April 2018 Issue

CHRONICLE the harvard-westlake

Los Angeles • Volume 27 • Issue 7 • April. 25, 2018 • hwchronicle.com

It’s about time

By Kaitlin Musante Saba Nia

and

Award-winning director, producer and screenwriter Ava DuVernay urged students and faculty members to help overcome societal prejudices and recognize their own privilege at the allschool Brown Family Assembly on Monday.

As the first woman of color to direct a $100 million film with her most recent movie, “A Wrinkle in Time,” DuVernay emphasized the importance of creating a cast and crew that represents a range of races and genders and sharing her message with all generations. DuVernay has also directed award-winning movies “Selma” and “13th.”

• Continued on A2

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE

School to introduce late-start days next year to decrease student stress

By Josie Abugov Danielle Spitz

and

The school plans to initiate two pairs of late-start block schedule days for the 2018-2019 school year, Head of Upper School Laura Ross said.

Ross welcomed the idea after members of Prefect Council approached her with thoughts on how to adjust the current schedule to reduce student stress. The late-start days will come in pairs: periods 1-4 will meet on the first day and periods 5-8 will meet on the next.

Both days will start at 10 a.m., and each class will be 75-minutes. The administration plans on holding the first pair of these trial days in first quarter and the sec-

ond pair in third quarter, Ross said.

“We are starting a conversation at this school about our use of time, schedule and what our goals are,” Ross said.

In a Chronicle February poll of 265 students, 91 percent of respondents said the current school schedule affects their sleep schedule. Of those students, 95 percent said the school’s 8 a.m. start time negatively affects the amount of sleep they get per night, and 79 percent of students polled said they would support a later start time.

Taking student complaints into account, Senior Prefect Eli Timoner ’18 said that adjusting the schedule has been a priority for prefect council this year. He also said that he drew in-

spiration from other private schools, such as Campbell Hall and Marlborough, that have implemented late-start schedules.

“People come to school like zombies,” Timoner said.

“We roll out of bed at 6 a.m. and we’re tired and we’re not ready for class, and teachers know that. Teachers who teach for the first two periods of the day just expect their kids not to be as responsive.”

The block schedule will also give more time in class for teachers who don’t teach double periods.

English teacher Ariana Kelly said this change would allow students to delve more deeply into class discussions and activities.

“I often ask my students to write on a question before we talk about it, but I hardly

ever feel like I’m able to give them enough time to develop their thoughts,” Kelly said in an email. “Longer periods might also open space for different kinds of projects and assessments.”

While President Rick Commons said he was not directly involved in the decision to introduce late-start days into the schedule, he supports Prefect Council and Ross’ efforts.

“I am in favor in our doing everything we can creatively with the schedule to help students accomplish the same academic goals while getting more rest and more balance in their lives,” Commons said. “If we can do the late starts without traffic being a major impediment, I think it would be interesting to try.”

ONLINE

QUAD TALK: Eli Adler ’18 talks to Gabriela Martinez Celaya ’20 about the school’s Coachella policy.

INSIDE

National school walk out calls for change

By Sophie Haber For the second time this year, students put down their pencils and walked out of their third period classes when the clock struck 10 a.m. to protest gun violence last Friday.

They made their way to the middle of the quad, where they sat silently in honor of the 13 victims of the Columbine shooting exactly 19 years ago that day.

The night before, Dahlia Low ’20 decided to mobilize

students via social media at the request of some of her friends. She posted 10 flyers on bulletin boards around campus before rushing to her first period class, hoping to reach students outside of her friend group.

To her surprise, the quad filled with students from every grade.

“Our generation needs to be the one that speaks out and makes a difference,” Low said. “By doing a large demonstration, it shows our gov-

ernment, our parents, our teachers and everyone that we really care about these issues and we don’t want to die in our schools anymore.”

The second National School Walkout aimed not only to honor the victims of the Columbine shooting for a few minutes, but to last the entire day and demand reform, according to CNN. Even as students around the country walked out in protest of gun violence, another school shooting took place.

As students prepared to walk out at Forest High School in Okala, Florida, a student was shot in the ankle, and the alleged shooter was brought into custody, according to the New York Times.

“It really shows how big of an issue gun violence is and how we need to have our voices, because at the end of the day, we are the ones being affected by school shootings,” Emma Sunkin ’19 said.

• Continued on A3

VICTORY LAP: The boys’ track and field team defeats rival Loyola for the first time in school history.

Follow the Chronicle @hw_chronicle

A2 NEWS

THE CHRONICLE

Director promotes activism

APRIL 25, 2018

• Continued from A1

“The idea that I can take some of the things I’m passionate about in “Selma” and “13th,” things about justice and equality and dignity and that everybody can do good and everyone should be the center of the story and the possibilities that we should hold and preserve for every person, and put that in a scifi adventure was a real honor,” DuVernay said.

DuVernay also discussed the struggles that she and minority cinematographers in the industry face in attempting to create films that showcase the issues that are important to them.

“Women and people of color in the [film] industry don’t really get to decide [what they want],” DuVernay said. “They have to work and they have to take what comes to them. I think that it is a challenge for so many women in front of and behind the camera in all kinds of colors and people of color in general to tell a story that is meaningful to them and nourishes them—the kind of story that they want to tell in the way they want to tell it. The opportunities are so limited for them and only certain people get to benefit.”

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE

DUVERNAY PAVES THE WAY: Visual Arts Department Head Cheri Gaulke interviews Director Ava Duvernay about adversity she faces as a woman of color in the film industry. Duvernay is the first African-American woman to have directed a $100 million film.

As an advocate for both females and people of color, DuVernay encouraged students to use their voices to combat pre-existing biases within society and create an inclusive environment for people of all races and genders, explaining why it’s one of her priorities to address issues of inequality in her work.

“It’s your generation that is going to change this and turns things around,” DuVernay said to students in the audience.

“So you just have to make yourself aware of what’s going

on and dig into the things you care about. If you believe that there should be a little bit of everyone sitting at the table, no matter what that table is and where it is, it’s up to you to walk into the room and say this table can be better, there can be more people here.”

Instead of giving a traditional speech, DuVernay participated in a question-andanswer style interview with Upper School Visual Arts Department Head Cheri Gaulke.

Students also had the opportunity to ask their own

School drops temporary restraining order against Jonathan Martin ’08

BY ALEX GOLDSTEIN AND SOPHIE HABER The school dropped its temporary restraining order against Jonathan Martin ’08 that was put into effect after Martin allegedly posted a threatening photo on Instagram that caused the school to close in February, President Rick Commons said.

After reaching an agree-

ment collaboratively with the former NFL player and his family that Commons said will provide even greater protections for the school community than a restraining order would, the school decided not to file for a permanent restraining order.

“I want to assure the student body, the parent body and faculty and staff that we feel safe with regard to this matter, and that our relationship with

In the issue

News

[Martin] and his family is positive,” Commons said.

Commons said he could not comment on the details of the agreement or whether or not the school will take further legal action against Martin.

A mental health facility released Martin on April 17, two months after he was detained by police the day of the threat, who found him with weapons in his car.

Martin received a judge’s

questions about her experiences. They said they appreciated listening to DuVernay’s unique perspective as a director, woman and person of color in a white male-dominated field and how the focus of her career is often on her background rather than her work.

Aspiring filmmaker and Video Art III student Lex Torrington ’18 said that hearing from a director leading her field in a more diverse direction taught him the importance of using his power as a cinematographer to encourage

“

I want to assure the student body, the parent body and faculty and staff that we feel safe with regard to this matter, and that our relationship with Jonathan Martin and his family is positive.”

—Rick Commons President

permission to leave the facility after a clinical director said he supported his release, according to TMZ. He was sent to the facility for treatment after being charged with four counts of criminal threats and one count

Playwrights Festival give a short synopsis of their original plays. The festival will take place in Rugby at the end of May. C4

Features FACING THE FACTS: In light of the re-

cent privacy controversy at Facebook, students and teachers share their thoughts about the safety of their data.

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ors classes embarked on a whale-watching trip to have a better understanding of their current book “Moby Dick.”

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competitive school environments to intense cooking shows and discusses a more optimistic attitude for stressed students.

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of possessing a loaded firearm in February.

The terms of his release require that Martin wear a GPS and alcohol monitoring ankle bracelet and attend outpatient treatment five days a week, according to TMZ.

PLAYING IT RIGHT: Participants in the

A WHALE OF A TIME: English III Hon-

TOO MANY COOKS: A student compares

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Arts & Entertainment

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TRILLING: Students created Trill, a startup company and app, to give teens a safe space online for anonymously sharing their stories and thoughts.

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Opinion

social change.

“The industry is going through a monumental change in its history right now,” Torrington said. “It’s undergoing movements in terms of the demographics of its leaders that it’s never had in its past, and [DuVernay’s] one of the people who is leading that movement in terms of involving more people of color and more women into the rooms that are taking big blockbuster films. It’s interesting that we got an insight into how that world is changing.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALISON OH

APPLICATION NATION: Students and faculty discuss trends in the college admissions process and explain how the increased number of applications and decreasing acceptance rates will alter their approach to admissions in the upcoming years.

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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

ROUNDING IT UP: The Chronicle sports analytics team gives their input on pressing questions about the NBA and beyond through a roundtable discussion.

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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.

April 25, 2018

hwchronicle.com/news

News A3

Student hosts first TEDx conference

By Alexandra So

platform, and Enplug, a software for digital displays, reThe inaugural student-or- spectively.

The other two speakers are ganized TEDx Harvard-Westlake featured speakers who writers: Buckingham is the discussed their careers as president of Trendera, a marCEOs and writers last Sunday. keting firm, as well as a conNicky Belgrad ’19, Em- tributing editor for Seventeen manuel Zilber ’19 and Mat- and Cosmopolitan magazines, thew Gross ’19 organized the and Sandell is the author of conference with the help of in- “The Impostor’s Daughter” and terdisciplinary studies depart- “Truth and Consequences: Life ment head and history teacher Inside the Madoff Family,” and has written for publications Larry Klein.

Belgrad attributed the con- such as The New York Times ference’s success to the collab- and GQ. To invite speakers, Belgrad oration between himself and sent an email to introduce the the other organizers.

“I think that Matthew, event to people that Klein and Emmanuel and I actually Head of Communications and managed super well to get ev- Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelerything done and stay orga- berg had previous connections with. nized,” Belgrad said.

These people they reached Belgrad decided to start the TEDx conference due to out to included alumni and his own interest in watching parents, as well as a few of Belgrad’s own personal conTED talks.

“Every night before bed, I nections.

Before the event, Zilber exwould watch or listen to one pressed his excitement [TED talk], and that for the event and spoke became my routine of the importance of lisfor a while, but I actening to speakers. tually didn’t know “It is important to TEDx was a thing hear people, especially for a year,” Belgrad adults who have a lot said. “I was just of experience with their looking at websites respective businesses because they had a and in their lives,” Zilstudent page, and ’ ber said. “I’m excited I found out that Nicky to listen to what has TEDx was a thing Belgrad ’19 helped [the speakers] and that you can do persevere and arrive student-led stuff, and I’ve been looking to do where they are today.”

Students said they were a project for school, and so I thought that was the perfect inspired by the hard work Belgrad put into the TEDx event opportunity.”

After finding out about the and appreciated the opportuopportunity, Belgrad needed nity to get to hear from a varito work with the administra- ety of speakers in person.

“I think it is really cool to tion to coordinate the event.

“The hardest part of the see a student taking initiaprocess was working through tive at Harvard-Westlake and the administration,” Belgrad bringing some really great said. “There are a bunch of speakers, and I think it [was] people that I had no idea I had a really cool event for the to reach out to and contact to school,” Vanessa Payne ’19 get everything done, so I was said. “I think we have been just sending emails to all of talking about it for a while. I the people in the administra- know at my middle school we tion.” used to have TEDx conferThe conference featured ences where we would call in speakers Jane Buckingham and people would talk to us, (Lilia ’21), John Kang, Nanxi but to have an event at HarLiu and Laurie Sandell. vard-Westlake with the speakKang and Liu are the CEOs ers in person, it [was] a really of Homesidekick, a real estate great event.” white s

SOPHIE HABER/CHRONICLE

SPEAKING UP: Students walked out of class on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting to protest gun violence. While no formal demonstration was organized, students gathered on the quad.

Students walk out to honor 13 victims of Columbine shooting • Continued from A1

“Just to know that any one of us could be the next victim is heartbreaking and terrifying.

So many emotions riled up from it that I think it’s just mind boggling all in all.”

Some students at Harvard-Westlake walked off campus after the moment of silence on the quad and brought the protest to Santa Monica City Hall, where they joined other high school students from across Los Angeles.

At City Hall, student activists spoke out about their personal experiences with gun violence as well as the impact that gun violence has on the Los Angeles community, calling on teens to advocate for change, Sunkin said.

Upper School Student Discipline and Attendance Coordinator Gabriel Preciado said that he only knows of two students who left campus to go to

City Hall. Since the walkout took place on the same day as senior ditch day, he cannot discern who left for that reason.

Students who left campus were told they would receive an unexcused absence that will result in a detention, Cami Katz ’19 said. Katz, who left school to protest in front of City Hall, said she decided a detention would be worth the activism.

“Originally, I wasn’t going to go because I expected my mom to tell me that I shouldn’t miss school when something so important was happening, but she immediately responded and just clarified how that discomfort is nothing compared to the victims of gun violence are experiencing,” Katz said. “That really put in to perspective for me.”

The fact that the walkout was not school sanctioned made it even more inspiring,

Sunkin said.

“I was hysterically crying the entire time [at the first walkout], but it felt more like a memorial to me than a protest, so I think today was really empowering in the fact that the school wasn’t okay with it,” Sunkin said.

In conjunction with the walkout, Annabelle Zimmer ’20 and Chronicle Staff Writer Amelie Zilber ’20 hosted a bake sale to raise money for Everytown for Gun Safety, which supports people in Congress who push for gun control legislation.

“We were trying to think of another way that we can make an impact,” Zimmer said. “I think that it’s really important that we are showing that this is not just a moment that we want something, but that this is going to be consistent, and we are going to continue to apply pressure to politicians to get things changed.”

In the spotlight: Senior financial aid recipients honored at annual dinner

By Kendall Dees

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ED HU

SHINING STARS: Zena Edosomwan ’12 addresses attendees at the annual Spotlight dinner and reflects on his time at the school.

Students, alumni and parents gathered to celebrate the financial aid program at the annual Spotlight dinner April 15.

The event is a chance to honor financial aid recipients who are in their senior year at the school.

The students are honored with their families and with a large gathering of people who have been supportive of financial aid and potential donors, according to President Rick Commons.

Each student honored was joined by a faculty member who has made an impact on their time at the school.

Nine seniors on financial aid, Kelly Lopez ’18, Diego

Ayala ’18, Axel Rivera de León ’18 , Jayda Ruffus-Milner ’18, Jayla Ruffus-Milner ’18, Wilder Short ’18, Aileen Cano ’18, Sakura Price ’18 and John Harbour ’18, were recognized for their accomplishments at Harvard-Westlake.

“Having a couple minutes completely devoted to praising me in front of a lot of very wealthy and important people was kind of crazy,” Rivera de León said. “It was really validating of all of the work that I have put in. It was really nice.”

In addition to honoring the seniors, distinguished alumni and former financial aid recipients, Zena Edosomwan ’12 and Letitia Moore ’82 shared their experiences after graduating.

Following graduation,

Edosomwan went on to play basketball at Harvard University and Moore became a Senior Counsel with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Moore shared that without the opportunities that the school provided to her through financial aid, she never would have been able to achieve what she has post-graduation, according to Rivera de León.

“It was a great opportunity to showcase the many contributions of these exceptional seniors and the opportunity to learn more about financial aid and how meaningful those dollars are and how much they go towards supporting fantastic students at the school,” attendee Anessa Karney (Alex Goldstein ’19) said.

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THE CHRONICLE

APRIL 25, 2018

Robotics goes to World ’s

By KENDALL DEES

Robotics subteam 62A members Miles Agus ’18, DJ Lesh ’18 and Cameron Schiller ’18 began competing in the four day 2018 VEX Robotics World Championships in Louisville, KY Wednesday.

Subteam 62A was the only school team out of four total to qualify for the event.

Six students from the robotics program traveled to Louisville for the competition to support the team.

In order to qualify for the tournament, the team had to place highly in various regional and state level competitions, according to Agus.

The team has been participating in competitions since the beginning of the school year.

“We have been very lucky to make the World Championships for the past three years, and this will be our last year competing, so hopefully we will do well,” Agus said. “We have been practicing a lot and scrimmaging a lot. It’s exciting. I think this year we are the most prepared that we have been in a long time, so hope-

SOPHIE HABER/CHRONICLE

MR. ROBOT: Cameron Schiller ’18 works on his robot the night before the VEX Robotics World competition in Louisville, KY. The team that qualified for World’s is comprised of Miles Agus ’18, Schiller and DJ Lesh ’18. The team has built six robots throughout this season. fully that translates into what actually happens in matches.”

The robot that the team will be using to compete with at the World Championships is a more defensive model aimed at winning through superior strategy instead of specializing in stacking cones rapidly.

The team will attempt to makes the cones difficult to stack in order to prevent goals

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ARI SOKOLOV ’19

NOT PHONING IT IN: Pictured is Trill Project, an app created by four students to provide teens a place to share what is on their

scored by the opposition, robotics coach Andrew Theiss said.

The tournament consists of two types of rounds qualifications and finals. Each round is played with teams of two on each side, and the objective is to stack cones and move large stacks of cones over obstacles, according to Theiss.

“The performance of the

team this year is exceptional,” Theiss said. “With students ranging from 10th to 12th grade and [with] varying degrees of robotics experience, the overall game in robotics knowledge and technical ability greatly improved. It is not easy to qualify for state finals let alone world finals, but our team has done both.”

Throughout the course of

the year, the school team has produced a total of 12 different robots for various competitions, according to Theiss.

On the team, Agus is in charge of coding and participates in some of the building of the robot.

Schiller completes the majority of the building and Lesh handles the logistics, according to Agus.

By KAITLIN MUSANTE

anonymous web browser used to fight terrorism, Sokolov joined with Reiff and their fellow Girls Who Code team members Sara Kangaslahti ’19 and Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor Alexandra So ’19 to create the program.

The app allows users to privately share their thoughts and feelings through unsigned text posts. Regularly active users also have the option to join Communities, which consist of small groups of users who offer and receive support from others experiencing a variety of issues.

Before launching, the group used Instagram to encourage users to anonymously share the issues they have

grappled with, receiving submissions from users such as Sunset who said, “I don’t support guns in my house at all, but when my parents ask me why, I don’t know how to tell them it’s because I’m afraid one day I’ll put a gun in my mouth.”

The app is currently in the public beta phase and has received over 250 signups and will launch officially in June in celebration of Pride Month.

Sokolov said that the project has taught her the importance of standing up for LGBTQ rights and has given her a new hope for the future.

“I am just really excited to see how Trill will impact the world,” Sokolov said.

Students make app for censored teens to express thoughts, stories

Huddled around their computer, Ari Sokolov ’19 and Izzy Reiff ’18 smiled at each other and clicked the mouse, officially launching the beta for the Trill Project, a safe, anonymous network for LGBTQ teens living in socially repressed countries.

“We were amazed at the instant response from the LGBTQ community we received,” Sokolov said. “[Before we launched,] I felt nervous about how Trill was going to be received by our users. It’s been great to hear their overall positive response.”

After drawing inspiration from a podcast about Tor, an

Pre-fectionists: Juniors and seniors elect prefects for next school year

By CASEY KIM AND LINDSAY WU

Students elected the head, senior and junior prefects for the 2018-2019 school year this month.

Kevin Chen ’19 and Ryan Stanford ’19 will serve as Head Prefects, and Lucas Lyons ’19, Loyal Terry ’19, Caroline Cook ’19 and Vanessa Payne ’19 will be the new senior prefects.

Sebastian Li ’20, Michael Lehrhoff ’20, Grace Burton ’20 and Jaya Nayar ’20 were elected as Junior Prefects for their class.

Junior and senior elections took place in the Rugby The-

ater on April 18 and 19, respectively. Unlike in previous years, students voted for any four candidates regardless of gender.

While the data was not used in this election, the data collected will be used to determine if the voting process should be modified for future elections.

Current sophomore prefects Grace Burton ’20 and Jaya Nayar ’20 ran unopposed for the two female junior prefect positions.

Because they were already recognized as prefects for next year, Burton and Nayar did not speak to their class.

“I’m so grateful that I get to serve my peers for another year,” Nayar said. “I hope [my class] will feel confident that I can make changes at Harvard-Westlake to better our community and make their lives a little easier. I love it when people in my grade come and talk to me about things they want to see get implemented at Harvard-Westlake because their ideas are the ones I build off of.”

Li, Cook and Payne secured their positions directly after the first election, and Lehrhoff, Lyons and Terry won following votes received in a runoff race.

“I’m so excited to welcome

“

I’m so grateful that I get to serve my peers for another year. I hope [my class] will feel confident that I can make changes at Harvard-Westlake to better our community.”

—Jaya Nayar Sophomore Prefect

all of the new Prefects to the council, experience a great year of conversations with so many new, diverse perspectives and work on projects I already love working on as well as find new initiatives to be passionate about too,” Cook said.

Each candidate delivered an opening statement, answered an unprepared question and responded to the prepared question they had

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been working on about their qualifications for becoming a prefect to an audience full of their peers.

“I’m so unbelievably excited and honored to have been elected,” Stanford said. “Prefect Council has been such a big part of my life and I can’t wait to represent the school as a Head Prefect. I’m really looking forward to working with Kevin and bringing my ideas to fruition next year.”

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THE CHRONICLE

APRIL 25, 2018

Debaters win big at tournament

By JOANNA IM

Five students cleared to eliminations round, and three debaters received speaker awards and reached the quarterfinals of the National Coaches’ Debate Association Tournament April 12-15 in Atlanta.

Spencer Paul ’19 dropped in the final round on a 3-0 decision. After his successful tournament, Paul said that he and his teammates are already looking toward the Tournament of Champions, the biggest national tournament of the year, and facing off against their rivals from Greenhill School in Dallas.

“Reaching the finals of NDCA was incredible for me given that it is one of the largest tournaments of the year, but it’s always a bit frustrating to not win it all,” Paul said.

“Getting there a couple days early to prepare and get in the right mental state was instrumental in my success. I’m looking forward to TOC because it will be the last and largest tournament of the year.”

The tournament happens in a different place each year to guarantee the entry pool varies.

“NDCA having a rotating location makes it an interesting tournament to attend every year since the experience there differs so much yearto-year,” Matthew Gross ’19 said. “The debaters, type of arguments and almost everything else depends on where the tournament is held.”

SOFIA HELLER/CHRONICLE

GOING DOWN IN HISTORY: Geoffrey Kemp speaks to students in a Middle East Studies class about his experiences as an advisor to the Reagan administration. He also lectured about events that shaped the past, present and future of American involvement in the region.

Reagan-era expert and HW grandparent offers Middle East insights to classes, shares experiences

By SOPHIE HABER AND SOFIA HELLER

Middle East specialist and Harvard-Westlake grandparent Geoffrey Kemp (Alexander and Gideon Hyman ’20) lectured Middle East Studies sections April 10. He spoke about the reasons for America’s increased involvement in the Middle East over the past century.

Kemp served in the White House during the first Reagan administration as Special As-

sistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs on the National Security Council staff.

He is currently Senior Director of Regional Security Programs at the Center for the National Interest and has authored several books on issues in the Middle East.

In addition to explaining developments in the American-Middle East relationship from before World War I to the

Word Wizard: Cardin creates LGBTQ crossword puzzles, raises money for charities

By ALEXANDRA SO

was getting into crosswords, I realized how hetero-normaAssociate Director of Di- tive they were, and how they versity, Equity and Inclu- weren’t the most inclusive sion and science teacher thing, which is hard because Nate Cardin created Queer it is a favorite hobby of mine. If Qrosswords, an organization the hobbies that you like to do that raises money for LGBTQ to relax actively don’t include charities and encourages in- you, it is really demoralizing.”

In response, Cardin went clusivity of the LGBTQ community in crossword puzzles. on Twitter to ask if any other Cardin raised $16,000 for LGBTQ community members charities since Queer Qross- wanted to work on making crosswords. Over 20 words launched last people responded, month. Donors give and each of them money directly to made a crossword charities then send that had an LGBTQ a confirmation email theme. Cardin spent to Cardin to receive a a couple of months packet of free crossputting them togethword puzzles that er and editing them are LGBTQ inclusive.

WHITE’S and then put them “We’re at $16,000 Nate Cardin all into a packet. now, and I didn’t think “For the people we would even get to $5,000, so it has been above who have done these crossmy expectations.” Cardin said. words, I’ve heard a lot of feedCardin started Queer back that they feel seen, and Qrosswords after realiz- they feel like they are more a ing the lack of inclusivi- part of the community,” Carty in mainstream puzzles. din said. “I know a number of “I do The New York Times people who have worked on crossword and a couple other the crossword or have been crosswords every day, and I involved with the project. It was starting to get frustrated has given them the confidence when I would do the cross- to make their own crosswords words and one of the clues that they didn’t think they would say ‘a man’s spouse’, could make before or that they and the answer would be ‘wife,’” were part of the group that Cardin said. “The more that I could do something like that.”

Though he began creating crosswords just a couple years ago, Cardin says he has been solving crossword puzzles his entire life.

“I’ve always liked words and always liked games, and I’ve always been more of a solitary type of person,” Cardin said.

“You want to see if you can solve [crosswords] yourself, but sometimes it is more fun to do it with other people. What they know and what you know can compliment each other.”

Cardin’s first puzzle was for mathematics teacher and fellow crossword puzzle enthusiast Mike Grier. Cardin began making crosswords for The Chronicle this school year.

“Just like how Queer Qrosswords was trying to get more LGBTQ people to feel like they belonged with crosswords, my goal with the [Chronicle crosswords] was to get another generation of people to realize that they can do these things too,” Cardin said. “Sometimes we think that crosswords are like these big, scary, only quoteon-quote ‘smart’ people can do that, but everyone can tackle, try them and work on them together. I wanted to make them for our community so that they can discover them or go and make their own.”

present day, Kemp also spoke about his experiences working in the Reagan administration.

He shared anecdotes about former President Ronald Reagan’s preparation for meeting with world leaders, including the former president of Egypt Anwar Sadat, former prime minister of Israel Menachem Begin and former prime minister of India Indira Gandhi. To teach students about diplomatic relations, he said that Reagan first met with

Sadat on horseback, watched videos of Begin to understand his background and spoke to Gandhi about their grandchildren in a garden.

Drawing on his experiences, he suggested that President Donald Trump learn to build relationships with world leaders as well.

“It was really cool that we could have someone come to our class who experienced firsthand the things that we’re learning,” Blythe Berk ’19 said.

2018 Cum Laude Inductees 57 seniors who represent the top 20 percent of the senior class will be inducted into the Cum Laude Society on May 25.

Miles Povich Agus

Kelly Vanessa Lopez

Daria Arzy

Vivian Hsin-Yi Lu

Diego Clemente Ayala-McCormick Jordan Zachary Barkin

Keller Jackson Maloney Jarett Evans Malouf

Jack Borris

Lara Mary Mikhail

Myria Arista Chen

Marc Alan Novicoff

Gina Choi

Esther Ollivier

Oceania Eshraghi

Indu Jyoti Pandey

Dylan Brent Faulcon

Pria Sharan Pant

Kylin Feng

Alexander Nicholas Pritzker

Allen H. Gan

Mia Reilly

Simon Gilbert

Adin Ring

Anna Gong

Axel Vincent Rivera-De Leon

Dean Abraham Gordon

Jacob Malcolm Robbins

Eleanor Louise Halloran

Alena Rubin

Shauna Hannani

Robert Jonathan Schreck

Melanie Grace Hirsch

Tiber Seireeni

Brittany Hanul Hong

Jack Andrew Shane

Angel Grace Hoyang

Denise Shkurovich

Calvin Wakefield Kaleel

Danielle Nicole Spitz

Carolyn Kim

Tyler James Staggs

Nicole Kim

Hana Nicole Takei

Princie Kim

Claire Tan

Caroline Koloff

Stephanie Vartany

Matteo Lauto

Warren Wang

Paul Olivier Leclerc

Anthony Morris Weinraub

Marcus Joseph Leher

Ashlee Rachel Wong

Zohar Ruth Levy

Ori Zur

Alexander Liang

GRAPHIC BY ALEX GOLDSTEIN

THE CHRONICLE

A6 News

inbrief

APRIL 25, 2018

Reeling in break: FisHW goes on trip Students from the FisHW club traveled north of Los Angeles and caught fish up to 30 pounds on their last trip of the year March 26.

Club members started their trip in Oxnard to fish out of Channel Islands Sportfishing. They later went to Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands and caught a variety of fish.

Students said that the trips are an effective and fun way to escape the stress of school and life.

The club has also recently made more attempts to educate its members on the importance of conservation in the fishing industry.

—Valerie Velazquez

History department examines documents Middle and upper school history teachers participated in Professional Development Day at the Huntington Library in San Marino to better their teaching skills and examine historical documents from the Civil War April 9.

The Huntington Library has 15,922 Civil War telegrams between Abraham Lincoln, his Cabinet and officers of the Union Army. Teachers viewed this collection, analyzed documents and decoded military messages to gain insight into the time period.

Upper school history teacher Kenneth Neisser said he enjoyed learning history with teachers whom he does not see very often.

—Anusha Mathur

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JACK COHEN ’18

NEVER AGAIN: Students march with the Israeli flag on their backs at the March of the Living, an event that serves to educate students about the history of the Holocaust. Attendees travelled to Poland and Israel as part of the program for two weeks.

Students celebrate Israel’s 70th birthday, remember the Holocaust at annual March of the Living trip

By AMELIE ZILBER

Visiting Poland and Israel to study the history of the Holocaust and examine the roots of prejudice, intolerance and hatred, a group of seniors participated in the annual March of the Living program April 8-23.

The program inspires participants, including Jewish teens and adults, Holocaust survivors and individuals of diverse faiths and backgrounds, to fight racism and injustice by witnessing the atrocities of the Holocaust, according to the

March of the Living website.

Participants spent the first week travelling around Poland, searching for remnants of destroyed Jewish educational centers, synagogues and institutions that existed before the Holocaust. The first week culminated on Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, when delegations of all ages from around the world gathered to march down the three kilometer path from Auschwitz to Birkenau as a tribute to victims of the Holocaust.

The second week was spent

HWOP performs final two shows

Harvard Westlake Outreach Performers traveled to St. Martins In the Fields School and the Jewish Home for the Aging on Friday and Saturday for the last performances of the year.

While visiting St. Martins, a local elementary school that receives no arts funding, the club performed, lead a series of workshops and helped students with a variety of art projects. At the Jewish Home for the Aging, club members sang old standards, played classical music, recited poetry and played spring-themed improv games.

—Sarah Healy

with locals to celebrate the holiday at the Armoured Corps Museum of Latrun that night.

Program participant Noah Martin ‘18 said he appreciated learning Jewish history and being immersed into the culture.

“As someone who didn’t really grow up with a lot of Jewish friends, this trip definitely helped me appreciate the Jewish community more, as well as gave me the opportunity to see the history of Jews in Eastern Europe and where we are as a people now in Israel,” Martin said.

Bienvenidos: Students travel to Spain over break

Administration hosts screenings In preparation for the allschool assembly featuring Ava DuVernay on April 23, two of Duverynay’s most popular films, “13th” and “Selma,” were screened in the Ahmanson Lecture Hall for those who wished to see her directing skills put into action.

“Selma was moving to me as a minority female because it showed the strength of those who came before us and prevailed in a society that systematically oppressed them,” Tara Reddy ‘20 said.

—Jordan Murray

in Israel, where participants traveled to world-renowned museums and met with leading scholars. On Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, the Los Angeles delegation joined together with all of Israel to mourn fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The trip concluded on Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, when all delegations joined in the Old City of Jerusalem to commemorate the creation of the Jewish state in 1948 and to mark another year of freedom.

Delegation members joined

By VALERIE VELAZQUEZ

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF JACOB LAPIN ’19

LACING UP: Izzy Reiff ’18 and Chronicle staff writer Marcelo Blander-Rodriguez ’20 help out at the HW Boxing outreach trip.

Fighting poverty: Club runs boxing clinic for kids

By ANUSHA MATHUR

HW Boxing Club members and coaches ran a boxing clinic for children ages four to 16 at an LA Family Housing transitional facility April 13.

LA Family Housing is an organization that helps people transition out of homelessness and poverty by providing affordable housing and support services.

Upper and middle school students at the workshop taught children the fundamentals of boxing.

Head of the HW Boxing Club Charles Connon ’18 coor-

dinated directly with LA Family Housing to organize the event.

He said he appreciated the opportunity to share his passion for boxing with children who are less fortunate than himself.

“My favorite part was being able to teach kids a skill that they can keep with them for the rest of their life and see them having fun,” Connon said.

The HW Boxing Club has been raising money to benefit LA Family Housing throughout the school year, but this event was the first time that club members traveled to one of their facilities.

According to upper school Spanish teacher and chaperA group of 14 students trav- one Javier Zaragoza, the pureled through multiple cities in pose of host families is to exSpain during spring break to pose students to Spanish life experience the culture and and keep the students safe.

During the week, the stuadvance their Spanish skills.

The group started their trip dents attended Spanish inin Ronda and ended in Ma- stitutes where they could imdrid, stopping and sightseeing prove their skills and practice in Cadiz, Seville and Toledo. grammar. When the group was Each student was hosted not in class or participating by two families during their in activities, scavenger hunts stay. With these families, the and sightseeing, they were given free time to students explore the cithad the opies they were in. portunity [Attendees] get “They learn to practice to interact with different how to travel,” their Spansaid chaperone ish and intepeople at the school Nathaly Blanco. grate themand with their family, “They learn the selves into and they get to learn culture, they Spanish culture. Hannah how to be independent.” learn the language.

They Mittleman —Nathaly Blanco get to interact ’20 said that at dinner, Test Coordinator with different people at the she had long school and with conversations with her host fami- their family, and they get to lies where she practiced her learn how to be independent.”

Students on the trip grammar and verb tenses. they were grate“It was kind of scary at said for the experience. first, but then we started ful “You make friends with talking and I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes, and I’m glad the people who are there, you that I got to talk to them be- learn a ton of Spanish, you get cause it let me see how people to eat cool food and you get actually live and not just in to go to the beaches that are a textbook,” Mittleman said. very pretty,” Mittleman said.

“

April 25, 2018

hwchronicle.com/news

Let’s go to the beach

News A7

English and Environmental Science classes take their learning outside the classroom and go to the beach.

inbrief

’Supp? Coordinators elected for PSUPP

Eve Baxter ’19, Allie Sassa ’19, Will Pease ’19 and Bryce Porter ’19 will serve as the Peer Support Coordinators for the upcoming 2018-19 school year.

The four were chosen to lead the largest club on the Upper School campus.

The Coordinators’ goal is to focus on the inclusive nature of the program next year, Pease said.

“We really want to emphasize inclusivity in Peer Support next year,” Pease said. “We hope to take the focus off of peoples’ roles and the program as a whole and put it back on the groups and members and supporting the HW community.”

— Jeanine Kim

School organizes Junior College Night

ALL PHOTOS BY SOFIA HELLER/CHRONICLE

SPOTTED: Students in English III Honors classes that read “Moby Dick” go on a whale watching trip in San Diego. While there, they immersed themselves in the environment that “Moby Dick” takes place in as a way to help them better understand the novel.

Sailing the high seas: English classes embark on whale watching trip, travel to San Diego

By Sofia Heller

English III Honors classes traveled to San Diego for a whale-watching excursion to supplement their reading of “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville on April 11.

Students from classes taught by English teachers Malina Mamigonian and Charles Berezin had the option of participating in the sailing trip in order to connect to

Melville’s classic novel.

The students set sail on an 1851 replica of the ship The America with the boat tour agency Next Level Sailing.

Before boarding the ship, students had the opportunity to visit the Maritime Museum of San Diego, where they explored other historic ships such as the Star of India and the Berkeley.

“I thought it was very cool to finally see a ship kind of like the one we were reading

about, so we were able to relate it to what we were learning in class,” Isabella Yanover ’19 said. “It’s not that often that you get to see what you’re learning about in the classroom, especially with whales, and seeing the whales in person was really cool.”

Students also had the chance to help the crew raise the sails while on the ship to add to their experience.

Eva Wiener ’19 said that she enjoyed the whale watch-

ing trip as an opportunity to bond with her peers who are also reading the novel.

“My favorite thing about the trip was just having an experience with everyone else who is reading the book,” Wiener said. “I don’t even think it was necessarily about the fact that we were on a boat and saw whales like they did in ‘Moby Dick.’ I think it was more that everyone reading the book had this shared experience, and we all really got to bond.”

Students participate in Earth Day beach cleanup

By Casey Kim

The Environmental Club and the English department teamed up and traveled to Santa Monica Beach on Saturday to participate in its first beach cleanup. The cleanup was organized in collaboration with Heal the Bay, an environmental non-profit organization.

The Environmental Club and English department teamed up for the first time with Heal the Bay, an environmental non-profit organization, to organize a beach clean-up at Santa Monica Beach on Saturday.

“The beach cleanup was lots of fun, and it was really cool to see so many people

joining together to help the environment,” Annie Wendorf ’19 said.

Students of the club organized the cleanup in hopes of raising community awareness about environmental problems and solutions, science teacher and club adviser Nadine Eisenkolb said.

“I am excited that people who really care about being good environmental stewards got an opportunity to help the environment and make things better,” Eisenkolb said. “I am also excited Harvard-Westlake got to connect to a greater community which strives to live with purpose beyond self.”

Club member Anja Clark ’19 expressed the importance of the school being environ-

‘19 said. “Although APES stumentally conscious.

“It’s cool that the beach dents had more of a direct corcleanup is in conjunction with relation to their curriculum, I the English department as it thought that it was really benexpands the Environmental eficial, since English is reading Club’s reach to more people,” Moby Dick, to express concern Clark said. “Generabout our beaches.” ally though, we need As president of to look after the earth the Environmental and it is our responClub next year, Clark sibility take care of hopes to impact the it, so student or not, school community people should partake and continue the moin similar events.” mentum of the club.

“Before I leave, I A few junior Enreally hope to inspire glish classes encour’ aged its students to students and faculty Rachel sign up to attend the to be more conscious Grode’19 event as well. about the environ“I think that it was real- ment and to continue to make ly cool to have both depart- HW as plastic-free and susments working together on a tainable as possible,” Clark service project,” Rachel Grode said. white s

Members of the junior class will join 43 college deans and directors of admission on Thursday at 7 p.m. to learn more about the college admissions process.

Students will be part of a mock admissions committee where they will act out the role of admissions officers.

Students and their parents will split into rooms where they will decide which of four fictional applicants will be admitted into the fictitious Jefferson University.

The workshop, which will be followed by a college fair in Taper Gym, will give students the ability to ask questions to the college representatives before they put together their own applications in the upcoming school year.

—Jessa Glassman

Making an impact: Gregory recognized

Former Director of Admissions Elizabeth Gregory Riordan received the Impact Award at the Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs April 17.

Riordan was honored alongside Tim and Vicky Story, the founders of The Story Company, for their contribution to upholding the organization’s mission of increasing diversity found in the student body of elementary and secondary schools.

—Maddie Huggins

Comm. department recognized for works

The Chronicle and HWTV received various awards from multiple national competitions in the past few months.

The Chronicle received the Silver Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for overall excellence and the NSPA Online Pacemaker at the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco.

HWTV placed first place and received an honorable mention in the Student Television Network National Awards for the Live Sports Event.

—Zoe Redlich

A8 NEWS

THE CHRONICLE

APRIL 25, 2018

Students attend CASL

By CASEY KIM

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF SARAH DAMICO ’20

CHARIOTS OF FIRE: Latin students pull a homemade chariot during a race at the Junior Classical League. Middle and upper school students also participated in a trivia style game called Certamen, participated in an escape room and studied classics.

Going on a trip in our favorite chariot: Latin students elected to Junior Classics League board

By LINDSAY WU

To immerse themselves in Latin and the Classics, members of the middle and upper school Junior Classical League traveled to the annual California JCL conference at Menlo High school April 13-15.

The convention also included elections for student state JCL government offices.

Vice Presidents Ben Beckman ’19 and Taia Cheng ’19 were voted in as parliamentarian and historian, respectively.

Along with advising the First and Second Vice Presidents, Beckman’s duties will include amending the JCL constitution, maintaining procedure at board meetings and helping to facilitate statewide

perience this year. Having elections.

Cheng will be responsible just won the election, I felt for creating an accurate record well-wishes and support from of JCL’s year and creating a the entire JCL community in entrusting me with my job.” scrapbook.

Upon their “I ran for arrival April 13, office simply students took because JCL JCL has changed mandatory tests has changed to evaluate their my life and I my life and I want language skills want to help to help share this and cultural share and spread this experience I had with as knowledge. Participants also experience I many Latin students as played Cerhad with as possible” tamen, a trivmany Latia-style game in in students —Ben Beckman ’19 which students as possible,” use their Latin Beckman said. “Being sworn into office knowledge to answer queson stage at our third Gener- tions ranging from historical al Assembly in front of 1,300 figures to grammar.

Prior to the convention, other devotees of the Classics was definitely my favorite ex- students also practiced for the

“

Certamen competition during JCL’s club meetings.

Participants also prepared for chariot racing, another highlight of the convention, by building and testing a chariot in advance.

A team made of upper and middle school students placed in multiple competitions.

Activities included escape rooms, bubble soccer and reciting Latin literature.

“My favorite experience this year has been spending time with my friends and meeting new people who are excited about studying classics,” Justin Ansell ’20 said. “I have gained a new appreciation for the depth of students’ passion and enthusiasm for learning about classical history and language.”

Freshmen and sophomore students learned new leadership skills while attending workshops and listening to speakers at the 2018 California Association of Student Leaders State Conference April 7-9.

Each year, CASL chooses a conference theme and a word to base its curriculum on.

The conference theme and word this year was “start-up company” and “altruism,” respectively.

“This year’s CASL State Conference was an incredible expierence yet again,” Justin Park ’20 said. “Attending the conference as a delegate for the second year in a row strengthened my passion and comprehension for traditional, modern and unconventional leadership.”

Students attended workshops and rotations led by the directors on the CASL State Board.

“I would truly reccomend anyone with even the most infinitesimal interest to join us next year for these life changing workshops,” Park said.

Students also listened to General sessions that featured key-note speakers.

“Guest speakers at the general sessions shared their unique life experiences with us and inspired us to do the same, which was to be positive, be resilient and start a chain reaction that could change the world,” Sebastian Li ’20 said.

Delegates participated in a dance on the first night and traveled to SpeedZone during the evening of the second day.

“I was exposed to so many new opportunities and ideals I hope to bring back to Harvard-Westlake,” Kate Konvitz ’20 said. “The off-site activities really gave me an amazing chance to meet kids all over our state and see how lifestyles differed from those in Los Angeles.”

C HRONICLE the harvard-westlake

Editors-in-Chief: Josie Abugov, Danielle Spitz Print Managing Editors: Maddy Daum, Alena Rubin, Anthony Weinraub 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

Opinion The Chronicle • April 25, 2018

Los Angeles • Volume 27• Issue 7 • April 25, 2018 • hwchronicle.com

editorial

Integrity: meet us in the middle

The school website states that “Harvard-Westlake’s academic community is defined by our Honor Code.” Every student on campus has signed their name affirming their commitment to uphold the code. In it, we promise to not cheat, not steal and not harm others, and we also promise to be honest with ourselves and our administration.

We take our pledge seriously. That’s why when the school instituted its “Take Pride in Honesty and Own It” Coachella absence policy, many students understood that they would likely receive a detention. But while the official policy for an unexcused absence includes consequences of an automatic detention and possible zeros on any missed assignments, it seems that these punishments are more enforced for Coachella-related absences than others. For example, students who miss school for family vacations or other non-school related trips are rarely faced with the same consequences.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen that although students are encouraged to be honest, their integrity was punished.

While some teachers were understanding, especially to seniors, respecting their decision to reserve one weekend at the end of their high school careers, others further disciplined students by choosing to give them zeros on the assignments they missed and reprimanding them in class. We find such punishment to be both unfair and contrary to the school’s values. Students who attended the festival could have easily told the attendance office they were sick or made another excuse, but in the spirit of integrity, most did not. We think students’ honesty should be commended; the punishment they receive should be no more severe than the detention they expected.

Coachella is but a symptom of a larger problem. Oftentimes at Harvard-Westlake, students find themselves making a choice between

telling the truth and academic success.

This year, there have been many Honor Board cases involving students giving or receiving unauthorized aid on science labs; it’s no secret that many students use completed labs from previous years to help them complete their own or work alongside other students.

According to the April Chronicle poll, 36 percent of 314 students who responded said they regularly consult other students’ lab reports prior to turning in their own. This statistic is alarmingly high; if so many students feel compelled to cheat in order to do well, then it speaks more to the pressure that students are under rather than their academic dishonesty. We understand that actions have consequences and students who are caught cheating on labs should face punishment, but in addition to focusing on disciplining students, teachers and administrators should also reevaluate the academic environment at school and the unforgivingly high expectations they have for every assignment.

The school recently announced in their Visions for 2020 that “happiness and balance will become primary values in the HW culture.” We believe that giving students more opportunities to uphold their integrity goes hand-in-hand with promoting balance and happiness. By being understanding in their expectations and setting reasonable deadlines, teachers can help achieve this goal. The right decision is not always the easy one.

But if we’re expected to uphold our integrity, then we should have the unyielding support and encouragement from the adults in our community.

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.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SAMANTHA KO

A10 OPINION

THE CHRONICLE

APRIL 25, 2018

Truly nailing it

By Brittany Hong

E

ALENA RUBIN/CHRONICLE

Redefining the route to success

By Lucas Gelfond

N

o month is complete without an email from Chaplain James Young with the subject, “Recent honor board cases.”

I’ll usually take a minute to scan through the cases, often much of the same: a copied lab report or a project two students collaborated on too much. Nothing really surprises me but I always read on.

Usually there are only a few cases, and I can’t help but think about how many more cases go uncaught. Students whose cheating goes uncaught represent the largest threat to honorable learning at our school. They are “supercheaters” - people who deliberately and routinely cheat on assignments and have found ways to cheat in which they don’t risk being caught.

They’ve found the holes in teacher policies, the gaps in plagiarism detectors and the foolproof ways of getting aid on their assignments. Our school can never expect to catch these students. The only true way to reverse cheating like this is not to address its consequences, but rather to look at the motives for this cheating.

Students cheat for one reason: results. If the school community could be less resultsoriented and more focused on inquiry and learning, students would have little motivation to cheat on their assignments or even flirt with academic dishonesty.

I should be honest here.

I’m a hypocrite. A cheater, no, but I’ve found myself increasingly focused on grades instead of the things I truly loved. Despite an active effort against it, I’d be lying if I said my focus hasn’t shifted immensely toward end results.

My time spent studying focused on tests and completed assignments has made me a less happy student and has absolutely taken away from my natural joy for learning. I know I’m not the norm.

An elite university truly is not the right place for everyone and should not be the object of endless chasing in our high school years. Such environments will not be happy places for every student and are not always the answer. If you hate a competitive high school environment, why would you pursue that same environment in a college? If you are an arts student, why would you pick a more prestigious school with a worse arts program?

Truthfully, we as a school should make an effort to be more joyful in our learning.

Students at our school are truly passionate about their subjects, and we should make an effort to preserve that passion and prevent it from being overshadowed by a focus on results.

I laud the administration’s attempts to pull us away from our result-oriented culture.

A focus on fit over prestige in the college process that, in the

long run, is the best choice for each student.

An AP limits rule that at least makes it more difficult for students to load up on rigorous classes they don’t want to take in pursuit of college forces students to reevaluate the classes they’re taking.

However, for these largely policy based changes to have real impact, students and teachers need to embrace their meaning as well.

Teachers should focus on legitimately teaching their students material and engaging them, rather than preparing them for their tests or AP exams and subject tests down the road.

Students should be engaged with the material in their classes to be more worldly and learn the material, rather than to get a good grade in the class.

We as a school should try to truly adhere to our mission of “joyful” learning rather than teachers assigning and students studying for strong results on tests. Why would students cheat if they legitimately enjoyed the material and were less focused on a vague and distant result?

Next time we sit down at our desks for another night of studying, let’s do our best to not focus on final grades or a college result. Let’s immerse ourselves in our subjects, finding the joy, love and importance in them that our school hopes we will.

The Indu-sputed truth

By Indu Pandey

Comey launches campaign for Trump Administration Anonymous

F

ormer FBI Director James Comey began his book tour earlier this week to promote his new organization, Trump Administration Anonymous (TAA).

TAA seeks to create a support network for former members of the Trump administration.

Comey’s new book focuses on his fall from grace and his rehabilitation process.

“I reached rock bottom after the break up,” Comey said in his ABC interview with George Stegosaurus.

“I turned to tweeting Bible verses and making periodic ominous statements about Trump. But I just realized I couldn’t live my life that way.”

Comey began his healing process after a chance meeting with Sean Spicer who Comey found

curled in a ball at a McDonalds.

“From that moment on, I knew that we couldn’t be alone in this,” Comey said. “We created TAA for all the broken souls out there.”

Recent members include Hope Hicks and H.R. McMaster.

Both refused our interview requests because they were on a spiritual healing getaway weekend with fellow TAA members.

Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson remains the only wounded warrior to not join the group because members couldn’t remember what he looks like.

“I just have one message to all the former members of the White House out there,” Comey said in an impromptu speech in the middle of a Barnes and Noble book signing.

“You can overcome this! You are brave. You are beautiful.”

ven before I clicked the play button, I knew that “Nailed It!”, a Netflix reality show that showcases home bakers who simply cannot bake, would be life-changing.

And no, I am not exaggerating.

Growing up, I have always enjoyed watching cooking shows on television.

When my favorite show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was not playing, I would immediately change the channel to 58-3, where my eyes would settle on and stay glued to the chefs and bakers as they carefully placed their masterpieces onto beautiful dishes.

When I grew a little bit older, I switched to watching cooking survival shows.

I would often settle in for a relaxing episode of “MasterChef” with my bag of popcorn sitting right beside me, occasionally jumping up at the screams of Gordon Ramsay, spilling my popcorn by the handful.

At this point, you would expect me to say that I was greatly inspired by these shows and that my greatest passion is cooking. However, it is quite the contrary. I can’t cook. I can possibly cook a maximum of two dishes, and even then, the kitchen would be a complete mess and the food might receive commentary like, “Is this even edible?”

That being the case, the 2018 show, “Nailed It!” caught my attention immediately. As I watched the contestants struggle with the most basic steps of the recipe, I related to them. In fact, I was almost more impressed by some of their final products of desserts than the applauded dishes from “MasterChef.”

Moreover, I became motivated by the endless encouragements from the judges.

Yes, some Netflix viewers of the show simply saw it as a complete joke and waste of

time. Others, like many of my friends, enjoyed laughing at the drooping cakes and horrendous final products of these home bakers. However, I became inspired by the spirit of the show.

Indeed, the judges were often horrified or amused at what the contestants created. I would be too if I were presented with a dilapidated shark-themed cake. However, in the very end of each episode, it ended with positive remarks, smiles and good spirit.

My whole spiel about cooking shows was all to set up an analogy to our general high school environment. As I reflect back at my middle school and high school years, I realize that we have all been contestants of “MasterChef”, where we faced pressure, stress and occasional meltdowns.

I even touched upon how to deal with this stressful environment in my previous article, “A vaccine to prevent stress,” which encouraged students to take risks and get out of their comfort zones. However, I would like to further encourage all of us to take breaks and participate in environments such as “Nailed It!”.

It is okay to fail. We need to realize and acknowledge that we cannot be robots and create a perfect dish.

Our dish can be plated beautifully, yet taste awful.

Our dish can be the most delicious food anyone has produced, yet not look appetizing.

Our dish can be completely perfect or completely terrible as well. However, we should embrace our final product in the end and instead of erasing our mistakes, build upon them to create a healthy life as students.

If we follow this recipe, I am positive that we will create the healthy school environment we all strive to produce. We will truly nail it.

Former Chronicle News Associate gives her take on current pop culture and politics in a recurring satire column. In this issue, she discusses the departure of White House staffers and the Prefect Council elections.

T

Prefect midterm elections heat up

he midterm elections for next year’s prefects heat up as election draws closer. The Chronicle has been following potential candidates since early in the school year.

“There are a lot of anti-establishment candidates this year,” Anthony Weinraub, Chronicle’s senior political correspondent said. “I think this might pose some problems for Deep State incumbents.”

Most races have been dominated by key issues such as nap pods and adding Boba flavors to the cafeteria.

“A lot of students are single-issue voters,” candidate Ryan Paul said. “My campaign has been focused on Honor Board reform. It’s something that really gets to working class students.”

Some have questioned whether the process is democratic at all.

“The gerrymandering of the eleventh grade is without parallel,” Anne

Kelly said as she handed out ‘Drain the Swamp’ t-shirts. “People have already voted even before speeches are given.

I spent twenty minutes thinking of a witty, #relatable icebreaker!”

Early polling shows that there may be a wave of outsiders who could win seats given the dissatisfaction with the current administration.

“My totally accurate, super-secret algorithm predicts that there is a 60.7 percent chance of an outsider wave,” Nate Silver proclaimed on FiveThirtyEight. “If I get this right, I think they’ll take me off time-out for presidential elections!”

Most incumbents remain unworried by the brewing resistance movement.

“Be sure to get poké from this month’s food truck before class meeting!” Prefect Council announced in a recent email earlier. “We hope it gives you energy to think about your vote.”

The wheels of democracy are turning.

APRIL 25, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/OPINION

OPINION A11

Guest Editorial

The Chronicle invites the Harvard-Westlake Environmental Club to celebrate Earth Day and discuss plastic pollution on campus.

By The Harvard-Westlake Environmental Club

T

he campaign for this year’s Earth Day is to end the global crisis of mounting toxic plastic pollution. According to environmentalist Marcus Eriksen, so much plastic has been dumped in the oceans that now more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic waste, collectively weighing over 250,000 tons, are afloat at sea.

Some nations have already implemented important legislation to address this alarming situation.

For example, France’s Energy Transition for Green Growth Act will ban disposable plastic cups and plates by 2020.

In Kenya, producing, selling or using plastic bags will lead to a fine of $40,000 or four years in jail.

As you probably know, at Harvard-Westlake we have begun our own single-use plastic elimination program, starting with plastic straws. Based on a rough count, we have eliminated approximately 45 straws per day, totaling 8,000 per school year, and we have shifted to using 81% compostable straws rather than plastic straws—good job, Wolverines!

Building on this success and in honor of Earth Day, let’s consider what more we can do to reduce plastic pollution.

Here are five relatively simple steps that can make a real difference in our plastic pollution footprint on campus and in our daily lives: 1. Ditch the straw. At Starbucks or any other coffee place, when ordering a cold drink, request the server to keep the plastic top and straw. After all, we don’t need the straw to enjoy the drink, and we don’t need the plastic cap for a cold beverage. Also, if you see someone near you reach for a straw, try spreading the message. They may not know the detrimental effect plastic straws have on the environment. (One million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed annually from plastic in our oceans).

ILLUSTRATION BY BRITTANY HONG

2. Shop in style. Keep one or two canvas shopping bags accessible so that when you shop somewhere plastic bags are used, you will have an environmentally friendly alternative. (Annually, approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide.)

3. Use smart packaging. Instead of using plastic wraps or other plastic packaging, employ reusable containers so that you do not create more single-use plastic trash. (Plastic can never be broken down; every particle of plastic that has ever been created still exists in a form toxic to all terrestrial and marine life.)

4. Reuse. One of the biggest sources of plastic waste in our community is the plastic water bottles that we throw away each day. If everyone brought their own water bottle to school, we would enormously cut down our plastic pollution as a campus community. Eventually, the cafeteria would not need to stock its shelves with wasteful plastic. (Americans throw away over 35 billion plastic water bottles every year!)

5. Dine elegantly. When you order take-out or fast-food, tell the restaurant that you don’t need the plastic cutlery and plastic plates. Instead, use what you have at home.

It is up to our generation to take control of this crisis. According to EcoWatch, “in the Los Angeles area alone, 10 metric tons of plastic fragments — like grocery bags, straws and soda bottles — are carried into the Pacific Ocean every day.”

Further, the organization reports that “it takes 500 to 1,000 years for plastic to degrade.” As a community, let’s do our part to save our fish, our oceans and our planet. The Earth’s fate is quite literally in our hands. To many happy and meaningful Earth Days!

—Sonya Ribner ’19

quadtalk: “Do you support the school’s Coachella and attendance integrity policy?”

Naomi Ogden ’20

“I get why the school takes such a hard stance against Coachella absences. It shouldn’t be excused because they’re going to party. They’re not sick, and they’re not doing something so pressing that they have to miss school.”

“From what I’ve seen, people haven’t been abusing it too much. It’s just a once a year thing, and if people get their academics taken care of, then the school is pretty chill about it.”

Eli Timoner ’18

EMMA SHAPIRO/CHRONICLE

Jack Safir ’19 VISHAN CHAUDHARY/CHRONICLE

“I feel like the school is in the right by giving people punishments for not being there because they’re right that if you’re not in class you’re affecting the rest of the class and their ability to learn.”

VISHAN CHAUDHARY/CHRONICLE

Poll

Are you in support of the school’s policy regarding unexcused absenses, such as those related to Coachella?

Yes: 42% percent

No: 58% percent

332 students weighed in on the April 19-20 poll INFOGRAPHIC BY BRITTANY HONG

A12

Spring Break-ing free

spotlight

April 25, 2018

Students spent two weeks traveling on school-sponsored trips during spring break. The Jazz and Concert Bands went to Japan, Spanish students went to Spain, student leaders went to Ontario, CA, and juniors attended college tours.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ANNA MARTINEZ-YANG ’20

¿DÓNDE ESTÁS?: Students on the Spain trip smile for a picture in Toledo. The

trip was designed to help students apply their in-class skills in real life situations.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ALLISON SALVADOR ’19

WHERE HAVE YOU BEAN?: Loyal Terry ’19 poses in front of the Bean in Chicago while on the Bison College Tour. In Chicago, students visited two different universities.

KITTY LUO/CHRONICLE

A GOLDEN TRIO: (Left to right) Ryan Wixen ’19, Roshan Nayar ’19 and Otis Gordon ’20 play in a concert in Japan. Jazz Band performed with Japanese students and attended activities including drumming workshops.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF TIBER SEIREENI ’18

BAMBOO-ZLED: (Left to right) Ben Chasalow ’18, Nico James ’19, Evan LaTourrette-Ghez ’19 and Tiber Seireeni ’18 explore a Japanese bamboo forest together.

CASEY KIM/CHRONICLE

3,2,1 ACTION: Michael Lehrhoff ’20, Kate Konvitz ’20, Sebastian Li ’20, Chronicle staff writer Valerie Velasquez ’20 and Sergio Coury ’20 make a music video at the California Association of Student Leaders state conference.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MELANIE HIRSCH ’18

TOURIST TIME: Tali Perluss ’18 explores traditional art on the Jazz Band trip.

Band students also travelled to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka while on tour.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ALLISON SALVADOR ’19

PHOTO-BOMBED: (Left to right) Upper school dean Celso Cardenas photo-bombs Sam Lingard ’19, Xenia Bernal ’19, Allison Salvador ’19 and Angie Vasquez ’19.

FEATURES The Chronicle • April 25, 2018

Facing the Music

Members of the school discuss the policies regarding unexcused absences for the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival.

• Story on B7

PHOTO BY CATY SZETO PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JENNY LI

B2 FEATURES

THE CHRONICLE

Cracking the Codes

By ALEX GOLDSTEIN AND SOPHIE HABER

The scandal affected 87 million Facebook users, according to Forbes.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Cypress Toomey ’19 hovered her testified at congressional hearings mouse over the “I Agree” button on in April as lawmakers worked to Facebook’s terms and conditions, decide how to regulate social media taking a beat to hesitate. Unlike companies as well as investigate many of her peers, she never felt the Cambridge Analytica scandal the need to maintain an active pres- and possible election interference.

Although Congress is investigatence on social media and understood that in creating an account, ing how Facebook should share pershe was choosing to publicize a sonal data in the future, the Camgreat deal of personal information. bridge Analytica incident was not a She finally created an account data breach. When a Facebook user to keep up with updates from her creates a profile and agrees to the field hockey teammates, Toom- company’s Data Policy, they allow ey said. After making her pro- Facebook to share the data with file, she began to scroll through vendors, service providers and peoher list of suggested friends. ple conducting academic research Toomey noticed that the peo- as long as the partners adhere to ple Facebook was suggesting strict confidentiality agreements.

Out of 334 students who reshe “friend” were people she had no mutual friends with and had sponded to the Chronicle’s April never searched for on the web- poll, nine percent say they regularly read a company’s site. Rather, they were “terms and conditions” names that matched before signing them. those in her contacts.

“When you provided that “It was a little bit unnervinformation to Facebook, ing because if Facebook has you just kind of assumed access to my contacts, I don’t that they wouldn’t do anyknow what else they have thing bad with it,” Director access to,” Toomey said. of Information Technology After realizing FaceDavid Ruben said. “We book had access to more all did. Now we’ve learned than she was comfort’ that that’s not true.” able giving, Toomey deCypress It is important that activated her account.

Toomey ‘19 students are aware of the “I did not feel a need for it, and I felt like my privacy privacy setting that they choose would be better protected with- on their social media accounts, out it,” Toomey said. “I feel more Ruben said. Recently, Facebook secure in knowing that they no announced that it will now put longer have access to my data.” all of their privacy options on one Recently, Facebook has been page to make it easier to manage.

“The bottom line that we all criticized for sharing user data with other companies and not making have to remember is we shouldn’t privacy options easily accessible. care if it’s Facebook or Apple or The New York Times, working in Microsoft or Google,” Ruben said. collaboration with reporters from “They don’t have our best interThe Observer of London and The est at heart. So, if you’re not goGuardian, uncovered that in one ing to protect your own privacy, particular instance, a Cambridge they’re not going to do it for you.”

Users are also conUniversity researcher received cerned about their the data of around 300,000 privacy being Facebook members after violated berequesting that they c a u s e download an applicaFacebook tion and fill out a surtracks vey. This data was then the ongiven to Cambridge l i n e Analytica, a political consulting firm, who shared the information with members of the Donald Trump campaign.

WHITE S

APRIL 25, 2018

Following the recent controversy surrounding privacy on Facebook, students relay their own experiences with confidentiality and sharing information on the website. search history of its users to be added to his class page receive announcements target ads at specific people. and It can often feel like inter- about activities he is a part of.

“I am not a person who likes to net users are being watched every time they search for some- post on Facebook,” Schroeder said. thing online, Jess Grody ’19 said. “All I have on Facebook is my profile “It’s just kind of disorienting photo and my connections with my when you search for something family and friends, and I do not find and then you immediately start it an issue that Facebook is sellgetting advertisements for it, be- ing simply my age and my name.”

While the story has recentcause it’s a very visible reminder that our data is constantly being ly received a lot of attention analyzed and tracked,” Grody said. and scrutiny, these data-sharIn the short time that she was ing policies are not new to Facea Facebook user, Toomey said she book or other social media outnoticed on several occasions that lets that follow similar guidelines.

“It’s upsetting obviously, but it’s the advertisements on her feed were a reflection of her recent browsing not really a surprise because comhistory. This combined with the panies like Facebook have been dosuggested friends list contributed ing this for years,” Shana Brindze to her deactivating the account. ’19 said. “It is in their user license agreement. It is However, while sad that that’s he may not althe world we live ways pay attenIt’s upsetting in, but unfortion to the ads obviously, but it’s not tunately it’s not on his Facebook new or unique to feed, Ruben said really a surprise because Facebook at all.” he would rather companies like Facebook While Ruben see ads for things said it is common he is slightly inhave been doing this for for companies terested in rather years. It is in their user like Facebook to than ads for serlicense agreement.” share users’ pervices he would sonal informanever consider —Shana Brindze ’19 tion, he said that purchasing or he wants to make using. Therefore, it clear that a he feels it is justified for Facebook to track his on- similar situation could never hapline searches to ensure the ads he pen to data that students provide sees are targeted to his interests. through the school’s databases, Although some students said whether through their email, the that they do not feel like their data Hub or enrollment documents.

“That information is being is safe on Facebook, Tosh Le ’19 said that he believes that in an era highly and heavily protected by when social media is so prevalent, the school’s security,” Ruben issues with privacy are inevitable. said. “The students, and parents “The reality of the world that for that matter, should know we live in is that in this day and that we don’t share your data age of connectedness to the en- with anyone. Not for any price.”

When reflecting on the scantire world, social media platforms like Facebook, or even simple dal at Facebook, it is imperabrowsers like Google, will take ad- tive to look at the repercussions vantage of the information that both on Facebook itself and on we put online and utilize it to the website’s users, Ruben said.

“The great thing about what’s the best of their ability,” Le said.

Out of 329 students polled, 78 happening is that it’s raised awarepercent of students said they do ness for users like us, but it’s also not post personal information on put a magnifying glass on Facebook Facebook. Jake Schroeder ’20 said and other company’s policies, and he uses Facebook mostly to com- they’re going to have to change municate with mem- those,” Ruben said. “It’s good from bers of the school both levels because now everybody’s c o m m u n i t y aware that they’re not as private as and joined they thought, and these compain order to nies are going to have to back off.”

“

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

APRIL 25, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

FEATURES B3

Danger Zone

Students explain the reasons they go clubbing despite the dangers that it presents for underage people.

By SOFIA HELLER

In the years since Charlie has started clubbing in Los An“Please stay here so I can geles, bouncers have caught him go get my cousin, and we can using a fake ID a few times, but leave,” Ally* ’18 told her friend, he has never gotten in trouble yelling so that she could be with the police, he said. Regardheard over the music that was less, Charlie said the threat of legal trouble has led him to go loudly pulsing in their ears.

Ally was out clubbing with clubbing less frequently than he her friend and cousin, and al- previously did.

“In L.A., clubbing almost though she stayed sober, her friend had gotten more drunk becomes a serious thing where you have to watch yourself the than Ally realized.

Ally sat her friend down and whole time,” Charlie said. “It’s left to go look for her cousin, but so risky in L.A. to use a fake ID, when she got back, her friend and when you’re already acceptwas gone. Her mind started to ed into college, what’s the point race with terrifying hypotheti- of blowing that?”

Since Charlie is 18 years old, cals, she said.

“I was scared for her well-be- however, he is legally allowed ing,” Ally said. “I was scared she in clubs in Mexico, where the was going to [get] hurt, or [that] drinking age is 18. As a result, Charlie now she had drifted goes clubbing off and had no often when idea where she In a club, people only he travels to was going. She Mexico. was in such a think about themselves.

W h i l e vulnerable state I have seen many people Charlie unthat anything walk past a girl getting hit derstands the could have hapgreater risk in pened.” on by a guy who knew she clubbing, he In the end, was way too out of it. said he still Ally found her going friend safe in —Ally* ’19 enjoys because it ofthe hotel room fers him an they had rented for her birthday celebration, but exciting opportunity to feel like she said the experience forced an adult.

“When you go clubbing, her to acknowledge the severe you’re out with a bunch of older consequences of clubbing.

“The experience was scary people, going up to bars withbecause it was one of those wild out getting carded and ordersituations that we only hear ing whatever you want,” Charlie about, so having it actually hap- said. “You just feel really grown pen [made me realize] people up, and that’s fun. You experiare mean and selfish out there,” ence it, and you say, ‘alright, I’m Ally said. “In a club, people only not at a high school party anythink about themselves. I have more.’”

The desire to feel like an seen many people walk past a girl getting hit on by a guy who adult is common among teenknew she was way too out of it.” agers, but that desire can also Underage drinking leads to result in reckless and hazardous increased vulnerability and an situations, Counselor Luba Bek increased risk of physical or said.

“It’s a trademark of adolessexual assault, according to the cence to be rebellious, to push organization Drinkaware.

For Charlie* ’18, the risk of the limits and to act without clubbing comes from using a abandon,” Bek said. “If there are substances involved, the danger fake ID, he said.

“

is that the lack of impulse con- tations as to how you are usutrol in adolescents’ brains is en- ally, which makes it attractive hanced by imbibing or by using to people,” Liz said. “You can drugs. [Teenagers] don’t know dance, you can wear what you what they’re doing, plus the want, you can drink as much desire to appear more adult can as you want or as little as you really push kids into some very want and just act how you want tricky situations. It could be to because there are no expecanything from illegal activity to tations.”

While Liz has not found that kids putting themselves in very iffy sexual situations, unwanted many of her peers go clubbing, encounters where you feel that Charlie, in contrast, said he is you’re not going to play accord- shocked to see how many high ing to your age and you’re going schoolers have started going to clubs. to play it cool.”

Recently, he said he has With this tendency in mind, Bek also said that she thinks seen an increase in younger stuhigh school parties are safer dents, especially female sophothan clubbing, since high school mores, going clubbing.

17 percent of upper school parties solely consist of stustudents have been to a nightdents.

“When you go to a school club, according to a Chronicle poll of 334 students. party, you are with Jamie* ’19 is not one your peers,” Bek said. of those students. She “When you go clubsaid she hasn’t had any bing, you’re with peodesire to go to a club in ple who are adults, and the past and does not you behave accordingthink she will want to ly. Even in high school, go to one in the close you know that one year future. makes such a big dif“There’s a lot that ference developmentalgoes into going to a ly in your experience, ’ club, and a club enin your outlook on the Luba vironment would just world, in how much Bek stress me out,” Jamie you allow yourself to do. We’re talking about adults said. “If I’m doing something who are out of college compared on the weekend, I want it to be with high school kids who are relaxing and carefree and not stuck in a Harvard-Westlake something that’s going to get me bubble with no knowledge of more worked up.”

Instead of going clubbing, how the world operates. This is the world of pretending, and the Jamie said she would rather do more you are with people where other activities with her friends you don’t belong, the more you on the weekends that are not have to pretend to make sure as risky as clubbing and offer an opportunity to bond with they accept you.”

Liz* ’19, however, said she friends, including going out to enjoys clubbing because the lunch, shopping or going to parpeople in the club do not know ties.

“I think parties are a great who she is. She said she finds the anonymity freeing, and it way to not take anything too seprovides her with an appreciat- riously and just hang out with ed break from the preconceived my friends,” Jamie said. “They’re notions her peers have about honestly a great way to destress, have fun and be a normal teenher.

“The club is usually pretty ager. ” dark, people usually aren’t very *Names have been changed sober and there are no expecWHITE S

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

THE CHRONICLE APRIL 25

B4 FEATURES

Slipping Through the Safety Net Students react to receiving disappointing college results in light of lower acceptance rates at universities all around the nation.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOFIA HELLER AND ALISON OH

5, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

By KENDALL DEES AND KAITLIN MUSANTE

ing a diverse community. “[That growth] exceeded our expectations,” Rapelye Lucy* ’18 sat with her said in an interview with the friend in a near-empty Mc- Daily Princetonian Feb. 20.

Donald’s, silently sipping her “Our outreach to low income drink. As she refreshed her backgrounds, students who may be working with comemail, her heart sank.

The word “rejection” munity-based organizations flashed across the screen, in- and to schools we haven’t forming her that she had just had applicants from before been denied from her dream may have contributed.”

Although upper school school. dean Adam Howard ’93 said “I felt really disappointed and confused,” Lucy said. “I he has noticed a difference in was just thinking, ‘why, why, how colleges are approaching diversity, he feels that it is a why, why?’”

Lucy said that she had natural progression.

“Every college is trying to felt fairly confident in her create a community that, as chances for admission and much as possible, mirrors the was shocked by the results. real world, [with] a “Getting rejected diverse community was [emotionally] a that is made up of lot,” Lucy said. “It varying ethnicities was hard to deal and interests and with. I had been passions and studreaming about atdents and sexual tending my entire orientations in the life since before I world around us,” can remember.”

Howard said. “That ’ Acceptance in itself right there Axel Rivera rates at colleges can certainly be de León ’18 across the nation frustrating for the have fallen in recent years, with many reaching applicant [who doesn’t get in], but at the same time, I record lows.

For example, Tulane Uni- feel like our students would versity’s acceptance rate has want to go to a place where dropped from 30 percent to they are getting a real world 17 percent in just two years, experience. That becomes and Villanova’s acceptance stuff that is out of the sturate fell from 43.5 percent in dents’ control. As our world 2016 to 29 percent for this changes, so does college admissions.” year.

Axel Rivera de León ’18, These low acceptance rates follow a substan- who is the first in his family tial increase in application to apply to college, said that numbers, with all of the throughout the application Ivy League schools and UC process, schools have genschools drawing the largest erally made a strong effort number of applications in re- to make him feel welcome by highlighting the different cent history.

Dean of Admission at diversity centers on campus Princeton University Janet and providing him with opRapelye attributed the grow- portunities to speak to other ing applicant pool to an in- minority students.

“The schools I’ve applied creased emphasis on fosterWHITE S

FEATURES B5 to and gotten accepted to are really vocal and reach out,” Rivera de León said. “For example, sometimes they’ll have students from the Hispanic student center or the LGBTQ student center call me and ask if I have any questions, or they’ll invite me to admitted students events specifically for students of color or queer students.”

In addition to an increased focus on diversity, outside-ofschool college counselor Patti Demoff pointed to misleading information that encourages students without competitive credentials to apply to selective colleges as a reason for the increase in applications.

“In general, [colleges] are inviting more and more applications,” Demoff said.

“They don’t discourage students from applying; rather, they talk about holistic reviews and having no grade or score cut-offs, which may be technically true, but it’s very misleading. They aggressively market, only to turn more people down.”

As a result of this influx of applications, certain schools are struggling to adjust to the growing application pool. According to Demoff, University of Michigan deferred many early action applicants without reading their applications and focused purely on numbers this year.

When Ralph* ’18 opened his early action decision from Michigan and discovered he was deferred, he said he was shocked, as he had applied to the school expecting to be easily admitted. Although he was eventually accepted, he said that the news of his deferral heightened his anxiety throughout the rest of the process.

“I was pretty scared with the Michigan decision, espe-

cially because it came right way to balance the art and after my early decision re- science of college admission.” jection, so I was kind of in Although Howard said shock,” Ralph said. he has always stressed the Howard also suggested importance of maintaining a that in order to protect their balanced list, the new admisyield percentages, colleges sions trends will encourage are looking for applicants students to explore an even who have demonstrated in- wider range of institutions. terest, resulting in students “It is a great opportunity with competitive transcripts to learn about places that being rejected by certain don’t typically creep into our schools. vocabulary,” Howard said.

These trends are echoed “Schools that are off the raacross the nation, Demoff dar but are terrific institusaid. tions that not many HW kids In speaking to other col- have gone to that are maybe lege counselors, Demoff said not being chatted about in she discovthe lounge ered that suddenthe number ly must of students emerge.

The deans try to who were T h a t be both realistic and waitlisted creates supportive in this process or rejected some new everywhere unique and walking that line they had options is really difficult in the applied had for somecurrent college admission substanone to find tially intheir own environment. creased. path.”

—Beth Slattery M o v Howing forUpper School Dean ard also ward, both Department Head said that D e m o f f despite the and Upper numbers, School Dean Department he remains optimistic about Head Beth Slattery said that students’ chances at many the recent admissions trends colleges and does not feel will change how they address that the school will be affectcertain schools. ed by the decline in accep“We have to utilize data tance rates. even more significantly to “Colleges like us because help families understand just our students are well prehow competitive the most pared and do well when they competitive schools have get there, so thats not going become,” Slattery said. “The to change,” Howard said. deans try to be both sup- “So I do think that with the portive and realistic in this ‘Harvard-Westlake bump,’ process, and walking that whether it is minimal or bigline is really difficult in the ger depending on the school, current college admission [admissions results] will ulenvironment. Using data to timately remain the same inform the process while also because colleges know that capitalizing on the strong re- they are getting really good lationships we have with our quality students from here students seems to be the best every year.”

“

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JENNY LI

B6 FEATURES

THE CHRONICLE

APRIL 25, 2018

ILLUSTRATION BY SAM KO

Cheating the System Despite the use of plagiarism-detecting tools like Turnitin, some students continue to cheat on their essays and lab reports.

By LUCAS GELFOND AND ASA SAPERSTEIN

think using Turnitin is an effective way to detect cheating.

But some students have discovered Every time Rodney* ’19 received an loopholes within the Turnitin system. essay assignment in his sophomore Guillermo,* who has never been caught English class, he would go home and cheating on an English essay, created share the prompt with his tutor, who a Turnitin teacher account during his would write the essay in front of him sophomore year to test all of his essays on his own computer while only some- for a plagiarism notification. To keep students from testing their assigntimes asking Rodney for his input.

“I got worse [in English last year] ments, Turnitin does not let the general because I stopped having to care or public create these accounts. However, try,” Rodney said. “I would know every after his sophomore year, Guillermo day that the in-class discussions were looked through the faculty directory at absolutely meaningless for me because a high school in Texas and posed as a random teacher to what we discovered get his own account in class would have and submits all of nothing to do with his essays through what I would write Almost every paper fake Turnitin assignabout in my essay. I I write is peer-edited or ments to check their wouldn’t even know amount of original what I’d write about.” draws on another friend's content.

Although Rodney's words. The language “You always want essays were not his always gets tweaked, but to take every preown work, all of them were technically origthe ideas are pretty shared.” caution,” Guillermo said. “Some people inal, so he has never been caught cheating —Duncan* are like, ‘I’m kind of worried about Turniby the school's plagiatin,’ and I say there’s rism detector, Turnino need to be worried. Before any astin.

Penelope* was not so lucky. She signment, you should already have evwas brought to the Honor Board last erything under control. I just thought year after her English teacher found it would be a good idea to make sure I that she plagiarized her analysis al- wouldn’t get caught.”

He said he often consults online most directly from a website. While she said many teachers can spot plagiarism sources before writing essays but based on writing style, she thinks her is careful when integrating them to teacher knew she was cheating largely change enough not to get caught.

“It’s not paraphrasing in that I copy due to Turnitin.

“The software is very good,” Penelo- and paste it and change a few words, pe said. “Even if it’s not verbatim, it I really try to rewrite it in my own way could be synonyms, or even if it’s not and Turnitin can’t catch that,” Guillin the exact same order, the algorithm ermo said. “All Turnitin does is do a they use is still clever enough to detect search of online stuff. Of course it says it’s really sophisticated, but there’s a plagiarism.”

Even though she no longer plagia- point where it can’t know.”

Essays are not the only assignrizes on essays, Penelope said she worries that the algorithm could generate ments that Guillermo cheats on; he false positives, resulting in further ac- has also employed his cheating tactics when completing science labs. Uscusations.

In a Chronicle poll of 314 students, ing a fake email address and refusing 76 percent of respondents said they to communicate over text or email to

“

make sure there is no paper trail, he aries and that 50 to 60 percent of her has older students send him their fin- students have not consulted completed ished assignments from courses they labs that are not their own before turnhave already taken. Guillermo said he ing reports in.

As a result, she said she has conis confident that he reworks phrasing enough to ensure that he does not get sidered alternative lab exercises to stem dishonesty on labs. caught.

“We could, for example, require all For Duncan,* not cheating on labs is less common than copying someone of the work to be completed in class else's work. He estimates that he has during that period and turned in at the done 10 percent of his labs at the Up- end of the period so that there’s no opper School alone. Even so, he has nev- portunity or less opportunity for that er been called to the Honor Board or type of sharing,” Hutchison said. “We could also just have students turn in a questioned by a teacher. “[Students] go to ridiculous lengths single lab report for a lab group so that not to be caught,” Duncan said. that type of sharing is rendered unnecessary.”

“Changing the bulletpoint forAlternative lab exercises mat, so that when one person would mean less in depth lab has dots, you have dashes, reports or more time spent using Ctrl+F to replace certain in class on lab assignments, words with different words Hutchison said. with different punctuation, She also said she is tentaanything to make your lab tively considering having stuslightly grammatically differdents turn all AP Physics I lab ent from another person’s.” reports in through Turnitin Duncan and Guillermo are ’ next year. far from alone. In a Chronicle Karen “[Hopefully] we can try to poll of 315 students, 36 perHutchison catch some of the similarities cent of students say they regularly consult finished labs, and eight between lab reports from that year and percent say they consult finished es- maybe try to emphasize to students says before turning their own assign- that this is something we take seriously,” Hutchison said. ments in.

Science department chair and AP Earlier this year, after Jonathan* tried to help a younger friend with a Biology teacher Larry Axelrod includes science lab who could not finish it, he a “Plagiarism Statement” on his class sent a copy of his lab to the friend. The hub page.

“Discussion for the purpose of unfriend was caught after turning in the entire lab, including questions that derstanding elements of a problem is fine, but it is not a one-sided conversawere not included on this year's lab.

“A lot of times, there’s a gap in what tion that supplies you with an answer,” people think is actually wrong for labs,” the document states. “Furthermore, Jonathan said. “There’s a lot of really discussion precedes answering the clear, blatant cheating, but then also question; it does not coincide with it. sometimes people get confused and When you physically sit down to write your response, you do it alone.” can accidentally cheat.”

For now, some members of the sciTeachers are well-aware of the cheating epidemic. Physics teacher ence department are in the discussion Karen Hutchison said she has had sev- stage about how to evaluate student eral instances of academic dishonesty understanding of lab material, but no on labs this year. Hutchison estimates official policy has been finalized. that 25 percent of AP Physics I labs are *Names have been changed done within strict Honor Code boundWHITE S

APRIL 25, 2018

By JENNY LI

HWCHRONICLE.COM/FEATURES

FEATURES B7

Coachella Consequences

ordinator Gabriel Preciado said. 425 students missed Sirus Wheaton ’19 some form of school for stood alone, surrounded the two weekends for reaby hundreds of strangers. sons ranging from senior The crowd was silent in ditch day to college tours. anticipation, waiting for Around 80 of those stuthe members of BROCK- dents credited their abHAMPTON to perform at sences to Coachella the the Coachella Valley Music first weekend, which Preand Arts Festival. When ciado said was a record the band walked on stage, number of students who however, Wheaton said he told the truth and accepted the punishment. no longer felt alone.

According to the Upper “I was just there by Student/Parent myself,” Wheaton said. School “I thought it would be so Handbook, any unexcused awkward, but it ended up absence can result in a being just so much fun, “zero or failing grade for just jumping around and work during that period.” knowing all the words. I This policy has created felt like I was close to the some controversy among band, and when they came students, Ashlee Wong ’18, out, they just seemed like who attended Coachella the first weekend, said. Of they were part of us.”

332 students who For Wheaton, responded to the Coachella offered Chronicle April a sense of closepoll, 58 percent ness and belongsaid they are not ing that he said in support of the he had not been school’s policy reable to replicate garding Coachelat any other conla-related absenccert. es.

“I felt like the ’ “Excused abwhole crowd was Sirus sences could injust one, collecWheaton ’19 clude weddings tively,” Wheaton family reunions, said. “We were all cheer- and ing and doing the same which are meant to be fun, things, and everyone was so Coachella shouldn’t be just happy. It felt like a any different,” Wong said. community rather than a “It is slightly hypocritical. whole bunch of individu- Some school events, like field trips to art museums als.”

However, the magic of or whale watching, are of the festival would not last; course a good addition to Wheaton said he knew a course but aren’t neceswould face a detention sarily needed for a class, when he arrived at school just a fun and extra addion Monday for missing tion.”

Recognizing this arschool on Friday. Since former Head of Upper gument, Head of Upper School Audrius Barzdukas School Laura Ross said created the “Take Pride in that although there are Honesty and Own It” poli- some differences between cy in 2013, Coachella has attending the festival and been considered an unex- other absences, the adcused absence, resulting ministration will have a in the penalty of deten- discussion to create a clear tion for every day that was difference between excused and missed for the festival.

Spanning two weekends u n e x in April, Coachella has attracted an increased number of students every year, Upper School Student Discipline & Attendance CoWHITE S

cused absences.

“The hard part is that we can’t control the choices that parents make, [and] this one is generally the student’s decision,” Ross said. “There’s no policy changes [about other absences] right now, but there are more conversations in sight. We are always looking at if we are doing things the way that is best, and [we are] always looking at why and the underpinnings of things that we have.”

In the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school year, the administration offered Coachella as an excused absence. However, because the volume of student attendees spiked rapidly, Preciado said the school changed the policy. Furthermore, condoning attendance could turn into a slippery slope in which many other unexcused absences could theoretically be permitted, Preciado said.

“If we can accept an event like this for students going out to have a good time and have fun, what is the difference between that and staying home and watching TV all day?”

Preciado said. “It makes any reason acceptable. If it’s a recreational day for some, [it would] make it a recreational day for all.”

Condoning an event like Coachella would also interfere with the mission of inclusivity, Preciado said.

Because many students do not have the financial means or the time to attend the festival, changing the policy to permit absences could disrupt students’ school atmosphere.

“We have to be cognizant of the fairness of it all,”Preciado said. “There are students who can’t go and pay that

premium price, and if we of the detention. It is my excuse others, those that senior year and was my don’t have the means are first time attending, and I not excused and have to go thought of it as almost a to school. We have to stick reward for years of stressto our core values and ful second semesters.” our core mission. There’s Klein said the school’s ‘happiness and balance,’ policy regarding Coachella for some, but there’s not seemed to be a balanced ‘happiness and balance’ compromise between the for all. At that point, it needs of the students and would not be inclusive.” those of the school.

Although Har“It could, conceivably, vard-Westlake Parent As- be a lot harsher penalty sociation President Jack- for missing school,” Klein ie Klein (Andrew ’18) said said. “You can speak in the she recognized that many abstract, but in the realiparents disagreed with the ty, it’s a day when you can policy, she said the school potentially have so many does have a part to play in absences that it causes the decision. a disruption to the stu“In general, parents dents who are in school. parent, and it’s their de- The kids who chose this cision on how to parent,” day are now penalized for Klein said. “There are learning, which frankly some parisn’t fair ents who either. It If I fully have the condone seems to it, and me to be capability to go to school t h a t ’ s a reasonbut miss it to go to a music able comfine, but festival, then yes, I should that is promise probably between accept the punishment of different the two the detention.” in the extremes. school’s —Carolyn Kim ’18 It’s just eyes than that each [someside is trything like a] family re- ing to balance and deal union. The school has to with the ramifications of draw a balance and look their choices the best they at the two and say, ‘we’re can.” not parents but we’re the Although he said he school.’” does not see the policy Preciado acknowledged changing in the future, that the threat of deten- Preciado admits that he tion does not act as a very does recognize that somelarge deterrent to attend- thing is unique about the ing Coachella; 79 percent festival. of the 314 respondents to “The type of stuthe Chronicle poll said the dents that come to Harconsequences of an un- vard-Westlake [are] the excused absence did not type that see school to be deter them from attend- one of their biggest priing Coachella. Carolyn orities for getting to their Kim ’18 said she went to future destinations,” PreCoachella fully aware of ciado said. “There are a and in agreement with the lot of students who never consequences. miss in the school year, “[Detention] is a conse- and they miss [for Coachquence of missing school ella], and they will never for a concert,” Kim said. miss again. They want to “If I fully have the capa- build memories outside bility to go to school but of school, while they’re miss to go to a music still students here before festival, then yes, I they go off to college, and should accept the Coachella, for them, is the p u n i s h m e n t platform for that.”

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTIN KUWADA AND JENNY LI

B8 FEATURES

THE CHRONICLE

APRIL 25, 2018

Smashing the Stigma Students and faculty share the effects of the harmful stereotypes toxic masculinity promotes that are present on campus in extracurricular activities and electives.

By ALISON OH

“One stereotype that I see is that boys are generAny given dance re- ally not expected to really hearsal, slam poetry club express their appreciation meeting or creative writing for their friends because class is full of talented and that’s not seen as manexpressive students who ly or tough,” Frischling choreograph their own said. “That kind of toxic dances, passionately per- masculinity is just anothform original poetry and er restraint being placed workshop personal essays on people because of their with their classmates. Sur- gender. I think one of the rounded by such energy goals of feminism is, yes, to and enthusiasm, it’s hard focus on women’s issues, to notice that something’s but also to ensure that evnot quite right: there’s a eryone can live their lives distinct lack of male stu- the way they choose to redents in all of these activ- gardless of their gender.

That would apply to toxic ities.

For example, there’s an masculinity too.”

The term “toxic enormous gap masculinity” refers between female to the argument and male stuthat traditional stedents regarding reotypes of men as their interest unemotional, agand participation gressive and fulin the slam poetly self-reliant can ry club, English have toxic effects. teacher and slam These stereotypes poetry adviser ’ can be seen reguEric Olson said.

Eric larly on campus, “With the exOlson junior prefect Kevin ception of the first year, when we had a Chen ’19 said.

“With the people I’ve couple of senior boys who were very interested in talked to, especially guys, rap and writing, it’s been a big thing at school is that difficult to recruit boys to they feel like they should do this,” Olson said. “This play sports,” Chen said. “I year, we had many female think stereotypes [about students audition, we had masculinity] have a negagay and straight students tive influence on campus. I audition, but we’ve had know a lot of kids who convery little interest from sider themselves less manly because they’re not athmale students in general.”

In recent years, both letic, and that’s not true.”

More specifically, the Harvard-Westlake students and society at large gender norms associathave begun to engage in ed with toxic masculinity discussions about the ef- discourage male students fects of sexism and gender from showing or expressstereotypes. The feminist ing their emotions.

Consequently, dance, movement has brought attention to the harmful ste- slam poetry and crereotypes surrounding girls ative writing, which in STEM, for example, and are activities that as a result, the number of require students girls in upper-level science to express their classes on campus has in- emotions publicly, are stecreased. in However, stereotypes reotyped about masculinity and the high school male behavior also have context as unharmful effects, La Femme manly, Frischleader Becca Frischling ’19 ling said. Matteo Lauto ’18, the only said.

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male member of the slam poetry club, said there is a stigma around boys participating in more emotional and “feminine” activities because of the expectation that boys adhere to traditional norms of masculinity.

Slam poetry club and competitive team member Jenny Yoon ’19 said that she also noticed a link between the expectation for boys to act less emotional and the low numbers of male students in slam poetry.

“Guys need to be more open to expressing themselves, such as in these creative outlets,” Yoon said. “I guess this could all tie back into the larger overarching theme of toxic masculinity–that you need to be stoic and engage in more physical activities [like sports].”

Similarly, dancer Daniel Varela ’18 cited expectations surrounding masculinity as a factor behind the gender disparity within the dance program.

“Most guys probably aren’t participating in it due to common stereotypes of dancers as being more feminine or not being straight,” Varela said. “I think that just because of that image and portrayal, people would rather be on a sports team rather than a dance team.”

Frischling said that she was disappointed about the negative

“I don’t think that we impact of toxic masculinity on boys’ involvement in ac- should particularly force boys to participate in more tivities on campus.

“Boys should not be in such personal activities afraid to express their if they personally don’t feelings or to take part in really want to engage in performing arts activities them, because there’s a or other things that aren’t line to cross between actypically seen as manly,” tually not wanting to do Frischling said. “Because something and being inin reality, they should be doctrinated into the belief able to express themselves that doing that kind of acand their interests whatev- tivity is unmanly,” Yoon said. er way they want to.”

On the other hand, Unfortunately, harmful stereotypes and ideas mandating some form of about masculinity begin in participation in such acchildhood and extend off tivities at school could accampus, making it difficult tually work to lessen the impact of to create t o x i c change, mascuO l s o n This could all tie back linity, said. into the larger overarching Tosh Le “It’s ’19, who a culturtheme of toxic masculinity– took a al valthat you need to be stoic creative ue that and engage in more physical w r i t i n g probably class last extends activities [like sports].” semesbeyond —Jenny Yoon ’19 ter, said. the activ“I enities that j o y e d happen at our school,” Olson said. creative writing tremen“In a very broad, cultural dously [but] it is certainly sense, emoting in poetic true that we live in a sociways is not always seen ety where expressing emoas masculine. I think it’s tion is frowned upon dissomething that is not val- proportionately for males,” ued in boys from an early Le said. “I think that havage and that trend comes ing more ‘creative’ assignto an unfortunate fruition ments in required English classes could remove the in high school.”

However, Yoon cau- stigma associated with tioned against trying to them.”

Lauto pointed to activforce male students to defy those stereotypes, explain- ities like Peer Support and ing that it isn’t a strictly slam poetry as opportuniblack-or-white i s - ties provided by the school to change the stereotypes sue. surrounding boys expressing their emotions. “[The school] provides great opportunities for guys to explore more emotional and sensitive experiences,” Lauto said. “Obviously, we need to be more open and inclusive, but that mentality takes time to change.”

“

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOFIA HELLER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Chronicle • April 25, 2018

Speaking Up Students from across Los Angeles participated in the annual poetry festival “Wider Than the Sky”, featuring keynote speaker Richard Blanco

By ALEX GOLDSTEIN

This year’s keynote speaker was engineer, pubOver 500 students from lished poet and author Richall over the Los Angeles area ard Blanco. Blanco was searrived on campus to en- lected by former President gage in workshops, listen Barack Obama to be the to speakers and participate fifth poet to read at a United in an open mic during the States presidential inaugufourth annual Wider Than ration. In his presentation, The Sky Poetry Festival on he focused on explaining how he has connected his Saturday.

While students from Har- love of poetry with his love vard-Westlake were welcome of engineering. He also disto attend, the event was cussed his Cuban heritage mostly geared toward stu- and his experiences growing up in America withdents from LAUSD in a Cuban commuschools and comnity. munity centers, “It’s really great English teacher that we’re getting and program dipoets from outside of rector Darcy Buck Harvard-Westlake to said. This year, come and speak to the organizers us and so many othalso worked with er people,” poet amSchool on Wheels, W ’ bassador Anna Katz an organization Caity ’20 said. “There’s a that provides tuBaskin’17 kind of feeling that toring to homeless shelters, and the Bright Star everybody is experiencing a Charter Schools to bring similar yet different perspecmore students to the festival. tive.”

Attendees each partic“There is a lot of stuff that is being done kind of ipated in two workshops, on the fly, and that feels like such as “I Just Want To Feel part of the spirit of the fes- Everything,” which explored tival,” Buck said. “We nev- the intersection between er know quite what is going music, poetry and feelings to happen, so it is evolving and “When Media Intersect: from year to year, but also Visualizing Your Poetics” from moment to moment as led by Jackson Kroopf ’06, we are trying to be really re- which discussed incorporating media into poetry. sponsive to who is coming.”

“The thing I have loved A key part of the festival is the financial support the is when the workshops end, school receives from the Po- and the kids come out of the etry Foundation, an organi- classrooms and they are just zation that provides trans- so lit up and energized and portation to bring kids from moved and made alive by all over the city to campus, what they are experiencing,” Buck said.

Buck said.

Two workshops were of“What began as something for the Harvard-West- fered to teachers as well. Uplake community that also per school English teachers seems to reach other inde- Sara Cohen and Eric Olsen pendent schools has become led a workshop to advise something where our focus teachers who are interestis really on serving the youth ed in coaching their own of Los Angeles more broad- slam poetry teams, and middle school English teacher ly,” Buck said.

At this year’s event, a Zachary Greenberg conductmemorial was held for Max ed a workshop which gave Ritvo ’09, a former student teachers a space to share who passed away in 2016. their own love of poetry.

The final activity of the Ritvo was an active writer throughout his time at the festival was the open mic for school and went on to pur- students to go on stage and sue writing after graduation, perform their poetry. Matteo Buck said. One of the fea- Lauto ’18 led a workshop tured poets this year, Kaveh called “Slam That Poetry: Akbar, held a tribute for Rit- Turning Written Word Into vo, and Ritvo’s mother read Spoken Word,” which helped participants turn their writa poem.

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ten poetry into performance three more times. The fespieces for the open mic. tival aims to celebrate poet“I’m super excited to run ry, and help in the school’s my own workshop because [I commitment to ‘purpose bewas] able to spread knowl- yond ourselves,’ and service edge about slam poetry and to the Los Angeles communigive people a healthy way to ty, according to its website. express themselves,” Lauto “Whether it is our students, said. the Harvard-Westlake stuStudents interested in dents, or the students who helping with the festival were are visiting, it feels like a assigned to be either festival lot of people come here with ambassadors, who worked some interest in poetry, but with visiting students, or not a lot of experience,” Buck poet ambassadors, who were said. “Some of them have each asmaybe taken signed to aid a class, or do one visiting some writing There’s a kind of on their own, poet for the day. feeling that everybody but have not C a i t y had a lot of is experiencing a Baskin ’19 access.

But similar yet different volunteered watching to be a poet what happens perspective.” ambassador when they en—Anna Katz ’20 counter these during the event, where incredibly she helped gifted, kind, the poet she was assigned to generous, insightful, artby leading her through the ful practitioners of poprogram. etry [is amazing].”

“I really want to be able to see the impact that this kind of exposure to literature has on these kids,” Baskin said. “Also the opportunities to speak at the open mic is a chance to use what they have learned at the workshops and share it with their friends and audience members. It is not necessarily a comfortable experience, but it’s breaking a lot of boundaries.”

Katz decided to become a poet ambassador because of her love of poetry and the written word, she said.

In preparation for the festival, Katz researched her assigned poet to learn her work and poetic nuance.

“I am excited to see the work and mentorship that comes out of the program,” Katz said.

“When there is a common perspective, you can really feel the energy of the program.”

The festival was created in 2014 by Senior Advancement Officer Jim Pattison and after taking a year off in 2015, has been held

“

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF NOELL ROTH

C2 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE CHRONICLE

Coming soon to theaters ental Spring Instrum Concert ch,

eran Chur Emmanuel Luth North Hollywood 7:30-9:30 p.m.

ce Advanced Dan Showcase io,

Stud Chalmers Dance mpus ca ol ho Sc r Uppe .

4-5 p.m

s Scenemonkey Mother’s Day Show

Main Hollwood Improv od wo ly ol H , Room 5-7p.m.

Spring Choral Concert

Upper Rugby Theater, s pu m ca School . m p.

0 :3 -9 30 7:

oncert Spring Jazz r,CUp per Rugby Theate School campus 7-9 p.m.

s Scenemonkey Performance

Upper Rugby Theater, s pu m ca ol Scho 4-5 p.m., 7-8 p.m.

APRIL 25, 2018 Various performing arts groups on campus will put on end-of-year showcases in April and May. These are the locations and dates of the performances.

Upper School se Dance Showcaudio,

St Chalmers Dance mpus ca ol Upper Scho . m p.

5 4-

Jackanapes Performance

Upper Rugby Theater, s pu m ca ol ho Sc 4-5:30 p.m., 7-8:30 p.m.

estival Playwright’sUpFper School Rugby Theater, campus May 25 7 p.m., A: s Serie May 26 2 p.m.

8 p.m., Series B: May 26 m May 27 2 p. .

GRAPHIC BY SARAH LEE SOURCE: HW.COM

APRIL 25, 2018

Jack of All Stages

By JENNY LI

When Caroline Cook ’19 asked a group of sophomores for the name of their band at Coffeehouse, they did not know what to say, bassist Sam Baron ’19 said.

Baron, vocalist Charlie Kogen ’19, saxophonist Roshan Nayar ’19, drummer Jack Riley ’19, trumpeter Ryan Wixen ’19, vocalist Jordan Yadegar ’19 and guitarist Jacob Lapin ’19, who has since left the band, had only been playing together during free periods, and they had decided to sign up for the first Coffeehouse of the 2016-2017 school year as a joke.

“The Jack Riley Experience,” Nayar said to Cook, laughing to his bandmates.

However, the name stuck. The Jack Riley Experience kicked off its first performance with “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire, and they have played at every Coffeehouse since. As the performances have progressed over the past year, Riley said the band’s dynamic has evolved.

“We’re taking performances more seriously and getting written parts together, which has really sparked more commitment and enthusiasm from everyone,” Riley said. “What started out as a big joke really surprised us in a way we did not expect.”

With their increased commit-

HWCHRONICLE.COM/AE

A&E C3

Saxy and they know it: Members of the Class of 2019 started a band as a joke for the first coffeehouse of their sophomore year. Now, the band is a recognized ensemble.

ment to their performances, the Jack Riley Experience is becoming more recognized, Baron said; the band was invited to perform at the school’s annual Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols last December. The band members’ favorite and most transformative performance, however, was at Jaya Nayar ’20’s birthday party this year, which was their first performance outside of the school.

“It really felt [like] after the party, we put [out] something comprehensive,” Baron said. “After performing, I was looking at it like with the experience we gained today, we could probably go on, and we could do stuff like that again.”

The group’s dedication to the Jack Riley Experience and their passions for music has culminated into close

friendships that Yadegar said he had not expected.

“When we first formed The Experience, I was only good friends with a few of the members,” Yadegar said.

“It’s amazing how, over the course of only a little more than a year, we’ve formed such a strong bond. We have such a great time with each other, and since we each bring a different musical background to the table, we often find ourselves wasting rehearsal hours just messing around making music that we’re not really working on, simply because we just enjoy it.”

Their unique backgrounds in jazz theory, as well as the jazz program, has helped to develop the Jack Riley Experience’s style and create an identity directly tied to

the school, Kogen said.

“We are the native Harvard-Westlake band,” Kogen said. “We were created at Harvard-Westlake, and I feel like we have a presence at Harvard-Westlake.”

Although the band’s future after high school is unclear, Yadegar said the Jack Riley Experience will always have roots at Harvard-Westlake.

“Whenever there’s a Class of 2019 reunion, you bet we’ll be there,” Yadegar said. “Obviously, we will be playing ‘September.’ We are starting with ‘September’ and ending with ‘September.’”

PHOTO BY RYAN ALBERT PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KITTY LUO

Putting it to the Test

Science teacher Nate Cardin created a crossword puzzle to celebrate April and preparation for upcoming AP Exams. Crossword puzzles will be featured in every issue. nization 41. * Question 3: What Angels (and former Cardinals) first baseman was NL Rookie of the Year in 2001 and a nine-time All-Star throughout the 2000s?

46. Manatee, for one 47. Musician Yoko who was married to John Lennon 48. LAX posting 51. Green eggs partner 52. Comfy footwear, for short 55. Like a piece of paper in shreds 57. * Question 4: What subatomic object - named for the first letter of the Greek alphabet - did Rutherford use in his gold foil experiments to demonstrate the existence of the atomic nucleus?

60. “Milk’s Favorite Cookie” 62. Pleasant smell 63. Gently urge 64. Surrounding glow 65. Doughnut-shaped 66. Poet ___ St. Vincent Millay 67. Enjoy a novel (or shade a frenemy) 68. Smooth and glossy, like some hair 69. Appear to be

CROSSWORD BY NATE CARDIN

Across 1. Spotify or iTunes button used to start music 5. Take to task, like a disappointed parent to their kid 10. Peter the Great, for example 14. Prefix for pad or copter 15. Location of most HW US finals 16. Forearm bone 17. Fury

18. End of the Greek alphabet 19. Chomp (into) 20. * Question 1: What NASA endeavor of 1961-1972 resulted in the first moon landing (and five more after that) as well as eleven total space flights?

23. Tawdry, like some details 24. “___ often happens...”

25. Railroad intersection: abbr.

28. Compass direction 180 de-

grees from WSW 29. Be under the weather 31. Baseball official 33. * Question 2: What former American professional golfer has a famous drink - a mixture of lemonade and iced tea named after him?

36. Corp. money handlers 39. Winning tic-tac-toe row 40. Govt. meat-inspecting orga-

Down 1. Part of a sentence 2. Quickly jump atop 3. Former US VP and author of “An Inconvenient Truth” 4. Yellow, triangular traffic sign 5. Acted as a substitute (for) 6. Kids’ summer spot, often with cabins and counselors 7. Sydney ___ House 8. Incorrect (!) way to pluralize Dr. Cardin’s favorite building block (apparently it’s the same word whether singular or plural - who knew!?)

9. Revives, like a memory of something bad from the past 10. Big brass instrument 11. Gas station beef jerky sticks 12. Picnic pest 13. “Call Me Maybe” singer

Carly ___ Jepsen 21. Pinocchio, for one (at least when his nose was growing) 22. Capital of Italia 26. Street rep 27. Giga- x 1,000 30. Roller coaster feature, often 32. Calculator button used to add numbers 33. “Be there in ___!”

34. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” character Cindy ___ Who 35. Martial arts school 36. Money 37. Tiny insect sometimes found on dogs 38. 2009-2017 in the US, politcally 42. Frolic 43. What someone with more than one role is said to wear on their head 44. Going according to schedule 45. Pirate’s plunder 48. Camouflage, like a cryptic message 49. New Orleans university 50. Endgame for many HW classes...and what this puzzle doubles as, if you consider the initials of the answers to the starred clues 53. Christmas song (or actress Channing) 54. Mushroom’s reproductive cell 56. Some basmati side dishes 58. Put dirty dishes into the dishwasher 59. Female-identified French friend 60. Rower’s tool 61. Regret

Scan for Answers!

C4 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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Ticket to Success

APRIL 25, 2018 Twelve students wrote plays for the upcoming Playwrights Festival on May 25-27. Below are summaries from the playwrights themselves.

By Kaelyn Bowers "Fishbowl" ...........................................................by Annie Wendorf ’19 "A family is forced to face obstacles in their relationships with one another when the death of a fish provokes the youngest child to take a vow of silence."

"Penuel" ................................................by Savannah Weinstock ’18 "A man has a prior commitment that inhibits him from dying at the moment. The angel sent to collect him doesn’t see eye-to-eye with him on this. The Godfather is referenced."

"Maps" .....................................................................by Zoe Redlich ’20 "A girl in senior year is trying to figure out what to do with her life while also trying to find the end to a short story she’s working on. Things begin to become more complicated as both her characters and her family try to help her figure out what to do."

"1:59" ....................................................................by Jarett Malouf ’18 "On the night of Daylight Savings, two young men wonder what they would do if they found themselves removed from the constraints of time and space."

"In the Same Boat" ................................................by Charlie Kogen ’19 "A comedic play about an intergenerational family featuring a funny grandfather, a pragmatic middle-aged father and a strong-minded teenaged son. As they all struggle to deal with each other's crisis, they all realize that they are in a similar situation."

"A Bridge Between Us" ..................................by Andrea Yagher ’20 "A story of innocence and human connection between two children of different races living in Southern Alabama in 1934. The two children begin to understand one another, shun barriers of prejudice and recognize their equality as human beings."

“Alex Is (Not) Dead”.............................................. by Sophie Kim ’19 “The story of an unconventional family that explores how far we will go to make a connection.”

"Love(ly)" .................................................by Michael Lehrhoff ’20 "‘Love(ly)’ is about two friends, Harrison and Annie, who find themselves talking and laughing as they stroll through a park. [It depicts] love through the subtleties and complexities of human nature."

"Lift Every Voice" .......................................by Samantha Lingard ’19 "‘Lift Every Voice’ is about a young black woman who goes missing after writing a controversial article in the school newspaper. Her friends go on a journey to discover her whereabouts and in doing so, they explore their roles as friends and as leaders."

"Sunset Through a Lens" ......................................by Eli Timoner ’18 "‘Sunset Through a Lens’ is a story about goodbyes. Gerald, a retired Air Force General and his son, Johnny, reconnect over the course of an improbable expedition to Paris, and learn some unsettling truths about each other and their relationship along the way."

"Interview" ....................................................................by Kitty Luo ’18 "A notorious murderer is on the prowl in a small town. No one seems to be able to catch him until the murderer reaches out for an exclusive interview with a young journalist at the local newspaper."

"Like the World is Going to End" .........................by Sonya Ribner ’19 "On a day like any other, six high school students are summoned to a classroom and given some startling information.

This one-act play explores how they react to authority and one another as they strive to make sense of a new and uncomfortable reality."

"Miscalculations" ................................................by Ryan Stanford ’19 "‘Miscalculations’ takes place as a meteor is set to hit the earth and examines the way that different groups of people find comfort and clarity at the end of the world."

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA KO

SPORTS The Chronicle • April 25, 2018

Track & Field

RYAN KIM/CHRONICLE

AHEAD OF THE PACK: (Left) Mason Rodriguez ’18 leads in the final leg of the 4x100-meter relay in a meet on Thursday in the team’s first-ever win against Loyola.

BEST IN SHOW: (Right) Brayden Borquez ’19 placed first the 400-meter race and the 4x100-meter relay. He is currently No. 1 in Calif. for 300-meter hurdles.

Athletes surpass Loyola to take Mission League title

BY RYAN KIM AND ASA SAPERSTEIN

The boys’ track and field team is still undefeated with a win against rival Loyola April 19, with the girls’ team improving to a record of 5-1.

The boys’ team defeated Loyola 74-53, and the girls’ team was victorious over Marymount 85-42, with a few girls recoring personal best times.

Not only is this the first time the boys have won the Mission League, but this is also their first time beating Loyola in a meet. Loyola has eight CIF

championships since 2000, including one national title. The team also has upwards of 110 members.

“Watching four packed buses arrive from Loyola and seemingly seeing hundreds of athletes pour out could have been an intimidating experience for our boys’ team who have a much smaller squad,” Athletic Director Jason Kelly said in an email.

Emotions ran high at the end of the meet, and players said it feels good to be part of something so special.

“We are excited to finally

put something on the Mission League Championship banner in the gym to honor our boys’ track and field program,” Kelly said. “Watching us dominate the sprint races was a true highlight and the celebrations at the end were genuine and deserved.”

Because both the Wolverines and Loyola beat Notre Dame by nine points this season, players said this was the first time in recent memory they felt they had a real shot at taking down the crosstown rival.

The boys entered this sea

“

This is by far the most stacked team we’ve ever had. We have a very good balance of sprinters and distance.

In previous years, we either had really good sprinters or really good distance runners.”

— Keon Mazdisnian ’19 son with high hopes of winning a Mission League title for the first time ever, a goal that Keon Mazdisnian ’19 knew was possible because of the team’s diverse talents.

“This is by far the most stacked team we’ve had,” Mazdisnian said. “We have a very good balance of sprinters and distance. In previous years, we either had really good sprinters or really good distance runners, but this year we have a really good balance.”

WHITE’S

“We knew that we had a shot at Loyola,” Mazdisnian said.

“At first, it didn’t really seem real that we could beat Loyola.

But it was our goal to finish the season strong with a Mission League title.”

Team captains Mason Rodriguez ’18, Jonah Ring ’18 and Tiber Seireeni ’18, as well as strong performers such as Brayden Borquez ’19, the school record holder in the • Continued on D7

Baseball

Pitchers lead team to No. 5 in nation

By RYAN ALBERT

RYAN ALBERT/CHRONICLE

PITCH PERFECT: Pitcher Jack Limongelli ’19 pitches in a 4-2 win over Chaminade. The team also

beat Chaminade 11-4 and 2-1 in this season, improving on its 2-0-1 record against the Eagles last year.

The baseball team remains undefeated in league after completing a three-game sweep of Notre Dame, giving the team a league record of 9-0 and an overall record of 17-3.

At the beginning of the season, Notre Dame was ranked the best high school baseball program in the nation by Baseball America. But the Wolverines swept the Knights in the three-game league series, winning 4-3, 10-2 and 8-4.

Last year, the team lost to the Knights in two of the three league games, winning 4-0 in the first game away before losing 2-1 at O’Malley Field and

2-1 away.

In order to notch key wins against rivals like Notre Dame, players focus on the current game and trust in their hard work, pitcher Jack Limongelli ’19 said.

“For the team, it’s just win one game at a time, and we continue to play good baseball,” he said. “Our goal is to win a championship at the end of the year, and if we continue to work hard and play well, I think we can do that. All I can do is trust our defense and hope to continue pitching well.”

Following the Notre • Continued on D6

D2 SPORTS

THE CHRONICLE

Game to watch

APRIL 25, 2018

Boys’ Tennis

APRIL 27 Boys’ Lacrosse vs. Oaks Christian Huffman Field The boys’ lacrosse team’s final game of the regular season will be against Oaks Christian High School on Friday. Last year the Wolverines lost to Oaks Christian in the second round of the playoffs 4-3.

Harvard-Westlake is currently ranked 13th in California, and Oaks’ Christian is ranked 18th.

The two teams have not played yet this year, but this game is crucial for Harvard-Westlake to keep the momentum going into the playoffs.

KEY PLAYER Paul Rodriguez ’18 Lacrosse captain Paul Rodriguez ’18 commited to the University of Virginia for lacrosse earlier this year and was recognized by L.A. Players to Watch as one of the best attackmen in the Los Angeles area last season. Last year, Rodriguez was also one of 13 players from Los Angeles named an All-American.

& Figures Facts

156 .88 Total goals by boys’ lacrosse

Boys’ golf winning percentage

102

Total runs by baseball this season

736

Total points scored by the boys’ swimming team

BEN TENZER/CHRONICLE

KING OF THE COURT: (Left) Kenneth Lee ’19 rises to hit a serve in a match against St. Francis. (Right) Mike Thomas ’20 returns a serve in the same match. The Wolverines defeated the Golden Knights 16-2 in a blowout victory April 17.

No. 2 ranked team continues league winning streak

By BEN TENZER

featured 16 of the best teams in the country. The Wolverines The former CIF-SS DI were ranked the No. 3 seed Champions have been able to heading into the tournament.

The boys advanced to the replicate their success from last season, going 14-1 in their semifinals, defeating rival Unifirst 15 matches and continu- versity Irvine in the process.

The match came ing the now 198-game down to the wire, Mission League winseeing the Wolverning streak under ines barely edging Boys’ Tennis Program the Trojans in total Head Chris Simpson games.

After the deparThe boys’ tournature of six senior leadment run came to a ers last season, the close when they fell squad is youth-heavy, to Menlo in the fifeaturing five sopho’ nals. The Wolverines mores and two freshPat walked away from the men.

Otero ’21 tournament as the Though he is still No. 2 ranked team in young, the team’s best singles player is David Arkow the country.

“It was a great experience,” ’20. Arkow is ranked as a fourstar and top-100 recruit by The Kenneth Lee ’19 said. “The team really bonded, and we Tennis Recruiting Network.

On March 23, ten members didn’t think we would make it of the varsity team departed that far, so we were proud of campus to attend the All- our performance.”

Due to the Wolverines’ American tournament, which WHITE S

Baseball Next Game: April 27 vs St. Francis

Boys’ Tennis Next Match: April 26 @ Chaminade

Boys’ Volleyball Next Game: April 26 @ Crespi

Track and Field Next Meet: April 26 @ Alemany

because they help remind us how good we really are and that we can all really be a part of something special and hopefully win a championship this year,” he said.

League matchups also allow younger members of the team to gain more experience.

Pat Otero ’21 expressed his enjoyment being on the squad thus far.

“It’s been a great experience for me, not only because I’m learning a lot of tennis tricks and skills from these older kids but also different ways to live my life,” Otero said. A lot of kids sacrifice time for schoolwork, and it’s interesting for me to see and evaluate my own choices for the past and the future, so I can really make something of myself here in this Harvard-Westlake community.”

The Wolverines will travel to compete in the Ojai Tournament on Thursday.

Swim and Dive

Teams set sights on Mission League title

BY RYAN KIM

Junior Varsity

dominance and lack of competition in the Mission League, members of the junior varsity team are often given the opportunity to play up on the varsity team to gain experience.

“It feels good to come up and play at the next level,” Gavin O’Leary ’19 said. “Even though it’s against weaker teams in the league, it’s a lot of fun, you get really good competitive matches and [you get] the experience of what it’s like to be on the varsity team.”

The Wolverines have dominated the league for over 20 years, not dropping a single match in the process. The ascendancy of the league has been under Simpson.

While league matches have not posed a challenge to the Wolverines, Mike Thomas ’20 says players still find positive takeaways from league matches.

“I think it’s always important to have matches like these

The boys’ and girls’ swim teams finished the regular season with the girls’ team undefeated and the boys’ overall record standing at 6-1.

The teams defeated Saugus High School on April 13. The boys won with a score of 13449, while the girls won 126-57.

The meet coincided with senior night for the boys, beginning with a ceremony in which the boys’ team’s four seniors were honored with flowers and pictures taken with their parents.

There are no seniors on the girls’ team this season.

The boys’ team was dealt its only loss by Loyola on March 15.

“As a team, our biggest challenge is overcoming the Loyola barrier, which has been a big issue for a while now,” Nick Zhang ’19 said.

Both teams are preparing for the upcoming Mission League Championship meet Monday and Tuesday, with qualifying swimmers poten-

tially moving on to CIF prelims, finals and state championship meets in May. Last year, the girls’ team won the Mission League Championship, with the boys’ team coming in second place behind Loyola. Even so, both teams continue to focus on improving.

“We’ve already had some really fast swims this season,” Mila Fejzo ’19 said. “I think the goal is to keep improving because we’ve already set the bar so high.”

In the absence of a large senior presence on the team, Jameson McMullen ’19, Adam Copses ’20, Eve Hookstratten ’20 and Fejzo have emerged as leaders and major point scorers. Team captain Paul Leclerc ’18 said they have been tantamount to the team’s success.

“The season is going great,” Leclerc said. “We have a pretty young team with a lot of sophomores. I wasn’t really sure coming into the season how it was going to pan out with the team being so young, but over

RYAN KIM/CHRONICLE

DIVE IN HEAD FIRST: Team captain Paul Leclerc ’18 competes during a meet against Saugus High School on April 13. the season, everyone has developed pretty amazingly.”

In addition to its regular season successes, the boys’ team is also in the hunt for a top-10 finish at the CIF State Championship meet. The team plans to rely on their diving squad to help them accomplish this goal, as the points earned by the divers combine with the swimmers to produce a final score, and points from a strong diving team can make a difference in the outcome of a meet.

“We need to keep going to practice and maybe get a good taper in and rest up be-

fore CIF,” Marcus Leher ’18 said. “Something that’s not mentioned a lot is our diving, which is really important. Will Rains ’19 is an absolute beast, and hopefully this year he’ll do really [well] for us and that will help propel us forward.”

While Rains, the school record holder in 1M diving, was injured last year during the CIF State meet, he is expected to be back for this year’s final meets.

Both teams will travel to CIF prelims May 10 at Alemany on Thursday.

APRIL 25, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/SPORTS

SPORTS D3

inbrief

Lacrosse

HWTV awarded ‘Best Live Broadcast’ Members of the HWTV broadcast team won the Student Television Network award for best live broadcast.

The STN works to promote and recognize student broadcast journalism and film across the country.

The members of the winning team are Alec Reece ’20, Talia Koch ’20, Alice He ’21, Zack Schwartz ’20, Amelia Koblentz ’20 and Will Mallory ’20.

“Winning both awards was very significant because it shows how consistent our broadcast team is as a whole,” Sports Editor Aaron Park ’18 said.

—Marcelo Rodriguez

Players named to All-League team BEN TENZER/CHRONICLE

EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM: Asher Early ’19 lines up a shot in a 13-3 win over St. Francis in the last game of the season. The team has struggled to make do with a thinner than usual roster and has played harder teams this year, causing a lower record.

Short roster makes for a playoff hurdle

By ASA SAPERSTEIN

Midfielder Jared Goldman ’18 tore his ACL earlier in the The boys’ lacrosse team season, and Midfielder Harfinished the regular season rison Listen ’19 is out with a with an 8-6 record, and after concussion. “[Being out has] made me a bye in the first round of the realize that I playoffs, exmiss being out pects to face there,” Listen Chaminade, Energy is really said. “It was a team they important because we fun to see my beat earlier have less players than team rally in in the season by a score of any other team we have the second half on senior night.

8-7 . played this season.”

It was a special Attacker Reid Hudgins —Donovan Econn ’19 moment for that class of very ’18 said the Varsity Lacrosse close friends.” team’s expePlayers said rience playing together the last few years that the team is really missing could be an asset heading into Listen’s presence, especially since the team does not have the playoffs.

He also said that in the many players to begin with. “[Since] we’re a really small face of major injuries, younger players like Brody Listen ’21 team, we have to work exand Owen Hudgins ’21 have tra to take care of ourselves and play as hard as possible stepped up.

“

to make sure we’re ready for players like Early and Roplayoffs when we’re essen- driguez, defender Donovan tially playing every other day,” Econn ’19 says the team as a whole has to try to improve on Reid Hudgins said.

Despite the short roster, running plays carefully and a few players have stood out listening to Head Coach Erik Krum. this season. Paul RoHe also said that, driguez ’18 now has due to the short ros42 goals on the seater, players need to son and 25 assists. focus on bringing enThe next highest ergy to the game. scorer is Asher Ear“Energy is really ly ’19 with 31 goals, important because who put in three of we have less playthe 13 scored in the ers than any other final game of the seateam we have played son against St. Fran’ this season,” Econn cis.

Donovan said.

“Whenever Early said that Econn ’19 someone scores a even though Rodriguez is a great talent, he goal, we usually only have five works very well in the team’s other people on the bench. I system and has gotten so good hope that’s something we can by learning to use his body to change in the playoffs beoverpower opponents and find cause hopefully we can bring up some kids from JV.” positioning.

Even with such standout WHITE S

• Continued on page D7

Boys’ Volleyball

Team looks toward redemption against Crespi

By JACKIE GREENBERG

The boys’ volleyball team is looking to the playoffs and a chance to redeem themselves after a shaky season with an overall record of 5-7-1.

After coming off of a 3-0 win to the Chaminade Eagles last Wednesday, the team looked to place high in the Sylmar Charter Tournament on Saturday.

Following the tournament win or loss, the team hosted Crespi at home Tuesday.

Although previously losing the match 3-2 to the Celts in March, the team hopes to improve offensively and communicate more thoroughly.

“We have to remain focused in practice and in the weight room leading up to it in order to play how we want to play,” setter and Chronicle staff writer Will Mallory ’20 said.

“In the game, we have to communicate and stay disciplined.

This game is really important for our playoff picture, so every point is going to matter.

We have to play at the best of our abilities through the whole game.”

Although the squad will lose nine senior players, it still relies on those players to push them through the last few games of league play.

“I think it’s really hard to prepare for the loss of nine seniors whatsoever,” Mallory said. “With that being said, I think our team has the talent and potential to step into the roles that we’re losing next year but it’s definitely going to be hard to adjust. The nine seniors have been really helpful this year and have played really well. It’s hard when you have a leadership vacancy like that.”

Nine players from the boys’ and girls’ soccer programs were named to All-Mission League Teams, with four of those players being named to the first team.

For the boys’ team, Asher Vogel ’19 and Pablo Greenlee ’20 made the first team, while Boden Stringer ’18, Jeremy Yariv ’18 and Alex Schindler ’19 were named to the second team.

For the girls’ team, Katherine Bishop ’19 and Ariana Miles ’18 earned spots on the first team, while Flynn Klace ’19 and Natalie Barnouw ’21 were named to the second team.

In addition to being named to the All-Mission Leage First Team, Miles was also named to the All-CIF SS Division 1 team.

—Marcelo Rodriguez

Rider Sophia Ekstrand ’20 wins Rider Sophia Ekstrand ’20 has been named the 2017-2018 Interscholastic Equestrian League Varsity Dressage High Point Rider and Overall Dressage High Point Rider.

Skyler Calkins ’20 has been named the 2017-2018 Overall High Point Freshman Rider with a score of 213 points under trainer Stephanie Haney. Calkins also placed fourth in freshman equitation.

—Will Seymour

Sprinter Josh Johnson ’19 sets new school

JACKIE GREENBERG/CHRONICLE

GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME: Chester Ranger ’18 receives the ball before setting it to his teammate Justin Eitner ’18.

The team will travel to its next league match at Notre Dame Thursday. After beating the Knights once at home, the team hopes to claim another victory against Notre Dame,

after which the team will play Alemany for their last away game April 27. With no time to prepare for its next match, the team lacks practice and time to rest.

Joshua Johnson ’19 set a school record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.81 in a meet against Notre Dame on April 13.

The record was last held

by James Chung ’19 at 10.82.

Chung has been injured this season, leaving the door open for Johnson to take the record.

Johnson has emerged as a strong point scorer and leader on the team, Boys and Girls Track and Field Program Head Jonas Koolsbergen said. The boys’ team benefits from an even balance between distance runners and sprinters this season.The team will travel to Alemany for the final league meet of the season Thursday.

—Ryan Kim

The Chronicle

D4 Sports

Tiber Seireeni Track/Field

Track and field captain Tiber Seireeni is a dominant competitor in the pole vault, long jump, triple jump and the 100-meter hurdles. Focusing on pole vaulting, he is ranked #18 in US and #2 in CA with a PR of 16’ 1”. Seireeni only started pole vaulting freshman year but quickly became a key player on the Varsity squad, most recently in the first ever win against win against Loyola last Thursday.

Spri Sports Home

Kinly McCaffrey Softball

Pitcher Kinly McCaffrey ’18, who serves as one of the team’s captains, has been influential to the softball team’s success this season, with 45.2 innings pitched and 47 strikeouts. When not pitching, McCaffrey plays infield, where she has a fielding percentage of 94.4%. As of press time, the team is currently 3-0 in league and 5-4 overall and will play Notre Dame on Friday.

Chase Rosenblatt B o y s’ G o l f

Boys’ Varsity Golf Captain Chase Rosenblatt ’18 has consistently been a team leader throughout this season. The team finished 9-1 in the season and placed second in the league. Rosenblatt played several varsity tournaments freshman year and took part in most tournaments by sophomore year. In the last tournament against St. Francis, Rosenblatt shot two over par.

April 2

Kenneth Lee

B o y s’ Te n n i s Veteran varsity starter Kenneth Lee ’19 has been a key member of the league-leading boys’ tennis squad. Primarily a doubles player, Lee was an essential part of the team’s All-American success. He is ranked as a two-star and top-500 recruit by The Tennis Recruiting Network.

8

The spring seas bloom and team ing to their best a look at some o letes thi

25, 2018

hwchronicle.com/sports

ring s Stars

ason is in full ms are competability. Here is of the best atheis year.

Away

0

Sports D5

Cypress Toomey

Swim/Dive

As the only female on the team, dive team captain Cypress Toomey ’19 is essential in securing points in meets. Toomey started diving in 8th grade because she wanted to pursue a similar sport to gymnastics, which she quit before coming to Harvard-Westlake. Her goal for this season was to qualify for CIF during Mission League Finals Tuesday.

Calvin Koo Baseball

First baseman Calvin Koo ’18 is a key member of the varsity squad. The team is currently 8-0 in league and 16-3 overall for this season. He was essential for the squad’s most recent 3-0 victory in games during the series against Notre Dame on April 16, 17 and 20.

Jasper Richards Vol le y ball

Jasper Richards ’20 plays outsider hitter on the boys’ volleyball team. He has been a critical player this season.

Currently 4-4 in league, the team has an overall record of 5-7-1. Richards is expected to perform well in the upcoming league match against Crespi High School on Tuesday.

Paul Rodriguez Lacrosse

One of the lacrosse captains Paul Rodriguez ’18 is the player to watch for the Wolverines. He was recognized by LA Players to Watch as one of the best attackmen in the Los Angeles area last season as a junior. Last year, Rodriguez was also one of 13 players from Los Angeles named an All-American. The lacrosse team has a league record 4-1 after their last 13-3 win against St. Francis April 14.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SPENCER KLINK AND RYAN ALBERT

D6 SPORTS Baseball

Team struggles for energy

THE CHRONICLE

APRIL 25, 2018

Softball

• Continued from D1

Dame series, the Wolverines are now ranked fourth in the state and fifth in the nation, according to Maxpreps.

They swept their series against Alemany, winning the three games 6-2, 9-0 and 5-2.

Last season, they took two out of the three games in the series against Alemany.

The team went 4-1 in the Easton Tournament and 3-1 in the Boras Classic. The squad also went 1-1 against Ghar, winning their first game 6-3 and losing the second 3-2. This loss was one of three losses this season, all out of league.

This year, the players are close both on and off the field, and that team dynamic has contributed to its dedication and success, Baseball Program Head Jared Halpert said.

“This group of guys is really close, and usually that is going to produce a pretty successful outcome on the baseball field,” he said.

With three more league series left in the season, the team is halfway through regular season but already preparing for playoffs.

The team faced off against St. Francis Tuesday and will finish the series Wednesday and Friday in its next league series on its road to CIF. Moving to the next games, Halpert wants his players to continue to focus on their goals.

“Winning baseball games in our league is a good feeling no matter who it is or when it is because of how competitive our league is,” he said. “It certainly feels good to come out the victor during the week, and I think we are all looking forward to the future here.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF WOO SIM

SNATCH THE CATCH: Maitlyn Fletcher ’21 reaches for a ball while warming up in preparation for their match against Marlborough. The

Wolverines notched an 8-2 victory, a strong win to add to the team’s 5-4 overall and 3-0 league record. The team has had a strong early season.

Diligent focus propels early wins

By SABA NIA

Following a strong season last year, the girls’ softball team has defeated key rivals to hold a 3-0 league record this year and is currently on the hunt for another league championship.

After becoming the Mission League champions and getting to the quarterfinals in CIF last season, players said that they feel motivated to protect and prolong their current undefeated streak.

“I think that last year was really a mark in the softball community for the school.,” catcher Alison Salvador ’19 said. “One of our main goals on this campus especially as a girls’ sport is to gain respect.”

Softball Program Head Brittany Moeai, who coaches

Golf

the team alongside Marisa season in order to accomplish Schwartz, said that although their goals of improving indishe tells the team to not lose vidually and as a team, Moeai sight of their goal to succeed said.

“This is a in CIF, she game of teambelieves the work and getteam needs to It’s important that ting the job prioritize their immediate atwe focus on gettting one done, it doesn’t what tacks to acwin at a time and the matter you’ve done complish their rest will come.” leading up to goals. this point,” she “It is impor— Brittany Moeai said.

“What tant that we focus on getSoftball Program Head matters is that everything ting one win at counts.” a time, and the Players said rest will come,” Moeai said. “I just want them that their success results from to keep improving, keep work- the close bonds teammates ing and keep getting better be- have with one another.

“We all are really, really cause we don’t know what the future is going to have for us.” close,” Co-captain, pitcher and The team needs to main- infielder Kinly McCaffrey ’18 tain their momentum from last said. “It’s really fun practicing

“

with them, and I’ve learned to look forward to it. I think that is what has made my HarvardWestlake softball career so memorable.”

Led by McCaffrey, shortstop Ashley Waco ’18 and Chronicle staff writer and infielder Keila McCabe ’20, the team looks forward to their next game against Notre Dame on Friday. Moaei said she is enthusiastic to see where the season will go.

“I want my girls to go in every game like it’s the championship game and to have the mentality that they’re going to have to work for every win and every pitch,” Moeai said. “I like them to live in the moment.

Our record doesn’t matter to me. To me, what matters is the game that we’re going to play tomorrow.”

Strong season led by seniors

By KEILA MCCABE

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SPENCER KLINK

Following a string of three consecutive match wins and two top-three finishes at Mission League tournaments, the boys’ golf team is heading into the end of their regular season second in league standings.

The team has amassed a 7-1 overall record and 4-1 league record and is looking toward a CIF victory. Led by strong performances by Alex Hong ’19 and co-captains Dylan Wan ’18 and Chase Rosenblatt ’18, they secured second place in their latest Mission League Tournament at Griffith Park April 16.

Clay Skaggs ’20 said that the team has bonded and come together in the season.

“We have a really great bunch of people, and almost everybody works well together,” Skaggs said. “Everybody has a sense of humor, and it keeps practices really fun.

Having a team in which you feel comfortable can make a big difference to your playing despite it being an individual

sport just because if you are relaxed, you tend to play a lot better.”

Boys’ Golf Program Head Coach Tony Kewal agreed with the value of good relationships.

“For me, as we are closing our season out, I want to make sure that they’ve all gotten to know each other well and had a good time,” Kewal said. “We all have our good and bad days, but the sport goes on.”

There are six seniors on the team, so the team has a strong sense of leadership. Kewal said it is important that the upperclassmen pair with underclassmen during practices in order to mentor them throughout the season.

“I make sure the less experienced players are given help when needed and everybody has fun,” Wan said. “It might sound weird that I want everybody to be having fun, but I believe that best way to play well is to be enjoying what you’re doing.”

David Rich ’18 said that regardless of scoring, they feel

that everybody has a role on the team that matters.

“This year on the team, I am more of a captain and assistant coach,” Rich said. “As a senior, I inspire the underclassmen with enthusiasm. I don’t contribute to the scores in the matches as much as I do to the team bonding, but I help to keep everyone motivated.”

Wan said the team was successful, but that the team could individually improve.

As a graduating senior, this is Wan’s last season playing Wolverine golf.

“We’ve done very well this year: we’re second place in league right now, and that’s phenomenal,” Wan said. “If anything, we could all improve on our own game, meaning we can go out and practice more on our own time. I think if every player can be the best version of themselves when we go out and compete, we can beat any team in our district.”

The team’s last tournament for the Mission League is May 2 at Lakeside Golf Club.

APRIL 25, 2018

HWCHRONICLE.COM/SPORTS

Track/Field

Lacrosse

Strong season sets up for banner run • Continued from D1

BEN TENZER/CHRONICLE

HEAD IN THE GAME: Midfielder Brody Listen ’21 spots out his opponent in a game against St. Francis

on April 18. The Wolverines triumphed 13-3, a win that added to their 8-6 overall and 4-1 league record.

Small team maximizes roster • Continued from D3

Although the team’s record this year is 8-6 as opposed to last year’s 16-2, many players do not actually think the team is having a worse year.

Even though the team went 16-2 last year, their competition was not nearly as good as this year, Reid Hudgins said.

This year, the team is challenging itself to play better teams than last year such as Saint Margaret’s, which is the top team in Orange County right now.

“If we played the same teams as we did last season, our record would have looked a lot like it did last season,” Early said. “The fact of the matter is this year, we’re chal-

SPORTS D7

lenging ourselves. We’re play- Hudgins ’18 said. “We are ing a lot of out-of-league teams definitely competing with those teams, which makes and out-of-LA teams.”

Reid Hudgins ’18 also em- us feel a lot stronger going phasized that even though into the playoffs. We feel that making that the caliber change to the of competition has been We are definitely regular season has really higher than competing with [harder] prepared us last year, the Wolverines teams, which makes us for the compewe will have been feel a lot stronger going tition see in the playable to keep into the playoffs” offs.” the games Playoffs start close, with — Reid Hudgins ’18 May 1, but it each score has not yet been being within decided who the three goals.

“We have more losses this Wolverines will face off against. year because we are playing The opponent will likely be rea lot harder competition, but leased today. The Wolverines those losses have all been expect to get a bye, then face by one, two or three goals,” Chaminade.

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300 meter hurdles, and Joshua Johnson ’19 have been critical to the team’s success, Program Head Jonas Koolsbergen said.

“They set the tone of how things should be done and what it means to be a Wolverine track and field athlete,” Koolsbergen said. “They never back away from a challenge.”

Borquez won the 300-meter hurdles and ran on the winning 4x100-meter relay team with Johnson and Rodriguez at the Loyola meet.

Borquez won the 400 meter race, which the boys’ team swept with Rodriguez in second and Jack Riley ’19 in third. He also holds the school record in the 1,600-meter relay and 800-meter relay. “[Borquez] is probably one of the deepest runners in Harvard-Westlake history,” Mazdisnian said.

The boys’ team also collected points in critical field events. Seireeni won the pole vault at 15’6” and Darren

Long ’19 won the high jump at 6’1”.

The girls’ team attributes its success to beginning training in September instead of November, when practices typically begin, Stanford said.

“We’ve had a lot of success as a team so far,” Ryan Stanford ’19 said. “I think [the Marymount meet] was definitely a testament to that.”

Several girls, including London Alexander ’18, also set personal records in the Maymount meet.

Alexander, Lila Cardillo ’18 and Tierni Kaufman ’19 were named as this season’s team captains last week. Now, the team will focus on closing out the Mission League championship meet on May 3 and the CIF prelims on May 12.

“This year’s group of guys is really special because we have a lot of talent,” Ben Beckman ’19 said. “The biggest challenge is living up to what we can do and what we are able to do.”

Both teams will travel to the final league meet of the season at Alemany on Thursday.

D8 Sports

Q&A

The Chronicle

April 25, 2018

Lila Cardillo Track and Field

By Jackie Greenberg When did you get into running and when did you know you were passionate about it?

I started running my freshman year. I did track for the first time, and I thought I was a sprinter. I am not a sprinter. And then I started cross-country sophomore year. I realized I was passionate about it when I started at Harvard-Westlake and saw all of the older runners in particular who worked so hard and were so motivated. I realized that that was something that I could do, which gave me an inspiration to push myself more.

How does being a captain affect your work ethic, and how do you motivate your teammates?

Knowing that I have a leadership role makes it even more important that I am super committed to running and having a good attitude during workouts. The way I try to motivate other runners is to show that I am there for them and that I am also working hard. I will support them if they are struggling and I will be extra proud of them if they are working their hardest.

What’s the most memorable moment of your Wolverine career so far?

My favorite moment was during the 3200-meter race at the Laguna Beach Invitational. That was the first moment that I realized that my hard work was paying off. It was a great race and an incredible experience with some great runners. That, or helping some of the younger girls to pace themselves to their [personal records]. Making a significant drop in time for a race is such an important feeling, and helping someone get there feels great too.

How do you get your team motivated before a meet?

I try to stay positive and stay excited and show them that it is a privilege to run and compete, so making sure that the general attitude is nice. I tell people that are stressed that it’s fine to be stressed because it will turn into good adrenaline.

What’s your relationship like with Coach Koolsbergen?

He’s part of the reason that I put in so much work. He has shown me that there is a way to get good at running despite not having a natural talent or speed. He is understanding and supportive, but also knows how to make us work.

What advice would you give to underclassmen?

Keep on working hard. Prioritize your mental health because I feel like running is a sport that is super conducive to being hard on yourself. Stay proud of yourself, stay motivated and stay working hard.

What’s your motto?

Hard work beats talent when talent isn’t working hard, or whatever that quote is.

Stats 2:33.09 5:22.27 11:29.49

800-meter time 1,600-meter time 3,200-meter time

PAVAN TAUH/CHRONICLE