March 2018 Issue

CHRONICLE THE HARVARD-WESTLAKE

Los Angeles • Volume 26 • Issue 6 • March 21, 2018 • hwchronicle.com

Taking a Stand In this issue of the Chronicle, we explore the roots and future of student activism across the nation in light of the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

A2 NEWS

THE CHRONICLE

Voices say ‘neveragain’

MARCH 21, 2018

By SOPHIE HABER

Students, faculty and staff walked out of class as part of the National School Walkout on Wednesday to honor the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting last month in Parkland, Florida.

The community gathered around 17 empty desks and victim profiles on Ted Slavin Field as student organizers Rachel Grode ’19, Lauren Juzang ’20, Abbie Howell ’18 and Senior Prefect Eli Timoner ’18 addressed students about ways that they can invoke change and encouraged them to register to vote. They joined thousands of students across the country who walked out of class for 17 minutes to advocate against gun violence.

The empty desks placed in the middle of the field symbolized each of the victims.

“These spots are empty and their lives are taken,” Timoner said. “That’s where they should’ve been. They should’ve been in class, and instead they will never get to do that again.”

Screenshots of texts that students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas sent during the shooting and bios of students and faculty that were killed lined both sides of the field. A video looped in the background of speeches that members of the Never Again movement made

SOPHIE HABER/CHRONICLE

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: Sophia Schwartz ’20 holds a sign displaying the biographies of two of the 17 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victims. Volunteers also posted signs around the field that showed text messages sent by students during the shooting. for government officials.

After the walkout, student organizers set up a table on the quad with fliers that gave information about the walkout and passed out t-shirts that read “Enough is Enough.” Students could also sign petitions to ban assault rifles.

“It’s really exciting to see students at Harvard-Westlake and all over the country causing lawmakers and adult citizens to think, vote and act in ways that we might not have thought, voted and acted without the activism of [this] gen-

eration,” President Rick Commons said.

The walkout was organized by students but sanctioned by the administration, so no detentions or suspensions were given to students who walked out of class.

“We felt really strongly that we could help if [students] needed to get help getting the stage set up but it all had to come from student ideas,” Head of Upper School Laura Ross said.

While the administration took a backseat in order to

School increases security measures after threatening post from alumn

By JOSIE ABUGOV DANIELLE SPITZ

AND

Nearly a month after closing due to a security threat, the school is reviewing and updating security measures to ensure that the campus remains safe for all students, faculty and staff.

The administration notified students that increased security measures would be put into place.

“You will notice a heavierthan-normal security pres-

ence, and there will be additional security measures that you will not see,” President Rick Commons said in an email sent to students the day after the school closure.

“Increased security measures will be in place at HarvardWestlake for the foreseeable future.”

Both the Upper School and Middle School closed Feb. 23 due to a security threat from a social media post by former NFL player Jonathan Martin ’08. Martin posted a picture

In the issue

News

to his Instagram account of a shotgun and ammunition and included the hashtag #HarvardWestlake. The post also tagged four people: two of his high school classmates and two of his former Miami Dolphins teammates.

The school handled the security threat effectively and according to protocol, police officer and security guard Jim Wirth said. After notifying the school community of the threat and closing both campuses, the administration

allow the movement at Harvard-Westlake to be run by students, they supported the student activism, Commons said.

“In some ways, ironically, it compromised the activism because you weren’t protesting anything because we were with you,” Commons said. “But, what we were with mostly is students who want change in their present and future coming together.”

Involvement from administrators in the walkout deterred some students, like Emmanu-

“

worked with local police, who obtained a search warrant for Martin, according to Wirth.

Police detained Martin, who was in Los Angeles, later that day. He had a loaded shotgun, knife and ax when he was arrested, according to court documents filed after Martin was taken into custody that were

obtained by TMZ Sports.

“If anybody gives us a credible threat, it’s looked at,” Wirth said. “We’ve been notified of alumni and some people that have become threats or have threatened a teacher.

We have pictures and we know • Continued on A3

WESTFLIX AND CHILL: Five short films created by students in Harvard-Westlake film programs were shown at Westflix, the annual film festival, Friday.

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Features NAKED AND AFRAID: Students who

have sent or received nude images reflect on their experiences and how it affected their relationships. The article also explores the acceptable time to send nudes.

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Watch Students Task force hosts an orchestra of first generation Americans to facilitate conversations about DACA. A7

cusses the value of notifying students of potentially triggering content in academic texts to support trauma survivors.

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WHITE’S

Arts & Entertainment

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LET’S DACA-BOUT IT: Human Rights

TRIGGER WARNING: Sarah Lee ’18 dis-

• Continued on A3

It would be a huge undertaking to have a gate like they do at the Middle School, where everything’s closed all the time, but I think that’s certainly something we’ll probably look at.”

—Laura Ross Head of Upper School

ITS BEAN A WHILE: Actress Beanie Feldstein ’11 spoke to students about her experience as a woman in entertainment for Women’s History Month.

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Opinion

el Zilber ’19, who said he chose not to participate because he didn’t feel the event was run by students.

“I protested the protest,” Zilber said. “It shouldn’t have been [the administration’s] responsibility to get involved.”

Administrators did not explicitly tell teachers to accommodate the walkout in their classrooms, Ross said. Ross told teachers that they are not responsible for reteaching material that students miss but

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

WAKANDA FOREVER: Students share their perspectives on the box office hit “Black Panther.” It is the first Marvel movie with a predominantly black cast and has been lauded by critics as a cultural milestone.

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THE CHRONICLE, the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School, is published eight times per year and distributed free on both the upper and middle school campuses.

There are 727 students at the Middle School and 873 students at the Upper School.

Subscriptions may be purchased for $20 a year for delivery by mail. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the seniors on the Editorial Board. Letters

Sports

DUNK WITH SPUNK: Teachers and

alumni speak about the 68-year long tradition of playing Thursday night pickup basketball in Hamilton Gym. D6

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 Jiwon Park at jpark3@hwemail.com. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.

March 21, 2018

hwchronicle.com/news

News A3

Admin adds new security measures

School addresses bullying

By Kaitlin Musante and Saba Nia

• Continued from A2

to watch for those people when they come on campus.”

Although Head of Communications & Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg said he cannot disclose the specifics of all of the new security measures, he said the school continues to prioritize the safety of everyone on campus.

“What we didn’t want is for students to feel like now suddenly they’re being watched all the time or it was impossible to move around campus,” Head of Upper School Laura Ross said. “We didn’t want it to feel that way, but we wanted to make sure we had a great handle on who’s coming on and off campus.”

Some of the new efforts by school security have been more visible. In a Chronicle poll of 373 students, 55 percent said they noticed more security measures on campus recently.

Security guards are enforcing the rule for seniors who leave campus during the day to sign out and for juniors to present a pass from Upper School Student Discipline and Attendance Coordinator Gabriel Preciado to security when leaving campus before the end of the school day.

Additionally, students walking to Hamilton Gym are now required to sign out at the security kiosk.

Visitors, including Harvard-Westlake parents, coming on to campus have been stopped by security guards before proceeding onto campus, and Wirth said rules for Studio City community members using the track were put in place in recent years. Brief background checks are carried out on neighbors who want to use the track. They are then given identification cards that allow them to use the facilities, Wirth said.

Another factor that the administration is considering is the accessibility of the upper school campus compared to that of the Middle School.

While the Middle School only has one main entrance, the Upper School has five separate entrances that stay open during the school day.

“It would be a huge undertaking to have a gate like they do at the Middle School, where everything’s closed all the time, but I think that’s certainly something we’ll probably look at,” Ross said.

After processing the events that led to the school closure and assessing the school’s security efforts, Commons said he was reassured by the community’s response.

“I was really impressed with the way in which students and faculty worked together to be efficient in clearing the campus and getting people home safely,” Commons said. “It was really heartening for me to see how people reacted calmly but seriously and efficiently without people being at all selfish.”

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: Profiles of the 17 people shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida lay in desks on Ted Slavin field during the National School Walkout on March 14.

Students and teachers react to walkout

• Continued from A2

advised that they reschedule tests planned for the day.

History teacher Dror Yaron had scheduled an assessment during the walkout and said he found the walkout to be disruptive to his testing schedule.

“While I honor the walkout, I embrace all the principles behind it and I have an unflinching agreement with students to the cause, I wish that the school would have maybe coordinated so it wouldn’t have interrupted with class time,” Yaron said.

Some teachers joined the students in the walkout. Math teacher Kasia Williams, who said she recently became a naturalized US citizen, walked out with her students because she said she wanted to be a part of the community demanding change.

“I’m sad and I’m angry every time a mass shooting happens,” Williams said. “These feelings are then followed by disappointment, but no surprise, that nothing is changing in the gun debate landscape.

I hope that we have reached the tipping point and that, as a society, we are finally ready to enact more reasonable gun laws.”

French teacher Jerome Hermeline also joined his students in the walkout, posting the night before on the hub that he supports the initiative and students who do not want to participate would have a silent work period.

“I know there were other schools who asked their teachers not to come or participate, but I appreciated that I think the students welcomed the fact that adults were there and wanted to be there,” Ross said.

English teacher Darcy Buck chose not to participate in order to uphold the mission of the student-led movement.

“I wanted to give the students the space to do their thing,” Buck said. “I wouldn’t say that adults were unwelcomed but I felt that we certainly were unneeded. It was more appropriate to just leave it to the students.”

Math teacher Woo Sim also said he kept teaching during the walkout to ensure students participated on their

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE

SOPHIE HABER/CHRONICLE

own volition, but told his students that he supported their desire for activism. Two of his students chose to stay in class during the time of the walkout because their personal opinions did not align with the walkout’s stance on gun control, Sim said. One of those students left the class at the same time students joined the walkout to post posters on the math hall bulletin boards defending his second amendment right, Sim said.

“This wasn’t about repealing the second amendment,” Howell said. “This was about making change so people can go to school and to public places without being afraid of being victims of gun violence and mass shootings.”

Ross emphasized the importance of acknowledging that students of color have tried to call attention to issues of gun violence in the past, but those movements didn’t gain as much traction.

“I’m so grateful that the nation’s paying attention,” Ross said. “This is a big deal. But, I think it can’t be ignored to think about why is it that this is different. One of the things about American society is, in lots of ways, when communities of color talk about something it doesn’t go anywhere.”

At the Middle School, members of the Students Against Firearms in Education club expressed interest in holding a walkout, but decided with Head of Middle School Jon

Wimbish to hold an all-school assembly instead.

When SAFE member Lilia Buckingham ’21 posted about the walkout that the group was planning on the SAFE Instagram account, she got an email from Wimbish and middle school dean Betsy Ilg saying that they thought an assembly would be more effective than a walkout, Buckingham said.

Initially there was backlash from middle school students who wanted to participate in a traditional walkout, but by the time of the assembly students were happy to have an outlet to express their opinions, SAFE members Sophia Musante ’22 and Maddie Morrison ’22 said “The assembly was a good idea, but I think it should have been more about students taking initiative themselves and exercising their abilities to walk out,” Morrison said.

“They should do it because they wanted to, not because the school was making them.”

Some students who identify as pro-gun expressed disappointment with the assembly at the Middle School because they felt like they were forced to talk about why guns are bad, Musante said.

“No matter what your politics are, it’s exciting to see students taking an active interest in creating change of state and national law or of school practices,” Commons said.

Affinity groups and counselors addressed bullying and marginalization on campus after a threatening social media message posted by Jonathan Martin ’08 alluded to bullying.

The post resulted in school closure Feb. 23.

Martin expressed that his resentment toward the school emerged from the isolation he experienced as one of the few minority students on campus in a Facebook post in 2015.

“You learn to tone down your size and blackness by becoming shy, introverted, friendly, so you won’t scare the little rich white kids or their parents,” Martin wrote in the post. “Neither black nor white people accept you because they don’t understand you. It takes away from your self-confidence, your self-worth, your sanity.”

The post prompted the athletic department to reexamine its approach to monitoring the wellbeing of student athletes in 2015, according to Athletic Director Terry Barnum.

Members of the student affinity groups on campus also said that Martin’s threat led them to re-evaluate how they address mental health.

“In terms of mental health awareness, I feel like most of the affinity clubs haven’t really touched upon it in any of our club meetings, and I think that after the incident with Jonathan Martin, we realized that we should be having these types of conversations [regarding] the intersectionality between ableism and whatever other identity you have,” affinity group member Daniel Varela ’18 said.

By fostering discussions about ethnic and cultural identity in weekly meetings, BLACC Faculty Leader and upper school dean Chris Jones said that the club is able to provide support for underrepresented students on campus.

“When you get kids who are coming into a space where they understand that they are one of few [and you are] able to bring them in and know that they have a shared experience and can talk about that shared experience, there’s support that comes through that and I think that that’s really helpful for the kids,” Jones said.

To further provide support, school counselors will continue to open their offices to students impacted by bullying and suffering from mental health problems, counselor Luba Bek said.

In light of the allegations, faculty said they are hopeful that the variety of resources on campus will be able to minimize the bullying and exclusion Martin alluded to.

“Creating spaces where [students] can let their hair down and just talk about what they want without the nervousness of being judged for having opinions that are different from the majority makes them feel good,” Jones said. “They are able to talk about things in a way that makes them feel like they are not alone.”

THE CHRONICLE

A4 News

MARCH 21, 2018

Straford School hires Huybrechts as head

By SOFIA HELLER AND JENNY LI

tion from the current middle schools to the new high school.

“With guidance from pasFormer Head of School sionate and compassionate Jeanne Huybrechts will be the teachers, students should first Head of School at Strat- engage with big ideas in [sciford School’s high school, ence, technology, engineering and math] disciplines and in which will open fall of 2019.

Huybrechts retired from the humanities and arts, hone her position at Harvard-West- their intellectual and creative lake at the end of the 2016- capacities, freely exchange 17 school year. During her ideas as they develop their 28 years at the school, Huy- unique voices and, increasbrechts filled several posi- ingly important, learn how to get their questions answered,” tions, including science and Huybrechts said in her letmath teacher, Assistant Ninth ter. “Every day and in all their Grade Dean, Assistant Head of school encounters, the chilSchool for Faculty Affairs and dren in our care should be inHead of School. spired, nurtured, challenged Now, Huybrechts is coming and treated fairly.” out of retirement for her new The Stratford School webposition. site said the school Founded in 1999, enforces modern Stratford School is learning techniques an Independent Priby bringing technolovate School with 26 gy into the classroom. campuses across “We want stuboth Northern and dents to not only unSouthern California. derstand how to use Stratford schools devices, but also to only consist of preunderstand how they ’ schools, elementary work, and ultimately, Tierni and middle schools. question how they Kaufman ’19 The school incorcould work better,” porates Character the school’s website Counts! education that focus- said. “Stratford begins teaches on instilling values such as ing the fundamentals of codtrustworthiness and respect, ing in preschool, fostering cuaccording to their website. riosity in students to become In a letter to the Stratford future creators of technology families on the school website, rather than just consumers.”

Huybrechts said she has visitTierni Kaufman ’19 exed multiple Stratford campus- pressed her support for Huyes to observe classes and meet brechts’ position. with faculty and students. She “She was a really good also stated her goals for the math teacher, was really first Stratford high school and friendly and was a nice part its students, emphasizing the of our community,” Kaufman importance of an easy transi- said.

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ALEX GOLDSTEIN/CHRONICLE

BEANIE BABY: Beanie Feldstein ’11 speaks with Dahlia Low ’20 about her experiences as a woman in the entertainment industry. Students spoke with Feldstein after the Q&A session ended.

‘Hello, Beanie’: Alum speaks to students

By ALEX GOLDSTEIN

Actress Beanie Feldstein ’11, who was in the Oscarnominated movie, “Lady Bird,” and starred alongside Bette Midler in “Hello, Dolly!” on Broadway, spoke to students and faculty after school March 5. She discussed her experiences in entertainment and how Harvard-Westlake has impacted her life.

La Femme invited Feldstein to speak as part of Women’s History Month. The leaders of the club aimed to invite a powerful, female alum to engage in conversations with stu-

dents and answer questions, La Femme leader Nicole Bahar ’18 said.

Feldstein spoke to students about how lucky she feels to have worked with female directors and to have experienced inclusivity in the entertainment industry.

“I know that is not the norm and that should be the norm,” Feldstein said. “Getting to put ‘Lady Bird’ into the world was such a meaningful experience because it felt like a moment. It felt like a shift is starting to happen.”

Feldstein offered advice to students interested in the en-

tertainment industry.

“Who cares who else is in the waiting room?” Feldstein said. “And if someone else is in the waiting room and they get the part, it was meant to be their part and it is the best day of their life.”

Feldstein attributed much of her success to performing arts teacher Ted Walch.

“The key thing I remember about [Feldstein] as I am deeply fond of her, is how hardworking she was and that she never took her artistry for granted,” Walch said. “She earned it and that is the big lesson.”

Student leaders share experiences with faculty

By ANUSHA MATHER

KENDALL DEES/CHRONICLE

REGISTRATION NATION: Features Assistant Editor Jenny Li ’19 hands information to students interested in registering to vote. Students participated in the Our First Vote drive on the quad.

Sophomore organizes voter registration drive

By KENDALL DEES

One hundred and fifty students registered to vote at the voter registration drive sponsored by Our First Vote on March 16.

Andrea Yagher ’20 created the organization as a peer-topeer nonprofit to amplify the importance of millennial voting in America and mobilize the younger generation, she said.

“Our mission targets high school students to register early online, so when our generation gets to the polls we can vote on issues we care about

and build the world that we want to inherit,” Yagher said.

Citizens can pre-register to vote starting at age 16 and can register when they turn 18.

The organizers of the event originally expected around 40 students to register and were pleasantly surprised to have 150 new voters register, Yagher said.

“I think it’s incredibly important to register to vote because as young adults it is vital we are informed and have a voice in the society that we are going to inherit,” drive participant Emma Sunkin ’19 said.

“The experience of registering

was very empowering because it showed me how each and every one of us is a special citizen in our own state and in America that can truly make a difference and voice our own opinions.”

Yagher plans to start an Our First Vote club to organize drives and to focus on the progressive issues important to her generation, she said.

Our First Vote ambassadors are working at a number of schools across Southern California, and the organization has three more voter registration drives planned for the upcoming month.

sations is hard. We just tried to give advice on how to ask Students and faculty par- questions in a way that doesn’t ticipated in student-led dis- invite defensiveness but incussions about fostering more vites conversation. But it really effective and inclusive learn- all came from the students.” ing in the school community ASiA leader Lucy Kim ’19 March 13. said that she does not have Faculty across all depart- many opportunities to gain ments and student leaders of insight into the faculty expericlubs and organizations, such ence, so she enjoyed hearing as Prefect Council, Peer Sup- teachers’ anecdotes and ideas port and Asian at the meeting.

Students in Ac“I am both tion attended relieved and We wanted it to the meeting. gratifi ed to be from the students.

Groups dissee HW push cussed student The questions and so genuinely mental health organization came from to make the and the repschool a more the students. ” resentation nurturing and of marginal—Head of Upper School comfortable enized groups in Laura Ross vironment for classroom setboth the stutings. dents and the They also brainstormed teachers,” Kim said. ideas about how to address The meeting focused on them. initiatives that students and Prefect Caroline Cook ’19 said she was grateful that both teachers can implement in students and faculty were giv- their daily lives to better the en a safe space to discuss their learning environment.

“We came away with a perspectives and personal exsense of both teacher and stuperiences.

“We wanted it to be from dent experiences as a part of the students,” Head of Upper the Harvard-Westlake comSchool Laura Ross said. “The munity,” Moon said. “We also questions and organization established an initiative for came from the students. Facil- further dialogue between stuitating those kinds of conver- dents and faculty.”

“

March 21, 2018

hwchronicle.com/news

News A5

Notre Dame hosts college info night

By Valerie Velazquez

The University of Notre Dame hosted an event at the Los Angeles City Club to inform Latinx students about how the college admissions process affects their communities March 7.

Latinx alumni of Notre Dame were also invited to share their experience at the university. Juniors and seniors from the Upper School were encouraged to participate in the event, especially if they were interested in applying or considering attending Notre Dame in the near future.

The event aimed to gather Latinx students from across the Los Angeles area and Southern California in an intimate environment and garner more interest in Notre Dame.

“Unfortunately, many first-generation and underrepresented students do not think that they are able to go far from home,” event organizer and upper school dean Celso Cardenas said, “With this program, Notre Dame is making a concentrated effort to reach out to this group.”

During the meeting, representatives from Notre Dame, including Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment Don Bishop, talked about academic programs, admission statistics, support groups and the presence of Latinx youth on campus.

“I love that colleges are being more purposeful about who they target and how,” Cardenas said, “Hopefully, we can continue this relationship with Notre Dame and be invited to the event in the future.”

TAMMER BAGDASARIAN/CHRONICLE

DEEP DISCUSSIONS: Angelica Navarro ’18 and Elena Montoya ’18 talk to upper school dean Celso Cardenas during the second annual

Unity Banquet, hosted by the Latin American and Hispanic Student Organization. Attendees participated in discussions to promote diversity.

LAHSO promotes unity, facilitates student discussion

By Tammer Bagdasarian

The Latin American and Hispanic Student Organization held its second annual Unity Banquet on March 15 after school in Feldman Horn, inviting leaders and members of affinity groups in an effort to promote diversity on campus and unity among the clubs.

LAHSO leaders spoke at the banquet, and the club provided food and activities to encourage discussion between attendees.

The leaders and faculty

sponsors said the event was a natural progression from last year’s Unity Brunch, which was a less formal event held to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and bring clubs together.

“What I love is that we gave thought to what we did last year and that we wanted to take it a step further this year in terms of our goals,” faculty sponsor and upper school dean Celso Cardenas said. “This year, we wanted to have a conversation around coalition building and what we could do to unify some affinity

groups across campus.”

During the event, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Janine Jones (Taylor ’18, Avery ’23) spoke about the current political climate and what students can do to promote unity.

“Unity truly is a prerequisite for any meaningful and lasting change,” Jones said.

“Unfortunately, what seems to prevail in this world today is divisiveness. But we must continue to focus collectively and individually on cohesion.

You all must be that glue that

holds us together.”

The LAHSO leaders said the banquet contributed to accomplishing goals of understanding and advocating for diversity.

“I think this was the first step in bringing everyone in all of the affinity groups together,” LAHSO leader Xenia Bernal ’19 said. “This was a great place where we really got to see each other and get to define what it means to be diverse, what it means to be a student at Harvard-Westlake and what it means to be human.”

BLACC celebrates Black History Month

By Kaitlin Musante And Saba Nia

JAY LASSITER/CHRONICLE

PANTHER PREVIEW: Erica Huggins sits with an alum’s child at the

event. Huggins led the discussion of issues of women’s and civil rights.

In celebration of Black History Month, the Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club invited Black Panther Party leader and Harvard-Westlake grandparent Ericka Huggins (Jay Lassiter ’20) to speak to students and faculty. The club also hosted a screening of the film “Black Panther.”

BLACC hoped to promote equality and progress for minority groups through the events, club leader Taylor Redmond ‘18 said.

“The club aimed to bring about a sense of community for black students at Harvard-Westlake and to highlight their experiences at a predominantly white institution like our school so that our voices are heard,” Redmond said.

To encourage students to use their voices and inspire change, Huggins led a fireside chat-style discussion with students and faculty about the intersection between the feminist and civil rights movements Feb. 24.

In a one-on-one conversation with Redmond, Huggins discussed how the disparities

between the treatment of men club aimed to emphasize the and women have conditioned importance of positive depicsociety to ignore the contribu- tions of black men and women tions of female activists. in television and movies, Red“It’s another one of those mond said. systemic illnesses that we Attendee Skylar Graham suffer,” Huggins said. “I think ’20 said he appreciated that that it’s very difficult for young the screening allowed him to men and older men or young see black representation in women and older women, es- mainstream media. pecially of color, to step for“This movie is important to ward in a unified way in pre- Black History Month because dominantly white institutions, it’s an empowering image of but also in institublack culture set in tions that aren’t white Africa without stereobecause we’ve been types of black people socialized to believe or the inferiority of that women will take women,” Graham care of it. But there’s said. “This time they no fault, there’s no are leaders.” blame, it’s just that Although Redwe’ve been socialized mond feels the in the same way, and month’s events were W ’ we can break with overall a success, she Taylor that socialization. I said the student body Redmond ’18 have to have hope must continue to enthat we can.” sure that students of Audience members then color feel represented throughdiscussed their thoughts on out the year. societal issues and considered “I believe we’ve accomways in which students can plished our goals because the take action against injustices. entire community is now enBLACC also hosted a gaging in conversations that screening of “Black Panther,” they weren’t or didn’t know the first Marvel film with a pre- how to previously,” Redmond dominantly black cast, at Walt said. “Our work here is far Disney Studios on Feb. 25. In from finished, but progress is organizing the screening, the all we can ever ask for.” hite s

The Chronicle

A6 News

inbrief

Class hosts annual leadership conference

The last straw: club displays straw usage

By Lauren Nehorai

The Environmental Club promoted the national “Stop Sucking” campaign to eliminate plastic straws by providing paper alternatives March 8 as part of Community Service week.

The display showed how many plastic straws are used at the Upper School each month and explained why they are so harmful. The club invited students to guess the number of straws and gave out smoothies in paper cups without straws.

The Environmental Club is now working to discourage the purchase of foods containing palm oil and hopes to expand their impact at the school.

—Lindsay Wu

School holds annual Justin Carr swim meet Harvard-Westlake hosted the fifth annual Justin Carr Wants World Peace swim meet March 9.

Justin Carr ’14 passed away during his junior year of an undiagnosed heart condition. Justin Carr’s parents, Susan Carr and Darrell Carr, started the event to raise awareness for unknown life threatening heart conditions.

“Students can get their heart screened to determine undiagnosed heart conditions – something we wished we had known to do for Justin [Carr],” Susan Carr said. “It is a time of reflection. It is a time we give a snapshot of who Justin was and what was important to him.”

—Jackie Greenberg

Food truck fanatics: waffle truck visits Waffles de Liege food truck sold their traditional waffles on campus March 15 for this month’s Food Truck Friday.

Toppings included vanilla ice cream, chocolate or caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Prefect Council initially intended to hold Food Truck Friday on the third Friday of March instead of the last, due to Spring Break. The event was then rescheduled to be a day earlier due to “unforeseen circumstances,” according to an email from Prefect Council.

—Lindsay Wu

Students form clubs for second semester

Prefect Council announced the approval of 16 new second semester clubs in an email to students. The clubs, including the Democrats of HarvardWestlake, Immigration and Citizenship Assistance and Marine Wildlife Adventure Club, held their first meetings during activities period March 5.

“I think it’s awesome that so many new clubs are popping up,” Prefect Jaya Nayar ‘20 said. “Students will have more opportunities to get involved.”

—Jessa Glassman

March 21, 2018

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE

RAM MAN: CEO of the Los Angeles Rams Kevin Demoff answers a question that Russell Burton ’19 asked at the annual Unconvention.

Students hosted the fifth annual Unconvention to promote leadership among students in the greater Los Angeles area March 17 at the Upper School.

Through a series of student-led activities and speeches, the Unconvention encouraged students to be leaders in their own communities and look at leadership in a different way.

The Unconvention aims to unite students in purpose, creativity and cooperation through workshops and interviews with CEOs, who gave them advice for future success.

Guest speakers included COO and Executive Vice President of the Los Angeles Rams Kevin Demoff ’95 and the founder and former CEO of Marvel Studios Avi Arad.

Demoff stressed the importance of embracing the unknown and choosing the career path you love, not the one that is necessarily considered right.

“You will become a great leader by doing what you love and being yourself,” Demoff said. “It’s not where you work or where you go to college.

It’s what you have done that allows you to tell a story. An authentic story will lead to authentic leadership which will make you a real leader.”

Students from various schools were broken down into two separate groups where they took part in exercises that highlighted leadership opportunities.

Students in Unconventional leadership organized games to teach attendees about teamwork, cooperation and communication in order to help them develop leadership skills.

“The point of the game, ‘escape from paradise,’ is to teach people how they can learn from failure and that working as a team is more effective when facing a difficult task.” Unconventional Leadership student Emma Sesar ’18 said. “Overall, I hope everyone will leave here feeling stronger about their leadership skills and use what they learned to

Shaking things up: seismologist informs students about earthquakes, shares experiences and tips

By Samantha Ko

Seismologist Lucy Jones spoke to students and faculty about the history of earthquakes and their social effects, her involvement in earthquake research and the improvements that communities can develop to ensure minimal damage March 6-7.

Jones has been a Research Associate at the Seismological Laboratory of Caltech since 1984.

She is the founder and chief scientist of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society and the developer of the first American major earthquake drill called the Great ShakeOut. Jones has also been a guest on multiple broadcasts

and the National Public Radio.

Jones said that her earliest memory from her childhood was of an earthquake, and that she knew she wanted to become a seismologist because it was a “science that matters.”

Jones visited various classes including Geology and Engineering to debunk myths about earthquakes, analyze the way people react to earthquakes and share statistics about the probability of earthquakes occurring.

Jones also conducted research in China and spoke to the students in Post AP Chinese about her research experience in China in the 1970s and the cultural differences she noticed.

“I thought it was interest-

ing how she compared her experience with how earthquake culture differs in the east versus in the west.” Post AP Chinese student Isabella Huang ’19 said.

In the Post AP Chinese class, Jones described her work that she conducted in collaboration with scientists as part of an exchange program sponsored by the Chinese government.

Jones said that when people try to cope with the discomfort of not knowing when an earthquake will hit, they will make up false patterns, such as the myth that animals can sense when an earthquake is going to happen.

“We try to deal with that feeling of out of control and randomness by coming up

with reasons that it’s not random.” Jones said. “We make that pattern because we want it to be true.”

Jones’s goals include improving earthquake-safe developments nationwide to reduce risks of damage.

She would also like to work towards spreading knowledge about earthquake safety and procedure around the country.

In her upcoming book, “The Big Ones,” Jones discusses how natural disasters have shaped societies throughout history and around the world as well as more efficient coping mechanisms.

“Since we can’t predict earthquakes, let’s prevent the losses.” Jones said. “The earthquake is inevitable, but the disaster is not.”

Champion boxer speaks on experience out of the ring

By Alison Oh

Champion boxer Ricky Quiles spoke to members of the Boxing Club on March 5 about how boxing helped him overcome his personal struggles with abusive parents and substance addiction.

Club president Charles Connon ’18, who has been training with Quiles for 10 years, said he invited Quiles on campus in the hopes that his story would inspire others.

“He’s done a lot in his life, and he’s faced a lot of challenges,” Connon said. “The way that he overcomes all of his setbacks no matter what they are is very inspiring. I think if more students heard

his story, it would really help them out.”

Quiles described growing up as the oldest sibling in a household with abusive parents. The conflict at home affected his schoolwork and selfconfidence, which eventually led him to drug and alcohol abuse, he said.

However, Quiles expressed that his boxing talent provided a respite from his problems.

“Boxing saved my life,” Quiles said. “It gave me the opportunity to train and gave me a focus and made me feel some self-worth, some love.”

Connon said he hopes to bring Quiles back on campus to speak to a larger audience.

ALLISON OH/CHRONICLE

KNOCKOUT: Boxing club president Charles Connon ’18 speaks with champion boxer Ricky Quiles following Quiles’ talk to the club.

MARCH 21, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/NEWS

NEWS A7

inbrief

Spaced out: CS girls visit SpaceX facility Female computer science students from both the upper and middle school campuses visited SpaceX on March 16.

Programming and math teacher Jessica Kaufman chaperoned the 20 girls who attended the trip.

The group toured the facility and listened to female engineers talk about their jobs and the goals of the company, which creates rockets and other types of space technology.

Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that encourages women to enter into the field of computer science, hosted the trip.

—Zoe Redlich

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF COCO KALEEL ’20

BOT TO THE TOP: Justin Ansel ’20, Danny Seplow ’19, Coco Kaleel ’20 and Cameron Schiller ’19 discuss team strategies at the Southern California Vex finals in Pomona. Miles Agus ’18, Schiller and DJ Lesh ’18 advanced to the semi-finals of the competition.

Robotics team goes to semi-finals of state competition, qualifies for Worlds

By CASEY KIM AND LUKE SCHNEIDER

to compete with other high school robotics teams.

Subteam 62K placed 15th One of the school robot- at the competition after qualiics teams qualified for the fying matches.

Subteam 62A made it to VEX World Tournament after cheating allegations made semifinals.

“Working for reagainst them at the gionals is more of a state competition were testing ground beoverturned Feb. 24, cause once you are robotics coach Andrew qualified, it gives Theiss said. teams a way to pracSubteams 62A, tice for states and, comprised of Cameron eventually, worlds,” Schiller ’19, Miles Agus Agus said. “Our pro’18 and DJ Lesh ’18, gram doesn’t comW ’ and 62K, comprised of pete in Nationals, Miles Coco Kaleel ’20, Dean but we do compete Agus ’18 Rieter ’20 and Jusin skills, for which tin Ansell ’20, both we are ranked 42nd in the qualified for the state tourna- world.” ment and traveled to Pomona Following an inspection, HITES S

the team made significant changes to their robot and changed their strategy, Theiss said.

This action was an explicit rule violation according to the VEX Robotics Competition game manual.

Kaleel said the allegations were not valid because they were not notified of the rule change.

“62A was complying with the rules to the full extent of their capacity,” Kaleel said.

“However, in the middle of the tournament, the rule was changed internationally and we were not made aware, so later in the tournament, we were no longer in compliance.”

The teammates still stand by one another, Ansell said.

“I support [one of the accused students],” Ansell said.

“I think that he was definitely [acting] within the rules.”

Following the allegations, an investigation took place that culminated in a response from the CEO of the parent company of VEX Robotics, Dan Mantz.

“After receiving a formal appeal, talking to many parties involved and reviewing with the GDC, we are reversing the disqualification and will immediately send an invitation to 62A to compete at the World Championship,” Mantz wrote.

The rest of the team will be able to support the three qualifying students at their next tournament from April 25-28 in Kentucky.

Human Rights Watch Student Task Force facilitates conversation on DACA

By KENDALL DEES

The Human Rights Watch Student Task Force hosted the American Youth Symphony Orchestra to facilitate conversations about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and immigration in Ahmanson Lecture Hall on Monday.

“The orchestra is so inspiring and I think it’s such an important conversation to have,” Human Rights Watch Student Task Force co-president and Chronicle Assistant News Editor Sophie Haber ’19 said.

The orchestra performed music by George Gershwin, a first-generation American born in Brooklyn to immigrants from Russia.

“If Gershwin had been forced to return to Russia as many DACA recipients now face being forced to return to the nations of their parents, the country would have lost

not only an integral part of its culture, but the musical manifestation of its identity,” Human Rights Watch Student Task Force member Sonya Ribner ’19 said.

This year’s goal for the Student Task Force has been to work on campus to advocate for the human rights of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, Haber said.

“I am fortunate enough not to have to worry about my status in this country as a citizen, but for over 690,000 people that security has been taken away from them because the government has not come to a definitive decision on what their action will be in terms of the children who came to the nation when they were young and the country is all they know,” Ribner said.

The Student Task Force hopes that by listening to music written by a first-generation immigrant, students will

be motivated to advocate for America itself was built upon legislation protecting DACA immigration? We all came recipients from deportation, from abroad and started new Human Rights Watch Student lives here. How is it fair if we Task Force co-president Caro- deprive these DACA recipients lyn Kim ’18 said. of this opportunity to live their “Music has always had the American dream?” power to change hearts and The Student Task Force minds about issues,” Kim said. will shift its focus onto issues Following the orchestra’s of genocide and the Rohingperformance, ya people in students took Myanmar. part in a con“This year How is it fair versation we’ve done a lot if we deprive these about DACA. to raise awareDACA recipients of this The task force ness about also held a opportunity to live their DACA on camquestion and pus,” Haber American dream?” answer session said. “In the with the or—Sonya Ribner ’19 UN Declarachestra.

STF Member tion of Human “I feel pasRights, everysionately about one’s home and this issue,” task force member privacy is supposed to be proCatherine Crouch ‘19 said. tected without arbitrary inter“How can we, as Americans, ference. That’s what we were want to deport all of the amaz- trying to protect for DACA reing and talented immigrants cipients and for the Rohingya, coming into this country when too.”

“

Cinema Sundays screens ‘Masters of Sex’

“Masters of Sex” producer Sarah Timberman (Zoe Redlich ’20) and showrunner Michelle Ashford shared their experience developing a television show in this year’s fifth Cinema Sundays on March 11.

“Masters of Sex” tells the true story of sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson and their findings.

Timberman and Ashford discussed the precautions they had to take when handling a show based on a “sexual revolution.”

The audience watched the pilot episode and tenth episode from the first season. After Cinema Sundays, Wilder Short ’18 said he realized the tedious process of producing a show.

—Sofia Heller

Calling entrepreneurs: new fellowship created The application for the first social entrepreneurship fellowship is now open to students who are interested in spending this summer executing a startup proposal to positively impact their community.

Chronicle Executive Editor Elly Choi ’18 created the fellowship.

SEF will provide financial support and mentorship to the chosen applicant. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply for the grant.

The application is due April 12.

—Casey Kim

Students present on socioeconomic issues

Six attendees of the Student Diversity Leadership Conference gave a presentation on socioeconomic differences during a faculty and staff meeting after school Feb. 27.

They discussed how socioeconomic status plays into other elements of diversity.

Following the presentation, the students broke up the faculty and staff into smaller groups in order to simulate the actual experiences of disadvantaged students.

The attendees were then asked to make some of the difficult decisions that these students often have to make.

—Luke Schneider

THE CHRONICLE

A8 News

MARCH 21, 2018

Club hosts Special Olympics

By ALEX GOLDSTEIN

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF COLE HEINE ’19

SNORKELING SESSIONS: Friends of photography student Cole Heine ’19 snorkel around the Great Barrier Reef in Australia together. National Geographic awarded Heine second place for the photo, which he took while he was traveling this past summer.

Photography student awarded second place in annual National Geographic competition

By ANUSHA MATHUR

swimming in the Great Barrier Reef.

As second place winner, Cole Heine ’19 won second place in the annual National Heine won a backpack and Geographic 2018 High School photography instruction book.

He said he is Photography Contest. proud of his perforWith over 5,000 mance in the comentries from across petition and grateful the country, this for the opportunity to year’s competition be judged by profeswas the most competsionals outside of the itive on record. The school community. judging committee “It feels really good publicly released the to have been named competition results W ’ runner up in such March 13.

Cole a highly competitive Heine took his Heine ’19 contest,” Heine said. winning photograph last summer during a National “Being validated in an unbiGeographic Student Expedi- ased way with photography is really hard to come by, so it is tion to Australia.

It captures his friends super cool.”

HITE S

For Heine, the process of selecting and submitting photographs to the competition was the most stressful part.

After choosing his top 20 pictures, he touched up edits on his favorites. He then consulted Visual Arts Teacher Kevin O’Malley and his mother to decide which five to submit.

“This process of narrowing down and comparing photos against others is the hardest part of photography for me, and I am really always learning,” Heine said.

Heine has been interested in photography for the past five years, but started pursuing it seriously three years ago.

Throughout his time at Harvard-Westlake, Heine has

taken both the Photography I and Photography II courses.

The skills that he learned in these classes have helped him to develop as a photographer, Heine said.

His teachers and mentors have played a huge role in bettering his photography and preparing him for the competition, he said. “[O’Malley] has been a huge influence for me in the workflow aspect of photography, being able to get from taking the picture to printing and mounting it,” Heine said.

“Other influences for me have been two of the leaders on the Australia trip, Brett Garner and Jason Edwards, who have been influencing my style of

Students welcomed Special Olympics athletes to campus with high-fives and cheers, encouraging them as they participated in events including long jump and the softball throw during the Special Olympics on March 9.

Members of the school community lined up around the track to welcome approximately 100 student athletes from kindergarten to 12th grade, who arrived on campus to compete in the games.

Students signed up to volunteer at the games where they helped the Special Olympics teachers, accompanied athletes to their events and cheered on athletes as they competed.

“My favorite part was seeing all of the athlete’s smiles, particularly when they were doing the events,” Jess Grody ’19 said. “It seemed like they were having a really great time and I was really happy to get to be a part of it and get to experience their joy with them.”

Students watched the athletes and Opening Ceremony from the bleachers, when the Chamber Singers sang the National Anthem and the cheerleading team performed a dance.

When the Special Olympics began, Head Fanatics led the crowd in cheers and students encouraged the athletes with handmade posters.

Members of Community Council began planning the event after winter break. They worked closely with Chaplain J. Young to work out the logistics of the event, such as setting and ensuring there were enough student volunteers.

Juniors recognized for work in computer science

By SOPHIE HABER

President of Girls Who Code Club Ari Sokolov ’19 received` the National Center for Women & Information Technology Aspirations in Computing Award for her commitment to computer science.

In addition to working with Girls Who Code, HW Venture and the Computer Science Olympiad at school, she develops apps through her own tech company, Logical Nonsense, LLC. She also teaches girls in East Los Angeles about robotics.

Congress recognized Sokolov for her app developing and she has received awards from Apple for her projects two years in a row.

Out of 3,600 applicants, NCWIT selected 40 students to be national winners.

Sokolov traveled to a convention in Charlotte, North Carolina March 9-11.

While there, she met the

other winners, network and receive her award.

“The best part was getting to know other accomplished computer scientists that are doing the same things I am and cooler things,” Sokolov said.

In order to be considered, students filled out an application detailing what they have done with regard to computer science, how they have helped their community through their work and what they want to do with computer science in the future.

At the conference, winners attended a question and answer session with a panel of people who work on the engineering side of Bank of America, which sponsored the event.

They also spoke to people working in security, software, development and gamifying to learn about different industries that encompass computer science.

Before the conference, winners took a Myers-Briggs

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ARI SOKOLOV ’19

SHE’S CRACKING THE CODE: Ari Sokolov ’19 wins a national award from the National Center for Women and Information Technology in North Carolina for her commitment to computer science. test. While in Charlotte, they learned about how different personality types respond to scenarios by completing activities in groups based on Myers -Briggs types and listening to a lecture about how personalities affect group work.

They also attended an interactive museum where they used a robot to spell out their names and communicate a message in Morse code.

At the ceremony for Aspirations in Computing winners, each student received an Apple computer, speaker, booster, headphones and backpack.

Sara Kangaslahti ’19 won an honorable mention on the National level from NCWIT in December.

In her application, Kangaslahti emphasized how she conducted research with a USC graduate student during

an internship at a USC robotics lab.

“I know that it’s really competitive, so I wasn’t expecting to be recognized nationally,” Kangaslahti said.

NCWIT also recognized Chronicle Assistant A&E Editor Lexi So ’19 at the regional level.

“I’m just excited that I get to be part of a larger community of women in tech,” So said.

C HRONICLE THE HARVARD-WESTLAKE

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: JOSIE ABUGOV, DANIELLE SPITZ PRINT MANAGING EDITORS: MADDY DAUM, ALENA RUBIN, ANTHONY WEINRAUB

OPINION The Chronicle • March 21, 2018

Los Angeles • Volume 27• Issue 6 • March 21, 2018 • hwchronicle.com

editorial

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITORS: ELI ADLER, NOA SCHWARTZ EXECUTIVE EDITORS: ELLIS BECKER, ELLY CHOI PRESENTATION EDITORS: NICOLE KIM, KITTY LUO NEWS EDITOR: EMORY KIM ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: KENDALL DEES, ALEX GOLDSTEIN, SOPHIE HABER, SABA NIA, KAITLIN MUSANTE OPINION EDITORS: BRITTANY HONG, CLAIRE KELLER ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR: VISHAN CHAUDHARY FEATURES EDITORS: KRISTIN KUWADA, KATE SCHRAGE ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITORS: SOFIA HELLER, SAM KO, JENNY LI, ALISON OH, CAMERON STOKES A&E EDITORS: GABI BERCHTOLD, SARAH LEE ASSISTANT A&E EDITORS: KAELYN BOWERS, ALEXANDRA SO SENIOR A&E WRITER: CATY SZETO SPORTS EDITORS: AARON PARK, MATTHEW YAM ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: RYAN ALBERT, LUCAS GELFOND, JACKIE GREENBERG, RYAN KIM, ASA SAPERSTEIN, BEN TENZER MULTIMEDIA EDITOR: ISABELLE ESHRAGHI ENGAGEMENT EDITORS: OLIVER AKHTARZAD, ZACH SWARTZ INNOVATION EDITORS: SAM MCCABE, ADAM YU BUSINESS EDITOR: JIWON PARK ASSISTANT BUSINESS EDITOR: CAMERON STOKES PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: PAVAN TAUH FREELANCE CARTOONIST: ANNA GONG LAYOUT ASSISTANTS AND STAFF WRITERS: NOAH AIRE, TAMMER BAGDASARIAN, MARCELO BLANDER, SALVATORE CASOLA, CAITLIN CHUNG, JESSA GLASSMAN, TY GOODRICH, SARAH HEALY, KYRA HUDSON, JOANNA IM, MADISON HUGGINS, COLE KATZ, CASEY KIM, SUN JAE KIM, SPENCER KLINK, YOOHAN KO, JAMES LASSITER, ISABELA LLEVAT, WILLIAM MALLORY, ANUSHA MATHUR, KEILA MCCABE, ALEX MORK, JORDAN MURRAY, LAUREN NEHORAI, GRANT PALMER, ZOE REDLICH, SARAH REIFF, LUKE SCHNEIDER, ZACK SCHWARTZ, WILLIAM SEYMOUR, EMMA SHAPIRO, DYLAN SHENSON, VALERIE VELAZQUEZ, ASTOR WU, LINDSAY WU, EUGENE WYMAN, AMELIE ZILBER LAYOUT ASSISTANT ADVISER: JULIET SUESS ADVISER: JIM BURNS 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, 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 Jiwon Park at jpark3@ hwemail.com. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or school.

For 17 minutes last week, faculty and administration joined us in solidarity. For 17 minutes, we honored the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.

For 17 minutes, we imagined the change that our generation has the potential to enact.

Since the shooting in Florida last month, high schoolers have stepped up to challenge legislators and the status quo.

It’s empowering to watch activists our own age make a tangible difference in an issue that’s long been stymied by polarization and a lack of accountability for legislators’ impotence.

In fact, two weeks ago, the Florida legislature raised the purchasing age for a firearm from 18 to 21; the law also bans the sale of bump stocks, an accessory used in the Las Vegas shooting that allows a gun to fire more quickly. The fact that Florida, a state with historically loose gun laws, passed these reforms so rapidly is indicative of the power that student activists have. If the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas hadn’t so bravely spoken out, none of this would be a reality.

We’re proud that our school took part in the national walkout. It may seem like a drop in the bucket, but placed in the context of a broader movement, we took an important stand. When taking the history of high school protest into account, the significance is magnified further: there have been few times when high school students were able to make an impact in a way that led to meaningful action.

At Harvard-Westlake itself, our way to participate in the national movement was to memorialize the lives lost in Florida with short speeches, a moment of silence and profiles of those killed. There wasn’t a protest, and we didn’t walk off-campus with posters in our hands. While those poignant displays of activism took place on campuses across the country, our own gathering was no less powerful. Regardless of the way in which we participated in the movement, we should recognize that our endgoal is the same.

We took part in something bigger than our school and ourselves.

We also focused on what we could do to see real results: encouraging teens to vote.

There’s strength in numbers, and the national walkout proved that young people have the ability to sway a vote if they take action.

We are grateful that our school administration supported us in the walkout.

We know that some high school administrators around the country were unsure of how to respond, and we appreciate that ours believed in the power that we hold as students and were willing to support our efforts. While the focus of the movement has been on the safety of students, it’s important to remember that teachers and faculty are also deeply affected by the debate on gun regulation. We are glad that teachers, administrators and students were able to come together and direct our message toward the lawmakers who have the power to change legislation.

Seeing the impact of a movement we were a part of in the news was heartwarming and empowering. We are proud to have followed the lead of the brave activists from Marjory Stoneman Douglas and take the issue into our own hands. And we can use the events of last week as a stepping stone to taking further action. As young people, we might feel discouraged or that we don’t have the same voice as adults, but the past month has proved the opposite to be true. The next steps are to register (or preregister) to vote, to contact our representatives and participate in future demonstrations.

Last week’s walkout was only the beginning.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SAMANTHA KO

A10 OPINION

THE CHRONICLE

MARCH 21, 2017

In defense of the trigger warning

By Sarah Lee

P

lease note: this column contains brief mentions of sexual abuse/assault, abuse and gun violence.

Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?

In recent years, the concept of the trigger warning has made waves throughout the academic world. The idea behind trigger warnings is that teachers and professors should disclose content that could cause psychological harm to students in order to prevent worsening symptoms of certain mental illnesses.

Those against implementing these warnings, however, suggest they promote academic censorship, and that, if everything goes perfectly wrong, we could end up in a society where all academic texts with potentially “triggering” content would be banned from the classroom.

The thing is, the benefits of having trigger warnings far outweigh any potential risks that come with them. For starters, being “triggered” is not being overly-sensitive to social justice issues, contrary to what Internet memes may imply. Rather, when one is triggered, it can result in a wide range of symptoms, including panic attacks, flashbacks to a traumatic incident or relapses into addiction, according to 1in6.org, a resource website for male survivors of sexual abuse.

It takes an average of 30 minutes to calm down from a panic attack, according to calmclinic.com, a self-help website for people struggling with anxiety. By contrast, a trigger warning should take no longer than a minute to type or say out loud. So, from a utilitarian perspective, trigger warnings are beneficial because of the great deal of pain they prevent for just less than a minute’s inconvenience.

There are many conditions that can cause one to be triggered, but the one I would like to address is Post-

SAMANTHA KO/CHRONICLE

Crooked coverage: the Olympics

By Alison Oh

T

he Olympic Games, more so than any other sporting event, aim to connect people from all around the world. The opening and closing ceremonies conducted at every Olympics allow host nations to showcase their unique and diverse cultures. Olympians have the chance to represent their countries on a global stage; national pride and patriotism are as much a driving force as pure athleticism. However, American media coverage of last month’s Winter Olympics, hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea, ran contrary to the Olympics’ stated goal. Frankly, I was disappointed by the pure ignorance and cultural insensitivity of it all.

NBC, which owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympics, consistently mispronounced the name of the host city Pyeongchang, claiming that their Americanized pronunciation sounded “cleaner.” CNN broadcasted an investigative report on Korean dog farming as a part of their Olympics sports coverage. An Olympic analyst commented that, “every Korean will tell you that Japan is a cultural, technological and economic example that has been so important to their own transformation” during the opening ceremony, completely discounting Japan’s brutal annexation of the Korean peninsula less than 100 years ago.

While some of these media snafus may have been genuine mistakes, the disregard for South Korean culture and history left a bitter taste in my mouth, especially because I am the daughter of South Korean immigrants. My grandparents, who lived through Japanese control of Korea, were particularly enraged by the media’s apparent rewriting of the atrocities they experienced firsthand. Similarly, the emphasis on the cruelty of the dog farming industry also showed disdain for Asian culture. While dog farming is undoubtedly inhumane, CNN does not broadcast investigative reports on pig farming whenever it covers major sports games in North Carolina. Clearly, many of these blunders came from a Western attitude of cultural superiority and not just simple ignorance.

Unfortunately, American media treated Asian-American athletes with the same lack of cultural sensitivity. When American figure skater Mirai Nagasu landed a historic triple axel during the figure skating team competition, for example, New York Times op-ed writer and editor Bari Weiss tweeted out a line from the musical Hamilton: “Immigrants: they get the job done.” Nagasu, however, while a child of immigrants, is not an immigrant herself: she was born and raised in California. It seems like a minor distinction, but

Asian-Americans are too often treated as if they are inherently foreign simply because of their ethnicity. This “perpetual foreigner” stereotype manifests itself in many ways, from the constant questioning of “where are you really from?” to the portrayal of Asian-Americans as fundamentally incompatible with American society. Even if her intentions were good, Weiss’ tweet played into this all-too-common stereotype.

When my mother saw the headlines about the controversy over Weiss’ tweet, she remarked disappointedly that it reminded her of a previous Olympics controversy. During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, MSNBC ran the headline “American Beats Out Kwan” after Tara Lipinski, a blonde, white American, defeated Michelle Kwan, a Chinese American, for the Olympic gold medal. It’s regrettable that little change seems to have been made in the twenty years since.

The disrespect shown to both South Korean culture and Asian-American athletes during this year’s Olympics felt personal to me. But I want to challenge everyone to examine their own biases and how that plays into their actions. The media coverage of the Olympics revealed that cultural ignorance is still endemic in American society, and that’s something that affects everyone.

The Indu-sputed truth

By Indu Pandey

A

Administration annouces 2nd and 4th Wednesday Assemblies

fter the resounding success of 1st and 3rd Wednesday Assembly, the administration announced its new 2nd and 4th Wednesday Assembly.

“It’s so important to us that we’re together as a diverse and inclusive community every week,” the administration said in an email. “The community bonds we nurture in these cozy moments is the Mission Statement.”

The school has received pushback from the Center for Disease Control for their expansion of assembly.

“Our research finds that Taper is equivalent to a refugee camp in terms of biohazard danger,” the CDC report concluded. “We think this is the most likely ground-zero for the next bubonic plague outbreak.”

The report also warned of possible amputation risk from losing feeling in your legs.

“The administration is full of lud-

dites,” Snow F. Lake wrote on the official ‘End HW Assembly’ change.org petition, “Have they not heard of email?

Five days a week of SoulCycle didn’t prepare me for this level of pain.”

Budding filmmakers in the student body came to the defense of the administration’s controversial new program.

“Muffled volume and bad lighting was the way these promo videos were meant to be watched!” Leaders of Westflix declared at their quad rally. “You don’t understand art, you plebs!”

Some students have responded to the news with innovations.

“I started ‘Billions for Boredom’ to raise funds for students during assembly,” Val Lee, future Harvard applicant noted. “We need real material support like Rubik’s cubes, vuvuzelas, and acai bowls. Make sure this article turns out well; I’m sending it in to my earlies. It’s called selfless philanthropy.” ¡Viva la libertad!

Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The causes of PTSD can vary, but a few common ones listed by the National Health Service are abuse, sexual assault (especially at a young age) or witnessing extreme violence—things that no one should have to go through.

Most of us think we should help people who have had to face these tragedies.

So, why is it that, when given a simple way to do so, we turn their symptoms into a “triggered” joke? Why do we accuse survivors with plotting to increase censorship?

Why do we, when offered a means by which to help these people recover, deny them that option, and then criticize them for not recovering quickly enough?

Trauma survivors are not trying to censor their teachers and professors. They aren’t trying to find excuses to cut class. All they’re asking for is a heads-up, a brief mention of, “Oh, by the way, there’s a rape scene in this chapter,” so they can mentally prepare for it when it comes, rather than have it come out of nowhere—with dire consequences.

I know that not every person has the same triggers.

I know some people can be triggered by something like the weather outside the day they witnessed a mass shooting. I’m not saying we have to include trigger warnings for rain. But if a book for English explicitly deals with themes like partner abuse, shouldn’t we give our community members who have had experiences that we cannot possibly begin to imagine some degree of fair warning?

We talk all the time about the steps we should take as a school to be more sensitive to people different from ourselves. So why do we refuse to do something so simple with so important a benefit?

Or rather, why do we know of and understand the benefit and still choose to turn the other way?

Former Chronicle News Associate gives her take on current pop culture and politics in a recurring satire column. In this issue, she discusses assemblies and the ambiguous death of Rex Tillerson.

R

Rex Tillerson dies (we think)

ex Tillerson, former CEO of Exxon Mobil and Secretary of State, died Tuesday

morning.

The Chronicle could not ascertain whether or not this is factually correct. But, seriously, have you heard anything about this guy? Like ever?

“Rex who?” Chief of Staff John Kelly responded to reporters’ questions about Rex. “Like the dinosaur?

The Smithsonian is down the street.”

Tillerson, who was apparently Secretary of State according to Wikipedia, will be succeeded by Mike Pompeii, current Director of the CIA. “This will be the second Mike in my cabinet,” President Donald Trump tweeted. “We’re calling him Mikey P for short. It’s a great day for America!”

Speculation surrounds Tillerson’s cause of death. Some have

accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of nerve-gassing Tillerson.

“Tally-ho?” Putin responded in a press statement. “Don’t you think I have other more important people to nerve-gas?”

Some State Department employees claim that Tillerson was real.

“I swear this isn’t like the Loch Ness Monster,” a State Department staff member said, holding back tears. “Tilly was my friend! And, no, he wasn’t imaginary. #neverforget” The Chronicle attempted to interview another State Department employee, but we could only find one guy in a fetal position and Jared Kushner staring at a wall with a half-smile.

“It’s a ghost town!” the staff member raved. “Can you feel him?

Can you feel Tilly’s spirit?”

Rex Wayne Tillerson, we tried to remember you. Rest in peace.

MARCH 21, 2017

HWCHRONICLE.COM/OPINION

OPINION A11

quadtalk: “Were you in favor of the school’s decision to participate in the national walkouts?”

“I think that it’s good that the school supported and took part in the National Walkouts because I think it’s good that everyone has a voice and opportunity.”

Taylor Jones ’18

“I definitely supported it just because, not even to get into the political side of things, I really supported it because I do not support school shooting obviously, so I thought it was really important that we spread awareness.”

Skyler Calkins ’20

VISHAN CHAUDHARY/CHRONICLE

Farid Adibi ’19

“I was in favor because it’s our freedom of speech and I don’t think the school should even dictate whether we take part in it or not because it’s a student led activity.”

VISHAN CHAUDHARY/CHRONICLE

VISHAN CHAUDHARY/CHRONICLE

Poll

Were you in favor of the school’s decision to participate in the national walkouts?

Yes: 82% percent

No: 18% percent

373 students weighed in on the March 15-16 poll INFOGRAPHIC BY BRITTANY HONG

Activism from the heart

To see some real results

By Ellis Becker

By Saba Nia

I

had never seen them so quiet.

There was something haunting about the way the children clutched their poster boards and stared straight ahead.

They were like the statues of the Founding Fathers we had passed on the way there, solemn and unflinching and strong. They had a purpose.

They had emotion. And they would stand there forever.

Huddled in my coat and scarf, I settled down on the road before the East side of the White House. Along with hundreds of other students, I turned my back on the capitol for 17 minutes on March 14 to support National Walkout Day. I’m not political. I wasn’t there to shout at the president or criticize the NRA. I wasn’t even in D.C. just to protest gun violence. As part of the organization KidUnity, I had been herding 36 sixth-graders for half a week as we went from one meeting to the next, speaking to senators and non-profit organizations and journalists as we advocated for a variety of causes. In the spur of the moment, we had decided to gather art supplies and march to the heart of the city.

Anyone who has had to babysit even one twelve-year old can tell you that their attention span is very limited, their spatial awareness close to nonexistent and their adherence to rules inconsistent.

And if an elementary school student does not want to do something, you don’t convince him to care with cold-hard facts and obscure pieces of information.

You can’t force a child to do anything he or she isn’t invested in from the inside out.

The students had drawn all over their posters, filling the white background with their thoughts, hopes and wishes. They were filled with facts and name, but mostly emotion.

I used to tell myself that that the best way to stand up for what I believed in was to stick the facts and logical arguments. I shouldn’t ever get too caught up in a cause or let my emotions cloud my judgment. But the number one piece of advice all the NGOs and mentors and senators gave us was: to be passionate . They told us to be emotional, to do what you cared about and not back down.

I’m not going to lie, these kids couldn’t go five minutes without straying from the group, or complaining about the cold or giggling about their “crushes.”

But seeing how these kids took it upon themselves to advocate for the most underrepresented of causes, watching how confidently they spoke to elected officials and finally, how they all stood in the bitter wind to honor the lives of children not much older than them, I felt my heart swell.

My heart, not my mind, because the voice of reason can win battles, but the people who spark a revolution, whose statues stood beside me, were there for their fire and passion as much as their military and diplomatic achievements.

I had never seen them so quiet, and I had never seen them so expressive and vocal.

O

n March 14, I stood up at 10 a.m. and walked out of my Business of Life class.

I made my way to the field, where I stood with fellow members of my community to honor those lost in a similar one.

While I stood in silence, realizing that an event like the one that happened in Florida could easily happen at a place like Harvard-Westlake, I also realized that we as a society are arguing for gun restrictions for all of the wrong reasons.

I completely believe that gun control is absolutely necessary in our country. I firmly believe, and have believed for a very long time, that our country should follow in the footsteps of nations like Australia and Japan and completely ban all firearms.

And a major reason for that is that I hate guns, as they are awful machines that have been employed by far too many to wipe out millions of people. But to a lawmaker, that is a terrible argument as to why our country should ban firearms. That is an argument driven by my own emotion. It is driven by my feelings toward guns.

While everyone, no matter who they are, is entitled to their own feelings about firearms, we cannot let these feelings dictate our arguments, and that is exactly what is happening.

Our society is now demanding major policy change because we feel that guns are awful, and we feel unsafe with them in our culture.

Those are completely valid feelings, but they cannot be the driving force

behind our demand for change. And yes, these are arguments of emotion because they are only rising out of tragedy. Tragedy can be an effective catalyst for change, but I have lived through tragedy after tragedy, and the same process repeats itself: people are outraged, memorials are held, people forget, and we move on.

The First Amendment is an amazing thing, and protests are an incredible way to exercise the rights given to us. However, these protests cannot become driven by emotion. While it is good to be passionate about an issue, as soon as you let that passion control your arguments and your actions, the truth is clouded in a sea of emotion.

Protest because, on an average day, 96 Americans are killed with guns, according to everytownresearch. org. Protest because there are nearly 13,000 gun homicides each year.

Protest because nearly two-thirds of all gun deaths in the United States are suicides. Protest because there were 427 mass shootings in the United States in 2017. But please, do not protest because you hate guns. Do not protest because you feel. Protest because you know.

The arguments that need to be made are not ones of hate, fear, frustration or even love. The arguments that we as a society need are not the ones that lawmakers will listen to and brush off as those coming from an enraged population, but the ones that lawmakers will see come from a well-informed and determined society that is ready for, and demanding of change.

A12

We’re In It to Win It

spotlight

March 21, 2018

To conclude Community Service Week, students volunteered and cheered on athletes at the Special Olympics. The competition took place during an activities period March 10 on Ted Slavin Field.

NOAH AIRE ’20/CHRONICLE

WAY TO GO, KIDDO: Print Managing Editor Alena Rubin ’18 congratulates a student shortly after Special Olympics athletes competed in the javelin throw.

NOAH AIRE ’20/CHRONICLE

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO: Athletes line up before the start of the 100 meter dash. The entire event lasted 70 minutes before students returned to their classes.

ALEX GOLDSTEIN ’19/CHRONICLE

LOVE IS IN THE AIR: To kick off the event, students, faculty and staff form a “tunnel of love” to greet the

Special Olympics athletes with cheers and encouragements as they walk the track around Ted Slavin field.

ALEX GOLDSTEIN ’19/CHRONICLE

2-4-6-8, WHO DO WE APPRECIATE: The cheerleaders perform their routines to energize students cheering on the bleachers and to encourage the athletes.

ALEX GOLDSTEIN ’19/CHRONICLE

FIVE-STAR FRIENDS: Student volunteers Helen Graham ’20 and Mikey Corrin ’18 high-five atlhletes after they completed the 100 meter dash. The events started during an activities period and continued for two more hours.

NOAH AIRE ’20/CHRONICLE

SIGNS OF SUCCESS: Leila Dall’Olmo ’20 and Staff Writer Casey Kim ’20 cheer

and hold up signs that they made during an activity for Community Service Week.

ALEX GOLDSTEIN ’19/CHRONICLE

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STARS: Juniors support the athletes from the

bleachers. Around 100 athletes participated in the various sports events that day.

FEATURES The Chronicle • March 21, 2018

Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Inspired by the student-led gun control movement, members of the community discuss the future of student activism.

• Story on B7

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTIN KUWADA

B2 FEATURES

THE CHRONICLE

MARCH 21, 2018 Students share their opinions on the requirement that all adult males register for the draft through the Selective Service.

By SOPHIE HABER

However, this change was not included in the approved legislation.

“I’m curious as to why this is Daniel Varela ’18 never envisioned that registering for the mil- still a thing and why they haitary draft had anything to do with ven’t updated it yet, especialapplying to a private university. But ly because in today’s society, we as he answered questions about don’t like putting gender barriers his education and family’s income on things,” Taia Cheng ’19 said.

As a female student entering on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, Varela came across West Point in the fall, Izzy Reiff a box that he hadn’t expected. ’18 said she knows that the mili“Register Student for Se- tary hasn’t historically been comlective Service,” it read. pletely equal based on gender and After his initial surprise, Vare- doesn’t anticipate that changing la learned that males aged 18-25 soon. Women in the military were are required to register for the Se- not allowed in front-line combat lective Service, which maintains roles until the Defense Department a list of the draft-eligible popu- lifted the gender-based restriclation, in order to qualify for fed- tion on military service in 2015.

“I think that you just have to eral programs, including federal student loans, job training and kind of go into [the military] with security clearance, according to the mentality that you know some the Selective Service System web- things are going to be stacked site. Despite his concerns, Varela against you and that’s just the reluctantly complied with the law. way it is,” Reiff said. “Whether or not that’s good and fair or “I was kind of nauseous at unfair, you just have to the fact that I actually went set all of your personal through and did it,” Varela opinions aside and figsaid. “I did process it for a ure out how you’re goweek. I was like, ‘do I realing to get through it.” ly need this federal aid?’”

For Reiff, serving the Although every male is country is not an obligation. required to sign up with“I’m doing it totally difin 30 days of their 18th ferently because I’m gobirthday, Varela said he ing far out of my way and was upset that registra’ making an active choice to tion for the Selective SerDaniel serve,” Reiff said. “I know vice is tied to financial aid.

Varela ’18 people in other countries “I’m low income, so I need who have been conscriptfinancial aid to attend a private university for four years,” Varela said. ed, and what I’ve heard is that you “It’s just one of those things that have to just make that best of it.”

Inspired by her family’s backyou can’t really get yourself out of.

It feels like you’re being tied down.” ground in communist China, Reiff Varela also said he thinks said that she hopes to double major it is unfair that only males in computer science and Chinese are required to register. at West Point and serve the miliIn a Chronicle poll of 349 stu- tary by working in cybersecurity or dents, 65 percent said that they intelligence. She said most people think the Selective Service require- who go to military academies come ment should include all genders. from military families, but it is “I feel like it says that it’s her family’s experience with comyour duty as a man in Ameri- munism that drives her to serve.

“I’m not minimizing the probca that you have to register for the draft, but there are wom- lems in our society or saying that en and transgender people who we can’t be doing better, are much more capable of those but I still feel lucky things than I am,” Varela said. and thankful that I In June of 2016, the Senate ap- was born here and proved a version of a military policy now, and I feel like bill that required women 18 and over this is a way for me to to register for the Selected Service, tangibly do someaccording to the New York Times. thing that exWHITE S

presses that,” Reiff said. ing drafted, are so low that it’s Because of his family’s ex- not worth it to take the risk. The perience in the military, Vare- risk is already minimal, so there’s la said he was deterred from really no point in not signing it.”

Out of 359 students polled, 52 a career path in the service.

“My family has a big military percent said they were aware that background and I’ve seen what males are required to register for the the military did to them psycho- Selective Service when they turn 18.

When Irene’s* brother, who is logically, so I just don’t want to be a part of it,” Varela said. in college, unexpectedly received Although there has not been a a letter in the mail saying he had draft since the Vietnam War, Varela to register for the Selective Sersaid that signing up for the Selective vice, his mom told him to ignore it.

“It’s scary to think that he could Service has caused him to contemplate the possible effects of being be obligated to do that,” Irene said. enlisted. He said that now, when- “After he got the letter, he was ever he reads a news alert on his talking to my parents and was tryphone, the possibility of being draft- ing to talk to people who were on his ed remains in the back of his mind. floor in college. They all either had “If I were to go to war, what’s go- no clue what he was talking about or ing to happen to me?” Varela said. they were like, ‘Yeah, I did it.’ How“How will that affect my education? ever, my mom didn’t want him to.”

Before receiving the letter, How will that affect my life? You come to America thinking you have Irene and her family didn’t know the requireliberties, can do ment existed. whatever you Her parents want to do and said they were have social mobilIt’s not a real issue confused when ity, but if we have they were told her because I don’t ever see these requirebrother had to ments that evour military needing more register, because ery citizen has to people. No one else in the they hadn’t heard take, it obscures about it from any that mindset that world even comes close to of his friends who you can do whatthe United States’ military were already 18. ever you want “They were prowess.” here in America.” kind of blindsided Matt Siegel —Matt Siegel ’19 by it,” Irene said. ’19, who regisCheng also tered for the Sesaid she didn’t lective Service know there was at the DMV the day after his 18th birthday , said a requirement until recently.

“It makes me a little bit unhe is not worried about the prospect of being enlisted in the draft. comfortable thinking that my lit“It’s not a real issue because I tle brother would have to register don’t ever see our military needing when he turns 18,” Cheng said.

However, Varela said he thinks more people,” Siegel said. “No one else in the world even comes close to there should not be a requirement the United States’ military prowess.” to register for the Selective Service.

“Luckily, we’re not a country The consequences of failing to comply with the Military Selec- where there is a draft and every tive Services Act, which can in- kid has to go into the army,” Vaclude a fine of up to $250,000 and rela said. “People who want to do a prison term of up to five years, it are definitely more successful are more significant than than the people who don’t. I think the consequences of [the requirement] is a weird thing registering for Siegel. that we have in place, but no one “It’s a numbers ever talks about it because we game,” Siegel said. just accept the truth that we have “The odds of me being to sign up for it. And that’s final.” drafted, or of any *Names have been changed. of my friends be-

“

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOFIA HELLER

MARCH 21, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

FEATURES B3

Out of the Spotlight Maintenance, security and cafeteria staff play a key role in creating a welcoming school environment, but many notice a gap between staff and students.

By SABA NIA

off-campus. Members of staff who work on campus all-day, A few months into her however, also said they nosophomore year, Caroline tice a social division between Cook ’19 knew firshand themselves and students.

“I think it can be improved about the importance of work but right now, [the adminisdone behind the scenes.

Perched on the edge of her tration’s] doing a good job,” seat at a lunch table outside cafeteria manager assistant of Seaver, she stared at the Vattanachai Iapatcharawut script before her. Though she said. “The way I see it, there’s didn’t have musical rehears- still a gap between the staff al that day, Cook stayed after and the students. It can be school to chat with friends better.”

Some students said that and finish her intimidating they try to bridge this gap pile of homework.

As she hummed a song by seeking out conversations from “Les Miserables” to her- with staff members.

“Obviously, we’re in a self, Cook looked up from her work and made eye contact very privileged school, so it’s with a member of the mainte- important for us to apprecinance crew. She smiled, Je- ate all the faculty and all the sus “Jessie” Vazquez walked people that work here who toward her table, and the two make the school the way it is — the [people who] keep instantly became friends. our school “There’s clean, keep no way our school that Jessie It’s important safe,” Dylan [Vazquez] for us to appreciate all Wan ’18 said. c o u l d ’ v e “So I think the faculty and all the known that that’s why I’m I was having people that work here good friends a hard time who make the school with [cafeteadjusting to ria cashier the way it is.” the Upper Phairot JanSchool and —Dylan Wan ’18 thep and Iahow much I patcharawut], appreciated his friendliness, but I real- because I have the utmost ly did at that moment and respect for people who work still do today,” Cook said. here and protect our school.”

Administrators also often “He always says ‘Hi’ to me at school, and my brother and express their appreciation for I have had such nice conver- the staff, upper school dean Beth Slattery said, and wish sations with him.”

Vazquez has been a mem- to increase communication ber of the maintenance staff through more than informal at Harvard-Westlake for three conversations.

“I do think that we are years. He said he enjoys interacting with students at doing a better job – I think the school but believes their that we’re more aware of it – busy schedules prevent them but I think communication is from engaging in full conver- something that we struggle with as a school in general: sations with him.

“Most of the kids are al- communication to students, ways open and always say- communication to parents, ing, ‘Hi,’ ‘Hey,’ ‘Good morn- communication to faculty,” ing’ and ‘How are you doing?,’ Slattery said.

Maintenance staff did not but some of them are quiet,” Vazquez said. “They’re work- have school email addressing on their projects and es until recently and have homework, and sometimes I since been more included in think they just don’t want to school-wide communication, Slattery said. be bothered.”

John Hernandez, who has Vazquez’s separation from students also stems worked at the school for eight from his absence on cam- years, said that the school pus because his duties often also makes an effort to highinclude cleaning the base- light the different members of ball field and tennis courts staff and the work they do.

“

“They capture that in who make this place run.” their own [new family] oriThroughout her 13 years entations and let [the Har- at the school, Slattery said vard-Westlake community] she’s learned that students’ know, especially the parents, lack of appreciation doesn’t that this is what we provide stem from maliciousness here at Harvard-Westlake but more from distraction and this is the type of secu- and forgetfulness. This abrity staff that we have,” Her- sent-mindedness is particunandez said. larly prevalent in the accuWhen the school cele- mulation of trash and the brates certain staff members messiness of the lounge, who help facilitate events in Slattery said. assemblies and meetings, “I think a lot of it has to staff members said that they do with individuals’ upbringappreciate the recognition. ing, kind of their own sense “That’s really nice when of awareness,” upper school they do that on the stage for dean Celso Cardenas said. us, and it’s something we “It’s not necessarily somedon’t even expect,” Vazquez thing we need to [teach] as a said. “We know that that is school. For individuals, their our duty, and we do it happi- upbringings and what their ly to help everybody. It’s re- parents have taught them ally nice when they do that, are factors that have made but it’s not a requirement.” them more aware.”

However, 79 As a former percent of 358 stuteacher in Mexico, dent respondents to Vazquez said he enthe March Chronjoys conversing with icle Poll said they students about their believe the school futures, such as does not adequately what they want to be recognize the work when they’re older. done by staff mem“I know that’s bers on campus. one of the biggest ’ After more than decisions in your Jesus ten years working at life, and at that age, Vazquez the Upper School, and even at my age, Janthep said he enwe get confused like joys when students establish deciding, ‘do you want to bea personal connection with come a doctor or become a him; it not only makes him lawyer,’” Vazquez said. “But I feel closer to other members try always to say ‘Hi’ and try of the community, but ac- to motivate them to do things knowledges his work. and accomplish their dreams “I like it when they call and goals.” my name and everybody Though he said his mothknows who I am,” he said. er constantly asks him why “I’m happy.” he works as a member of Students and faculty are the maintenance crew when generally respectful, except he holds a computer scifor when faculty members try ence degree, Vazquez said to rush through the check- he wouldn’t want to be anyout lines, Janthep said. Ad- where else. ministrators said that often Many students who reguparents and students don’t larly interact with staff memrecognize how hard staff bers said they cannot imagmembers work because they ine school without them. aren’t as aware of all the “I just really appreciate work they do behind-the- how kind all of the maintescenes. nance guys and members “There are so many peo- of [Harvard-Westlake] staff ple who are doing all this are,” Cook said. “I think it is work on students’ behalf that so cool that we go to a school I don’t think they’re as aware where all adults on campus of,” Slattery said. “I don’t are always thinking about us know exactly how to do that, and care a lot about each of but I would like to see it done us as individuals having the because I do think that many best experiences we can at of those people are the ones Harvard-Westlake.”

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ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

B4 FEATURES

THE CHRONICLE

MARCH 2

21, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

By JOSIE ABUGOV

arises when Ulysses Klaue, a mad scientist with his eyes By the time Charles Flip- set on stealing Wakanda’s pen ’18 was five years old, he vibranium, and Killmonger, was already well versed in the who has a personal vendetta world of Marvel and DC com- against the nation, threaten the sanctity of the utopian ics.

Inheriting his love for su- state.

The 2018 movie starring perheroes from his father, Flippen vividly remembers Chadwick Boseman, Michael trips to the comic book store B. Jordan, Lupita N’yongo and his amazement at his and Danai Gurira is the latest dad’s cooler stuffed with the film to earn more than $1 billion, the 33rd film in history comics he grew up reading.

Though an ardent fan of and the fifth Marvel movie to the Avengers and Batman se- ever do so. 52 percent of Harries, Flippen said that reading vard-Westlake students have “Black Panther” as a young seen Black Panther, accordboy was particularly influen- ing to a Chronicle poll of 360 students. This resounding tial for him.

“When I first started read- success is both empowering and significant, Fliping ‘Black Panther’ pen said. comics, I was so ex“A lot of people cited because I got didn’t think [‘Black to see a superhePanther’] was going to ro that looked like do well because it’s an me,” he said. “He entirely black cast,” had a reputation Flippen said. “The of always knowing worldwide success the right thing to that this movie had do which made him ’ will hopefully show someone I aspired P. Nya studios that movies to be like. Even Beckham ’19 with all black casts though he’s a ficand mainly minority casts tional character, I saw him as can be successful, which will a role model.”

The comic’s origins date hopefully allow for a shift in back to the late 1960s. Writ- Hollywood where people will er, editor and publisher at start making more of these Marvel Comics Stan Lee and movies.”

In terms of box office sales, writer and artist at Mar“Wonder Woman” was the vel Comics Jack Kirby, both white men sympathetic to the most successful movie of the Civil Rights Movement, intro- summer of 2017. Followduced “Black Panther” into ing its release, some people the Marvel world. His first echoed a similar sentiment appearance came in July of to Flippen’s, noting how its success dispels a Hollywood 1966 in Fantastic 4 #52.

In 1998, comic book writer myth that movies centered Christopher Priest expanded around women or people of the Black Panther mytholo- color wouldn’t generate an gy in a 60-issue series, and impressive box office revenue.

During a segment of the in 2016, author Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote another “Black 90th Academy Awards, actor Panther” comic series to be Kumail Nanjiani highlighted followed by the 2018 screen- the importance of diversity in entertainment, referencplay.

The story centers around ing “Black Panther,” “Wonder T’Challa, the Black Panther Woman” and “Get out.”

“Some of my favorite movand king of Wakanda, an isolated, high-tech African na- ies are by straight white tion that derives its wealth dudes about straight white from the powerful metal sub- dudes,” Nanjiani said in the stance, vibranium. Conflict video. “Now, straight white WHITE S

FEATURES B5 dudes can watch movies starring me and you can relate to that. It’s not that hard. I’ve been doing it my whole life.”

Though inspired after seeing both “Black Panther” and “Wonder Woman,” Nicole Bahar ’18 felt a different sense of empowerment in viewing the respective movies.

“What I loved about ‘Wonder Woman’ was how awesome [the character] was, but it was also very unattainable because she was one stunning woman who was all-powerful,” Bahar said.

“Even though she came from an island of powerful women, it was still very much about her. In Black Panther, pretty much every woman in the movie was amazingly powerful.”

Bahar is referring to the Dora Milaje, the group of Wakandan warriors trained to militarily defend the king.

Recruited from all the tribes throughout Wakanda, these warriors are exclusively female. Okaya, played by Gurira, heads the Dora Milaje in the film adaptation.

“The idea with ‘Black Panther’ was to have femininity and ferocity as this thing that was so completely covered and so totally normal,” Danai said to Vice. “It wasn’t something you had to choose, one or the other. It was the embodiment that all women can be, which was really on the page from the get-go.”

Aside from the Dora Milaje, “Black Panther” featured other significant female supporting characters, including Wakandan princess Shuri, who controls all the technology in the nation, the queen of Wakanda and Nakia, T’Challa’s friend and love interest. “‘Black Panther’ did an amazing job of empowering women,” Nya Beckham ’19 said. “In the movie, we protected the black men, and no decisions were made until a black woman of power approved them. The fact that the army guarding the king and his family was solely

black women was extremely that media, almost like radirevolutionary.” ation, builds up,” director of Furthermore, the movie the Ralph J. Bunche Center was groundbreaking in its for African American Studies casting of these female char- Darnell Hunt said to Huffacters, Beckham said.

Post. “And the accumulated “Being able to see darkskin effect is to make you feel that girls in a place of power in the what you’re seeing is somemovie was so important be- what normal.” cause colorism is a serious isAccording to a poll of 360 sue in the black community,” Harvard-Westlake students, she said. “We tend to divide 82 percent said that what ourselves by skin tone and they see in pop culture affects the lighter you are the ‘better’ them personally. In 2012, you are, which is complete- Professor at Indiana Universily untrue. I think that it was ty Nicole Martins and Profestime to put that argument to sor at University of Michigan rest and show young black Kristen Harrison co-authored girls that no matter their skin a study on television’s effect tone, they are important, on self-esteem. Using children beautiful and powerful.” as the subjects of their study, Movies like they found “Black Panthat white ther” could males reWhen I first demonstrate a ported highstarting reading ‘Black positive shift er self-esfor the futeem as they Panther’ comics, I was ture of mainwatched, so excited because I got stream cinewhile girls to see a superhero that ma, students and boys said. of color felt looked like me.” “[‘Black worse about —Charles Flippen ’18 themselves.

Panther’] paves the way The confor other Afrocept of “symcentric movies to find success bolic annihilation” relates to in the film industry,” Flippen this phenomenon. Researchsaid. “Diversity is important ers George Gerbner and Larin pop culture because that’s ry Gross coined the term in a how many people learn about 1976 paper, “Living with Teleother cultures. Entertain- vision.” ment holds so much power “Representation in the ficover how we view the world. tional world signifies social Everyone makes assumptions existence; absence means about things they’ve never symbolic annihilation,” Gerbexperienced in the real world ner and Gross wrote in “Livbefore based on what they see ing with Television.” on TV and in movies. Having Personally feeling the ima movie like ‘Black Panther’ is pact of “Black Panther’s” sucso impactful because it por- cess is gratifying and inspirtrays black people and Africa ing, Flippen said. in a way that no other movie “We’ve seen all these othever has.” er Marvel movies that people Studies have shown that are all talking about,” Flippen representation in pop culture said. “There’s a sense of pride can have tangible effects on in coming to school and havthe way members of society, ing your friends talk about a regardless of their own demo- movie that’s about black peographics, perceive different ple. All the time it’s always groups of people. a white hero saving the day “We’re pretty confident and having this change, and that the more TV you watch, its good to see people apprethe more media you con- ciating a black movie for a sume, the more likely it is change.”

“

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

B6 FEATURES

THE CHRONICLE

Sculpted by Students

BY ALEX GOLDSTEIN, SOFIA HELLER AND KAITLIN MUSANTE

The Buckley School underwent an investigation last month following accusations that Head of School James Busby changed the grades of Board Glenn* ’19 felt a wave of relief as of Trustees members’ children.

The investigation concluded that he made his way through the quad.

He had just passed his teacher, who while five students in the Buckley confirmed that his quarter grade had community had their grades changed

by Busby over the past five years, he been successfully changed.

Despite original assurance from acted within his discretion and gave his teacher that his grade was a B+, no preferential treatment to board a flat B stared back at Glenn when members’ children, according to a he initially opened the student portal letter from the Board of Trustees sent the night before. After talking with Feb. 15.

Despite the findings of the investihis teacher, the B was changed to his gation, Buckley students participated rightfully earned B+.

“Grades are really important to in a sit-in protest to call for repercusme, and I work hard for my grades, so sions and transparency regarding the seeing a grade that was wrong really allegations, and the Buckley community urged Busby to resign. invalidated my work,” Glenn “I felt it was within our said. “I had been anxious Head of School James Busabout the error, so knowing by’s rights to change grades that it was fixed was a huge under the precedent of ‘exweight off my shoulders.” tenuating circumstances,’ Looking back on the inbut the effects and impacts of cident, Glenn said he was the lack of transparency and impressed with the school’s communication have caused grade change system. Bean adverse shift in our comsides adding stress to his ’ munity, despite the mere day, the grading error did speculation of wrongdoing,” Virginia not negatively affect Glenn Editor-in-chief of Buckley Schroeder or his report card, he said. newspaper The Student “Teachers are allowed to mess up, and if we had a grading Voice Elliot Choi said in an email.

In light of the Buckley incident, system in which you couldn’t change grades afterwards, that would allow Harvard-Westlake has made it clear that a similar situation would not be mistakes to go through,” Glenn said.

Although there is no official grade possible due to current protocol.

“We would never change a stuchange policy in the Parent Student Handbook, Glenn’s situation was re- dent’s grade without the teacher solved in accordance with traditional being involved in recognizing that a mistake had been made,” President school protocol.

Grade changes at school must all Rick Commons said. “I would never go through Registrar Virginia Schro- act unilaterally. If there were some eder, upper school dean Jennifer question about whether it should Cardillo said. In all cases, the teach- be changed, it wouldn’t be just the er must report the corrected grade teacher and me. It would be the Head to Schroeder, who is the only faculty of the Upper School, probably the Asmember with the authority to alter a sociate Head of School and the Department Head.” student’s report card.

While a grade change cannot be “It’s a very internal process,” Schroeder said. “I’m the person who’s initiated and discussed by just one person, the school tries to limit the just turning the gears, so to speak.”

While Schroeder said that she car- number of people involved. Deans ries out a grade change typically only try to not intervene in the grades when a teacher miscalculates a grade that students receive and often first or a student turns in a late paper, advise the student to speak directly this protocol is not universally used with the teacher, Cardillo said.

“I think [the deans] would also add among Los Angeles private schools.

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MARCH 21, 2018

In the face of the Buckley grade-change scandal, students discuss the way they shape their own grades.

a layer to that, which would be a little the drop and decided that she should bit of counseling students about how take a second look to determine if the important it is for them to be trust- grading was too harsh.

“I felt really upset [with the grade] ing and respectful of their teachers' assessments and not head into a because it was not something I would meeting going to battle for a grade,” expect of myself,” Hannah said. “I was super confused as to what I did Cardillo said.

Despite assurance from the school, wrong. When she approached me to Finn* ’20 said he was shocked to find tell me she was going to reconsider out about the Buckley allegations, my grade, I was super relieved beand the incident prompted him to cause I thought there was no way to think about the potential of a similar change what I got.”

After a discussion with her dean situation at Harvard-Westlake.

He now feels the need to be more and previous teacher, Hannah’s esconscious of grading at school to en- says were re-graded by the departsure that no one benefits from an un- ment. Although her grade was not adjusted for the semester, the essay fair advantage, he said.

“If anything like that happened scores will be reconsidered if they at Harvard-Westlake, I feel like the make a dramatic impact on her yearend grade. community bond “I was impressed would be broken,” by the lengths Finn said. “Harmy teacher took vard-Westlake I am really, really to give me a fair paints itself to be happy that the school has grade,” Hannah a very communal said. “Generally it school, and I feel it together enough so that was unfair because that the kids all these grade changes are we had a substihave the mentality tute who had nevthat we are working not a big deal, and they er taught at Harand striving to do are done so efficiently and vard-Westlake, and great together rathquickly." we had to adjust to er than separately.” a completely differGlenn also fears —Glenn* ent style of writing that a similar in the middle of grade-changing inthe semester. I'm cident at the school would undermine the trust among confident my teacher will give me the students, teachers and administra- fair grade I deserve, and I don't think she'll make it higher to compensate.” tors, he said.

Glenn also was impressed with “The thing that makes me nervous is I truly feel that if administrators his teacher's dedication to accuratechanged grades and kids were hush- ly represent his grade on his report hush about it and deans were hush- card, as well as the efficiency of the hush about it, you very easily could school's grade change protocol, he have something like that happen said.

"I mentioned [the error] off handat [Harvard-Westlake] and no one would ever know," Glenn said. "But edly, and I was expecting it would not obviously there is nothing to support be fixed or that he would just take that that would happen. However, [if it into account for the next quarter, it happened], that would absolutely but a couple of hours later I talked be a violation of respect for the teach- to him and he said he fixed it," Glenn said. “I am happy that it did not beers.”

For Hannah* ’19, however, the come a big deal and I am really, really suggestion to reevaluate her grade happy that the school has it together enough so that these grade changes came from her teacher.

Following a quarter with a sub- are not a big deal and they are done stitute teacher in which her grade so efficiently and quickly." dropped from an A- to a B, Hannah’s teacher approached her to discuss *Names have been changed.

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE KIM

MARCH 21, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

By JENNY LI

sacred places in our society,” Timoner said. “It’s a place Luis Rodriguez had never where students are nurtured imagined that walking out of and can learn. That is not a his school could change histo- place that should ever be available for people to shoot up. It ry.

Fifty years ago, in March of should never be a place where 1968, 13-year-old Rodriguez people feel in danger.”

Safety does not seem guarled his classmates to walk out of Richard Garvey Inter- anteed anymore, he said. In a mediate School in protest of Chronicle poll of 374 students, Mexican-American treatment 43 percent said they have been in schools. Now known as the worried about the possibility of Chicano Blowouts, or the East a school shooter.

The threat of gun violence is Los Angeles Walkouts, these walkouts and many more like even more prevalent at public them inspired education re- schools, Benjamin Holtzman, forms, anti-segregation laws student representative of the and instilled a sense of empow- Los Angeles Unified School erment still influencing stu- District Board of Education and Alexander Hamilton High dents today, Rodriguez said.

“People around the world School student, said. Since the have been facing the same is- Parkland shooting, the LAUSD sues in their own ways: dete- police force has received 160 riorating education, econom- calls regarding a school threat ic crisis, marginalization and as of press time, according to more,” Rodriguez said. “East the Los Angeles Times.

Both the Middle and Upper Los Angeles led the struggle of high school youth to be heard School closed due to a securiwith dramatic, brave and pow- ty threat from a social media post that included a erful action. Now, high photo of a shotgun school students in and ammunition and the throes of transformentioned the school mative struggle have by name Feb. 23. been walking out to be “It’s gotten to the represented on issues point that when I they know and care hear a knock on my about but often can’t teacher’s door, we are vote or speak on.” legitimately scared,” Most recently, the ’ Holtzman said. “I student activism from Eli know it’s not a shootthe Chicano Blowouts Timoner ’18 er. But it’s scary, and set a precedent for a movement led by the survi- the fact that we are that attenvors of the Marjory Stoneman tive to it is really sad. In lowDouglas High School shooting er-income areas, we have highin Parkland, Florida in which risk crime. That first-hand experience is something that 17 people died.

The shooting is a part of a really drives people.”

The large number of prelarger dialogue regarding gun violence and gun control re- vious school shootings left form. Only five days before the Timoner and many students Parkland shooting, 14-year-old across the nation feeling both Rico Ransom shot student De- hopeless and powerless. The Mario Crowder five times in the Parkland shooting, however, parking lot at Pearl Cohn High seemed different.

“When faced with immense School in Nashville, Tennessee. Nine days before that, on anger and grief and something Feb. 1, 12-year-old Iraqi refu- terrible, [the students at Margee Issa Al-Bayati was shot in jory Stoneman High School] the temple after an accidental didn’t just shun away from dodischarge at Sal Castro Middle ing anything,” Timoner said.

School in Los Angeles. A week “They didn’t just fall into comearlier, 15-year-old Gabriel placency. They said, ‘We’re goRoss Parker shot and killed two ing to make our voices heard. students at Marshall County This is not going to happen again. We are not going to let High School in Kentucky.

Gun control is currently this happen again.’”

The high school victims at the most pressing issue facing students around the nation, Marjory Stoneman Douglas Senior Prefect Eli Timoner ’18 struck back with a power unseen in decades, Criminal Law said.

“School is one of the most teacher and Professor of Law WHITE S

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at Loyola Law School Laurie ple to see that this isn’t some Levenson said. High school vague movement that old peostudents emerged as the fig- ple are pushing,” Timoner ureheads of the gun control said. “I want people to see that movement Never Again, and it is their classmate, and it is they directly named the gov- their friend, and they’re really ernment and organizations like making their voices heard and the National Rifle Association mobilizing support, inspiring responsible for gun violence at people to stay active and conschools. tinuing to be passionate about “It makes it genuine, fresh it and to take that passion to and it gives it a future,” Lev- the polls.” enson said. “High school stuMarjory Stoneman Douglas dents are old enough to have a students are also helping to voice, not be turned away and lead the March for Our Lives in they have a cause. The power Washington D.C. on March 24, is in their hands, depending on along with 764 parallel marchhow determined they are. Just es across the country and the getting out there and being on world, including one in downTV and even marching on the town Los Angeles. Additionalstreets will not be enough. It ly, more than 250,000 people has got to progress to the point as of press time have signed where people really take con- 15-year-old Ridgefield High crete political action and they School student Lane Murgo to the booths.” dock’s petition to hold an allThis movement is spreading day national school walkout beyond just Marjory Stoneman on the 19th anniversary of the Douglas; the same tools that April 20 Columbine Massacre. propelled the students to beStudents have a unique ancome leaders of this movement gle and perspective in activism have empowthat is lost, for ered other the most part, in students to We may not have a many of the older take action Rovote, but we have a voice, generations, against gun driguez said. and we should try to use violence in “Many adults their own have bought into that voice. I think this is communithe system,” Roreally going to change ties, Holtzdriguez said. something. man said.

“Many were ac“The powwhen they —Jonathan Holtzman ’18 tivists er of Instawere young but gram, the now pay mortpower of Facebook, the power gages, work in offices or the of Snapchat, is really allowing daily hustle and have forgotus to really see what’s happen- ten that the issues have not ing all around our country,” gone away. I’m inspired by the Holtzman said. “It’s a tool kids youth.” are growing up with, and they In the face of despair and are using it to their advantage. hopelessness, Rodriguez said We may not have a vote, but we students must come together have a voice, and we should try to overcome struggle with acto use that voice. I think this tivism and a vision of a better is really going to change some- society. The student-led gun thing.” control movement, like the The Never Again movement Chicano Blowouts, can create has spurred rallies worldwide a world of change, he said. demanding stricter regula“[Students must have] tion of gun ownership. To re- strategies, something to fight member the Parkland victims, for and not just against, a vithe student leaders organized sion that addresses all the isa 17-minute national school sues, that pulls together the walkout March 14, a month discontent, the many voices, after the shooting. Inspired the many imaginations, into by this movement, Timoner a movement that honors all worked with Abbie Howell ’18, of it,” Rodriguez said. “Young Rachel Grode ’19 and Lauren people must be at the heart of Juzang ’20 to create the Face- this, but people like me, elders book group #neveragainhw and olders, should be right and organize Harvard-West- there next to them. The seed lake’s participation in the na- of hope for a new world will retional school walkout. generate. Keep the seed alive. A “I wanted to motivate peo- harvest of change will happen.”

“

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JENNY LI PHOTO BY PAVAN TAUH

B8 FEATURES

THE CHRONICLE

In the Nudes

BY MADDY DAUM AND NOA SCHWARTZ As Erica* prepared to press send, a wave of anxiety set in. This wasn’t a controversial text, or a passive-agressive Instagram comment, but rather a picture of her naked body. She said she had never sent anything of the sort before but knew after a conversation with the receiver that they both felt comfortable experimenting.

“It was super casually brought up as something we wanted to try,” Erica said. “It was mutual and kind of just came up in conversation. I felt no pressure in doing so because I was so comfortable with this person, so I really didn’t care that he was going to see that.”

Erica was not in a romantic relationship with the receiver but said she felt close to him and trusted him completely, two key factors in what she defines as an acceptable time to send nude photos.

“Once I processed [how much I trusted] this person, I felt fine sending it, and I also felt kind of happy to have that experience,” Erica said. “It is kind of weird that it has become something so normal because I do agree that it is definitely risky. But I think that if it is done under the right circumstances, you are truly enjoying it and it is not because you feel pressured, then I don’t see any

MARCH 21, 2018

Students discuss their experiences sending nude pictures, including feelings of empowerment for some and feelings of judgement and shame for others.

harm in doing it so as pressuring me] continlong as you are careful.” ued to get worse and Once a comfortable dy- worse, and I didn’t really namic was established, the know how to deal with it.”

Her toxic relationtwo continued to “sext,” had lasting efdefined by Merriam-Web- ship ster as “send[ing] someone fects and caused her to more apprehensive a sexually explicit message be or image by cell phone,” about sending sexts in because it was a mutually the future, Drew said.

“My ex-boyfriend was enjoyable experience and neither party felt taken very emotionally abusive, advantage of, Erica said. so that affected my feelings Of 352 students sur- and sensitivity in my next veyed in a Chronicle poll, relationship,” Drew said. “I 35 percent said they had would not feel comfortable sent a nude photo. Of sending [nudes] again.”

After sending sexts, adthese students, 57 percent said they felt comfort- olescents could feel shame able with the exchange. or low self-esteem, Upper School Unlike ErPsycholica, Drew* Sosaid she It is kind of weird ogist phie Washad a more that it has become son said. negative ex“If you perience. something so normal feel uncom‘Where are because I do agree that fortable or my nudes?’ it is definitely risky.” question and ‘We’re before in a long —Erica* it sending distance reit, why go lationship. ahead and You’re supposed to do this for me,’ do it?” Wasson said.

It is illegal to possess a are just a few of the demanding Snapchats she sexually explicit image of recalls receiving from a minor, according to Calher now ex-boyfriend. ifornia law. Exchanging a She and her former nude photo of a minor with boyfriend would fight for another minor is a federal months about her will- crime. In 2016, legislators ingness to sext him un- proposed a bill that would til she finally agreed make sexting under the to do so, Drew said. age of 18 punishable by “One day, I decided it counseling and communiwasn’t a big deal and did ty service, as opposed to it because I trusted him, imposing child porknowing he would never n o g r a p h y save them or send them c h a r g e s to anyone,” Drew of jail said. “Once I did t i m e . though, T h i s [ h i s b i l l would allow

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schools to expel or suspend a student who sent sexts that humiliated or harassed another student, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Feeling aware of the pressure girls feel to make themselves vulnerable, Harrison* said he never asks for nudes or sends them without explicit permission.

“If [a girl] likes me, then I feel like that puts me in a position of power, and I definitely don’t want anyone to feel like I’m taking advantage of them,” Harrison said.

Although Harrison has heard stories about people who have felt coerced or uncomfortable, he said it is up to the sender and receiver to establish communication and boundaries.

“I think that hopefully people who are sending nudes, especially people our age, are conscious in their actions,” Harrison said. “But, I think sometimes, especially with certain girls who I know, in times of their lives when they’re not feeling completely secure or comfortable with themselves, they definitely regret things they’ve said or sent.”

Gemma* also said she agrees that girls can feel shame or judgement for being comfortable with their own sexuality by sending naked pictures.

“I am against the culture that shames specifically girls for sending nudes to somebody that they trust,” Gemma said.

“In general, I think that it’s such a stigma all throughout feminism and all throughout

a woman’s life that she should be shamed for being a sexual being. Nudes are just the most modern vehicle for slut-shaming.”

Taking naked pictures just for oneself can be empowering and an opportunity to sexualize oneself in a healthy way, she said.

“I think it’s okay to be feeling cute or whatever and want to take a picture just to have,” Gemma said.

“It’s not like you even need to send it to anybody,” Identifying as gay, Ian* said that from his experience, gay culture is more open to sexting and sending nudes, and he therefore feels more comfortable partaking.

“For me it is not a big deal, you can do whatever you want with your body,” Ian said. “It is not okay if it is ever forced. That is why it is dangerous if you are under 18. Then again, teenagers do a lot of illegal and dangerous stuff, so it is just another thing you should be careful about if you are going to do it.”

Receivers getting, sharing or saving others’ nude photos is among the possibly detrimental aspects of sexting or sending naked pictures, Wasson said.

“If you receive a text that is upsetting or unwanted I would talk first to the person sending the text,” Wasson said. “I would set boundaries, and then let them know that it was upsetting and not to send them anymore. If the situation continues, I’d want that student to seek an adult who could help manage the situation.” *Names have been changed.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Chronicle • March 21, 2018

You’re a wizard, Harry

By LUCAS GELFOND Following months of rehearsal and perfecting choreography, students and teachers performed in the Harry Potter themed upper school dance concert March 2-4.

Students began working on the show at the beginning of the year once performing arts teacher Cyndy Winter settled on a theme. Some dancers in the show have performed in the show every year they’ve been at the Upper School while others were completely new to the dance program.

A key element of the dance concert is the participation of both student and teacher guest dancers. This year, upper school deans Celso Cardenas and Chris Jones, science teacher and coordinator of diversity, equity and inclusion Nate Cardin, math teacher Bill Thill and director of DEI and associate director of admission Janine Jones all participated.

“The most fascinating piece was watching it all come together,” Cardenas said. “Having heard about the theme months back, I wasn’t sure how it would be tackled, the idea of taking a story, a book that we’re all familiar with and being able to retell it in this super creative way, doing it all through dance, no dialogue and infusing it with some really cool, modern takes. I’m always in awe of the final piece.”

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE

Advanced Dance II students, as well as several guest student and faculty dancers, retold the story of Harry Potter in performances March 2-4.

The m i x of students and teachers in the show makes the concert one of the few settings on campus in which the two groups can work together as equals. For example, the show gave Cardin quality time with students in a way that he doesn’t get to experience in the classroom, he said.

“I am not as good of a dancer as I want to be and to have my students be really accepting of me and willing to work with me to help me improve was really great,” Cardin said. “It reminds me that I ask my students to be uncomfortable and learn new things in the classroom all the time so it’s only fair that I should have to do the same thing.”

The show also includes students from all three grades. Students choreographed the show by themselves in the months leading up to opening night. They then started rehearsing on weekends in January, which gave the dancers the opportunity to bond in the weeks leading up to the show.

“Friendships through dance are so strong and so powerful because you have to be vulnerable to create the best art that you can on stage,” dancer Caroline Cook ’19 said. “I really treasure those specific friendships, and creating them was so fun.”

ASTOR WU/CHRONICLE

10 POINTES TO GRYFFINDOR: LEFT: Upper school dean Celso Cardenas performs as Severus Snape. RIGHT: (front to back) Alejandra Leal ’19, Carli Cooperstein ’20, Maya Golob ’18 and Paige Corman ’20 perform a dance in which they remind Harry, played by Conner Corley ’20, of the hope of a brighter future.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH LEE AND LAUREN NEHORAI

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THE CHRONICLE

MARCH. 21, 2018

In Tune with Japan After traveling to Monterey for the Next Generation Jazz Festival, Jazz Band and Studio Band prepare for their trip to Japan.

By ALEXANDRA SO AND ALISON OH Every eighth period, the sound of music rings through the halls of Chalmers as student jazz musicians run through their repertoire. Following their performance in the Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey on March 9-11, jazz musicians have been practicing every day for their concert tour in Japan on March 22-April 1.

For the Next Generation Jazz Festival, students performed seven prepared pieces, as well as new excerpts for the sight-reading adjudication, where students play pieces they have never seen before for judges.

Although they did not place in the top three at the competition, students were invited to p l a y in the showcase concert due to the quality of their pre-submitted recordings.

“My favorite moment was the 30-minute spotlight performance after the competition portion ended,” performing arts teacher Shawn Costantino

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PAVAN TAUH AND ALEXANDRA SO

said. “We played four pieces to a full house, and I thought the band played beautifully.”

The Jazz Band was one of 13 high school big bands invited to perform at the festival.

While in Monterey, students also participated in professionally-led workshops and received critiques from the festival adjudicators.

“It was great that we had the opportunity to work with other bands who worked really hard, just like we have, and to appreciate all the music that was going on there and to share our music,” Jazz Band trumpeter Ryan Wixen ’19 said. “The people who were soloists were really able to display their musicianship in front of qualified judges. ” To prepare for the festival, students rehearsed in class, as well as on the weekends and during their free time.

The musicians have also been continuing to practice in both combos and big bands for their upcoming Japan tour.

Jazz Band pianist Charlie Kogen ’19 said that their hard work paid off at the Next Generation Jazz Festival, where they played both modern and classic jazz pieces.

“I had a lot of fun performing,” Kogen said. “My favorite piece that we played was an arrangement of ‘I Can’t Stop Loving

a traditional Japanese You’ by Quincy Jones.”

The jazz bands were dance-drama in a Kaprepared to play to the buki workshop.

Students will also best of their abilities in Japan because of their explore Tokyo, Kyoto, time in Monterey, Wix- Hiroshima and Osaka.

In Tokyo, Japan’s capen said. “[The Next Genera- ital and largest city, tion Jazz Festival] was students will watch a a great warmup for sumo show and visit the Japan trip,” Wix- the Miraikan Museum en said. “We’re just in of Emerging Science great shape, and we’re and Innovation for a demonstration performing really well robot together as a group show. While in Kyoto, because we’ve really students will visit the bonded through all of Golden Pavilion, Sagano Bamboo Path, and our experiences.”

Arashiyama Only the area, as well as Jazz Band participate in a traveled to tea ceremony Monterey, but at the Kiyoboth the Jazz mizu Temple.

Band and the The musicians Studio Jazz will visit sites Band will be related to the travelling to ’ atomic bombJapan.

In Japan, Ryan Wixen ’19 ing in Hiroshima. They Jazz Band and Studio Jazz Band mu- will end the trip with sicians will perform in a day of sightseeing in concerts with Japanese Nara and Osaka.

“Being able to go high school students from the Tokyo Met- [to Japan] not only ropolitan Katsushika with my friends, but Sogo High School and also playing guitar the Senyo High School there, is really a speBand, as well as at local cial experience,” Jazz jazz clubs and a nurs- Band guitarist Otis Gordon ’18 said. “The ing home.

In addition to per- jazz band this year is forming jazz music, definitely one of the top students will experi- that Harvard-Westlake ence traditional arts [has] ever had, and I in Japan. In Tokyo, just can’t wait to show they will learn how to off our band and music play the nagado-daiko to the people in Japan. I drum and the small- also am excited to learn er shime-daiko drum the different ways that at a Taiko Lab Work- America’s approach to shop. Students will also jazz contrasts with that learn to perform of Japan’s.”

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Keeping Her Composure

By CATY SZETO Walking through the Norton Simon Museum, Esther Ollivier ’18 stopped at a painting of a ballerina massaging her foot while sitting in a dimly lit room. Ollivier scanned the painting as ideas of how to transform the piece of art into her next musical composition raced through her mind.

She began composing music in middle school after taking classes in music theory and composition.

Her compositional work was first recognized in 2014, when she was awarded the Honorable Mention of the Music Teachers National Association composition competition in California. A year later, her original work placed first within the state.

Since then, Ollivier has been accepted into the Young Musicians Foundation Composers’ Program and has had her work performed in several live instrumental concerts, including the Harvard-Westlake Upper School Symphony Spring Concert in 2016.

Most notable is Ollivier’s recent membership in the LA Philharmonic’s Nancy and Barry Sanders Composer Fellowship Program.

The program is a unique oppor-

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Esther Ollivier ’18 is part of an LA Philharmonic fellowship program and recently had the chance to have her piece performed live by the orchestra.

“It has a lot of depth to it,” Ollivier tunity for high school composers to gain exposure to the LA Phil’s music said. “You can really see the toll that being a ballerina has on someone community.

Students are guided by LA Phil and what it means to be a ballerina musicians and guest artists who fo- offstage, not just onstage.”

In her piece, Ollivier aimed to emcus on the process and production of concert music. At the end of the body the contrast between the light program, students have the oppor- ballerina and the dark environment surrounding her. tunity to see and hear their original She worked with program director Andrew compositions perI put so much Norman and composer formed by the LA Phil as well as othwork into the piece and Sarah Gibson on translating Degas’ message er various chamto see it be recognized into music. ber groups and orchestras.

“They were really on such a large scale is helpful in giving us feedThe assignjust great.” back and examples to ment given to stuwalk us through dents in the first —Esther Ollivier ’18 help the process,” Ollivisemester of the er recalled. “They help 2017-2018 class you solidify what works was to select a piece of visual art in Los Angeles to and re-develop what doesn’t to help use as inspiration for their next com- shape all the music into what it is position. For her piece, Ollivier chose now.”

Two weeks ago, Ollivier was able a painting called “Waiting,” from French impressionist Edgar Degas’ to hear her composition come to life for the first time. The LA Phil Orchesballerina series.

Having dedicated a number of tra performed her piece at Disney years to ballet training herself, she Concert Hall for radio show “From said she was drawn to this particu- the Top” which will air on NPR May lar painting because it highlighted 27.

“There was a full audience, which the reality of ballerinas behind the was kind of terrifying, but it was also curtain.

“

amazi n g because I put so much work into the piece and to see it be recognized on such a large scale is just great,” Ollivier said.

Ollivier said she looks forward to hearing her piece played again at the end of the month during the Toyota Symphonies for Youth Concerts, a performance that will showcase all compositions from students in the program. She is also excited to work on a new piece for the second semester of the fellowship and make further connections with LA Phil composers and musicians, Ollivier said.

PHOTO BY CATY SZETO ILLUSTRATION BY SAM KO

March Madness

Science teacher Nate Cardin created a crossword puzzle celebrating the month of March and March Madness for students to complete. Crossword puzzles will be featured in every issue.

37. Sardine containers 38. Type of madness common this time of year (as reflected in the four long answers in this puzzle!)

39. Molecule present in ribosomes during translation 40. Explosive initials 41. “West Side Story” role 42. Tailed celestial body 43. Baltic country whose capital is Tallinn 45. Diamond weight measures 46. ___-Wan Kenobi 47. Subject of discussion 48. Cereal with colorful marshmallow shapes 53. Concealed 56. Up to the task 57. Tuscon school, for short 58. Join together 60. Indie rock band Kings of ___ 61. Feminist actor Gosling <3 62. Tablecloth material 63. ___ and crafts 64. What your face and a cornfield both have 65. Antagonist

CROSSWORD BY NATE CARDIN

Across 1. Two-footed creature 6. Dog-paddled (yes, this is a word!)

10. “America’s Next Top Model” host ___ Banks 14. “Same!”

15. ___Field (home of the Mets) 16. Earring type

17. Separates into piles, like laundry 18. Those, in Tijuana 19. “If all ___ fails...”

20. Col. Sanders’ restaurant 21. Referenced to a standard value 24. Fling with force 26. Prepare to shoot an arrow accurately

27. One of the Claremont Colleges 29. What you hope to do in a game of musical chairs 33. Flip over, like a table 34. Matches an audio track to a video track, say 35. Online company famous for announcing “You’ve got mail!”

Down 1. Enjoy the limelight 2. “Time ___ the essence!”

3. Pieces of old paper 4. CPR professional 5. Separate, as a club 6. Part of a play 7. Neighbor of Minn.

8. Great Salt Lake state 9. Couple incorrectly 10. Section of chemistry where enthalpy is discussed, for short 11. Yellow egg part 12. Romantic flower 13. Did an impression of

22. Wife of 61-Across ___ Mendes 23. Comes to the rescue 25. Ages and ages 27. Miniature golf shot 28. Express a view 29. Neighbor of Iraq and Turkey 30. Early Peruvian 31. Heavily armored superhero portrayed by Don Cheadle in the Marvel movie universe 32. Group of nine 34. Indian wrap garment 36. Back muscles, for short 38. Fingernail care at the salon 39. Actress Spelling or singer Amos 41. Half of a Melville book title 42. Astronaut’s vessel 44. Arcade coins 45. Word that frequently comes after dot 47. Identity for one whose gender identity differs from their biological sex, perhaps 48. “Land” that 61-Across recently danced through 49. Lyft competitor 50. Blood flow blockage 51. Georgetown athlete 52. Off in the distance 54. Tabloid twosome 55. Declare untrue (even if it might be true) 59. “Henry & June” author Anaïs

Scan for Answers!

C4 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE CHRONICLE

MARCH 21, 2018

WESTFLIX18 Five Harvard Westlake student films were featured in the annual California teen film festival Westflix held at the Arclight Hollywood.

Honey, Baby, Doll

One in Thirty: The Story of Henry Oster

By Kaelyn Bowers

Āmrikā

Kate Von Mende ’18 Nicole Bahar ’18

Signal

In or Out

Wilder Short ’18

Lex Torrington ’18

Sarah Antabli, Tiffany Chang, Stephanie Cho ’20, Sara Lowin, Gracie Sandman, India Spencer ’21, Juliet Wiener

ALL PHOTOS PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF WESTFLIX

Kate Von Mende’s ’18 film “Honey, Baby, Doll” is a chilling exploration of a teenage girl’s inner thoughts. The stop motion film features a Barbie doll and googly eyes that surround her. The eerie stop motion scenes are juxtaposed with images of a young girl grappling with her reflection and her surroundings. “[‘Honey, Baby, Doll’ is] thought-provoking and metaphorical,” Emmy award-winning documentary film and television producer Elizabeth Yale Marsh ’04 said. “[The film is] well executed and paced.”

“Amrika” is a documentary film that follows Nicole Bahar ’18, an Iranian-American teenager, on a trip to Iran. Bahar interviews people throughout Iran to better understand how Iranians perceive Americans, outside of American media depictions of the Middle East.

Bahar’s interviews include perspectives from a coffee shop barista, family members and taxi drivers. “[It is a] great idea to give the audience an insight of how Iranian people see America, a look behind stage, far from politics and media coverage,” writer, producer and director Melina Detcheva (Esther Ollivier ’18) said.

“Signal” by Wilder Short ’18 is a film that examines the effects of isolation on the psyche of actor Clay Hollander ’19.

The main character tries to orient himself in woods and attempts to contact help. The character soon deteriorates in his attempts to keep himself sane.

“These variations on the theme of ‘Lost’ have well written monologues,” Detcheva said. “[It was a] great performance of the young actor!”

In Lex Torrington’s ’18 film “In or Out,” the protagonist wrestles with the pros and cons of living like an extreme Instagram star.

His dreams of social media stardom contrast with the dangers of injuring himself in the process of performing a high-risk stunt.

“This filmmaker has an incredible eye!” award-winning writer, director and producer Kristin Hahn (Boden Stringer ’18) said. “[I] loved the fusion of image and music/ sound to create tone and build anticipation.”

“One in Thirty: The Story of Henry Oster” is a biographical documentary created by the Righteous Conversations Project and Harvard Westlake Summer Film. It follows the life of Holocaust survivor Henry Oster. Oster’s story includes tales of his capture, his experience in multiple concentration camps and his liberation. “[‘One in Thirty: The Story of Henry Oster’ has] really compelling stop motion imagery and a worthy story,” producer and filmmaker Russell Brown ’94 said. “[It] felt very professional and flawlessly executed in terms of visuals.”

Sports The Chronicle • March 21, 2018

Baseball

Martin unnerves campuses

By Eli Adler and Aaron Park

AARON PARK/CHRONICLE

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME: Shortstop and third baseman Drew Bowser ’20 swings in a game versus Notre Dame at O’Malley Family Field last season. Bowser helped the team to a 22-4-2 record last year. He committed verbally to play at Stanford University.

Team benefits from strong chemistry

By Ryan Albert

ing together so far,” Armstrong said. “We have a lot of bodies Despite the loss of thirteen that love to be around the field seniors from last year’s team, and a lot of guys who will fight the Wolverines have high for the next guy.”

The squad will finhopes for the start of ish its series against the league season.

Alemany at home Last season, the March 23. team had a league reThe Wolverines cord of 12-4-2 and an beat Alemany twice overall record of 22-4last season, winning 2, ending the season 7-5 and 8-4. in an early exit in the In anticipation of playoffs. games against AlemaThe team has a W ’ ny, players are pre5-2 record so far this Pete Crowpared for competition, year.

Armstrong ’20 pitcher Jack Sandifer Through trainsaid. ing and pre-season “I think the whole team is games, the team has improved through its close dynamic, really looking forward to startcenter Pete Armstrong ’20 said. ing Mission League play,” San“We like how we are com- difer said. “We have been prehite s

paring for these league games opponent. Each year and team since basically the end of last definitely have its strengths season, so I feel like the whole but we are constantly trying team is ready and excited to to improve all aspects of our see our hard work and practice game.” hours pay off.”

The players Although train and comthe Alemany pete throughout We have been the entire year series will be the first preparing for these but this playing league game is the league games since season of this season, most exciting, basically the end of last Halpert said. head coach Jared Halpert “Spring seaseason.” wants to keep son is the best —Jack Sandifer ’19 time of year for improving, as opposed to ballplayers,” approaching Halpert said. these games differently.

“We have high expectations “League does not dictate and are looking forward to our preparation,” Halpert said. competing in one of the tough“We prepare with the same in- est high school baseball retent and focus regardless of the gions in the country.”

“

On Friday, February 23, at 7:14 a.m., every student, parent and faculty member’s phone buzzed with the same notification.

“Due to a security threat, Harvard-Westlake will close today,” the statement read.

No further details were initially given, and the community was left to speculate as to the circumstances that led to the school day’s cancellation.

It took students hours to learn the full story behind the closure. Rumors abounded as students speculated on the nature of the threat.

However, the community soon became aware that former Wolverines and NFL football player Jonathan Martin ’08 was in custody in connection to a social media post that triggered the closure.

For some of those who knew Martin in his high school and college days, this came as a surprise. “[Martin] is a great kid, and I hope he gets the help he needs, because none of us on the coaching staff had that clue,” former Football Program Head Vic Eumont said.

“I never saw anything like that, as I thought he was a great player and a great guy.”

This sentiment was echoed by friends and former teammates, including former Wolverine quarterback Sean Berman ’09, who played football with Martin for three seasons.

“He was a gentle giant,” Berman said. “Not on the field, obviously. A lot of times there’s this stereotypical football player that’s a jock and everyone’s afraid of, but I don’t think it was like that with anyone on the football team, really, and • Continued on D6

Tennis

Boys aim to match last season’s success

By William Seymour

The boys’ tennis team started their season off strong with a 6-1 record, their only loss against rival University Irvine High School.

“We lost 7-11 [to UNI] and went down early in the match,” Jonah Dickson ’20 said. “We didn’t come out with as much energy as UNI, so we went down early.”

This loss proved to be a lesson to the entire team and motivated them even more than they previously were.

“Losing was definitely tough,” Mike Thomas ’20 said.

“We came in very confident and got humbled in a way. It was a kind of wake up call.”

Only nine of the 14 players on the Wolverines’ roster are

returning players. The team lost seven of its seniors from last year and added two freshmen to the team, Eli Nickoll ’21, and Pat Otero ’21.

“Losing last year’s seniors was tough because they brought the energy and experience needed to win, so we need to find a way to regain their charisma,” Dickson said.

Despite these losses, there are other star players looking to propel the squad to another CIF title. David Arkow ’20 and Timothy Li ’20 helped the Wolverines win the title last year and are joined this year by fellow sophomore Corey Marley ’20. The seniors are also stepping into leadership positions.

“There is a new group of leaders on the team, namely Sacha Pritzker [’18] and Stanley Morris [’18],” Thomas said.

MATTHEW YAM /CHRONICLE

FRONT HAND BACK HAND: Middlebury recruit Stan Morris ’18, now stepping into a leadership role,

swings in the CIF-SS DI Finals, which saw No. 1 ranked Peninsula against No. 2 Harvard-Westlake.

D2 SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

Game to watch MARCH 23 Boys’ Baseball vs. Alemany O’Malley Family Field The Wolverines will face off against Alemany at home in a league matchup March 23.

Last season, the Wolverines went 2-1 against Alemany, beating them in the first two games 7-5 and then 8-4. The Wolverines only dropped two games last season. The game will be the third against the Bishops this season. The squad has started the season strongly, only dropping one tournament game.

KEY PLAYER Pete Crow-Armstrong ’20 Vanderbilt commit Pete Crow-Armstrong ’20 is batting .280 in his second season for the Wolverines. Armstrong went 2-4 with 2 RBIs in an 11-2 victory against Simi Valley in the Easton Tournament on March 5. Armstrong leads a group of young talent for the Wolverines.

& Figures Facts

Track wins under Jonas Koolsbergen

MARCH 21, 2018

track and Field

Runners hope to return to success

By JACKIE GREENBERG

The boys’ and girls’ track and field teams started the season strongly with the boys defeating Crespi 100-26 and girls defeating Louisville 9328.

“This season, we’re focusing on making sure that we’re prepared to race not only in a physical sense, but also in a mental one,” Lila Cardillo ’18 said. “We’re working hard to prepare ourselves so that mental barriers won’t be what stops us from achieving what we’re setting out for.”

The two teams continued to show vigor in their second meet, with the boys and girls routing Chaminade 105-22 and 66-59, respectively.

“This season we are really focusing on paying attention to the little details that help make us better and better, whether that be consistent recovery in the training room or some additional time getting out of blocks,” sprinter Brayden Borquez ’19 said.

Track and Field Program Head Jonas Koolsbergen ’83 leads the Wolverines for his 30th year and is hoping to continue his overall record of over 550 high school wins across track and field and cross country and six CIF team titles.

In past years, the rivalry between the Wolverines and Notre Dame along with Loyola have remained vigorous.

“Loyola and Notre Dame are some of our biggest rivals of the season due to the fact that they are our major Mission League competition,” Borquez said.

With many meets and invitationals coming up, the team binds together for support while also focusing on individual goals.

“We want to win league,” Borquez said. “Each one of us has state aspirations in both our individual and team events. We all want to drop our times as low as we can and hopefully end up in the state meet at the end of the season.”

RYAN ALBERT/CHRONICLE

BIG UPS: Izzy Llevat ’20 rises over hurdles, overtaking a runner from Immaculate Heart. Llevat took first place in the event.

Boys’ Volleyball

Boys’ Golf

Players find success early in season

550

.83 Runs scored by baseball in one game this season

0

By LUCAS GELFOND

Win percentage by boys’ golf this season

14 League matches lost by boys’ tennis last season

Junior Varsity

CAITLIN CHUNG/CHRONICLE

SOARING THROUGH THE AIR: Jasper Richards ’20 rises up to spike the ball over the net in a 3-0 home loss March 8 against Loyola. The Wolverines were 0-2 against the Cubs last season.

Squad looks to revitalize offense

Track and Field

By BEN TENZER

Next Meet:

Despite an early record of 2-3, the boys’ volleyball team hopes to return to CIF playoffs.

The squad saw a number of changes in its roster, including the loss of three key seniors from last year’s team.

They lost standout senior Collin Shannon ’17, who was an All-Mission League talent.

“Last year, we were pretty one dimensional,” head coach Matt Kuelpman said. “We had one big hitter [Shannon] who was six foot eight, right side, and we would send the ball to him a lot. This year we’re multi-faceted. We’ve got a couple very talented setters and we can move the ball around a lot.”

The loss of senior leaders has caused a restructuring

March 21 @ Covina Invitational

Boys’ Baseball Next Game:

March 21 @ Alemany

Boys' Lacrosse Next Game:

March 24 vs. Chaminade

Swimming Next Meet: March 22 vs St. Francis

Boys’ Tennis Next Match: March 22 vs Chaminade

of the Wolverines’ offensive approach.

“This year, our offense has become a lot more dynamic,” Kuelpman said. “We just need a lot of focus on our serve and receive. If we can take care of our serve and receive, I believe we can win a lot of games because our offense is pretty solid.”

Kuelpman looks to lead the Wolverines back to the playoffs.

“We have a couple of different goals,” Kuelpman said. “Some are more of how we are doing throughout the season based on our standings in league. First goal will be to make playoffs and in that regard CIF, hopefully the top four in our league. That’s obviously a huge goal for us.

We’d also like to go undefeated at home. It’s a big deal for us,

making sure we are protecting our home gym.”

Returning player and outside hitter Justin Eitner ’18 said he feels unfazed by the team’s early struggles.

“I see a lot of good things going on in the team,” Eitner said. “There’s a lot of young talent. As far as records go, our record doesn’t really reflect the talent, but I’m sure we can improve on it. It’s very early in the season.”

The boys’ play has picked up recently, including a 3-0 win over Chaminade High School in dominating fashion March 13.

“I feel like we have seen so much improvement throughout these past few weeks, so I’m excited to see what the team can become,” outside hitter Jasper Richards ’20 said.

Boys’ golf members have bonded and found success in early season. So far, the team has a 5-1 overall record and 2-0 league record as of press time, only losing to Loyola 181-194 at the Encino Balboa Course.

Michael Gaven ’18 praised the team’s camaraderie.

“We have such a great group of guys,” Gaven said. “We’re all really closely bonded and we’re all having a lot of fun.”

Program Head Tony Kewalramani also said that the team is focusing on cohesion.

“Our focus is to stay in the present and not get ahead of ourselves,” Kewalramani said.

“Team bonding is one of the most important things we try to focus on improving.”

Golf is different from traditional sports in that players compete together but perform individually and are scored collectively.

“Every round really, it’s you and the golf ball and the course,” Dylan Wan ’18 said. “You have to play it by yourself and you can feel like it’s just an individual sport, but when you have somebody else on your team playing with you, it’s really different.”

The team comes off of an 8-2 overall record last year before being eliminated during playoffs.

Wan said he hopes to improve and progress further in the season.

“My hope is that by the time we get to Lakewood, we’re playing well as a team and individually,” Wan said.

Clay Skaggs ’20 said he has high hopes for the team.

“I think everybody has a lot of potential on the team and we all just have to believe in ourselves and play our best,” Skaggs said.

March 21, 2018 Softball

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports D3

inbrief

Lacrosse

Wolverines look to beat Alemany

Team wins fourth annual Carr Memorial The boys’ and girls’ swim teams competed in the fourth annual Justin Carr Memorial Friday Night Lights Classic on March 9. The meet was held in honor of Justin Carr ’14, who passed away Feb. 22, 2013. Carr was in the middle of a routine swim practice when he passed out due to an undiagnosed heart condition.

The boys won first place in the meet for the first time with 247 points, while the girls won for the fourth year in a row with 157.5 points. Schools invited included Crespi, Notre Dame, Rowland, Polytechnic and Cleveland.

—William Seymour

By Lucas Gelfond

Coming off of a strong season last year, softball hopes to continue their success in league and win against their rival Alemany.

The team has been off to a modest start, going 2-3 as of press time after losing several games in the Redondo Union High School Tournament and winning against Louisville and Village Christian.

However, the team’s 15-11 overall and 8-0 league record last season show potential for the Wolverines.

“We’re all really motivated,” first baseman Emily Nutting ’20 said.

The team lost five seniors last year and has worked to compensate for their departures.

“We have better team camaraderie and a better bond this year,” shortstop Ashley Waco ’18 said.

Pitcher Kinly McCaffrey ’18 said that the team is anxious for a win against rival Alemany, mentioning that the school’s larger size and larger number of strong club softball players makes them a serious threat.

This season is the Wolverines’ second in Division VI, after several years in Division III. The Alemany Warriors are a Division V team. McCaffrey said the team is hoping for a championship ring.

“Looking at the bigger picture is what makes every pitch worth it,” McCaffrey said.

“This year is our year, and I’m so excited to see how far we can go and how much we can push ourselves during this time to get us prepared for playoffs.”

LAUREN NEHORAI/CHRONICLE

FOLLOW THE LEADER: Harrison Listen ’19 rushes toward the opponent’s goal with the ball in a game versus Oak Park on March 15. The Wolverines won 13-3, contributing to a 4-1 overall record.

Squad loses early momentum

By Asa Saperstein

However, in the fourth and Despite early success, the fifth game of the season, the lacrosse team has started to Wolverines suffered back-tolose momentum, giving up two back losses, which did not happen at all last season. of its last three games.

Those losses Over the first came against three games of well-regarded the season, the We need to cut teams, includWolverines won ing top-ranked down on the turnovers by an average Orange County to possess the ball margin of over team St. Margaret’s and 12 goals. better and control the top-ranked Los Defender game.”

Angeles team Donovan Econn —Harrison Listen ’19 Palos Verdes. ’19 attributes The team’s fastthe early sucpaced style of cess to the level play on offense often results in of competition. Econn called turnovers. the early opponents, consisting “We need to continue to deof Thousand Oaks, Palisades velop our chemistry,” midfieldand Agoura, mediocre. Histori- er Harrison Listen ’19 said. “We cally, the school has done well have had trouble with timing against these teams, winning on offense, and we are workall games against them last ing to get everyone on the same year. page. We need to cut down on

“

the turnovers to possess the ball better and control the game.”

The team has found different ways to work toward that chemistry and unity Listen mentioed. midfielder Alec Watts ’19 mentioned a certain practice ritual where someone comes with a motivational quot everyday and reads it before practice to help develop a particular mentality. In spite of the absence of key seniors, Listen said he believes continuity is a strength.

“The team is different this season because we have a lot of our returning offensive players,” Listen said.

In spite of struggles against strong teams, the group found strength at home Thursday, routing Oak Park by 10 goals.

The Wolverines will face off against Chaminade on March 21 at home. They are now 4-1 on the season.

Swim/Dive

Teams celebrate strong early season records

By Luke Casola and Ryan Kim

“It’s always great to start off the season well, and we’re off to a super strong start,” Leclerc The girls’ swim team is cur- said. “I think we have a lot of rently undefeated and the boys’ depth this year, and the team is swim team is 2-1 after compet- big but still closely knit.”

The squad hosted its fourth ing in three meets. The boys defeated Crespi 97-81 and the annual Justin Carr Friday Night girls defeated Marlborough 126- Lights Classic meet in memory of Justin Carr ’14 on 54 in the first meet of March 9. The invitathe season March 6. tional is open to the Both teams beat top swimmers from Chaminade on March 8, with the girls fineach of the participatishing 93-25 and the ing schools, including boys finishing 125-25.

Crespi, Cleveland, ImThe boys’ team lost to maculate Heart, MarlLoyola and the girls borough, Notre Dame, beat Flintridge Sacred Polytechnic and Row’ Heart on March 15. land. The girls won Paul Following the strong the meet for the third Leclerc ’18 start, both teams hope year in a row, defendto sustain their sucing against rivals Marlborough cess through to the end of the and Notre Dame. This was the season. first year that the boys won the “The end goal for the boys invitational meet. is to beat Loyola, even though “It was a really great envithat’s a reach,” Louis Peng ’18 ronment, since there were a lot said. of fast teams and it’s a big deal Paul Leclerc ’18 said that to honor [Carr],” Eve Hookstratthe boys’ team is going to have ten ’20 said. a big year.

Program Head Jason white s

Rams COO speaks at Unconvention

COO and Executive Vice President of the Los Angeles Rams Kevin Demoff ’95 spoke to students March 17 to kick off the Unconvention, a leadership conference hosted by students partaking in the Unconventional Leadership course.

Demoff detailed his plans for the Los Angeles Rams’ new stadium and nearby shopping center near LAX. He shared words of wisdom with students looking to become leaders in a changing world.

He encouraged students to recognize that their plans will never go as smoothly as planned and “embrace the unknown.”

He also stressed that seniors should choose colleges that feel like the best fit, rather than the one that is higher ranked.

—Matthew Yam

Soccer player Ariana Miles ’18 recruited

Ariana Miles ’18 officially committed to play soccer at Washington University in St. Louis next year.

Miles played midfielder and was one of the captains that led the girls’ soccer team to its first round upset victory in the playoffs this year and an overall record of 10-4-2 overall and a 4-2-1 league record.

Miles finished the year with seven goals and four assists for the Wolverines this season.

—Zack Schwartz

Water polo celebrated in Mission League

LUKE CASOLA/CHRONICLE

DRIP, SPLASH: Lee Nichols ’20 dives during her race against Chaminade. The team beat Chaminade 125-25 and is 2-1 so far.

Schwarz said that he is confident in both teams finishing the season strong.

“Swimming being a team and individual sport, we look for individual success and through that we get team success,” Schwarz said. “From a varsity standpoint, that means qualifying kids for CIF.” Schwarz is also looking for the upperclassmen to be the leaders of the team.

“With our seniors, we would

like them to continue to lead the team and of course contribute to the success of our team,” Schwarz said. “We have a great group of seniors this year, and we will miss this group when they graduate.”

The girls’ team is hoping for a win in the Mission League championship meet.

Both squads will compete against Loyola and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy on March 15.

After defeating Notre Dame 12-8 in the Mission League Championship on Feb. 8, girls’ water polo player Meera Burghart ’20 was named the 2017-18 Mission League Most Valuable Player and goalie Emily Hilliard ’19 was named Mission League Most Valuable Goalie.

Additionally, Taylor LaCour ’19, Namlhun Jachung ’20, Abby Wiesenthal ’20 and Pria Pant ’18 were all named to the All-League first team.

Alex Button ’21, Juliette O’Brien ’21 and Adeline Jackson ’21 were named to the All-League second team.

Sonya Ribner ’19 received an honorable mention for the Wolverines.

—Luke Casola

THE CHRONICLE MARCH 2

D4 SPORTS

Spring Into Action The spring sports teams have entered their respective seasons. Here is a look at successes from last year and upcoming key games.

Boys’ Volleyball Volleyball will be facing Alemany next. The team started this season with a new coach, Matt Kuelpman, replacing former Volleyball Program Head Adam Black.

Swim & Dive The girls’ and boys’ teams have begun their season with a record of 2-1 and are looking for success in their next league match against St. Francis.

Softball The squad is ready for their first league match at Notre Dame with Brittany Moeai, their new Head Coach. They were undefeated in league last year.

Track & Field Track and field looks forward to the rest of the season following wins in their league meets against Crespi, Louisville, Alemany and Flintridge Sacred Heart.

21, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS D5

Lacrosse After only one league loss last year, the team has started the season with an overall record of 4-1.

Boys’ Tennis Undefeated in league this year, tennis is hoping to continue with the success of last year. The team was CIF-SS Division I Champion.

Baseball Baseball is preparing to start the league season after an early exit from playoffs last year and an overall record of 22-4-2.

Boys’ Golf Players are preparing for their upcoming Mission League tournament at Griffith Park. Last year, the team finished with a 5-1 league record.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO, SPENCER KLINK AND RYAN ALBERT

D6 SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

MARCH 21, 2018

Friends of Martin share reactions • Continued from D1

friendly, popular kid.”

Although he came across to his teammates and high school coach as outgoing and gregarious, his mental struggles had been documented before. In 2013, Martin walked away from his team, the Miami Dolphins, after what was described by sportingnews.com as an “emotional breakdown.”

Two years later, in a 2015 Facebook post, Martin described his struggle to fit in as a black student at HarvardWestlake and John Thomas Dye, where he attended elementary school.

“You’ve been told you’re not ‘black enough’ your entire life,” Martin wrote. “It nearly destroys you, many times, not fitting in. Your talent and accomplishments on the field never seem to be able to overcome the demons that you carry with

you from your middle school and high school experiences.

You’re always inadequate...the ‘weird kid who acts white.’”

It was perhaps his shy, introverted nature that led to his struggles to adapt to the NFL, Martin wrote in the Facebook post.

“You need to demand respect, and be willing to fight for it every day,” Martin wrote.

“The whitewashed, hermetically-sealed bubble you grew up in and were educated in did not provide any of these lessons.”

This post led to a reinvigorated focus on the well-being of student-athletes and on making school athletics more diverse and inclusive, Head of Athletics Terry Barnum said in a 2015 Chronicle article.

“We want students to feel welcomed and included in our community,” Barnum said.

“We have noted that this is an ongoing journey.”

In an article published online by Sports Illustrated, former Dolphins lineman Lydon Murtha seemed to agree with Martin’s self-assessment.

“He came off as standoffish and shy to the rest of the offensive linemen,” Murtha said.

“He couldn’t look anyone in the eye, which was puzzling for a football player at this level on a team full of grown-ass men.”

Martin was admitted to a mental health facility Feb. 25.

The Los Angeles Police Department could not be reached for comment on what Martin has been charged with. His first court date is scheduled for March 22.

“We’re all shocked, but your heart goes out to him,” Berman said. “You feel bad for him, as you know the kind of situations that he’s been through, and you know he’s a really good guy, so obviously something’s wrong.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JEFFREY BEALL

SIDELINED: Martin jogs off the field after a loss against the Broncos. He played on the 49ers from March 2014 to March 2015.

Thursday nights in Hamilton

By LUCAS GELFOND

Long after most students and teachers have left school, Hamilton Gym is buzzing with squeaking sneakers and bouncing balls.

This is not a sports practice—in fact, most have ended by now.

This is the school’s weekly Thursday night basketball, a game that organizer and history teacher Dave Waterhouse said has been going on since 1955.

Several people have told Waterhouse it’s the best pickup game they’ve ever played, he said.

“Everyone says, ‘[public pickup games] are so much worse, this is so much cleaner,’ Waterhouse said. “There’s actually more passing and it’s just better.”

Former assistant basketball coach Allen Koochof has been playing in the game for nearly 10 years despite no longer working for the school.

Waterhouse estimates

that nearly 1000 players have played in the game since its inception, including English teachers Eric Olson and Jeremy Michaelson and upper school dean Chris Jones.

The group also includes alumni, friends of alumni, former and current sports coaches and the occasional student.

Jones played in the game about 15 times shortly after he came to the school in 2001.

“It was a really nice way to get to know the community in a different sort of way,” Jones said. “Seeing some of the adults and the alumni who were there [was great], not only for my getting to know them but them getting to know me in a way that went beyond just my role as a dean.”

Waterhouse has been in charge since 1981 and has missed very few of the games.

He even played the night his daughter was born, leaving mid-game to go to the hospital.

Most of the alumni played sports during their school career and return to play with friends.

“I come because I love playing basketball,” former Harvard-Westlake basketball player Keith Black ’09 said. “It’s good

exercise, the camaraderie with the guys [is great], it’s just all around a good time. I’m playing with a lot of my friends, a lot of people that I went to high school with. It’s really fun.”

The game is rooted heavily in tradition, Waterhouse said.

The Thursday night time slot and its rule of giving the incoming team the ball instead in each game have been with the game for many years.

Former running back and kick returner Terry O’Neal ’07 praised the game as a way to stay connected to the school, mentioning graduating with and knowing several of the players on the court that day from high school.

“It’s always good to get back on campus, catch up with everyone and it’s a great way to stay in shape,” O’ Neal said.

An alum introduced a player who goes by “Carwash” to the game, which he now has been playing in for six years almost every Thursday.

While he has no official connection to the school, he said he continues to play because of its uniqueness.

“They kind of treat me like one of the alums around here,” Carwash said. “I play [in] gyms all over the city and

it’s a little different. There’s a bit more camaraderie when you’re playing with the same guys every week.”

Robert Grover said he was introduced after a friend played in the league.

While Grover regularly resides in Minnesota and isn’t an alum of the school, he decided to return to the game while back in Los Angeles.

He praised the calmer nature of it compared to that of other pickup games in the area.

Grover also mentioned the atmosphere of Hamilton as a reason to keep coming back.

“The main gym is a whole lot prettier, but this is rustic,” Grover said. “It has that oldschool feel, that 1980s-feel in the gym.”

Grover says he plans to keep coming back because it is such a good game.

The game has spread solely through word of mouth through its 63-year history.

It has remained intimate and with a common group of players every week, Waterhouse said.

“It’s been fun for me that’s for sure,” Waterhouse said. “It’s always given me an excuse to go out every Thursday night.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LUCAS GELFOND AND SARAH HEALY

MARCH 21, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/SPORTS

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SPORTS D7

D8 SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

Q&A

MARCH 21, 2018

Pete Crow-Armstrong Baseball

By JACKIE GREENBERG When did you get into baseball?

I started playing baseball when I was three. I played a lot of sports when I was younger, but I stuck with baseball the longest.

What’s it like balancing school baseball with USA Baseball?

The deal with USA Baseball is that you go out and try out over the summer, which doesn’t really conflict with school. It’s also a nice connection that the coaches [here] have. Our head coach [Jared] Halpert works with USA Baseball sometimes, and the Athletic Director [Matthew] Lacour does as well. Thankfully, they don’t conflict, and I get to split my time with both of them.

Is there any significance behind your jersey number?

I wear number 21, and I had never really thought about its significance until a couple of years ago, when I found out that a former [MLB] player, Roberto Clemente wore [it]. He died in a plane crash coming back from doing charity work. That kind of struck me.

What’s your goal for this season? How do you plan on accomplishing it?

Our goal this season is to win a CIF championship. Based on the way we’ve come together as a team, we should have a pretty clear path [getting] there. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing; we’re very close, and I think it’s the group of guys that’s going to get us there, not just our individual baseball talents. It’s our camaraderie.

What’s your relationship like with the coaches at HarvardWestlake?

I’ve never really had coaches better than Coach Halpert and all of the other coaches here. They’re big supporters of the players, and they’re really good teachers. They’ve instilled a lot of confidence in me as well and have propelled me the last couple years, getting me to where I am now.

What’s been your most memorable Harvard-Westlake moment?

My most memorable moment was definitely the first game of the season in my freshman year. It was a really intense game to start high school off with.

Do you have any advice for incoming freshman?

Don’t get too overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the baseball program because it can be a little rigorous. Embrace everything you’re hearing, and don’t be afraid to reach out to guys like me. Upperclassmen are always going to be willing to talk to you because it’s always good to meet new people in the baseball program.

What are you looking forward to in college baseball?

I’m grateful just knowing I have a spot at Vanderbilt. I’m most excited to work with the coaches there. They’re very wise, and they like to have conversations rather than just telling you how to do things. They’re good people, and I’m excited to get there and be coached by them rather than just know them.

Stats .280

Batting Average

.367

On-Base Percentage

.360

Slugging Percentage AARON PARK/CHRONICLE