January 2015

CHRONICLE the harvard-westlake

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Los Angeles • Volume 24 • Issue 4 • Jan. 14, 2015 • hwchronicle.com

School reviews claims of cheating

By Jake Saferstein

HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE

Girls’ basketball starts off league with a win FAST BREAK: Jayla Ruffus-Milner ’18 (#4) dribbles past a defender in a game against Ventura Jan. 10. With a 11-3 preseason record, the girls’ basketball team was victorious in its first two regular season matches against Notre Dame, a league opponent, and Ventura. Next, the Wolverines will face off against Alemany in a league match at home Jan. 22. For more coverage, see page C1.

Will 1:1 laptop program enhance learning or online shopping?

By Kelly Loeb

Tiffany* ’16 walks into history class and sits down in her regular seat in the back left corner of her classroom in Seaver. She opens up her MacBook Pro and the first thing she does is check Facebook, emails and the daily online shopping sales. Throughout class she switches from her notes on the Civil War to Buzzfeed and Etsy. Although she spends a portion of class browsing various sites, she doesn’t believe it affects her studies or grades.

“I don’t use my laptop in most of my classes so I don’t think it affects my schoolwork that much,” Tiffany said. “I online shop a lot, but I think I am still able to take efficient notes and get everything down. I’ve never been caught.”

While the Upper School has just begun the transition to the one-toone laptop program, which will be mandatory next year and led by Director of Institutional Technology and math teacher Jeff Snapp, the

Middle School has already instituted of Longhand Over Laptop Note Takthe program throughout the campus. ing,” published in the journal “PsyStudents in grades seven through chological Science” in 2014, found in nine are required to buy a laptop and three studies that even if students bring it to school every day. are free of distractions such as texThe purpose of the one-to-one ting and the Internet, using a laptop laptop program is to enable teach- is still a less effective way of taking ers to implement a more computer- notes. based curriculum in class. This, howIn their research, they found that ever, may be putting students at a students were able to write more indisadvantage. formation down when they A 2011 study by St. John’s used a laptop. However, University School of Law students who took notes by Professor Jeff Sovern found hand performed better on that 90 percent of laptops conceptual questions and users at his school used their processed information betcomputers for online activiter. Because using a laptop ties unrelated to coursework gave students the capability for at least five minutes, and to write more, the research 60 percent of students were showed that students transnathanson’s distracted for more than lated the lecture verbatim, Jeff Snapp half the class. which researchers described Researchers from Princeton Uni- as “detrimental to learning.” versity and UCLA tested the differAccording to the research, stuences in learning between students dents who handwrite their notes using laptops and handwriting notes. have to listen to the information The article titled “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages • Continued on page A2

Levin returns after school clears allegations

By Zoe Dutton Chief Financial Officer Rob Levin returned to the classroom Jan. 5 after an investigation cleared him of anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct.

Levin had been on a leave of absence from teaching while the school investigated the allegations posted on an anonymous blog purportedly written by a former student from more than 20 years ago. President Rick Commons first informed the community of the

investigation in an email Dec. 3, and then of its conclusion in a second email Dec. 18.

Commons said that the blog was an updated version of an earlier blog post from 2012, when the school first conducted an investigation into the allegations and found no evidence of any misconduct on Levin’s part. The school notified the Los Angeles Police Department both times, but they declined to reopen the investigation after concluding in 2012 that the claims were unsubstantiated, Commons said.

In his Dec. 3 email sent to the faculty, students, alumni and parents, Commons said that because an updated blog was being circulated, he was looking into the matter again.

“The nature of the questions being asked required, we felt, a) that we respond, and b) that we, out of an abundance of caution, take up the matter anew and investigate it to make sure that we are putting students’ safety at the very forefront,” he said in an interview with the Chronicle.

Though Commons said

they had enough evidence to suspect who wrote the blog, they were uncertain as to who the author was and had been unable to contact him either directly or through family members.

“I wouldn’t even want to speculate” as to who wrote the blog, Levin said.

While on leave, Levin worked remotely to continue in his duties as chief financial officer. During this period, attorney and law school • Continued on page A3

The Honor Board Review Committee is considering whether to bring any students before the Honor Board after a cheat sheet was discovered at the end of the last Geology midyear assessment in December. All Geology and Geology Honors students had to retake a section of that exam Jan. 6 and 7.

Geology teacher Wendy Van Norden said she found the cheat sheet at the end of the seventh period exam on Thursday Dec. 12 behind one of the rock trays in the back of the classroom where students were identifying rocks for the test. She does not know who brought it in, when it was brought in or who looked at the sheet. She believes that at least everyone in the last assessment period could have seen it but cannot be sure because she was in the front of the classroom busy with other trays of rocks during the assessment.

“I’m disappointed … that no one mentioned it during the test,” Van Norden said.

The “Rockathon” consists of three parts: identifying rocks by their name, determining if a rock is igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary and giving details about • Continued on page A3

INSIDE B6 VIVIAN LIN/CHRONICLE

THE DOCTOR IS IN: Many students turn to therapists and psychiatrists to help with personal issues.

ONLINE NIKTA MANSOURI/CHRONICLE

ONLINE QUAD TALK: See how students reacted to the new assessment schedule in this online edition of “Quad Talk.”

A2 News

Upper School to implement 1:1 laptop program

The Chronicle

History Notes

“

Previews BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE: Many students face cold weather as they travel off to colleges around the country. For some students, weather affects their college decisions.

Is the pen mightier than the keyboard?

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Students write

• Continued from page A1

will ultimately increase student engagement,” Snapp said. presented to them, process it “All of these things will take and write down a summary in a while to catch on. They will their own words, which helps develop over time. I think the them better retain and process end of next year will look very the information. different from the beginning of “I think there is a percep- next year as teachers become tion by students and teachers more comfortable experimentat Harvard-Westlake that the ing with different ways of uslaptop program is intended to ing student laptops to enhance require students to take notes classroom instruction.” on their computers,” Snapp History teacher Dror said. “I don’t know where this Yaron dislikes laptops in class. notion comes from, but that is “I prefer a class where not at all the intention of Har- there is active face-to-face vard-Westlake’s laptop pro- engagement where everyone gram.” is 100 perMany stucent present, dents already where there I see [laptops in use their lapis eye contact tops to take class] as an unproductive and there notes in class, is a vibrant distraction that actually although d i s c u s s i o n ,” undermines active and the one-toYaron said. one program “I see [lapengaged learning and would not retops in class] effective relations between more as an quire it. However, some unproductive teacher and student.” students who distraction —Dror Yaron that actually currently do not bring history teacher u n d e r m i n e s their laptops active and ento school say gaged learnthat if they were required to ing and effective relations bedo so next year, they would use tween teacher and student.” them to take notes in class.

Some students agree.

“I don’t usually bring my “Sometimes when I’m suplaptop to school, but if I was posed to be working on an forced to, I would most likely English essay during an [in use it for notes even though I’d class] writing day, I just can’t probably get distracted easily,” get any work done, and I end Lindsey Tse ’16 said. up on Buzzfeed or online shopSnapp said that the pro- ping,” Katie Zipkin-Leed ’15 gram will allow all students said. “Having the computer in to have equal access to Inter- front of you adds a lot of disnet resources and information, tractions.” and it will allow teachers to Jocie Chen ’18 said she give new forms of assessments. uses her laptop only for school “It is an opportunity for work, “but a lot of kids use it teachers to bring the world to watch Netflix, funny videos, into their classrooms … which and play games in and out of

Jan. 14 , 2015

percent more words typing their notes versus by hand.

Students tested

percent better on conceptual questions notetaking by hand.

percent of students typing were distracted for more than half of class.

SOURCE: STUDIES BY PROFESSORS PAM MUELLER, DANIEL OPPENHEIMER AND JEFF SOVERN GRAPHIC BY JAKE SAFERSTEIN

class. I think it’s a bit of a distraction because if you’re sitting in front of your computer in class bored to death, then you want to use your computer to look up funny things, text your friends or play games.”

Snapp says that there is no plan currently in place to try and limit the distractions that laptops cause.

“I don’t even know what that would look like,” Snapp said. “Most off-task behavior during class, with or without a readily-accessible computer or smartphone, happens because of attention span limitations and students not being engaged in the lesson. If students are engaged in the lesson, then they will not be tempted to indulge in a distraction.”

Director of Studies Elizabeth Resnick said that the responsibility for handling distractions rests with individual teachers.

“We encourage teachers to have students use their laptops when they augment or im-

prove student learning,” Resnick said in an email. “Teachers, ultimately, will be the arbiters of their classrooms — some will revoke the use of a computer if students are distracted, others will simply allow natural consequences to teach students (that is, distracted students are learning less of the material, and will likely, therefore, have diminished academic results).”

The school does not require students to buy a specific brand or operating system; however, they have a list of requirements the computer must meet. Students cannot use iPads, iPhones, Android tablets, Microsoft Surface RT or Smartphones. The school recommends the Macbook Air, Macbook Pro, Windows laptop or Microsoft Surface Pro. Dave Rubin, Director of Computer Services, said that the school is currently focused on getting ready for the program. They are increasing bandwidth, adding wireless

printing for students and creating a laptop loaner program.

Alexandria Oser ’16 believes that students shouldn’t have to bring a computer to school.

“I just think that people should get to decide whether or not they want to use a computer,” Oser said. “Sometimes I like to leave it home since it makes my backpack heavier.

A lot of people around school throw your bag around or just drop it on the floor when you’re not around so it can destroy peoples’ stuff.”

Ari Blut ’15 regularly brings her laptop to school and uses it in class but not always for the intended reason.

“When high demand concert tickets go on sale during class, I’ve occasionally had to quietly whip out the credit card and do what I have to do at the cost of my notes,” Blut said.

Additional reporting by Lola Clark.

B4

SACHA LIN/CHRONICLE

TINKERING AROUND: Daniel Lesh ’17, Cameron Shaw ’17 and Hyunseok Choi ’17 work on the wiring of their robot for the upcoming FIRST Robotics Competition in February.

C1

ELIJAH AKHTARZAD/CHRONICLE

A6

COLE FELDMAN/CHRONICLE

The Chronicle, the student newspaper of Harvard-Westlake School, is published nine times per year and distributed free on both the upper and middle school campuses. There are 727 students at the Middle School and 866 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

HEADSTRONG: Jeremy Yariv ’18 goes for a header against Alemany. The team went on to win 2-0, moving their record to 7-0 on the season. Their next game is at Saint Francis High School after school today.

Board. Letters to the editor may be submitted to chronicle@hw.com or mailed to 3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave., Studio City, CA 91604. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Chronicle style and format. Advertising questions may be directed to Kelly Loeb at 818-487-6511. Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.

Jan. 14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/news

5 alums in Forbes

News A3

Five alumni were included on the 2015 Forbes “30 Under 30” list, the third annual compilation of 30 leading figures under the age of 30 in 20 different fields of work.

Students reassessed after cheat sheet found • Continued from page A1

nathanson’s

nathanson’s

nathanson’s

nathanson’s

nathanson’s

Joanna Huey ’02 Co-founder of legal research website Casetext and director of the Princeton Center for Information Technology Policy, included in the Forbes enterprise tech section.

Jonah Greenberger ’04 Founder of solar energy company Bright, based in Mexico, included in the Forbes energy section.

Alexander Marlow ’04

Emanuel Yekutiel ’07

Editor-in-chief of Breitbart News Network, a conservative news site.

He also hosts Breitbart News Saturday on SiriusXM, included in the Forbes media section.

Chief of staff at FWD.us, a website that supports United States immigration and education reform, included in the Forbes law and policy section.

Ian Cinnamon ’10 Director of strategy at HIV/ AIDS nonprofit research corporation Immunity, included in the Forbes healthcare section.

SOURCE: FORBES.COM GRAPHIC BY EUGENIA KO AND BENJAMIN MOST

Levin returns to Business of Life class • Continued from page A1

professor Mary Beth Kors (Annie ’14) taught his class, The Business of Life.

“I’m so happy Mr. Levin’s back because he really makes the class what it is,” Sunaina Goel ’15 said. “Definitely, my parents weren’t concerned at all about the email [from Commons]. If anything, they were concerned for Mr. Levin.

It’s his personal business.”

Digital consultant Janine Warner said that anonymous online accusations are often difficult to fight.

“There’s a bigger picture, so unless they’re really causing you harm you’ll probably make it worse by bringing a lawsuit,” Warner said. “First of all it’s very expensive, and second of all, you can spread rumors further, even when

they’re not true. “ Levin said that he did not seek outside assistance because he was confident in the administration’s ability to appropriately handle the situation.

“I’m delighted to be back,” Levin told the Chronicle. “I got lots of supportive notes from alums. Coming back you realize what an amazing place this is and what an amazing group

of people are here, whether they’re colleagues or the kids in class.”

Commons said he was glad the investigation had concluded in Levin’s favor.

“I’m thrilled to have Mr. Levin back,” Commons said.

“He is an inspiring teacher and an immensely capable Chief Financial Officer as well as a good friend. It’s good to have him here.”

New midyear plan draws mixed reviews

By Scott Nussbaum

Students completed alternative assignments, such as group activities and videos, as well as traditional cumulative midyear tests in December as part of the new assessment schedule. In addition to moving assessments before winter break, the administration scheduled tests by periods, with two periods meeting each day for their assessments.

“I feel that the new schedule was beneficial because it was, in a way, less stressful since we did not have to study over break and spend two weeks of our vacation worrying about midterms,” Marina Weidmann ’17 said.

Although Weidmann said the schedule change was beneficial, some students believe the change added stress.

“The schedule was a little inconvenient because I had a biology and history exam on the same day due to my schedule,” Tiana Cole ’16 said.

History teacher Ken Neisser also took issue with the new schedule in terms of how it prepared students for an AP test.

“Many, if not most of the members of the History Department believe that a comprehensive mid-term exam for cumulative courses such as ours is an essential component of a ‘best practices’ college prep curriculum,” Neisser said. “Preparing for such an exam requires students to make the kinds of big-picture connections across centuries, cultures and economic, political, social and technological developments: in short, the essence of critical thinking. Further, given that

many history students take AP exams in the spring, many of us believe that we should provide students with at least one exam prior that approximates the content, duration and setting of those exams.”

The changes to the assessment schedule were intended to allow students to relax over the winter break rather than studying.

“The week before winter break this year was less stressful than the week before winter break in any other year that I can remember,” Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts said. “I believe that finishing work off before winter break allows students to feel less pressure over break and a greater sense of freedom, and that is all that we can measure right now.”

As a consequence of scheduling tests by period, students

in the same classes but different periods took their exams on different days of the week.

Therefore, many teachers gave different exams, and students were not allowed to speak to teachers the entire week to ensure they were not given an advantage.

“I think many teachers felt somewhat conflicted or concerned about the fact that they weren’t able to work with their students right up until the test, so I think that that is something we need to look at,” Huybrechts said.

During assessments, Prefect Council and the administration provided students with food and brought puppies into the lounge.

Because teachers do not know how students will perform on year-end and AP tests, Huybrechts said it is unknown how likely it is that the schedule will remain in place next year.

Adegbile to direct counseling at Cate School

By Kelly Riopelle

Upper School Dean Tamar Adegbile will not return to school next year, she announced Jan. 7 in emails to students and parents. Adegbile will become the Director of College Counseling at the Cate School near Santa Barbara.

Adegbile also served as Black Awareness and Culture club adviser, Film Festival judge, Prefect Council adviser and Honor Board member.

She expressed her appreciation for her time at HarvardWestlake both at a junior class meeting and in her emails.

“Though I will be very sad Slattery said that Adegbile will to leave this community, I’m be missed, both personally and excited about what professionally. lies ahead,” Adegbile “For me, the hardwrote in her email est part of this is that to parents. “I believe she’s one of my best this will be a wonderfriends in the world, ful opportunity for me and I can’t imagine and for my family.” this place without She also emphaher,” Slattery said. “I sized that she will also feel like, from a continue to work professional standwith her current jupoint, she was just nathanson’s niors throughout the this incredible comTamar college application bination of someone Adegbile process and will help who was wonderful work with her replacement to with students, great with facensure a seamless transition. ulty, great with parents. She Upper School Dean Beth was compassionate but also

pragmatic at the same time, and [that’s] a really unusual combination, so I don’t know how we’ll replace her.”

Adegbile said she feels grateful for the students who made her experience special.

“I moved 3,000 miles to come to Harvard-Westlake, and I can honestly say that I have never once regretted that decision,” Adegbile wrote in a letter to seniors. “This is indeed a very special place. I feel fortunate, blessed even, to have had the chance to work with such incredible students like all of you.”

certain rocks. The sheet she found in the classroom was a study guide she handed out before the exam that would have allowed students to perfectly complete the second section, which was worth 25 percent of the exam. Students filed by the trays during the assessment to answer questions on the test. Because Van Norden said she had not left the sheet there herself, she believes that a student or students brought it in so they could cheat.

Van Norden discussed possible options with Head of Upper School Audrius Barzdukas, and both decided it would be best to have all students retake that portion of the exam.

Van Norden notified students the first day they were back from break, Jan. 5, that they were going to retake the exam the following class, and hoped this would give them enough time to study.

Still, some students were upset about having to retake that section.

“It was heinous,” Nick O’Brien ‘17 said. “They made everybody redo it, and I ended up doing worse.”

Overall, the average on the retake was similar to the average before break, which is generally high, so Van Norden was especially surprised that people might have cheated on the assessment.

“I don’t want to bully people to find out who did it,” Van Norden said. “They know who they are. Hopefully, [the retake] didn’t hurt any bystanders or help those that cheated.”

The Honor Board Review Committee is currently investigating the case and deciding whether or not there are grounds for a case to be brought before the Honor Board.

“The circumstances under which there would be a case is if there has been a clear violation of the honor code, a clear violator and evidence that it has happened,” Honor Board administrative adviser Father J. Young said. “We always try to have a case as quickly as possible. Frankly to avoid, for whoever the people accused are, just the angst it causes to drag it on and on and on.”

Young has talked to members of the last period class individually as part of the investigation.

“He asked us what we knew of the situation and if we thought cheating had occurred,” Mary* ’17 said. “The meetings were short and to the point.”

Rasa Barzdukas ’17 said she was disappointed that someone might have cheated.

“It is a shame someone would do that to Ms. Van Norden,” Barzdukas said. “She is one of the fairest, most caring teachers I have, and that’s what makes me upset the most.” *Names have been changed.

A4 News

The Chronicle

Jan. 14, 2015

HW Inc. to be held in summer

By Benjamin Most

COLE FELDMAN/CHRONICLE

Bake Sale Supports Teenage Mothers in Peru

BAKERS WITHOUT BORDERS: After helping Kyuki-Do Wasi, a teen mom home in Peru, Lauren Song ’16 raised money for the home with a bake sale Jan. 12. The money will go to buy the supplies for a bakery project the mothers are starting. The project will create a foundation of work ethic for the new parents and give them a source of food for the purpose of stabilizing their lives.

Little Rock Nine member to speak at assembly

By Katie Plotkin

Terrence Roberts, a member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to desegregate an all-white high school in Arkansas in 1957, will speak during assembly Jan. 21 in honor of Black History Month.

After the U.S. Supreme Court declared segregated schools unconstitutional in

1954, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chose Roberts and eight other African-American students to attend Little Rock Central High School.

Roberts faced opposition at the school, and the four public high schools in Little Rock were eventually closed by the governor to end desegregation. Roberts transferred to Los Angeles High School for senior year, attended Cali-

fornia State University at Los Angeles and received a master’s degree from the UCLA School of Social Welfare, later getting his Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University.

He is CEO of his own consulting company, which helps companies achieve healthy stress management, communication and diversity.

In addition, Roberts is currently a desegregation consultant to the Little Rock School

District, promoting equality throughout the district. He was given the Congressional Gold Medal for civilian contributions in 1999.

“If we are willing to acknowledge that the issues we faced in Little Rock are the very same issues we face in 2015, we have a chance to move forward,” Roberts said in an email. “If we choose to embrace the fiction of progress, we are doomed to failure.”

Students can explore business and entrepreneurship opportunities this summer in a program called HW Inc., which will replace last year’s StartUp Scramble.

HW Inc. will last five days, two days longer than StartUp Scramble.

Instructional sessions on marketing, finance, law and leadership will be led by alumni businessmen, and students will be able to plan potential businesses.

“Inc. participants can expect to develop valuable business skills, go behind the scenes of a diverse group of companies and ventures and learn to speak business with industry standouts,” HW Inc. student leader Nick Abouzeid ’15 said. “We are looking for any and all motivated and creative Harvard-Westlake students of any grade, regardless of experience.”

Abouzeid said that on the first day, students will form teams and plan business ventures.

For the next three days, students will watch alumni lectures and spend the afternoon working on their specific ideas.

On the final night, teams will present a pitch to a panel of alumni.

“One of the biggest differences between Inc. and its predecessor is that it is being planned and it will be led entirely by Harvard-Westlake students,” Chief Financial Officer Rob Levin said.

New chemistry teacher will teach spring classes

By Liz Yount

She said that shadowing has introduced her to new teachHeather Audesirk will take ing perspectives. over teaching Jim Brink’s four “It’s been really fun to see chemistry classes during the the students,” Audesirk said. spring semester Jan. 21. She “People aren’t afraid to make is currently working to earn jokes, and it just seems like a her teaching credential from fun atmosphere.”

Azusa Pacific and has been a Although she is slightly tutor and teacher for Kaplan intimidated by joining the sciSAT Prep. ence department in the middle Brink died Nov. 12 in an of the year, Audesirk said that auto accident. the well-organized Audesirk received course and helpful her bachelor’s degree chemistry team is in chemistry with making her transidistinction from Hartion smooth. vey Mudd College.

“I would love to She was also a inspire other women chemistry tutor in in science so that we the Academic Excelcan let people know lence program and that we can do it,” nathanson’s received an AmeriAudesirk said. can Chemical Society Outside of teachHeather Analytical Award. ing, Audesirk sang in Audesirk She earned her the Pasadena Master master’s degree in chemistry Chorale and said that she enfrom the California Institute joys cooking, hiking and ridof Technology, where she de- ing her two horses in Golden, cided she wanted to pursue Colorado. teaching.

Upper School Science De“Teaching has been what partment Head Larry Axelrod I’ve wanted to do for as long is confident that Audesirk will as I can remember, so all the transition smoothly into her time I’ve spent in school has new school. given me the opportunity to “She interviewed well, observe great teachers and to came highly recommended be inspired by great teachers,” and everyone really likes her,” Audesirk said.

Axelrod said. “She is excited to Audesirk will shadow all start teaching, energetic and four classes for two weeks has a very strong background prior to taking over teaching. in chemistry.”

ANGELA CHON/CHRONICLE

PERFORMING UNDER PRESSURE: Nick Steele ’16 makes his argument while Noah Simon of Crossroads School writes notes. Steele placed seventh in the national Debate.LA challenge Jan. 2.

Debate hosts two major tournaments

By Kate Perrin

Many of the top debaters in the country competed at a national Lincoln-Douglas tournament hosted by HarvardWestlake at the end of winter break, and middle school debaters competed on the upper school campus Jan. 10.

“The Harvard-Westlake (previously VBT) tournament is one of the biggest tournaments of each debate season, and it went very well this year,” Kevin Wesel ’17 said.

“The tournament kicked off with the Debate.LA challenge and offered novice LD, varsity LD, and World Schools debate.

I thought it was really fun to see the best debaters around

the country debating in our classrooms.”

Pranav Reddy from Harker School in San Jose won the Lincoln-Douglas tournament, while Cameron Cohen ’16 was named third speaker and Nick Steele ’16 was named seventh speaker in the Debate.LA challenge.

In the novice division, Nick Platt ’19 was named top speaker, Indu Pandey ’18 was named third speaker and the winner of the tournament in the novice division. Warren Wang ’19 was named ninth speaker.

During the tournament, the U. S. Debate Team held training sessions at the upper school campus to prepare for the World Schools Debating

Championship this summer in Singapore.

Debaters competed at the University of Puget Sound tournament this past weekend where Chasia Jeffries ’17 cleared to elimination rounds and reached the quarterfinals rounds.

Debaters also competed in the Alta High School Silver and Black Invitational, a regional debate tournament in Salt Lake City held Dec. 4-8 where Connor Engel ’17 placed second and earned his first bid to the Tournament of Champions in April.

Two other sophomores, Evan Engel ’17 and Jesse Nadel ’17 advanced to the elimination rounds.

Jan. 14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/news

News A5

Family of alumnus founds new endowment

By Jesse Nadel

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF CHERI GAULKE

IMMERSING IN INDIA: Xochi Maberry-Gaulke ’12, Cheri Gaulke, Sue Maberry, Claire Cochran, Marka Maberry-Gaulke ’12 and guide Vikas Kumar visit Amber Fort near Jaipur, India. They explored Indian culture over winter break.

Teachers visit India on immersion grant

By Pim Otero

Art teachers Cheri Gaulke and Claire Cochran traveled to India during winter break on a faculty fellowship bestowed by Harvard-Westlake’s Cultural Heritage and Arts of India Club and the Gunter-Gross Asia Initiative.

“We got a grant from the school to investigate art,” Gaulke said.

“We were looking at miniature paintings and dance. I was videotaping, and Claire was photographing,” Gaulke said. “Part of what we were looking at was [whether] India [was] a place we could take students in the future on some kind of art-making trip, like a film and visual art-making trip.”

The India Exploration and Immersion Faculty Fellowship covered all expenses incurred by the two traveling faculty

members during the trip. This Gaulke and Cochran, Gaulis the first year this fellowship ke’s daughters Xochi Maberhas been given. The grant re- ry-Gaulke ’12 and Marka Maquires that two faculty mem- berry-Gaulke ’12, her wife Sue bers jointly Maberry design a and a program guide exAs visual artists, [we] that will p l o r e d were just blown away from the M u m b a i , enhance their comvisiting moment we landed because prehension, mu s e u m s India is such a visual place.” aw a r e n e s s and slums. and interest —Cheri Gaulke The group in Indian t h e n Head of Visual Arts moved on culture.

“I was Department to Udaitold some of pur, Jodhthe things pur, Jaithey liked about our proposal pur, Agra and Delhi. were that we were from two “India is such a remarkably different campuses, and that unique place. Claire and I, as also we’re just of two different visual artists, were just blown generations,” Gaulke said. away from the moment we “I’m a more senior teacher landed because India is such a who has been taking students visual place,” Gaulke said. “Evon trips, and [Cochran] is a ery single woman is in one of young, new teacher who has these incredible saris. It’s as if never done that before.” someone dialed up the chroma

“

— the pinks are pinker, the oranges are oranger, the reds are redder, the turquoises — and it’s not gaudy, it’s just exquisitely beautiful.”

After winter break, Cochran began to incorporate aspects of the trip into her curriculum. She began a miniature painting project in some of her classes while Gaulke used her experience to plan and execute other video art trips abroad in the future.

“Both of us learned a lot as artists, being on that trip, in terms of how to respond to a situation,” Gaulke said.

“I take students on these digital storytelling adventures, where they make documentaries,” she said. “So I learned a lot that will help me in the facilitating of those trips — just being on the trip and having to respond through video. For Claire, it will definitely impact her curriculum.”

Parents’ Association to launch party book

By Angela Chon

The Parents’ Association is launching an online party book Jan. 15 to raise money for financial aid.

The book is a collection of parties or events that are hosted by parents, alumni, administrators or teachers.

They donate the parties to the book, and parents can purchase tickets.

Events include dinner parties at parents’ private homes, cooking classes and private art gallery guided tours.

The association is also including events under the category “Back-to-School,” for which teachers are partnering with parents to offer classes.

There will be a poetry class taught by English teachers Ryan Wilson and Zachary Greenberg, a painting class

taught by visual arts teacher Marianne Hall and a dance class taught by performing arts teacher Joe Schenck.

“A lot of teachers have donated a lot of party book events this year, and parents are co-hosting by providing food or refreshments,” Parents’ Association co-chair Jackie Klein (Andrew ’18) said. “And parents can sign up to take a class with them and feel and

Kutler to expand to adult classes

By Bryant Wu

The Kutler Center will expand this year to offer courses for parents and alumni, to give them experiences similar to those of students.

“For a long time, HarvardWestlake has talked about wanting to provide programming to our parents and alums,” Kutler Center director Jim Patterson said. “We have an incredible faculty here, and while students get four to six years with that faculty, parents sometimes may never have that opportunity. Also,

some of the alums may also want to come back.”

Courses offered include Sundays With Ted, Understanding the Middle East, a Global Affairs Symposium and a Q&A with Human Rights Watch Emergencies Director Peter Bouckaert. Sundays With Ted is a series of nine group discussions on movies over nine weeks led by performing arts teacher Ted Walch.

Every Sunday, participants will watch a film and then discuss that film. Movies to be screened include those by di-

rectors Elia Kazan and Sidney Lumet.

Understanding the Middle East, a course taught by history teacher Dror Yaron, is similar to the Middle East Studies course he teaches to students.

This course focuses on political structures, religious influences and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Global Affairs Symposium is a student-led presentation offered by the HarvardWestlake Society of Global Affairs club. Interdisciplinary Studies department head Larry Klein said that the program

get an experience like their kids get at school. “[The party book] was brought over several years ago by Curtis [School] parents who started it there,” Klein said. “It is now a fundraising tool that most private schools use.”

It is also useful for community building for parents and alumni, she said.

“

The Yang Family Chinese Cooperation Endowment, founded by Michael Yang and Anna Fang (Hang ’14), will allow students and faculty to interact with Chinese educational communities, Head of External Relations Ed Hu said. This endowment follows a donation by the Yangs from 2013, which was used for a similar purpose.

“They originally gave a gift as a spend-down fund, meaning they wanted it to be used immediately, to help us improve our relations and exposure to China,” Hu said. “Because they were very happy with the way that was being used, they then gave a larger sum of money, which is going to be this endowment.”

The endowment aims to increase the opportunities for students to become more globally involved in various ways.

Hu said it could be used for “teachers or administrators to visit China or Chinese schools, or to explore cooperative educational opportunities.” The increased presence of Harvard-Westlake in China could also lead to more Chinese students attending the school, Hu said.

“If we want to graduate kids that are going to be global citizens and people who understand not only the world that they’re living in but the world that they are going to be working in and impacting, it is important for our kids to get exposed to that broader world,” Hu said. “China is just one of many places that we would want our kids to be exposed to.”

The Yangs chose to donate to Chinese relations because of their experience moving to Los Angeles from China to find the best education possible for their son. “[My son] received his education up to middle school from the best schools in China, then attended Harvard-Westlake for high school,” Yang said. “He was intrigued by the drastic contrast in the philosophies and practices of these two education systems. The Chinese system places emphasis on building the students’ repertoire of knowledge, while the American system focuses more on the students’ overall development.”

We have an incredible faculty here, and while students get four to six years with that faculty, parents sometimes may never have that opportunity. “ —Jim Patterson Kutler Center Director

will be run by Dominique Gordon ’15 and other members of the club.

This presentation centers on the creation of business, entertainment and political ideas and how they are incorporated into society.

The Human Rights Watch

nathanson’s

Q&A will include a screening of “The E Team,” a movie about the investigations of war crimes in Syria and Libya.

Following the screening, parents and alumni will be able to ask Bouckaert, a former student of Walch, about his experiences in violent regions.

A6 News

The Chronicle

inbrief

Jan. 14, 2015

Environmental Club to restore LA river

The Environmental Club will hold its first Los Angeles river restoration trip on Jan. 31 in an attempt to beautify and and improve the conditions of the area surrounding the river, while providing students with an additional way to earn community service hours.

“We are setting up monthly visits to the LA River site on Coldwater Canyon to plant natives, take out weeds and make it nicer,” Environmental Club co-president Brian Adler ’15 said. “Basically, to make it more beautiful and efficient.”

The trips will take place on Saturdays toward the end of every month, and all students are invited to volunteer for the events.

—Jesse Nadel

Software developer presents at club Software Development Manager Alan Homan spoke to the Computer Science Club last Tuesday, presenting on the topics of software development, design, algorithms and the daily life of a software developer.

“The aim of the presentation was to share the lessons learned in my software development career, provide direction, and inspire the next generation of innovators,” Homan said.

Homan, creator of Harvard-Westlake’s Hub page, has a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering technology and a masters degree in computer science.

—Jackson Novick

New, donated organ installed in chapel The chapel acquired a new organ which was installed during November before winter break. The new organ will be used for events in the chapel.

“It was available for any type of service held in [the chapel],” Chaplain J. Young said. “It also may be made available for student use.”

The old organ was 40 years old and had been used in the chapel for 18 years. The organ had to be repaired before every use.

The new organ cost $25,000 and was donated by Chris Forman ’79, Margaret Forman and Michael Forman.

—Connor Reese

Students to intern at clothing company An internship program at clothing company Forever 21 is in the works for students in the Theatrical Costume Design elective who are interested in clothing design, development and production.

Harry Salamandra, senior alumni officer, is working with Christine Water ’08, women’s apparel buyer for Forever 21, to finalize details of an internship program, which could start as early as next month.

Students will be given the opportunity to contribute design concepts, trend inspiration and production requests.

Three students have already expressed interest.

—Sophie Cohen

COLE FELDMAN/CHRONICLE

CHARGED UP: Noam Ringach ’17, left, Hyunseok Choi ’16, Charlie Noxon ’17, Calyx Liu ’17, science teacher Karen Hutchison and Cameron Shaw ’17 work on the electrical side of their robot in preparation for the “recycle rush” game for the FIRST Robotics Competition in February.

Robotics club prepares for ‘recycle rush’

By Cole Feldman

The Robotics Club moved into its second week of preparation for the FIRST Robotics Competition of 2015 in February by bringing in two mechanical engineers from Glenair Incorporated, an electrical connector accessory company,

to help build their robot.

“They are going to help us with the designing of some of the actual parts of the robot,” Jonas Hirshland ’16 said. “We are through one of six weeks, so we have done a lot of the strategy behind our robot. Now it is just the actual designing of our systems and figuring out how

they are going to fit together.”

Approximately 30 students are helping to build the robot on either the design or electrical side of the project. The robot is designed to complete the “recycle rush” game, which consists of stacking boxes on scoring platforms and then disposing of the pool noodles that

represent litter in the highest recycling bin to score points.

“Because I am interested in physics and the engineering field, this is good practice for the real world where you have a very strict deadline and you have to work to design within the allotted time,” Hirshland said.

English teacher receives Moss chair endowment

By Angela Chon

The second George E. and Thuy Moss Chair in English was awarded to English teacher Amanda Angle on Jan. 5 to honor her dedication to teaching.

Buddy Moss ’48 funded the endowment to ensure that the school had the resources to be able to support great teachers after he was greatly impacted by his English teacher, J. Leonard Sherman. “[Buddy] Moss was enormously grateful for his English teacher’s guidance and wanted every Harvard-Westlake generation to have the same opportunities,” Head of School

Jeanne Huybrechts said during a middle school Monday assembly. “The chair designation honors a particular teacher with a title and a stipend — and more importantly, the endowment ensures that the school has the resources to be able to continue to support great teachers.”

English teacher Jeremy Michaelson is the chair holder at the upper school campus. “[Angle] nurtures and empowers others,” Huybrechts said. “She teaches and encourages her students to listen—to pay attention to others, to hear what they say and, by extension, to sense how they feel— to be always open to learning something new.”

Upper school applicants shadow students on campus

By Lauren Kim

All sophomore and junior applicants to Harvard-Westlake who have interviewed so far have participated in a shadow day offered by the Office of Admission from the beginning of November to the end of February.

Upper school applicants are given 20-minute tours with their interviews, and last year, the Office of Admission began offering applicants an opportunity to shadow a Student Ambassador for two periods, Associate Director of Admission Nancy Jeon ’89 said.

At the Middle School, in addition to elongating the tours from 15 to 40 minutes, the Office of Admission began an official shadow program this year for incoming seventh graders, letting them shadow for two periods.

“We’re really giving them

90 minutes when they come for their interview,” Jeon said.

“But some families do want one more visit, so the shadow days for two periods are another option. Space is limited.

We don’t want to disrupt student life at school.”

Jeon said that participating in a shadow day will not positively or negatively affect an applicant’s chances of being accepted. The application deadline is Jan. 16, however, she is wary of the popularity of the shadow day programs on both campuses.

“We want to be respectful of other schools and our own teachers,” Jeon said. “My personal feeling is that it’s a service we’re providing, but I don’t think it’s necessary. I’m hoping that it’s good for some kids, but it doesn’t become something everybody wants, because we won’t be able to accommodate.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MELANIE KRASSEL

OUT OF THE STONE AGE: The main page of the newly launched stone-cutters website features an art piece by Ingrid Chang ’11.

Stone-cutters launches publication website

By Emily Rahhal

The stone-cutters literary magazine launched a website before winter break to attract more artwork submissions throughout the year and share updates from the editors.

The literary publication went digital for the first time in order to improve upon its first class National Scholastic Press Association rating this year. The website was created

by Melanie Krassel ’15, who has been on the staff for her entire high school career.

“We’ve been talking about doing some kind of web edition of stone-cutters since I started as an adviser three years ago,” English teacher Amber Caron said. “It never happened in part because it was going to be the job of the literary and art editor, but those jobs are already so big.”

Krassel began the project in mid-October with help from Upper School Mathematics

Department Head Paula Evans and mathematics teacher Jason Fieldman ’98, both of whom she has had as teachers.

“I had originally applied to be a literary editor,” Krassel said, “but I told them I’m in Web-Tech and that I could make a website, so they ended up making a new position for me as the web editor.”

The staff intends to include an opportunity to submit artwork through the website. The website will allow the publication to include more artwork from each submitting artist.

Online submission guideline booklets have been created and shared online.

The staff will create artist profiles to accompany students’ work. Students will be allowed to comment on blog posts, contact the staff and interact on the website.

Each printed issue of stonecutters will be uploaded to the website and kept under an archives section.

Jan. 14, 2015

The Chronicle

News A7

inbrief

Therapist to speak on drug, alcohol abuse Parents will hear a talk called “Teen Abuse and Addiction to Drugs, Alcohol and Electronic Technology” at the Middle School Feb. 4, as part of the speaker series that the Parents’ Association has organized for this year.

Licensed marriage, family and cognitive therapist Richard B. Cohen, who is also the founder of Of One Mind, will be speaking to the parents in Bing 123 about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and technology and the effects they have on the teenage brain.

The talk will also inform the parents how to prevent or reduce the likelihood of these dangers.

—Sharon Chow

Environmental club to show documentary ANGELA CHON/CHRONICLE

A STORY TO TELL: Students leaving Saturday for the Cuba Digital Storytelling trip gather at a workshop Jan. 10 to discuss film ideas.

Students will tell a story through a visual arts project or through written work. In total, 22 students will take the trip.

Improved diplomacy to affect Cuba trip

By Aleksei Aguero and Angela Chon

As students are getting ready to depart for Cuba this Saturday, President Barack Obama’s December announcement declaring the counrty’s efforts to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba affects restrictions on educational travel groups and may ease travel to Cuba in the future.

Although tourists are still

not allowed to travel to Cuba, traveling rights are expanding for travelers who already qualify under the guidelines for U.S. citizens and residents travel to Cuba. All travelers must travel under a “general license” or a “specific license,” said CubaPuentes, Inc., an organization that develops necessary elements to enable travel to Cuba.

Under the category of “educational activity,” students on

both the Digital Storytelling Adventure: Cuba trip, led by visual arts department head Cheri Gaulke, from Jan. 17-25 and the Media Arts Collaboration: Cuba trip, led by visual arts teachers Alyssa Sherwood and Joe Medina, from March 28 to April 5 will experience less restrictive travel rights.

At a pre-departure information meeting on Jan. 10, families were informed that with the new rules, participat-

ing students will be allowed to bring home $400 worth of Cuban goods, including Cuban cigars.

Although credit card use is now allowed, the school specified that students will not be able to use them because of lack of credit card machines.

“There definitely will be changes,” Debbie Davis, an organizer at the Friendship Tours World Travel, said. “But we’re not sure exactly how.”

Alumni gather to support Wolverine teams

By Sabrina

de

Brito

More than 100 recentlygraduated alumni gathered in the Feldman-Horn courtyard on Jan. 7 at the annual Young Alum event and stayed to support Wolverine teams in sports events.

This party had one of the largest turnouts in recent years.

“Our goal is always to have people reconnect and remember their time here,” said Director of Alumni Relations Susan Beeson ’96. “And once you graduate from HarvardWestlake, that’s not the end of

your experience here. You’re number of sporting events an alum for much longer than that took place, including socyou’re a student. So, we like to cer and basketball games. remind people “I always that this is go to these always their beI always go to these events home.” cause I get to events because I get to Past stusee my kids, dents and curso to speak, see my kids, so to speak, rent teachers and it makes and it makes me proud mingled under me proud and the heat lamps very happy to and very happy to see and the dim see them all them all growing up and lights of an In growing up N’ Out food and becombecoming successful.” truck. ing success—Elliot Parivar ful,” middle The date was selected MS science teacher school science because of the teacher Elliot

“

Parivar said.

Alumni who graduated within the past 10 years and current seniors were invited to the dinner.

“It’s great to come back and be able to have a rapport with the teachers as adults,” Rosie Mandel ’04 said.

The program allows for graduates to talk with other graduates from different years and bond over their experiences as well, Beeson said. “[Coming to the Young Alum event] is like looking through a kaleidoscope of decades,” Jeremy Stewart ’04 said.

Students to travel to Caribbean to scuba dive

By Danielle Kaye

ocean. Their research will be uploaded to databases that are Ten upper school students currently used by scientists. will sail and scuba dive dur“I really want [the stuing a trip to the Caribbean dents] to become more comislands during fortable with spring break, traveling, takchaperoned by I really want [the ing risks and science teacher going outside students] to become Florence Pi. their comfort Students zone,” Pi said. more comfortable with will become B r o a d traveling, taking risks certified to reach, a travel scuba dive and going outside their o r g a n i z a t i o n and will learn for middle and comfort zone.” how to colhigh school lect scientific —Florence Pi students, will data about the run the trip US science teacher and health of the provide

“

a boat captain and diving in- ’17 said. structor.

Pi said that she hopes for The trip was implement- students to learn about the ed at the beginning science of the ocean of the school year, as well as about themwhen Pi received selves. She has nevpositive feedback to er organized a trip the idea from her through a travel comstudents. pany like Broadreach Students who at the school before, signed up for the but said she wants to trip said they are continue running simlooking forward to a ilar trips in the future. nathanson’s new experience.

“I think our kids Florence Pi “I’m excited to would get a lot out of contribute to a mait, and I think that we rine database that will help are a little bit behind in not scientists evaluate the state of offering more trips like these,” our oceans,” Dana Anderson Pi said.

The Environmental Club will screen the Netflix Documentary “Mission Blue” in the Ahmanson lecture hall Jan 16.

The documentary follows the work of internationallyrecognized oceanographer, marine biologist and environmentalist Sylvia Earle. “[Mission Blue] is really thrilling,” Environmental Club co-president Brian Adler ’15 said. “It’s also really informative, and it details someone that we really admire. [Sylvia Earle] is a woman who fights all out for the oceans.”

The purpose of the screening is to educate students on the colossal damage being inflicted upon the world’s oceans, Adler said.

—Jean Sanders

Mock Trial gets ready for state competition The Los Angeles County champion Mock Trial team is gearing up for the state competition rounds starting on March 18.

Led by coaches Alan Croll and Bobbie Kumetz and faculty adviser Dave Waterhouse, the prosecution and defense led the team to a first place finish in the Los Angeles Mock Trial Final Nov. 24, culminating in a win versus last year’s champion, Peninsula High School “We are very excited and nervous about it, since Mock Trial hasn’t made it this far in a while,” Megan Cohen ’17 said. “Mentally, we’ve never stopped preparing, because we’ve recently been in county.”

—Rian Ratnavale

Model UN students win at LAIMUN Elliot Kang ’15 and Carolyn Hong ’17 won awards at a conference the Model United Nations Club attended at Mira Costa High School Dec. 6 - 7.

Novices went to the first day of the Los Angeles Invitational Model United Nations conference and presented one topic, while advanced delegates went to two days and presented two topics.

Hong received a commendation for her work in the International Atomic Energy Agency committee. Kang won the best delegate award for his work in the novice economyfinance committee.

—Layla Moghavem

The Chronicle

A8 News

Walch to teach films to adults

Jan. 14, 2015

By Liz Yount

Cinema Studies teacher Ted Walch is launching “Sundays with Ted,” a nine-part film class for adults to watch and discuss movies, on Jan. 25 in Ahmanson Lecture Hall with Elia Kazan’s “East of Eden.”

“I came up with the idea because a lot of parents who had come on Parents’ Day would listen to my spiel or hear from their kids about Cinema Studies, and they thought it might be fun for them to take a version of that class,” Walch said.

“That, and my desire to raise money for financial aid.”

The event costs $35 for any single film or $285 for all nine films, and proceeds go to the Thomas C. Hudnut Scholar Endowed Fund. Walch has raised over $20,000 in financial aid money with these classes.

“I want adults who want to come to this class to simply be able to enjoy movies with perhaps a little more insight than they would normally bring,” Walch said.

Parents said that they are enthusiastic about attending.

“I am so looking forward to more enriching Sunday afternoons with Ted,” Trina Steinberg (Ezra ’15) said.

CARINA MARX/CHRONICLE

FROM RAGS TO RICHES: Fanatics attending the basketball game against Alemany last Friday cheer on the Wolverines while waving Rowdy Rags. The red towels depict the school crest and this year’s Fanatics’ slogan, “Let’s Get Rowdy.”

Fanatics distribute Rowdy Rags at games

By Carina Marx

Fanatics distributed Rowdy Rags at the varsity basketball games against Notre Dame Jan. 7 and against Alemany Jan. 9.

“I came up with the idea when thinking about things we could do to enhance the fan experience,” Head Fanatic Matthew Glick ’15 said. “The

rally towel seemed like a great idea because it’s interactive and creates a great game time environment.”

The red towels featured the school crest and were free to students attending that night’s game. They are intended to be reused and brought back to future games.

“We hope the rags inspire attendance,” Head Fanatic

Mila Barzdukas ’15 said. “If they are successful, then we may make some more gear in the future.”

The name Rowdy Rag was inspired by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Terrible Towels and this year’s Fanatics slogan, “Let’s Get Rowdy.” They were made with the profits from the Fanatics’ T-shirt sale in September. The Fanatics are now

considering what else they can do to make soccer, basketball and water polo games spirited and to keep attendance high. “[The Rowdy Rags] just make everyone excited and really pumped up to watch the game,” cheerleader Jackie Ayestas ’18 said.

Fanatics will continue distributing the towels throughout the season.

Chemistry journal publishes senior’s research on bacteria

By Scott Nussbaum

DARIO MADYOON/CHRONICLE

APP PALS: Science teacher Antonio Nassar and world languages teacher Javier Zaragoza talk with students about ways to incorporate technology to connect with international pen pals.

Nassar, Zaragoza incorporate apps, technology into pen pal program

By Dario Madyoon

dividuals, like two scientists or schools yet, individual stutwo mathematicians, then it dents have contacted friends Science teacher Antonio will work, because then there that live in other countries.

Nassar and Spanish teacher will be interest and competi“I feel like a lot of kids have Javier Zaragoza have teamed tion,” Zaragoza said. someone they know that goes up to use technology to conThe project will also at- to school in another country, nect students from around the tempt to break down the lan- so if they just get their friend world in an innoguage barrier to get involved, and vative pen pal prothat has harmed their friend does gram. The project previous pen pal the same, eventuaims to change the interaction beally it will spread to traditional pen pal tween students a huge group of stumodel using techby using transdents,” Jason Gabee nology, but takes lator apps. ’15 said. it a step further to The projWhile the projfocus on common ect had its first ect is mainly fointerest. meeting Jan. 12, cusing on students nathanson’s nathanson’s Instead of uswhere they disright now, they plan Antonio Javier ing the old method cussed possible to branch out and Nassar Zaragoza of writing handformats for the get professionals written letters to website they involved. pen pals, Nassar and Zaragoza plan to make.

Zaragoza said the projwill try to use texting, emailThey hope to create a web- ect may eventually be run ing and video chat to connect site similar to Reddit.com and generated by individuals students that are interested in to facilitate students getting around the world who have similar subjects. together and sharing ideas similar interests rather than “Pen pals haven’t quite around the globe. by the school. The group meets worked, but if there is someAlthough the group has not Mondays during Activities pething in common between in- formally contacted any other riod.

Divya Gupta’s ’15 research on antibacterial surfaces, which she began in 2013 at UCLA and is now continuing in her Studies and Scientific research class, was recently published in the “American Chemical Society Journal.”

The research focuses on how materials can combat the growth of bacteria.

In addition to her research on bacteria, Gupta has also conducted research focusing on regenerating tissue and improving football helmets to reduce the impact of hits to the head.

“Anybody can have a passion, such as dance, art and sports,” Gupta said. “Some people go abroad to do community service, and my way is to do research. That is the way I give back to the community.”

Gupta became involved in scientific research when she visited her father’s lab during the summer. Gupta’s father, a professor and researcher at

UCLA, had discovered a polymer that was not being used in any research projects. Gupta decided to study whether the polymer could improve football helmets so they can better reduce the shock delivered to the head.

Following her tests, Gupta discovered the polymer outperformed the Riddell helmets which are currently used in the NFL. In the future, Gupta hopes to continue this research in college and extend her findings to military gear.

“I want to do what I can to help society with whatever resources are available to me and use my education for the greater good,” Gupta said.

“That is why I conduct scientific research.”

In her Studies and Scientific Research class, Gupta will continue to study how surfaces can be improved to combat bacteria growth. These surfaces are used in biomedical devices, such as hip and knee replacements and for surgical devices.

C HRONICLE the harvard-westlake

Los Angeles • Volume 24 • Issue 4 • Jan. 14, 2015 • hwchronicle.com

Editors-in-Chief: Zoe Dutton, Scott Nussbaum Managing Editors: Elijah Akhtarzad, Jessica Spitz Executive Editor: Marcella Park Presentations Editors: Leily Arzy, Jacob Goodman

Opinion The Chronicle • Jan. 14, 2015

editorial

News Managing Editors: Enya Huang, Jake Saferstein News Section Heads: Angela Chon, Cole Feldman, Eugenia Ko News Assistants: Sammi Handler, Layla Moghavem, Jackson Novick, Jesse Nadel, Oliver Richards, Teresa Suh, Izzy Wiesenthal, Claudia Wong Opinion Managing Editors: Haley Finkelstein, Sophie Kupiec-Weglinski Opinion Section Heads: Kelly Riopelle, Jonah Ullendorff Opinion Assistants: Asya Alekhina, Carmen Levine, Mady Madison, Katie Perrin Features Managing Editors: Carly Berger, Aimee Misaki Features Section Heads: Sacha Lin, Benjamin Most, Su Jin Nam Features Assistants: Eshanika Chaudhary, Lola Clark, Kami Durairaj, Sabrina de Brito, Danielle Kaye, Lauren Kim, Jean Sanders, Phoebe Sanders, Liz Yount A&E Section Heads: Sharon Chow, Pim Otero A&E Assistants: Nico Brown, Hannah Cho, Sophie Cohen, Tiffany Kim, Katie Plotkin Sports Managing Editors: Tyler Graham, Audrey Wilson Sports Section Heads: Bennett Gross, Jonathan Seymour, Henry Vogel Senior Sports Writers: Mila Barzdukas, Cole Jacobson Sports Assistants: Aleksei Aguero, Juliana Berger, Zac Harleston, Joe Levin, Jacob Liker, Dario Madyoon, Carina Marx, William Park, Emily Rahhal, Rian Ratnavale, Connor Reese, Griffin Richter, Nick Settelmayer, Cameron Stine, Bryant Wu Art Director: Vivian Lin Multimedia and Online Editors: Nikta Mansouri, David Woldenberg Photography and Multimedia Staff: Caitlin Neapole, Lexi Bowers, Kelly Loeb Photography and Multimedia Assistants: Eshanika Chaudhary, Kami Duraijaj, Tiffany Kim, Joe Levin, Phoebe Sanders Ads and Business Manager: Kelly Loeb Advisers: Jenny Hontz, Kathleen Neumeyer 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 Kelly Loeb at 818-825-5059.

Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or the school.

MADY MADISON/CHRONICLE

December assessments alleviate stress, though not without some drawbacks

W

hen students left school Dec. 19 to enjoy their long-awaited winter break, they left with their midyear assessments already finished. Students no longer had to spend their winter break thinking about midterms just enough to be worried while attempting to enjoy time away from textbooks and study guides. The administration’s main goal in this overhaul was to decrease the stress students experience during traditional midterms, and although we agree that they succeeded overall, some changes were better than others.

There are three actions of which we all approved: moving the testing period to before winter break, taking shorter tests and more alternative assignments, and providing treats in collaboration with Prefect Council during breaks between assessments to alleviate stress.

In past years, students have been forced to spend their winter breaks with midterms hanging over their heads. Although most students chose not to study during winter break, many still felt guilty not preparing for exams. Having the assessments before the holiday season allowed students to truly enjoy their breaks and fully appreciate a time that is meant to be work-free.

The shorter tests and alternative assignments alleviated stress by reducing both the amount of material students had to study and the exams’ weight in determining first semester grades. In addition to just being an exercise to determine the amount of information

retained throughout the first semester, they served as an active learning experience by engaging students with the material in new and unique ways.

As for the food, any teenager will tell you that’s always welcome, especially during stressful times. Bagels and orange juice, donuts, a catered cereal bar and Diddy Riese cookies made every exam a little more bearable, and showed that the administration’s heart was really in the right place.

Our least favorite change was the rule that teachers were not allowed to answer students’ questions once the first assessment in that class had been given. This meant that some students who had exams on Friday had to spend an entire week without being able to ask their teachers for help or clarification on the material that would be tested.

There were a few other drawbacks — the awkward two-week limbo period following break ensured new material couldn’t be tested until second semester, and the system of scheduling meant some students had their two hardest tests on the same day while others conveniently had their tests evenly spaced out.

Additionally, seniors who had just received college rejection letters had little time to recover before the week of testing began.

Yet overall, the new assessments are a vast improvement upon previous years’, and it is heartening to see the administration take effective action to address inceasing student stress levels.

A10 Opinion

The Chronicle

Jan. 14, 2015

Define your own success

By Eugenia Ko

O

ne month into the while, it was their way or the seventh grade, I audihighway, and it was not easy tioned on a whim, with to distinguish what I wanted no prior experience, for the to accomplish from my eagerpart of Rizzo in the fall musiness to make them proud. cal, “Grease,” only to come I am absolutely here out laughing at myself (with because I want excellence for no role) having learned a lesmyself, and it is only obvious son that has stuck with me that teachers would expect since: The Harvard-Westlake it too. But I personally take community strives for excelissue with the fact that the lence in every aspect of school excellence I strive for is too life from the often defined expectations the by others — I personally take issue teachers set in the grade, with the fact that the the classroom the award, to the quality of the win, the excellence I strive for the performing applause. is too often defined by arts productions.

It’s so This fact has easy to forget others — the grade, never been more that success the award, the win, the obvious to me is not defined than it is now. one-dimenapplause.

After almost six sionally, years here, I’ve especially in grown accustomed to the fixa- a school where everyone is tion on success that permeconstantly succeeding. But my ates school life, yet it seems idea of success does not have more pronounced than ever. to mirror or match someone I am constantly told junior else’s. year is the final stretch — Success does not have that how hard I work and the to be an A or a college acdecisions I make will either ceptance, though it can be. make or break me.

Sometimes success is just It was not until a recent making it through a difficult class that I realized my defini- Monday or having a great tion of excellence had become conversation with a friend. dictated by others. One of Only you decide what sucmy teachers asked a group of cess means to you, because students to demonstrate their you are the one in charge of skills in front of the class and your life and the decisions said that this was the high that you make. No one else level at which all of us should should dictate what your be. goals are.

In 45 minutes, the class I My definition of excelhad taken for the pure joy of lence, whatever minimal or it and had depended on as the meaningful goal I want that rare escape from the stress of to be, should not be decided simply having to do well had by the expectations or accombecome one more expectation plishments of others. At the to fulfill. end of it all, all we can really Over the years, both of my do is our best, and to me, that parents have made very clear will always be enough. to me what success meant to them, and what it must mean to me: the more prestigious the college, the better. For a

MADY MADISON/CHRONICLE

Losing time to read for fun

By Alexa Bowers

W

hen I was in elementary school, my late nights were spent tucked tightly within my bed sheets, my neck craned over a book and my eyes darting from left to right at top speed as I internalized every word.

I would stay up for hours, sometimes well into the early hours of the next morning, engrossed in a book. Now that I am in high school, I find myself in a similar position: neck craned over a book, eyes scanning every line.

However, this time, I am not reading quickly and staying up late because I can’t wait to see what happens next. Instead I am staying up late because I have a reading quiz the next day.

With so much homework from other subjects, there is not as much time to enjoy reading for English or for pleasure.

I do not mean to say that the books we are assigned to read for English are not good books. They are all excellent pieces of literature, and that is why they have been cho-

Start accepting yourself

By Kelly Riopelle

O

ver the years I cannot tell you how many times body image has come up in my various discussions with friends, family and peers or conversations that I’ve overheard. Whether it’s a snide “Has she gained weight?” or “I look so fat in this,” lately I have found it nearly impossible to escape the body-focused talk.

In the past I wasn’t as aware of it. It just seemed to be an ordinary, albeit seemingly unhealthy, thing to focus on. However, about a year and a half ago, one of my best friends was diagnosed with anorexia and another one was diagnosed with exercise bulimia, and after seeing eating disorders firsthand, body talk suddenly took on a whole new life and meaning.

When my friend was told she looked “skinnier and prettier,” it only reinforced her unhealthy thinking that

she needed to be skinnier and skinnier because she used to be and currently still looked so “fat.”

Ever since dealing with this, my body talk radar has been on high alert. Back then I wanted to try to shield my friends from triggering words, to protect them in the meager ways I could, even though they were mentally unwell.

Even now, at least a couple of times a week I hear “Ugh I wish I could wear your skinny ripped jeans, but I’m too fat,” in the cafeteria, or “Wow, you look great, have you lost weight?” on the quad, or “I wish I had her body” at the mall. Whether or not we consciously realize it, bodytalk permeates conversation everywhere, and especially among high school girls, I’ve noticed.

While I personally actively try to refrain from bodyoriented talk, more than a

sen for us to read. I also like reading the same books as my classmates and analyzing and having in-depth conversations about them.

However, with the pressure of studying for a quiz on a book in English, or needing to read quickly so I will have enough time to study for another subject, I find myself unable to give them the attention that these novels deserve.

I am not alone in my longing for more time to read for pleasure.

Many of my friends have told me that they, too, miss having more time to read books outside of school. Some of them say that after reading for both history and English, they are no longer in the mood to read even if they do have some free time after their homework. Personally, if I read a book for fun instead of reading for English, I feel slightly guilty.

According to a recent 2014 Scholastic survey of over 1,000 children and teens aged 6 to 17, adolescents are reading much less than they did in previous years. Only 31 per-

cent of the kids said they read a book for fun daily. Many credit this decrease in reading outside of the classroom to the prominence of social media among young people.

I think a lot of kids, myself included, sometimes choose to binge watch their favorite show on Netflix when they have free time, rather than pulling out their favorite book.

Instead of carrying around my favorite book, I bring my iPhone everywhere I go.

Despite the temptation to watch an entire season of “House of Cards” or scroll through Facebook and Instagram, once you find the right book, it is hard to put it down.

As I write this, I am staring at the shelves upon shelves of books that I hope to, but have yet to read due to a lack of free time.

I hope I, as well as any other students who share a similar lack of time for reading for pleasure, will find a way to fit in the reading that once piqued our interest and excited our imaginations.

With the media and magazines proclaiming “Lose 10 pounds,” it can be easy to get caught up in body-bashing and body-envy. It’s time to stop and learn to love yourself the way you are.

few times other girls have come up to me and complimented me on being “skinny” or my supposed “thigh gap.”

I’ve never been sure how to respond.

Should I consider it a compliment? The fact that people reading this might interpret my writing this as a humble brag just proves my point further. I don’t think that being “skinny” is a compliment. Nor is it an insult.

To me, it’s merely fact — it’s the way I’ve always been built and the way the women in my family look.

Why is there such a focus on the way girls’ bodies looks?

Is it because in Los Angeles, we are surrounded by celebrities and models whose job it is to be a size 00 and perfectly proportioned. Is it because now being called “skinny” is considered a compliment of the best sort? Or is it related to the rise in social media us-

age where a search for “thinspo” or “thinspiration” (a.k.a. inspiration to be thin) can bring up hundreds of images on various social media apps?

A current pop song called “All About That Bass” by Megan Trainor has earned compliments for acknowledging that a more curvy body type is not only acceptable, but even desirable because “boys they like a little more booty to hold at night.”

While this at least opens up a body-positive discussion, with lines like “every inch of you is perfect,” I take issue with the aforementioned line about boys appreciating more “booty” and thusly the fact that the reason Trainor praises a more curvy body is because boys like it.

I think you should learn to love your bodies because of all that they are capable of— from running miles during sports practice to walking

up the never-ending stairs from Chalmers to the library and not because someone else finds it to be attractive or compliments you.

You should be confident in your body because you are beautiful the way you are, not because someone else likes your butt (or another physical feature.)

Girls (and boys), it’s time to learn to love your body just the way it is but also to remember that it by no means defines you. Being “skinny” does not make you better than anyone else, and being “fat” doesn’t make you worse than anyone else.

The way you are built is just the way you are built.

It means nothing more and nothing less. And you should never need to apologize for the way your body looks. You have a body, you are not a body. You are so much more than that.

Jan. 14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/opinion

Opinion A11

quadtalk

The Chronicle asked:

“Overall, did you like this year’s new assessments more than having them in January?”

445 students weighed in on the Chronicle poll Overall, I liked that we had it before break so I could get it over with and relax afterwards, and you didn’t have to worry about studying over break.

—Clement Sheng ‘16

No, it was worse

102

KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE

I thought it was overall positive because it was before winter break, which makes a lot more sense than having it after winter break. It was overall less stressful.

Yes, it was better

343

—Jon Nelson ‘16 KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE

“Did you like having the shorter assessments or alternative assignments instead of the longer exams we had before?”

“What was your least favorite aspect of the new midterm schedule?”

Having tests before winter break

Not being able to meet with teachers

Yeah, just because it felt like less pressure on me, like it didn’t count for as much.

287

Multiple test days for the same class

21 Taking tests in classroom

—Yoko Everard ‘16 KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE

94

4

Accepting others in the wake of tragedy

By Aimee Misaki

I

scrolled past a photo that my Parisian friend had posted earlier that day of a man who seemed to be dead with spectators standing around him.

As I scrolled further down, I saw posts from my other French friends that all said, “Je suis Charlie.” Now I was confused. Were the French starting some kind of weird new fad?

I soon found the answer on the “Trending” section of my Facebook newsfeed in a headline that stated, “Charlie Hebdo: 12 killed at magazine’s Paris office.”

Boom. I backtracked and realized that the photo I had just casually scrolled past was a photo of one of the 12 who were now dead. This was Jan. 6, not even a week after New Year’s.

I hadn’t thought about Charlie Hebdo in months, but that day, a million thoughts passed through my brain, questioning my moral and logical stance on such a sensitive subject.

I had first heard of the French satire magazine, Charlie Hebdo, in the French Culture course I took during my junior year in Rennes, France.

I remembered that the last

part of one of the tests was why this horrendous shooting explaining our opinions on happened was not because of one of comic strip artist Jean Muslims. I know this might Cabut’s satirical drawings of seem obvious to many of you, Mohammed. but believe me, it is not so I understood Cabut’s inten- clear in Europe today. Many tions, his hopes and his humor. people have forgotten that He used humor to rise above “Muslim” does not mean “exthe stupidity and inhumanity tremist,” which is why I fear of society, including the terfor the future of the country I rorism that would result in his once called home. own death. Comedians, satiric Last spring, I watched the writers and comic strip artists local elections and looked at are either loved or called jerks. my host mother in shock as I And let me tell you — I saw that more than a quarloved those jerks. I think it is ter of the French population partially due to the fact that voted for the Front National, a I am one, too. It’s in my naneo-Nazi group set against imture to notice migrants and people’s small the European movements and I hope this will help us Union. comments and What I realize that in times make remarks recall even of grief, we must unite about them. more vividly I know that was discovering instead of fighting one my jokes can that the majoranother. seem harsh, ity in Marseille, and I know a port city that that many has one of the people may misunderstand biggest Muslim populations in me because of single stupid France, voted for Front Naremarks I make. But when I tional. The Front National’s heard that my fellow journalreasoning is that immigrants, ists were executed in the name especially Muslims, are taking of jihad because they had pubjobs away from the French. lished a comic of Mohammed, Classic. Talk about a I was completely shocked. throwback to post-World War This brings me to my most I Germany. important point and, also, Terrorism is a very real my biggest fear. The reason thing. The fear of massacre by

groups of very angry, hateful maniacs follows us Americans everywhere.

This fear is what leads so many people to generalize and degrade Muslim beliefs. Let’s face it — many American people showed immense hostility towards Muslim people after 9-11 because a group of extremists decided to murder innocent victims and justified the crime with religion.

I’m simply afraid that the escalating, omnipresent tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims in France will only be exacerbated. People will jump to conclusions, blame one another and surely get hurt.

Since this shooting, I have been waiting, nervously, for a fight to erupt between Muslim moderates and non-Muslim French citizens.

I don’t want to hear that a country that prides itself on liberty, equality and fraternity is no longer accepting of certain religious groups. I don’t want to hear about Muslim moderates being forced to apologize for actions they did not commit.

What I want is for them to know that we know they’re not all the same.

I hope this will help us realize that in times of grief, we

must unite instead of fighting one another. If our Muslim peers feel uncomfortable, let’s help them see that we are with them. After a terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia last month, there was a Twitter campaign of solidarity, called “I Will Ride With You”— “offering to accompany any Muslims who fear venturing onto public transport at this time, in case of a public backlash.”

Maybe we should follow in the Australians’ footsteps, to emphasize the fact that we must unite. Either way, we must never let tragedy lead to the degradation of a whole religious group, like it did with the Jewish people in World War II. As a first-generation Japanese-American, I think I can say with confidence that I understand how confusing and stressful it is to be caught in between two completely different cultures. In Japan, children are told that the nail that sticks out gets hit on the head. In America, we are told that we must be exactly those people who stick out.

I am a nail that sticks out for what I believe in, and no hammer can put me down. Je suis Charlie, and I will ride with you.

A12 News

The Chronicle

Jan. 14, 2015

Pros & Cons Students weigh in on this year’s midyear assessments, which differed from old exams: They were given before winter break, often involved alternative assignments, were scheduled by period instead of subject and took place in classrooms.

I like the new midterm schedule because you don’t have to have study stress.

Since I was finishing college applications, it was nice not to have anything in the back of my head during break.

Some of my teachers did review, like in my history class, but some of them did not, and I think it would have been really great to have a time to ask questions.

—Bryce Terman ‘15

—Jillian Sanders ‘17 EMILY RAHHAL/CHRONICLE

KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE

Taking the exams in the place where you learned and discussed the material is much more comfortable than taking them in a large, silent room where a lot of people seem stressed out.

—Quinton Simmonds ’17

I would just make it easier to talk to teachers. I feel like if you had a test Monday, you wouldn’t talk to the teacher, and if you had the test on Thursday you’d wait to until later, so I feel like it was an unnecessary rule.

—Sohni Kaur ‘17

LAUREN KIM/CHRONICLE

Especially since my French class didn’t have a graded final, it was easier to focus on classes for which these mid-year assessments really mattered.

—Imani Cook-Gist ‘15

KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE

It probably would have been easier on the teachers and us if everyone took the same versions of tests.

Teachers had to write so many, and there might have been certain versions of tests that were harder.

—Bryanna Lee ‘15 MARCELLA PARK/CHRONICLE

KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE

I think that college decisionwise, I wasn’t too bothered.

For seniors, I think teachers were especially nice. Instead of tests, I had a lot of alternative activities.

I would rather have not had school on Friday instead of having school off on Wednesday.

—Max Robertson ‘17

—Sophia Szu ‘15

MARCELLA PARK/CHRONICLE

KELLY RIOPELLE/CHRONICLE

Features The Chronicle • Jan. 14, 2015

While some worry nail polish may be toxic, many still continue to paint their nails, and one student even created a business from the art.

By Sophie Kupiec-Weglinski

A

s she enters Bella Nails salon in Beverly Hills, Tess Kemper ’15 spots her favorite bottle of Essie nail polish. She gazes at the creamy pink nail polish encapsulated in a small glass bottle and heads over to the table where a technician waits patiently to help her with her weekly manicure and pedicure.

Kemper is taking part in a beauty routine that has its roots in China. According to the book “Origin of Everyday Things” by Johnny Acton, Tania Adams and Matt Packer, royalty would paint their nails in metallic colors to differentiate themselves from the general public.

Five thousand years later, it is common practice to get nails colored, whether at a professional salon or at home.

Now in the 21st century, nail polish and salons are big businesses. There are many different salons, some offering basic manicures and pedicures, some with massage chairs and nail design technicians. In California, the number of nail

salons operating increased 11 percent in 2014, according to the NAILS Magazine 2014 industry report.

“The nail category has been enjoying growth for the past five years,” said Susan Fischmann (Andrew Fischmann ’15) cofounder and Executive Vice president of OPI Products, which is a maker of popular nail polish. “Nail Polish is up five percent.”

Regardless of the type of salon or nail polish, colored nails are a norm at HarvardWestlake.

“I get them done for my own personal hygiene and because I think it’s good to have nice looking nails,” Kemper said.

One student found a way to turn her interest into a way to help others. Sohni Kaur ’17 started painting her own nails and posting pictures of them on her Tumblr blog. Soon her friends wanted her to paint their nails. Kaur charges them $7 per manicure and donates the money to the Make-aWish Foundation. She usually paints the same three to four friends’ nails.

“I think I kind of wanted something that made me different, and I’ve always wanted to do something creative— I can’t really draw or paint or anything like that so I wanted another way to express myself,” Kaur said. “I saw a bunch of nail art online and kind of just started trying it out. I try to base the designs off of something like panda bears, flowers and space.”

However, in perfectly painted nails lies a health risk.

Many polishes contain formaldehyde, a carcinogen, which is used as a hardening agent.

Two chemicals linked with developmental defects, toluene and dibutyl phthalate, or DBP, are used to add sheen and flexibility.

The Environmental Protection Agency warns against inhaling substances that contain toluene because it can irritate the respiratory tract and eyes.

People who bite their nails are at risk of suffering from these chemicals, according to a Casarett and Doull’s “Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons” by Curtis Klaassen.

The chemicals can also be absorbed by the nail and damage it.

“I have a box where I keep all my bottles, and the smell of chemicals in the box is so overwhelming,” Kaur said. “Usually I have the fan on while I do my nails so I don’t inhale the fumes as much. I’ve never tried toxic-free polish before but I would be willing to try.”

Rashes, headaches and other ailments have been reported by nail salon workers as a result of poor ventilation and chemicals, according to the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, a group of nail salon owners and technicians across California that raise awareness of these chemicals.

Due to pressure from organizations like the CHNSC and the general public, many popular high-end polish brands, such as OPI, Essie and China Glaze, have gone “three free”, omitting formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate.

Without these harmful chemicals nails aren’t damaged, and the other health risks are minimized.

• Continued on page B2 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JACOB GOODMAN

B2 Features

• Continued from page B1

The Chronicle

“I don’t paint my nails very often, probably only once or “Over 10 years ago we twice every couple months, made a formulation change,” because it requires a decent Fischmann said. “Toluene and amount of effort for very litDBP were removed. OPI Nail tle payoff,” Nadia Rahman Lacquer is globally compliant.” ’15 said. “I usually paint my OPI has never used formalde- nails myself, and that means hyde in its products. the paint is more likely to get However, some other chipped, meaning I only wear it brands that claim to be non- for a couple days at most. Also, toxic cannot necessarily be painting my nails well can be trusted. The Calia very frustrating and fornia Department time-consuming proof Toxic Substances cess, though that has Control tested 25 more to do with my different brands own lack of skill.” that claim to be In addition to just “toxic-free.”

The regular polish, if one study concluded chooses to go to a prothat many polishes fessional salon, there did in fact contain are “gel” options. Gel nathanson’s the toxic chemicals nail polish looks exeven if the labels Tess Kemper ’15 actly like regular polsaid they didn’t. ish but stays shiny and OPI nail polish, however, did clean for up to two weeks. not have any traceable levels According to Wellness Today of the “toxic trio,” according to Magazine, the polish contains the study. special polymers that harden “There is no punishment under a UV light. UV light can if manufacturers produce cause skin cancer if skin is expolishes with the toxic trio,” posed to it for too long.

HNSC committee member While the risk is small, it is Julia Liou told the Chronicle. recommended that sunscreen “It’s really been advocates who be applied to hands before gocreated the consumer driv- ing under the light, Dr. Chris en momentum for toxic trio Adigun, assistant professor of product awareness. There are dermatology at NYU Langone no penalties currently that Medical Center, told National hold manufacturers account- Public Radio. able for ensuring that their In addition to UV light, labels are truthful.” some gel polishes contain the Paula Lahera ’16, knows chemical butylated hydroxythat polishes have potentially anisole, which is also considharmful chemicals in them so, ered a cancer-causing agent. as a result, she doesn’t paint The harsh chemicals, more her nails often. toxic than in regular polish, “I know that nail polish are what allow them to stay on has some bad chemicals, so I the nail for such a long time. only get my nails done in the Acetone is needed to remove summer, partially because it’s the polish. As a result, “gels” sandal season and also because leave nails weak. the chemicals in the polish “After certain gels, [my aren’t that great for you,” La- nails] are more brittle, that’s hera said. why I don’t do it as often,” Some people don’t get their Kemper said. nails painted simply because it The benefit of a long lasttakes too much time. ing manicure and pedicure

Jan. 14, 2015

also means gels are more ex- foot massages,” Lahera said. pensive.

“I always feel so relaxed afterKemper, who usually wards.” spends $25 for a regular maniNail polish has continued cure, spends up to $40 for a to evolve, as now there is a similar gel procedure. polish being developed that “I only get [gel] when I can detect “date rape” drugs need to have my nails done for in drinks. Named “Undercover a long period of time because it Colors,” this polish was created lasts. Other than that, I don’t by four North Carolina State because it’s not that good for University students. Accordyour nails,” Kemper said. ing to the startup’s Facebook Even though gels can harm page, the nail polish is still in nails, they are still in demand. the testing phase, but when “Gels have reinvigorat- it’s ready, wearers will need ed the salon business,” Fis- only to dip a painted nail into chmann said, because they a drink, and if the nail polcost about 10 percent more. ish changes color that means Chemicals in polishes there is a date rape drug presaren’t the only concerns. ent.

There is a Regardrisk of conless of colors tacting a foot and functions I know that nail fungus, warts of the nail poland other inish, getting nail polish has some bad fections, acdesigns, such chemicals, so I only cording to as painted on the Occupaflowers, are get my nails done in tional Safety popular, albeit the summer, partially and Health expensive, ways because it’s sandal Administrato personalize tion.

Salon and decorate season.” workers are nails. required to “If it’s for —Paula Lahera ‘16 wear gloves a special occaand wash all sion or holiday tubs and tools that have been , I will get a design, but other in contact with salon patrons’ than that, I stay with pretty feet and hands. The Califor- neutral colors like pink, white nia Board of Barbering and and red,” Kemper said.

Cosmetology prohibits salon Jazmin Piche ’15 paints workers from serving clients her own designs in her free with open blisters or wounds. time. She paints her own, her These measures significantly friends’ and her mom’s nails. reduce the likelihood of con“Since I’ll have more free tracting illnesses. Some salons time in second semester, I’ll be have bought special plastic lin- able to explore new designs,” ers for foot wash bins that are Piche said. “Right now I focus thrown away after each use, on single colors, or two colors which also reduces the possi- alternating each nail, or one bility of infections. solid color with a dot in the Despite the risks, students middle of another color. I hope say the benefits of manicures to do more detailed designs and pedicures include hand like small pictures, newspaper and foot massages. print, and stars, moons and “While I go to nail salons suns. I’ll probably use Youto get my nails painted, I re- Tube videos to see how to do ally like the added hand and my nails.”

“

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JACOB GOODMAN

Jan. 14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/features

Features B3

Crash Course Studies show that 16- and 17-year-old drivers are nine times more likely than others to be involved in traffic accidents, the leading cause of teen death and injury.

By Angela Chon

PHOTO

ILLUST

RATIO

N BY S HARO

N CHO W

AND L EILY

ARZY

of safety guidelines. Although the accident with a driver that was not WebMD, an overall rate of fatal crashes of driv- legally allowed to drive others yet. online medical Glass was shattered every- ers age 15 to 20 decreased 46 perIn California, minors have to magazine. where, the left airbag went off and cent from 2003 to 2012, according to have their license for a year before Adrianne realized her Mazda 3 Hatchback door was a study by the Insurance Informa- driving any passengers under 20 how dangerous driving can crumpled. As Sloane Chmara tion Institute, car acci- years old, and during this first year, be, “especially illegally.” ’15 reevaluated what had just dents are still prevalent they can’t drive between the hours “Just because you don’t expect happened, she could already among teens. of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. it, you think that you will be safe,” feel a tightening in her neck “I took about a week According to the Automobile Adrianne said. “But that doesn’t and shoulders, growing effects off [of cheer] because I Club of Southern California, Cali- mean you will be 100 percent safe of whiplash. really wasn’t feeling well fornia’s laws enforcing additional if you get in a car with someone. I Car accidents are a leading and I had a constant training for teenage drivers have drive every day to school, but for the cause of injuries and deaths of headache the week af- been so effective that deaths and in- first few days after getting my liteenagers, especially between ter,” Chmara said. juries of 16-year-old drivers dropped cense, I was very afraid to drive and the ages of 16-19. According Adrianne* ’16 was 34 percent in Los Angeles County after a couple minutes, my hands nathanson’s to the Insurance Institute for getting dinner with her the year after driving laws were would get sweaty because I would Sloane Highway Safety 2012 Teen friends at the beach and tightened. However, students con- be so scared.”

Chmara ’15 Fatality Facts, teen drivers was a passenger while tinue to break these driving laws, Both long-term and short-term between these ages are three driving on the Pacific putting themselves and students post-accident stress can also be a times as likely to be involved in car Coast Highway. like Adrianne at risk. side effect of car accidents. accidents than drivers who are 20 “It’s known not to be a safe road According to the California De“It made me realize that bad years or older. because a lot of car partment of Mo- things like car accidents actually One study showed that 16- and accidents happen tor Vehicles, for happen,” Sheila* ’16 said. “And that 17-year-old drivers are nine times on PCH,” Adrianne teen drivers, alco- they are actually not rare. It’s hard more likely to be in a car accident. said. “We were hol and drug use, to put a name on reasons why this I had reconsructive “I was at an intersection on a turning by Pepnight driving and kind of thing could happen other surgery to fix some of the residential street and there wasn’t perdine University driving peers as than bad timing. If I had left earnerves and muscles on my a stop sign or anything, and so I [and] a car sped passengers all in- lier, if I had hit a red light on the slowed down and put on my left up and hit us… crease the risk of way, but none of that happened. I face .... Just because you blinker to make a U-turn,” Chmara The part that was accidents and fatal think about it all the time and what don’t expect it, you think said. “There was an Escalade behind the weirdest was accidents.

I could have done differently.” me, and as I went to turn, he kept [that] we didn’t In Chmara and Car accidents among teen drivthat you will be safe.” coming from behind me, and he expect anything Adrianne’s cases, ers have also been frequent in —Adrianne* ’16 both driver and smaller scales, especially on campus basically smashed into my driver’s bad to happen to side.” us — we just never passenger learned in the student parking lots.

Although Chmara was not se- saw it coming.” from their accidents.

“I have had someone hit the side verely injured, the driver’s side winAs a result of the accident, Adri“I learned that you of my car,” Justine Chen ’16 dow was shattered and the driver’s anne’s friend was airlifted to a near- always have to be susaid. “But it only left a small door was crushed near her left by hospital, and both Adrianne and per careful and aware paint scratch. The spots are knee. The accident occurred while the driver were taken to the UCLA of the other drivers really small so sometimes I get Chmara was on her way to cheer at hospital by ambulance. around you,” Chmara worried that the people parked the Homecoming football game, and “I had reconstructive surgery to said. “I realized that next to me will accidentally hit she was able to meet with the train- fix some of the nerves and muscles cars are just material my car with their door.” ers on campus. on my face,” Adrianne said. “My things that can always Mollie Berger ’16 carpools “I think I had a minor concus- friend [had] a few bruises and cuts be replaced, but safety with her senior brother and sion from the whiplash,” Chmara and scrapes.” is always the top prishares a spot in the senior lot, said. “[The other driver] was totally Some of Adrianne’s injuries have ority.” where parking “spots are really nathanson’s fine. His car was dented obviously, persisted.

Richard Mayou, a small.”

Justine but it didn’t have major damage, “I was diagnosed with a vestibu- professor of psychia“It’s hard to make some of Chen ’16 and mine was totaled.” lar disorder,” Adrianne said. “My in- try at the University the turns sometimes,” Berger Chmara had had her license for ner ears and my brain aren’t linked of Oxford’s department of psychia- said. “Someone hit my car while a year and a half. up very well, and so I still have try at Warneford Hospital, found it was parked, [but] the damage Student drivers that have had a problems balancing and going on that even when the physical conse- wasn’t too bad. But even if you have license for less than a year are even amusement park rides. I still have quences of accidents may be minor, a bigger spot like we do, you can still more prone to accidents. to check in with the doctors every one-third of non-fatal accidents can get hit really easily. You just have to According to the California now and then. I had to do a lot of cause long-lasting “post-traumatic be ok with the fact that it might DMV, novice drivers lack hazard CT scans after a major concussion.” stress disorder, persistent anxiety, happen.” detection, have low risk percepAdrianne and her friend had depression and phobias” even a year tion and lack skill and knowledge been passengers in their first car after the accident, according to *Names have been changed

“

B4 Features

The Chronicle

Jan. 14, 2015

Weathering the Storms

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SACHA LIN AND VIVIAN LIN

After spending years in Los Angeles sunshine, alumni have to adjust to the colder climates of their new colleges and universities.

By Jessica Spitz

Coast than it is for her. Her roommate is from New York, As Matt Karo ’14 prepared so the chilly climate rarely surto leave his dorm room at Co- prises her, she said. lumbia University for baseball “She thinks it’s funny that practice, he and his teammates I have so many different coats, received an e-mail from their and she just has this one that coach notifying them that prac- she wears every day,” Wilson tice was canceled. The 20-de- said. “She’ll look out the wingree weather and fierce dow and I’ll look winds of mid-November out the window, and in New York City had she’ll say ‘oh yeah, forced the players to reit’ll probably be cold main indoors. out today,’ and she “I’ve never had that always knows exacthappen before,” Karo ly how cold it’s going said. to be and can tell Karo, like many othwhat kind of jacket er Harvard-Westlake she’s going to need nathanson’s alumni, has had to adjust to wear and what Sophie to much colder weather clothes she needs Sunkin ’14 in college than he was to wear. And someused to while growing up times I’ll go out to in sunny Los Angeles. Playing my morning classes and come baseball and therefore spending back and shed my scarf or add a lot of time outside has proved a beanie depending on how cold to be more difficult than he ex- it actually is.” pected.

University of Michigan “Of the top 10 coldest times freshman Sophie Sunkin I’ve ever played baseball, I think ’14 agrees that handling the nine of them have been this weather is easier for her friends fall,” he said. that are not from Los Angeles.

In order to handle the However, it is still difficult for harsher climate, Karo has had East Coast students to live in to change from a practice uni- the “different kind of cold” of form of only shorts and a T- Michigan. shirt to tights, sweatpants, a “The worst was the wind, I thermal compression shirt and would say,” she said. “Because a windbreaker. you can layer up and stuff Kacey Wilson ’13, a sopho- when it’s just cold, but when more at Sarah Lawrence Col- it’s windy, your face gets so cold lege in Bronxville, N.Y., has also and so does your nose, and you struggled to acclimate to an ex- start tearing.” treme change in temperature.

Although the harsh weath“What I wasn’t used to er often prevents Sunkin from when I came to New York was leaving her dorm, this can also the amount of days you could go be a benefit, she said. without actually seeing or feel“Sometimes it’s good being the sun,” she said. cause if you have a lot of work, Wilson also said that deal- and it’s not nice outside, it ing with the cold is much easier forces you to do your work, it for her friends from the East forces you to stay inside,” she

said. “But it’s kind of annoying life. because you don’t want to leave “The weather is just someyour dorm. I’ve become really thing you don’t have to worry close with the people in my about when you live in LA,” he dorm, but it’s kind of annoying said. “You know that it’s always when you want to go to some- going to be something that’s one else’s dorm, but it’s just a constant and that doesn’t affect hassle.” your mood or your environThe weather can also make ment. And the coldest it gets it more challenging and uncom- is, like, 60 degrees, so at the fortable for students to walk end of the day, you do just get across such a large campus. to do whatever you want to do Sunkin knows students who and weather’s not going to afuse the car service Uber to get fect you, as opposed to if you go from class to class, she said. to Michigan, where you can’t “What’s normally a 10-min- go outside when it’s too cold, ute walk, I know people that you’re very restricted. But at will just Uber there,” Sunkin USC you get to go about your said. “I’ve done it at night, but life the entirety of the year.”

I don’t really do it to class or Although the weather has anything like that. I’m pretty had a significant impact on centralized, but I know people their college experiences, all of who live far away who do it all the students agree that it was the time.” not a huge factor when deciding Wilson’s new where they environment has wanted to atmade her appretend college.

What I wasn’t used ciate Los Ange“I was to when I came to New les weather much kind of in more than she denial about York was the amount of used to, she said. days you could go without [the weather] “Me and my before I came actually seeing or feeling roommate got and just kind home for winter of got thrown the sun.” break last year and into it,” Sunk—Kacey Wilson ’13 in said. “But we were hanging out, and we were honestly, I about to leave, don’t think it and she was like ‘oh wait am I should be [an important facgonna need a jacket?’” Wilson tor]. Yes, there are some times said. “And we both looked at when it’s like ‘what am I doing each other and started laugh- here? I should be back in LA.’ ing because we were like ‘no But I’m glad I didn’t not come you would never need a jacket here for that reason.’ in LA.’ Especially after coming The students also agree that from winter in New York.” living in colder environments Daniel Davila ’14, a fresh- gets somewhat easier over time. man at the University of “I’ve gotten used to 40, Southern California’s Thornton where I was wearing shorts in School of Music, is grateful for 60-degree weather,” Karo said. the weather that he has been “But 20 to 30, I don’t think you accustomed to for most of his ever get used to it.”

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Jan. 14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/features

Features B5

Easy Way Out Rather than completing homework, students sometimes write fake answers, use supplemental readings such as SparkNotes, copy homework answers or don’t do it at all.

By Benjamin Most

doesn’t connect for me, so in order to do well, since I don’t have time or Tim* ’16, doing homework to keep rereading because it’s so for his Introduction to Cal- dense, I have to use SparkNotes.” culus Honors class has little Tim is not the only student to do with answering math prob- who deals with homework by taklems. In fact, for most problems, ing shortcuts or not doing assignhe never even reaches a solution. ments entirely.

“As long as you have stuff on In his sophomore year, Jack* the page, you get checked off,” Tim ’16 read his history homework dilsaid. igently every day.

Toward the beginning of the As a junior, he often skips the year, Tim figured out that his AP U.S. History reading entirely homework grade was more de- and has rarely read the supplependent on the mentary books by amount of writhistorians Howard ing on the page Zinn and Richard You have to think than on actual Hofstadter. of what you might miss if work.

Pres“A lot of the sured by hometime, when there’s you were never to read a work from other a big thing in Zinn great work of literature.” classes, Tim or Hofstadter, I’ll developed his do the hub readings —Larry Weber and just glance at current method of doing math English Department Head the Zinn, because I homework. have physics home“Usually, I’ll work to do that’s do the beginning graded and really of the problem and never finish matters,” Jack said. “I don’t think it, because that’s more writing on [history homework] matters, conthe page,” Tim said. “I don’t think sidering that we go over the readit has a huge impact, and I have ing in class anyway.” more important homework, like History teacher Eric Zwehistory reading.” mer does not think that students However, even his new method should treat all assigned readings of completing homework was not with the same load of detail. enough to get him through his “Different kinds of reading asheavy workload. Tim was having signments should be read differdifficulty with “The Great Gats- ently,” Zwemer said. by,” the book he was reading for However, he encourages stuEnglish class. He soon saw that dents to read the textbook every he would need more time in order night to better understand mateto perform better in English III rial.

Honors, and needed an alternative “In class, if you haven’t done method of reading English assign- the reading, then you’re coming in ments. cold, and whatever is said in that Tim had not used SparkNotes, class is all you’re going to get,” an online resource that provides Zwemer said. information about classic literaChris Darden ’16 said that he ture texts for students. However, almost never looks at the answers now Tim plans to use SparkNotes to problems before doing math to prepare for his next reading homework, but at times he thinks quiz. that the homework won’t help him “I just don’t remember any learn. of the characters in ‘Gatsby’ or “The best way to learn the mawhat happens,” Tim said. “There’s terial is to cement it in your brain, something about the book that just but when it’s two in the morning

F

“

and you still have math home- through practice,” Wilairat said. work, no matter what you do, “So while copying a translation you’re still not going to remember from online may give you someit,” Darden said. thing to present for the homeIn English classes, some stu- work check, it accomplishes abdents use resources such as solutely nothing in terms of your SparkNotes or “nibble more long-term goal of becoming better around the edges” of their reading at Latin.” assignments, English Department Similar methods of taking Head Larry Weber said. homework shortcuts are also used Weber said that most students in non-core classes such as comseem to read assignments thor- puter science. In some computer oughly. science classes, for example, stuHowever, the number of stu- dents are required to submit code dents who reference SparkNotes online, and many copy others’ and similar literary guides is code or even share their solutions “more than we like to think,” We- on social media sites. ber said, and there is no substitute Sam* ’17 uses other students’ to carefully reading. code for computer science labs be“You have to think of what you cause he feels that he needs the might miss if you were never to time he could spend writing code read a great work of literature,” to study for other subjects.

Weber said. “The actual works, “Computer science is in that if you read a humble variety of prime spot before history and them, invite you to build a knowl- math, so I often have to study for edge base of what it can mean to those classes in computer science, live a human life. SparkNotes ver- and I might not have time to do sions seem empty alternatives.” the labs,” Sam said.

Some foreign language stuAlthough students find homedents also find ways to lighten work shortcuts in a variety of their homework load in language classes, some believe that shortclasses. cuts make learning the material Latin teacher Derek difficult. Ethan Gruman Wilairat said homework ’15 said that, although is crucial to developing his physics teacher gives key translation techstudents homework soniques in a foreign lanlutions, he very rarely guage. looks at the solutions “In learning any lanbefore he works on the guage, I feel that there’s problem. a lot of vocabulary to “I always try to solve learn,” Wilairat said. a problem on my own nathanson’s “There’s grammar. All before seeking help,” Eric Zwemer these things take pracGruman said. “I find dotice. Homework is a way ing the homework thorfor students to get key practice oughly without help first is helplearning vocabulary, building their ful, so you get more practice and skills, improving their translation so you understand what you don’t skills in the case of Latin.” get right away so you can work on However, Wilairat believes it.” that many students copy transUltimately, however, Tim is lations from the Internet or fake satisfied with taking shortcuts annotations for homework checks. that, in his opinion, are necessary “In Latin, the key thing is to for him to achieve the grades he build your vocabulary, build your wants. skills and become a better translator, and the way to do that is *Names have been changed

ILLUSTRATION BY VIVIAN LIN

The Chronicle

B6 Features

Talking It Over

By Leily Arzy

C

amden* ’15 walks over to the brown couch and sits blankly for about a minute. He observes the scenic paintings on the walls and takes note of the five tissue boxes dispersed around the room. The silence is not awkward but instead a comforting stillness. Camden engages in small talk with the kind, wiry man with glasses who finally asks, “What’s on your mind?” Instantly, two or three thoughts come to the surface, and Camden’s one-hour psychiatry session begins.

When he was 14, Camden told his parents that it was hard for him to concentrate and that learning seemed more difficult for him than for his classmates. They decided he should see his mother’s therapist to address his concentration issues, but eventually, these sessions became a place for him to discuss his depression.

A year later, Camden and his family decided to switch to his current psychiatrist, the kind, wiry man in glasses, who would be able to prescribe antidepressants. Another reason for the change was that his first therapist tried to condense everything that he was feeling into one diagnosis without addressing his issues in depth, Camden said.

“It was obvious that he was trying to find one reason that was causing my problems, which had not even been fully explored through therapy,” Camden said.

Furthermore, the therapist also saw Camden’s mother, which made him hesitant to bring up family issues for fear of not being in an impartial environment.

“I believe that the most

helpful thing is to have a peris no stigma around seeing a son that is neutral, someone therapist, but there might be who is not a teacher and not one around the idea of mena parent and sees just you,” tal illness and being diagnosed school counselor Luba Bek with depression, bipolar dissaid. “You can have a relationorder or schizophrenia. He ship as you the person, not you believes that if his particular the student, you the athlete, diagnoses were known, others you as the good boy, as the would look at him differently. good or bad son, not you who “I am not a fan of the term doesn’t live up to the expec‘mental illness’,” Bek said. tations of the older siblings. “‘Mental illness’ is too big of Everybody needs this neutral a term to be thrown around. person who is ready to listen I believe people go to therapy and ready to brainbecause people have storm.” psychologiWithin cal issues, a the first day psychologi“Mental illness is too big of meeting cal disorder. of a term to be thrown his psyAnxiety and around. I believe people chiatrist, depression go to therapy because Camden is not stigwas diagmatized people have psychological nosed with like bipolar issues.” depression, disorder or

—Luba Bek including major learndepersoning disabiliSchool Counselor alization as ties.” a symptom.

In a typical According week, Bek sees to the Diagabout seven stunostic and Stadents for counseling tistical Manual for varied reasons. Anxiety is of Mental Disthe most common reason that orders, depersonalization is students come to her when an individual has expeoffice, she said. riences of unreality, detach“Because you guys ment or being an outside obare stressed and you server with respect to one’s have such high exthoughts, feelings, sensations, pectations, you take body or actions. This includes a problem that is an a distorted sense of time, uneveryday hassle and real sense of self and emotionmake it feel like it is al or physical numbing. a catastrophe,” she Soon after, he was diagsaid. “Somebody has nosed with anxiety and a to bring you down non-verbal learning disorder. and say, ‘Nope, getCurrently, Camden’s psychiating a B- on your test trist prescribes Risperdal for is not the most horhim, an atypical neuroleptic rible thing that can medication often used to treat happen to you.’” schizophrenia.

Penelope* ’16 beCamden is very careful gan seeing a psychiawhen it comes to sharing this trist at the beginning information. He believes that of her junior year beat Harvard-Westlake there cause she has perfor-

Jan. 1

Therapists help students deal with concentration, stress and emotional trauma, offering an objective perspective. mance anxiety.

“I get really nervous singing alone on stage,” she said.

“It was hindering what I could and couldn’t do. It bothered me that there are things that other people could do, like auditioning for solos, and I was just too nervous to try.”

Talking over this issue has made performing a less crippling experience, but Penelope still feels nervous, she said.

Bek believes that the general anxiety among students is caused by a combination of pressures from parents, the demands of society and expectations of the individual student. She thinks that HarvardWestlake is viewed as a tool to get into college, and that it is mostly the family, however loving and supportive, wanting their children to be successful that creates this stress. This pressure, compounded by the difficulty of getting into college, is what causes extreme stress, she said.

Adele* ’15, who began attending therapy and psychiatry sessions last year, believes that the environment at Har-

vard-Westlake puts a lot of pressure on students to be a certain kind of person.

“I don’t think that this [pressure] comes from the actual school, but from our peers who are constantly trying to be the best they can be, which is great but at the same time, is putting pressure on other people to do the same,” Adele said.

She said that she does not see herself as the typical Harvard-Westlake student who is “hyperactive, anxious and panicky.”

“I really don’t like this school [environment] but also, this is high school and high school is going to be hard everywhere,” she said.

Adele began seeking outside help after experiencing issues of trust and betrayal with two people very close to her. She had reached a very dark place where she would have panic attacks at points throughout the day and be unable to breathe, she said. Her parents were the ones that suggested she try therapy, which she did willingly.

Therapy by the Numbers 32%

68%

32% of students have attended a therapy session.

35%

65%

35% of students who have attended therapy sessions visit a therapist regularly.

14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/features

Features B7

illustration by vivian lin

For a period of time during ing supportive through normal the summer, she stopped see- daily issues, but my therapist ing her therapist. It was dur- gives me advice from a coming this break that her parents pletely third-party objective,” decided to get a divorce, which she said.

Camden also turns to his then triggered the same cycle of panic attacks and depres- friends when he needs somesion. Soon afterward, Adele one to talk to, but he attends therapy because he apprecidecided to return to therapy. ates the insight of a Both her theraprofessional, he said. pist and psychia“Friends may tell trist have introme that they love me, duced the idea of but my therapist won’t her going on antido that,” Camden said. depressants, which “Therapists are reflecwill help her anxitive, understanding and ety and depression, thinking things through, Adele said. but friends are there for “Sometimes nathanson’s immediate support and I leave therapy James Young consolation. Peer Supthinking that my port bridges the gap belife sucks, but that is not because of the therapist, tween friends and therapists.”

He believes that Peer Supbut because I am realizing new things about myself,” Adele port is an environment where students learn to reflect in the said.

In therapy, Adele said she manner of a therapist. Camis working on how to stop im- den said that he finds it helpmediately surrendering in ful to have other people his age situations of conflict because reflect on and be aware of his she has trouble expressing her experiences.

Adele, on the other hand, feelings in a way that she bebelieves that Peer Support is lieves will be understood.

Adele finds solace in having not as confidential as it should two people, her therapist and be.

“I am not comfortable with psychiatrist, whom she trusts and who know her very well, giving very personal details to a group of strangers who also she said.

“My friends do a good job go to my school,” she said. “I of checking up on me and be- don’t think the system works

very well.”

Bek, who coordinates Peer Support, agrees with Camden and thinks that the organization is an excellent tool to deal with everyday issues. When there are breaches of confidentiality, they are dealt with very harshly, she said.

“The beauty of [HarvardWestlake’s] counseling program is that we have options,” she said.

Students can come to see her, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Kavita Ajmere, Chaplain J. Young or Assistant to the Head of Upper School Michelle Bracken, Bek said.

“Out of the four of us, there is someone the kid will be comfortable with,” Bek said.

When counseling a student, Bek is very transparent, she said.

“I have never done anything behind a kid’s back,” Bek said. “When the kid is ready, we will call the parents and tell them that therapy would be the best option. More often than not, the parents will be receptive.”

If an issue is not serious enough to break confidentiality and tell the parents, Bek will continue to work with the student until he or she is ready to speak to his or her parents. If the issue is a severe one, Bek will tell the student Chronicle polled 450 students about therapy and that she plans to the social stigma with which it is associated. call the parents. A situation is considered severe when the student seeking counsel is harming himself or herself or others are harming the student seeking counsel. From there, the students have three options: the student can tell the parents on his or her own, and Bek will fol64% of students believe that go60% of students believe that low up, which is ing to therapy is stigmatized.

Peer Support is helpful for dealthe most popular ing with emotional issues. graphic by benjamin most choice; Bek and the

40%

60%

36%

64%

data from a jan.

10 chronicle poll

student can call the parent using drugs as well, he said. together; or Bek can call the “They tried to get more parents on her own and then out of me than they tried to relay all information back to help with anything,” Wyatt the student afterward. said. “I had to meet with difBek suggested that Wyatt* ferent people frequently, and ’15 go to therapy last year. He they constantly asked me who was never willing to approach I would do drugs with and his parents about therapy be- where I did these things. It cause at the time, his mother was really frustrating.” was opposed to the idea, he Young, who also counsels said. students, says depending on “She was just afraid to the situation, he may have consider that any one of her different goals when meeting kids may have probwith a student or lems,” he said. group of stuWyatt was dents. haunted by “ M a y the legacy of be we have “They tried to get more his successheard a ruout of me than they tried ful older sibmor where lings and felt a group of to help with anything. It like his life kids are inwas really frustrating.” was taking a volved in

—Wyatt ’15 completely X, Y and Z, different path and my goal, than theirs, therefore, is he said. to find out who To cope with the other people his personal and are because we are worfamily problems, ried about them,” Young said.

Wyatt turned to drugs as “I am usually very transparent a coping method. Use of mari- about that.” juana, Xanax and alcohol beForty percent of students came his method of avoiding that meet with him for counhis problems. seling have been asked to come After a negative experi- by a faculty member, Young ence with a family therapist to estimated. deal with his drug problems, “Once a week there is a he is not as willing to pursue deans meeting to talk about one-on-one therapy. He at- kids who may have some sort tributes this decision to the of issue,” he said. “The counfact that he is now in a better seling team [Ajmere, Bek and place and that his family ther- myself] as well as the deans apy experience was so terrible. and Head of Upper School AuThe therapist told him every- drius Barzdukas are present.” thing that he was doing wrong This meeting is where the instead of actually helping him group decides which member address his issues, he said. of the counseling team will During this time, the talk to which student. school got involved with his “If a teacher has noticed drug use and overall behav- that a kid is sad, that is usuior when two of his friends ally an easy conversation to approached members of the have and he or she is usually counseling team, insisting that receptive,” he said. “If it is they were concerned about something that feels more achim, Wyatt said. cusatory from the kid’s point He felt that during these of view, that is going to be less meetings with the counselors, likely to have a receptive outhe was being used to get more come.” information about other students who they believed to be *Names have been changed

B8 Features

The Chronicle

Not So Free

By Jake Saferstein

B

lake* ’16 spent his summer between ninth and 10th grade like many other students: working at a summer job. However, the money he earned for each scoop of ice cream he served went to paying a debt to his parents, one he owed after spending about $1,000 of their money in three months on the iPhone game Clash of Clans.

In Clash of Clans, users create their own bases and raid other bases with traps and soldiers, using resources gathered slowly through in-game mechanics or by spending real cash. By spending cash, users can easily obtain large numbers of resources, such as elixir and gold, and progress through the game more quickly.

Blake got so absorbed by the game that he started to lose track of how much money he was actually spending.

“I spent only a little in the beginning because it was a fun game, and I wanted to have a good castle,” Blake said. “It got to an absurd amount because my parents never confronted me about it initially, so I actually thought I wasn’t being charged.”

However, because he charged the cost to his parents’ debit card, they eventually got upset, and Blake had to contact iTunes to refund as much of his money as possible. He then had to work over the summer and sold various items of his to pay his parents back the rest. iTunes has since implemented features to reduce the number of users making in-app purchases without knowing.

This type of “freemium” game, where users can gather items slowly by playing and waiting long amounts of time for structures to build, or just simply purchase in-game currency or resources to progress instantly, has become quite common in the last few years.

At press time, eight of the ten top grossing apps on the app store

Some students who get caught up in playing free-to-download phone games end up spending up to $1,000 on in-app purchases.

were “freemium” games with in- mom took away the Xbox for a few app purchases, and according to days after that,” said Winston* ’16, a Chronicle poll of 412 students, who lost track of how much mon36 percent of students have spent ey he spent on NBA 2K over an money on in-game purchases.

18-month period.

In FIFA 15 Ultimate Team, Others are motivated to spend which is available on XBOX and money, not to just keep up with Playstation consoles in addition to their friends, but simply because on the iPhone, users own a team they enjoy the game. of players, represented by cards. “[FIFA]’s just a really fun game.

The game starts It’s all I play,” Ray users out with a Mueller ’17 said. “bronze” level team, “I’m very aware of the lowest tier of the money I spend I’m very aware of on it. My parents players. Users can then earn in-game made it very clear the money I spend on gold through winto me, asking, ‘You [in-game purchases]. ning games, and know what you’re My parents made it then buy players doing, right?’ But off the market, or very clear to me, asking, it’s fun, I have no respend cash on “card grets.”

‘You know what you’re packs” that drop While many higher-level “gold” would use their pardoing, right?’ But it’s or “in-form” cards ents’ credit cards, fun. I have no regrets.” (rare cards availsome students found able only for a week —Ray Mueller ’17 themselves spendafter the player ing their own money does well in real on these games. life) to improve their team.

“I mostly used gift cards,” WinThe publishers of both games ston said. “But it got to the point take advantage of players’ competi- where I would ask for gift cards, tive nature to increase purchases. and I would buy them with my own In FIFA, for example, if a player is money as well.” “in-form” for a second time, that The gift cards he bought were new card is better than the pre- for Microsoft Points, Microsoft’s vious, encouraging players who Xbox currency, which can then be aim for the best team to buy more used to purchase in-game items packs. such as packs.

“My competitiveness drives Even though they spent a lot of me,” said Michael Mapes ’16, who money, students still enjoyed it. has spent about $100 in FIFA 15.

“I didn’t regret much,” Win“My friends play, and I want to beat ston said. “It was the best use of them.” my gifts at the time. Eventually I Games such as FIFA and NBA just stopped playing those types of 2K15’s version of ultimate team, games and moved on to other stuff.”

MyTeam incentivize users to buy However, others feel bad about by making the packs random. the amount they spent and how Sometimes players can get very they spent it. rare and valuable cards that are “It was not worth it in the worth more and encourage more slightest,” Blake said. “I regret purchases. spending any money at all because “When I got Michael Jordan in it wasn’t my money, and it was a MyTeam on 2K, I was so excited silly iPhone game.” that I woke my brother up with Measures can be taken by users all the noise I was making, and my and parents to help prevent spend-

“

Jan. 14, 2015

ing on in-game purchases. Parents can use restriction settings to disable in-app purchases, require an account password for every purchase and limit children’s spending abilities.

These features were implemented when iOS 4.3 was released in 2011, but after a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission last January, Apple has tried to make users more aware. The settlement, according to the FTC, required Apple to refund $32.5 million to customers, especially children, who were unaware they had been spending money on in-app purchases.

The main complaint was that Apple by default allowed users to make purchases for 15 minutes after first entering their password.

Apple, in response, implemented a warning in iOS 7.1 to users after every purchase about this grace period, and explaining how to disable this feature.

Apple has tried to raise awareness by stating on the app-store page if apps include in-app purchases. They also are going along with a European Commission decision that Google could not label apps that offer in-app purchases as “free” in Europe, and have relabeled the button to download free apps with “GET” instead of “FREE.” Additionally, all apps that offer progression through in-app purchases have a first time startup warning about the in-app purchases.

Both Xbox and PlayStation also support parental controls, which can disable purchasing power on accounts.

Some students are able to get by without spending any money.

“It’s a terrible business model that screws people over who don’t want to spend tons of money,” said Ben Goldstein ’15, who has spent almost no money on any in-game purchase. *Names have been changed

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SU JIN NAM AND VIVIAN LIN

B9 Features

The Chronicle

highstakes

The Athlete

nd

rou All A The

The

st

Arti

Jan. 14, 2015

The B rain

ILLUSTRATION BY VIVIAN LIN

Closing In

By Carly Berger The All-Around: Walter* was accepted to Indiana University and Tulane University after applying to both schools Early Action, and he was deferred from both the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin.

“I feel fine about getting deferred,” Walter said. “If I hadn’t gotten in to two schools already, I probably would feel differently, but since that’s not the case, I feel pretty confident.”

Walter is very happy about his two acceptances and says that he would definitely consider going to those schools.

Walter is still waiting to hear from the Univesity of California schools, University of Southern California, Emory University and Tufts University.

His top two choices are Emory University and Tufts University because he likes a smaller-sized school.

“I worked a little bit on those applications during the first week of break because that was when I was home,” Walter said. “I started a few of them before, so I wasn’t starting from scratch and was able to work more efficiently.”

Walter possibly wants to play football at a Division III school like Tufts, but he said that sports in college are not really important to him, and it isn’t really on his mind.

Overall, Walter is enjoying his senior year.

“Nothing seems too hectic right

Seniors learn the outcomes after submitting their Early Action and Early Decision applications. While some students’ futures are set, other students’ are still up in the air. now, and it kind of bodes well for next semester,” Walter said.

The Artist: Blair* still does not have a first choice school, but over the past month she began to think a lot more about financing her education.

“A lot has changed, because a lot of other factors have come in to play, because overseas schools are cheaper, but they aren’t as easy to get in to,” Blair said.

Blair realized that going to a school overseas is at least $20,000 per year cheaper.

Blair has narrowed her favorite schools to the Theater School at DePaul University, The Royal Conservatory of Scotland, and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

“I just like the idea of Scotland,” Blair said. “LIPA is a really good school for me because I like how they like to interweave cultures, and I would like to work in the United Kingdom someday, and I would like an easy way to do that.”

Blair does not know whether she prefers an American school to one overseas, and believes there are pros and cons to both.

“Will you work after you graduate from school in the United Kingdom?”

Blair said. “Being an American citizen you don’t really know, but that’s a risk that I’m willing to take. In the United States, I know I will get work.”

Blair also wants to be close to her boyfriend from Ireland, who is apply-

ing to schools both in the United States and overseas.

“Hopefully I will be able to get in to schools near him as well, because that is another big factor,” Blair said.

With auditions coming up this month, Blair is performing her monologues for practically anybody who will listen, she said.

“I’m a little nervous, but I am really, really, really excited to perform,” Blair said.

The Athlete: Summer* was accepted to Oberlin College after applying there Early Decision and plans to run track there.

“There was a whole decision on whether to wait later on for offers after the season, and I just decided to apply Early Decision to Oberlin instead,” Summer said. “The coach said he was definitely going to help me out there, so I decided to do it.”

Summer is very relieved to be done but also thinks it is a little strange that the college process is already over.

“I’ve been working up to this moment, and I feel like especially this first semester, I have been trying to get back on track with grades,” Summer said. “But now that everything is done, I feel weird coming out of that, and not having to try to go to the library and finish all of my work.”

Summer’s parents were also very excited about her acceptance, especially since she quickly ended the college process.

“My mom was like, done!” Summer

said.

Summer is so excited to start college next fall that she has already begun planning her dorm room.

“My friend and I have been going to school together since third grade, and she is going there too, so I am very happy about that as well,” Summer said.

The Brain: Seth* was rejected from his Early Decision school, Duke University and was deferred from the University of Michigan.

“Neither one was what I was hoping for, so now I applied to 10 schools regular,” Seth said.

Seth is applying regular decision to Cornell University, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins and a few other schools. Seth’s top choices are Carnegie Mellon and Johns Hopkins.

“I’m not really sure if I want to do medicine, or computer science, or business, or something else yet, but those are my three passions right now, and those are schools that I can do all of them and try them out,” Seth said.

Seth spent a lot of his break working on applications for those schools but submitted them a few days before deadline.

“It was a lot of work until I finished, but it wasn’t super horrible, I just didn’t really get a break,” Seth said. *Names have been changed

Arts&Entertainment Student Rwanda film The Chronicle • Jan. 14, 2014

wins award at Malibu Teen Film Festival

By William Park

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF GETTY IMAGES

Gyllenhaal ’95 receives Golden Globe

STAY GOLDEN: Maggie Gyllenhaal ’95 won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Movie or miniseries for her role as Nessa Stein in the TV miniseries, “The Honourable Woman” Jan. 11.

This was Gyllenhaal’s first Golden Globe award and fourth nomination.

The student documentary “The Rhythm of Healing” won one of three awards given after being displayed at the Malibu Teen Film Festival Jan. 9.

“The Rhythm of Healing” was directed by Imani CookGist ’15 and edited by Danielle Stolz ’15.

The film is based on the Investigative Journalism Adventure to Rwanda trip last spring. The film explores the significance of music and the healing power it has in Rwanda.

“Curt Lowens: A Life of Changes,” a film made by Visual Arts Department Head Cheri Gaulke’s Righteous Conversations students also won one of the awards.

Located at the Malibu Civic Theater, the event showcased 27 films, 15 made by HarvardWestlake students.

The films included numerous topics such as public service announcements, poetry videos, documentaries and narratives.

“I think it’s really impressive,” Gaulke said. “It shows the quality of our work and the diversity of our work. We do so many different kinds of things from the Rwanda documentaries to domestic violence PSAs to Righteous Conversations PSAs.” The judges were Michael Ferris, writer of “Terminator 3,” Joshua Malina, actor in “The West Wing,” and Skip Chaisson, producer of “Unstoppable.”

Pan African Film Festival to show 8 student films shot in Rwanda

By Sammi Handler

“I’m really thrilled and promote understanding and proud [of the students],” said communication between culEight films made by stu- Cheri Gaulke, Visual Arts De- tures through film and art. dents who went on the Rwan- partment Head, who led the Students wrote and edda trip last trip. “A lot of ited their films, and Gaulke year will pretimes when I and videographer Jeff Mamiere at the They’re all about send out our cIntyre did most of the filmPan African films from ing, Gaulke said. To conduct the Rwanda genocide, Film Festival these trips, like interviews, students wrote but each student found the Laos trip down questions and gave them Los Angeles at Rave Cinemas and the Rwan- to a translator. It is illegal in a very unique angle on 15 Baldwin da trip, I think, Rwanda to talk about groups that story.”

Hills Crenshaw ‘well how many involved in the genocide, the Plaza Feb. 5-16. films are they Hutu and the Tutsi, so stu—Cheri Gaulke The festival going to pick dents had to wait for the their has set aside a by students on interviewees to mention the screening room the same sub- topic themselves. specifically for the films “Just ject?’ But, I think the fact that Calvert’s film is about how One Story” by Su Jin Nam ’16, [the PAFF] picked so the Rwandan govern“For the Love of the Game” by many is a testament ment intentionally Chris Headley ’16 and former to the way in which sent men infected student Jacob Klein, “Children the students told very with HIV to rape of the Genocide” by Nina Mil- different kinds of stowomen during the ligan ’16, “Cut the Tall Trees: ries. They’re all about Rwandan genocide.

The Killing Power of Words” the Rwandan geno“I hope people will

by Noah Bennett ’15 and Max cide, but each student see [after viewing her Cho ’15, “I am Kizito” by Mike found a very unique film] that weapons Mapes ‘16, “Reweaving: Rwan- angle on that story.” are not just guns and nathanson’s da after Rape” by Katherine According to its machetes, and that Katherine Calvert ‘15, “The Kindness of website, the PAFF the effects go much Calvert ’15 Strangers” by Cole Kawana ’16 was founded to be a deeper than the and “The Rhythm of Healing” place for filmmakers, wounds we can see on

by Imani Cook-Gist ’15. photographers and artists to the surface,” Calvert said.

“

Acting students perform sonnets, monologues in winter showcase

By Alyson Lo

dent’s acting overall.

This semester, actors and Performing arts teacher actresses chose their own Christopher Moore’s “Ac- Shakespeare sonnet to work tor and His Stage” on and perform for class performed the showcase.

Shakespeare sonnets Moore chose an and monologues in additional comical a showcase perforor serious monomance Jan. 12. logue for the student “Actor and His to perform dependStage” is the begining on the student’s ning level acting class strengths and weakat the Upper School, nesses. nathanson’s where students work “The Showcase is Erick on building their imessentially their class Gredonia ’17 provisation, storytellfinal, but we like to ing and other skills think of it as just the that help to better the stu- fun icing on the cake we have

been baking all semester,” said Moore. “I assign them either a serious or comedic contemporary monologue that is as close to age-appropriate as possible … They can use these monologues as audition pieces for the next several years.”

“When I’m in that class, I feel like I can do anything,” Erick Gredonia ’17 said. “Everyone is so much fun and energetic and very acceptable.

Acting has to be my favorite class because not only am I growing as an actor, I’m growing as a learner watching my peers and sharing this beneficial experience.”

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF CHERI GAULKE

JUMPING FOR JOY: Imani Cook-Gist ’15 dances in a studentmade film, “The Rhythm of Healing.” The film won an award at the Malibu Film Festival after being screened there.

‘As You Like It’ tickets for Feb. 5-7 show on sale

By Nick Settelmayer

stories.”

The students are taking Tickets for performances of a new approach to the play. the upper school production Four cast members, Claire of William Shakespeare’s “As Nordstrom ’15, Dora Palmer You Like It” went on sale Jan. ’15, Henry Platt ’17 and Dylan 5. The play will take place Feb. Schiffrin ’16, have created 5-7 in Rugby Auditorium. melodies to accompany Shake“We haven’t done a Shake- speare’s lyrics, which will be speare play performed live at the Upper during the School in about show. seven or eight M o o r e I love the years,” said started castupper school moments when we ing for “As You p e r f o r m i n g are able to touch the Like It” before arts teacher the previous audience’s hearts. and play direcmusical, “Comtor Christo- Let them see a little pany,” had endpher Moore. “I of themselves in the ed. Rehearsals thought it was for the play time to tackle characters and stories.” began two days one, and ‘As the musi—Christopher Moore after You Like It’ is cal closed. such a fun and The whole relatable story cast rehearses for both our students and our Monday through Thursday audience.” after school and on Sundays Moore said that he thinks from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Shakespeare’s stories are “Every rehearsal is excittimeless. ing,” Moore said. “Because we “I love the moments when are setting the play in a difwe are able to touch the au- ferent time, a different world, dience’s hearts,” Moore said. each rehearsal is filled with “Let them see a little of them- discovery of character, story, selves in the characters and and relationships.”

“

Jan. 14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/features

Features B11

Orchestra, choirs to perform joint concert

By Hannah Cho

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF CHRISTOPHER MOORE

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Teddy Leinbach ‘15, Cate Wolfen ’17, Dora Palmer ’15, Henry Platt ’17 and Calyx Liu ’17 sing a version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” during their performance at the Ronald McDonald House.

Outreach Performers give holiday performances

By Sacha Lin

children at the Ronald McDonald House.

The HarvardThey performed Westlake Outreach “A Child’s Christmas Performers club sang in Wales” by Dylan classic holiday songs Thomas and “The and recited poetry to Gift of the Magi” by children and senior O. Henry at the secitizens in two pernior living commuformances Dec. 13. nity Sunrise of Playa nathanson’s The group preVista. sented the poem “The Each poem was Covi Nightmare Before adapted for the perBrannan ’15 Christmas” by Tim formance by group Burton, which became the leader Covi Brannan ’15 and basis for the 1993 film, to the broken up into shorter seg-

ments for students to recite individually.

“I really wanted the group members to come up with the show itinerary together, so I brought in a bunch of winter-themed poems, and other people brought in their favorite Christmas carols or holiday songs,” Brannan said.

Both programs included holiday songs such as “Let it Snow,” “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” “White Christmas” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Students also performed the songs “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and “Reindeers are Better than People” from the 2013 animated Disney film “Frozen” for the children at the Ronald McDonald House.

“My favorite part was definitely talking with our audiences before and after our shows,” Carlos Guanche ’16 said. “It was really nice to meet them and feel like we were really helping bring some joy into their lives.”

The symphony orchestra and the three upper school choirs, Bel Canto, Wolverine Chorus and Chamber Singers, will perform in the biennial concert Feb. 27.

The event will take place at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica.

Performing arts teachers Mark Hilt and Rodger Guerrero are in the process of picking the music that combines choir and orchestra that will give as many students the opportunity to play.

“Mr. Guerrero and I are trying to choose stuff that we would like the singers and the orchestra to have an experience with, stuff that’s really world standard music in orchestra that we would like them to have a chance to sing,” Hilt said.

The concert will include music based on the Requiem text of the Latin mass for the dead, a Motet. “[The music] is surpisingly simple, a beautiful mediation of communion text and very well known,” Hilt said. “We are trying to put [the music] together from the instruments and singers we have.”

The performance will also include a short choral composition, with strings and organs; a piece composed by Buxtehude and ensemble music.

Each piece will each have a different orchestration.

Dancers prepare for upcoming showcase

By Tiffany Kim

ESHANIKA CHAUDHARY/CHRONICLE

WINTER REUNION: Upper school choir teacher Rodger Guerrero conducts choir students from both campuses during the second “Winter Sing in the Bing” in Saperstein Theatre on Jan. 9. It was the second time the event had been held.

Choirs from both campuses convene for winter exchange

By Eshanika Chaudhary

The upper and middle school choir programs performed for each other at the “Winter Sing in the Bing” on Jan. 9 in the Saperstein Theatre.

They later sang together for all-women’s, all-men’s and combined choir pieces.

The first “Sing in the Bing,” originally intended to be a one-time event, was in 2009.

It took place in the spring,

hence the original name of “Spring Sing in the Bing.”

Since it was such a success, middle school choir teacher Nina Burtchaell and upper school choir teacher Rodger Guerrero said that they decided to bring the program back for the spring of 2011.

During the last four years when the “Sing in the Bing” didn’t take place, the upper school students traveled to the middle school for a group number, which took place in

either the winter or spring concert.

“The timing seemed perfect to do it again this year, especially because we didn’t get a chance to sing with the upper school at the winter concert because of the exams,” Burtchaell said, referring to upper school midterms being before winter break for the first time ever.

Eight different groups performed.

They later sang the Ke-

nyan “Wana Baraka” together.

Additionally, all the women joined together to perform “S’vivon” while the combined men’s choir performed “Masters in this Hall.”

“Listening to all of the older choirs got me really excited to participate in the choral program at the Upper School,” Vocal Ensemble member and student Josie Abugov ’18 said.

“The entire program singing together brought a sense of community.”

Middle school dancers will perform a showcase at the Saperstein Theatre Jan. 15.

The showcase will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., where admission will be free and no tickets will be required for admission.

The 60 dancers performing in the show are from three sections of Contemporary Dance Workshop I and one section of Contemporary Dance Workshop II. The music that will be used in the showcase is primarily pop, featuring artists such as Fifth Harmony and Bastille.

Since their return from retreat week, students have been choreographing and rehearsing their own routines.

The number of dancers in each routine ranges from three to six people.

Middle School dance teacher Joe Schenck also created one class dance.

In the first half of the show, all three sections of Contemporary Dance Workshop I of about 45 dancers will participate in Schenck’s dance.

The second half of the show will feature a dance that follows the progression of the calendar year, entitled “20!4.”

B12 Features

The Chronicle

Jan. 14, 2015

y a W s ’ m r a H n I “If I could go back to a point in my life before I started cutting, knowing what I know now, I would never have started.”

By Su Jin

Nam

’15 hen Wendy* ra a e us wants to ask to s ha e sh r, zo one. She then her mom for before she has es has 15 minut e cannot use to return it. Sh the supervit a knife withou t family memsion of an adul to give a clear s ber, and she ha ing scissors ed ne r fo reason e us them. before she can ges in a form ga en Wendy

W

that some of their peers cut.

“I don’t think it’s something that’s common at our school,” Elliot Kang ’16 said.

“I personally do not know anyone who uses self-harm as a way of coping, and I have not observed any signs on others that suggest that.”

Ren* ’15 is currently seeing a therapist so he can stop cutting himself. He spent

at is commonly of self-harm th tting. She was cu referred to as st heard about 12 when she fir r friend’s oldhe cutting from dy recalls that er sibling. Wen ribed cutting sc the sibling de ly “hardcore” as something on stress. The se kids did to relea ings in her th en wh , next year cu ffi lt to cope life became di experimented dy with, Wen the first time. with cutting for tting because cu d “I starte eption that it I had the conc

a few weeks in the hospital after one attempt at cutting sent him to the emergency room. Ren says it was not a suicide attempt, and that he simply cut himself deeper than he had expected and passed out in his bathroom, where his mother found him shortly afterward.

“I haven’t told any of my friends [that I cut],” Ren

, that they do the things s ou er ing dang they’re mak Sunkin said. ,” ns io pt m assu , know a person “If you don’t m co a e ak m you shouldn’t what they’re ment about someone’s dotrying to do. If to get attenng ing somethi use they need tion, it’s beca ” that attention. t she does no gh ou Alth r he t ou ab en op choose to be dy en W tting, past with cu hide the scars to y tr t no does a result. as ed that form

e ‘strong’ kids was the way th eir emotions,” dealt with th was young, “I Wendy said. ow I had a lot and I didn’t kn relief options of other stress e.” open to m ichael ’19 Lori Sunkin [M has praco wh ], ’14 and Sophia y ap in Beverticed family ther ars, says that ye ly Hills for 20 ifestation of a cutting is a man conflicts. al person’s intern cut ople pe , lly ica “Typ elfe ng ki oc bl e when they ar

said. “I’m scared they’re going to judge me for it.”

Students who cut are often scared of talking to anyone about their habit because of the social stigma that surrounds cutting.

“I can’t tell anyone about [my cutting] because so many people call those who cut things like ‘attention whore,’” Wendy said. “I don’t

accept that “I’ve come to me,” Wenof they’re a part y remind me dy said. “The t back to the to never to ge ” habit again. as able to Susan* ’16 w professionith w stop cutting of the support al help and r he ly ar ul ic rt her family, pa e Sh t. is therap aunt, who is a two in f el rs he has not cut ly very occayears. She on e urge to cut, sionally feels th s does, she talk but when she to her aunt.

want to feel ings, and they said.

Sunkin something,” ptomm sy lly ua us is “Cutting at a person is atic of pain th ep inside, eide g experiencin l or emotional. ther situationa tive of some ta It’s represen n or anxiety kind of depressio that they’ve e nc or life experie they don’t had, something ess, so they pr know how to ex der to exor in s lve se cut them press it.” are aware Few students

think that they realize that it’s like an addiction. If people who are addicted to meth or pot are cool, why are people who cut suddenly attentionhungry? I personally think it’s the other way around.”

Sunkin believes students need to refrain from passing judgement.

“When people make comments on why someone does

had in at my mom on trust th s damar h sc uc e m th “I regret e is still very m I et gr re au I also said. “Bec se my arm, but I aged,” she g in at do th as rt w hu I t d the worry an lied about wha my my family,” uld maintain co I at th brought upon so I e om m tim y m ry “Eve of cutting, Susan said. one al arp, I habit sh be ng to hi e et m m t go near so ’s can’t trus iends. If ar in my mom en out with fr ev can see the fe or ar te e m point in a es to ak m ck eyes, and it I could go ba cutte fore I star d up.”

- my life be re ow r kn he I t at ha th w knowing Susan says mother ting, r have r ve he ne ith ld w ou p w lationshi now, I eatly as a rehas suffered gr started.” y. or ing hist sult of her cutt anged it’s been es have been ch “Even though e the *Nam lik el fe I s, a few year

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JACOB GOODMAN

Sports The Chronicle • Jan. 14, 2015

Girls’ Basketball

Bench depth compensates for injuries

By Henry Vogel

ELIJAH AKHTARZAD/CHRONICLE

RIGHT ON Q: Henry Quilici ‘15, also known as “Q,” evades a slide tackle from an Alemany defender en route to scoring his 11th goal of the season. Quilici’s goal was one of two scored by the Wolverines in their win over the Warriors. They are currently 7-0.

Wolverines open up season undefeated

By Tyler Graham The boys’ soccer team has jumped out of the gates firing on all cylinders with an undefeated start to their 20142015 campaign. The team currently holds a 7-0 overall record (2-0 league) and is ranked 13th in the state by MaxPreps.

The story of the year for Head Coach Lucas Bongarra’s squad has been the emergence of forward Henry Quilici ’15 as a dangerous scoring threat.

Quilici has netted 11 goals in just seven games and scored a season-high and career-high of five goals in the team’s 6-1 win over Glendale Jan. 2. Quilici’s impressive scoring rate earned him the title of SAAC Athlete of the Month.

“Each one of the goals that I score is more of a team accomplishment than

an individual accomplishment,” Quilici said. “Most of my goals this season have really just been me tapping the ball into the back of the net after a long process of each and every team member putting their own individual effort into the play. Our team is just really playing well as a cohesive unit.”

Center defender Parker Converse ’15, who has been playing soccer with Quilici for more than 10 years, isn’t surprised with Quilici’s record-setting pace. “[Quilici] has always had that natural killer instinct to score,” Converse said. “He’s always in the right position to put away goals. It’s nice to see that he is really reaching his potential in terms of goal scoring. He’s been working really hard to use his body and his physicality this year, and it’s working out well for him.”

Quilici credited the team’s dedication and attitude for the successful start of their season.

“I think this season is different from our past seasons because we have a more confident approach,” Quilici said.

“I think most of the change in our squad has been mental. We have a much more professional work ethic, and that’s attributed to our two coaches because they helped us grasp a very serious attitude toward everything we do.”

The Wolverines have relied on a strong spine up the middle of the field consisting of established starters like Converse, Cole Fletcher ’15, Myles Pindus ’15 and Jadon Yariv ’16.

First-year goalie Nick Richmond ’16 has been a surprise in goal for the Wolverines this season.

Despite his lack of ex-

perience in the net, Richmond has posted three clean sheets and yielded more than one goal only once in seven games.

The only setbacks to the Wolverines’ season thus far have been injuries to starters Converse, who missed the 2-0 win over Alemany with an illness, Matthew Glick ’15, who is out for the season with a knee injury and Henry Prentice ’15. Both Quilici and Converse cited maintaining the team’s health as a high priority as the season progresses.

“Right now we are focusing on one game at a time,” Quilici said. “We’re definitely aiming to win our league and make it to CIF, and hopefully win CIF, too.”

“We obviously want to go undefeated,” Converse said.

“Our main goal is to win league and go as far as we can in playoffs.”

• Continued on page C2

Team finishes second in last pre-season tournament, enters Mission League play

By Cole Jacobson

Behind the dominance of lone returning starter Alex Copeland ‘15, the emergence of transfer Wolfgang Novogratz ‘16 and the improvements of several former reserves, the varsity boys’ basketball team has stayed afloat despite heavy graduation and transfer losses, with a 9-5 overall record so far and an 1-1 start in Mission League play. Results of the Jan. 12 game against Crespi were not available at press time.

Copeland, who committed during the off season to Yale University, has taken his game to a new level so far in 2014-15.

As of press time, he was leading both the Mission League

and CIF Southern Section Division 4AA with a staggering 26.1 points per game, including a career-high 40 points in the team’s lone 86-75 league loss to Alemany on Jan. 9.

In early December, Copeland had a record-setting streak of seven straight games scoring greater than 20 points, the longest for any Wolverine varsity player since Bryce Taylor ‘04.

Copeland was named firstteam all-tournament at the Mira Costa Pacific Shores Tournament, the University High School Jim Nakabara Classic and the Gatorade Division of the MaxPreps Holiday Classic. The team finished third in the Mira Costa Classic and in the Nakabara Clas-

sic, and second in the MaxPreps Classic.

“It’s been a fun year. We’ve gone out and put points on the board,” Copeland said. “We’re aggressive and an exciting team to watch.”

While Copeland’s dominance in his senior season was expected, the improvements of a pair of returning reserve guards have also been crucial to the team’s success.

Ali Iken ‘17, who only averaged 8.6 minutes per game on varsity his freshman season, has benefitted from an increased role, as he is currently third on the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game on 38 three-poiners, the second most in the league.

• Continued on page C7

The girls’ basketball team will use a high-pressure defense and an up-tempo, guardheavy offense to compensate for its lack of height as the league season gets underway, Head Coach Melissa Hearlihy said.

In the girls’ non-league matchup against Ventura Saturday, their last game as of press time, Hearlihy used the team’s depth to rotate girls in, giving starters breaks from their intense, full court defense and filling the offensive void left by the injury of Athlete of the Month Teeana Cotangco ’15.

“We worked really hard from the jump ball,” Jayda Ruffus-Milner ’18 said. “We really pushed the intensity up and went on a really big run at one point.”

Even though the team pulled away at the end of the game, there was a period in the middle of the matchup when Ventura took the lead.

Ruffus-Milner said she and her teammates need to practice being more consistent.

“Starting the game with so much intensity and then going through the game with that same level of intensity is going to be a big key for us this season,” she said.

Cotangco, who rolled her ankle going for a rebound the game against Hart on Dec. 19, is listed as day-to-day, meaning it will be a game time decision whether or not she can play. Her absence hurts the team because she is a big offensive threat, Hearlihy said.

As a result, various players have had to go beyond their usual duties to maintain the team’s level of play.

“It’s been different people different games,” Hearlihy said. “Sydney [Tsutsui ’17] has done a good job stepping up, Jordan [Brown ’16]

INSIDE

C4-5

YEAR IN REVIEW:

TYLER GRAHAM/CHRONICLE

AIR TIME: Alex Copeland ’15 pulls up for a jump shot in the team’s win over Notre Dame.

Check out a timeline of Harvard-Westlake’s best sports moments of 2014, including the boys’ water polo victory over Mater Dei in CIF-SS Division I Finals.

C2 Sports

The Chronicle

Facts &

Jan. 14, 2015

Girls' Basketball

Figures Goals scored by girls' water polo during their three-game winning streak.

36

12.5

Average points per game for Jayla RuffusMilner ’18.

Goals Henry Quilici ’15 scored against Glendale High School Jan. 2.

40

5 Points scored by Alex Copeland ’15 against Alemany Jan. 9.

HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE

PRESSING MATTERS: Justine Barraza '17 (#2) attempts a three-point shot over a defender, and Sydney Tsutsui '17 (#15) drives to the basket in the girls' basketball team's 50-40 win over Ventura. The team is 13-5 overall and 1-0 in league as of press time.

Aggressive defense results in easy baskets • Continued from page C1

Game to watch Jan. 23

Boys' Basketball vs.

Loyola Taper Gymnasium

The squad defends an overall record of 9-5 and 1-1 in Mission League play (as of press time) going into this highly anticipated rivalry matchup. This will be the first of two games between the Wolverines and the Cubs this year, with the second scheduled for Feb. 11 at Loyola.

KEY PLAYER

Ali Iken ’17 Iken has helped keep the team afloat, as injuries have plagued the squad this year.

He is the second scoring option behind Alex Copeland '15, and will be the X-factor if the Wolverines want to win this game. With the injury of Wolfgang Novogratz '16, Iken has had to take on a bigger role in his first year on varsity.

has stepped up her scoring and Lindsey [Tse ’16] is really starting to lead us on the floor and do what we need her to do.”

Hearlihy believes that when the game was going well against Ventura in the first and fourth quarters, it was because Tse’s intensity was there. In both quarters, the team outscored Ventura, yet in the second and third quarter, with less intensity from Tse, the team let go of its lead and let Ventura back into the game.

“Our defense was really good at the end. We were able to pressure and trap the ball all over the court,” Tse said.

“In the future, we need to keep our intensity up throughout the entire game so we can hang with better teams and just keep up the good run we are on.”

Defense is the team’s selling point, Hearlihy said. It has always been the selling point of her program. Hearlihy uses the lack of size as a defensive\ advantage. Although the team sometimes struggles with half-court offense because it has a limited number of threats in the post, it relies on tough, aggressive defense from the many quick guards on the squad to generate steals and easy points via fast break on the other end.

“The problem is teams know we want to break so they will get back and sit, causing us to walk the ball up, which gets us out of our flow,” Hearlihy said.

When they do have to rely on half-court offense, the girls use a four out, one in scheme.

This means four guards move around the perimeter while one player sets screens for the others and plays in the post.

Ruffus-Milner and her

Girls' Water Polo

By Bennett Gross

Boys' Basketball (5-9) Last Game:

L (57-44) vs. Alemany HS

Girls' Basketball (11-4) Last Game: L (36-32) vs. Ventura

Boys' Soccer (2-4-1) Last Game: W (5-1) vs. Alemany HS

Last Game: W (2-0) vs. Marymount HS

embryonic stage if you ask me,” Hearlihy said on the injury.

“What’s really stopping her is that brace. If we took that brace off she would be much more fluid, and that’s how she and her sister play. They play like dancers. So that brace kind of holds her back, but it’s just a necessity since they are growing and with an ACL tear and replacement you just have to make sure it’s stable before going on.

The team is 1-0 in league and 13-5 overall as of press time, yet some of its toughest competition is yet to come according to Hearlihy.

Chaminade, who is in the squad’s league, is a top five team in the state and beat basketball powerhouse Mater Dei earlier in the year.

“I think we just need to collectively come together offensively and build that same confidence we have on defense,” Hearlihy said.

Squad undefeated in league

Junior Varsity

Girls’ Soccer (2-2-1)

twin Jayla Ruffus-Milner are considered stretch fours. The four refers to their position of forward, a spot reserved for bigger players that like to play in the post. However, because they are stretch fours, they can run the floor and shoot the ball on the perimeter as well.

As a result of this versatility, they can play as the one in or one of the four out players at any given time. Lauren Lapesarde ’17 can also play with her back to the basket in the post at the one in slot.

Jayda Ruffus-Milner said she is still only at about 70 percent in terms of recovery from her ACL tear. She is on limited minutes right now and is only expecting to be fully recovered by next season.

“Coming off the injury you are kind of scared to play, but for me, I want to get out there and actually score,” she said.

“What you saw [against Ventura] was almost an

BENNETT GROSS/CHRONICLE

SHOT ON GOAL: Hannah Eliot '16 shoots the ball in the girls' water polo team's game against Marymount Jan. 9. The squad holds a 6-3 record.

Though the team only has one senior and four upperclassmen in total, As the girls’ water polo team begins it has gained some experienced players league play, the squad looks to continue in the past few weeks. its seven-year undefeated streak With Helena Miles ’16 back from in league, and win its 19th straight semester school at the High Mountain Mission League Championship.

Institute in Colorado and Daily Thus far, the team has not lost in Hartmeier ’16 coming back from injury league play, having won over Notre within the next week, the girls’ water Dame, Marlborough and Marymount. polo team will have more momentum “We want to maintain our seven- and leadership. year streak of never losing a league “Because we don’t really have a game, but at the same time, we have center this season, I feel that we have to take it game by game and make been working better as a team than sure we execute as well as we we have in past years,” Miles can each time we get into the said. “Every member of the pool,” senior captain Sophia team has a very specific role, Gonzalez ’15 said. and can’t just rely on one or Before winter break, the two people’s talent to carry us squad participated in the to victory.”

Mistletoe Classic and played Over winter break the a non-league matchup with team had two practices a day water polo rival Mater Dei. for two weeks to prepare for Even though the team lost to the rigorous 12-game league nathanson’s Mater Dei, players believe the schedule ahead.

Sophia matchup helped them grow as The practices were meant Gonzalez ’15 a unit. to improve not only the “The Mater Dei game team’s play, but also its team was a good learning experience for chemistry. our team,” Gonzalez said. “Even “Since I was at semester school though they are in a higher division, for the beginning of the season, the it showed our team, which is relatively two weeks of training not only helped inexperienced, that we had to work acclimate me to the team, but I also hard over winter break to improve think that it helped the rest of the before league play.” players improve as well,” Miles said.

Jan. 14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports C3

inbrief

Wrestling

Team faces tough CIF regulations

Hassan Smith commits to U Penn

By Cole Jacobson and Audrey Wilson

Despite facing a serious lack of depth compared to its strong Mission League competition, the varsity wrestling team is off to a successful start to the 2014-15 season.

The Wolverines have an 0-2 record in Mission League play as of press time, but the record is more a result of the CIF Southern Section’s strict dual meet rules than poor performances from the team.

In dual meets, if the Wolverines don’t enter a competitor in a certain weight class, the opposing team’s wrestler for that class are given a forfeiture win, getting the same amount of points as they would if they had won a match with a pin.

AUDREY WILSON/CHRONICLE

BACK ON THE MAT: Josh Musicant ’17 holds his opponent in the team’s match against Alemany.

Consequently, it is virtually impossible for the Wolverines to win a league meet. The varsity roster only has eight members, so the team cannot possibly fill each of the CIFSS’ 14 weight classes.

Even though the team is without a win, certain individuals have impressed so far in the season. Jake Adler ’17 and Ryan Ruiz ’16, who both finished second in the Mission League in their respective weight classes in 2013-14, have dominated so far, as both are individually unbeaten in league play.

The team honored seniors

James Lennon ’15 and Malcolm Neill ’15 at Senior Night at its last home meet against Alemany. Both seniors won their matches along with victories from Adler, Ruiz and Russell Davis ’17.

“The team is having a great season overall,” Ruiz said. “The younger wrestlers are showing a lot of improvement, and we are building as a team.”

Recently, the Wolverines competed in the prestigious Asics Challenge Tournament in Orange County, where the squad struggled against the elite competition. The squad sent Adler, Davis, Lennon,

Neill and Ruiz, but only Neill was able to advance to the quarterfinals.

“Other than Malcolm making the quarters, there were really no highlights, and it wasn’t one of our best tournaments,” Ruiz said.

Even if a successful league record is unlikely for the undermanned program, the 2013-14 team sent 10 members to the CIF-SS preliminaries, and this year’s squad wants similar success after the dual meet season is complete.

“I am looking forward to a successful postseason for our varsity team,” said Ruiz.

Girls' Soccer

ELIJAH AKHTARZAD/CHRONICLE

BALL'S IN HER COURT: Courtney O’Brien ’15 (left) dribbles past a defender.

O’Brien (right) heads the ball to score one of her six goals this season. Their next game is a home matchup against Chaminade tonight at 5:15 p.m.

Team prepares for another CIF title run

By Jonathan Seymour

defender Alex Jackson ’15 said.

After three consecutive After defeating Notre CIF semifinal losses, the Dame and Marymount in Wolverines are hoping that back-to-back matches to open their new emphasis on league play last week, the teamwork will make this year girls’ soccer team maintains a their year to finally win CIF. 2-0 league record and a 7-2-1 Jackson said that, overall record. teamwork has been an issue in “We have a great team the past, so the squad has been this year, and I’m excited,” focusing on improving it this midfielder Veronica Crow ’16 season. said. “We’ve been working on The girls opened the mobility with an season with a boom emphasis on team after defeating El play, and it’s been Camino Real 6-1 Dec. working well for us, 3 in their first game of and I think it’s only the season. Princeton going to get better commit and midfielder from here.”

Courtney O’Brien The team’s ’15 scored a hat trick spotless league during the game, record will be and her performance nathanson’s challenged today, has turned out to be Veronica Jan. 14, during its indicative of the rest Crow '16 third league game, of the season. She is a home matchup the team’s leading against Chaminade. scorer and veteran leader.

“Beating Notre Dame was “Our key players right a great moment because it felt now are definitely Courtney like a true team effort and like O’Brien, Chloe Castaneda [’15] a lot of the things that we had and Courtney Corrin [’16], worked hard at and practiced all mostly in our midfield,” really paid off in that game,” forward Paige Howard ’17 said.

Crow said. “It was great.”

“They have been great at One major strength of the keeping the ball for us and team this year has been its distributing. They have also new goalie, Lindsay Avant ’17, been some of our biggest goal who has only let in 10 goals so scorers. My strengths have far this season and has only been creating chances with allowed one goal in the past six Courtney O’Brien and working games. with her up top and also “Lindsay is a fantastic trying to find the layoffs to our goalie and has definitely midfielders.” showed up to play this year,” After another explosive 6-2

nonleague away victory Dec. 5 the season, the Wolverines over Newbury Park, the girls also lost 3-0 to Foothill in a came up short Dec. 9 against consolation game. the Oaks Christian Lions, After the Excalibur whose 1-0 victory marked the Tournament, league play began first time that girls’ soccer has and the Wolverines won their ever lost to Oaks Christian. first two league games against Following its first loss of Notre Dame and Marymount the season, the squad won 4-2 3-1 and 3-0, respectively. against Mira Costa, whose The Wolverines have a team defeated Harvard- perfect league play record Westlake 5-0 last year. so far, but they still have six Midfielder and Ohio State league games left to play, commit Courtney including rematches Gazmarian ’16 scored against Notre Dame twice, and O’Brien and Marymount. and Howard also both The stage is set added one goal each for the Wolverines to to contribute to the make another run at team’s victory.

CIF, and today’s game “ C o u r t n e y against Chaminade Gazmarian is one of will set the tone for the hardest workers the rest of the season.

I know, and she has The girls will nathanson’s a passion for soccer square off Friday in Lindsay that is refreshing and a nonleague match Avant '17 inspiring,” forward against Alemany, and Nicole Araya ’16 said. then they will have five league The Wolverines played in matches in a row against the Excalibur Tournament Notre Dame, Marymount, held by Foothill High School Chaminade and twice against Dec. 26-29 and defeated Flintridge Sacred Heart.

Bullard 2-0 and handily beat The final game before Westview in the first two playoffs will be a nonleague games.

Feb. 14 away game against Araya, Castaneda, Corrin Valencia. and Howard all contributed “My favorite moment [this goals in the team’s victory over season] has probably just been Westview. the way our team has bonded,” The team tied Buchanan Howard said.

0-0 in its third game before “We’re really connected, losing 4-3 in penalty kicks and I think that that’s going to fall out of the tournament to help us when get into tough, during the quarterfinals. upcoming games,” she said.

In their worst defeat of

Hassan Smith ’15 has committed to play football at the University of Pennsylvania next fall.

Smith, who was Second Team All-Angelus League at cornerback in 2014, played wide receiver and cornerback for four years with the Wolverines, and had 114 receiving yards and 26 tackles in his final year.

“I have to say the training I learned from the coaching staff, from Head Coach Scot Ruggles to my position coach Chauncey Fagan, all the backpedaling drills, all that information passed down [to me] by the team, I’ll take to the next level,” Smith said.

— Rian Ratnavale

Junior scores goal for mens' national team

Ben Hallock ’16 scored a goal in his first appearance for the USA Water Polo Men’s National Team in its game against Italy Jan. 3.

The U.S. won 9-7, and Hallock’s fourth quarter goal put the Americans up by two.

Hallock, the youngest member on the 12-man squad, played center on the team, as he does with HarvardWestlake.

Training lasted throughout December and early January.

“Water polo at the international level is so much different than any other level of water polo I have played,” Hallock said. “My teammates constantly preached to me that when in doubt just swim as fast as I can wherever I'm going and don't get beat on defense.”

— Joe Levin

Alumni win NCAA championship

Water polo players Alec Zwaneveld ’12 and Warren Synder ’14 have continued their championship-winning ways in the pool.

Both are members of the nation’s top-ranked UCLA men’s water polo team, who defeated third-ranked squad and six-time defending champion USC 9-8 on Dec. 7 to win the NCAA National Championship.

Zwaneveld, a 6’8”, 220pound sophomore who plays center, scored 11 goals for the Bruins this season. This was his first championship victory since winning titles in each of his four seasons as a Wolverine.

Synder redshirted the season.

— Jake Liker

Runner named to All-State Team

London Alexander ’18 was named part of the Division IV All-State Freshman Girls Team after her 45th place finish in a time of 19:51 on the State Meet course in Fresno Nov. 29.

Of the seven freshmen selected, Alexander was ranked sixth in the state.

Alexander was also the top finisher for the Wolverines, who took 10th as a team.

— Audrey Wilson

Following the dominant HarvardWestlake career in which he averaged 21.8 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game in his senior season, as well as a four-year basketball career at the University of Miami, Erik Swoope stunned the nation by declaring for the 2014 NFL Draft instead of continuing to pursue basketball. Swoope ended up not being drafted but was signed later by the Indianapolis Colts.

GRANT NUSSBAUM/CHRONICLE

April

Two spring sport stars ended their seasons with

by

Elijah Akhtarzad and

Cole Jacobson

Girls' track takes second CIF title in four years

May

Top-ranked girls' soccer stunned in CIF Semifinals

March

The boys' soccer team struggled in Mission League play last season, finishing with a league record of 4-5-3 and an overall record of 7-8-3. The Wolverines have already outdone their number of wins last year, with an undefeated 8-0-0 record so far in 2015.

Boys' soccer team struggles in league play

January

Compiled

Behind individual sectional titles from Courtney Corrin '16 (long jump), Alex Florent '15 (high jump) and Efe Agege '14 (triple jump), the varsity girls' track and field

ERIC LOEB/CHRONICLE

The varsity girls' soccer team had a dominant 2014 regular season, hovering in the top 10 of MaxPreps' national rankings and entering the postseason as CIF-SS Division I's top seed.

However, in the tournament's semifinals, the team dropped a heartbreaker with a 1-1 tie and a 4-3 loss in penalty kicks to eventual champion Santa Margarita.

SAM SACHS/CHRONICLE

The Chronicle

June/July

Manahan '14, Genender '15 take individual championships

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF MICHELLE PEMBERTON

Erik Swoope '10 switches sports, declares for 2014 NFL Draft

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF HW ATHLETICS

After a thrilling 98-96 home victory over Maranatha in the second round, in which the team came back from 12 points down entering the fourth quarter, the varsity boys' basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 61-59 contest to top-seeded and undefeated Buckley in the CIF Southern Section Division 4AA quarterfinals.

Boys' basketball ousted in quarters

February

2014 Playback With title victories and alumni successes, Wolverine Athletics had another big year in 2014.

C4 Sports Jan. 1

Varsity girls' cross country had a successful postseason, finishing seventh in CIF-SS Division IV before coming in 10th place in California Division IV. Varsity field hockey however, was stunned in the playoffs, as the Sunset League Champions and No. 2 seeded squad in the LAFHA was upset by No. 7 Marina 1-0 in the first round.

Aided by a pair of CIF-SS titles, both the boys' and girls' athletic programs were recognized by the CIF-SS for overall achievement, as the boys finished as the fifth best program out of over 500 schools in the entire CIFSS, while the girls were fourth.

August

BENNETT GROSS/CHRONICLE

Boys' water polo racks up second straight CIF title

November

Football responds to loss by sweeping City Section teams

September

HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE

Following a dominant senior season in which he hit .355 and slugged .463 on offense, while going 10-0 with a 0.63 ERA and a 0.56 WHIP, with 128 strikeouts in 78 innings on the mound, Flaherty was named the MaxPreps National Baseball Player of the Year for the second consecutive time, and was recognized for his efforts when he was taken 34th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2014 MLB Draft.

first round of MLB Draft

Jack Flaherty '14 taken in

SAM SACHS/CHRONICLE

SAM SACHS/CHRONICLE

AUDREY WILSON/CHRONICLE

CAMERON STINE/CHRONICLE

Coming off of a championship in 2013, varsity boys' water polo raised the ante even further in 2014, finishing 29-0 with its second consecutive CIF-SS Division I championship win, a 10-7 victory over Mater Dei.

HENRY VOGEL/CHRONICLE

Recovering from a tough 48-6 loss to Loyola to open the season in August, the varsity football team responded strongly, defeating four CIF LA City Section opponents by a combined 115 points to enter league play with a 4-1 overall record.

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF TERRY BARNUM

team won its second CIFSS Division III championship in four years by a score of 91-72 over Alemany.

hwchronicle.com/sports

AUDREY WILSON/CHRONICLE

Girls' XC heads to state finals, field hockey upset

JONATHAN SEYMOUR/CHRONICLE

Girls' volleyball struggles in first year of "Death League"

October

School climbs up CIF-SS Commissioner's Cup rankings

JACK GOLDFISHER/CHRONICLE

After 2014 CIF-SS league re-alignment significantly strengthened the girls' volleyball Mission League by adding powerhouses Marymount and Marlborough, the Wolverine squad struggled, finishing 2-6 in league play and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

BENNETT GROSS/CHRONICLE

JACK GOLDFISHER/CHRONICLE

individual titles at the highest level offered. David Manahan '14 took the California state championship in the 800m with a school record time of 1:51.04, and Michael Genender '15 won the CIF-SS singles tennis title, with a 2-1 win over Palm Desert High School's Austin Rapp '14.

14, 2015 Sports C5

C6 Sports

Jan. 14, 2015

The Chronicle

Field Hockey

School hosts field hockey showcase

By Juliana Berger

participated in the event.

“This is my first year as Head coaches from the goalie, so I decided that getUniversity of Maryland, Johns ting as many days when I can Hopkins, Brown and Yale practice my skills and just coached and learn new observed field tactics of hockey players blocking the It gives people a from all over ball is gothe country on ing to be chance to get familiar Ted Slavin Field really helpwith those coaches, Jan. 3 and 4. ful,” goalie The event Elly Choi ’18 which is a good thing, consisted of a said. “So my and also be exposed to five-hour sesintentions sion each day, not what it’s like to play at the were including drills trying to be college level early on.” and scrimmagrecruited by es.

—Phaedra Robinson ’17 a college but Coaches also to just better talked about my skills.” the college recruiting process Jason and Christine Reese and the differences between (Brooke ’15, Bryant ’19) orgacollege level games in Division nized the event.

I schools like the University Hana Chop ’14 helped coach of Maryland, Yale and Brown the first day of the camp. She and Division III schools like currently plays field hockey Johns Hopkins. for Johns Hopkins.

“It gives people a chance to “These schools have startget familiar with those coached to recognize the talent out es, which is a good thing, and west and are looking to realso be exposed to what it’s cruit more players from this like to play at the college level area of the country,” Chop early on,” field hockey player said in an email sent to tell Phaedra Robinson ’17 said. players about the camp.

Nine Wolverine athletes

“

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF RIKI-ANN SERRINS

DIVISION I: Brown University field hockey coach Jill Reeve discusses strategy with players during practices. Harvard-Westlake hosted a showcase Jan. 3-4 on Ted Slavin Field for prospective collegiate field hockey athletes hoping to be noticed by coaches from Johns Hopkins, Brown, Maryland and Yale.

Wrestling

Two female wrestlers join historically male wrestling squad

By Audrey Wilson

“Sometimes the seniors will teach me things, or occaOnce they arrive by shut- sionally I will drill with some tle at the upper school cam- of the boys who are closer to pus from over the hill, Lena my weight,” Kadogawa said.

Kadogawa ’18 and Abbie How- “After [drills] we wrestle live, ell ’18 head to the where we compete wrestling room to beagainst each other ingin the usual stretchstead of just practicing and calisthenics. ing moves. I’ll usually In practice, they wrestle against Abusually partner up, bie, but again, somebut when the other times I will wrestle isn’t there, either girl against boys closer to partners up with one my weight.” of the boys on the The two had gotteam. ten to know many of nathanson’s The two freshman the boys on the team Lena girls joined the Wolprior to joining.

Kadogawa ’18 verine junior varsity Their familiarity wrestling team this year, even with and trust in each other though the team has histori- has helped the team come tocally been all-male. gether and blend, they said.

“We have never had a girl on the team, but it is not much different than when any other new freshman comes out to try wrestling for the first time,” teammate Ryan Ruiz ’16 said. “They have been working really hard and had some exciting matches at our first duel against Chaminade, in which they both won. I am looking forward to seeing how they do throughout the season.”

The two wrestled against and won their first matches against female competitors in their first meet against Chaminade Dec. 12.

It is possible that they will wrestle against male competitors in their respective weight classes in the future.

“The team and the coach

[Gary Bairos] are amazing, physically and mentally, and and that’s why I really enjoy it’s really challenging, but it’s it.” Kadogawa said. “I feel re- also fun.” ally comfortable with everyKadogawa says she appreone. Everyone has been really ciates the fact that wrestling welcoming, and it’s natural. is one of the classic Olympic Nothing at all seems sports. off or unusual about “I just started it. I have been able wrestling in Septemto integrate into the ber,” Kadogawa said. team really well.”

“Before, I played volBoth girls are leyball and a little bit relatively new to of basketball. I liked sport but are drawn the sports, but it didn’t to the challenge and feel like they were difficulty it presents. something I could call “I started in sevmy sport. I wasn’t nathanson’s enth grade during completely absorbed Abbie P.E., and I liked it, so in them, but now that Howell ’18 I decided to try out I’ve found wrestling, and do it as a sport,” Howell I’ve found something that I resaid. “I really like the sport it- ally enjoy and can now call my self. It pushes you to the limit sport.”

Fried ’12 called centerpiece of blockbuster Justin Upton trade

By Jake Liker The home of the Braves is the next destination for pitcher Max Fried ’12: Atlanta.

The southpaw, who was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, was one of four prospects dealt by the San Diego Padres to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for All-Star outfielder Justin Upton Dec. 19.

Fried, one of seven Harvard-Westlake alumni currently playing professional baseball, expressed gratitude to the Padres.

“Thank you to [the Padres] for making my childhood dream a reality!” Fried tweeted. “These past couple years have been incredible and I can’t thank everyone enough.”

He also declared his excite-

ment over the trade, again on Twitter.

“I’m very excited to start this new chapter with the [Braves]! I couldn’t be happier to be a part of such an amazing organization!!,” Fried tweeted.

Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan reported that Fried, being such a highly-touted prospect, was the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade, and pointed out that “Max Fried was among baseball’s best LH pitching prospects before he blew out his elbow.”

The trade was announced nearly four months to the day after Fried underwent Tommy John Surgery, a ulnar collateral ligament reconstructive operation. The procedure is disproportionally common among baseball pitchers, and

Fried is not expected to recover until 2016, which is consistent with the average 12- to 18-month recovery period for the surgery.

As a member of the Braves, Fried has a much better chance of facing his friend and fellow Wolverine pitcher Lucas Giolito ’12, who was picked 19th overall by the Washington Nationals in the same 2012 draft. The Nationals and the Braves both play in the NL East. They played 19 games against one another this past season.

Giolito has turned heads ever since bouncing back from his own Tommy John surgery.

Baseball America named Giolito the Nationals’ top prospect this season. The publication featured him on the cover of the December-January is-

PRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF BRAD HAND

DEEP FRIED: Max Fried ’12 plays in a game for the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. He will likely pitch for the Class-A Rome Braves by 2016. sue of their magazine.

“There’s a lot of expectations with him, and we just have to make sure we build him cautiously,” Nationals Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba said. “His stuff speaks for itself … I think we’re very optimistic with his plan so far, and we think he’s going to impact us down the road in the near future.”

Many analysts project the

two will start against each other in the Major Leagues as soon as the 2018 season, but it certainly wouldn’t be the first meeting between the pair of ex-Wolverines.

The two have remained close friends, often play video games against one another and even traveled to Manchester in November to watch a Barclays Premier League match.

Jan. 14, 2015

hwchronicle.com/sports

Sports C7

Boys’ Basketball

Squad rallies around shooting stars • Continued from page C1 Spencer Perryman ‘15 (2.3 minutes per game in 2013-14) has also moved into the starting lineup and shown prowess as a sharpshooter, with 5.1 ppg on an impressive 40 percent from three-point-range as of press time.

“It’s all about trusting our teammates,” Perryman said.

“For the period of time we weren’t playing well, [our offense] was mostly Wolf and Alex going to the basket, but when everyone gets involved, it’s when we are best, because our shooters can hit shots and open more room for Wolf and Alex.”

“Sometimes we live and die with that three,” added Head Coach Greg Hilliard.

Defensively, the team has faced a significant size deficit with no players even listed at 200 pounds, but they have overcome this apparent disadvantage with quick hands by its guards and a smooth adjustment to the center position by Noah Gains `15.

On the perimeter, the team is averaging 11.4 steals per game so far, led by an impressive 3.1 from Copeland. Meanwhile, in the paint, Gains has contributed offensively with 5.1 ppg on 47 percent shooting, but his main impact has come on the defensive side of the floor, where he is on pace to become the first HarvardWestlake player to average double-digit rebounds per game (currently at 10.6) since Zena Edosomwan `12, in his senior season.

“When we all embrace our role and focus on our role, I

think we can beat anyone in The team finished in third the league,” Gains said. place in its first two tournaUnfortunately for the ments, being eliminated by team, the already-thin 13- Mira Costa and Dorsey. Later man roster has been further in December, the Wolverines depleted by a few key play- came up with an impressive ers’ injuries. Novogratz, who 23-point win over CIF-SS transferred from New York’s Division 1AA’s Diamond Bar Poly Prep, has lived up to his to get into the championship 247Sports.com ranking as the game of the MaxPreps tourfifth best Class of 2016 point nament, where the team sufguard in California, averaging fered a frustrating 77-76 loss 18.1 points per game on 60 per- by blowing a double-digit seccent shooting with 7.6 rpg, 4.3 ond half lead to Foothill High assists per game, and 2.9 spg School, the fifh best team in in nine games.

Nevada according to MaxH o w e v Preps. er, the junior Despite guard recoming frusaggravated a tratingly close We definitely stress fracture to capturing want to shock some to his left foot the Gatorade in the team’s Division title at people, and the Fanatics league opener the MaxPreps can make a huge Jan. 7 and will tournament, likely miss the players found difference.” remainder of the experience —Noah Gains ‘15 to be a blessing the season. In addition, forin disguise. ward Parsa “ Fo o t h i l l Shoa ‘16, who was a really averaged 3.7 ppg in his sopho- good learning experience for more season, only played parts us,” Gains said. “I think that of two games this year before suffering a defeat like that, we suffering a herniated disc in became closer as a team.” his back, and is expected to sit Motivated by that crushing out the rest of the season. result, the Wolverines have Fortunately for the Wol- gotten off to a solid 1-1 start in verines, Carter Begel ‘17, who league play. In the home openmissed the team’s first eight er against Notre Dame, the games while recovering from favored Wolverines were down a concussion suffered during by five at the half, but respondthe football season, has been ed with a staggering 54 points gradually returning to the ro- in the second half to handily tation. With the recent inju- beat the Knights by 20 points ries to others, Begel could find on “Alumni Night.” himself with an increased role, “Going into Notre Dame, as Hilliard said that “he is so we just knew that we could not strong and tough and confi- lose … none of the tournament dent, he can become another games meant as much to us as driver and penetrator for us.” that one,” added Perryman.

“

AUDREY WILSON/CHRONICLE

FOUR THE WIN: Alex Copeland ’15 (#4) rises for a layup against Notre Dame Jan. 7. He scored 27 points on the way to an 84-64 win.

Overall, Hilliard has been pleased with the progress made by the revamped team.

Losing three of its four top scorers from 2013-14, there was uncertainty entering Hilliard’s final season regarding the team’s personnel, but Hilliard said that, “Our performance early on has definitely exceeded my expectations … everything’s come a long a lot faster than expected, and we have some pretty good momentum going into the very tough Mission League.”

“For some people 9-5 has exceeded expectations, but I had pretty high expectations for this team ... 9-5 is solid and gives us some confidence heading into league, but I think we all feel that our team could be undefeated right now,” Cope-

land said.

As of now, the team is ranked 105th in the state and sixth in CIF-SS Division 4AA

by MaxPreps, and is predicted to finish 5th in the league by the L.A. Daily News, but players have even bigger plans.

“Top three in the league — we can give them all a run for their money,” Perryman said.

“The Mission League is extremely unpredictable and anything can happen on any given day, that’s what’s great about it,” added Gains. “We definitely want to shock some people, and the Fanatics can make a huge difference.”

The team next plays today on the road at St. Francis, who is 9-6 overall, 0-1 in league, and ranked 196th in the state as of press time.

C8 Sports

The Chronicle

Jan. 14, 2015

Forward Thinking Q&A with Courtney O’Brien ’15

BENNETT GROSS/CHRONICLE

GOAL-ORIENTED: Varsity athlete Courtney O’Brien ’15, who committed to Princeton for soccer, dribbles the ball past an oncoming defender during a game against Alemany.

By Dario Madyoon

and

Joe Levin

How did you start playing soccer and when did you know it was your sport?

What has changed since being a freshman on the varsity team?

Well, I started playing when I was 4, and my parents actually didn’t want me to play soccer, but the mom of one of my friends convinced them to let me do it, and I just fell in love with it and never looked back. Since then my parents have supported me in my decision to continue playing it.

Growing up and through tenth grade, I’ve played tennis, volleyball, basketball, ran track and been a cheerleader, but soccer has always been my number one.

I definitely feel that, when you start off on the team as a freshman, it’s a little intimidating. I have been able to communicate better with players and feel more comfortable talking on the field. In the past, I felt like the type of leadership we had on varsity was very hierarchical, and it didn’t feel like the whole team was equal, so as a leader I wanted to try to make it feel like every player is the same and can speak their mind and can be heard by their teammates.

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

NATHANSON’S

0 Goals this season 9 Years of soccer 12 experience 60 Career wins

League losses this season

What’s the hardest part about playing as a forward?

Even though we haven’t won CIF yet, the CIF games we’ve played were really memorable just because of all the support that we had. Our stands were filled with so many students — it was really amazing to see that kids at school really care about the team.

In the past three years, I’ve felt that there is a lot of responsibility and pressure to score, and sometimes that can get a little overwhelming when you feel like, if the rest of the team is playing amazing, but if you don’t score, the team won’t win.

This year, we’ve changed our play style so more people are scoring other than just the forwards.

Why did you choose the number eight?

What was the college recruiting process like?

Well, number seven is actually my lucky number, or it was when I was younger, but when I came to the team, an older player took number seven, so I just picked number eight since it was close to it. I had the opportunity to take number seven this year, but since we had so much success the past few seasons I decided not to change it. I’m pretty superstitious.

I think a lot of people underestimate how difficult and scary the college recruiting process is. The soccer recruiting process starts really early. I started going on college tours in ninth grade and it was extremely overwhelming, and I didn’t have any idea what kind of college I wanted to go to. Having to maintain relationships with all these coaches and having to perform well when you have 100 college coaches on the sideline. It’s really stressful. There were a lot of times I thought I had made my decision. I almost committed five times to different places.

I had heard that people just know when they walk onto a campus that it’s where they want to go, but I never really had that feeling except for Princeton a little. But it was such a foreign concept to be thinking about where I wanted to go to college in 10th grade.

How do you prepare before every game? Any rituals?

I have a juggling pattern that I do twice between warm-ups. It’s just a rainbow [a type of soccer move] and seven juggles off the rainbow.

I don’t know where it even came from, I just did it one time and played well that game, so I’ve just done it ever since.