Loyalist Vol. LXXXVIII, Issue 6

Friday, February 7, 2014

TheLoyalist Loyola High School | Los Angeles | Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 6 | loyalistnews.org

JUNIOR EDITION

Cubs prep for annual blood drive

By DAVID KARAMARDIAN

PHOTOS BY JEROD ADAMS

SENIOR THOMAS WELSH, LEFT, AND JUNIOR MAX HAZZARD, RIGHT, finish at the rim against defenders from Harvard-Westlake and Chaminade, respectively. Welsh, recently named a McDonald's All-American, and the Cubs have climbed to second in Max-Prep's national rankings. SPORTS, 12

Director of Activities Chris Walter and Student Council will lead Loyola’s fifteenth annual oncampus blood drive in Xavier Center on Thursday, Feb. 13.

“Students enjoy giving and helping save others,” said Mr. Walter. “I wish we could do it more often. It helps students realize there are people out there who need their help.”

Last year, approximately 370 Cubs donated at the drive, sponsored by the American Red Cross.

Before donating blood, American Red Cross recommends getting a good night’s sleep, drinking extra water and eating iron-rich, not fatty, foods.

Immediately after donating, make sure to eat a snack, rehydrate with plenty of fluids and avoid strenuous physical activity.

To register for the blood drive, anyone over 17 can visit www. redcrossblood.org and input the sponsor code LoyolaHigh, or contact Mr. Walter. Any student 16 or younger must have a parental permission slip, which is available in the student center.

Juniors tour colleges on annual East Coast trip

By PABLO MUÑOZ

Over Inter-Semester break, 52 juniors accompanied by English teacher Mr. Terry Caldwell and counselor Mrs. Daryl Crowley journeyed to the East Coast to visit prospective colleges and universities.

Initiated 27 years ago by Mr. Tom Vavra, a former counselor, and now led by Mr. Caldwell, the “Junior East Coast College Tour,” as the event is known, spanned one week, from Saturday, Jan. 25, to Saturday, Feb. 1, and visited seven states and sixteen colleges and universities.

Traveling first to Washington, D.C., the group visited such memorials as the Lincoln, Vietnam War and Martin Luther King, Jr. The second day of the trip began a breakneck-pace bus tour of some of the nation’s finest and oldest schools, including the Naval Academy, Villanova University, Harvard University and Boston College.

“It was incredibly enlightening, incredibly informative, and I wish everyone could do it,” said Mrs. Crowley. “It think there is a school for everybody.”

Mr. Caldwell said that certain colleges are visited every year while others come and go

A Look

INSIDE

on the itinerary. “We try to find a mixture of top tier, second tier colleges, big colleges, small colleges, public colleges, private colleges, Ivys,” he said.

In selecting schools to visit, Mr. Caldwell said he takes feedback from the previous year’s group to create an interesting itinerary for the trip. “We look at the interest level from what students have done in the past, we look at where seniors are applying to now, and we look at their acceptance rates at many of these colleges and where they would like to be accepted to.”

Points of pride for Loyola on the tour come during the actual campus tour and presentations, according to Mr. Caldwell.

“We have the opportunity and the honor of getting individualized attention because of the reputation of Loyola High School. The colleges want us to go to them, and they make all sorts of arrangements to make our visits a possibility.”

While the tour centers on colleges on the East Coast, the group also had opportunities to experience East Coast culture, with occasional free time at some locations, including time to explore Times Square and to see a Broadway play.

At Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, former chemistry teacher Mr. Brian Kwan, now a medical student there, guided Cubs on a tour of the medical school and its facilities.

Also while in Providence, Cubs stayed at the Biltmore, a reportedly haunted hotel.

Several students reported unusual activity, and even Mrs. Crowley said she felt nervous.

"It was a little disconcerting. It didn't help that Mr. Ewalt [the tour coordinator] and Bear [the bus driver] spent the entire day freaking me out about it. But it was all fine."

PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS. DARYL CROWLEY

FIFTY-TWO JUNIORS stand on the steps of Bancroft Hall at the United States Navel Academy.

Students visited 17 colleges on the annual East Coast tour, led by Mr. Caldwell and Mrs. Crowley.

DISPATCH FROM THE COLLEGE FRONT: YALE UNIVERSITY

CUB BASSIST PEFORMS IN ORCHESTRA

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NEWS

2

Mr. Brown wins national poetry award

By TAYLOR MARTINEZ

English teacher Mr. F. Douglas Brown was recently awarded the 2013 Poetry Prize by Cave Canem, an organization dedicated to the discovery of exceptional manuscripts by African American poets, for his book "Zero to Three."

Inspired by fatherhood, Mr. Brown focused "Zero to Three" on the importance not only of the developmental period that children undergo but also of the impact of that period on parents. “It’s hard to say what the book is about, but if it’s about anything, it’s about learning what to say, what to do, what not to do and what someone has done to you as a parent and a child,” said Mr. Brown.

Along with the creative inspiration Mr. Brown found in the love of his children, the loss of his father also influenced "Zero to Three." “In dealing with the loss,” said Mr. Brown, “I thought a lot about who I am as a son, and that is reflected in a few of the poems.”

Although the book deals largely with the formative years of a child’s life, Mr. Brown has been working on this piece for the last 16. “I started just a little bit before my son, who is a sophomore here at Loyola, was born,” said Mr. Brown. According to Mr. Brown, the first six poems in the manuscript were included in his thesis as a graduate student.

FEBRUARY 7, 2014 DISPATCH FROM THE COLLEGE FRONT YALE UNIVERSITY

A collection of 32 total poems, "Zero to Three" is broken into four sections. Mr. Brown’s two children, Isaiah and Olivia, and his father are the inspirations of the first three sections of poems; moreover, within these sections, Mr. Brown considers other topics such as “music, pop culture and some social justice issues like the Trayvon Martin case.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSE PNIAK The latter part THE 2013 CAVE CANEM POETRY PRIZE was presented to English of the writing, a teacher Mr. Douglas Brown for exemplary poetry work. His work will be pubtwelve-page poem lished by Georgia University Press later this year. called “Something Included in the 2013 Cave write poetry, he planned for My Sister Should Say,” Mr. Canem Poetry award is a cash another career. “All through Brown said, is “about a girl prize, an opportunity to read high school I wanted to be who deals with her relationthe book at New York Uni- an architect because I was a ship with her mom while eveversity and the publication math guy until my senior year rything in her world is being of the manuscript by the Uni- when I had a teacher named torn upside down.” versity of Georgia Press next Tom Barber who showed us Eager to have his story November. a film in class about a poet heard, Mr. Brown said he Getting through the pub- named Quincy Troupe,” said submitted his work to Cave lication process, Mr. Brown Mr. Brown.

Troupe had Canem last year, but, admitsaid, is a challenge. “It’s cra- written a poem about Magic tedly, it was not quite ready. zy all of the deadlines I have Johnson. “I thought it was Undeterred, he resubmitted to meet,” he said. “I always great that people could write the book in early April with thought that, being in the poems about everyday, cool hopes of hearing good news English Department, I was a stuff that interested me. I in September. Because of stickler about MLA, but I am ended up being an English complications with the organnowhere even close to what major in college, and my ization’s website, Septempeople that work for maga- masters is in creative writing ber came and went without zines want and require.” An and literature.” any word from Cave Canem. academic press that publishes According to Mr. Brown, While planning a fundraiser mostly academic works, Uni- the prize urged him to confor Cave Canem, Mr. Brown versity of Georgia Press is tinue his writing career. He called the executive director “really big on making sure said, “After winning the in December to speak about all their t’s are crossed and i’s award, I feel obligated to rethe matter, and she informed are dotted,” said Mr. Brown. assess what I know about the him that he is the recipient of Although Mr. Brown has publishing world and reasthe 2013 award. chosen to teach English and sess my place in it.”

FREDRICK MUTH CLASS OF 2013

On paper, it's quite a rough cultural transition.

Moving from an all-boys, religious high school on the West coast to a university with an exemplary and marketable diversity of people from all over the country and the world, with the omnipresent threat of ice and snow and frigid fingers, and with, most shockingly, the presence of the foreign creatures called the females of the human species. Indeed, these should be troubling times in the kingdom.

However, a few months into my first semester here at Yale, someone asked me how hard the adjustment was to the new people and the new environment. After a few moments of stumped thought, I realized that I hadn't really noticed. Sure, the striking differences were obviously there in retrospect, but in all the excitement and busyness of starting a new year and living away from home, I must have forgotten to fret and worry and pull my hair out about them.

In fact, Loyola prepared me for suavely handling diversity much more than I consciously realized. Although we all live in southern California, we're a very diverse crowd already and comfortable with people of differing backgrounds. Although many of us are Catholic or Christian, we are very open-minded in learning about and communicating with people of other faith backgrounds (take Ms. Lee's World Religions class!).

And although the student body is male, women don't bite and only expand the range of views in the classroom further. As for the weather, if you keep calm and dress warmly, you'll be rejoicing in the comfort of 30 degree snow like any good New Englander in no time.

Of course, there are still plenty of stresses to living on your own for the first time, responsible for classes, socializing, doing laundry, and managing all that lessrigid but still busy time. But hopefully I can remove a couple from the list. Just be a little open, easy-going, and ready to learn, and you'll be fine anywhere.

For more articles, check out The Loyalist website at loyalistnews.org.

Dedicated students launch the "Loyola Basketball Network"

By CHRISTOPHER COMBS

For the first time in Loyola history, a small crew of seniors with a knack for sports commentary have teamed up with Mr. Bob Vanech, a Loyola dad and committed fan, to broadcast varsity basketball games online at www.highschoolcube.com. The production crew operates under the name Loyola Basketball Network.

These live broadcasts started with Loyola’s first practice scrimmage against Santa Monica in late November, offering a way for Cub fans who can’t make the game in person to tune in online to watch the game broadcast live. The crew intends to broadcast every home game. Each game can also be viewed on the website in its entirety or in edited highlights.

The team involved in the production includes senior Tristan Vanech who is leader of the project, executive producer and host; Mr. Bob Vanech who is play-by-play commentator; senior Patrick Kenney who provides color commentary; seniors Hutton Baker and Adrian Halarewicz who run the halftime panel; freshman Nicholas Cohler; and seniors Isaiah Everett and Austin Roski, varsity basketball team managers who also help with the halftime show.

Kenney said, “I would give most of the credit to Tristan Vanech, but we all pitched in with help from Michael Karamardian and Bradley Hubsch.” Kenney talked about the preparation required to broadcast a game.

“We usually arrive an hour and fifteen minutes before the game, but the hardest thing about it is finding a good enough space to set up all the equipment.”

Mr. Vanech stated, “At the start of the season, we probably spent 20 hours over the course of two weeks buying gear and researching, learning,and testing the streaming services.”

To stream the games with good audio and visuals, the team currently uses a variety of technical gear, including an iPad for filming, a microphone, sound board and audio equipment. Each broadcast includes the game, play-by-play commentary that analyzes both teams’ strengths and weaknesses and ongoing statistics for each player.

An avid sports spectator, Mr. Vanech said about his involvement in the overall production, “I am a rookie at broadcasting. I have coached, and I still play hoops twice a week, and, of course, I am a huge Loyola parent/ fan, watching this team for four years.”

As to whether or not Mr. Vanech will continue his involvement once Tristan, his

son, graduates in June, he said, “Ideally, I would continue in some capacity. I love my son, but I love this team almost as much.”

Tristan Vanech said, “Our long-term goal is to teach underclassmen how we go about broadcasting the games.”

Assistant Principal for Student Life Paul Jordan said that broadcasting any game must comply with CIF rules and regulations. As

for the future of the program, he said, “ I am very supportive of the concept. I think we’re at the infancy stage. I would totally support it as long as it’s an activity for our students to grow through and there are leadership roles.

Mr. Uy has a broadcast club, and I would love to see it expand, but it will need to become more of a group effort to make sure we do it correctly.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF HIGHSCHOOLCUBE.COM

SENIOR TRISTAN VANECH AND HIS FATHER BOB VANECH address viewers during a recent broadcast of a Loyola basketball game. The crew intends to broadcast every home game.

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

3

NEWS

Students see sights in Paris and London

By ANDREW WORKMAN

Social Science teachers Mr. Tom Goepel and Mr. Michael Bodensteiner led 19 Cubs on the annual trip to Europe during the inter-semester break, this year a six-day sightseeing sojourn to Paris and London.

Mr. Goepel, who has been chaperoning students to Europe since the mid-1990s, chose to explore Paris and London for this trip rather than the countryside in an effort to save money. He said, “It’s very expensive to hire a bus company and a bus driver. But again, these are two of the greatest cities in the world. They’re on everybody’s top list of places to visit in Europe.”

Spending four nights in each city, Cubs visited more than ten museums, toured major historic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Westminster Abbey and attended a play in London. Co-chaperone Mr. Bodensteiner said, “The trip was really great.

We had a good group of kids which makes a difference.”

Cubs landed in London on the Saturday morning after two flights of five and eight hours, which, according to junior Harrison Mac, passed quickly because of the many accessible movies. Upon arrival, he said, “I suffered from a little bit of jetlag, but it didn’t hit me that hard because I had about a pound of coffee before we got there.”

Once in London, Cubs met with their expert tour guide John Lionet, who, according to Mr. Goepel, speaks five languages and has a vast knowledge of European history and culture. Unfortunately for Cubs used to their cars in Los Angeles, Lionet stressed walking and subway travel as necessary to experience London and Paris.

Mr. Goepel said, “The Europeans walk and take the subways everywhere, so we would walk and take the subways everywhere.

When you’re walking, you’re immersed in the culture, so to speak.”

In London the group visited the British Museum, the Tate Modern Museum,

Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the National Gallery of Art. Westminster Abbey captivated sophomore Dorian Hernandez, who said, “It was very exciting for me to see the tombstones of Elizabeth the Queen mother, tombstones of famous historical figures and the coronation chair.”

In front of Big Ben, junior Tyler Nichol took out an American flag he had brought.

He said, “I draped my American flag over my shoulders like Rocky so I could get a new profile picture on Facebook. I just wanted to promote patriotism. It was really just obnoxious, but I don’t regret it because it was awesome.”

Cubs also attended the play "The Commitments" which is about a group of working- class Dublin kids who start a rock band in the 80s based on 60s music, according to Mr. Goepel. Mac said, “It was a fantastic show about soul music in Ireland, and it was well produced with amazing acting and singing. It kept me interested the whole time.”

After London, Cubs zoomed to Paris at 200mph on the Eurostar bullet train. In Paris two hours later, Cubs were ready for the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, L’Orangerie museum, the Rodin Estate and the Arc de Triomphe, among other attractions.

Mr. Goepel said Paris “has repositories of some of the greatest art work in human history,” and as the AP Art History teacher, he stressed the importance of visiting museums so he could “maximize the exposure to all these great European treasures” to the students.

Mac said, “Mr. Bodey’s and Mr. Goepel’s knowledge allowed me to learn new things about different pieces of art, culture, or history, which is very beneficial for a young mind.”

Besides museum touring, which left junior Skylar Henderson’s “back hurting,” Cubs found delight in the Parisian streets.

Mac said, “My favorite parts of Paris had to be

PHOTO CURTESY OF DORIAN HERNANDEZ

MR. GOEPEL, MR. BODENSTEINER AND NINETEEN STUDENTS stop in front of Big Ben. In London the group also visited many museums and went to a play.

the low-key cafés and brasseries that I went to. I met people from Turkey, Venezuela, Norway, some guys from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and also just some random French guys.”

Nichol added, “The food was amazing, especially in France.”

For Mr. Bodensteiner, the d’Orsay and L’Orangerie museums were a personal favorite for their Impressionist era masterpieces.

Nichol found art to be very subjective, even for renowned masterpieces: “In the Louvre museum, the Mona Lisa was so overrated and not nearly as cool as everyone says it is.

But seeing art older than the country you’re living in was definitely one of the coolest things about this trip.”

As the trip concluded, Cubs found it to be an enriching journey. Mac said, “Traveling is one of the greatest educations you can get at this point in your life. I saw a lot of things that shaped my worldview in a way.” Nichol added, “I am way more cultured, but I also realize how lucky we are to be in America.”

For Hernandez, it was a coming of age

moment: “This trip helped me experience a sense of independence, since I don't really get out of the house much. It helped me see and experience a different type of culture, a whole different culture than here in America.”

As an educator of both mind and character, Mr. Goepel said he sought to make the boys more culturally rounded by the trip.

“As it usually does, guys' eyes are opened, and they see a broader world beyond LA and California and the US, and it opens them up to a whole world they must explore in order to become interesting men,” he said.

Besides hopes of “planting seeds and sparking interest for studying abroad,” Mr. Goepel found the trip, like all of his European trips, to be “gratifying to see the students having a great time and a thrill to see them light up.”

For interested students, Mr. Goepel said next year’s trip will possibly start in Paris, meander through northern France, passing

by Normandy’s battlegrounds and end in Amsterdam.

Robotics team prepares for competition

By ANDREW WORKMAN

Moderated by Mr. Galen Szeto, the Loyola Robotics team has concluded its fourth build week with only two weeks remaining to complete a robot for the Los Angeles Regional Competition on Thursday, March 20.

The winner of the competition, which is hosted by the organization For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) and held at the Long Beach Arena, travels to the national championships in Saint Louis, making it the Robotics teams’ most important event of the year.

According to Mr. Szeto, the top Robotics teams in Southern California all attend the Regional, raising the bar for success. He said, “Placing is practically an honor in itself. A lot of the top schools, very well-funded and well-mentored schools, have a lot invested in winning. Loyola got third place last year, and if we want to win this year, we have to work hard.”

The thirty-five members of the team, divided into the four subspecialties of building, must create a robot that can shoot, pass and catapult, all with precision, a threepound elastic yoga ball, according to Mr. Szeto. “We’re talking about

a combination of field goals in football, bumping in volleyball and kicking like in soccer. It’s the first time I’ve seen three sports combined like this,” he said.

Mr. Szeto further explained that a unique factor in the challenge named “Aerial Assist” is that a robot wins more points if it successfully passes to another team’s robot. He said, “It’s the very first time where schools have to be cooperative.

Before, it was every robot for itself, but now we have to collaborate.”

Mr. Szeto emphasized his own minimal role in the building process: “I provide training, materials and organization or

PHOTO BY WILL MARCUSSEN

FRESHMAN RYAN OLSON wires a circuit on the robotics team's robot. The team has two more weeks to complete their robot for the Los Angeles Regional Competition at the Long Beach Arena on Thursday, March 20.

advice. I don’t have any say about the design of the robot—it has to be purely student driven.”

The foremost students in charge of creating the robot are the four sub-specialty department heads who not only design and build the robot but also instruct new club members in each respective craft of mechanics, wiring, coding and driving.

According to Mr. Szeto, the electrical mechanical department head junior James Weitzel must design a robot with the appropriate materials; the electrical department head senior David Williams must distribute power to the robot’s mechanisms; the coding department head junior Adam Walker must program the robot to activate and move; and the driving department head senior Stephen Luxford must successfully pilot the robot on competition day.

For Weitzel, the hardest part of the competition has been “integrating all the moving ideas and bringing them into reality.”

Williams said he will spend most of his work of wiring the robot in these last two build weeks, and his goal is to achieve successful component placement and integration. He said, “I think of wiring the robot as a puzzle or an interesting math problem in which the goal is to get all the moving parts to work together in a useful way.”

Comparing a robot to a human body, Walker explained coding to be the brain, and the wiring to be the nervous system. “Coding makes the robot go. We plug in a device called the ‘cRIO’ to the computer and program its actions.

Every robotics team must use the same cRIO, and we re-use it each

year. Other than that, the robots over the years have been pretty diverse.”

For Luxford, six weeks of hard work rest on his shoulders on competition day. He said, “Each round is only a few minutes which means each second counts with no room for a single mistake. I block out the entire stadium by solely focusing on the game, but I also try and go into each round as silly as I normally am making each round fun and exciting.”

The four department heads also serve as teachers to underclassmen learning the nooks and crannies of robot building. Freshman Ryan Olson said he found the team to be a welcoming niche in his first year and learned the necessary skills quickly. “I did not know very much about building robots, but I was soon taught by senior David Williams on how to wire the robot and create the circuit board. My main role as an underclassman is to learn so that I’m ready to take over the department head position when the upperclassmen graduate,” he said.

The group can thank Mr. Szeto, who chose not to cut students from the team, for its diversity of upperclassmen and lowerclassmen.

“In order to join this team, you only needed perseverance and patience because a lot of Robotics’ club is sitting down and solving problems without panicking,” said Mr. Szeto.

As the team enters week five of building, no serious problems have arisen, leaving the club members hopeful for their chances in the L.A. Regional. Williams said, “Our team is better than we were last year, and the design for the robot is sound. Time will tell our standings with other teams.”

OPINION

4

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

23andMe: one DNA kit and a lot of Starstuff

By NICOLAUS JAKOWEC In November 2013 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered 23andMe to stop selling their $99 DNA tests after the company failed to comply with the FDA’s regulations. According to the FDA, the biotech company did not respond to the agency for 6 months since May, a blunder that Forbes staff writer Matthew Herper called “the single dumbest regulatory strategy I have seen in 13 years of covering the [FDA].” Contrary to the agency’s justifications, the genomic information provided by 23andMe is essential because this form of personalized medicine can improve the status of the crippling economy and even save lives.

Founded in April 2006 and located in Mountainview, California, 23andMe is currently the largest DNA ancestry service in the world.

Named for the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes in the normal human cell, the company’s mission, as stated on its webpage, is “to be the world’s trusted source of personal genetic information.” Nearly 500,000 individuals have been genotyped as of November 2013. Moreover, the nascent biotech company has raised substantial funds since its beginnings eight years ago; in 2012 the company raised $50 million, none of which was provided by the government.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the blueprint from which all living things are built, is composed of the

four-letter alphabet A, T, C and G, known as nucleotides. The order of these nucleotides ultimately determines an organism’s traits, such as eye color and height. Human beings share roughly 99% of their DNA with other humans and, interestingly enough, 98.9% of their DNA with chimpanzees. With such vast commonality in the genetic sequence between humans and chimps, what differentiates us from our tree-climbing cousins?

The answer lies in the vast quantity of nucleotides in the DNA molecules occupying the trillions of cells of which human beings are composed. Each human cell contains 6 billion nucleotides, or 3 billion base pairs, and, according to the American Museum of Natural History, 1.2% of this text, known collectively as the genome, corresponds to nearly 35 million differences. These differences can encompass more than just whether or not an individual will be tall enough to be the middle blocker of a volleyball team; they also encompass the genetic diseases a person will suffer from at some point in his or her life.

After a customer has ordered from the online store, the DNA kit is shipped with instructions on how to provide the saliva sample. Next, the customer sends the kit back to the company to be analyzed in the laboratory. The DNA samples are analyzed using a protocol known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyping.

When DNA is replicated during the division of cells, “typos” often occur in which a single letter in the sequence is replaced by a different letter of the four-letter code. These errors in coding are known as SNPs. Every human’s genome has about 10 million SNPs of the total 3 billion base pairs, which is about 0.0033% of the entire sequence. Instead of sifting through the 6 billion bases of the genome to identify every single SNP, the researchers place the DNA sample on a format chip that consists of a panel of probes for detecting SNPs. Once the SNPs are identified, the regions of the genome surrounding the errors are compared to those of a genome that characterize a certain disease. For instance, the region of the genome where an SNP will cause an individual to have a high potential for Alzheimer’s Disease is compared to that of the customer’s sample; if the individual’s sample has an SNP in the same region, it is likely that he or she will have Alzheimer’s later in life.

23andMe’s groundbreaking research and development has proven that the company’s ambitions outstretch monetary gain. In 2008 the company’s saliva-based

DNA-testing device was named “Invention of the Year” by Time magazine. This praised invention is justly acclaimed because the company utilizes the apparatus to accumulate data for medical science; 23andMe has used the genomic data of 500,000 customers to identify genetic trends that are present in those who suffer from specific diseases.

Having learned about the likelihood of suffering from an incurable and incapacitating illness later in life, an individual can begin to make healthier lifestyle choices that will decrease the chance of his or her susceptibility to the disease. If someone knows that he or she has the genetic susceptibility to diabetes, the individual can exercise more regularly and monitor his or her diet more carefully. Furthermore, knowledge of one’s carrying a genetic marker for a disease can affect the individual’s choice for having children if the person is willing to pass on his or her disease to offspring. Since informed health care users can make choices that will benefit quality of life later on, the percentage of Americans suffering from disease in the following decades will decrease dramatically;

CARTOON BY DUVIT KAKUNEGODA

this improvement to the health of the country’s population will aid the economy for generations. Thus, the information 23andMe provides can allow people to make choices that will affect their quality of life years from now and change the course of the nation’s future.

The impact that 23andMe’s services have on the future status of the country is as grand as the impact on the life of one individual. For now, the FDA is obstinate, and the genotyping services the company provides have been frozen as of December 5. In light of the issue, who could possibly quantify the number of lives beyond the 500,000 who have been transformed all from spitting into a dish; the illuminating genetic data revealed by 23andMe has proven the astronomical implications of simply looking at our DNA. As the American astronomer Carl Sagan said, “The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.” If to look at our DNA is to look at the stuff that connects us to the entire universe, what could be more transformative and beautiful?

STAFF EDITORIAL

Students frantic with Cubview down Loyola’s own social networkinglike site, Cubview, has proven to be an incredible asset to teachers and students alike.

According to Loyola’s Information Technology Services (ITS), the site was initially launched over five years ago by former Director of Communications Ben Tomlin.

Mr. Tomlin created Cubview as a student network optimized for collaboration. Since then, the site has seen several upgrades and reforms.

Cubview 2.0, launched over two years ago, featured a new navigation implementation and a more organized news feed. The latest version, Cubview 3.0, was launched last school year and currently presents Cubs with Google Drive integration. Cubview has certainly grown over the years, and it has stayed true to Mr. Tomlin’s original intent of academic collaboration.

Consequently, the site boasts communication features that allow teachers to interact with their students outside of the classroom by posting assignment instructions, supplementary readings and

video links, as well as class agendas.

Also, comment sections and drive integration create digital environments for students to view and discuss class content with their fellow Cubs.

Simply put, Cubview has largely influenced the way the school’s curriculum is taught. While Cubview is, indeed, a powerful tool that has been refined since its original launch, its prevalence today might just be making students too dependent on its perks.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 14, Cubview went down and continued to be inoperative for over two days until early Jan. 17.

According to Ms. Katherine Cullen, technology services coordinator, Cubview went down as a result of problems with the site’s off-campus host server, and as such, the site’s inavailability “couldn’t be anticipated” by the ITS. Ms. Cullen said that measures have been taken to prevent a repeat of the incident, but the incident itself should serve as a reminder to students of an unavoidable truth:

Technology sometimes fails without warning.

Many students complained that because of the site issues, they were unable to consult any digital resources to study for their finals.

Some teachers were considerate enough to provide these resources through other means like email, but the generosity of such teachers only highlights that students have become over reliant on Cubview such that their study habits deteriorate.

Teachers are able to post a significant amount of content to Cubview, but for students to suffer from a deficiency thereof is nearly impossible. Most of the material is uploaded in the first place because it is relevant to topics discussed in class. Thus, to criticize the site’s lack of access is to admit to a lack of engagement in the classroom.

Students should not be passing up on the opportunity to write down vital information just because they think can view that information on Cubview at a later time.

Also, some can argue that up-

loaded study guides for large exams, especially finals, are irreplaceable. These guides synthesize content covered over large periods of class time in a way that notes cannot. This stance has legitimacy, but it cannot be used to justify requests to have a teacher take the extra effort either to make sure the file gets to the students or to lessen the difficulty of tests.

If study guides or similarly important files are so invaluable, students should recognize that it is their responsibility at the very least to download the file from the cloud storage to their own computers just in case Cubview has any issues. It is only common knowledge to have backups of data that would be disastrous if lost.

Only in situations in which Cubview goes down so shortly after a study guide’s uploading that no one could possibly have downloaded the file should teachers consider distributing the file through other means.

Lastly, no grounds exist to extend the due dates of assignments

that are supposed to be turned in to Cubview even if the website is not functional. If a file from one’s computer is small enough to be uploaded through the student network site, it is small enough to be emailed. Though some teachers may be kind enough to allow extensions during such a scenario, by no means are students reasonable in requesting one. Teachers are not paid to spoon-feed their students.

We students must not forget that we attend “the best damn high school in Southern California,” as the Rev. Greg Goethals, S.J., never fails to remind us. We were chosen to attend a prestigious collegepreparatory school and, as such, should be ready to take on the high academic standards set by the institution.

While Cubview is a fantastic resource that shows how technology can shape education, we students should acknowledge that electronic devices only supplement tried-andtrue hand-written notes and hard copies of handouts, not supplant them.

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

THE LOYALIST Staff

DAVID KARAMARDIAN CHRISTIAN PAZ TAYLOR MARTINEZ

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR-AT-LARGE

NEWS PABLO MUÑOZ ANDREW WORKMAN CHRISTOPHER COMBS MATTHEW YU

EDITOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTOR

OPINION MARC CASTILLO NICOLAUS JAKOWEC DANIEL LYTLE DUVIT KAKUNEGODA

EDITOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTOR CARTOONIST

JACK RAINERI CHARLIE TREPANY TYLER KONKAL THOMAS SITTON CHRISTOPHER SPECIALE

EDITOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTOR

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEATURE BROGAN FEELEY SPENCER REED ALEC ZBORNAK

EDITOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTOR

SPORTS BRADLEY HUBSCH ANDREW FINNEGAN JACK DIXON STEPHEN REILLY

EDITOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTOR

PHOTOGRAPHY WILL MARCUSSEN RYDER SCHEIFELE JEROD ADAMS JAMES MCLUNE THOMAS ZETINO

EDITOR EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER

TECHNOLOGY CESAR TESEN JUSTIN KENNALLY ANTHONY REALE ALEX FLORES ANGEL LOPEZ NICK ROGERS

WEBMASTER CONTENT MANAGER CONTENT MANAGER PRODUCER, ONLINE ANCHOR VIDEOGRAPHER CONSULTANT

BUSINESS RYAN MACDONALD MRS. MARY ARNEY MR. FRANK KOZAKOWSKI REV. GREGORY GOETHALS, S.J.

MANAGER MODERATOR PRINCIPAL PRESIDENT

EDITORIAL POLICY

5

OPINION

Injustice: Teens Among Us

By DANIEL LYTLE

The tale of 16-year-old Ethan Couch is one of destruction and tragedy. On June 15th, 2013, the young Texan decided to have some fun with friends. For them, this meant going to a local Walmart, stealing beer and then heading to Couch’s parents’ house for an alcohol-fueled party. Later that night, Couch and seven friends hopped in his father’s truck and sped down the street, reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour. Then, just before midnight, Couch’s decision to drink and drive left four people dead and two severely injured when he ploughed into a car stopped by the side of the road.

A young woman whose car had broken down and the three people who had come to help her were among the unfortunate victims of Couch’s irresponsibility.

All four people in and around the parked car were killed and two of Couch’s friends, who were riding in the bed of his truck, were thrown into the road. The two boys survived with extreme injuries, and one of them remains paralyzed. Meanwhile, Ethan Couch and the other teens walked away unscathed.

Three hours after the incident, Couch’s blood alcohol level was .24%, three times Texas’s legal limit if the youth had been legally allowed to consume alcohol at all.

This case of a fatal DUI, while tragic, would have been wholly unremarkable if not for the utterly inappropriate sentencing handed down seven months later

by Judge Jean Boyd: a mere ten years of probation and court ordered rehabilitation, paid for by his parents, at a luxury rehab center here in Southern California.

There, he will ride horses and exercise in the facility’s state-of-the art gym, spending his days in the lap of luxury as “punishment” for having killed four people.

Even more stunning is the defense that helped to get Couch such a gentle sentence and saved

him from what could have been up to 20 years behind bars.

Couch’s lawyers argued that his wealthy upbringing, lavish lifestyle and lack of parental punishment for previous wrongdoings had produced an environment in which Couch did not understand the consequences of his actions.

Calling this condition “affluenza,” the attorneys made the case that bad parenting, not Ethan Couch himself, was responsible for their client’s actions.

The fact that Judge Boyd believed this claim is not in and of itself preposterous. However, given Couch’s defense, such a light sentence is utterly hypocritical. If lenient rules contributed to Couch’s poor decision-making, the court’s refusal to issue a severe punishment will only continue to send Couch the message that he is above the law. Judge Boyd’s decision strengthens the pattern of consequence-free behavior for Ethan Couch.

Furthermore, Judge Boyd’s ruling threatens to weaken the very foundations of our nation’s system of juvenile law. She risks setting a precedent of complete parental responsibility. Our legal system in rooted in a belief in personal accountability, even for children, but this case suggests to would-be criminals that they are free to wreak havoc without being culpable for their actions in court. After all, if Ethan Couch is not responsible for the deaths he caused, how can any child be responsible for their crimes?

There is no doubt that the mind of a 16-year-old is still developing, a fact which should be taken into account when judges consider less severe cases. However, the extreme loss of life in this case coupled with Couch’s apparent lack of understanding that stealing alcohol, underage drinking, driving while drunk and killing innocent motorists is unacceptable and inexcusable. Couch’s friends, also developing adolescents, said they even encouraged

him to slow down as they sped away from his house, illustrating that Couch’s irresponsibility was not the norm even among his peer group.

Regardless of his age or economic class, Ethan Couch deserves to be behind bars for his crimes. No degree of bad parenting is an excuse for the fundamentally immoral act of killing another human being. The role of the judicial system is to step in and guide society when generally accepted social norms are breached, and this case was an opportunity for the Texas court system to step in and control a young man whose parents have botched their primary role of raising him to be a responsible, productive member of society.

Couch needed a severe punishment to draw him out of his cycle of destruction. Prison time would have made it abundantly clear to him that, despite his upbringing, he is still responsible for his actions and that, unlike his parents, society will not allow his reckless crimes.

This incident is not the first time that Couch has been involved in illegal activity, and his infractions have become exponentially worse over time. In February of 2013, Couch was charged with underage possession and consumption of liquor, for which he was required to serve 12 hours of community service. Now, given that he has killed four people in another alcohol-related incident just three months after that previous sentencing, gentle punishment is clearly insufficient to ameliorate Couch’s underlying lack of responsibility.

Instead of putting a stop to Ethan Couch’s destructive tendencies, Judge Boyd squandered her chance, becoming part of the system that has tolerated and indirectly enabled his actions. If he is left unchecked, there is no telling what this criminally-inclined teen may do next.

The Loyalist is the official student newspaper of Loyola High School. Its goal is to provide a forum that serves the entire community--students, faculty, staff and administration.

Any editorial that appears with a by-line is the writer’s opinion and not necessarily that of the newspaper’s editors or of the school’s administration. Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the editors and do not necessarily represent the positions of Loyola High School.

Letters-to-the-editor are encouraged. Submissions must be signed, and the editors reserve the right to edit any letter to conform to the standards of journalism. Letters may be dropped off in the journalism office in Loyola Hall, Room 204; mailed to 1901 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90006; or emailed to contact@loyalistnews.org.

Inquiries regarding advertising should be sent to Ryan MacDonald at 310-278-5221. Any advertisement in the newspaper is not necessarily an endorsement either from the editors or from Loyola High School.

The editors-in-chief bear prime responsibility for the contents of each issue, including editing, design and production.

For more articles, visit our website at loyalistnews.org.

CARTOON BY DUVIT KAKUNEGODA

6

FEAT

Senior Service A Month to The Rev. Gordon Bennett, S.J., former principal, launched the project in 1981, modeling it afWhile freshmen, sophomores and juniors ter a community service program he witnessed in prepared for finals the month of January, Loyola’s the 1980s at St. Luis High School. Now celebrating seniors were busy completing their Senior Service its thirty-third anniversary at Loyola, the Senior Projects. Many who have partaken in this project Service Project is pivotal in a student’s career at regard it as a life-altering and spiritual journey.

Loyola and integral in his becoming a “man for Rather than attend school, these seniors spent others.” Mr. Zeko said, “The Senior service projthe month of January volunteering at various ser- ect is the culminating experience in the four year vice sites. Each senior served a total of 78 hours; program of the service and justice education to typically, this project entails working seven-hour help develop men to and for others.” days for about three weeks.

By ALEC ZBORNAK

33

The number of

years Loyola has put on the Senior Service Project.

332

The record number of students who participated in this year's Senior Service Project.

92

The record number of sites served in this year's Senior Service Project.

Alexander Erickson Alexander Erickson spent his Senior Service Project helping ex-convicts and gang members at Homeboy Industries.

Founded by Loyola alumnus the Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J., in 1988, Homeboy Industries is a place where former gang members can learn about employment opportunities, financial and spiritual support, and rehabilitation. Giving people a second chance, Homeboy provides free tattoo removal clinics, educational centers and substance and emotional abuse therapy sessions. And many of these former gang members now work in Homeboy’s restaurant, bakery or clothing store.

Erickson described the experience as a physical, yet rewarding experience he served by “greasing pans, preparing bread and pastries, and listening to unique stories,” said Erickson.

Erickson discussed the Grad at Grad tenets and how they related to his service.

“The service project was a great experience, simply put,” he said. “I learned in the workplace and had a good relationship with all of my co-workers and fellow volunteers.

The service project reaffirmed the ‘Man for Others’ spirit and has inspired me to do my best for the people I work with.”

Erickson said the project is much more significant and immersive than his freshman, sophomore and junior community service.

On an emotional level, Erickson said, “I feel joyful that I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with people previously unknown to me and that I can hear how people’s lives have shaped them and their efforts to help their families, regardless of their pasts.”

Erickson said that Loyola has taught him not to judge people by events that have occurred or decisions they have made in their pasts. Rather, Erickson said, “People show their true selves in their present actions.”

As an underclassman, Erickson worried about the Senior Service Project, thinking it would be a waste of time. However, once he began volunteering, he realized how wrong

SENIOR HENRY ALEXANDER REED helps during a paper mache class in Janua During the month of January, seniors completed a minimum of 78 hours of communit

he participated in the where he learned abo migrants face, and he kitchen.

The Kino Border I lished in 2009 by six A can organizations: the of the Society of Jesus Service/USA, the Mis Eucharist, the Mexica Society of Jesus, the D the Archdiocese of H German Romero mission of the Kino B help make humane, ju German Romero and two other cubs, between the U.S. and Ceasar Castro and Pablo Casillas, volWorking in a soup unteered at the Kino Border Initiative in the opportunity to sp Nogales, Mexico. This specific immersion many of whom were project marked the first time that Loyola students have participated in a service event unique project. Havin of this kind for their Senior Service Project. tion with the migrant However, this project was not the first time stories makes the pro that Romero had volunteered for an organi- Romero said. “This is Plunge; Kino has a m zation like this one. During July of 2013, he was. He advised all underclassmen, “Do not be worried about not fitting in at your service site or if you do not know the people you are working with, for the experience itself will bring you and those people closer together. The Senior Service Project truly is a wonderful experience, so be open about the possibilities that await you when you become a senior.”

7

TURE

e Project 2014: o Give Back Seniors chose various service sites ranging from working at schools to working with special- needs children and adults, working at missions and working with the renowned organization Doctors Without Borders. Sites are located throughout the Los Angeles area and beyond, including the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, South L.A., Pico Union, Compton, Inglewood, Arizona and Mexico.

The Senior Service Project allows the seniors to apply their knowledge and practice their skills

learned at Loyola. Director of Community Services Mr. Tom Zeko stated, “It is a time of synthesis and integration, of testing what they know for the good of others. They can see how much they can impact, influence or affect a group, be that patients, students, special-ed students, the homeless on skid row or any number of people.”

Loyola’s goals in shaping the Graduate-atGraduation are being open to growth, intellectually distinguished, religious, loving, committed to justice and developing as a leader.

Nikolas Klein

PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. ZEKO

ary while volunteering for his Senior Service Project at the Braille Institute near Loyola. ty service at various sites in North America.

e program Border Days out the challenges that e worked at a soup

drain and burden. But at the end of the day, everything is totally worth it.”

“There was an enormous emotional drain,” said Romero, commenting on this Initiative was estabenlightening and rewarding experience.

American and Mexi“Witnessing the helplessness of the mie California Province grants and hearing what they have gone s, the Jesuit Refugee through really opened up my eyes. I came ssionary Sisters of the home exhausted due to the work and emoan Province of the tional deplete.”

Diocese of Tucson and Regarding the Senior Service Project and Hermosillo. The chief the Graduate-at-Graduation, Romero said, Border Initiative is “to “The Grad-at-Grad is very present during ust workable migration the project. One has to be loving and open d Mexico a reality.” to growth toward the migrants. The volunp kitchen gave Romero teers must also have a sense of leadership.” peak with the migrants, Romero got a lot out of the Senior Serdeported. “It is a truly vice Project, emotionally, spiritually, and ng first-hand interaceducationally. He exemplified being a ‘Man ts and hearing their for and With Others’ while working with oject incomparable,” his fellow Cubs to feed and bring a smile to s not like an Urban the faces of the migrants. much greater emotional

Nikolas Klein volunteered at Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row and at Sophia T. Salvin Special Education Center in Los Angeles.

Started in 1891, the Union Rescue Mission provides the homeless with food, shelter and protection from Skid Row’s dangers.

While volunteering at URM, Klein served and cooked meals.

Characterizing his service at URM as an “eye-opening experience,” Klein enjoyed his time volunteering. He said, “Working at URM was gut-wrenching as I saw these homeless men, women and children come in off Skid Row. So as opposed to my old service, this actually opened my eyes to the world outside my comfort zone.”

The Sophia T. Salvin Special Education Center is an elementary school and kindergarten for special needs children. These children have various mental disorders such as autism, Asperger's or Down’s Syndrome.

Klein served as an assistant teacher and supervised the children during recess. With no experience working with mentally challenged children, Klein said the work was fulfilling and rewarding.

Recalling the emotional and spiritual effects of his service at both sites, Klein commented, “I can see God in every person now. Working with these people, I realize in a very real way how blessed I truly am to have everything I have.”

Moreover, Klein said that Loyola has prepared him to tackle a service event as complex, in-depth and demanding as the Senior Service Project. “I’ve learned at Loyola to be open and a lot less judgmental. I’ve also learned compassion. Those two things have made it easier for me to deal with people.

I probably would have been intimidated to work originally,” he said.

As for future seniors, Klein said, “Take this opportunity to expand your horizons.

Learn more about different people and things, and maybe you will start to see aspects in the world around you in a new light.”

10,000

The total number of students that have partaken in the Senior Service Project.

60

The percent of Seniors who volunteer at schools for their Senior Service Prjoect.

3

The number of students who participated in international service for their Senior Service Project.

8

FEATURE

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

Big in winter PHOTO BY JUSTIN WANG

FRESHMEN KOBE CUEVAS AND CARTER BOWDOIN wire the electronics board on the Robotics' team competing robot. The team has two more weeks to build for L.A. Regional competition.

PHOTO BY RYDER SCHEIFELEY

JUNIOR SEBASTIAN PLASCENCIA, LEFT, AND SOPHOMORE MASON SANTA MARIA, RIGHT, attend an after school screening of the Alfred Hitchcock classic "Vertigo" hosted by the Loyola Film Critics Club.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW FRIEDMAN

MEMBERS OF THE SKI AND BOARD CLUB ride a lift to the top of Mammoth mountain. During semester break, several members hit the Mammoth slopes.

PHOTO BY THOMAS ZETINO

SENIOR SEAN PLESKOW evades a St. Francis defender during the Cubs' 5-0 victory. The varsity soccer team currently has won twenty games, tied five matches, lost no games and is second in the nation.

PHOTO BY RYDER SCHEIFELEY

BAJA BUILDERS spent two days near Tecate, Mexico, during winter break constructing this green house from the ground up equipped with a loft and electricity. The house was built for a low-income family.

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

9

Cub bassist shares his experience performing for Hannon Theatre, professional orchestra Senior Nick Leonard has performed the double-bass in orchestras across Los Angeles, including the professional Coburn Chamber Orchestra, as well as providing music for Hannon Theatre productions.

For the past three years, senior Nick Leonard has played bass in the prestigious summer camp Idyllwild Chamber Fest Orchestra, the Colburn Chamber Orchestra and Loyola High School’s Hannon Theatre productions.

Each summer, the Idyllwild Chamber Fest Orchestra, located in the San Jacinto Mountains in California, auditions musicians to play with the esteemed conductor Larry Livingston. After these rigorous tryouts, about 71 high school students are accepted into the orchestra, and three of the 71 are bass players. Once accepted, members play three pieces of music with the entire orchestra and then split into smaller groups of three to eight musicians. The program offers two weeks of instruction from world-class conductors and teachers who specialize in the field of chamber music, giving master and private classes to the musicians.

Leonard, who has been a part of this camp since the summer of his freshman year, said about his experiences in the program, “I loved being there. The best part is hanging around all the musicians

in the orchestra. That’s because we all enjoy making music together.

Being able to be a part of that program was one of the best experiences that I’ve ever had as a musician.”

Leonard has also been a part of Los Angeles’s highly competitive Colburn Chamber Orchestra.

The 35-piece orchestra performs professional repertoire throughout the year and has commissioned many works by the famous composers Thea Musgrave and Steven Stucky. Similar to the Idyllwild Chamber Fest Orchestra, Leonard auditioned to be accepted into the orchestra.

Performing in productions such as The Drowsy Chaperone, Guys and Dolls, and Measure for Measure, Leonard has played his bass in Hannon Theatre’s orchestra alongside other Loyola students and local musicians, many coming from the Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California.

“These experiences [Hannon Theatre productions] helped me gain my confidence as a performer.

The more I’m in front of people, the more I feel comfortable going on stage and doing my thing,” said

{

By CHRIS SPECIALE

}

“[Hannon Theatre] helped me gain my confidence as a performer. The more I'm in front of people, the more I feel

comfortable going on stage and doing my thing.”

—Nick Leonard

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK LEONARD

SENIOR NICK LEONARD has played the double-bass since elementary school and hopes to become a professional musician in the future. Leonard currently performs in the Idyllwild Chamber Fest Orchestra and the Coburn Chamber Orchestra.

Leonard. “I think the musicals have been the most fun for me at Loyola because the music is just incredible. It’s a blast playing music like that.” Leonard said he also plans to be a part of this year’s spring musical, "Kiss Me, Kate."

Mr. Steven Speciale, music director for HTC’s spring musicals, said about Leonard's ability, "It is very clear that he is playing close to a professional level. Student musicians that are going to play in the pit [orchestra] have to really 'bring it,' and Nick brings it."

Leonard has been active in the field of music since his early childhood.

Initially, Leonard started playing the violin because his brother played. After a few years of violin lessons, Leonard was exposed to the bass at his elementary school. Leonard said he loves playing the bass because it has a different sound quality to the instrument. He said he loves hearing the very low notes of the bass but also the very high notes the instrument is capable of playing.

As for his aspirations, Leonard

said, "I hope to be a part of a big orchestra in the future, and one of my big goals is to hopefully be a professional musician one day.” Leonard has already applied to prestigious music schools and has been called back for auditions to the New England Conservatory and the Manhattan School of Music.

Read about sophomore magician Ryan Wallace at

loyalistnews.org.

10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

'Life Is a Cabaret' for visiting Hannon Theatre Alumni

By TYLER KONKAL

While Hannon Theatre Company’s production of "Kiss Me, Kate" marks the fourth Audition Camp, the third Annual Alumni Cabaret Night on the eve of auditions maintains a tradition in which auditionees can witness the talent of the alumni who will be judges at the next day’s auditions.

Audition Camp, which took place on Friday, Jan. 10, was introduced in 2011 with the production of HTC’s original musical "Queen Hamlet." This all-day event serves as a platform for any Loyola and female high school students to learn scenes, songs and dance routines, all of which they present in small groups to alumni judges later in the day. HTC Director Walter Wolfe said he never sits on the judging panel, leaving all casting decisions up to the alumni judges and other Hannon Theatre administrators to make the casting fair.

Although Audition Camp is a great way for the alumni to participate in HTC after graduation,

Mr. Wolfe said that the Alumni Cabaret is an even better opportunity. “It is, essentially, a performance where the people who are adjudicating the next day can perform for the auditionees the night before,” Mr. Wolfe said.

The success of the first Cabaret Night three years ago came as a surprise to Mr. Wolfe. “This performance was imagined to be a small get-together of kids who are auditioning,” Mr. Wolfe said, “but parents came as well, and the night turned out to be amazing, so we decided to continue it for the next year.”

These alumni came back to showcase their talents that were born at HTC. Immaculate Heart and HTC graduate of 2010, Adrianna Widmann has performed her fire dancing since the second Cabaret in 2013. Ms. Widmann’s dances include some form of a fire implement, whether a spear with each end lit, or a five-pronged spear with five lit ends. Ms. Widmann also helps with costumes during HTC performances.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MISSY JAMIESON

HTC ALUMNI SEAN BABA '12, MISSY JAMIESON '12 AND RUBÉN CARBAJAL '12 wait in the Hannon Theatre dressing rooms to perform in the Cabaret. These alumni returned to the Cabaret to introduce themselves to prospective actors hoping to earn a role in the upcoming HTC production of "Kiss me, Kate."

Another audience favorite, graduate Missy Jamieson, came from Palisades High School.

Continuing her theatre education at New York University, Tisch, Ms. Jamieson sang two songs, one of which was “I’m Not Afraid of Anything” from the Broadway show "Songs For a New World."

The Cabaret’s intent is to let the

alumni, who will be helping to cast the show the next day at Audition Camp, get to know Loyola students and female high schoolers in order lessen the pressure that comes with auditions.

“Tonight was not only extremely fun and entertaining but also a perfect time to reunite with past castmates right before the

auditions,” said Marymount junior Paula Sison who has been cast in "Kiss Me, Kate." “It gave me a good insight on what Mr. Wolfe’s past students were like, and it helped me to prepare for auditions the next day.”

'Another Op'nin, Another Show': Hannon Theatre Hosts Audition Camp

By THOMAS SITTON

Hannon Theatre Company hosted an open audition camp on Saturday, Jan. 11, welcoming both Cubs as well as female high school students with hopes of earning a role in the upcoming spring production of "Kiss Me, Kate."

"Kiss Me, Kate," with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and text

by Samuel and Bella Spewack, premiered on Broadway in 1948.

The story focuses on a theatre company’s production of William Shakespeare’s "The Taming of the Shrew" and the backstage conflicts that arise during the show’s run.

According to junior Charlie Trepany, many HTC actors were excited by the opportunity to audition for "Kiss Me, Kate." “I think that 'Kiss Me, Kate' is a hilarious musical comedy that is going to serve Hannon Theatre well,” said Trepany, adding that the play is known for its large cast as well as its high-energy and dynamic musical numbers.

Veteran actors as well as newcomers were given the op-

portunity to showcase their acting, singing and dancing abilities for a panel of judges composed of HTC alumni. HTC first-timer Matthew Yu, a sophomore, said, “The audition camp was a lot of fun. It was a great experience. It was my first time, and everyone was so friendly.”

Lasting from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the camp featured a wide range of activities. The day’s activities began with a presentation from the director of Hannon Theatre Mr. Walter Wolfe and assistant director Mr. Daniel Robles.

Afterwards, prospective actors, divided into four teams and spent 45 minutes at each of four stations. At each station auditionees learned songs, steps, scenes and improvisation skills, all of which they presented after lunch to the alumni judges.

Actual auditions began at 2 p.m. Once auditions ended, selected actors were called back to sing and read lines for specific roles. The 33 students who made it through auditions will open "Kiss Me, Kate" on Thursday, May 1.

STAY TUNED FOR A VIDEO ON THE EAST COAST COLLEGE TOUR TO BE AVAILABLE AT LOYALISTNEWS.ORG. POSTER COURTESY OF MR. WALTER WOLFE

"KISS ME, KATE," a 1940s musical comedy with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, follows the volatile romance between a divorced couple as they perform Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

SPORTS

11

RACING

Driving Cub speeds toward Skip Barber Racing Series A senior, Sugianto has always dreamed of being a professional racer. “I am a cancer A Go-Kart race of some of the best Go- survivor. Being a cancer survivor, a lot of Kart racers in Southern California began as people doubt you and try to put you down expected, with the racer having the slowest and try to keep you locked in a cage,” Sugianto qualification time in last place. To the said. “I want to prove people wrong.”

At three years old when his father, flipping amazement of the crowd, that driver began passing racer after racer. Going into the last through television channels, landed on the lap in second place, cutting the last corner on Speed Channel, Sugianto said he fell in love the inside and ending the race in first place with racing. Diagnosed with leukemia at eight by half of a second in a dramatic photo-finish years old, Sugianto went through four years of treatment, a period where he motivated was Jonathan Sugianto. himself with racing: If he beat cancer, he told himself, he would make it his goal to become a professional racecar driver.

Since his start as a driver, Sugianto has had a great deal of success. For example, in his first year of racing in the Jim Hall PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SUGIANTO FAMILY Karting Series in SENIOR JONATHAN SUGIANTO races on Laguna Seca Raceway in 2009, he won the Salinas, Calif. He placed eleventh out of twenty-five in the race. championship as

By BRADLEY HUBSCH

a rookie, and for the next two years he won consecutive championships as well. Since his third consecutive championship in 2011, he has been “testing Formula cars across the nation, going to places like Florida, Virginia, Wisconsin and Georgia.”

Sugianto’s passion has required a huge time commitment. He said he spends at least five days a week working to get sponsorships to fund his racing, and he goes to the track about twice a month, not counting the time spent driving around the nation.

Despite racing taking up so much of his time, Sugianto loves his work. He said his favorite part of racing is “definitely the feeling behind the wheel when you’re going over 130 or 140 miles per hour.” Sugianto relishes the adrenaline rush of his high-speed hobby: “You feel invincible, really, and there’s no other feeling like it.”

Sugianto, while confident, acknowledges the danger of his sport: “I’ve seen a lot of my friends get injured in crashes, and it’s a scary thought, and I keep it in the back of my mind.

In order to be a racer, you have to put those things aside and keep on pushing forward.”

He continued: “The most memorable crash I’ve experienced was in 2009. I was racing at the California Speedway to GoKart, and I don’t know what happened, but someone behind me, who I think lost their

brakes or something, entered in a kind of 90-degree corner with me, and he just T-boned me right into the side of the track.

I bruised some ribs, and the Go-Kart was just destroyed, really, and I had to go to the hospital. If there is a least favorite thing about racing, it’s definitely the crashes.”

The Cub has high hopes for his future. He said, “I hope one day to become an IndyCar driver. I am currently trying to follow the steps of some of the best Indycar drivers as far as what series to take and what tracks to race at. Hopefully, if I’m lucky enough to be an IndyCar driver, I want to be the first cancer survivor to win the Indy 500. I think that would be something special and remarkable to say the least.”

Sugianto is currently raising money to participate in the Skip Barber Race Series, a series that will open the doors for him to pursue his dream in an even more professional environment. Many of the drivers who inspire Sugianto have attended the Skip Barber Race Series, and he plans to follow in their footsteps to enter a higher caliber of racing. He has gained money in order to compete through methods such as sponsorships and the fundraising website Indiegogo.

Skiing, snowboarding students spend break in winter snow

By JACK DIXON

Winter is a season seldomly loved. The cold weather, shorter days and increased workload characterizing the end of the semester give it a low rating among the four seasons. The select few, the skiers and the snowboarders, relish the wintry season; they love this season and all that comes with it-the long nights, the bitter cold and, especially, the abundance of snow.

Learning to ski is usually a clumsy memory one would rather forget. The winter, harsh and unforgiving, is foreign to any beginner.

Junior Harrison Mac recalled his earliest memories of skiing: “Since before I can remember, my parents have encouraged me to ski on our annual trips to Beaver Creek, Colorado. Also, when I saw my friends skiing, I wanted to be like them, so I just followed suit.”

Sophomore Peter Rizko said, “When I was ten, my family took a trip to Mammoth. I tried snowboarding for the first time, and I just kept on riding.”

Junior Nate Mohler had a slow start to his skiing experience. He said, “I got into skiing when I was little, probably in fourth through

seventh grade, just as day-care ski school while my parents went out.

It was slow learning and sometimes very lonely skiing with a bunch of strangers in ski school.”

Junior Matt Friedman, president and founder of the Loyola Ski and Board Club, had a typical begining to his skiing life. His parents taught him at a young age, but he eventually switched to snowboarding, “My parents both skied growing up, so they put me on skis shortly after I mastered walking. I skied for the first time in Big Bear and loved it. In fifth grade my parents set a rule that I wasn't allowed to try snowboarding until I was able to ski every run on the mountain.

By seventh grade I achieved that and was snowboarding the next year. I think I became hooked on snowboarding because of my love for surfing and skateboarding. I was a quick learner and have been a snowboarder ever since.”

An avid terrain park skier, junior Luca Raspi followed his European roots, embracing skiing from a young age: “My parents taught me since I was three years old. They would put me between their legs and guide my turns that way.”

Every rider and skier has his or

her own story of falling in love with the sport, and whether the love comes from spending time with family, having a great powder day or simply relishing that feeling that comes with the sport, something keeps bringing people back.

Mac said, “I keep going back because skiing is a very exhilarating feeling that is unlike any other sport out there.”

Mohler, a passionate skier, remembers a certain day when his love for skiing came into its full being: “ I realized what skiing was all about when I was ten. The day was straight out of a dream, fresh powder, and I was the only kid in the ski school class. It was the thrill of going through secret tree paths, going to the top of the mountain, challenging myself and sweating as I took on that risk of my first double black that led to my love of skiing.”

He went on about the feelings that being on the slopes give him, saying, “When you're out there with your boys and they are telling you to hit that kicker and your thighs are burning and your head aches from the altitude, you can look out over the mountain and know that you had a great trip.

With that comes a sense of pride,

PHOTO BY ANDREW WALLENDER

FOOTBALL COMMITS line up after Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Otero Lecture Hall. From left to right, the commits and their respective schools are John Turner (Washington), Stefan Flintoft (Oregon State), Nico Evans (Wyoming), Joe Harding (USC), Mekai Sheffie (Cal Poly SLO) and Chris Brown (USC).

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT FRIEDMAN

JUNIOR SIMON STAUBER snowboards in Mammoth. He was joined by fellow juniors Luca Raspi, Andrew Finnegan, Jack Dixon, Troy Dixon and Connor Niemann during their winter break trip. addiction and happiness that carries with you through the rest of not only winter but the rest of the year.”

As for Friedman being on the snow, he said, “My favorite thing about snowboarding, besides the fact that it's just so beautiful, is that it's just you and the mountain, nobody else. A lot of team sports require you to depend on other people; in snowboarding, on the other hand, you are free to do as you please and not worry about performing well or not. No one critiques or judges you based on your skill level. You can just let yourself be taken away by the mountains and enjoy life.”

He talked about a specific moment that created a love for the slopes: “A year ago in Mammoth there was a storm that lasted a week and dropped eighteen feet of snow in total! It was one of the biggest snowstorms in Mammoth’s history.

It was during semester break so not many people were up there because, unlike us, they had work or school. Once the storm passed, I was up early and on the mountain by 8:15 (lifts open at 8:30). I went up to the top of the mountain and literally slayed untouched, fresh powder. It was by far the best feeling I have ever experienced.

With every turn you just feel like you are floating on thin air, like you are flying. It is hard to put into words how exhilarating it was.”

Raspi also commented on

the feeling only skiing can give a person. He said, “The love for skiing is what makes me want to come back each time. Being with your friends also makes the experience all the better. It's nice to be removed from the big city for a while and be able to get that small town feel. Just being able to see and embrace nature is what makes it so damn spectacular.”

One of the Intercambio exchange students visiting campus also has a passion for the slopes.

Santiago Segura, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a snowboarder who shreds the slopes all over Argentina.

He said, “I usually snowboard in Las Leñas. It’s in Mendoza, Argentina. It’s really good.”

Santiago spoke about how he took up the snowboard: “We were with one friend. We were skiing, but we said, ‘OK let’s try snowboarding.’ So, we started snowboarding, and it was really good. I snowboard because I like it more than skiing. It’s easier to do tricks.”

Whether skiing or snowboarding in Argentina or America, being on the snow is special. It can create a feeling of pure enjoyment or memories that last a life time. Every skier and snowboarder is always in search of that perfect day, blue-bird skies, a few feet of new snow and a group of friends to shred with for the day.

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

12

TheLoyalist

SPORTS VARSITY BASKETBALL

Cubs claim three consecutive tournament titles, look to end year on same high note Santa Monica and Chaminade.

Following the Santa Monica The Varsity Basketball team Tournament, the Cubs played in nears the end of the regular season the Beverly Hills Tournament, with a nearly perfect record, 22-1, where they again captured the and an 8-1 record in the Mission tournament title but with closer League. The Cubs’ only loss of the final scores than in the earlier year occurred at a home loss to tournament.

Chaminade, 61-73, on Friday, Jan. Beginning the tournament with 10. a matchup against Hollywood High Cub dominance began began School, 12 of the 17 players on in early December when the Loyola’s team scored, and the Cubs team captured the Santa Monica dominated Hollywood in every Tournament title, routing by at aspect of the game, winning 79-36. least 20 points each team in the Following a close win, 58-52, tournament--Locke, West Ranch, against Brentwood and a victory against CantwellSacred Heart, 58-55, the Cubs capped off the tournament with the championship, beating Gardena Serra, 63-33.

B e t w e e n Christmas and New Year’s, the Cubs competed in the Under Armour Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, a tournament comprised of some of the nation’s top teams.

Head Coach Jamal Adams was pleased.

Competing against some of the best teams in the country was one of his goals. “We tried to play a tough schedule because we know league and playoffs are tough,” he said.

Junior forward PHOTO BY JEROD ADAMS Stone Gettings has SENIOR KHALIL BEDART-GHANI shoots appreciated the above Saint Francis defenders. The Varsity Cubs challenge. He said, won the game 65-47 at home.

“Playing against

By ANDREW FINNEGAN

nationally-ranked teams in the Torrey Pines Tournament prepared us for our tough league and helped us get ready for the talented opponents in the upcoming games.”

The Cubs were seemingly unphased by the opposing talent in Beverly Hills. Winning all four games in the tournament, Loyola earned its third straight tournament title in a dominating fashion. They beat Sheldon, 88-54; The Patrick School, 76-61; Sierra Canyon, 83-70; and Corona Centennial, 78-57. Junior Loyola guard Max Hazzard earned MVP of the tournament, while seniors Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Thomas Welsh were selected to the all-tournament team, compiled of the tournament’s most outstanding players.

The trip to Torrey Pines in San Diego also served as a bonding experience for the Cubs. Gettings stated, “Our team chemistry and closeness as a team has been huge.

The San Diego tournament helped us become closer which directly contributed to how well we’re doing.”

Also instrumental to success this year has been the team’s defense.

Welsh said about it, “Defense has been our main factor in our success this year. We’ve been great so far, and we’ve held most teams to few points.”

After going undefeated in non-league play, the Cubs began league on Wednesday, Jan. 8, with a victory over Notre Dame, 87-59.

The Cubs then suffered their first loss, 61-73, two days later on Friday, Jan. 10, against Chaminade.

Defense in this game, ironically, led to the Cub defeat. “We didn’t execute well that night, and the things we did well in our wins, we

didn’t do well that night,” Coach Adams stated. “Our defense didn’t do as well as it usually did.”

However, the Cubs looked to this loss as a learning point to improve their game for upcoming league play. Captain and senior Thomas Lapham said, “We learned that we needed to practice better.

We also learned that we needed to play better defense and better offense.”

The lesson was clearly learned.

Following the loss to Chaminade, Loyola was victorious in its next eight games, six of which were league; the one non-league game was a victory over El Camino Real. The Cubs also avenged their loss against Chaminade on Friday, Jan. 31, when they overpowered the Eagles, 54-41.

Ranked by MaxPreps as the second team in the nation, the Cubs have their goals set on as many titles as they can earn. “Our goals right now as a team are to first win Mission League, then win CIF and finally win the state championship,” Welsh said.

The possibility of these goals being reached is completely realistic. Coach Adams summarized the team’s success, saying, “Our success comes from our 3 T’s: We’re talented, we’re tough and competitive, and we’re together. We play the game the right way and play together.”

One of Coach Adam’s “T’s,” talent, is clearly evident. Of the starting five players, four have Division 1 scholarships to play basketball at the next level. Of the four, only two have decided where to attend school next year.

Seniors Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Thomas Welsh are committed to the University of Arizona and

NATIONAL RANKINGS Courtesy of Maxpreps

VARSITY BASKETBALL 1. Montverde Academy (FL)

2. Loyola (CA)

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Mater Dei (CA) Apple Valley (MN) Rainier Beach (WA) Paul VI (VA) Carmel (IN) North Shore (TX) Corona Del Sol (AZ) Indianapolis Arsenal Technical (IN)

VARSITY SOCCER 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Montverde Academy (FL) Madison Central (MS) Northwest Rankin (MS) San Clemente (CA) Hamilton (AZ) Steinbrenner (FL)

7. Loyola (CA)

8. West Orange (FL) 9. Tupelo (MS) 10. Edison (CA) UCLA, respectively.

Welsh, averaging 15.7 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per game, has been selected to compete in the McDonald’s All-American Game on Wednesday, April 2, at Chicago’s United Center. The McDonald’s game hosts the nation’s top 24 high school basketball seniors in a game on ESPN. The first man off the bench, senior Thomas Lapham, has committed to play at Tufts University.

The Cubs seek to preserve their virtually perfect record and in doing so win the Mission League, CIF and state titles. At the team’s current level of play, such goals are attainable in the future.

VARSITY SOCCER

Team dominates Mission League, anticipates playoff success

By STEPHEN REILLY

With a league record of 6-0-3 and an overall record of 20-0-5, the Loyola Varsity Soccer team is slated to play three remaining Mission League games in its bid to win a sixth consecutive Mission League title and advance to CIF play.

On Wednesday the Cubs shut out St. Francis, 5-0, in an away game in which senior captain Lucas Hodges scored twice and seniors Nico De Cardenas and Ryan Savitt also scored. The Golden Knights suffered an own goal as well.

The Cubs also notched victories in each of the three games played during semester break. Loyola blanked Alemany, 1-0, on Monday, Jan. 27, at home.

Junior Tommy Fraher, who scored Loyola’s only goal, said, “It was a hard fought game, and Collin’s penalty kick save in the second half was clutch.”

The Cubs went on to beat Notre Dame, 3-1, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at home.

In an away game last Friday, Loyola defeated Chaminade, 2-1, and took sole possession of first place in the Mission League, putting the team—ranked second in the state—in a position to control its destiny. Down 1-0 in the first half, the Cubs made a comeback with Hodges and Fraher each scoring a goal.

Head Coach Chris Walter stated, “Our first goal is to try to win Mission League to set us up for the playoffs and get to the finals

and see what happens. Every game in league Laurient, a senior, commented, “We have Coach Walter concurred, highlighting will be challenging for us.” had a solid defense; it’s mostly on building the effectiveness of the Cubs’ defensive He continued, “I was telling the guys out through the back, going through our play. “Our defensive line has been really earlier that every team was beating up on backs to our mids and then to our forwards. solid, starting with our goalkeeper Carl each other, and the league is surprisingly We have also been really strong on set Rubschlager and our center backs Timmy competitive; anyone can be anywhere and pieces--corners especially--and throw-ins Mehl, Sean Pleskow and Ryan Savitt,” Coach will give us their toughest game, so we have as well.

Walter said. to be ready.”

Cub players point to multiple elements that have contributed to the team’s undefeated record.

Senior captain Timmy Mehl said, “We have been having good chemistry at the field, and we just work well together by passing the ball and not being selfish.”

Senior Sean Pleskow agreed: “Our strength is our camaraderie on the field. We work very well and pass together. No one is selfish, and we have been getting a lot of assists, so it hasn’t just been one person scoring.”

Loyola’s defense has also been key to the team’s success thus far. Thirteen Cub victories have been shutouts, the most recent PHOTO BY THOMAS ZETINO of which was the victory over St. Francis.

SENIOR SEAN PLESKOW jukes a Saint Francis Knight on Friday, Jan. 17, at Loyola. The Cubs were victorious, Defender Antoine winning the eleventh of Loyola's twelve shut outs with a final score of 1-0.