focus: a virtual affair
Friday, March 4, 2011 Issue 6, Volume XXVI | The Buckley School | 3900 Stansbury Avenue, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
inside news
CIF Finals, here we come
JSA | page 4
winter congress brings home three gavels
opinion
freshlunch | page 11 bigger is better, so order a large
features Brian Lee The Student Voice
IT’S GO TIME: (Left) Sophomore Tyler Coppin-Carter makes a jump shot over two defenders in an early season game against Viewpoint. (Right) Senior Nick de Bonfihls drives to the hoop past a Viewpoint defender. The team defeated Maranatha in a close CIF semi-finals game, 56-53, and is scheduled to battle Oaks Christian in the finals tomorrow at the Anaheim Convention Center.
turmoil | page 15 rioting in the middle east affects students
a&e
vinyls | page 24
classic vinyl records make a comeback
sports
playoffs | page 27 boys soccer reaches second round of CIF Index: news...........................................1-7 opinion....................................8-10 features................................11-15 focus.....................................16-17 arts & entertainment.......18-25 sports....................................26-32
Character Ed raises concern for student stress Performance Lab students stage their annual Character Ed sketch concerning student stress and overcommitment. NikaShahery ‘13 staff photographer The Upper School Performance Lab’s annual Character Ed assembly March 2 included a short video spoof of Intervention, portraying a student’s pursuit of academic perfection. Students discussed the problems addressed in the sketch March 3 during advisory. “The way in which the story was comically presented made the underlying moral easier to digest and to relate to,” said junior Daniel Gabbay. Following the video, featured students performed a skit, which highlighted the issue of stress and overcommitment students face daily. Although the live skit did not resolve the concerns regarding academic pressure, the scene did heighten student awareness of the topic. “We wanted to focus on stress because we knew it was an issue everyone deals with. We also had a lot of fun filming and took it over the top,” said senior Miranda Rizzolo. Performance Lab students began working on the sketch at the start of the second semester. The class spends roughly eight weeks coming up with the concept, making the script, filming and editing, and finally, preparing the skit. The Character Ed assemblies address typical high school challenges by presenting relatable situations and discussing potential
solutions to such circumstances. “A student brought up the shows Intervention and Hoarders, and we decided to go with Intervention. Then when we tried to think of a problem that all Buckley students face, we were unanimous that being overwhelmed is the biggest problem,” said director of theater, Neil Nash. According to Rizzolo, the class came up with some scenarios based on real life experiences, but dramatized the situations for a comical effect. “I feel that the video showed only a slightly exaggerated depiction of what actually happens during senior year. I found myself downing energy drinks to stay up and study for the classes that I need to get A’s in,” said senior Madeline Fuhrman.
Nika Shahery The Student Voice
STRESS STRESS STRESS: Seniors Sara Super, Brady Dowad, and Miranda Rizzolo discuss stress managment during Character Ed sketch. see Character Ed, page 7
School creates Jordan Weiss scholarship TaraBitran ‘14 staff reporter MeherSingh ’14 staff reporter To honor senior Jordan Weiss, the school has created The Jordan Weiss Memorial Scholarship Fund to provide financial aid grants to students who most embody the central qualities of Weiss’s character and the Buckley Commitment. The qualities specific to Weiss include demonstrated merit in academics and athletics. Awards will be directed to either Middle or Upper School students. The scholarship fund was set up at the request of Weiss’ parents Rabia Cebeci and Phil Weiss. It was important to them to provide a way for friends, family, and members of the community to contribute in Jordan Weiss’s memory. Cebeci specifically requested that the scholarship support students in need of financial assistance, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford a Buckley education. The Jordan Weiss Memorial Scholarship Fund will operate similarly to other endowments. Lisa Turchan, CFO, and Carinne Barker, director of admission and financial aid, will coordinate the financial aid award process. Since the fund’s inception, the school has received more than 195 donations. As a further tribute to Weiss, the Class of 2011 has decided to re-purpose the Senior Class Legacy Fund to become the Jordan Weiss Memorial Scholarship Fund.
news 2
friday, march 4, 2011 |
Student Lounge temporarily “seniors only” Russo and Wittmer felt it was most logical to reopen the lounge to the school’s “most mature students” first. The lounge was closed in January for the second time this year. ShilpaMantri ‘13 staff reporter In reopening the lounge on February 9, Upper School librarian Matthew Wittmer and George Russo, director of student activities, made it exclusively for seniors. The January vandalism stimulated Wittmer to close the lounge for a month when he found the furniture ruined, food scattered, and a concrete brick smashed on the pingpong table. The lounge was also closed in September because of irresponsible behavior. “I was not seeing a lot of respect for the furniture, equipment, and space. It seemed logical to Russo and me that we open the lounge to the most mature students first, the seniors, to see if the problem continues,” said Wittmer. The lounge will eventually be open to Upper School students again, according to Joe Sciuto,
Upper School principal. “Right now, we’re starting off with seniors, and gradually we’ll open it to juniors. If that works out, then the lounge will be open to sophomores. That way, we can see when the problem becomes apparent,” said Russo. Jonathan Friedman, BSC secretary, is upset about the new restriction on the lounge. “The lounge is meant to be a place to bring all students together. This decision to treat the lounge like a senior privilege is backwards and separates the community more than it brings us together,” said Friedman. Seniors enjoy having the space to themselves. “I think the lounge is great because we deserve it. It’s nice to play music outside, and it’s a good hangout place for seniors if we don’t want to be around underclassmen,” said senior Liz Gershman. While seniors enjoy their
CAC hosts mixed doubles fundraiser GinaAhmar ‘14 staff reporter The varsity girls and boys varsity tennis teams will participate in a mixed doubles tournament today to raise money for the Cancer Awareness Club (CAC). This year, proceeds will also benefit sophomore Steven Yampolsky, who was recently diagnosed with bone cancer in his knee. The tournament will be held at the Balboa Park tennis courts from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Only
insidelook thestudentlounge The school’s first Student lounge, opened in 1987 but was shut down permanently in a matter of weeks after students trashed its furniture. Is this lounge headed towards the same fate?
november 2009
March 3, 1987
Vice President Alexander Turner ‘10 opens Student Lounge.
First Student Lounge opened; lounge was located in room 171.
october 2010
march 17, 1987
Lounge closed for a month due to furniture abuse and trashing of food.
Lounge closed for a day because air conditioning system broke down
january 2011
early April 1987
Lounge shut down indefinitely due to student vandalism of furniture.
Food is banned from student lounge due to student disregard of rules.
february 2011
late april 1987
Lounge converted into senior lounge. Wittmer says the seniors are doing a good job so far.
Lounge closed by administration for the rest of the semester. Holes were made in couches, on walls.
privilege, most underclassmen resent the lounge’s restrictions. “The restriction of the lounge to seniors only makes it seem as if the sophomores and juniors are bad, but we really didn’t do anything,” said sophomore Emily
members on the tennis teams will be allowed to participate in the tournament, and each player must pay 15$ to enter. Members of the community and students are welcome to attend and watch the tournament free of charge.
“I think that the mixed doubles tournament will encourage Buckley to rally behind the cause, and give an opportunity to students and faculty members to enjoy the sport while supporting Steven Yampolsky.” Matthew Benzimra CAC President
Irani. According to Wittmer, for the lounge to return to being a student lounge, students need to stop destroying it and to pick up after themselves. “I just want one rule and that is to be respectful,” said Wittmer.
Each doubles team competing will consist of one boys varsity player and one girls varsity player. They will be matched up by varsity boys captains senior Cyrus Shaki-Khan and junior Brandon Afari, as well as varsity girls captains senior Ali Guthy and junior Hadleigh Glist. Sue Sherman, dean of students and head coach of both varsity tennis teams, began the tournament last year as a fun way for the teams to bond. Alumna Katherine Krylova ’10 came up with the idea that the tournament should be a fundraiser for CAC. “Our goal this year is to help spread knowledge about the disease,” said Benzimra. “I think that the mixed doubles tournament will encourage Buckley to rally behind the cause, and give an opportunity to students and faculty members to enjoy the sport while supporting Steven Yampolsky.”
insidenews
DR. J| page 6 FIELD DAY | page 6
FIELD DAY| page 3 Students and faculty substituted BSLC with a flag football game. DR. J| page 4 Dr. Julius Erving highlighted the February 22 sports assembly with words of motivation.
INTERVENTION | page 3
INTERVENTION | page 6 Character Ed assembly satirizes students with stress.
newsin
brief Doctors speak at Black History Month assembly Six female African American doctors spoke at the Black History month assembly on February 11 and shared their stories about entering the medical field. Dr.’s Nicole Alexander, Latonya White, Jessie Sherrod, Deonza Thymes, Glenna Tolbert, and Letitia Bridges each told about her childhood and colleges experiences. After the assembly, the doctors visited the freshmen biology class to answer questions about health and medicine. Discussions varied from stem cell research to the US’s health issues. “It was great being able to speak directly to medical professionals about the health issues our country faces,” said freshman Gian Ignacio. Alexander talked to the students about privilege, and how we here in America are “luckier” than other countries around the world. Sports injury specialist Glenna Tolbert spoke to students about sports-related injuries occur and the importance of rehabilitation. “Doctor Tolbert really gave me some great advice for my basketball injuries,” said freshman Tyra Gray. SalimChamoun ’14
Help Our Pets collects 201 cans of animal food As a result of the drive that lasted from January 24 to February 4, the Help Our Pets Club donated 122 cans of dog food and 79 cans of cat food to the Pet Orphans of Southern California. Pet Orphans of Southern California is a non-profit organization in Sherman Oaks that rescues dogs and cats from kill shelters. “The drive was extremely successful and we actually collected a lot more than I had anticipated,” said senior Sara Greenwood, Help Our Pets club president. “Pet Orphans takes really good care of their animals. They limit the number of animals that they take in so that they are not over crowded.” Greenwood has volunteered at the organization for six years. She said the inspiration for the drive came when the organization sent emails out asking for food donations. SarahRose’11
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news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
BSLC postponed indefinitely The school moved the initial BSLC because of Jordan Weiss’ passing. Russo organized an Upper School field day in place of the annual conference. JamesBernstein ‘14 business manager George Russo, director of student activities, and the BSC replaced the annual Buckley Student Leadership Conference (BSLC) with an Upper School field day on February 12. The conference has been postponed until after Spring Break. Russo said the event was postponed because preparation time was lost due to recent events; one of the guest speakers could not attend, and there were few RSVPs from students at other schools. Fifteen students and five faculty mem-
“It [the BSLC] would not have been as good as we would have wanted it to be.” George Russo
Director of Student Activities
yourvoice onBSlc “It’s a great way to learn more about being a great leader from those who have more experience than you.” Sheridan March
Freshman
“BSLC is necessary to have good insight and leadership in the modern day, when applying for jobs in the future.” Alec Shaul Senior
bers attended the field day and participated in a nine versus nine flag football game. Russo said he plans on holding more of these events in the future. According to Russo, the goal of the field day was “just for fun.” It was “just a chance for whoever wanted to come out and play to do so.”
Community Read scheduled before CEP school photo The administration double booked March 21 with Community Read and the pre-construction photograph, and has decided to keep both events on the same day. MeherSingh ‘14 staff reporter The Community Read has been squeezed in between the CEP construction photo and lunch on March 21. Community Read committee chairs English teacher Dr. Ellen Salas and math teacher Juan de la Cruz met with with Joe Sciuto, Upper School principal, to confirm the time of Community Read this past week. “Were very disappointed that the community read is being crunched between the photo and lunch. The administration’s belief is that, since students have a four-day weekend that week, students will use the time off to read.” Nicole Krauss’ The History of Love will be the novel discussed on Community Read day in the Upper School. According to Salas, she and de La Cruz felt that the novel would appeal to students, which was their primary concern. “It’s entertaining and well written and
“We’re disappointed that the Community Read is being crunched between the photo and lunch. The administration’s belief is that, since students have a four-day weekend that week, students will use the time off to read.” Ellen Salas English teacher
it has some unusual elements, yet it also touches upon significant topics like the Ho-
James Bernstein The Student Voice
ONE ON ONE: Philman attempts to pull Haas’ flag during the field day football game.
yourvoice ontheRead “I couldn’t fall asleep so I just started reading it. Now it’s got my attention.” Christine Hovanessian
Freshman
“I don’t think the Community Read is promoted enough, plus people don’t have any initiative to read it.” Emily Matson
Sophomore
“I’m excited to lead discussion this year. It’s a good way to bring students together even though I don’t know how many kids read.” Adam Akenzua Senior
locaust and the impact of love on people,” said Salas. “Hopefully people will start it and become quickly engaged in it.” Salas and de la Cruz also wanted the selection to complement the Middle School book, The Diary of Anne Frank, which also deals with the Holocaust. This year, copies of the novel will not be sold on campus. Students will be responsible for obtaining their own copy. According to Salas, last year students did not take advantage of the fact that the books were being sold on campus. The eighth grade honors English class will lead the Middle School discussions and the senior class will lead the Upper School discussions.
James Bernstein The Student Voice
HUDDLE UP: The faculty maps out their next play.
James Bernstein The Student Voice
UP THE MIDDLE: Russo runs between three student defenders.
friday, march 4, 2011 4
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
JSA makes statement at Congress Higgins’ proposal was one of the rare bills ratified by the delegation. He also announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor. AliEicher ‘14 staff reporter Continuing a streak of success in the fall, the school’s JSA chapter won three best speaker gavels at the February 19-20 SoCal Winter Congress. The chapter was recognized as the largest in attendance, bringing 35 students. Gavel winners consisted of senior Matt Saunders, SoCal JSA governor, and sophomores Ian Bernstein and Tucker Higgins. Higgins’ bill on reforming public education and the national debt was one of the two bills out of 32 put in to effect by the end of the convention. Higgins also confirmed his candidacy for SoCal’s 2011-2012 Lieutenant Governor, the second highest position in SoCal JSA’s hierarchy.
“I saw an opportunity to build upon this year’s successes in JSA, and there was enough support behind my candidacy to have a credible campaign,” said Higgins. Higgins plans to establish convention scholarship funds to increase convention attendance and diversity; to grow and utilize social media to both reach out to schools without JSA chapters and to help re-establish pre-existing chapters. “Congress is where candidates establish themselves in local or state JSA. It helps them if Buckley has a good showing at Congress because it shows that we’re a serious contender,” said JSA club advisor Rob Wright. Seven chapter members, a mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen, gave main speeches. Each acted as mock senators or representatives, voting to pass or fail bills proposed by other students. Joining the SoCal state was the Arizona Junior State, adding over 140 students into the mix of SoCal delegates. Saunders and 10 students on SoCal and Arizona
cabinets planned Winter Congress. Over 500 students attended, the first Congress to have that amount in 10 years. To prepare for Congress, JSA held their normal debates in addition to a mock-legislation session. They attempted to pass sophomores Bernstein and Madeline Baldi’s bill on funding the NCA, similar to the actual convention. “I want those [who attended] to have had a great experience and be excited about policy debates in America, while having expanded upon their oratory skills. The best that can happen is when you have a high level of participation and interest in topics,” said Wright. Wright measures success at Congress based on how many underclassmen took advantage of the opportunity to speak at Congress. Ten freshmen students attended and two proposed a bill to require aerobic exercise for desk workers. “We don’t need the gavels, we need the underclassmen [to speak] because they’ll be the ones continuing the club,” said Wright.
Kim Kerscher The Buckley School
WISE WORDS: Erving told students to always have something to work towards.
NBA Legend leads sports assembly Julius Erving spoke about the feeling of success and the importance of hard work. He was invited by friend and ex-teammate Brian Taylor. JordanBloch ‘11 editor-in-chief The athletic department organized a special M period assembly on February 22, hoping to rally the student body for the winter CIF playoffs. Julius, “Dr. J,” Erving got the Red Army fired up. Following playoff speeches from boys varsity soccer coach Andrew Pearce and boys varsity basketball coach Mike Hamilton, the NBA Legend took center court and spoke about his career, his teammates, his family, and the importance of believing that anything is possible. “As junior high school and high school students,
“You should always have something to look forward to. I am turning 61, and I am still waiting for the best moments in my life.” Julius Erving if you think that you are at the best point in life because you do not have to pay the rent, and you tell yourself that ‘I can blame my parents, my teachers, and my coaches for everything,’ then that’s an issue,” said Erving. “You should always have something to look forward to. I am turning 61, and I am still waiting for the best moments in my life.” In order to get to those great moments, Erving stressed that hard work must come first. “Be the best student, student athlete, student artists, and student teacher you can possibly be,” he said.
courtesy of Danny Molayem
LEADING ASSEMBLY: JSA brought the largest delegation, 35 members, to Winter Congress.
courtesy of Danny Molayem
RUNNING FOR OFFICE: As the next Lieutenant Governor, Higgins plans to expand JSA’s social media.
courtesy of Danny Molayem
IN OFFICE: Saunders addresses the attendees during the opening assembly.
5 friday, march 4, 2011
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
Molecular biologist headlines professional development day Medina related the results of studies and gave the faculty relevant information on attention spans the role of exercise in learning of declaratory knowledge, and multi-tasking.
because he is such a dynamic, interesting speaker,” said math teacher Josh Ryan. Science teacher Brian Rector, who attended the conference introduced Medina on professional development day. “His manner of speaking was entertaining, but it wasn’t just the way he spoke, it was the way he organized the
ElleWisnicki ‘13 assistant news editor Molecular biologist Dr. John Medina spoke to school faculty about brain research in relation to teaching at the professional development day on February 18. “He was one of the best faculty professional day speakers we have ever had. He was very dynamic, and it was very wonderful to listen to someone who is that smart. He talked about the importance of science and its application in education,” said art department chair Ellen Mahoney, who plants to implement Medina’s ideas with PowerPoints in her class. English teacher Suzanne Rizzolo, who has long felt uncomfortable with students using laptops during English class because she believes in face-to-face discussions about moral and philosophical issues in the literature, greatly appreciated Medina’s opposition to laptop use in the classroom. “I found Dr. Medina’s presentation to be informative and enlightening, and I immediately began to consider how I might implement some of his suggested strategies into my class. For example, I thought about his notion of dividing a class into shorter segments to assist students in maintaining attention,” said Rizzolo. Last February, five teachers attended the Learning in the Brain conference in San Francisco and came back with great reviews about Medina, one of the keynote speakers at the conference. “I saw at least eight people present during this conference and the reason Dr. Medina stood out was partly
“He was very dynamic, he was yelling at us the entire time. It was enjoyable, it was fun for three hours or so, and it went by really quickly. He even included a lot of his ideas to show them in action; it was seamless.” Rebecca Ruberg Learning Specialist information, which invited us to think about how schools might be different if we import some of this knowledge into the structure of schools,” said Rector. Rector has already implemented Medina’s philosophies in his Life Science and Brain and Behavior classes. “He was very dynamic, he was yelling at us the entire time. It was enjoyable, it was fun for three hours or so, and it went by really quickly. He even included a lot of his ideas to show them in action; it was seamless,” said learning specialist Rebecca Ruberg. According to Dougherty, the hope for the professional day is that teachers identify certain things that they can use in their classroom and that they think about the important impact of interaction with the students and themselves. “I do not believe that we humans multitask very well at all. In an English class, we emphasize logical, consecutive thought and depth of analysis, and I don’t believe that we can achieve these goals unless students have a distraction free environment in which to ponder,” said Rizzolo.
featuredfacts about Medina’s suggestions • Everyone should take 20 minute power naps. We sleep to learn. • Limit laptop use in class. Face-to-face discussion allows students to absorb more content. • Focus on one task at a time; multitasking is impossible for the human mind. • Aerobic exercise is conducive to learning. Try to exercise daily to enhance your learning capability.
yourvoice onlaptopss “I think that not allowing students to have laptops in class is better because students are too easily distracted by them.” Madison Netel Senior
“It deeply saddens me because of the fact that some students use them correctly rather than misusing them. Laptops are essential for a student’s success in a class.” Allen Simanian Freshman
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
friday, march 4, 2011 6
Brain and Behavior: A Psychological Ride
Buckleybytes
Through the study of social psychology and neu- insidelook roscience, Brain and Behavior enables students Brianandbehvaior to gain a better understanding of themselves Below is an example of such social psychology and the world around them. experiments discussed during class:
AliGuthy ‘11 editor-in-chief Most students dread the infamous trek up the hill towards Gilley Stadium. Some are forced to catch their breath, while others hold their thumbs out in a feeble attempt to hitch a ride on Mel’s passing golf cart. But few are forced to make that tiresome climb daily, let alone at eight in the morning; then, there are those enrolled in Brain and Behavior. Unlike your typical academic solid, Brain and Behavior is a course dependent upon controversial classroom discussions, and evoking moral conundrums. Did you know that people are less likely to cheat if they know someone they don’t like is cheating? Or, conversely, that people are more likely to cheat if someone they can relate to is cheating as well? People are unlikely to steal money off a plate sitting in a community room, yet will take a Coke out of a public refrigerator without paying, even though both the money and the Coke represent the same monetary value. Students are presented with
cause of their moral contention and better understand the psychology behind their everyday actions and reactions. “The types of questions and situations we are presented with really get you thinking,” said senior Samantha Stone. “The debates we have in class lead to topics that I wouldn’t normally think about, but in the end, they are really helpful and interesting.” This discussion-based curriculum creates a flexible course schedule that is often relatable to current news and events. According to Brain and Behavior teacher, Brian Rector, this allows students to see that many news items can be examined from a psychological point of view. “I like introducing new ways of seeing things. I also enjoy spinning different scenarios to get discussions going,” said Rector. From social psychology to neuroscience and everything in between, the course covers a wide array of topics based on current journal research. Since there is no single text that covers these topics, Rector is forced to do some research of his
“I spend a lot of time doing book reports and summaries of journal articles to incorporate into the curriculum.Researchers tend to focus on certain areas, so I have to draw on many strands of inquiry and weave them together.” Brian Rector Science Teacher these scientific studies and other difficult moral situations and learn the average psychological response to an issue and what sectors of the brain are activated when making such decisions. Through modern research and scientific data, students are able to identify the
own by compiling and condensing recent research. “I spend a lot of time doing book reports and summaries of journal articles to incorporate into the curriculum,” said Rector. “Researchers tend to focus on certain areas, so I have to draw on
THE TROLLEY CASE SITUATION 1: A runaway trolley is heading towards five innocent, unaware, workers. As the conductor, you can pull the track switch, saving five lives, but kill one surprised railway operator. RESPONSE: Almost all subjects responded by saying: “Pull the switch, better to save five lives than one.”
SITUATION 2: This time, instead of being the conductor, you are a bystander on top of a footbridge overlooking the runaway trolley. There is an overweight onlooker in front of you, and if you push this random spectator off the bridge and onto the track, you will save the five workers’ lives, but kill the bystander.
RESPONSE: Since the emotional response is heightened as the medial prefrontal and post cingulated sectors of the brain (the regions responsible for emotion) are activated, subjects take longer to respond to the question and the answers are more varied.
many strands of inquiry and weave them together.” This combination of neuroscience (brain) and social psychology (behavior) is the foundation of many class discussions. The course, when it began in 2000, focused more strictly on brain sciences and the physical characteristics associated with the human brain. Based on feedback, the course has shifted to a larger emphasis on moral and social psychology. This integration of different fields of study is designed to give students a better understanding of themselves and the world as a whole. “One emphasis that I strongly endorse is that the curriculum helps each student understand him or herself more deeply. In other words, I think it is important to graduate high school with a better
sense of one’s self-identity,” said Rector. To many students, the course has been considered very helpful, not just for a heightened sense of self-awareness, but also in terms of understanding the world from a psychological point of view. “Brain and Behavior has opened my eyes to many different elements of psychology,” said Stone. “After going to class, I see many issues that we have discussed in the classroom applied in the real world, especially in other classes and in conversations with friends.” The versatility of the course does not allow for a single source of information. Since there is no textbook for the course, Rector hopes to write one of his own. “One reason for writing such a book is that there are few like it,” said Rector.
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OLIVIA ESSE WINS NATIONAL HORSE COMPETITION On February 18-20, junior Olivia Esse competed in the World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) in Wellington, Florida. Her riding accolades this year include: Junior Hunter 16-17 Champion; winner of WCHR Junior High Score Award; and winner of WCHR Junior Amateur-Owner Palm Beach Hunter Class Spectacular. O’CARROLL PARTICIPATES IN REGIONAL SPELLING BEE Sixth grader Isabel O’Carroll made it to the 4th round LA County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee, competing against close to 90 students. Freshman Ali Eicher represented the school in the competition last year. SPRING BLOOD DRIVE MARCH 9 This year’s second blood drive to be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ages 16 and up can donate. Email Christine Braunschweiger for a permission slip. FAIR THEME ANNOUNCED The theme for the Fair is “Festival,” a French Carnival theme, with jesters, masks, and more. PARENTS’ ASSOCATION RAISES $30,000 THROUGH 12 PARTIES Spotlight parties, to adults only, whole families, to just kids, the Buckley 2011 Griffin Party Book raises money to support school programs. SENIORS TO HOST MORE YARD SALES FOR PROM Second and third yard sale have been postponed. They will take place sometime in March.
Semiformal set for tomorrow night TaraBitran ‘14 staff reporter Semiformal has been confirmed for March 5 at Guys North, above Pinz and Jerry’s Famous Deli from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The location has not changed, despite communication problems with the venue. The theme of the dance remains Cirque de Buckley, and the dance will include all features that were going to be used on January 29, such as the carnival attractions. Guests can also expect snacks such as popcorn and cotton candy. Students who have bought their tickets will not have to purchase new ones. No refunds will be given to students who no longer wish to attend. “We have faced a lot of unprecedented obstacles, but I think that the event will offer the community a chance to be together and have a great time. I hope students enjoy the dance,” said class representative junior Alice Breidenbach.
7 friday, march 4, 2011
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
A stress-filled intervention Energy drinks, obsessive studying, no sleep. Performance Lab’s Character Ed assembly highlight a growing epidemic in schools – stress.
Nika Shahery The Student Voice
GONE TOO FAR: Seniors Matthew Benzimra, Alex Scolari, Brady Dowad, and Sara Super confront senior Miranda Rizzolo about her compulsive perfectionism during the sketch.
courtesy of Luka Bazelli
RED ALERT: Security guard Cesar Garcia and librarian MatthewWittmer try to calm Rizzolo during her tirade.
courtesy of Luka Bazelli
ACADEMIC AFFECTION: Seniors Jordan Bloch and Miranda Rizzolo practice their study skills together during an evening date.
courtesy of Luka Bazelli
AFTER HOURS: Seniors Miranda Rizzolo, Liza St. John, Olivia Forman, and Cathryn Ortiz-Benz hide in library for a clandestine study session.
“A LOVE STORY AS FIERCELY INTELLIGENT AS IT IS PASSIONATE!
Director Cary Fukunaga has broken the mold. Mia Wasikowska owns this part – it’s her Jane. Michael Fassbender shows signs of limitless talent.” KAREN DURBIN,
“LET THE SWOONS BEGIN!” LAURA JACOBS,
MIA
WASIKOWSKA Get an exclusive look behind the scenes of JANE EYRE iTunes.com/FocusFeatures
MICHAEL
FASSBENDER JAMIE
BELL AND
JUDI
DENCH
JANE EYRE
EXPERIENCE A BOLD NEW VISION OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË’S TIMELESS CLASSIC.
IN SELECT THEATRES MARCH 11 Moxie - High School Ad 5x8’’
courtesy of Luka Bazelli
THE BEAM STARE: Social science teacher Christian Beam prepares to crush senior Miranda Rizzolo’s comment about vertical federalism.
opinion 8 friday, march 4, 2011 |
TV: Is there a point? Sexism: what’s the deal with that? Let me just start by saying I don’t really consider myself to be hard-core feminist (not that there’s anything wrong with being called a feminist, I actually find it to be a term of fortitude and a great compliment). Although I may have some very strong opinions on some very important issues regarding women’s rights, I never thought these issues impacted me personally, that is, until now. Imagine. You are a waiter at a nice, but casual, café. It’s late afternoon and a man and a woman are at lunch. You are given a tray with their order, and as you approach their table to deliver the food, you realize you are unsure of who ordered what. There is a salad and a hamburger on the tray, who do you give the salad to? Many times I have been the woman mentioned in the above scenario, and I have come to realize the prevalence of female stereotypes in my daily life. The annoyance here is that I always get the salad. The waiter gently rests a plate of leafy greens in front of me every time without even asking what I ordered, when all I want to do is eat a hamburger! I understand getting a salad is not the worst possible form of discrimination facing society today, but these subtle prejudices are a reminder of the inequality women have been facing for a long time. I know that may sound a bit extreme, but it’s true. My newfound sense of feminism emerged a few weeks ago. I entered a jampacked theater at the Sundance Film Festival, waiting to see a movie my mom urged me to see. “You’ll love it,” she said enthusiastically, “it’s a real eye-opener.” And that it was. The film, cleverly titled Miss Representation, was a documentary designed to expose the “glass ceiling” in modern media that is preventing the expansion of female leadership in society, and some of the statistics were shocking. Did you know that the United States is 90th in the world in terms of women in national legislatures or that women comprise merely three percent of Fortune 500 CEOs? Women hold only three percent of powerful positions in the mainstream media and women comprise only seven percent of directors and thirteen percent of film writers in the top 250 grossing films. This film made me want to take a stand against prejudices that affect me personally, and not just for a moment, but consistently and whole-heartedly. So I began thinking: do other women and girls know these facts and feel the way I do? The answer, I’m afraid, appears to be no. Does the name Gloria Steinem ring a bell? She should, but to most, her name seems inconsequential next to idolized female figures such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. The sad thing is, I bet most women know Snookie from Jersey Shore, or even the name of the winner from last season’s Americans Next Top Model, but they don’t know Gloria Steinem. Gloria Steinem is only one of the most influential leaders and activists of the women’s rights movement in the 1960s. But who cares, she’s only the woman who fought for women’s rights to equal pay and equal treatment, no biggy (if you couldn’t tell, that was a hint of my infamous sarcasm). I find it so unfortunate that women and young girls today, myself included, idolize and admire other women for qualities that, in some ways, counter the values promoted during women’s movement. I don’t expect our culture to change overnight, but I do hope that awareness of prejudice and inequality against women can be more openly acknowledged and, eventually, eliminated completely.
SarahRose ‘11 online editor I want my TV! After a long day at school filled with classes, sports, arts, friends, teachers, work, and stress, sitting on the couch for some mindless, good TV is important, if not even beneficial to my mental health. Didn’t we just have a Character Ed assembly raising awareness of students’ high levels of stress? Nick Boswell Well, sitting down Sarah Rose to watch the latest episode of Glee, Parenthood, Modern Family, The Daily Show, your show of choice, or all of the above, is a perfect answer to the problem left answerless. Not only does TV watching provide a much-needed break from the day before or in the middle of doing homework, but it also allows my brain to focus on something mindless. One could even say that watching TV is beneficial to school because after watching, I can concentrate better on my homework than if I had just jumped right in. But more then the mindless respite that it provides from the pressures of school and the exhaustions of the day, watching TV is just plain entertaining, and what’s wrong with that? Every Tuesday night at eight o’clock I sit down to watch the latest episode of Glee. Already excited about the week’s repertoire of songs, curious as to the new tricks Sue Sylvester will have up her sleeve, and hungry for my weekly dose of New Directions, I look forward to my TV time. The shows usually fails to disappoint, and when they do, that is entertainment all the more. TV is part of our culture for a reason and its not looking like it will soon go away. So why not embrace the little black box in your living room and get to know a new set of friends that will be there for you on a weekly and seasonal basis?
AliGuthy ‘11 editor-in-chief TV is just plain distracting. Whenever you need to get something done, and are trying to procrastinate, what do you do? You turn on the TV and watch the most recent episode of Jersey Shore or, in desperate times, American Idol. Watching TV has little to no value in helping students succeed academically. Yes, it’s true, indulging Nick Boswell in some mindless Ali Guthy TV watching can relieve students from a chaotic academic environment and daily stress. But viewing TV excessively is not only ineffective, but is potentially harmful as well. According to the New York Times, Americans watched more television than ever in 2010. Total viewing of broadcast networks and basic cable channels rose about one percent for the year, to an average of 34 hours per person per week. That is just ridiculous. 34 hours per person per week? If you’re going to waste that much time in a week, why not do something more productive like, I don’t know, read a book! When was the last time you read a book for fun, had dinner with your family, or just even took a bubble bath? These are some very simple and relaxing activities that can also diminish stress. Why does TV automatically have to be the answer to everyone’s stress problems? Granted, TV is not all bad. There are some very entertaining and, simultaneously, instructive programs available to watch. Now I’m not saying everyone should go home from a long, tiresome day and turn on CNN or Fox News. There should, however, be less overall dependency on TV to alleviate stress. Go outside, play a game, or talk to friends and family. Don’t be addicted to TV.
PRO CON
the student newspaper of The Buckley School Contact The Voice at: 3900 Stansbury Avenue, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 818.783.1610 ext. 461 studentvoice@buckley.org voice.buckley.org faculty advisor Ellen Samsell Salas, Ph.D. editors-in-chief Jordan Bloch ‘11 Ali Guthy ‘11 managing online editor Sarah Rose ‘11 assistant editor Andrew Davis ‘12 design and production editor Jonathan Friedman ‘12 news editor Jordan Bloch ‘11 assistant news editor Elle Wisnicki ‘13 opinion editor Ali Guthy ‘11 features editor Claire Selvin ‘13 focus editor Jack Rose ‘13 arts and entertainment editors Alice Breidenbach ‘12 Mark Cook ‘12 sports editors Andrew Daneshgar ‘11 Andrew Davis ‘12 copy editors Jason Gold ‘11 Andrew Lockridge ‘11 graphics staff Jeremy Levinson ‘11, graphics editor Michael Cook ‘12, cartoonist business managers Elle Wisnicki ‘13 James Bernstein ‘14 staff reporters Gina Ahmar, Benjamin Beatty, Tara Bitran, Salim Chamoun, Ali Eicher, Isabella Esposito, Tucker Higgins, Michael Len, Shilpa Mantri, Tyler Morad, Nika Shahery, Meher Singh, Harrison Trussell, Billy Wilson
EDITORIALS Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Board of Editors of The Student Voice and not necessarily the student body’s. Signed editorials and columns reflect only the writer’s opinion. GRAPHICS Illustrations, graphics and artistic renderings may or may not represent the opinions of the artist. ADVERTISING Publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the newspaper or by the school. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.
Michael Cook The Student Voice
TV OR BUST: Are students addicted to television? According to recent research conducted at California State University, Northridge, roughly 99 percent of American households possess at least one television. In addition, the study showed that the number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home is six hours, 47 minutes. Americans watch 250 billion hours of TV annually and about 49 percent admit to watching too much TV.
READER INPUT The Voice values reader input via letters, guest columns and story ideas. The Online Voice Visit The Online Voice at voice.buckley.org for more up-to-date content, exclusive online features, and archives of print issues. Printed on recycled paper.
9 friday, march 4, 2011
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Staff Editorial
Students need to stop stressing The infamous race to nowhere. Everyone’s on it. At Buckley, students have been on it since the beginning of Middle School. For those who aren’t familiar with the title, the race to nowhere begins with the ISEE, ends with the SAT, and possesses one objective: to be more committed to academic rigor, more devoted to extracurricular activities, and more unique, than everyone else racing. Over the past 10 years, college preparatory schools, from Buckley to Harvard Westlake to the Dalton School in New York City, have guided students down this track. According to a poll conducted by The Student Voice in Issue 5, over the past nine years, the number of students taking AP exams at school has increased by 93.2 percent, and the number of AP tests taken has more than doubled. And the clear-cut prerequisites for taking AP courses have slowly slipped through the cracks. In those past ten years, the school growing embracement of the “race to nowhere ideology” has never been viewed as an issue. From afar, it always seemed that the academic and extracurricular devotion was propelling students forward, towards greater success. That was, until teachers and administrators watched Vicki Abeles’ awardwinning documentary, The Race to Nowhere. The clip set up scenario after scenario that mimicked our school’s academic culture. It highlighted high school students
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Free Periods and time off to relax:
In order to remove some of the academic and extracurricular pressure placed upon students, Pope suggests that schools create a mandatory free period for students to slow the pace of the school day. She also believes that schools should eliminate midsemester exams, and assignments during Winter, Spring, and Summer Break, to give kids a welldeserved breather.
of all difference ages and ethnicities following the same methods we follow at school: pushing to take as many APs and honors courses as possible, talking with their college counselors about how to stand out in the college application process, and staying up into the wee hours of the night studying for exams. Except this video didn’t discuss how these kids are moving forward. It highlighted how the cutthroat atmosphere in school is actually pushing them back. The movie’s themes have already grasped the attention on our school community. Just two days ago, Performance Lab used this year’s Character Ed sketch to satirize students’ obsession with stress. Senior Miranda Rizzolo, the main character in the sketch, championed all the compulsive features of an overwhelmed student — the addiction to coffee and energy drinks, the sacrifice of all trivial hobbies and interests, and the lack of sleep, to the point where she eventually spun out of control. Students laughed at the ridiculousness of the sketch. Yet, they continue to hypocritically trek down the path to nowhere, everyday. With the economy in shambles and employment opportunities running thin, high schools and students can’t help but think along that path — that path to college, which leads to a good career, which leads to social stability and money, which will bring my family and me the greatest chance for happiness.
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Diversifying assessments:
Stressed-out students, especially those ridden with AP exams, do not find the work to be meaningful or engaging. Their sole focus is to get that A. Therefore, Pope believes teachers can increase engagement by providing more opportunities for student choice and voice in the classroom. Additionally, she recommends more hands-on activities that allow students to solve interdisciplinary problems.
As Buckley students, growing up privileged kids, most of us only know how to live a materially satisfying lifestyle. Being unstable, and falling off the path of economic stability, that’s a scary thought. But a girl in the documentary pointed out an even scarier thought “Is it worth it to stay on them path if I am making myself unhealthy?” Is it worth taking 5 APs and getting five hours of sleep on average so that the academic section on the Common App lacks white space? According to a survey conducted this year by the Boston Globe, only 52 percent of students reported that their emotional health was in the “highest 10 percent” or “above average.” That’s a drop of about 3 percentage points from 2009 and 12 percent compared with 25 years ago. Therefore, in order to stand up to this high school epidemic, The Voice suggests that the school thoroughly re-evaluate its academic and extracurricular structure, to establish a greater balance between educational enrichment, and student health. Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford School of Education, and cofounder of Challenge Success, a research and student intervention project, recently responded to the criticisms presented in The Race to Nowhere by proposing solutions to schools academic and extracurricular concerns. Below are a few of her solutions that seem applicable:
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Providing longer classes:
Since students have to complete homework assignments for six different courses and sit through six divergent class lectures daily, the plethora of topics and myriad of responsibilities becomes a bit overwhelming. Pope believes that transitioning from the traditional seven or eight period day to a fewer course block schedule will bolster student’s educational enrichment.
onthespot... What are your views on the new senior lounge? “I believe that the transition from a student lounge to a senior lounge prevents the essential bonding experience students should have with each other. There is less communication between students in each grade.” Allen Simanian, Freshman “Not at all. I think it’s disgusting that its only seniors and that they’re singling them out as the mature ones. They put the blame on sophomores and freshman for the destruction of the student lounge, which is not necessarily true.” Ryan Kopelowicz, Freshman
“The underclassman don’t understand we need to keep the lounge nice and clean. Since there is only one grade, there is less traffic. At the beginning of the year, it should be all grades, but in the second semester it should be only for seniors as a way to reward us.” Asia Nelson, Senior
“I believe it is right for the seniors to have their own lounge; however, there needs to be another lounge for the rest of the high school who are not allowed in there. It’s only fair.” Alexander Ray, Freshman
“I think turning the student lounge into the senior lounge is fair. Seniors should have privileges separated from the rest of the student body, Alec Shaul, Senior
Basketball is more than just a game. Soccer is more than just a match. Cross Country is more than just a race. I never believed these clichés had substance. As an athlete myself, I valued the infamous catch-phrase as much as I valued the “we gave it 110 percent out there” oneliner. The words always came off as inspirational to me, ironically fitting for a coach’s pre-game pep talk, to motivated players to teem with passion on the field or the court. I never thought about how a victory, or competitive success, could transcend the bounds of the sport— until I witnessed the 2010-2011 boys varsity basketball team’s CIF playoff run. The team’s appearance in the Saturday’s CIF title isn’t what makes this postseason journey special. The program has been there before. The girls tennis team just won the school’s first CIF "At Buckley, championship. Rather, it’s the basketball the effect the team hasn't journey has had only captured on our school c o m m u n i t y, the hearts and which has made minds of our this CIF run community, but unforgettable. Ever heard the team's run of the movie has inspired Hoosiers? I am sense of sure Coach a Hamilton and much needed the boys varsity basketball team resurgence." have. For of you that have yet to see the clip, Hoosiers one of the greatest sports miracle classics of all time, about a small town Indiana high school basketball team that shocks the world by winning the 1954 state basketball championship. The team has no business going the distance. The players are undersized, undermanned, and undervalued, to say the least. They lose games during their nonconference schedule, and suffer bad losses during league play. The coach is a hotheaded know-it-all, who earns ejections left and right and holds zero respect from the team’s supporters. And the squad consists of eight selfish players, who don’t give a damn about teamwork. Yet come state playoff time, none of that matters. Why? Because the Hoosiers evolve from just representing a basketball team, to representing the hearts and minds of a community. At Buckley, the basketball team hasn’t only captured the hearts and minds of our community, but the team’s run has inspired a sense of much needed resurgence. Just three weeks ago, our community suffered a loss that no school community should ever bear, the passing of senior Jordan Weiss. Weiss’ tragic accident poignantly wounded us. For as beautiful as our community’s response was to Jordan’s unexplainable passing, we needed something, as a community, to raise our spirits. And that’s exactly what the basketball team has done. Just like the Hoosiers, the squad wasn’t the odds-on-favorite to win the CIF crown. Yet, with every 15, 16, or 18 point miracleesque comeback, the basketball players have proved that regardless of the odds, they are not willing the lose— for themselves, for the Buckley community, and for Jordan. Tomorrow’s matchup will be quintessential David vs. Goliath matchup. Oaks Christian boasts the number one seed, and has thrashed its first four playoff opponents by an average of 16 points. But we’ll be ready, our team and our community. Because we’re not just strong, we’re Buckley strong.
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friday, march 4, 2011 10
Enjoy high school and “quit being so pessimistic”
The glass is half-full not half-empty, so don’t be pessimistic and enjoy the time you have at Buckley AndrewDavis ‘12 assistant editor “I hate Buckley.” I hear this countless times from students who enter campus with a frown on their face waiting for 3:15. Why do students have such a pessimistic attitude towards such a great institution? It’s because they haven’t been exposed to anything else. We are blessed. Public schools continue to face budget cuts, resulting in bigger classrooms and fewer extracurricular activities. Some public school teachers are unmotivated to teach because students are unwilling to learn. Student body president Wes Haas understands the great
opportunities we have and loves Buckley. “It’s simply an amazing community. Even if you don’t count the incredible number of opportunities for students to do virtually anything they want, the faculty, the staff, and especially the students make Buckley such an enjoyable place to go to school,” said Haas. Why don’t most students approach Buckley like Haas does? For one, many students don’t appreciate the rules. “Not being able to play basketball without adult supervision even if we are upperclassmen with about four or five students is absolutely ridiculous,” said an anonymous junior. I agree with this student. I think Buckley at times should be lenient towards their upperclassmen and allow them to play basketball or any other sport during free periods. And if liability is an issue, there should always be coach willing to supervise. Other students do not like the social atmosphere. “I cannot stand the cliques at our school; even though everyone gets along with minimal drama, we tend to stick to our own small group of friends,” said a junior. Students expect the best from Buckley because they pay over $30,000 dollars a year in tuition, more than any University of California campus, but they can’t expect the school to change socially unless we all make a collective effort to being a little more open. We must break our social boundaries and learn from the students around us; we are all very different in positive ways. A friend of mine recently said, “I’ve wanted to leave
"Quit being so pessimistic. Embrace youth and enjoy each day. Go into class with a positive attitude and be appreciative that we can learn something new about this great world everyday."
Lunch size does matter
JeremyLevinson ‘11 graphics editor My fellow Griffins, we have a problem. Four score and seven weeks ago, I had a dream. A dream that all lunch portions would be weighted equally. That food would be judged not by the size of its scoops, but by the content of its flavor. Disclaimer: Everything you will read hereafter is conjecture. No scientific studies were performed in the writing of this article. I am simply citing the observations and grumblings of fellow students and myself. No disrespect is meant for the Freshlunches organization or those associated with it. When news broke at the end of the 20092010 school year of the abrupt changeover from California Fresh Foods to Fresh Lunches, I was skeptical. Would this strange new lunch program be able to replace the ever-faithful Bob? Could anything live up to the wonder of Domino’s Tuesdays? As far as I could tell, Fresh Lunches got off to a roaring start. Like a man desperate to impress on a first date, Freshlunches initially tried to win students over with abundant portions and quality foods. Spirits ran high in the inaugural months of the Freshlunches regime. While the meals have remained fresh, contain a large assortment, and most importantly taste great, I have noticed a disturbing trend in the size of the meals: they seem to be shrinking. Perhaps Freshlunches assumes the main course will be offset by generous helpings of side dishes. But let me tell you, I am not a “side dish” guy. I like to get right to the meat of the meal; I don’t have time to mess around with wimpy salads and animal crackers. You could then imagine my horror
Buckley since the start of Middle School, not because of the academics just because I don’t like the place.” My friend has a stable social life and enjoys his weekends, but as soon as he enters class, he hates it. I’ve seen him frequently distract classes and not pay attention. Quit being so pessimistic. Embrace what Buckley gives us and enjoy each day. Go into class with a positive attitude and be appreciative that we can learn something new about this great world every day. Trying to fit in amongst an elite group of students is no easy task, and working countless hours each night isn’t appealing to anyone. This campus at time can be a rigorous environment so I understand why some students dislike it, however, other students appreciates Buckley’s intentions. Buckley is hard for a reason. It has helped me develop into a better person because I can think critically in and outside of the classroom. We have been trained to work so that we can be successful later in life and be the best workers, the best friend and the best person possible. We are preparing for our future so that we as adults aren’t lazy and can make a difference in the world. Why wait till we are in college to feel rigor and pressure? Why can’t we all just enjoy Buckley and take advantage of the precious limited time we have here? We have to show some spirit, some character, and some leadership. Let’s be the models for the rest of society starting now.
the first time my athletic serving barely contained enough mac n’ cheese to fill the main subdivision of the plate. “Alright, maybe this is just a onetime thing,” I thought. Maybe they just miscounted the number of scoops. Maybe the server just got a speeding ticket on his way to school and is taking out frustration on the food. Maybe this is all just a bad dream, and I’ll wake up to a voluminous, cheesy reality. But then it happened again. And again. That’s three times for those of you keeping track. I decided to downgrade to the slightly less manly “large” serving size to see if that was a better value. According to Freshlunches employee Justin, portion sizes correspond to the weight of the food; for example, a large serving gets you a certain number of ounces of meat and rice, compared to the small or athletic. He suggests asking parents to upgrade to a larger meal size if your current one is too small. It’s now time for a lesson in Freshlunchonomics. Per the “Lunch Program FAQ” on the Buckley website, a small portion size costs $6.00 per day and weighs up to 9 ounces. A large costs $6.85 and weighs up to 16 ounces. An athletic costs $10.00 and weighs up to 29 ounces. It would seem like the athletic portion is the best deal, followed by the large and then the small portions. After switching to the large, however, I found that on many days the size was nearly the same as the athletic, perhaps slightly less, but still somewhat meager. The small serving size on the other hand makes a happy meal feel like an allyou-can-eat buffet, but the FAQ clarifies that it is meant for students in grades K-5. So what is the moral of the story? Freshlunches has great food, something I’m sure most will agree with, but they’re so good they leave the students craving more. The issue is: the benefits of upgrading to a large or to an athletic do not always warrant the cost. For the time being, unless you wish to play the athletic roulette or can be sated with a small serving, the large portion is the way to go.
correction: The Student Voice would like to clarify statements made in the Issue 5 opinion entitled “It’s Time for a New Look” by Jack Rose, Focus editor. The writer failed to mention that the administration agreed with his opinion that the class pages on the website need an upgrade. In fact, the class pages are one of the administration’s top priorities for the website’s next update. “We would like to upgrade the class pages this summer so that they are ready for the start of next school year – however, that schedule is not locked in stone yet,” said Kim Kerscher, director of communications.
submit your letter The Student Voice invites all readers to submit letters to the editor Responses to articles are always welcome. Please e-mail all letters to: Ali Guthy at aguthy@buckleyla.org or Jordan Bloch at jbloch@buckleyla.org or Please, share your opinion
features 11 friday, march 4, 2011 |
JORDANBLOCH ‘11
Jody-Nesta Myrie learns tolerance from his multi-cultural family
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fter that moment in the fourth grade, I decided I am just going to stick to my own values, and not change it, no matter where I am or who I am with.
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unior Jody-Nesta Myrie’s identity is well-known on campus. Since freshman year, he has been one of the superstars in the swim program, dominating league competition with his 100-yard butterfly. He plays a prominent role on the yearbook staff, and is the founder of the PEGASUS club. And everyone knows him as Bob Marley’s grandson. But hidden behind his legendary lineage and his swimming success lies Myrie’s unknown cultural story. A story of tolerance and openmindedness. As a child, Myrie’s cultural identity existed as an enigma. On paper, he seemed to have cultural diversity running through his veins. He is pre-dominantly Jamaican, but his family is of Indian, white, Chinese and African lineage as well. And he was born in Canada in 1994. “Though I’m from Jamaica, my great grandfather on my dad’s side was of Native American heritage, my great grandfather was half Chinese, half black, my great grandmother of my mother side was full Native American, and her husband was full white,” said Myrie. “I’ve tried to compile a family tree, and it’s almost impossible.” But Myrie never knew of his multicultural heritage. As a child growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, his family, especially his father’s side, sheltered him from all cultures outside the Jamaican bubble.
Courtesy of Jody-Nesta Myrie
FAMILY: Myrie with his mother’s side of the family at his cousin Gideon’s birthday party. Myrie didn’t know a thing about cultural diversity until he moved with his mother to London in 1998. “Even though I am from a bunch of different places, my family is Jamaican. They speak Jamaican, they cook Jamaican food, they are Jamaican,” said Myrie. “Before [I moved], I took everything that my [dad’s] grandparents said to heart. I even wanted to live there.” Myrie said that as a child, he was infatuated with Christianity and pious Jamaican values. “Jamaica, I learned, is traditional. They uphold conservative Christian values, and are close-minded, though that’s my own personal opinion,” said Myrie. He wasn’t alone. Myrie’s mother, Karen Marley, having separated from Myrie’s father immediately following his birth,
TOLERANCE When he’s not rushing off to swim practice or snapping candids for the yearbook, junior Jody-Nesta Myrie makes time to volunteer as a part of Los Angeles Museum of Tolerance’s MOTivating youth, interviewing Holocaust survivors in an attempt to connect today’s youth with the history behind genocide and bigotry. “I love going to the museum, even though it can be a little sad at times. I understand its purpose to serve and educate people about the causes and severe effects of prejudice,” said Myrie. The Museum of Tolerance was established in 1993 and has since then welcomed over 5 million visitors, mostly middle and high school students. The visitors explore the history and dynamics of inequality and discrimination still playing an active role in society today.
Myrie, as a member of the MOTivating youth, has helped develop a project where the teen volunteers at the Museum of Tolerance have in-depth interviews with Holocaust survivors. They explore areas of their stories that aren’t normally shared. “[The survivors] were in concentration camps when they were teenagers. The goal in having teen interviewers is to discuss aspects of their lives that really pertain to teenagers,” said Myrie. Myrie and the other youth volunteers had noticed, from their own experiences, teens’ apathy towards genocide and prejudice. They used that as their incentive for developing the project. “Each teen interviewer has a secondary, visual assignment to do with the survivor they really connected with,” said Myrie.
grew uncomfortable with the close-minded attitude within the Jamaican culture and decided to move over seas for a new start. “My mom is more open-minded,” said Myrie. “I think it’s mostly because all of my uncles played music, so that side of the family got to travel more and experience more cultures.” According to Myrie, when he moved from London to America in 2003, he developed a sense of cultural inquisitiveness that he has yet to relinquish. The reason — his grandfather. “When I was a young child, I felt like my family did not feel it was important to inform me of my heritage. But when I moved to America, it all started when I found out that Bob Marley was half white. When I found this out, I started to freak out because I realized that I didn’t know the true heritage of my grandfathers. That moment stimulated me to start asking questions.” The next time Myrie visited family in Jamaica, he went bearing a new mission — a mission to discover his true cultural identity. He asked his mom and grandmother countless questions about his heritage, lineage, and what exactly “defined him.” “I started asking my both sets of grandparents about certain aspects of my life. One time, when I was really young, I asked my great grandmother, who is full Indian, why she looked so different from me. When I started to look into it, I connected the pieces that she was full Indian.” After learning about his rich cultural background, Myrie decided that he wanted nothing to do with the close-minded attitude of many of his relatives. Instead, he wanted to be culturally inclusive. “After that moment in the fourth grade, I decided I am just going to stick to my own values, and not change it, no matter where I am or who I am with,” said Myrie. Since that decision, Myrie has carried his life through the scope of cultural
tolerance. Every time he visits his family in Jamaica, Myrie said that he is cautious and not afraid of confrontation. “I definitely feel the cultural barrier between me and them, but it is not going to stop me from loving my family,” said Myrie. Myrie said that as a product of his cultural transformation and realization, he had a difficult time finding his niche. In middle school, he attended the Pilgrim School in Los Angeles, where he feels he was expected to act ghetto, like a rapper. When he began to show interest in swimming, Myrie was somewhat deterred from the sport because of the color of his skin. “I always kind of got that ‘wow, you’re a swimmer,’ from other swimmers,” said Myrie. “By me being a swimmer, I do break the conservative stereotype that African people cannot swim, and the stigma that I shouldn’t be swimming.” Then, he walked through the doors of The Museum of Tolerance. “I did not really know much about The Museum of Tolerance until Jeremy Cynamon took me there [last summer]. And from that trip on, I wanted to continue my service to the community by volunteering there,” said Myrie. This year, Myrie has spent eight hours every Sunday giving tours at the museum. According to Myrie, the greatest part of being a tour guide is the opportunity to teach people about his coveted principal of being tolerant. “The number of people that walk into the museum that do not know about genocide is just amazing,” said Myrie. “The look I see on kid’s or even adult’s faces, it kind of astonishes me that I’ve known about [genocide] for quite a while, and these people have no idea about these things.” In February, museum officials presented Myrie and a few other teens with a prestigious honor – the opportunity to interview a series of Holocaust survivors. The interviews, which began on February 13, will be held every Sunday until each student has interviewed each survivor. “They are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. The amount of emotional stress they have gone through, and the fact that they are still willing to walk about it just for the benefit and understanding of others is incredible,” said Myrie. “My big hope is that people will understand the horrible effects of ignorance and racism, and to never think that way.” Myrie’s video interviews can be seen on The Student Voice website at voice.buckleyla.org.
insidefeatures lifers | page 12 Senior lifers recall their last fifteen years at Buckley and face leaving their home away from home. ALUMNI BUSINESSES | page 13 Buckley alumni gain success in technology, wine, standardized test preparation, and restaurant ventures. Lifers | page 12
Alumni businesses | page 13
friday, march 4, 2011 12
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Senior Lifers wave goodbye to familiar community After 15 years at Buckley, senior Lifers are moving on to college and a new environment, leaving old friends and teachers behind. AliceBreidenbach ‘12 a&e editor For most teenagers, high school is a four-year ordeal. But for Buckley’s Lifers, students that have attended Buckley for at least 11 years, it is a much different experience, nearly a lifelong one. For these Lifers, school is more than just a place to learn or to make friends. School is where these students have grown up and is full of people that they know deeply. “I’ve been going to Buckley for 14 years,” said senior Edward Manella, who joined Buckley’s preschool in Beginners. “I know the school so well that it’s like a second home to me. I’m really close to the kids in my grade as well as other grades.” Senior Anthony Lobel said that he has developed unbreakable bonds with teachers and classmates during his years at Buckley. “[Going to Buckley for so many years] has allowed me to think of Buckley as a second home,” said Lobel, who joined Buckley 15 years ago in Beginners. “It’s allowed me to have very strong relationships with my classmates. I still see teachers from Lower School and they know me so well because they’ve watched me grow up.” Senior Lifer Eric Leino appreciates the quality of his education, but recognizes the effects of attending one school for so long. “I know so much about Buckley because I’ve been here for so long,” said Leino, who joined the Buckley community 15 years ago. “I know so much about Buckley it’s scary.” Arriving at the same school every morning and seeing many of the same people every day for up to 15 years may seem repetitive, tedious and possibly boring but many senior Lifers find comfort in Buckley’s community and in the sincere relationships they have created. “At the start of high school, I thought that it would get boring going to the same school for so long,” said senior Lexi St. John, a Buckley student for the last 15 years. “But as I get closer to graduation, I really appreciate Buckley and its close-knit community more and more.” But for these Lifers, the end of this year signals the end of their Buckley career and time in the community with which they have spent so much time. With this transition to college, come
Lexi St. John Started Buckley in: Beginners Favorite Buckley experience: Senior retreat Fondest lower school memory: Opening of the new playground during recess Best day at school: Winning spirit week in eighth grade
Alec Shaul
“As a lifer, it’s true that you never have to get adjusted to a new school. I’m not worried about adjusting. Even though we haven’t been the new kids, I think we’ll be smart enough to adjust and figure it out.” Edward manella
Senior
Started Buckley in: Beginners
“[Going to Buckley Favorite Buckley experience: for so many years] Sophomore retreat has allowed me to think of Buckley Fondest lower school memory: as a second home. Playing red team basketball in fifth It’s allowed me to grade have very strong Best day at school: First day of relationships with school senior year my classmates. I still see teachers from Lower School and they know me Matthew Benzimra so well because they’ve watched Started Buckley in: Beginners me grow up.” Favorite Buckley experience: Basketball game against Mr. Edelen in eighth grade Fondest lower school memory: Clown show in theatre class Best day at school: Assistant directing the first show of Oklahoma
numerous educational and social changes, the likes of which lifers are not familiar with. “I’m excited to see the difference between Buckley and another school, since Buckley is such a small school. I think that it’ll be tough. It’s going to be such a different feeling and experience, but I’m ready. I’m ready to move on to bigger and better things,” said Lobel. Other Lifers look forward to a change in social scene. “I think that Buckley is
socially different from other schools. I think people at Buckley are social because you know so many people, in so many different grades, but you never get to know a different social scene besides Buckley,” said Leino. “I haven’t really partied in high school. I’ve saved all my partying for college because kids here don’t really party.” This transition to college will also bring Lifers into a position that they have never truly experienced, being one of the “new kids” on campus, and having to adjust to a new educational
environment. “As a Lifer, it’s true that you never have to get adjusted to a new school, but I also think that Buckley is very welcoming to new kids in any grade,” said Manella. “I’m not worried about adjusting. Even though we haven’t been the new kids, I think we’ll be smart enough to adjust and figure it out,” said Manella. As these seniors move on to college, many lament leaving Buckley’s community, in which they have all spent so much time, and their nearly lifelong
friends behind. “The hardest part of leaving Buckley will be leaving my classmates and the people here,” said St. John. “After 15 years I know all of them and all of my teachers so well. I still know lower school teachers that I had years ago. There’s such a community here and it’ll be weird to leave it after all this time.” “I think it’ll definitely be hardest to leave the friends we’ve made,” said Leino of himself and fellow Lifers. “Especially if you’re leaving L.A.; that could be tough.”
Anthony Lobel Senior
“The hardest part of leaving Buckley will be leaving my classmates and the people here. I know all of them and all of my teachers so well. I still know Lower School teachers that I had years ago. There’s such a community here and it’ll be weird to leave it after all this time.” Lexi St. John Senior
13 friday, march 4, 2011
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SHILPAMANTRI ‘13
Business is booming for Buckley alumni Alumni establish successful businesses and use skills from school in their ventures. Cyrus Hekmat ‘90
Etty Lewenzstain ‘00
Shalin Mantri ‘00
“All the skills I learned at Buckley set the groundwork for being able to get into the schools I wanted and for doing well.”
“My experience at Buckley allowed me to explore my love for writing which I’ve been able to utilize in many aspects of my business.”
“Buckley empowered me to try out new activities, to develop core skill sets, and to build my leadership skills.”
CEO of Exam Performance
Founder of Plonk Wine Merchants
Creator of NoiseToys Inc.
perform under pressure, but with training, one can become better at it,” said Hekmat. In the initial stage, his program can either be an online or live seminar. Hekmat hopes to bring Exam Performance to Buckley and have any earned money go to the Carter NewmanMilic Foundation. One of the biggest difficulties for Hekmat was having a vision and believing in it when others could not. “I’ve learned that as an entrepreneur, you have to believe in your concept, and your abilities, regardless of what other people say and think of yourself.” Hekmat receives satisfaction when he helps people going from an “I can’t do it” mentality to an “I know I can do it” mindset. While Hekmat is focused on helping others through education, Sassan Rostamian ’01 takes interest in food and cooking and has started his own restaurant, Sauce on Hamption, in Venice. As the owner and chef of the restaurant, Rostamian got his inspiration from a desire to foster a community and his passion for food. “I’m creating something that will be of real service and of real good in people’s lives. So, it’s actually that I’m feeding people a product that will benefit them in the long run,” he said. The best part of owning a restaurant is the daily interactions with customers, according to Rostamian. Open for two years, his restaurant serves about 300 people per day. “When I was traveling for a few months abroad, I loved walking through the streets and being able to have conversations
with people from different walks of life. I realized that was lacking in L.A. So, through my restaurant and opening it in Venice, I’ve been able to create that same community dynamic in my life,” said Rostamian. Starting his business took a great deal of hard work. After opening the restaurant for the first year, Rostamian took one day off; out of the 365 days the restaurant was open, he worked for 364. Despite the difficulty in maintaining his business, Rostamian aims to feed 1,000 people a day, and ultimately 10,000. Etty Lewensztain ’00 went as far as Chile to pursue her love for wine. She worked for Wines of Chile, a wine trade organization funded partially by the Chilean government, for five years. Lewensztain became interested in expanding her horizons within wine beyond South America and starting an online retail space for cheap wine. Her company, Plonk Wine Merchants, is an internetbased boutique wine shop that specializes in hard-to-find artisan wines around the world all under $30 per bottle. “The idea behind my online wine store was to translate a personalized brick and mortar shopping experience to the digital space, and so I made the conscious decision of incorporating a very large amount of video content into the site to give users the feeling that they were interacting with an actual human being who could help them choose wines,” she said. Passionate about food and wine, Lewensztain embraces the challenge that comes with starting a business.
Sassan Rostamian ‘01
At Buckley they were...
How Buckley helped them in the business world
“Buckley’s motto, dare to be true, is very influential for me. Many opportunities may come up when you’re not true to yourself or to customers.”
And now...
As he made a trip with his family to Ellis Island, seven-yearold Shalin Mantri ’00 knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up. He tugged his father’s sleeve, and said with conviction and passion, “In five years, when I’m 12, I want to make people rafts and row them from Manhattan to Ellis Island.” Mantri, from the beginning, loved to create and invent new things that didn’t exist before. Some alumni, who have recently started their own unique businesses, once had a dream similar to Mantri’s. They all started out with one small ambition, and they are now pursuing their ideas by starting their own companies. These people have experienced the challenges of starting a new business and the anguish and exhilaration that comes with it. In taking an entrepreneurship class at USC, Cyrus Hekmat ’90, currently the CEO of Exam Performance, had to come up with an idea for a future company. He knew that he had never scored well on standardized tests and had also failed the bar after law school. “Part of the issue was that I didn’t score as well as I could have on the SAT or PSAT when I was a student. It struck me that I would always be nervous. I thought that for this program [Exam Performance], there must be a way to help eliminate anxiety,” said Hekmat. What was once just a project for his MBA class at USC turned into reality when Hekmat started the company, Exam Performance, six months ago in order to help people be calm, confident, and focused under pressure, especially during standardized tests. “It’s not natural for one to
Owner and chef of Sauce On Hampton
“I am a one woman show and I run every aspect of my business including the accounting, the copy writing for the site, tasting and selecting all of the wines, fulfilling orders, and doing all the marketing. This 360 degree approach is very challenging but also very rewarding,” said Lewensztain. In addition to running Plonk, Lewensztain has launched a wholesale wine business, which she hopes to expand. Although Mantri did not end up building rafts for people in Manhattan, he certainly expanded, like Lewensztain, in becoming creative and starting his company, NoiseToys, which sells mobile applications. The company is based in San Francisco. Mantri created NoiseToys with two cofounders who were his friends from college. One of them had composed part of the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack and the other is one of the original developers of the iPhone. “They [the cofounders] were some of the smartest and accomplished people I knew. It didn’t really matter what the company was going to do or what product we were going to make. I knew our team would turn things to gold,” said Mantri. He and his cofounders have launched two applications so far, Hitmaker and Apptitude, which are available on iTunes. To market his applications, Mantri works with technology blogs and media outlets to publicize them. “My favorite app is Apptitude because I think it’s something that a lot of people use and it’s really helpful to know what apps your friends are using. Also, anyone who has an iPhone can benefit
from it,” said Mantri As with the other alumni, starting a company was not easy for Mantri. From the moment he came up with the idea with his cofounders to the point when the company was actually operating took him three and a half years. “It was a lot of work, a lot of preparation, and all-nighters to be frank. We were very small fish in a seemingly infinite ocean, and we had to quickly figure out not only what we’re going to do but also what product we’re going to build and why we’re going to be different from everyone else,” said Mantri. “It’s an iterative process, and it takes many cycles to really nail down what it is you’re going to be building.” Even after starting the company, Mantri faces struggles every day. “It’s an emotional roller coaster. Certain days will be the best days of your life and some days will be the worst days. I’ve laughed and I’ve cried. Running a business is not for anyone. It’s not for the faint of heart,” he said. In spite of the difficulties, Mantri still clings onto his desire to help people. This time, not by making rafts, but by making people happier through the software he builds. These alumni, in starting their own businesses, ultimately make people happy by following their passions. “I enjoy the freedom, the creativity, the multi-disciplinary work, the learning, the growing, the confidence-building, the egodeflating. It’s an exhilarating experience. I’m not working. I’m doing what I enjoy, and for me, that’s priceless,” said Mantri.
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
friday, march 4, 2011 14
15 friday, march 4, 2011
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
JAMESBERNSTEIN ‘14
Middle Eastern families experience turmoil first hand
I
n the summer of 2006, a 9-year-old girl and her family were visiting their cousins in Beirut, Lebanon during the heat of a political uprising. Hearing an explosion just outside their apartment near midnight, they fled the apartment building where they were staying and ran to her grandparents’ house. They traveled to three more of their relatives’ houses that night trying to find a safe location. Desperate to escape the violence, the family attempted to cross the border to Syria. In the darkness of night, they headed for the border in a van. On the way, they encountered gunshots a few feet away from the van and the driver veered left and drove them back to their cousins’ home. The family decided to risk one more attempt to escape before the soldiers closed in on them. With hands clenched and hearts pumping, they made it safely to Syria and flew back to the United States. This is the story of freshman Gina Ahmar. Most of Ahmar’s family lives in either Baalbek or Beirut, Lebanon. She travels there every summer despite her experience in 2006 and often keeps in touch with her family through social networking sites including Facebook and Skype which, according to Ahmar, are popular methods of communication in Lebanon. Ahmar’s parents grew up during the civil war between 1973 and 1990 in Lebanon, which they consider the biggest conflict in Lebanon in their lifetime. They recall during the civil war, occasionally students had trouble getting to school, or anywhere. Access to water and power was limited, allowing the family to receive only one hour of power per week. Ahmar’s mother recalls that when “times got rough”, her neighbors in her apartment building would bond together, performing daily tasks together and eating meals with each other in the apartment building hallways. “It was a draining war that affected everyone. It got to the point where soldiers would just burst into a home and open fire on everyone inside,” said Ahmar, recalling what her parents had told her about their experiences growing up during the war in Lebanon. Lebanon has been politically unstable since the civil war, but recently the Lebanese have been “good at keeping governmental matters on a professional and political level,” unlike in the past where social, religious and political affairs were constantly intertwined with each other. Senior Madison Netel is familiar with 234 of her relatives that live in Israel, with five new babies arriving this month. Her relatives live all over Israel, but many of them live in Gush Etzion. Netel often contacts one of her closest cousins, 17-year-old Rebecca Zusman, who updates Netel on the family and the current status of Israel in general. Zusman said that she and her family are always aware of
danger but are very used to the everyday violence and unrest caused by the conflict with the Palestinians. “We’re in danger a lot. Right by the Yishuv [an Israeli settlement] we live in, there’s a place where many people have been
The biggest fear of Zarrow’s uncles and aunts, according to Zarrow, is that they believe the uprisings in the Middle East, specifically in Egypt, will result in rule by radical Muslims and Palestinians. “Egypt was on good terms with Israel, but now if they are
stabbed or shot. Every time something happens it’s shocking and we remind ourselves how dangerous it really is,” said Zusman.Growing up in an Israeli settle-
ment, Zusm an experienced things unlike many adolescents her age, even including fighting in a protest at Gush Katif, an Israeli settlement near the Gaza strip “so people wouldn’t be kicked out of their homes. “My generation went through everything that happened in Gush Katif and it matured all of us,” said Zusman. “When we go out of the house we have to be careful and we know it’s dangerous and there are a lot of risks but we just believe it will be okay. I think everything we go through builds us and makes us stronger people.” Zusman said that she and her close friends and relatives are “much more united,” than, for example, people in America. She added that all of the teenagers “go and help out when people are being evacuated from their homes by the government and it brings us together and we all share that experience and know what it’s like. I doubt it’s like that in America.” Sophomore Jonah Zarrow’s cousins, aunts, and uncles live in Jerusalem, Israel. According to his relatives, the core of the conflict in Israel is that “Israel is trying to keep their land through military defense and Palestinians are trying to terrorize Israelis to get bigger chunks of land in Israel.” Zarrow said his uncle recently went to a supermarket in Israel and seconds after he walked out with his groceries, a suicide bomber entered the market.
ruled b y Muslim radicals, they will probably attack Israel,” said Zarrow. Foreign language teacher Afsaneh Nury and junior Cyrus Nury have family in Tehran and Isfahan, Iran, whom they visit usually once a year. Afsaneh Nury said that sparked by the protests in Egypt and Libya in mid-February, Iranians “got another wave of energy for hope and change,” and were out on the streets protesting. The last Nury heard on the news from the uprising was the government opposing leader and his wife were taken and nobody knows where they are. “The interesting question that has come about surrounding all this change in Tunisia and Egypt is whether or not those changes will have enough impact on Iranians to spark enough energy to protest and have a significant change in Iran,” said Nury. “A lot of people outside of the country are watching to see how this will evolve.” The biggest conflict in Iran in his lifetime, according to Cyrus Nury, was the
presidential election protests that occurred two years ago, the Green Movement. Nury’s grandparents were at the uprising. “My grandma told me that [the Green Movement] was non-stop violence. There was constant fighting and she had never seen so many people chanting ‘death to the dictator’,” said Nury. Afsaneh Nury remembers the Green Movement as “young students as well as working adults who
wanted a change.” She said the protests became violent because there was a lot of confrontation between the rebellious people and the government. Cyrus Nury recalled the poverty in the south side of Tehran from his most recent family visit last winter break. “There is an evident gap between rich and poor. It’s very run-down and there are many drug attics on the street. People are dirty and not well kept. It is sad to think that people live like this and the government does nothing to help them,” said Nury. “This is in south Tehran. I’ve never even been to the slums.” Social networking sites have played a role in the unrest that has recently erupted in the Middle East. These sites have made it easy for average people to contact each other and share their ideas about the central governments and start uprisings. “[Twitter is] practically ideal for a mass protest movement, both very easy for the average citizen to use and very hard for any central authority to control,” TIME Magazine.
Former Buckley teacher escapes Tripoli
Judith Drotar
CBS News
Judith Drotar, a member of the English department from 1988-1992, was one of the first Americans to escape Tripoli on a ferry that arrived in Valletta, on the nearby island of Malta on February 25. Drotar, who has been principal at the American School in Tripoli for the past four years, said the evacuation was “unexpected” in CNN interview conducted after the ferry arrived in
Valletta. The Student Voice was unable to contact Drotar because she is still on Malta trying to get her faculty members and herself out of the region. “I’m one of the lucky ones,” said Drotar to open her CNN interview the night she arrived on Malta. “We have heard a lot of horror stories from our Libyan personnel.” Drotar explained that the United States
State Department had facilitated the evacuation of American citizens. Drotar expected her school would open on Monday, February 21 but because of the “events” that took place the Sunday night before in Tripoli, the school was used as a “safe haven” for all of the faculty and staff including Drotar. They “camped out” at the school for two days before making plans to evacuate.
“I don’t know what would transpire should Kadhafi fall, but I do want the Libyans to have a better life and this is not a better life,” said Drotar. “What he is doing to the Libyan people right now is horrific.” The American School in Tripoli had been in operation since 2005 and is operated by the Overseas Schools division of the United States State Department.
16
march
a virtual affa from the
As teens tweet, text, and post non-stop, Facebook, Twitter, and phones now defin ships. Is this shift to the digital arena a change for the better? Or, have new me sacrified chivalry, added to the rise of the impersonal, and emphasized the t
beginning
through the
middle
by Jason Gold ‘11
’s not like I expect my girlfriend to one day send me a text breaking up with me, but it’s something that catches your attention. You can’t ever say the wrong things with your girlfriend because she will dump you.
by Elle Wisnicki ‘13
You finally won him or her over, the relationship is in full bloom, you’re very excited to get to know each other better, but how do you move past the comfortable technology buffer and move forward to a real relationship? “[The relationship] started when we were friends over text and phone calls and in the beginning it made seeing each other in person more uncomfortable, but after a while that just faded,” said an anonymous sophomore. The ever so inviting Facebook, instant messaging, video chatting, texting, and Blackberry messaging (BBM), allows teens to avoid the awkward face-to-face conversations and those taunting silent phone calls when you are just getting to know your boyfriend or girlfriend. Younger couples say that instant messaging and texting are inviting because lacking communication skills and the confidence to be around someone they like, they are more comfortable with the barrier offered by technology, especially around someone they want to impress. “With my first girlfriend I found it hard to talk on the phone and in person, so we only talked on instant message and text, which led to problems because we felt we weren’t communicating. I hope I can avoid this in my next relationship,” said an anonymous freshman. Even more experienced people use technology for regular communication. “With my busy schedule, going from school to practice to homework, it is easy to stay in touch using BBM, especially because it is quick, easy, fast and free and I can know if he read my message or not,” said an
anonymous junior. Although convenient, texting can lead to complications and miscommunications due to the lack of emotion conveyed through this medium. “The problem with texting is that she always gets upset when I don’t text her first and I constantly feel pressure to make sure I remember to text her because if I don’t, petty fights will occur,” said a senior Another student added that with texting one is always expected to be available and when one does not respond quickly it becomes a really big deal. Texting also has its benefits. “BBM and texting take away from the possibility of parents listening in on my conversations, also sometimes cell service makes it hard to hear the other person leading to miscommunication,” said an anonymous senior. The house phone just isn’t an option. “I would never use the house phone because first of all it is never available and even when my cell phone has no service there is always instant message,” said an anonymous sophomore. Most couples seem to use the phone to resolve problems because speaking is less ambiguous than text and phone calls end arguments more quickly in more cases than texting. “I think when I’m having an argument with someone I want to be as personal as possible and hear how the person sounds is the best way to do that,” said an anonymous senior. When phone calls are not an option, couples say the quick and easy effectiveness of instant message helps solve disagreements.
How to Limit Texting T by Elle Wisnicki ‘13
Availability Problem
“
It
can get nervous in person. “I get so used to typing and stuff that most of our conversations in person are really awkward,” said freshman Jeffrey Lowenthal. Problems like this are directly correlated to how much students use technology to communicate. Years ago, a boy had to ask a girl out over the phone or in person. Now, when it comes time for the boy to ask the girl out, he has options to ask in person, call, text, instant message, or even Facebook wall post, if he were so bold. This is where technology fails. As much as computers and cell phones can help foster a friendship by giving people more opportunities to talk, technology can also make asking people out very impersonal. Freshman Eden Lynch concurred, “If I were asked out via text message, I would think he’s rude and it shows he’s not confident enough to ask me in person.” “I definitely care because [the boy] needs to ride dolphins to my house in order to win me over. Literally. Clearly, my expectations are pretty dolphin-high,” said senior Suzanne Cimolino, who was asked out when her boyfriend, senior Brian Daneshgar, initiated the relationship in person – not via technology. Still, some girls don’t mind texting and have been asked out by a text, instant message, or a phone call. “I don’t really see the difference. As long as we have fun on the date, I don’t care how he asks me out,” said senior Alex Scolari. Perchance the change is for the better, perhaps it’s not; either way, the times, they are a-changin’ and technology is creating the change.
Solution
It may begin with a text message, an instant message, or even something as impersonal as a Facebook post, but regardless of the medium, technology has radically affected how relationships start. Instead of the thrill of nervously walking up to the girl you like and striking up conversation, teens of this generation have a multitude of options to express their interest in relationships. No longer does the typical teen girl sit at home, twirling the phone line as she talks to her crush; she can simply initiate the relationship by texting or instant messaging. This freedom and availability of technology may bring convenience and a more relaxed means of communication, but where is the love? For many guys, texting a girl is much easier than talking to her in person. “Sometimes I have trouble finding the right thing to say; when I text, I can type exactly the words I’m looking for, which is key when I’m trying to get to know a girl I’m romantically interested in,” said sophomore Timmy Sohn. Some girls are put in sticky situations when courted by multiple suitors. With technology, girls can make their relationship choices much more easily. Senior Olivia Forman said, “I prefer texting or instant messaging. It’s easier for me to ignore the guy if I don’t want to talk to him.” Technology may bring a detrimental effect into in person conversations though. If two people are so used to talking through a screen and a keyboard, then what happens when they talk face-to-face? Many boys are much more comfortable talking to girls through text because they
Miscommunication
Knowing when to text is tricky especially before establishing the rhythm of the relationship. Also, sometimes you really need to put your phone down to do homework, drive, or spend quality time with your family, but feel like you’re going to offend the other person.
Whether it is a simple typo, or if you send the wrong person a text, or if you receive a text that you think says one thing but the person actually meant something else, or a matter of un-picked up sarcasm, these pesky miscommunications cause problems.
Don’t be afraid to text first. Let the other person know when you need to stop texting and set a time that you will be available again. Don’t feel like you always need to be attached to your phone, it is important to take time to disconnect. Someone who really cares for you will respect your time.
Try to be clear; always ask for clarification if you are confused, and do not assume things. Often, arguments can be solved more quickly over the phone rather than on text. Talking is instant, texting is not. Trying to end an argument via text can exacerbate the argument.
17
h 4, 2011
air
is chivalry dead?
ne teen romantic relationethods of being a couple triumph of the trivial?
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g d t
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, s .
With instant messaging comes video chatting, which is the closest thing possible to an in-person meeting. “I would rather video chat than call because I can see the expression on her face when I say something, not just hear how she sounds because that does not always tell everything,” said an anonymous junior. Facebook presents its own set of relationships challenges. Everyone can know everything as it begins, transpires, and ends. First of all, what’s your relationship status? And what do people think about it? “Yes, my relationship is Facebook official because otherwise people will wonder why it isn’t and think there’s some kind of problem,” said an anonymous sophomore. Along with a relationship status comes those adorable, or annoying, couples’ photos. “I avoid PDA pictures because I’m friends with my parents and also people just don’t need to see that. I think my friends might be a little disturbed. It’s just like I wouldn’t leave my chat box open for my parents to come see,” said an anonymous sophomore. Another student said that he or she does not feel the need to show everyone overtly affectionate photos, but simple photos of them together are not a problem. “I love when my boyfriend makes his profile picture of us, it makes me feel special,” said an anonymous sophomore. With the expanding use of technology between couples, specifically with Facebook, the mystery of a relationship can disappear. Facebook reveals all information, so there isn’t much to be found out or to be excited about when communicating because people can find out almost everything with one quick click.
Troubles Emotions It is hard to convey how you are feeling through text, whereas it is much easier to interpret your state of being by the tone of your voice. You can’t expect the other person to know how you are feeling without hearing your voice or explicitly stating your feelings.
Pick up the phone. If you really want your relationship to work, you must talk to the person. Sometimes you simply cannot call, but when you have the opportunity, call the person. Hearing each other’s voice strengthens your bond and allows you to connect on a personal and emotional level.
by Isabella Astor ‘13
Jeremy Levinson The Student Voice
to the
end
by Andrew Davis ‘12 With technology playing a more significant role in relationships, any text could be a break up. “It’s not like I expect my girlfriend to one day send me a text breaking up with me, but it’s something that catches your attention,” said an anonymous sophomore. “You can’t ever say the wrong things with your girlfriend because she will dump you.” Most students feel if someone dumps another person via text message, it’s because the person is afraid to make faceto-face contact. “You have two options: break up the easy or hard way. Either the coward sends a rude text or has the confidence to go up to their face and break up,” said the sophomore. Some teens go days without seeing or speaking to their girlfriend or boyfriend on the phone because texting is easier. Because of social networking, teens know everything about everybody before speaking to them. Teens know what hobbies the person has because of Facebook. Teens also know who his or her friends are and how popular he or she is because of Facebook. Anything anyone could possibly want to know is broadcasted. “My boyfriend and I recently broke up
because I knew too much about him. Yeah it was nice at first with getting to know him but with Facebook and text messaging it seemed like I knew everything about him. I realized that I that I didn’t like him as a person partly because of technology,” said an anonymous sophomore. Other breakup issues result because Facebook breakups telegraph the news to everyone. Once a teen breal up is“Facebook official,” the news is posted on their friends’ news feeds and the comments start pouring in. “I’m going to stay single because when my boyfriend and I broke up everyone thought it was such a big deal. My friends didn’t care about how I was feeling, they just cared that my relationship status had changed,” said an anonymous junior. After breakups, teens enter an awkward phase in which they don’t know if or how they should approach their ex. Many students will avoid that person on campus because technology kept the former couple together too often. Technology makes breaking up easy for the dumper and horrible for the one being dumped. The world is moving quickly, too quickly for a date or something special, just poke and text message that special someone – it’s communication.
Just a few decades ago, a man was considered a “gentleman” based on his chivalry skills, such as jumping out of a car to open the door for a lady, or shaking the hand of the father of a girlfriend. Back then, these mannerisms were almost a prerequisite for relationships. In today’s world, many of these manners aren’t as present, especially with teenagers. With all the technology available, there is little need for certain social skills, such as when interacting with the parents of a girlfriend or boyfriend. It’s much easier to just send a quick text instead of picking up a phone and calling. “Texting worsens your ability to talk to people in person because when you text, you have more time to think about what you are going to say, therefore you are less nervous. So when you have to talk to people in person, when you are used to texting them, it’s difficult to maintain the same persona as who you are while texting,” said sophomore Greer Bronson. Some people think that technology has helped their social skills. “By texting, people have the opportunity plan out what they say and actually be able to say the right thing to the person,” said senior Alec Shaul. You might be able to plan exactly what to say when texting, but talking to someone in person requires you to think on your feet, a skill that potentially gets worse the more people text instead of having actual conversations. Usually, having a girlfriend or boyfriend also means meeting the parents. This interaction can be nerve-wracking and stressful without helpful social skills. Different parents expect different actions and levels of respect from the girlfriend or boyfriend. “I’m always extremely polite and conversational around parents; obviously they expect me to show them respect, but I don’t think they expect deference or anything of that nature,” said senior Jason Rosenbaum. In most cases, the meeting of the parents is much less formal than it used to be. A lot of teenagers seem to overlook the manners that were a necessity back when our parents were teenagers. Has the perfect gentleman become a dying breed? “When I was a teenager and I would go over to my girlfriend’s house, and it was expected of me to shake hands, and be as polite as possible. Nowadays teenagers feel that they can disregard theses manners,” said anonymous Buckley father.
arts & entertainment 18 friday, march 4, 2011 |
insidearts&entertainment
coachella | page 24 Creative Commons
oscars| page 20-21 The Weinstein Company
pride & prejudice| page 19 JASON GOLD The Student Voice
COACHELLA | 24 Students react as Coachella tickets quickly sell out. into the wild| page 22
VINYLS | 24 Students look to vinyl records as a new way to enjoy music. pride & prejudice | 19 The spring drama prepares for upcomming performances. into the wild | 22 A&E editor reviews Extreme Exposures, a new exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography.
vinyls| page 24 ALICE BREIDENBACH The Student Voice
OSCARS| page 20-21 Our A&E editors review this year’s oscar winners.
19 friday, march 4, 2011
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Sound familiar? In his free time, Coach Tom Marino likes rocking out. The former band teacher has played for numerous TV shows, most recently Modern Family. JamesBernstein‘14 business manager hile most coaches spend their spare time watching sports on television or playing obsolete games on their smart phones, Coach Tom Marino plays the trumpet for televisions shows, including the hit show Modern Family. Marino worked his way up through the ranks of “showbiz” starting when he was 15 years old “doing casuals around town” to working with various groups performing at Disneyland by the time he graduated from high school. He was the principle trumpet
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player for the San Gabriel Civic Light Opera from 1991-1997. Marino’s career picked up when he began recording theme songs for television shows on CBS and ABC. He has played the trumpet for Northern Exposure, a show that was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1994, Arrested Development, Maximum Bob and many others. “We knocked it out in about an hour. We recorded four trumpet parts and the producers loved it,” said Marino. According to Marino, you never know going in to a television show if it will be successful.
H e said he had not heard of Mo d e r n Family before
the recording began. Marino has been in touch with composer Gabriel Mann, who has set him up with most of his contracts including the gig for Modern Family. He said
that to be successful in this business, “you have to let your reputation be known and get jobs through your street credit.” Marino’s favorite part about playing the trumpet for Modern Family is the show’s popularity and high reputation as well as the pressure of recording. He said that the pressure of on-spot recording is exciting. “I love being in sports and competitions all the time. There is a correlation between sports and music,” said Marino. “When you record, you have to get it right the first time.”
“I love being in sports and competitions all the time. There is a correlation between sports and music. When you record, you have to get it right the first time.”
“We knocked it out in about an hour. We recorded four trumpet parts and the producers loved it.”
Pride & Prejudice in the wings ClaireSlevin ‘13 features editor Pride and Prejudice, opening March 10, is full of humor and heart, executed by a devoted and passionate cast. Director of Pride and Prejudice, Stephen Rollman, said that the students’ portrayals of the memorable characters of Jane Austen’s novels have been “amazing.” “I am so excited about the amount of talent in this group and their abilities. They’re so much fun to work with and their personalities really shine through,” said Rollman. Senior Miranda Rizzolo, who plays Elizabeth Bennet, said that she enjoyed converting a traditional novel into a stage production. “I really like the story. It’s based on the book, which all the seniors read and I loved. It’s a little different but it main-
Which cheese reigns supreme? As a service to the school community, The Student Voice staff spent a lunch period taste-testing pizza from several popular pizzerias. The samples included Ameci’s pizza (sold at the Friday pizza sales and most other pizza-related events on campus.) And an epic pizza taste test was imminent, a cheesy showdown to find the best and most practical pizza in the universe (or the few block radius around the campus). Nine staff members were given samples of each pizza in a rigorous single-blind trial and were asked to rate them on a scale of one to five. Below are the results of the vote, along with comments on each sample. The Ameci’s cheese pizza placed second to last – but – the Ameci’s with toppings pulled out the win closely followed by the newlook Domino’s came in second.
tains the essence of the characters,” said Rizzolo. Rizzolo said that she had fun playing Elizabeth Bennet and portraying her distinct, unconventional personality on stage. “She’s witty, funny, sarcastic, and smart. She reads and she’s a little bit of a rebel for her time. [Elizabeth is] a really fun character to play,” said Rizzolo. Kylan Rutherford also enjoyed playing his character, the oftentimes-brusque Fitzwilliam Darcy. “He gets to be a jerk to everybody and that’s nice. He doesn’t worry about making people like him unless he likes them,” said Rutherford. With a period production come challenges involving character habits and stage set up. “Learning the mannerisms and walking like they do and getting into the time period has been challenging for all
savethedate prideandprejudice March 10 - 6:30 PM March 11 - 6:30 PM
March 12 - 1 PM March 12 - 6:30 PM
of us,” she said. Rollman experienced difficulty in designing the set for the play. “It is very minimalist because we had a challenge trying to deal with three different settings that we have to rotate all on a small stage,” said Rollman. Junior Grace Cartwright, assistant director, helped Rollman cast the play and direct scenes. Cartwright, who is interested in film directing, approached Rollman last year and asked about becoming assistant director as a way to gain experience.
Taste Test Results:
friday, march 4, 2011 20
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
and the
OSC
the nominees BEST PICTURE
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are ALL RIght
THE KING’S SPEECH
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone
Colin Firth The King’s Speech
James Franco 127 Hours
Natalie Portman Black Swan
Michelle Williams Blue Valentine
BEST Actor
Javiar Bardem Biutiful
Jeff Bridges True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network
BEST Actress
Annette Bening The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence Winter’s Bone
21 friday, march 4, 2011
CAR
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goes to ...
the winners and a&e editors’ picks
Mark Cook
the Academy Award winner
Alice Breidenbach
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
THE KING’S SPEECH
The Social Network tells the story that most everyone on Facebook was unaware of, it gives the incredible “behind the scenes” of the creation of Facebook, with all of its struggles…and law suits. In addition to incredible performances by Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, the movie’s camera positions and storyline combine to create a truly fascinating movie.
This movie is not only an aesthetically pleasing journey through England in the 1930s, but also a impactful “underdog” story, in which you can’t help but root for the hero. Carried by very strong performances from the entire cast, particularly Geoffery Rush and Colin Firth, this story, sprinkled with effective humor, is as entertaining as it is uplifting, urging each audience member to “find your voice.”
THE KING’S SPEECH The widely unknown story of King George VI, who, when forced into the throne as the threat of World War II looms, must overcome a dibilitating stammer in assuming the voice of the entire Birtish nation.
James Franco 127 Hours James Franco in 127 Hours gives the performance of a lifetime through his portrayal of loneliness, desperation, psychological breakdowns, attempts at sanity, and finally unbearable pain, which evoke every ounce of pity, sorrow, and raw emotion in your body.
COLIN FIRTH THE KING’S SPEECH
COLIN FIRTH THE KING’S SPEECH
Natalie Portman Black Swan Natalie Portman in Black Swan incredibly shows the pain and struggle to reach her ultimate goal; portraying both the innocence of the white swan and the lust of the black swan. Her intense explosions of emotion throughout the movie show her talent as an actress.
In the best performance of his career, Firth succeeds in internalizing King George’s stutter, so much so that we can feel the inner struggle the king endures to produce every syllable. It is Firth’s near-tangible performance that allows the audience to connect so deeply with the film and its admirable underdog.
NATALIE PORTMAN BLACK SWAN
NATALIE PORTMAN BLACK SWAN
Natalie Portman’s intense portrayal of a tormented ballerina made her the odds-on favorite for Oscar. In becoming the Black Swan, Portman takes audiences into the depths of her conflicting desires. Her struggle is so gut-wrenching that the viewer feels drained from enduring it with her.
friday, march 4, 2011 22
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reviews
soundoff SARAHROSE '11
Columbia Records
tastetest ALIGUTHY‘11
Bob’s Big Boy 4211 West Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake atmosphere: classic, energetic recommended dishes: Bob’s Big Boy special and a vanilla milkshake service: average price range: $ hours: Open 24 hours just plain bad edible good quite good excellent Ratings reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, ambiance and service, with price taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change. (none)
Who doesn’t like a good hamburger? A succulent, juicy patty drenched in melted cheddar, surrounded by a bed of lettuce, onion, and tomato, wrapped in a warm, toasted, sesame seed bun (all with a side of fries and a shake, of course): what could be better? With the exception of those who prefer the more modern trend of vegetarian and vegan cuisine, the hamburger remains a classic alongside other well-known American traditions including apple pie and baseball. Although there are many variations of the hamburger, the quest for such an idyllic burger will lead to one place and one place only: Bob’s Big Boy in Toluca Lake. Established in 1936, this burger joint has been constantly revered for the famous “Big Boy Original Double Decker Cheeseburger.” But what makes this burger so great, you ask? To start, the Big Boy is a double decker cheeseburger. Enough said. Second, the Big Boy is smothered in a secret sauce that adds a zesty flavor unique to this particular hamburger. Inn-Out may have a thousand island sauce with relish, but the Big Boy’s special recipe makes for a one-of-a-kind burger experience. Not only are the burgers amazing, but the milkshakes are also to die for. From vanilla to chocolate, the shakes are blended to perfection with an ideal creaminess to flavor ratio. But if milkshakes aren’t your thing, Bob’s Big Boy also serves a wide array of desserts, including ice cream cake, an assortment of sundaes, and a large selection of pies. The only fault to an otherwise perfect meal at Bob’s Big Boy lies in the fries. Although they may appear to be impeccably salted and cooked to a deep golden brown, the fries are a bit dry and tasteless. Despite this minor setback, the overall dining experience at Bob’s Big Boy is exemplary and truly deserves a place among other high-ranking burger joints.
ADELE: 21 Soulful, sassy, beautiful, and raw. And that’s just the half of it. On her second album, 21, British powerhouse Adele uses her songs as emotional outlets in the process of coping and getting over a breakup. But rather than moping, complaining, or looking to others for self-pity, Adele handles herself with maturity and class. Her vocals and lyrics demonstrate that her wisdom is well beyond the 21 years that the album’s title attributes to her. The first single “Rolling in the Deep” is a rich blend of soul, confidence, and a tinge of wistfulness. Adele truly sums up her album when she sings “There’s a fire starting in my heart, reaching a fever pitch and it’s bringing me out the dark.” The overdubbed tracks that recur throughout the album give it an almost gospel-like quality. The songs on 21 are mostly ballads – clearly Adele’s forte, but the simplicity of each song in terms of instrumentation and arrangement allows her robust, finely tuned, and beautiful pipes to run the show. Adele clearly has control. On “Turning Tables,” slightly reminiscent of “Chasing Pavements” off her first record, 19, a simplistic quality allows Adele to carry the song with her voice, taking listeners inside her experiences and conveying her vulnerability as she reminisces of a relationship gone bad and prepares to deal with such situations in the future.
Critics have said that “Fire to the Rain” is too overproduced and busy, a departure from the alnum’s simplicity. I think it is one of the best songs on the album, as it chronicles the contradictions and conflicts in relationships. Despite the presence of strings, drums, in addition to the usual piano and vocals, “Fire to the Rain” is one of the best vocal performances on 21 because of her ability to control her instrument through difficult vocal runs. Adele continues her streak of cover songs with her slowed-down , cabaret style rendition of the Cure’s “Lovesong.” Although the song is interesting and nuanced, if I had to choose a least favorite track, this would be it. “Someone Like You” closes the album, leaving listeners with a sense of the bittersweet nature of the breakup, especially when she sings, “Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.” Somehow, possibly because of the maturity and growth she has shown us throughout the album, we know that Adele will be okay. The rest of the tracks on the album are all solid, beautiful, and worth the listen. In the midst of an overabundance of female British vocalists, such as Florence Welch, Amy Winehouse, and Duffy, Adele stands out in the crowd through consistency. Up to bat for the second time, Adele hits a homerun.
Alice Through the Looking Glass alicebreidenbach '12
Up for a weekend getaway? How about a quick trip down to the arctic tundra, or a stop by an erupting volcano? Or maybe getting up close with a wild tiger is more your style… Whatever your prerogative, Extreme Exposures, on display at the Annenberg Space for Photography, offers you an intense and personal look into environments that few dare to visit. These five investigative photojournalists, tirelessly quest after their own, focused subject matter, whether it is erupting volcanoes, melting ice caps, or diminishing everglades. The photos are captivating in their unusual subject matter alone. But the clear narrative that each photographer provides also demonstrates his or her passion for photography and strengthens the impact of the photographs and stirring you to care about their subject matter as well. Michael Nichols, also known as the “Indian Jones of Photography,” uses his photographs of threatened animal species and unique natural landscapes to bring recognition to the beauty of nature, which he fights to protect and preserve. “I am trying to show this hidden world…My stuff is visceral. It’s not intellectual at all. When I shoot, it’s a physical response,” explains Nicholas, who contracted malaria 25 times while taking photos. Several of Nichol’s photographs portray the tragedy of the black market ivory trade, which results in the deaths of countless elephants
across Africa every year. One such image, a combination of 15 separate photographs, depicts the carnage of an elephant massacre in Chad. Nicholas’ photos of the haunting skeletons, what remained of the once majestic beasts, now haunting skeletons, are deeply impactful and the viewer allow you to feel Nicholas’ anger over the matter. Through the use of “camera traps,” cameras that are set up with an invisible beam that automatically triggers the camera when disrupted, Nicholas is able to take photos of unsuspecting animals. These images give his audience a look into the honest life and behavior of animals such as elephants, tigers, and apes. “At the end of the day, I don’t want it to be about my cameras or how I do it. I want people to see my pictures and say ‘man, I’ve never seen that before,’” explained Nicholas. Similar to Nicholas’ daring ventures in the African wilderness, Paul Nicklen’s quests into barren, polar landscapes and water produce revealing photographs of the animals that call this frigid place home. “Extreme photography is know what you personal limits are, and pushing past that,” says Nicklen, who grew up among an Inuit tribe. “I come out of the water completely hypothermic, step out into a blizzard blowing 40 mph. You get some of your energy back, eat some raw seal meat, and slip backing into the water to keep shooting, till you know that you’ve got the shot.” Nicklen’s pieces are moving,
© Paul Nicklen
giving a face to arctic animals, whose existence is in jeopardy, but whose existence we may know little about. Nicklen’s most moving series is that of a leopard seal, often regarded as a ruthless killer, trying to feed Nicklen, who continues to photograph the seal underwater. For four days the seal attempted to feed and taken care of Nicklen, contradicting the demeanor that many believe leopard seals maintain. The sacrifices of personal safety that Nicklen makes as he dives into freezing water or through an arctic blizzard are reinforced with the display of Nicklen’s “dry suit,” essentially a wet suit made for intolerably cold waters. The intimidating suit demonstrates Nicklen’s devotion to his craft and spurs a greater appreciation for his art among viewers. As powerful and impressive as the exhibit is, the Annenberg only enhances it. The most impactful part of the show is a video comprised of interview with the photographers about their work and what photography means to them. The show, embodying Nicholas’ visceral ideal, is engaging and entertaining for a wide audience, and I believe that anyone that goes to visit the Annenberg, regardless of whether they have an interest in photography or art, will enjoy the exhibit and admire the bravery of these extreme photographers. The Annenberg Space for Photography is open from Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am - 2pm.
© Michael Nicholas
23 friday, march 4, 2011
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
Student artists win big
up in the air
escape
red sun
game NikaShahery‘13 staff photographer From the high school art awards season, three students emerged with Drexel Awards, two students with Spotlight Awards, while 43 students took home Scholastic Art Awards. “Students [who want to win the awards] must work hard, push beyond the usual easy answer, push to find out their own vision, and master their technical strengths,” said Ellen Mahoney, arts department chair. Juniors and AP art students Grace Cartwright, Lauren Halperin, and Olivia Perez were three of 140 students nationally, selected from 1600 entries, to have their work displayed as part of Drexel University’s annual high school photography contest. Buckley students also enjoyed success in the Spotlight Awards, which, sponsored by The Music Center, recognizes outstanding talent in the visual and performing arts within Southern California. From its 1,200 submissions this year, the Spotlight Awards narrowed the entries
extreme proportion
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orphanage down to 30 visual art semifinalists, 15 in photography and 15 in two-dimensional art. Senior and AP art student Luka Bazeli was selected as a photography semifinalist, for the second year in a row. Junior and AP art student Michael Cook was selected as Spotlight Award semifinalist in two-dimensional art. As semifinalists, Cook and Bazeli must present a portfolio of their artwork to a set of judges, who will eventually determine one grand prize winner, in March. Meanwhile, the Scholastic Art Awards awarded four students gold keys, 11 students silver keys, and 26 students honorable mentions. The Scholastic now has more competition then ever, especially with submissions from the new High School of the Arts in downtown Los Angeles, according to Mahoney. “Competition is stiff, it’s all of Southern California. Students must work outside the box,” said Mahoney.
blue monday
UP IN THE AIR | OLIVIA PEREZ junior displayed in the Drexel photography show ESCAPE | LAUREN HALPERIN junior displayed in the Drexel photography show EXTREME PROPORTION | GRACE CARTWRIGHT junior displayed in the Drexel photography show RED SUN | MICHAEL COOK junior spotlight semifinalist
UNTITLED | LUKA BAZELI senior spotlight semifinalist GAME | JONATHAN WEISS scholastic gold metalist ORPHANAGE | OLIVIA WALSCHBERGER senior scholastic gold metalist BLUE MONDAY | OLIVIA PEREZ junior scholastic gold metalist
friday, march 4, 2011 24
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
Oh, this old thing? In an emerging trend, students look to the past to find a new, but classic, way to enjoy music: vinyl records and a record player. Mark Cook ’12 a&e Editor
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hat is your favorite song? I bet you have it on your iPod, or iPhone or mp3 player, whatever you listen
to music on. Despite today’s modern edge on technology, recently a vintage style of listening to music has been revived. The phonograph. Since this name is pretty outdated, you may know it more familiarly as a record player. The first question you ask a friend who has a record player would probably be “Why do you have that?” But recently they are making a comeback. “I think there is definitely a resurgence, I’m not sure how fast the demand will soar, but everything that was old is new again – it’s so applicable to many things nowadays, for example with Polaroid cameras,” said junior Sophie Korchek. Director of choral music, John Hendricks, director of band Dan Hazlett, and performing arts chair Vincent Houser all agreed that “there is no question that there is a resurgence.” “There has definitely been a rebirth of the vinyl, as well as the cassette tape, ironically,” said senior Olivia Forman. “I saw it all over Silver Lake during my internship. I mean, even Urban Outfitters is stocking choice vinyl, which I find hilarious. I think it’s a sort of fascination with retro.” The fact that records are collectors’ items and their antiquity presents a certain appeal to people. Many people simply enjoy the vintage aspect.
“People are just enamored with the past. For a lot of people, it’s something that you haven’t experienced, and its cool to me to listen to vinyls because I never knew what it was like to only listen to vinyls,” said Korchek. “And I have found that the sound quality is oddly superior, and it just feels different.” In addition to this fascination with retro, listeners love the quality of sound from a record. “The quality is more pure on a record, but they are easier to get damaged. The record is the purest form of music, versus a tape or versus a CD,” said Hazlett. The incredible artwork also contributes to the appeal of the record. “Going to the store and admiring the artwork added a certain romantic element to the experience of buying records,” said Hendricks. “It’s more fun to flip through records than CD’s because you can appreciate all of the cool things about cover art,” added Hazlett. Another interesting aspect to this resurgence is the fact that people are buying new records that modern and new bands are releasing, including as Arcade Fire and Radiohead, not just the classic bands like The Rolling Stones. “You’re listening to new stuff on records too, it’s not just the oldies,” said Korchek. Another component to records that make them special is the difference in songs on each side, “they basically make act one on one side and act two on the other, and a lot of thought goes into the process of deciding which songs to have on which side,” said
Alice Breidenbach The Student Voice
FREAK BEAT RECORDS: Inside the Sherman Oaks record store.
Coachella sells out HarrisonTrussell ‘12 staff reporter Before 1999, the Coachella Valley was a somnolent, agricultural desert landscape unbeknownst to the general populace. Fast forward to 2011, Coachella has become a buzzword that provokes excitement from not only those in the Los Angeles region, but worldwide. The Coachella Valley Music Festival, which takes place during a weekend in mid-April, has changed the face of this desert town, which previously was exclusively the blue-collar, redheaded stepchild to widely embraced tourist spots Palm Desert and Palm Springs. The hype surrounding the event has been building up with
every year’s festival, eventually climaxing in this year’s one-week complete ticket sellout. There still seems to be a great deal of optimism among those who didn’t purchase their tickets in that first week, as rumors continue to circulate via hearsay and the internet about an official resale. “Maybe I’m just in denial, but I don’t honestly think that those were all the tickets available, they’re probably going to release them closer to the festival date at an increased price so they can maximize profits or something,” said junior Arya Taghdiri. The adversity does not stop there. Even if one were to providentially acquire a ticket, the local hotels are either sold out or charge obscene amounts of money for
Hendricks. T h e resurgence is not only occurring for students on the Buckley campus, but also for those that have already left, such as alum Matthew Cook ’09. “For a while now I have been collecting vinyls – going to record stores multiple times each week to keep my collection updated and to get the records of bands that I love that I don’t already have,” said Cook. “It’s an incredible feeling to witness and also take part in a movement of bringing back one of the most classic ways to listen to music.” Recently, as Cook also noticed, more people are shopping at record stores and hunting for vinyls of their current favorite bands. “I think the resurgence is a gleam of hope for the music industry; it gives bands their hard earned and well deserved profit that is so easily taken away with online pirating,” said Cook. Although records may seem so outdated and limited in use, they add to the experience that your iPod or VEVO or iPhone can’t. After placing the record on the record player, there is a switch that you can push to increase the RPM (revolutions per minute). If the record is slowed down, the song is tuned down in pitch and slowed down in pace, playing an interesting new tuned down and slow version of the original song. If you switch the button up, the rotation speed of the record increases, thus raising the pitch of the song and speeding up the pace.
rooms during the weekend. This shocking series of events is primarily attributed to a heavyweight lineup of artists, including Kanye West, Arcade Fire, the recently active Strokes, and Kings of Leon. Other massively popular artists in the more off-kilter music scene include Animal Collective, Crystal Castles, Bright Eyes, and the rapidly ascending Los Angeles hip-hop collective, OFWGKTA. But some students think that this surge of popularity degrades the event’s authenticity as a bastion of alternative music, which has been its reputation throughout the years. “I don’t know, I just feel a good deal of people who go to Coachella pay up to $300 for two to three acts, and spend the rest of their time aimless and confused, not fully involved in the cultural experience that the festival brings,” said junior Brandon Wong.
Creative Commons
topfour local record stores
1 2 3 4
Freak Beat Records 13616 Ventura Blvd.
Groove Riders
4408 Vesper Ave.
Amoeba
6400 Sunset Blvd.
Headline Records 7706 Melrose Ave.
This turns your original song into something similar to an “Alvin and the Chipmunks” song. The different speeds exist because the 45 speed was for singles, and the 33 speed was used for albums; and 78 was for record albums from early 20th century. “I love 78’s because they captured great performances from people from the late 1970’s,” said Houser. “Those LPs are so thick you could do discus with them!” he added. Although playing the record on these alternate speeds provides short term entertainment, it actually warps the record if you do it too much. So be careful with your fun. Don’t forget, none of this is possible if you don’t jump aboard the movement to reach back into the past, and bring back the vinyl.
With increasingly popular headliners, the event has, in fact, become more accessible, however it has evolved into somewhat of a social expectation, a requisite to fulfilling a Gossip-Girl-esque, privileged, youth lifestyle. To the dismay of many, the
hype machine has pushed Coachella to the forefront of popular culture, out from the esoteric underground and established it as a celebrity hotspot, essentially the antithesis of Coachella’s original incarnation.
pollresults coachella tickets Did you try to get tickets to Coachella? No 54% Yes 46% Did you get tickets to Coachella? No 59% Yes 19% Tried, but sold out 22% Would you get tickets if more were sold? No 41% Yes 40% Depends on the price 20%
25 friday, march 4, 2011
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
Addicted to Television JonothanFriedman ’12 design and production editor he first step to recovery is admittance: my name is Jonathan and I’m a television addict. There, I said it. I’m addicted to television. After the standard Monday blues, coming home to new episodes of House (FOX), Lie to Me (FOX), and The Event (NBC) brighten the day. The depressed Tuesday thoughts of three more days in the week are only squelched by the comedy and happiness of Glee (FOX), Raising Hope (FOX), and Parenthood (NBC) that night. By the end of the week, I’ve watched 17 shows, and that estimate is probably a little low. See, I have a problem. But seriously, how can a high school student juggle the demands of academics and extracurricular with a full week of television? It’s a near impossible task. But with today’s technology, it’s simply too easy. With DVRs (digital video recorders like TiVo) that can record two shows at once, there’s no hard decision deciding which show to commit to. So in one night, my DVR could record six primetime shows. It makes it easy to hop on the couch, press play, and waste around 45 minutes (the average time of a TV show, minus the commercials) entertaining myself.
T
But the options on the smaller screen, the computer screen, make the enticing drug of television a click or two away. Hulu.com (an online hub of TV shows from ABC, NBC, FOX and other smaller networks) is the ultimate procrastination tool—second only to Facebook. With most of the popular shows available the day after they air and with less than five 30 second commercials for an hour long episode, it’s easy to say “I’ll watch last night’s Modern Family, and then I’ll start my homework.” But then Hulu recommends watching an episode of 30 Rock, and then an episode of Community, and look at that—what started as watching 25 minutes of television turned into an hour-and-a-half or maybe more. And now with iTunes and Amazon both offering TV episodes and full seasons available for rent, it’s hard to resist clicking one button to download the first season— then second and third seasons—of True Blood (HBO) or Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO).
Clearly the developments of new, quicker, and cheaper methods of watching TV added fuel to an already large fire. But apparently, I’m not alone in having a problem. “I’ve seen every episode of Sex and the City [cancelled, HBO] at least three times,” said junior Jesse Light. “I will watch an episode before I go to bed or to relax on a stressful night. I love Carrie and the rest of the girls.” Light, who also watches Glee, Modern Family, Law and Order: SVU and other shows, may not be at my level of addiction, but she enjoys her TV as much as most. Sophomore Emma Jacobs wouldn’t say she had a television addiction, but said she is addicted to “One Tree Hill” (CW). “It’s just really emotional for me,” said Jacobs. “I’ve been watching it for so long and I can relate to the characters.” Jacobs and fellow sophomores Julianne Goldmark and Madeline Baldi said that their sleeping habits depended on what shows air on which nights. But, apparently, their study habits are
not affected and they plan activities around the nightly TV schedules. “We can multitask,” said Goldmark. “Plus, commercials are great for study breaks.” The three girls agreed that they mainly watch television with their computers on their laps and cell phones next to them, this way they can chat with friends, do some work, and catch up on the latest episode of Gossip Girl (CW) all at the same time. Sophomore Eli Given thinks “it’s an easy way to relax and not think about the worries of the next day.” “[TV] definitely distracts from studying,” said Given. “Think about it, would you rather be sitting down and studying or laughing and watching “Family Guy” [FOX]?” Why do I watch TV? For the simple reason that television is entertaining. So yes, I have an addiction. And yes, others may as well. But is it one that needs curing? I’ll let you be the judge of that.
I’ve seen every episode of Sex and the City [cancelled, HBO] at least three times. I’ll watch an episode before I go to bed or to relax on a stressful night. I love Carrie and the rest of the girls. Jessie Light Junior
sports 26
friday, march 4, 2011 |
Boys baseball readies for rival Viewpoint
it’sgame
time varsity boys baseball march 5
at Channel Islands
march 10
at Crossroads
march 15
at Brentwood
Andrew Daneshgar The Student Voice
WIND IT UP: Sophomore Jarret Weiss pitches from the stretch in the first inning against Campbell Hall March 1. Andrew Daneshgar The Student Voice
FOCUS: Freshman Dylan Shapiro picks up a grounder and fires to first. TylerMorad ‘14 staff reporter Are you ready to grab the sunglasses, put on the hat, and walk up to Gilley for some good ol’ baseball? The 2010 Liberty League cochampion varsity baseball squad is ready to defend its title as it begins its season this month. “What I am really excited for this season is to just finally be getting the chance to play. Since this is the last year I will be playing high school baseball, I’m really looking forward to end on a good note,” said senior and outfielder Wes Haas. Senior Matt Arrow, the ace of the pitching staff who started off last season with a shoulder injury, is perfectly healthy now and ready to get back on the mound. “We have been trying very hard preparing for this season,” said Arrow. “We’ve had preseason practices all year, and some of us have been participating in the Valley Invitational Baseball League on Saturdays as well.”
The Valley Invitational Baseball League is a series of games where players join Montclair Prep’s squad and compete against mutual opponents. Head coach Louie Tapia was enthusiastic when talking about the players who will “carry the torch” this year. “We’re extremely young this year. We have no juniors, so we will be relying on our freshmen and sophomores to step up. It will be interesting to watch the sophomores develop and to watch our freshman learn how to play high school baseball,” said Tapia. Headlining the freshmen class will be Dylan Shapiro, who will pitch as well as play in the field. “As a freshman playing my first year of high school baseball, my contribution to the team will most likely be in the area of pitching. I hope to pitch really well for our team and win crucial games,” said Schapiro. “I’ve also been working at my skills at the plate, and hope to get a lot of RBIs
for the team.” Last year, rival Viewpoint, who the squad shared the league title with, proved to be the squad’s most difficult opponent. “The feeling of being cochampions last year and losing in the first round of the playoffs was bittersweet. We had two opportunities to close out Viewpoint and we didn’t capitalize on either. We’d like to erase the co this season and win an outright championship,” said assistant coach Andrew Lotts. Last season, the squad went on to lose in the first round of the playoffs to Windward. “Our main goal this year should be to make it past the first round and do that by working until we’ve won it all,” said Arrow. Tapia, on the contrary, has a rather different approach to the season. “Our number one goal this year is to have fun playing the great game of baseball,” said Tapia. Tapia then went on to talk about what he will change and not change this year in order to make it passed the first round of playoffs and not just be co-champions, but champions. “Our philosophy will be
pitching and defense. I will be relying on Matt Arrow to get us passed the first round. He can truly pitch anywhere,” said Tapia. This season, the baseball program will be without four of last year’s seniors Jake Brodsky ‘10, Loren Rosen ‘10, Michael Pelengian ‘10, and Jordan Meltzer ‘10, who were all key aspects to the league championship last season for Tapia’s squad. “This will definitely be a big change. Jake [Brodsky] was league MVP last year and each of the players were great contributors to the team, proven veterans. The players last year really brought consistency, which will be a true test for the young players this year,” said Arrow. Arrow changed his tone when he began talking about how those spots will be filled. He believes the freshman have potential. “Although those players will be missed, we do have dependable seniors this year that will really take charge of the team, such as myself, Wes Haas, Brian Lee, and Tony Lobel,” said Arrow. The squad will open up its regular season today at home against Santa Paula.
varsity boys tennis march 8
vs Yeshiva
march 10 vs Milken
march 15
vs Crossroads
varsity girls softball march 8 vs Malibu
march 9
vs Lennox
march 14
at Brentwood
varsity swimming march 15 at Milken
insidesports
march 9
vs Lennox
march 14
at Brentwood swimming | page 28 phenom | page 30 Nick de Bonfilhs leaves a legacy.
PHENOM | page 30
boys soccer | page 27
varsity golf march 8
Boys SOCCER | page 27 Undefeated in league play, the boys played Beaumont in the second round and lost 3-2.
vs Viewpoint
SWIMMING | page 28 The Griffins kicked practice off two weeks ago.
march 15
march 14 vs Yeshiva
vs New Roads
27 friday, march 4, 2011
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
Golden goal eliminates Griffins in second round After coming off an 8-1 victory in the first round against Southlands Christian, the boys fell short to Beaumont. ElleWisnicki ‘13 assistant news editor With an undefeated Liberty League record (10-0) and an overall record of 18-3, the boys varsity soccer team cruised into the CIF playoffs as the number six seed but lost to Beaumont in the second round to a golden goal. “Everybody is in disbelief that the season is over, for it to end on a golden goal was just a cruel way to finish such a positive and successful three months,” said boys varsity soccer head coach Andrew Pearce. The team started out its playoff run strongly with an 8-1 victory against Southlands Christian in the first round at home. “The way we came out, on fire from the beginning. After first ten minutes already 3-0, we knocked the stuffing out of the other team,” said Pearce. The team moved the ball well, played with intensity and showed
that they really wanted to win during the course of the game. According to freshman defender Justin Chin, the greatest strength of the squad was chemistry. The chemistry was so strong that Chin felt that each player could predict what his teammate would do with the ball. Sophomore midfielder Michael Ortiz-Benz added that this season the team was more balanced, prepared and experienced with the trials that come with playoffs. In the second round loss, Beaumont got on the scoreboard first on a penalty shot. The Griffins fired back with two goals of their own to take a 2-1 lead, but a late Beaumont goal tied the game and sent it into golden goal where Beaumont scored on a deflected shot that sailed passed goalkeeper and captain senior Thor Fienberg. Four starting players had
Elle Wisnicki The Student Voice
FOCUS AND FIGHT: Junior Shawn Mcnitt-Gray (left) and junior Michael Vanhal (right) both fight for possession against Beaumont in the second round of CIF. The Griffins would lose on a golden goal 3-2. physical ailments during the game that forced them to sit out during crucial situations. Captains and seniors Eddie Manella, Jordan Bloch, Tony Lobel, and junior striker Shawn McNitt-Gray all suffered from cramps painful enough to sideline them during play. “In the end it was just a case
of [running] out of steam at the end. When it boiled down, [we] showed great character to come back to 2-1, then unfortunately let a goal in at the end to tie it up. The momentum kind of swung towards the other team,” said Pearce According to Lobel, the team was not tuned in enough and got caught off guard when they scored.
Looking into next season, Pearce’s squad will lose nine seniors. “Losing our seniors will be a sizable blow to next year’s team, but because of the equilibrium in our current lineup, we should manage,” said Ortiz-Benz, who hopes to start at midfield next season.
Girls soccer makes playoffs, Girls finish injury first time in six years filled season
Alice Breidenbach The Student Voice
TENACIOUS: Sophomore Ally Borghi dribbles downfield against Glendale Adventist. The Griffins would go on to win 6-0. JackRose ‘13 focus editor “We played very well in the first half, the game was very tight. In the second half, we lost a bit of that concentration, got a bit tired, and did not keep up the same level [of play],” said head coach George Russo on his squads first round loss to Big Bear. The Griffins exceeded expectations by finishing third in league after starting 0-6 in non
league games. “I never thought we would even have a chance to make playoffs,” said sophomore Elle Wisnicki. “I am really proud of our transformation from losing every game to beating teams 6-0.” Despite an early exit, Russo considers this season a huge success after missing out on playoffs the last six years. “[This season was] a huge success because we didn’t win any
of our preseason games but we won eight league games, finished third in league, and made it to playoffs for the first time in six years,” he said. “We were a very young team with a lot of new players.” The team benefited from the freshmen as their success at such a young age shows promise for the future. “Next year we plan to start off stronger, make it to playoffs, and continue past the first round of playoffs,” said Wisnicki. But this season, their youth hurt them once the girls entered CIF competition. “We had a lot of new girls on the team, we just didn’t have a lot of experience. I think as we go forward we will get a lot more experienced,” said Russo. Russo expects his team to improve during the off-season. “Obviously, we are going to lose a lot of valuable seniors but we want to keep building, we have a lot of Middle School students coming up as well that we’re going to add to the program,” said Russo. “We definitely want to make the playoffs again and go as far as we can.” Russo also stressed that the most important way to continue to build on their success from this season is to have the players continue to play soccer year round and to play outside of school during the summer. Among first team Liberty League honors were awarded to captain junior Shaina Goel, Wisnicki and freshman Chloe Boasberg.
BillyWilson ‘14 staff reporter With a young and inexperienced roster that included five freshmen, the girls varsity basketball team did not fair well against its competitors this season, finishing with a 1-17 (0-10) record. Last season, the squad went to the second round of playoffs and was lead by a starting five of four seniors. This season, a rebuilding year, gave the opportunity for each player on the squad to gain minutes and experience. A primary reason for the squad’s disappointing record was nagging injuries to key players including seniors Samantha Wood and Liza St. John. Wood, the team’s star player and captain, suffered a seasonending knee injury during the Buckley Holiday tournament. St. John also sustained a leg injury, which kept her sidelined for the first few weeks of the season. Head coach Marie Philman attributed the squad’s lack of wins to the team’s inexperience, which caused its inconsistent play. “The loss of Samantha Wood was a key one, but I was extremely happy with how the rest of the team picked up the slack in her absence,” said Philman. Before Wood injured her knee, she led the squad with an average of 17 points per game and 11 rebounds per game.
In assessing the team’s struggles and its future, freshman Tyra Gray, who led the squad with an average of 10.4 points per game during Wood’s absence, emphasized the importance of practice. “To improve our record, we need the team to be more dedicated and practice a lot more, because if we just forget about this season we will never learn and grow from it.” On an individual level, Gray wants to look at a broader picture and improve every aspect to her game. Next year as a sophomore, she is expected to lead the squad on the court. “To improve my game, I will be working on everything I can possibly work on: shooting, defense, conditioning and dribbling,” said Gray. Philman recognized what the team could draw upon from the season. “We went into this season with an inexperienced team facing tough high school competition, and I really think the girls learned what high school basketball is all about.” Gray was awarded with a Liberty League all league honorable mention. With nine returning players on next year’s roster, the squad will be looking to develop on the experience gained from this season’s rebuilding year.
friday, march 4, 2011 28
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
Swimming dives into season BillyWilson ‘14 staff reporter After a late start to their season last year, the varsity boys and girls swim team s are looking forward to getting a jump on its training. Last year’s returning captain senior Sean Barnett, returning sophomore Daniel Primachenko, and returning captain junior Jody-Nesta Myrie each swam in the first round of CIF playoffs. This season, the swim team will be coached by Middle School dean Michael Pourciau. Pourciau has two new assistant coaches, Keri Hehne, and Iman Alami. Pourciau believes that each will bring great experience to the team. “Coach Alami ran the Milken swim program and brings many years of coaching experience. Coach Hehn currently swims on the National team for Team USA and brings with her a competitive spirit and many years experience as a competitive swimmer,” said Pourciau. Pourciau anticipates an interesting season with swimmers at different ability
levels. “We are going to have some really fast swimmers this year, which will make for some exciting races. The performance level of the team is a really wide range; we have some kids who are fairly new to swimming as well as a swimmer who swims at the junior Olympic level,” said Pourciau. Pourciau has clear expectations for the team. “We want to swim fast. Having as many kids get to CIF is always a season goal,” said Pourciau. This season the swim team will be in the Delphic League, and expects that Viewpoint will be tough as always. “They have a huge team and a lot of really fast swimmers,” said Porciau. Pourciau is excited about swimming against Brentwood as they have a strong team which that will push the Griffins to their limit. Both Barnett and Myrie will lead the boys and captains Dianne Jahangani and Nika Shahery will lead for the girls.
Andrew Davis The Student Voice
IN THE WATER : Sophomore Jess Walia works on his butterfly during practice. The Griffins have their first meet at Milken March 15.
Young softball squad hits season off today at St. Genevieve
Courtesy of Leonie de Picciotto
FIRE: Freshman Sammy Siciliano pitches March 1 at home.
MichaelLen ‘14 staff reporter Initially, the girls varsity softball team didn’t have enough players to form a team to compete in CIF. But with interest from girls who had been playing in the playoffs with winter sports teams, the squad’s roster was expanded to 12 players, making it eligible for CIF play. “Spring is Buckley’s busiest time. Between drama, dance, and other sports, the pool of potential athletes is diminished,” said athletic director Byrd Newman-Milic. In order to gain more players, squad members made it their initiative to have a team and continue playing the game they loved. “We put up fliers and had a pizza lunch that seemed to have worked out well,” said freshman Samantha Siciliano. “We now have twelve people for sure, and have gotten interest from other girls too.” Siciliano, a tri-athlete, said that the softball team is a much more relaxed team than any of the other she’s played with, making team chemistry an essential aspect of the squad’s success. Last season, the squad finished with an 8-12 (2-8) overall record. Last year’s seniors and captains Diana Barkhoudarian, Erin Fukushima and Marissa Pomerance
were players the squad relied heavily on both on and off the field. Barkhoudiarian led the squad in homeruns, RBIs, hits and runs, Fukushima led the squad in steals, and Pomerance led the squad on the mound with innings pitched and wins. This season, led by captains senior Sarah Rose and juniors Liz Plumb and Lauren Halperin, the team shows promise to perform at a higher level. Two new coaches, Cherylyn McGraw and Sara Washington, have both worked with the Buckley athletic department before and are extremely experienced with the game of softball, poised to lead the squad to a successful season. “Coach Washington played softball in college, and she strongly believes in fundamentals,” said Milic. These fundamentals Milic touched upon include the basics of softball: hitting for average, hitting for power, base running skills, fielding abilities and throwing abilities. The squad played a scrimmage March 1 at home against Archer and fell short 12-7 in a game where the squad’s goal was to gain experience and give each player an opportunity to play. The girls will play their first regular season game at St. Genevieve today.
Losing seniors, tennis adds fresh blood to squad TuckerHiggins ‘13 staff reporter Traditionally, after the loss of seven seniors a coach may consider taking the next season to rebuild and regroup her team. According to varsity boys tennis head coach Sue Sherman, this is not a rebuilding year for her team. “If I’ve done everything right, we will have plenty of juniors and sophomores [who can take the place the seniors left off],” said Sherman. “It’ll be interesting without [the seniors], but we can still be good. We’ll regroup,” said sophomore Blake Resnikoff. This optimism seems to center on one communal goal, shared by many in the team. “Viewpoint. We want to beat Viewpoint,” said Cyrus ShakiKan who joined the school as a sophomore and is the squad’s the lone senior, number-one singles
player, and team captain. “No one can come close [to Shaki-Kan],” said Sherman. According to Sherman, other players to watch include junior Alan Osinoff, junior Jonathan Friedman, and freshman Billy Wilson. Jason Freedman and Salim Chamoun are also freshmen who will be playing with the varsity squad this season. “Viewpoint is definitely going to be our biggest challenge, but I look forward to it,” said junior and co-captain Brandon Afari. According to Sherman, Viewpoint is going to be a challenge because the team consists of several “ranked” players. Practices began February 14 and the team roster was decided on February 21. According to sophomore Evan Drapeau, the group functioning as a team is the biggest part of what
the team needs for success. “My doubles partner [Thomas Cho] makes up for everything I lack. Our chemistry is going to be succesfull to our success,” said sophomore Evan Drapeau. Osinoff and his teammates have been working hard all preseason and is optimistic for a good season. “We all work really hard during practice. I know losing the seniors was a big hit but we’ll overcome it. We just have to be confident with ourselves and support each other. I am excited,” said Osinoff. The Griffins were supposed to play their first game March 1 against Crespi, but the game was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict. In looking at goals for this season, Afari is optimistic to have another year of competitive play in the playoffs. “Last year we had a
Courtesy of Sue Sherman
READY TO GO: Junior Brandon Afari hits up some heat during preseason practice. Afari is senior Cyrus Shaki-Khan’s co-captain this season. heartbreaking loss in the second round of the playoffs,” said Afari. “We’re all confident that we can compete against the best teams and gain a lot of attention around the division. We just have to take
it day by day and focus on the compeition at hand.” The boys played Notre Dame at the time of publication and kick off league competition March 8 against Yeshiva.
29 friday, march 4, 2011
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
Golf expands with three new players, first girl SarahRose ‘11 managing online editor In its sixth year in existence, the golf team is gearing up for its most successful season ever, with the top four players each boasting a handicap of five or better and the addition of the first girl in the program’s history. “Our own expectations will be our biggest obstacle because I have some very high expectations for our team this year,” said head coach Jon Klay, who said that the team’s goals this year are to win all of their matches and to get to the first round of CIF as a team. A third objective that he and the team have set for themselves is to win league, a title they lost last year by one match. Individually, Klay wants to see each player improve in each area of his or her game. “My goal for this season is to be no more than five over par during any tournament,” said senior Matt Saunders. Captain and senior Alec Shaul aims to lead his team to reach its league and CIF ambitions by motivating players and setting an example of what an “overall good player” should be like from the knowledge he has gained with experience. “As captain, my role is not only to teach the younger students about the game of golf, but it is also about setting an example for younger students to follow,” said Shaul. “In golf, etiquette and sportsmanship are so important
to each player’s game.” In preperation for the season, the squad has gone through workouts with strength and conditioning coach Rob Wright. “People think that since it’s golf there isn’t much working out involved or anything,” explained Shaul. “The reality is that you need to be in shape to be a good athlete. It’s the same in golf.” This year the squad will be without Julian Javor ‘10 and Sartaaj Walia ‘10, two players who played a strong role in last year’s success. Javor recently walked on as a track runner at USC. “Losing last year’s seniors will hurt our chemistry from last year above all else. Those guys had great attitudes and were great for the program,” said Klay. Klay and Shaul will look to their underclassmen to play a bigger role for the squad’s success this season. Freshman Ali Eicher is the first girl to make the program’s golf team in its existence. According to Klay, Eicher is eligible to do everything the boys can do except compete in the playoffs. Klay hopes to eventually develop a girls golf program around Eicher and other girls who will express interest. “For right now she’ll play with the boys rules, she’ll hit from the same tees they do, she’ll be subject to the same rules they are, and she’s shown she can hold her
own or I wouldn’t have kept her,” said Klay. Sophomore Joe Ko is the team’s number one player. As a freshman last season, Ko was the only player to advance to CIF as an individual. Ko is determined to have a more successful individual run this season and hopefully earn recognition as the league’s most valuable player. In order to achieve his goals, he has been diligently training in the off-season on his own to help his team. “Since I play golf outside of school as well, I have the opportunity to practice every day,” said Ko. “So while I am preparing for tournaments outside of school, I’m training for the school season as well.” Other key players on the team are freshman Sam Aronoff, as well as sophomores Adrian Fryermuth, and Jack Rose. Both Aranoff and Fryermuth are first-year players for Klay’s squad who are both familiar with the game. Klay touched upon the squad’s depth, making them a force to be reckoned with over the course of this season. “This is the first year that I have a team that I really wouldn’t hesitate to put anyone in the rotation,” said Klay. On March 1, the Griffins shot a 202 to tie a school record and beat Milken by 24 strokes. Ko shot a two under par 34 leading the team.
Courtesy of the dance team
FINISHING ACT: The girls pose for the judges at USA competition.
Dance competes in tourney SarahRose ‘11 managing online editor The dance team entered in the Street Dance USA competition at Soka University in Aliso Viejo February 12 and at Regionals in San Diego the February 26 placing in the top of almost every category in which they danced and qualifying for Nationals. As a team, the girls competed in lyrical, hip-hop, jazz trio, and officers divisions, placing third, fifth, sixth and third respectively at the Street Dance USA competition. Dancing in the solo division were seniors and team co-captains Alexis Bloch and Shanelle Shahery, who placed third and fourth, in addition to freshman Liliana Wilcockson who placed second. “I feel as though we did extremely well considering our circumstances. We were up against schools with thousands of people and teams that only practice in hiphop or lyrical and we managed to do both,” said sophomore dancer
Greer Bronson. The Buckley dancers were among the smallest teams at the competition, facing teams between 30 and 50 dancers. “I think it was a good opportunity for the team to bond, but bond doing something they love and have committed themselves to for the past six months,” said head coach Ralinda Watts. “[The girls] pulled through and did a really good job.” Although they qualified at Regionals this weekend, the team will not be competing at Nationals due to the time constraints because of Heritage Festival and fact that Nationals take place on the first two days of spring break. “The competition really taught me how to deal with my stage fright and how to respect and acknowledge other teams besides my own,” said senior dancer Marika Cleto. “I feel that these competitions teach more then dance technique.”
MeherSingh '14
Sexism in sports I asked a peer, “How many basketball games have you attended this season?” “Two, three, maybe four?” the anonymous student responded in a rather puzzled tone. “How many of those games were for a girls team?” The student took a moment to chuckle off what I had said, “You’re joking right?” When the girls varsity basketball team takes the court at 6:00, you find a relatively quiet gym with a few cheers coming from the bleachers. Around 7:00 p.m., the gym starts getting more and more crowded. So much that guards must be aware of potential fire hazards and ask fans to move to the opposite side of the gym. All this commotion for the sole purpose to see the varsity boys basketball squad play. This was the scenario for the final game of the regular season, Senior Night, when the basketball program hosted Providence. But this situation wasn’t only for what happened on Senior Night, this has been the scenario for the whole basketball season. After the girls suffered their loss and ended the season with a 1-17 (0-10) record, the boys ran on the court. From that moment on, the whole atmosphere changed. The national anthem and fight song were played and the tenacity of the game started right at tip-off. Many people, who didn’t find room on the bleachers, stood the entire game. Many seats were added next to the benches even on the stage, to accommodate the rest of the fans. Despite the large lead, the Red Army continued its deafening cheering until the final buzzer put an end to the squad’s regular season. Fans got to see a dunk, numerous blocks, physical play, and even saw tempers flair between squads. Everyone left satisfied with the entertainment the boys had provided, something the girls had failed to do. But this lack of appreciation and attendance at girls events isn’t unique to Buckley - it translates into the professional leagues. According to ESPN, Game 3 of the 2010 WNBA Finals gathered 545,000 viewers. Meanwhile, Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals gathered over 28 million viewers. The difference
86%
of students said boys athletics are emphasized more than girls athletics at Buckley
75%
of students said the girls and boys basketball programs receive the most attention on campus
62%
of students said there has been a greater emphasis on sports in the last five years is evident. “Their games are faster and more interesting to watch. It’s more of a show to watch the NBA. Even I agree with that. But I still watch the WNBA and NBA,” said freshman Tyra Gray, a member of the girls varsity basketball squad. Gray feels that one of the reasons, besides injuries, that the girls didn’t get the same amount of success and attention as the boys, is the attitude towards the sport. “At Buckley, I feel a lot of girls want to play it [basketball] for college. Girls just play so colleges notice it, not because they want to. They’re playing it for their applications,” said Gray. During the off-season, the boys played 120 games in preparation for their season. The girls played none, due to girls on vacation and other issues. “Boys put more time into sport, and as a result they have a better outcome. They’re just more fun to watch,” said freshman Samantha Siciliano, starting point guard for the
girls varsity basketball squad.. According to D. Stanley Eitzen and George H. Sage in their book, Sociology of North American Sport, “Girls’ high school sports have become so popular that they rival boys high school sports for attention in many communities.” Just about 40 years ago, girls weren’t even allowed to participate in sports as fully as men, until Title IX was passed in 1972. Title IX required that schools provide girls with equal opportunity to participate in athletics as boys by receiving equal funds from the government. But Buckley doesn’t meet up to the current data that Eitzen and Sage have stated in their book. In fact, the situation is the opposite. Boys sports, especially in basketball, dominate Buckley’s campus. But after all the struggles to get women into sports, why don’t girls take advantage of the fact that Buckley provides equal opportunity and support for both genders? “Girls don’t want to be labeled as the strong one, they want to be feminine,” said girls varsity basketball head coach Marie Philman. Athletic director Byrd Newman-Milic has another reason why girls’ participation is low. “Girls being allowed to take dance instead of being on a team or taking PE decreases participation numbers significantly. I hope we change our current model,” said Milic. Enrollment is so low that this season Buckley struggled to put together one full softball team. Boys enrollment in sports is more than twice than the amount of girls. Jane English, author of “Sex Equality in Sports,” a chapter in the textbook Ethics in Sports suggests that motivation and lack of inspiration might be a role in the lack of sports interest within females. “If women lack motivation because they never see female lawyers on television, ‘sex blindness’ alone will not provide equal opportunity,” writes English. “Although ‘formal’ equality is necessary for justice, it is not sufficient. These philosophers would permit temporary violations for justice, it is not sufficient.” Who knows, if there was more support at girls games, maybe the success would match those of the boys teams.
news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports
friday, march 4, 2011 30
Brian Lee The Student Voice
PENETRATION: Senior Nick de Bonfilhs drives viciously through lane against the Viewpoint Patriots in a Liberty League game at home.
Courtesy of Maxwell Baldi
MAD HOPS: Senior Nick de Bonfilhs cuts to the lane at home against Webb during his freshman season. De Bonfilhs scored nine points.
Class, effort and passion AndrewDaneshgar ‘11 sports editor It’s the second round of the CIF playoffs. You’ve been in this exact position before, last season on the road, trailing in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to Sage Hill, before you knocked down a three at the buzzer to win the game. Except that was a year ago, when you were only a junior and the team wasn’t yours, this time, it is your squad that’s seeing a season once filled with so much promise and dedication dwindle as the final seconds expire off the clock. But you aren’t ready to say goodbye. How do you respond? Sinking a momentum changing three-pointer and finishing the game with a buzzer beating lay up to let the party begin once again. Now fast-forward one week to the semi-finals. Again, for the second straight game, your squad trails by double figures late in the second half. But you’re not ready to say goodbye. You make the go-ahead jump shot to lead by one and take over the game by knocking down two free throws sending your student section in a frenzy rushing the court and getting ready for the CIF finals. Welcome to the life of senior stud Nick de Bonfilhs. De Bonfilhs is a three-time Liberty League first team selection who is the captain of this year’s varsity basketball squad. As a junior, de Bonfilhs was also named the Liberty League’s co-mvp alongside Andrew Farhadi ’10.
Brian Lee The Student Voice
SUPPORT: Freshmen Larry Bush and Chase Holliday pump up de Bonfilhs as he goes to the free throw line.
Teammate and senior Anurag Choudhury has been de Bonfilhs’ best friend since Beginners and teammate since the fifth grade. Choudhury called the star a “talented leader by example who has carried the team the entire year. He’s definitely the go to guy on every possession.” At 6’4” and 180 pounds, de Bonfilhs’ size and athleticism makes him a threatening force from everywhere on the court. Whether it’s his improved mid-range game, explosive penetration to the basket or smooth jump shot, de Bonfilhs gives head coach Mike Hamilton the all around performer every successful basketball program dreams of having. “Nick is in my opinion like a Kobe Bryant, he’s a finisher,” said Hamilton. “He’s been playing the game so long and at this school for so long, his basketball IQ has gotten really high.” Last year, de Bonfilhs participated in an all-star game that showcased the top juniors in the area. Hamilton coached the squad de Bonfilhs played with in a game that where he had a crucial late game steal, basket and free throw. As a “finisher,” de Bonfilhs leads the squad with 16.5 points per game. As a seventh grader, de Bonfilhs and former teammates Farhadi, Michael Pelengian ’10, Justin Cypres ’10, and Ryan Rifkin ’10 worked at UCLA with Hamilton where the group would train for high school basketball and continue putting banners on the wall.
De Bonfilhs has done just that, adding four Liberty League championships of his own during four years with the squad. But de Bonfilhs isn’t prized only for the clutch game winners or the points he scores, de Bonfilhs has become a fan favorite for his slam-dunks during games. “Dunking has always been something I’ve worked at, always something I wanted to be able to do,” said de Bonfilhs. “It gets me fired up to play better and gets the crowd going.” De Bonfilhs is also commended by his teammates for being a leader as hardest worker on and off the court. “On the court, he outruns the other team’s guards during games, he grabs anything no matter where he is on the court, he is the first guy to a loose ball, the list can just go on,” said senior Ryan Levy, a teammate of de Bonfilhs’ for a second straight season. “We call him the snake because he just gets through every defender on the court and finishes at will.” For de Bonfilhs, leadership is an essential component to his role as captain. To his squad, which boasts eight underclassmen, six whom are freshmen, he must be a role model of character and composure. “I don’t think it would be possible to ask for a better guy to have then Nick as a leader for me as one of the younger guys,” said sophomore Tyler Coppin-Carter, de Bonfilhs’ cocaptain. “You just feel safe when he has the ball and trust him to do the right thing. I can learn from his maturity every day.” Off the court, de Bonfilhs excels in the classroom, maintaining a 3.6 GPA while taking a rigorous course log with AP classes such as US Government and Environment Science. At the end of the season, de Bonfilhs will be faced with the difficult decision of deciding his future’s fate. De Bonfilhs will have to contemplate whether pursuing basketball at a smaller institution such as Occidental College or attending bigger schools such as USC and Pepperdine, where he may not be able to continue his basketball career. Whatever road de Bonfilhs chooses for his future, his 14-year legacy at Buckley is irreplaceable. As Hamilton puts it, “Nick knows how to play basketball and I think a lot of people underestimate him.”
31 friday, march 4, 2011
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BENBeatty '13
A ‘jock’ school In the 2010-2011 school year, Buckley sports teams are achieving levels of success never before seen, with a CIF title for girls’ tennis, and boys basketball heading to CIF finals. Buckley’s CIF victories have also been accompanied by league titles for many teams. To an outside observer, Buckley would seem an unlikely candidate for such great success in sports. A strongly academically based school with only 750 students is hardly a guaranteed recipe for success on the playing field. For a long time, sports did indeed take a backseat to other pursuits. By examining the banners in the gym, one can see how Buckley’s emphasis on sports has ebbed and flowed over the school’s many years. But through the same process, another trend becomes clear. Over the past 10 or so years, Buckley teams have become more successful. This trend is hardly an accident. Upper School principal Joe Sciuto has been a large part of Buckley’s new emphasis on sports. When Sciuto first became principal, athletic teams were not nearly as successful as they are today. “[When I started] we were kind of happy and surprised if teams made playoffs.” As a former coach with a background in athletics, Sciuto set out to change the school’s mediocre athletic reputation. “I really believed, and still believe, that high school sports are really important for a community,” said Sciuto. Sciuto attributes the recent success of Buckley’s teams to an excellent coaching staff. “Our coaches are some of the best around, and [Upper School athletic director Byrd Newman-
Milic] deserves a lot of the credit for that,” said Sciuto. “Our only disappointment in recent years has been the small number of female athletes,” said Sciuto. “We have to work on that.” Larry Dougherty, Head of School also believes that sports are
shape and taking care of your body to greater academic achievement” said Milic. Milic said the primary gamechanger in recent years has been the school’s revitalized fitness program, led by head fitness coach and history department chair,
“We have AP classes, our arts programs try to produce great art and often enter contests, our performing arts programs strive to put on great shows, not just ‘okay’ shows. Athletics are no exception.” Byrd Newman-Milic Athletic Director beneficial to the school. “You learn a lot about determination from being on a sports team,” said Dougherty. “You also learn a lot about teamwork and the importance of practice.” In this regard, Dougherty thinks that Buckley’s small size serves as an advantage, rather than a setback. “One of the tragedies at larger schools is that so few kids get to play,” said Dougherty Both Sciuto and Dougherty agree that a strong athletic program benefits the school and its students, athletes or not, in many ways, beyond just simple championships and banners. “Competitive sports bring pride to our student body,” said Sciuto.“They make our students proud to attend Buckley.” Dougherty also believes that being on a sports team can bring academic benefits. “I’ve had many students tell me that they perform better in their classes when they play sports,” explained Dougherty. “They have to organize and plan their time well.” “Study after study shows how important it is, and what a direct correlation there is, to being in
Robert Wright. The benefits of the fitness program are evident on the playing field. Buckley athletes, though there are fewer in number than many other schools, can often play longer and harder than athletes from other schools. “Often, especially with our basketball team, we see our teams pull away in [the last seconds of the game],” said Sciuto. Dougherty also believes that the fitness program is important. “It gives our athletes a lifelong sense of keeping themselves fit,” said Dougherty. According to Sciuto, a successful athletic program encourages and maintains that same success. If student athletes regard Buckley as a school with a successful athletic program, they will be much more likely to apply here. Athletic success also brings greater local and national recognition to the school. “Nothing brings the press out like sports does,” said Sciuto. But for all of the benefits sports brings, both Sciuto and Dougherty believe that while sports occupy an important spot on campus, they are not the primary focus of Buckley.
On the right path “We are now a sports school.” Those were the words of Head of School Dr. Larry Dougherty when he took the stage at Monday night’s Winter Sports banquet. The statement had a strong effect on the crowd, as the roar brought players, parents and coaches to their feet. Except, with all do respect to Dougherty, I wouldn’t necessarily agree right away, get ahead of myself, and label that we are now a “sports school.” Putting us on the same pedestal as a school like Oaks Christian, which emphasizes its athletics above all other components to its school, isn’t exactly the way Buckley presents itself. For a school like Oaks Christian, a
statement like that is a lot more applicable. With just one CIF championship in 77 years, which came just three months ago, there is in no way that we are a sports school or will be a sports school for many years to come. In essence, however, what Dougherty said was brilliant. Nobody can disagree that Buckley will always be renowned for its devotion to academic excellence as well as character development. No parent cares enough about what happens on the basketball court or on the field or in the swimming pool or whatever it is enough to pay 30-thousand dollars a year for a quality education at one of the top
Both Sciuto and Dougherty don’t wish to see Buckley become a “jock school.” They both, however, are confident that the renewed focus
on athletics isn’t harmful to any other areas of student activities. Dougherty says that one of his favorite things about Buckley is that “it’s cool to be anything.”
yourvoice onATHLETICS “For me, athletics are an opportunity for me to challenge myself in a rewarding and different way.” Michael Vanhal
Junior
“Sports gives us a real sense of community. Your outlook on life is more positive because of athletics” Jess Walia
Sophomore
“I love the sense of togetherness that a successful team brings to the student body. I am so proud of both the tennis and basketball teams.” Carly Ackerman-Canning Sophomore
“Winning teams bring everything together. I love going to all the CIF basketball games with my friends.” Alan Osinoff
Junior
“People from other schools used to make fun of us because we were never really good at sports. That thought is part of the past.” Thomas Cho Junior
schools in the area. students a reason to cheer and give sports an That’s all irrelevant. enormous buzz around campus. I can’t really declare that Dougherty Other sports teams like the boys soccer literally intended that we are a sports and cross country teams have developed school, but rather that we are moving in the must win attitudes that won’t settle for direction of feeling a sense of pride about anything but the best. our athletics program. Even Varsity Club, a club that was mute The recent emphasis on the athletics the past two years has seen an evolvement. program has given our school a healthier Led by president Emily Field and environment and a more positive attitude. advisor Christian Beam, the Red Army has Back in October, in our second issue of found its way back to the stands and has The Student Voice, I given students touched upon the lack more eager to of enthusiasm and "Nobody can disagree that participate in pride from students sporting events. buckley will always be about Buckley. Going back to Then, the renowned for its devotion to what Dougherty problem may have said at Monday been a lack of academic excellence as well night’s banquet, excitement in any as character development." it isn’t exactly team. that we are now a No squad was sports school, but able to fill the stands to the point where our athletes and coaches are now beginning students had to move to refrain from to look at our sports teams with an attitude creating a fire hazard. of winning a championship or bust because But that’s all changed. we now have that talent we once didn’t have. We can thank head coach Mike I’m not sure if the enthusiasm will Hamilton and the boys varsity basketball continue in the upcoming years, but team for resurrecting that sense of life that one thing I do know for sure is that our used to occupy the campus air back when community has changed its mindset for the the squad was led by Riche Polan ’07 and better. Hussein Habibi ’07. We may not be a “sports school,” but The basketball squad’s success and our sports program is moving in the right unbelievably exciting recent wins have given direction.
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friday, march 4, 2011 |
“
TEACH ME HOW TO
” BUCKLEY AndrewDavis ‘12 assistant editor Three seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and six freshmen. These 14 Griffins overcame Holy Martyrs and won the Liberty League outright, but that was just step one. After defeating the number two seeded Maranatha 56-53 February 25, the boys varsity basketball team 22-4 (9-1) will take on the very athletic and talented number one ranked Oaks Christian team tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center for the CIF championship. “I know nobody thought we would ever get here. We are an extremely young team with almost half of the guys playing their first year of high school basketball this season. We might not be as big as the other teams, but we have bigger hearts,” said junior starting point guard Marcell Johnson. The young team had won the previous 13 games leading up to Maranatha including two “not so ordinary” CIF basketball games. Senior Anurag Choudhury hit two clutch three pointers in both the second round and quarter finals against Burroughs and La Salle respectively in the last seconds of the quarter to keep the Griffins’ playoff hopes alive. The team, led by captains senior Nick de Bonfilhs and sophomore Tyler Coppin-Carter, knew they faced a tough match up with 24-6 Maranatha as Buckley hosted the team at Alemany High School in the semi finals. The Griffins came out focused but were shaky offensively in the first quarter. “We started the game 5-18 [field goals], that’s not our home court, we don’t play there and we missed a lot of shots early, but I thought defensively we were exactly where we needed to be,” said boys varsity basketball head coach Mike Hamilton. The Griffins, tenaciously and aggressively blocked shot after shot and tried to move the game
The boys varsity basketball team, after three come-from-behind, lategame victories, has lead the school to its second CIF championship basketball game in history.
Courtesy of Mike Hamilton
OUR TIME IS NOW: The 2010-11 boys varsity basketball team poses in its team photo. After beating Maranatha 56-53 in the the semi-finals, the boys will face Oaks Christian tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center for the CIF Division IVA Southern Section championship. into their favor. The strength from Maranatha’s guards gave them the early lead as the Griffins trailed the entire game. Down by nine, six, seven and then, all of a sudden, by 17 points with an unfavorable 3247 score in the third quarter, the Griffins scrapped and tried to get something going. “We didn’t want that to be our last game. We just played in the
in the game Carter fouled out, pushing into the backs of one of Maranatha’s players. “I was really frustrated and was scared we were going to lose at first, but I knew we would pull it out somehow,” said Carter. Freshman Chase Holliday also believed they would win. “I honestly love the feelings of these games even though they are
to the basket, it opened up both Johnson and freshman Larry Bush to hit three pointers. With over a minute left in the game, de Bonfilhs took over driving tenaciously into the lane and scoring. De Bonfilhs then hit a jump shot giving the Griffins their first lead of the game since the opening seconds 54-53. The Red Army, with their drums and sea of red t-shirts was sent into
“I know nobody thought we would ever get here. We are an extremely young team with almost half of the guys playing their first year of high school basketball this season. We might not be as big as the other teams, but we have bigger hearts.” Marcell Johnson Junior sixth gear, played harder defense and treated every possession like it was our last one,” said Johnson. With every possession the Griffins cut the lead closer as the Red Army cheered louder than ever before hoping for a win. With three minutes left
tough. It just makes winning even better. Our seniors have really stepped up as leaders. I think after half time when we started following coach’s game plan, we knew we would win,” said Holliday. The Griffins never gave up. As the squad worked Maranatha close
frenzy. De Bonfilhs was then fouled and scored two clutch free throws giving the Griffins the victory 5653 as the Red Army charged the court just like the ’07 CIF semifinal victory at Harvard Westlake. Senior Ryan Levy hugged his
fellow senior Choudhury breathing hard saying, “we did it, we are going to the CIF championship.” Hamilton, proud of his young team is very appreciative of the school community. “It [making CIF for the second time in four years] feels good because it’s a testament to all the different pieces and people who have helped: administrators, admissions, teachers, [and] being dedicated to a program. Without any of those parts we wouldn’t be here,” said Hamilton. Throughout the week Hamilton has prepared the boys for the big game tomorrow. “We’re keeping it basic. We’re just playing another basketball game, we’re not changing a whole lot of what we do,” said Hamilton. One win away from glory, the Griffins face a destructive Oaks Christian 23-7 (10-0) team averaging 64.1 points per game. Oaks Christian’s 6’3” football phenomenon and Duke commit, senior Blair Holliday, is the older brother of Buckley’s Chase Holliday. Blair Holliday has averaged 11.3 points and 3.4 assists this season. “What are the chances of that? I think I’m going to buy a lottery ticket,” joked Hamilton. Oaks Christian has several weapons including their big 6’8” 240 pound center, senior Dillon van der Wal. The Lions also have an extremely quick pointguard, junior Chass Bryan who leads the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game and leads the team in assists with 4.8. The Griffins are confident and prepared to play their game tomorrow. Since June, the Griffins have played in 125 games, games necessary for a championship contending team. “Im not nervous,” said freshman Larry Bush about the championship game. “This is what we’ve prepared for and I’m ready for the challenge.”
championshipstarters buckley griffins height
5’9”
height
6’0”
height
6’3”
height
6’2”
height
6’4”
weight
130
weight
140
weight
185
weight
215
weight
180
avg points grad yr
4.7
avg points
2012
grad yr
12.1
avg points
2014
grad yr
avg points
14.3
grad yr
2013
avg points
4.6
grad yr
2014
16.5
2011
Marcell Johnson
Larry Bush
Tyler Coppin-Carter
Chase Holliday
Nick de Bonfihls
Guard
Guard
Forward
Forward
Center
oaks christian lions height weight
5’10” 5’10” 150
15.1 2012
avg points
height
grad yr
weight
Chass Bryan Guard
6’0” 6’0” 165
4.3 2011
avg points
height
grad yr
weight
6’1” 6’1” 180
10.6 2011
avg points
height
grad yr
weight
6’3” 6’3” 165
11.3 2011
avg points
height
grad yr
weight
6’8” 6’8” 240
11.3 2011
avg points grad yr
Jono Wening
Taylor Hange
Blair Holliday
Dillon van der Wall
Guard
Forward
Forward
Center