A2 News
FAC considers new post-AP activities
The Chronicle
May 25, 2016
By Jonathan Seymour
members agreed that the last few weeks of school seem to be The Faculty Academic a waste for seniors, ultimately, Committee rejected the idea the arguments for maintaining of continuing AP courses for the status quo won out, namely students after exams finish the existing precedent coupled but is still searching for other with the idea that students potential uses of seniors’ look forward to their freedom time during the period in late in late May as a final reward, May between AP exams and and it would seem oppressive graduation. to take it away. “I think the discussion Although AP courses began because there was this aren’t changing next year, concern that somehow we Harvard-Westlake is currently weren’t making a good use of at the very beginning of the the time at the end of the school process of examining other year, and it just seemed like schools’ programs for seniors seniors were just fading out to determine if anything can at the end of the school year,” be translated to HarvardFAC head and math teacher Westlake, though this wouldn’t Kent Nealis said. “That just happen for at least a few years, didn’t feel right to us, so we Nealis said. were trying to find something “There aren’t any useful to do with that time additional meetings of FAC because it sort of just this year, so nothing felt haphazard and dramatic is going to depended on how change next year, many [AP] courses but people are always each senior was floating around the taking, so each senior idea of what other was having a different schools do: capstone experience. That was projects,” Cuseo said. the background for “In a capstone project, this discussion.” you take what you There were ’ learned in a class and arguments for Kent Nealis apply it.” continuing classes Capstone projects after exams and arguments consist of something creative for keeping the current conditions. Nealis said that done by each student to show at one point, students used what he or she learned in to continue AP courses until class, and if implemented at graduation, and at other times Harvard-Westlake, they would the seniors graduated when differ from class to class, Cuseo said. exams ended. Also, students wouldn’t “This year, AP exams fell pretty early, and ideas like necessarily need to come to this tend to happen when school every day to complete APs are pretty early,” upper their projects. Nothing is changing for school dean Sharon Cuseo next year, but in a few years, said. “I don’t think it bothers anybody. In fact, I like that seniors might have the option students like to be here even of culminating their educations when they’re not required to in some meaningful way. “Just because you’ve taken be here. I think that it bothers teachers when students feel a cumulative national test on like it’s an imposition on them government or written a final to attend their classes, and I synthesis on literature, you think that’s the part that’s haven’t learned everything hard, that students do a lot of about political science or [complaining] when they knew solved the evolving challenges that these specific classes of critical close reading,” upper would last all year when they school dean Adam Howard said. “There’s always more signed up for them.” Though some faculty exciting lessons.” nathanson s
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THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Nick Steele ’16 and Cameron Cohen ’16 read over and edit their cases in
order to prepare for their debate round in the Tournament of Champions in Lexington, Kentucky.
Debater earns school’s first win at the Tournament of Champions
By Anthony Weinraub
Nick Steele ’16 won the Tournament of Champions, one of the most prestigious debate tournaments of the season, and Cameron Cohen ’16 was named a semifinalist at the tournament May 2. The tournament took place in Lexington, Ky., and it was the first win at this tournament by a Harvard-Westlake student since the debate program was restarted in 2007. Harvard-Westlake is the first school to make it to the finals of the National Debate Coaches Association National Championships, the Woodward Academy Novice Nationals and the Tournament of Champions in the same year. Cohen made it to the finals of the NDCA National Championships, which took place in Orlando April 8-10. The Tournament of Champions featured 92 debaters
from across the country. De- Steele advanced over Cohen baters who earned two qualify- due to his higher seeding. ing bids during the debate sea- Steele was ranked sixth and son were eligible to attend the Cohen was ranked seventh. “I really did feel prepared tournament. Debaters could earn bids by performing at going into the championship, various national tournaments. and I knew we had done all of the work that S t e e l e we could do,” earned eight Cohen said. bids and Cohen I worked for years This year earned seven. was Steele’s Steele beat and years to ultimately and Cohen’s Felix Tan of progress to this third time atClements High point, so winning the tending the School in Houstournament. ton in the finals tournament was really “I felt reon a 2-1 decisurreal.” ally confident sion of a threejudge panel. —Nick Steele ’16 in the preparation my team “It was and I had the best ending to a debate career I could done,” Steele said. “I was more have asked for,” Steele said. excited to debate one more big “I worked for years and years tournament than scared to go to ultimately progress to this into it.” Connor Engel ’17, Evan point, so winning the tournaEngel ’17 and Indu Pandey ’18 ment was really surreal.” Cohen was paired against also attended the tournament Steele in the semifinals, but this May.
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In the issue
Arts & Entertainment GIVE MY REGARDS: Harvard-Westlake upper school choir singers perform Broadway songs in their caberet show. B1
News
TORQUE IT OUT: The AP Physics Band
performed original songs teasing other science classes at the last 1st and 3rd Wednesday Assembly of the year. A4 MUSICAL RESURRECTION: KHWS returns after a three-month-long hiatus due to the shutdown of the regular broadcasting site and will get back to its regular schedule. A7
Opinion
YOU’RE JUST BEING DRAMATIC:
Teen mental health is often overlooked by adults and friends, making it more difficult to reach out for help. A11
Features
LET ME BE PRANK: Senior pranks leave marks on the school and the senior classes who pull them. C8
Sports
C6
IT’S GOING SWIMMING-LY: Breaking
school records and winning CIF, the swim team maintains its place at the top. D1
SU JIN NAM/CHRONICLE
“UBER” DRUNK: The availability of companies such as Lyft and Uber may contribute to teen alcohol abuse since students no longer have the responsibility of driving to and from parties. Continued on C4
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COMMITTED
TO SUCCESS: Gifted athletes are taking their talents to colleges around the country. See where they are going to continue their legacy. D4
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