Russian Classical Ballet School based on the Vaganova Academy and Kirov Academy in Russia. She said she especially loves her roles this year of Pulchinella and the Snow Queen.

“Pulchinella is a dance with a lot of jumps and lifts, and the music is just very uplifting and fun,” she said. “The Snow Queen is different because it is a very sophisticated and advanced role which allows me to challenge myself.”

Farias-Eisner also performed this year in The Nutcracker Ballet themed episode of “Cupcake Wars.” The New York City Ballet Company did not have enough dancers, so the casting director called on Farias-Eisner’s studio to provide three dancers.

In preparation for the holidays, Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” aired an episode on Dec. 4 and 11 in which each cupcake had to feature an ingredient from The Nutcracker Ballet, such as a sugarplum or dewdrops.

“

My coach u and wishes languages a

In every episode o three cupcake baker different rounds. bake for judges and someone is elimina was chosen to appe dancer on the show Although the sh er-themed, perform was different fro typical live perform “It was a whole Farias-Eisner said. scenes to get the pe ing one of my show chance to get it righ Throughout the the dancers were judges, watch the s try the cupcakes.

Although she p the live stage, she be portunity showed h of performing and w op as a dancer in th “This is the kin don’t think I will ev Lida Mazina ’ with Farias-Eisner, was an amazing e after dancing in alm semble pieces.

Isabelle Jaffe ’1 lead role of Clara, Civic Ballet’s prod never auditioned for a studio she was not considered a guest duction. Jaffe train rate instructors wh

14, 2011

chronicle.hw.com

Features B7

tcracker, Indian style

be so distanced from. oduction, choreographed by arata Natyam teacher Viji ounder of the Shakti Dance s entitled “The Nutcracker: as Story Retold.” The score ed by Tchaikovsky’s original n and the music of Duke Elhi and the rest of the compracticing for the show in mber, rehearsals sometimes 2 or 1 a.m.. anjana Kucheria ’12, Sandur ’12, Sarika Pandranji ’13, takota ’14 and Divya Sidhave spent much of their and teenage years studying t the Shakti Dance School. ith Prakash, the girls have untless variations of the

ears of study, they were ado the Shakti Dance Comhave gone on two tours perstates across the nation like Florida, New Jersey, New exas. ually the youngest on tour uch a rewarding experience o much closer with all my ntakota said. as been studying Bharata nce she was 5 years old. In nine years of experience mmer of intense practice, rmed this style of dance for ecutive hours in front of 500 nds and family. Her solo deperformance, known as her m, marked her achievements itional Indian temple dance. t an amazing feeling, be-

ing alone on the stage with everyone watching you after you have worked and trained so hard,” Joshi said. “Call me a diva, but it was one of the best times of my life.”

In fact, Joshi was one of eight of her closest friends who celebrated their arengetrum the same year.

“It is like our version of a Bat Mitzvah,” Siddarth said. “It is not religious, but it marks a time of passage.”

After reaching this landmark Joshi found that not only is she more respected in the dance community, but there is also a distinct change in her priorities when she performs.

“After my arengatrum, I really feel like I don’t have to focus on the technicalities of the dance anymore — it becomes mostly about what the dance means to me,” Joshi said. “I can let the whole art form take over me rather than focusing on the little things.”

To add to the spectacle, aside from the intricate footwork, facial expressions and emotions, the girls wear elaborate costumes no matter what sort of dance they are doing and no matter the characters they are playing.

Before her arengetrum, Joshi, her family and her dance teacher went sari shopping in her mother’s hometown in India. She then sent the silk saris of different colors to be made into costumes, her favorite being deep purple with a gold border.

While Joshi admits that the costumes can be limiting, she said that the goal is to emulate Indian statues that could be found in temples thousands of years ago.

“When I first began, it took me for-

ever to get my costume on, but now I’m pretty adept at it because when we do performances, we have to do 50-second costume changes,” Pentakota said. “I also have to spend at least an hour on my hair because I have to put flower and jewelry and hair extensions into it.”

With the hours of practice and preparation that she have put into Bharata Natyam, Joshi said that she has learned so much more than just how to dance.

“It has really taught me a level of discipline and focus that helps me in school, and I know will help me throughout my life,” Joshi said.

Joshi said she has found that, despite a hip injury and rehearsals that have been known to run until midnight, Bharata Natyam is a stress reliever for her.

“Our school is so special because people always come back to class eventually,” Joshi said. “Even when they are 40, they come with their daughters and dance with the same teachers. I want to be like that, too.”

“If I hadn’t done this kind of dance I wouldn’t know anything about my heritage at all because we’re not a very religious family, and we don’t go to temple that much,” Joshi said. “This dance has given me an insight and a community.”

SILK SARIS: Tara Joshi ’14, left, and Divya Siddarth ’14, above, pose in costume. They both study at the Shakti Dance School and have learned many variations on traditional Indian temple dances.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF DIVYA SIDDARTH

he holiday spirit ky’s classic ballet

usually gathers us in a little circle s us good luck in all different and gives us kisses on the cheek.”

—Kaitlyn Yiu ’13

of “Cupcake Wars,” rs compete in three The competitors d after each round, ated. Farias-Eisner ear as a background w. how was Nutcrackming on television om Farias-Eisner’s mances. new world on TV,” . “We could re-do erfect shot, but durws you have just one ht.” e seven-hour day, able to meet the show live and even

plans on staying on elieves that this opher a different style will help her develhe future. nd of experience I ver forget,” she said. ’13, who practices , said playing Clara experience for her most all of the en-

15 also played the but in the Malibu duction. Jaffe had r the Nutcracker at t a part of. She was artist in the prons with three sepaho teach her differ-

nathanson ’s/chronicle

ent dance techniques.

“I was very excited my first year because I love the music, and in the past, I had always gotten to watch the older girls rehearse so I was ready for my turn,” Jaffe said. “I love to pack my bags and set up my makeup box and feel like I’m living the life of a professional dancer.”

Kaitlyn Yiu ’13, who dances at the Kova Ballet, and Alisha Bansal ’14, who dances for the California Dance Academy, both had shows this past weekend.

“I love that the Nutcracker instantly makes you feel like it’s the holidays and that I become really close with everyone involved,” Bansal said.

“I performed so many roles already it’s hard to count.”

Yiu said that before her show, she takes part in a warm up class to make sure her muscles are stretched out and the group is ready to perform.

“My coach usually gathers us in a little circle and wishes us good luck in all different languages and gives us kisses on the cheek,” Yiu said.

Natalie Bradford ’14 and Rachel Schwartz ’13 participated this year with Westside Ballet in their production of the Nutcracker last Thursday and Friday.

“It’s different now,” Schwartz said.

“There is more responsibility being older and being a soloist because you have to make sure you look good. You like to think everyone is watching you when you are little, but it’s probably only your mom.”

VICKY SEDGWICK

SNOW QUEEN: Alisha Bansal ’14 executes a grand jeté during the “Waltz of the Snowflakes” in the Nutcracker Ballet. She has been dancing for the California Dance Academy for a few years.

A

The Chronicle • Dec. 14, 2011

rts & E ntertainment

B8

Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue IV

Jazz ensembles perform Radiohead covers

By David Lim

“Call the concert Radio-jazz-head,” Studio Jazz Band pianist Nick Healy ’13 of the Radiohead-infused Winter Jazz Concert said. Two ensembles played covers of Radiohead songs “Paranoid Android” and “High and Dry” as their final numbers Dec. 3 in Rugby Auditorium.

All four groups in the jazz program took the stage for “An Evening of Jazz” to perform jazz classics such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Sunny Side” and “The Blues Walk” in addition to the more unconventional jazz arrangements.

Jazz Director Shawn Costantino picked the majority of the pieces in the concert before his departure, including

the Radiohead covers.

Rimvydas Paulikas, nicknamed “Rim,” conducted the ensembles in the absence of Costantino, who has been out of school since mid-October.

Paulikas, a saxophonist who knew Costantino in graduate school, is directing the jazz program until Costantino returns.

“I love [Radiohead]’s music,” Paulikas said. “Even though it was very challenging, the kids learned [the music] faster than the other pieces because they knew it and liked it.”

Another highlight of the concert was the Jazz Explorers’ performance of “Weak” by Gretchen Parlato, which featured vocals by Bella Hicks ’12. Noah Weinman ’12 on trumpet and Bradley Ho ’12 on alto saxophone accompanied

Substitute jazz teacher pursues music interest despite restrictions

By David Lim

Like many of the students he has taught in Jazz Program Head Shawn Costantino’s absence, Rimvydas Paulikas first picked up the saxophone in middle school. An aspiring musician by the time he reached high school, he spent hours rehearsing in a music program every day after school and attending intense summer camps, playing with musicians from around the world.

Yet in his native Lithuania, then a part of the Soviet Union, Paulikas was banned from playing jazz, and was only allowed to play state-approved classical music.

“I always felt like something was

missing,” Paulikas said.

Jazz, considered a symbol of America and of capitalism, was officially prohibited by the communist country. Although playing jazz was not as severely punished by the time he grew up, he still was discouraged from seeking jazz.

“I remember a poster with a worker smashing a saxophone with a hammer and it said ‘If you play jazz, you are going to sell your country,’” Paulikas said.

Born into a family of musicians, Paulikas grew up listening to governmentapproved classical music and heard of his father’s experiences in college, training to become a choral director.

“When I was a child, it was already getting easier to play jazz,” Paulikas said. “You wouldn’t get expelled from

DAVID LIM/CHRONICLE

FILLING IN: Rimvydas Paulikas worked with all jazz ensembles for the Winter Jazz Concert during Jazz Program Head Shawn Costantino’s leave of absense.

her. The crowd applauded repeatedly after their solos.

Hicks, who performed with Jazz Explorers last year, learned the song on her own and rehearsed after school and during frees a few times with the Jazz Explorers.

“I think it’s so much fun because I’m not involved in the jazz program, but I sing in Jazz Singers, and so it’s really fun to be able to merge the vocal and the instrumental,” Hicks said. “It’s always just really cool for me to see what they can do, and they’re really inspiring musicians.”

She currently is working with one of the jazz combos and hopes to perform again with them.

“I love performing with them,” Hicks said. “It’s so much fun.”

PHOTOS BY DAVID LIM

HOLIDAY BLUES: Bella Hicks ’12 sings with Jazz Explorers Noah Weinman ‘12, Bradley Ho ’12 and Jake Chapman ’12, who play the trumpet, alto saxophone and keyboard, from left.

Anthony Thomas ’13 plays a solo on the tenor saxophone, above.

Musician Rimvydas Paulikas was born in Lithuania at a time when playing jazz music considered a symbol of capitalism and prohibited by the government. school. That’s what happened when my parents were younger. My father said if teachers would hear you noodling some kind of jazz, you could get expelled from college.”

Paulikas was exposed to jazz during summers at the music camps in other European countries such as Germany, Denmark and Poland.

“I’ve always loved jazz since I was 12-years-old,” Paulikas said.

“I would meet amazing jazz musicians there, even American guys, so I studied with them during the summers.” Paulikas said.

After the ban on jazz was lifted, Paulikas played jazz for the first time in Lithuania when he was 17 when the Soviet Union began to fall apart, causing the restrictions that had held him back to disappear. For the first few years of his musical training, he only played classical music. He recalls memorizing and performing hour-long pieces in contrast to the improvisational nature of jazz.

Paulikas had no choice but to major in classical music in college and graduate school in the 1990s.

“There was no jazz education anywhere you could get a degree in,” Paulikas said.

“My teachers at university would look at you and say ‘Your sound is getting jazzier,’” Paulikas said. “Then, they would lower your grade.”

Paulikas taught for a few years in college but decided he wanted to pursue a jazz degree and play jazz fulltime. After auditioning successfully at DePaul University in Chicago, Paulikas had to pass an English proficiency test

before could study for his master’s degree in jazz.

“They accepted me into the university and said, ‘If you pass English, you can study and get the scholarship,’” Paulikas said.

“I didn’t know how to spell ‘school,’” Paulikas said. “I was the worst student and I really couldn’t speak English, but I wanted to study [jazz] so bad that I would learn 215 words a day. I felt that they were already giving up on me because I think I had to take [the test] three times to get the score required for a master’s degree. And when I passed, they were really happy.”

At DePaul, Paulikas met Costantino, who was pursuing the same degree at the same time. The two kept in touch even after Paulikas performed in New York for a few years. Paulikas moved to Los Angeles after he got married.

Paulikas occasionally substituted jazz classes for Costantino in the past while he taught other students privately or played at gigs, including one at the Nokia Center.

“All those four years were so busy, we just talked over the phone a couple times,” Paulikas said. “Only [these] circumstances pushed us together again.”

As Costantino planned to take his leave of absence, Paulikas was interviewed in order to temporarily take over his job.

“I taught for three years in college,” Paulikas said. “[In Los Angeles], I’ve been teaching privately in some schools but I haven’t taught a jazz program as big as this one before. I’ve enjoyed the energy of these young kids. It’s rewarding to see them perform.”

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 14, 2011

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Going with the f low

By Charlton Azuoma and Victor Yoon

VICTOR YOON/CHRONICLE

SPITTING: Tim Choe ’12 raps lyrics that he wrote, making songs which he records and mixes in his own home. He hopes to release a mixtape of his work in June.

“

I actually thought about a rap career. I mean I love it and it’s part of my culture, but I think I’ll probably keep it as a hobby. I’ll definitely continue it.”

“

VICTOR YOON/CHRONICLE

—Josh Ha ’12

Even if [“Rolaans” and I] split up, don’t think it’s over because we’re at different colleges. We’re going to take this as far as we can. I want to make to music until I die, famous or not.”

—Kameron Lucas ’12 NATHANSON’S/CHRONICLE

Pulling a pair of headphones out of his pocket, Tim Choe ’12 asked a friend if he had heard rapper J. Cole’s new album. As his friend listened to one of the album’s songs, Choe was busy thinking about his own rap that he had been working on.

While many students regularly listen to rap music, Choe is one of several seniors including Josh Ha ’12 and Kameron Lucas ’12, who actually make their own raps. He first started writing his own lyrics in eighth grade, drawing inspiration from both American and Korean rap. His influences include Lupe Fiasco, Pete Rock, Nas and Tablo.

“At first I was just rhyming and stuff for fun,” Choe said. “Then I realized I was damn good, so I said I might as well make money off of it.”

Before he started rapping, however, Choe made instrumentals.

“I always liked music, so you could say I’ve wanted to be a rapper or a musician since I was 7 years old,” Choe said. “I didn’t want to work in some white collar job. I’d rather burn out than slowly fade away.”

While he still occasionally uses his own beats in the songs that he makes, Choe mostly uses instrumentals provided by friends or made by professionals. Using one of these beats as a starting point, he then builds the song by brainstorming a topic to rap about.

“I’m usually inspired by other people’s music and topics, and then I relate it to my life,” Choe said. “I just write down whatever comes to my mind. I don’t worry about rhyme too much, since it’s more about flow and story telling for me.”

Creating his own songs has given Choe a new perspective on professional rappers.

“I think most people have a really big misconception that rap is easy or something,” he said. “Honestly, I think it’s harder than singing, or at least, more work is put into it.”

Choe plans on pursuing a career in rap and hopes to release a mixtape of his music called “Nokturne” by June.

“I just want to get my mixtape to whomever I can,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to sell it, but I might if I feel like my music is worth people’s money.”

Josh “Ukno” Ha ’12 Even though he didn’t start rapping until 10th grade, Josh Ha ’12 felt rap’s influence when he was young.

“As a kid, I was exposed to a lot of hip-hop, ranging from classic groups like De La Soul and Gang Starr to more recent underground rappers,” Ha said.

He and Aaron Strauss ’12 started rapping as a duo, but the two quickly realized that it would be more efficient if Strauss produced the songs while Ha rapped on them.

Going by the name iLLtalics, the rapper and producer combo hope to release its first project by the end of the year.

“Most of the production is Strauss’,” Ha said. “Because it’s our debut project, I wanted to use as much of his material as possible. But even still, we’re using a couple of professional instrumentals and a beat from Jason Park ’14. We’re really busy with school and college applications, but we hope to finish in

December if possible.”

Regardless of how far he takes his rapping, Ha hopes to continue working with Strauss, even if they end up attending different colleges.

“Rapping is a thing that can work long distance,” Ha said. “He can send over beats, and we can still make songs.”

Last year, Ha participated in a freestyle rap battle with Zena Edosomwan ’12 and Camden McRae ’12, but outside of that free-style battle, there is not much of a community among rappers at school, Ha said.

“I’ve heard some of the other rappers’ releases and what they’ve been working on, but I don’t think the rappers at school have really formed a community,” Ha said.

He said the rappers at school could really benefit from collaborating or even just talking more about music since they all have different styles and talents. Ha’s particular style is rooted in his own life experiences.

“Frankly, I try not to put on a persona when I rap,” Ha said. “I mean I don’t talk about events that actually happened to me, but 90 percent of my raps come from real life experience. I think it makes the topics a lot more relatable to people my age.”

Kameron “KevinSpacely” Lucas ’12 The group Starter Team Scholar Gang, headed by Kameron “KevinSpacely” Lucas ’12 and Alex “Rolaans” Rowland ’12, was first envisioned by the duo in seventh grade as their love for hip-hop and rap music began to grow.

“It just kind of developed as we both had a passion for hip-hop,” Lucas said. “We both wanted to do it and we were good friends from a young age, so why not do it together?”

The group prides itself on making true hip-hop music with a message of keeping one’s individuality and getting back to the roots of hip-hop.

“We just want to have fun,” Lucas said. “We want people to listen to it and be like, ‘Oh that was really clever.

This is a dope beat.’”

Like producing any type of art, the group has to go through an intricate process before signing off on a track.

Rowland creates the beat with Lucas adding his input. After that, the duo heads to a studio to add lyrics to it.

Once the drafts have been completed, they mix and master the track.

Through the website SoundCloud, the rap group is able to produce their music for the public’s enjoyment. As is true for any artist, there will be people that do and don’t like what they put out, but for the most part, Lucas said people have been receiving the music well.

“We’ve had people that we don’t even know hitting us up on Facebook and trying to do tracks, trying to get one of [Rolaans’] beats, and trying to do features,” Lucas said.

As for inspirations, STSG is inspired by some of the biggest names in rap today, especially J. Cole. Yet while they admire his balance of beats, lyrics and a real message, Lucas and Rowland are still trying to remain individuals and keep to their own STSG brand of music.

“We don’t want to be at the bottom with all the new-coming people,” Lucas said. “We want to go straight to the top as fast as we can.”

The Chronicle

B10 A&E

Dec. 14, 2011

MEGAN WARD/CHRONICLE

SILENT NIGHT: Hank Doughan ’12 sings a solo during a the performance of “Amen” by Jester Hairston, above. A Peruvian folk carol and a spiritual were among the songs sung by Chamber Singers, right.

Choirs perform holiday-themed songs at Santa Monica church

By Carrie Davidson

The lights dimmed in the Santa Monica Presbyterian Church Dec. 10 as all upper school choir members filed in towards the risers holding a small plastic candle.

The annual Winter Choral Concert performance, entitled “Ceremonial Light,” featured performances from Chamber Singers, Bel Canto, Jazz Singers and Wolverine Chorus.

The night began with “A Ceremony of Carols,” composed by Benjamin Britten, performed by the combined choirs.

The piece required a “spectacular” harpist, choral director Rodger Guerrero said, found in professional musician Amy Wilkins who accompanied the choirs.

Bel Canto member Chanell Thomas ’13 cited “A Ceremony of Carols” as one of her favorite performances.

“I love ‘A Ceremony of Carols,’” Thomas said. “We sing it beautifully and I think the harp’s interlude is absolutely stunning.

The performance began and ended with combined ensembles, but the bulk of the night featured the individual

groups to display their unique sounds.

Several performances also included solos. Chamber and Jazz Singers member Adam Lange ’13 had a solo in the Jazz Singers’ rendition of “The Christmas Song.”

“There are always nerves on stage, but I figure if I sing well, it won’t matter if my hands are shaking a bit,” Lange said. “It’s nerve-wracking but really fun.”

However, Lange said he prefers singing combined pieces.

“It’s really awesome to hear a lot of voices singing together and creating

MELINDA GOODE

beautiful music,” he said.

Nick Healy ’13 accompanied Jazz Singers on piano for several songs.

Other accompanists included Josh Ha ’12 playing the clarinet, performing arts teacher Mark Hilt playing the organ and upper school performing arts accompanists Sara Shakliyan-Mendez playing the piano.

The performance ended with all of the seniors singing “Silent Night.”

“We always get emotional because of the tradition that the seniors sing ‘Silent Night,’” said Bel Canto member Cassandra Martinez ’13.

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PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF IMPRO THEATRE

MAKING A SCENE: Michele Spears emotes during a scene at left and is seen with the Impro Theatre troupe she is in (front row, far right).

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF IMPRO THEATRE

Michele Spears, Unscripted

By Megan Ward

Without a script or any idea of what the plot will be upper school perfroming arts teacher and Scene Monkeys adviser Michele Spears steps on stage with other members of the Impro Theatre company to improvise an entire show. She reminds herself before entering to be aware of the offers other actors have thrown out and to follow the story that emerges.

Spears performs with Impro Theatre, which does long-form improvisation, completely improvised full -length plays in the styles of great writers such as Jane Austen, Anton Chekhov, Stephen Sondheim, William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams.

Spears started doing improvisation in 1990 when she moved from New York to Los Angeles.

“I had never done improv before that,” Spears said, “I had studied classical theater with Stella Adler at New York University and had done lots of regular theater, but never improv. The thought of improvising terrified me, so I thought I should try it out.”

Spears first joined an improv group that was focused on short form sketches where most of the members were comedians. When Spears saw the narrative approach that Impro Theatre, the the Los Angeles Theatresports, brought to their scenes, she thought it was a better fit for her. The company had a stronger emphasis on the creation of stories and most of its members were actors and writers. About six years ago, the group reorganized,

changed its name from Los Angeles Theatresports to Impro Theater and now performs only long form shows.

Since then, the group has performed all over Los Angeles and gone on tour in Amsterdam, Chicago, New York, Paris and San Francisco. The company just finished a six-week run of shows at the Pasadena Playhouse in the styles of Chekhov, Williams and the TV show “The Twilight Zone”.

Currently, they are performing a show at the Broad Stage called “Jane Austen, Unscripted,” every night creating a play in the style of Jane Austen. Next year, the company is set to perform again at the Pasadena Playhouse in February and at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival.

“I love working in an ensemble,” Spears said. “When the work is good, there is a wonderful sense of play, of collaboration and of discovery as you bounce off each other’s ideas.”

Spears has taught improv at the Upper School for seven years, starting during the Summer Intensive Acting Workshop.

“Some of the students asked about putting together a group,” Spears said.

“Jonah Platt ’04 spearheaded the idea and the Scene Monkeys was born.”

Spears said for any improviser it is important to remember to say “yes” to whatever appears, follow the story where it wants to go, trust his or her instincts, trust fellow actors and to play with complete commitment.

“Actors always strive to be ‘in the moment’ when you’re improvising,” she said, “There’s no other place to be.

It’s pretty exhilarating.”

Spears is currently expanding the improvisation program at the Upper School, holding workshops where all students can participate and are not just limited to the Scene Monkeys group. The workshops will focus on improvisation games and exercises designed to build improvisational skills.

“We had over 40 people audition for the Scene Monkeys and only so many spots to fill in the group,” Spears said.

“It seemed like we needed another arena for people to learn about improv.

There are also some students that aren’t interested in being in the Scene Monkeys but want to check out what improv is all about. The workshops provide a place for them as well.”

The workshops are usually about two hours and taught only by Spears.

The first one was Dec. 5 and had about 10 participants, most of whom are not part of the Scene Monkeys’ group.

Spears said she hopes to have one workshop a month to give more people an opportunity to try improvisation.

“Improv is like skydiving,” Spears said. “It’s a great rush. You have to jump into the unknown and trust that the story will reveal itself. It is a completely collaborative art form. The ensemble has to rely on and support each other in order for the work to be successful. It is an immediate form of theater, requiring the performer to be completely present and open to whatever appears. It’s incredibly challenging and requires that the improvisor be actor, director and writer all in the same instant.”

B12 Features

The Chronicle

Pictureperfect

Dec. 14, 2011

NATALIE MARKILES

ERIN PINDUS

Artists placed first in the VOALA High School Mural and Art Contest. Their winning murals will be painted on the walls of Skid Row.

MATTHEW MANTEL

By Allison Hamburger

F

our student-designed murals will be painted on the walls of the Skid Row Homeless Shelter after winning the Volunteer of America Los Angeles High School Mural and Art Contest.

Artists Darby Caso ’14, Matthew Mantel ’12, Natalie Markiles ’13 and Erin Pindus ’13 were among six firstplace winners. Sixteen Harvard-Westlake students submitted their artwork, nine of which placed in the competition.

Wendy Chen ’13 and Maya Landau ’13 won second place prizes. Sarah Shelby’s ’13 painting won third place.

Ruby Boyd ’12 and Eugenie Lund-Simon ’14 received honorable mentions.

“There were upwards of 70 or 80 entries so I wasn’t really expecting to

win,” Pindus said. “I didn’t flip through them all, but the ones that I saw, especially the ones from other HarvardWestlake students, were really good.”

The entire school will be invited to help paint the first place winners’ art on the walls of the shelter in the spring, visual arts teacher Marianne Hall said.

Depending on how much space is available on the walls, second place art may also be painted, she said.

“It will be cool to see everything there and see how it lays out and see the process,” Mantel said.

The art was judged by the shelter’s residents, professional muralists and art teachers. Prints of the winning art and other submissions will be exhibited either at the shelter or in a gallery, and some may be given to inhabitants’ rooms.

“The people who lived there were so

moved by a lot pictures that they asked if they could have a print to hang in their room,” Hall said.

The shelter also intends to use the images on greeting cards, both to be sent as holiday cards and to be sold to benefit the organization, Hall said.

Participants chose a particular wall to submit for, each location requesting a specific theme with key words to consider, such as harmony, gratitude for veterans, home and nature.

All themes were intended to convey a positive message, the contest website said, including the artists’ choicethemed wall.

Since the 11th graders in Drawing and Painting II were working on an expressionist class project, which could portray any emotion, Markiles, Pindus and other 11th graders submitted their class work, which they purpose-

fully made cheerful to fit the contest guidelines.

Caso, who takes Drawing and Painting I, and AP Studio Art student Mantel made their winning paintings outside of class. Caso said mural painting intrigued her, so she saw this as a good opportunity. Mantel and Caso agreed that the most time-consuming aspect was coming up with an idea.

The students uploaded digital images of their art and an artist’s statement to the competition in mid-October.

Though the majority of HarvardWestlake submits were paintings, the contest was not limited to just the one medium.

“Their work was great, but I always think their work is great, so I was very happy for them,” Hall said. “They really put their hearts in it.”

WINNING MURALS: “Untitled,” top left, by Natalie Markiles ’13, “Hummingbird,” top right, by Erin Pindus ’13, “Taking Flight,” lower right, by Matt Mantel ’12 and “Fertile Valley,” bottom, by Darby Caso ’14 are all murals that won first place in the Volunteer of America Los Angeles High School Mural and Art Contest in their respective categories.

DARBY CASO

Sports The Chronicle • Dec. 14, 2011

Los Angeles • Volume XXI • Issue IV

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

STEPPING DOWN: Head Coach Vic Eumont told his players in a meeting on Dec. 5 that he would no longer serve as head coach of the football team. In his

By Robbie Loeb

six-year tenure at the helm of the football program, Eumont led the team to its first playoff run in seven years after accepting the head coaching job in 2006.

E nd of an era

When Vic Eumont took over the football program in 2006, the team was in a state of disarray. The last time a Wolverine squad had qualified for playoffs was in 1999, until Eumont carried the struggling program to playoffs four years straight. Eumont, the man who transformed Harvard-Westlake football from an afterthought into a contender, announced his resignation as Head Coach last week.

“I had brought this program to a new level, but now we need to take it beyond that,” Eumont said. “I think we have the opportunity for that to happen next year, and sometimes change really elevates it, or sometimes it doesn’t. You never know how things are going to work out until it happens.”

Immediately after school on Dec. 5,

Eumont announced in a 10-minute private meeting with his players that he was “stepping aside” after six seasons at the helm, citing mainly his age and “family reasons.”

Eumont hopes to stay with the team as a special adviser and will continue to teach physical education.

“Well, I’m not a young man anymore,” Eumont said. “This has been a great challenge and a great opportunity here, but I feel at this point, we need somebody younger. After 43 years of coaching, it’s time for me to move to the next phase of my life.”

A search for Eumont’s replacement as head coach will begin immediately, according to the school’s statement released the day of the coach’s announcement.

Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times wrote on the Varsity Times

Insider blog that “[Eumont’s retiring created] a much-desired opening, even though the Wolverines have struggled to build a football program comparable to their powerhouse basketball and baseball programs.”

The school has already received more than 20 resumes from deeply accomplished candidates from across the country and several internal applicants, Head of Athletics Audrius Barzdukas said, who declined to name any of the candidates or say if there is a frontrunner.

Barzdukas said he will evaluate each candidate based on leadership, organization, the ability to develop young players, the cultural fit with the school and character.

Eumont believes that a new coach Continued on page C7

C2 Sports

Facts & Figures

2

Hat tricks scored

by Catherina Gores ’15 after the soccer team’s first four games.

3

Wolverine cross country runners qualified for the All-State meet this year.

7

New players have joined the varsity girls’ basketball team this year.

Points netted by power forward scoring leader Derick Newton ’14 in an 84-83 win over Dominguez.

40

Total goals scored by the girls’ water polo team after five games.

30 Football games won during exHead Coach Vic Eumont’s six-year tenure.

63

The Chronicle

Injury leads to field use restrictions

By Patrick Ryan

The Athletic Department has begun to strictly enforce a rule that lacrosse balls, baseballs and other hard balls are not to be used on the field without a coach supervising practice.

Administrators are enforcing the rule this year after an incident last spring when a lacrosse ball ricocheted off of a goal post and broke a cheerleading coach’s nose.

The rule primarily affects lacrosse players, as they frequently used the field last year and at the beginning of this year to play before organized practices.

Head of Athletics Audrius Barzdukas said the rule’s purpose is not to stop the lacrosse players from practicing their skills, but to keep people on the field safe from the projectiles.

“It is a substantial piece of compressed rubber,” Barzdukas said. “If it makes contact with a human being, it can cause some damage. It just seemed that to the prudent observer outside the lacrosse box that we needed some kind of adult supervision.”

Many lacrosse players disagree with the rule, saying that coach supervision won’t prevent accidents.

“If a coach is standing next to me and I am throwing a ball, there is no

LUKE HOLTHOUSE/CHRONICLE

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Midfielder Noah Pompan ’14 practices his shot on the field. The lacrosse team practices with coaches twice a week in the winter. physical way to stop it,” attacker Ross O’Shea ’14 said. “The one person who got hurt is in no way related to the circumstances in which the rule is applied.”

The team practices twice a week during the winter training season.

Players used to catch and throw on

BOYS’ BASKETBALL vs. Loyola

By Julius Pak

Jan. 13 vs. Loyola 7 p.m.

The Wolverines head into their highly anticipated rivalry matchup with the rival Loyola Cubs at a neutral location for the first time in history. Last year, the Wolverines tied the season series with the Cubs 1-1, winning at home 81-74 but losing at Loyola 71-51.

Previous Records: Harvard-Westlake:

29-5 overall; 10-2 league 25-6 overall; 10-2 league

Opponent to Watch: Parker Jackson-Cartwright ’14

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JOHN WEISSENBACH

Position: Point guard The 5’7’’ sophomore has averaged 12.2 points and 2.8 steals a game so far this season with a game high of 18 points against Redondo Union High School. He is ranked 15th in the nation for players in the class of 2014, according to espnhs.com.

School Comparison: Wolverines Cubs LA Times City Rank:

22

2

SAAC November Athletes of the Month

nathanson ’s

Aaron de Toledo ’12

nathanson ’s

Cami Chapus ’12

the field before official practices to improve their passing and catching skills.

“I am a little bothered [by the rule]” midfielder Noah Pompan ’14 said. “I think it hurts the newer guys because they are trying to work on their stick skills and get better. But I see where the administration is coming from.”

Senior runner finishes 22nd at Foot Locker Nationals

game of the month

Loyola:

Dec. 14, 2011

DETERMINATION: Cami Chapus ’12 runs in the state championship meet.

Chapus finished in second place at the meet and did not defend her state title.

A week after finishing second and third, respectively, at the state championship meet, All-State runners Cami Chapus ’12 and Amy Weissenbach ’12 ran at the Foot Locker Regionals on the five-kilometer course at Mt. San Antonio College. Chapus was seconds away from winning the state title for the third year in a row.

Since the top 10 contestants of the 145-girl seeded race at Regionals qualify to run at the Foot Locker Nationals race, Chapus earned herself a ticket to Morley Field at San Diego’s Balboa Park with a ninth place finish.

Her average mile time during the race was just under six minutes.

Weissenbach missed the cut, finishing above twenty minutes in 86th place.

At the National race in San Diego Dec. 10, Chapus represented the West region of the United States as a team with the other qualifiers from Regionals.

In addition, Chapus wore a uniform from a Nike summer camp instead of her school outfit, since CIF rules prohibit the use of school insignia on uniforms after the state meet.

Chapus cut 26 seconds off of her

Regionals time to finish in 22nd place, the fifth fastest for the West team and second fastest for any girl from California.

This run was the last cross country race of her high school career although Chapus will continue running in the spring on the track and field team and next year at Stanford.

“I think going into this race I was a lot less nervous than any of my other races and I was more excited,” Chapus said. “I think I just really wanted to end on a good note and be positive during the race. Even though I know I could have placed better, I’m still really happy with the race because it’s the best I’ve felt in the last month.”

Chapus has been recovering from a bronchitis infection that affected her meets at state and Foot Locker Regionals.

Along with Aaron de Toledo ’12, Chapus, was named a November Athlete of the Month by the StudentAthletic Advisory Committee for her achievements in cross country in the past month.

De Toledo, part of last year’s CIFwinning boys’ cross country team, finished in sixth place at state, the best individual performance by a boy in the history of the program.

2 wrestlers finish undefeated at opening meet

By Luke Holthouse

The first wrestling meet of the year ended perfectly for James Wauer ’13 and Brandon Chen ’12. The two wrestlers went undefeated at the Camarillo Duals meet from Dec. 9 to 10.

“It felt good coming back to Camarillo for the fourth and final nathanson ’s/chronicle time with a venJames Wauer ’13 geance,” Chen said. “Ending up undefeated really opened my eyes to the improvements I

had made during the off season.”

The two finished in the top three of their respective weight classes at the tournament after winning all 10 of their matches.

Wauer wrestled in the 160-pound class while Chen competed in the 145-pound group.

“Wauer also stepped up,” Chen said of his teammate. “Although Wauer is a junior nathanson ’s/chronicle this year, his perBrandon Chen ’12 formance on Saturday impressed the entire team.”

Additionally, Jake Bracken ’14 and

Elliot Storey ’12 finished in the top three for the 132-pound and 160-pound. class.

“It was a bit of a surprise because last year I didn’t do great,” Bracken said. “I was really happy about how I did and how we did as a team.”

Bracken, who only won three out of 10 matches at last year’s meet, cited an extra year of experience as the key to his improvement.

“I’ve gotten a lot bigger and a lot stronger and I’ve learned a lot through the year,” he said.

The team will participate in the Rosemead Tournament on Dec. 16 and 17 as well as the Tournament of Champions at Artesia High School Dec. 28 and 29 over winter break.

chronicle.hw.com

Dec. 14, 2011

Sports C3

inbrief

Drum line to perform during basketball games

PHOTOS BY DANIEL KIM

LOSING STREAK: Alixx Lucas ’13, left, dribbles past a defender during a home game against El Camino Dec. 8. Teeana

Cotangco ’15, right, passes to a teammate in a game against Sierra Canyon. The Wolverines have lost their last three games.

The drum line will play at boys’ basketball games this winter season.

“We’ll be more a part of the cheering and spectating because [the gym] is a more confined space,” Jake Chapman ’12 said.

Although the drum line played after every football play, it probably will not play after every play in basketball games, Chapman said.

“Since it is a new trimester, the drum line is also incorporating multiple new members and getting them into the rhythm of practices,” Chapman said.

—David Kolin

golfer speaks Girls’ basketball faces ‘bumps in road’ Sophomore at Bel Air Country Club

By Camille Shooshani

The girls’ varsity basketball team could not pick up where they left off last year at state playoffs, losing three consecutive games so far, setting their record at 2-5. On Dec. 6, the girls’ loss to Sierra Canyon snapped the teams’ three-year home win streak. The Wolverines gave up an 11-point lead and lost again at home two days later to El Camino Real High School 66-46.

“It’s early in the season, and there’s going to be bumps in the road,” captain Leslie Schuman ’12 said. “We’re a very smart team.”

Schuman is one of three returning varsity players this year, along with co-captain Natalie Florescu ’13 and Brooke Levin ’12. So far, Schuman and Florescu have dominated in points. Together, the two scored 34 of the team’s 47 points in the game against Sierra Canyon.

“Our role as scorers has really changed, but this could hurt our team

later on,” Florescu said.

Point guard Alixx Lucas ’13 has the potential to put up more points as well, Florescu said.

“She gets to the basket well and even though she doesn’t always finish, she’ll get better,” Florescu said.

Despite the rough start, Schuman is confident the team will recover.

“We’re not in as deep a hole as people think,” Schuman said. “These are all learning experiences, and we have a lot to gain from these losses.”

After the loss of nine seniors in June, Head Coach Melissa Hearlihy must acclimate her seven new players to the varsity level.

“We knew we were going to have some issues with [rebounding] because of our lack of size,” Hearlihy said. “I think once we cut down on our turnovers, that’ll produce more points.”

“Coming up from JV, so much more is expected of you,” Lucas said. “The game is definitely faster, but that just makes it more fun.”

JV Girls’ Basketball

After starting the season with five losses, the JV girls’ basketball team looks to end its losing streak against Brentwood Friday.

Overall Record: 0-5 League Record: 0-0 Last two games: Brentwood: L (50-29) El Camino: L (45-19) Next game: Dec. 16 vs. Brentwood “We are looking at our weaknesses from previous losses and are working to make the appropriate changes” — Aliyah Daniels ’14 NATHANSON’S

SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS

Girls’ water suffers first loss of season LUKE HOLTHOUSE/CHRONICLE

MAKING HER MOVE: Brenda Flores ‘13 surveys the pool as she prepares to shoot over a Morro Bay defender. The Wolverines won the game 18-4 on Dec. 2. water and to be visible at all times, multiple players said it is considered dirty play to swim underneath the surface during a game.

“I didn’t even see what happened in the play because I was focused on the ball,” goalie Kristen Lee ’12 said.

“You’re allowed [to go under the water], but it’s a cheap play in water polo.”

The loss was only the third time the girls’ water polo team has lost in the last two seasons. While last year’s team didn’t suffer its first loss until Febru-

ary, this loss came in the first weekend of competitive play.

“It was kind of a wake-up call that we need to work on a lot of stuff,” Lee said.

While players admitted that they were discouraged immediately following the loss, the team was able to rebound later that day in the tournament with a 13-9 victory over Rio Mesa. With a 4-1 record, the team finished third out of the 28 teams at the tournament.

Doubles’ tennis team falls in CIF Round of 16

By Camille Shooshani

The girls’ varsity tennis doubles team of Kristina Park ’13 and Taylor Coon ’12 lost to Thousand Oaks on Dec. 1 in the Round of 16 CIF playoffs, ending both sets 6-1.

The girls are the fourth doubles team in Harvard-Westlake history to advance to that round.

“We weren’t really that sad when we lost,” Coon said. “I made it this far last year with Kei [Goldberg ’12] so getting here was my goal, and I did it with Kristina.”

The team was motivated to win

All Ivy-League water polo team includes 3 alumni Three alumni were named AllConference water polo players by the Collegiate Water Polo Association.

James McNamara ’10 from Brown University was named to the first team for the north division, Kayj Shannon ’11 from Princeton University was named to the first team for the south and Max Eliot ’09 from Harvard University was named to the second team for the north division.

—Eric Loeb

Professional golf names alumna as First Lady

By Luke Holthouse

A little bit of gamesmanship from Crescenta Valley might have cost the girls’ water polo team a chance to win the Mistletoe Tournament.

Heading into their matchup against the Falcons, the Wolverines had defeated their first three opponents at the tournament by a combined 34 goals, but found themselves tied at five at the end of regulation against Crescenta Valley. In sudden-death overtime, Falcons’ utility player Kayla Durante was left unmarked by the side of the goal and scored easily to steal a 6-5 victory.

Durante became open because she swam underneath the surface of the water to move from one side of the net to the other. While rules do not require players to swim at the surface of the

Golfer Bakari Bolden ’14 made a speech at Bel Air Country Club Nov. 30. about his involvement with the Southern California Golf Association.

Bolden spoke to members of the foundation about how golf has made an impact on his life and how he has given back to the community using golf-related events. Among those in attendance was Rocco Mediate, the 2008 US Open runner-up.

—Michael Aronson

for co-captain Goldberg, who was carried off the court during the first round of CIF playoffs after dislocating her shoulder.

She was sidelined and did not nathanson ’s/chronicle play for the reKristina Park ’13 mainder of playoffs.

Singles player Savannah de Montesquieu ’13 made it to the Round of 32 on Nov. 30 before losing 7-5 and 7-6

to a singles player from North J.W. High School.

These individual playoffs are separate from team playoffs.

The varsity girls’ team lost in the CIF quarternathanson ’s/chronicle finals Nov. 15 to Taylor Coon ’12 Peninsula High School.

“I’m not sad at where we ended,” Sam Maccabee ’13 said. “We got pretty far, and there’s always next year.”

Mary-Bea Porter-King ’68 was named the 2011 Professional Golf Association’s First Lady, an award given to a woman who works to improve all aspects of the game at many different levels.

The LPGA veteran has served as a PGA rules official for several years and is a pioneer in the development of junior golf programs around the nation.

“I am very humbled by this honor,” Porter-King told pga.com. “First to be honored by the PGA of America, an organization I have revered all my life, and secondly, it is so special to have my name listed with all of the previous honorees, women [for] whom I have so much respect.”

—Michael Aronson

Ivy League acknowledges alumnus football player Standout wide receiver Ryan Calvert ’07 was named to the All-Ivy League football team on Nov. 22.

Calvert’s 58 receptions and 641 receiving yards this season for the University of Pennsylvania were the second and fourth most of any receiver in the Ivy League this season.

His five touchdown catches this year and 58 total catches are both top 10 single-season totals in UPenn history.

Calvert played varsity soccer and baseball at Harvard-Westlake in addition to football. As the top three-sport athlete of his class, Calvert was awarded the Schumaker Award his graduating year.

—Luke Holthouse

2011

The Chronicle

C4 Sports

the year in sports JANUARY

Varsity and JV Net Record:

400-188-13 wins losses ties

By Robbie Loeb

and

Camille Shooshani

FEBRUARY

Court rules Dragovic ineligible

<<

Dec. 1

Girls’ water polo crowned CIF champs

<<

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

<<

Bella Gonzalez ’12, Kassie Shannon ’13 and Kristen Lee ’12, from left, push former Head Coach Robert Lynn into the pool after defeating Los Osos 10-7 for the girls’ water polo team’s first ever CIF championship on Feb. 26. Ashley Grossman ’11 and Camille Hooks ’11 were key players in the team’s championship run, and the Wolverines finished the season 27-2.

On Jan. 18, the Los Angeles Superior Court upheld an October CIF ruling that made Serbian-born Danilo Dragovic ’11, left, ineligible to play basketball. Dragovic had appealed a ruling in which CIF determined that Dragovic’s transfer from San Marcos of Santa Barbara to the school in his senior year was motivated by his desire to play basketball for the Wolverines, which violates a CIF rule.

th ba ag W 45

ALEX LEICHENGER/CHRONICLE

JUNE

JULY/AUGUST

<<

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF DUSTIN SNIPES/

Chapus, Weissenbac enter international s

<<

JUDD LIEBMAN/CHRONICLE

Giolito throws no-hitter in CIF playoffs

After leading his team to its first Mission League championship, right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito ’12 celebrates with the baseball team following his complete game

no-hitter in the first round of CIF playoffs against Arroyo Grande.

The boys lost in the second round of playoffs, but in June, Giolito was chosen to play in the Perfect Game

All-American Classic. Giolito committed to UCLA as a junior, but many mock drafts project him to be the first overall pick in the MLB draft in June 2012.

In July, Amy Weissenbach ’12, left, and Cami Chapus ’12, right qualified for the national track and field team, allowing the Wolverine duo to compete internationally at the World Youth Track and Field Championship in Lille, France.

Chapus finished fifth in her final race, but her 1500-meter time of 4:17.12 is the fastest girls’ outdoor time for an American runner this year.

Weissenbach placed fourth in the 800-meter race with a time of 2:03.59.

Chapus and Weissenbach both contributed to the HarvardWestlake girls’ track and field CIF

championship ru Weissenbach Gatorade Natio and Field Athle late June after tional record fo clocking in at 2: Chapus ran t outdoor mile tim 4:42.71 seconds.

Both runne Stanford Univer plan to compete country and tra The future runners have ea ognition for th and were featu cover of the ESP

14, 2011

chronicle.hw.com

Sports C5

APRIL

MARCH

Lacrosse steamrolls Mission League

The Wolverines lost in the first round to Agoura, after the Chargers scored the game-winning goal with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. The Wolverines have a new coach, Jay Pfeiffer, this season.

<<

Evan Meister ’12 faces off against an Agoura player in the first round of CIF playoffs. After an undefeated season, the lacrosse team won its first Mission League title in the eight years since the program’s inception.

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

MAY

Girls’ track wins 1st championship

GRIFFY SIMON/VOX

Wolverines net CIF title

Zena Edosomwan ’12 shoots from he post during the boys’ basketall team’s CIF championship game gainst Inglewood on March 4. The Wolverines won the title game 475 and went 29-5 overall and 10-2 in

league. They shared a Mission League title with rival Loyola, with whom they split the two-game series. Despite their CIF title, the boys fell in the quarterfinals of the state tournament, losing to La Verne Lutheran.

SEPTEMBER

T

For the first time in school history, the girls’ track and field team won the CIF Division III Championship. Earlier, the girls’ track and field relay team made up of Cami Chapus ’12, Lauren Hansson ’11, Yasmin Moreno ’13 and Amy Weissenbach ’12 won the 4x800meter relay event at the Mt. San Antonio College relays. The time of 9:03.77 seconds set the record for the

nation’s fastest time for a high school team in the event that year. They broke the meet record at Mt. SAC relays by two seconds that had stood since 2003. The team comprised of KC Cord ’11, Hansson, Hilary King ’11 and Weissenbach also set a national record in the 1600-meter sprint medley event, beating out all other teams by 20 seconds.

OCTOBER

Wolverines sweep at Homecoming Head Fanatic Jake Schapiro ’12 waves a Harvard-Westlake flag at Homecoming Oct. 1 in front of a crowd of Fanatics. All Wolverine teams at Homecoming went undefeated, sweeping all four varsity opponents. The Wolverine football team beat El Camino Real 39-31, sending the packed stands onto the field. The girls’ volleyball team beat Lakewood 3-1, field hockey beat Bonita 4-0 and the boys’ water polo team defeated Foothill 4-1 during their de facto Homecoming matchup while the new pool was under construction.

<<

NOVEMBER

de Toledo places 6th in state

/WWW.DUSTINSNIPES.COM

un in May. h was named the onal Girls’ Track ete of the Year in she broke the naor the 800-meter, :02.04. the nation’s fastest me of the year in

ers committed to risty this fall and e on both the cross ack teams.

Stanford Cardinal arned national recheir intense speed ured on a recent PNHS magazine.

<<

ch spotlight

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

RICK GIOLITO

Fried finds new home as Wolverine

After Montclair Prep shut down its athletic program, left-handed pitcher Max Fried ’12, left, transferred to play for Harvard-Westlake under Head Coach Matt LaCour.

Unlike basketball transfer Danilo Dragovic ’11, who CIF barred from playing, Fried will be allowed to play for the red and black because his former school’s program folded.

Fried and his teammate Lucas Giolito ’12 are two of the top-ranked pitchers in the country. The 6-foot-3 Fried and the 6-foot-6 Giolito dominate on the mound with fastballs north of 90 mph. Both pitchers signed with UCLA last month, but both are projected to be selected in the first round of the MLB draft in June 2012. The southpaw will bolster an already dominant squad, which won its first Mission League title last season.

<< JOHN WEISSENBACH

Aaron de Toledo’s ’12 win at the Mission League Finals on Nov. 2 marked the first time in over a decade that a Loyola runner did not take home the individual league title. At the Woodbridge Invitational on Sep. 17, de Toledo set a school record for a three mile course with a time of 14:59.

At the State meet on Nov. 26, de Toledo ran the 5-kilometer course in 15:47 for a sixth place finish, the best state finish for any Wolverine male runner. De Toledo was named the StudentAthletic Advisory Council’s Athlete of the Month for November.

The Chronicle

C6 Sports

Dec. 14, 2011

Boys’ soccer wins 1st home game of season

By Charlton Azuoma

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

BREAKING AWAY: Charlie Porter ’12 sprints past a midfielder during the boys’ soccer team’s home opener against West Ranch. Porter had a goal in the 3-0 victory.

Going into a home game against Cathedral today, the varsity boys’ soccer team has a record of 3-0, conceding only one goal to Campbell Hall so far.

The team beat the West Ranch Wildcats 3-0 on Dec. 9.

The Wolverines have used their early matches as opportunities to iron out some of their pre-season kinks.

“It’s still early in the season, so we’re still coming together as a team,” center midfielder Alex Goodwin ’12 said. “This year we really have a lot of depth on our team, so we’re able to sub.

We just have a lot of young kids who are talented.”

Offensively, the team has been creating opportunities from high crosses into the box. So far this season, the Wolverines have outscored their opponents 9-1.

“We’re bound to score sooner or later because we just have that many options,” Goodwin said.

Defensively, the team kept two clean sheets under the leadership of goalies Wade Clement ’12 and Wiley Webb ’12.

“It’s all about staying organized,” Clement said. “We need to keep im-

proving on communication all around the field.”

Captain Charlie Porter ’12 recently returned to the team after battling a series of nagging injuries that have delayed his return to the pitch.

The team will play the first of its 12 Mission League games at St. Francis on Jan. 4.

JV Boys’ Soccer JV boys’ soccer won its first league game against West Ranch after Jonah Blume-Kemkes ’14 scored a late goal.

Overall Record: 1-1 League Record: 1-0 Last game: West Ranch: W (2-1)

Next match: Today vs. Cathedral

NATHANSON’S

“I think we have a lot of potential, and I’m looking forward to us bonding as a team as the season progresses.”

— Parker Converse ’15 SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS

Boys’ basketball rebounds from close preseason losses

By Robbie Loeb

Over the past four years, early struggles have been characteristic of the boys’ basketball program. Standing at 2-2 as of press time, Wolverine squads are just 9-8 in their first week of games for the last four years.

“The biggest challenge is learning how to play with each other,” Head Coach Greg Hilliard said. “It’s like learning a new dance and stepping on each other’s foot right now.”

Although the team has dropped its first two games, Hilliard is not worried.

Three of the first four games have been decided by four points or less.

“Because we get less time with our guys than most of the teams we play, we always start out a little bit behind,” Hilliard said. “Our goal is long-term and not short-term, but we definitely have to get better in increments.”

The Wolverines lost 61-57 to Santa Monica on Nov. 28 in their season opener, failing to convert on three critical free throw attempts with four seconds left. The following day, the team once again found itself on the wrong side of a tight game with a 56-54 loss to Pacific Hills. The team earned its first victory in an 87-59 win over Hawthorne on Dec. 1 and defeated Dominguez 84-83 in their final game of the Pacific Shores Tournament on Dec. 3.

“There’s so much chance involved,” Hilliard said. “In all three [close games], we had good shots to take the lead. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t.”

Despite the absence of their two tallest players in Zena Edosomwan ’12 and David Winfield ’13 for the Dominguez game due to the SAT, the Wolverines still pulled off a win. Derick Newton ’14, who sat out his freshman

season with a shoulder injury, put up 30 points and Josh Hearlihy ’12 added 24 en route to a win. In the back-andforth game, the Wolverines blew a 14-point halftime lead and went down by seven in the fourth, but Jay Kleinbart’s ’12 “senior performance,” as Hilliard put it, propelled the team to its second consecutive victory.

“When you lose a key player like Zena, it causes a positive reaction in the players,” Hilliard said. “They were very focused on covering up for missing his rebounds, easy buckets and dunks, so they were keyed up to do well.”

The Wolverines’ advantage over other teams is their rebounding ability, which allows them to get a lot of second and third chances on offense, Hilliard said. The team averages nearly 16 offensive rebounds per game.

The team plays South Torrance today. Yesterday’s results against Mira Costa were unavailable as of press time.

JV Boys’ Basketball The JV boys’ basketball team has had an inconsistent start to its season.

Overall Record: 2-2 Last game: Brentwood: L (60-58)

Next match: Dec. 16 vs. Panorama at El Camino Real High School

NATHANSON’S

“I think our season is going to go well.

We don’t have the most talented players but we work hard in practice.”

— Michael Rahhal ’14 SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS

MARIEL BRUNMAN/CHRONICLE

MEDICINE IN REAL TIME: Milo Sini and an injured athlete listen to Dr. Vernon Williams on the screen as he evaluates the athlete’s condition via live video feed.

Telemedicine machine enables specialized treatments, diagnoses

By Luke Holthouse The sports medicine program at the Upper School has begun testing out a $10,000 video camera system, enabling Director of Sports Medicine Milo Sini and athletes to contact specialized doctors without leaving the training room.

The camera allows Sini to use telemedicine, video communication rather than face-to-face interactions to diagnose and treat injuries. The system will allow medical specialists, like neurologists or othopedic surgeons, to evaluate injured athletes via live video calls.

“We are extremely excited,” Sini said. “It has come to be very valuble already in the ability to have multiple approaches to taking care of a concussion.”

Sini’s first use of the camera was to call Dr. Vernon Williams, a neurologist at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Williams evaluated a student dealing

with concussion symptoms by watching the student’s eye movement and pupillary response to see what kind of treatment the student needed. The camera allows athletes to immiediately access expert care from neurologists rather than basic care from an Emergency Room following head injuries.

Sini said he and his colleagues will primarily use telemedicine to deal with concussions and head related injuries before using the technology to treat broken bones, strained muscles and asthma attacks in the future.

Athletic Trainer Sandee Teruya said medical equipment such as a stethoscope or an X-ray machine can be attached to the computer monitor to give additional information on patients. A trainer on campus would perform the test with the given equipment and results would automatically be sent digitally to the specialized doctor on the other end of the computer.

Dec. 14, 2011

chronicle.hw.com

Sports C7

Freshman leads girls’ soccer team in scoring

By Michael Aronson

After playing only five games on the girls’ varsity soccer team, Catherina Gores ’15 has already outscored many of the players from last year’s squad. Gores has tallied two hat tricks, one in the team’s 8-0 win over Palisades on Nov. 30 and another in the 7-0 victory over Notre Dame on Dec. 6. She is the team’s leading scorer and averages two goals a game through the opening stages of the season.

“I was concerned about being the youngest on the team, but I have such great support from all of my teammates and coaches that I don’t really think about it anymore,” Gores said.

The forward has been playing soccer for 10 years after getting her start in the American Youth Soccer Organization when she was five.

Gores moved up to the club level and played for the Westside Breakers for four years before recently transfer-

ring to Real SoCal. “I really enjoy being on a team and creating relationships with other girls,” she said. “I enjoy the sport itself and the challenges it brings.”

She is working on anticipating passes more effectively and becoming more vocal on the field.

Gores seeks to extend her scoring streak to six straight games in next week’s Mater Dei tournament.

“The reason I have been able to score so many goals is because my teammates are some of the best players I’ve ever played with. They make it easy for me,” Gores said.

Captain Danielle Duhl ’12 is impressed with the freshman’s performance thus far.

“It is really nice to have a finisher like [Gores] who our team is confident in,” Duhl said. “I am really looking forward to seeing her progress throughout the season and become more comfortable with us as a group.”

Girls’ soccer beats Valencia, earns 4th shutout of season Continued from page A1

JULIUS PAK/CHRONICLE

FRESHMAN STANDOUT: Catherina Gores ’15 passes in the team’s matchup against Notre Dame Academy. Gores scored one of her two hat tricks in the 7-0 win and has averaged two goals per game through the team’s first five games this season.

players, and we are looking to become even more of a cohesive unit than we are now,” said returning defender Nikki Goren ’12. “Chemistry plays a big part in how well teams do, so that is definitely one of our goals.”

Duhl said the girls have to remain focused to maintain their undefeated record at home.

“Defensively we want to get to the point where when the other team does something, every one of us knows where we are supposed to be and are confident that the players around us know as well,” she said. “We have to continue what we are working on as a team and get more and more comfortable with each other on the field.

If we support each other and communicate, we’ll be successful.”

The girls face Canyon tomorrow as they enter the annual Mater Dei tournament.

JV Girls’ Soccer After starting the season with three straight wins, the Wolverines looked to bounce back from their loss to Oaks Christian against Valencia Monday.

Overall Record: 3-2 League Record: 0-0

NATHANSON’S

“We have only been playing together for a short amount of time, but we have already won the majority of our games.”

— Darby Caso ’14 SOURCE: HW.COM/ATHLETICS

Head football coach steps down after 6-year run Continued from page C1

could attract polished football players to the school who can also handle the academic workload.

“We need someone who has knowledge of the area that can get football players into the school who can academically make it here,” Eumont said.

Barzdukas said Harvard-Westlake cannot make its rise into a football powerhouse overnight. For example, the baseball team just won its first Mission League title last season under Head Coach Matt LaCour after six years with the high-profile coach.

“Our goal is not to be a powerhouse in any sport,” Barzdukas said. “The biggest mistake you can make is to say, ‘we’re going to go become a powerhouse.’ A powerhouse is an outcome.

In sports, there is so much emphasis on outcome that the challenge is to stay focused on process. By putting processes and systems into place, six years later, you can be better.”

As head of the football program, Eumont was responsible for managing coaches and players for every level and spent days scouting opponents each week on top of coaching the varsity team, according to Barzdukas.

“Leading our football program is a time and energy intensive job,” Barzdukas said. “It’s a lot of bodies to keep in motion and a lot of balls to keep juggling. Eumont, from the middle of July through the end of the season, worked seven days a week. I think he got to a place where he still wants to contribute to the program, but just because of that overall administrative load, it’s time for someone else to take that on.”

This season, the Wolverines finished 5-5, and missed the playoffs after going 1-4 in the Mission League. The team has been largely uncompetitive in the Mission League since joining in 2010, winning just one of 10 games. The Wolverines were pummeled by other teams in their league this past season, including a 55-0 loss at Chaminade and

a 70-21 loss against Serra. Eumont said the program wants to eventually become competitive in league after struggling against football-oriented schools.

“I think that’s a worry everybody always has around here,” Eumont said.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve understood that it’s never been what we want.”

In six seasons, Eumont amassed a 40-26-2 record. In 2006, he led the Wolverines to a Del Rey League Championship and CIF semifinals, where they lost to powerhouse Oaks Christian.

“He is someone who has taught all of us a lot,” Barzdukas said. “He has brought structure and discipline, and transformed our program. Eumont is a larger-than-life figure. If you go the Oxford English Dictionary looking for the definition of football coach, his picture is there. He will be forever remembered as the guy who transformed our football program, and I’ll look forward to him continuing to work with our football program, just not as that everyday man.”

DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

COACH’S GUIDANCE: Head Coach Vic Eumont talks to former quarterback Max Heltzer ’11 in a team practice.

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The Chronicle

C8 Sports

On the court with

Dec. 14, 2011

Natalie Florescu ’13 Shooting Guard

Season averages:

15 6

Points per game

Assists per game

Season highs:

23 8 points

assists

CAMILLE SHOOSHANI/CHRONICLE

Natalie Florescu ’13, a co-captain of the girls’ basketball team has taken a leadership role. Because of the team’s height disadvantage, the 5-foot-6inch Florescu and her teammates are focusing on other aspects of their

By Camille Shooshani

Q A

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How has your role on the team changed this year?

Florescu: “Last year, I was more of a shooter, and this year, I have more of a dynamic role. I’m incorporated as a ball-handler and more of a main scorer. I’m looking to create shots for everyone on the team.

At the same time, I can’t exert all my energy on offense because there are two sides to the floor.

I have to make sure I’m also playing defense the way I need to be so that we get easier points off of steals and fast breaks.”

What will be the team’s most important game this season?

Florescu: “The biggest games this season are against Chaminade and Alemany. Both teams are returning basically all of their players. Both teams are very big and quick with experienced players.

It’s going to be hard because we’re smaller and not that experienced yet.”

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DANIEL KIM/CHRONICLE

GAME FACE: Natalie Florescu ’13 dribbles past an opponent from El Camino in the team’s 66-46 loss on Dec. 8. The girls lost at home for the first time in three years and

What is the team doing to fill the roles of lost senior presences?

Florescu: “With a new squad, there are a lot of new things that need to be taught, like how our system works and how we play defense. We are building the trust we need to have between all of the girls.

That’s something that has been solid for the last couple of years, so once the trust is built, everything is going to really start coming together, and I think this team can do well.”

What are some of your stronger and weaker points as a player?

Florescu: “A weakness for me would be my height. I don’t use it as an excuse, but it would be nice to be a little taller. Boxing out for me is a bit of a weakness because sometimes I start drifting, and I forget. But as far as strengths go, my leadership on the floor and my experience are things that I have. I have a large range in my shooting ability, and I am able to shoot the ball well.”

Q A Q A

currently stand at 2-5 overall. Florescu and the team will play in the Santa Barbara tournament Dec. 21 through 23, followed by the West Coast Festival the following week.

What is the team doing to make up for the height disadvantage?

Florescu: “We are definitely emphasizing defense because it doesn’t matter whether you are tall or not to play good defense. It matters how quick and smart you are. To make up for our height we really work on pressuring the ball and making sure we aren’t giving up open passing lanes. We are mostly trying to keep the ball out of the post area.”

What type of school are you looking to play for in college?

Florescu: “Well, obviously I’m going to be looking for a school with good academics, a good coaching staff and kids I can get along with. I’m not really sure where I want to go yet, since it is pretty early. I’ll probably look into more colleges after the season is over. I will be really thinking about where I want to go over the summer.”

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What is your favorite memory from last season?

Florescu: “I would say beating Inglewood on our home floor. It was a double-header with the boys’ team. I remember Esther Lee ’11, Skylar Tsutsui ’11 and myself lighting the floor up.

I had 21 points that game. There have never been so many people at a girls’ basketball game. That was such a good game, and I can’t wait for the next one. That was, by far, my favorite game all season.”

What are your goals for the rest of the year?

Florescu: “As of right now, all I expect of our team is to work our hardest and improve as much as we can. Obviously our goal is to win the Mission League, but I’m not so much looking too far into the future as to what we need to do right now. I know we can [win league], and we have the team to do it.”