Senior 11

The

Arrow

Westlake High School

Presents

Class of 2011 SeniorIssue

PHOTO BY LISA BATTAGLIA

ARROW STAFF GETS READY FOR ITS CLOSEUP : (From top to bottom) Steven Paro, Tucker Higgins, Jacob Cavanah, Hanna Hong, Christina Vasiliou, Katelyn Masket, Julia Model, Jamie Mark, Alexandra Biston, Celine Flores, Alana Model

Caps and Gowns at the Ready Steven Paro Staff Writer With finals nearly completed, seniors await two culminating events that will make the high school experience complete—prom and the graduation ceremony.

An estimated 560 students are to graduate on June 9 at 5 p.m. at the Warrior Stadium.

Graduation signifies a time of change.

For some seniors, graduation symbolizes a new beginning as they prepare to enter college.

“Graduation is a dignified ceremony that is memorable to the families of the 2011 class. Viewing it from the stands is not the same as viewing it as a student,” said Brandy

LaRue, Dean of Activities.

Senior class president James Freymuth, who is scheduled to speak at the ceremony, will welcome friends and family of the graduates.

“I’m excited to see all my friends in their caps and gowns,” said Freymuth.

Hannah Barrett, one of 15 valedictorians this year, will also speak.

Principal Ron Lipari, in his annual speech, will encourage seniors to assume responsibility for their lives as they take this next step into adulthood.

“It is important to always be willing to take constructive criticism. The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than be saved by criticism,” said Lipari.

In addition to speeches, the ceremony will

student performances will the ceremony’s festivities. Singing at graduation are the choir group, A Class Act, Samantha Gilbert and Siara Behar covering “Time of Your Life” that has a unique verse written by Gilbert and Behar that addresses the senior class.

Following the ceremony, the WHS Band will perform the recessional led by director, Brian Peter.

This year’s Baccalaureate service will be held on June 5 at 2 p.m. at the United Methodist Church.

Baccalaureate is a non-denominational spiritual kick-off to graduation week. The service will also include some of the same students performing at the graduation ceremony.

“This year’s graduation features senior

participants,” said Gilbert. “We want to make it more personal this year than ever before.”

Students who need more than two tickets can purchase additional tickets for the ceremony at the student store for $10 each from May 31 to June 3.

After the ceremony, students head over to Disneyland for grad night. Seniors are to report to the gym at 8 p.m. sharp for immediate departure.

Students attending grad night will receive their diplomas when the arrive the next morning at graduation breakfast.

“The senior class has achieved great things, and if they keep moving forward, they will make great things happen,” said Assistant Principal of Athletics Jason Branham.

PREVIEW

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June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

Senior Issue 2011

World According to...

Valedictorians

3

4

Fifteen seniors make the 4.65 GPA cut.

High-achieving students discuss their future plans.

Senior Favorites

13

Wills

6

The votes are in.

Seniors reveal choices for their favorites.

Seniors will their memorable personality traits, belongings, and skills to the WHS underclassmen.

Memories

Senior Standouts

8

These seniors have excelled in their extracurricular activities.

College-Bound Athletes

14

Senior Reflections

9

16

Arrow seniors refect on their past four years at WHS.

ASG Seniors

20

The Year in Sports

19

College Map

10

These athletes share highlights of their high school sports experience and their plans to play in college.

Sports photography captures the eventful year in athletics.

The annual display of the future destinations of seniors.

In the June Issue News

2

Kendra Meyer ‘11, who will join the Marines after graduation, receives a promotion to Private First Class.

Opinion

Jobs vs. internships, which is more beneficial in the long run and which is right for you?

Entertainment

4

Check out reviews of recent movies and albums, including Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way.”

Feature

Sports

8

11

Discover your personality traits in the Enneagram of Personality test.

Summer Picnic

12

A look ahead to picnics and lazy days of summer.

Juniors and seniors battle for the title of Powderpuff champions.

9

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VALEDICTORIANS

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

PHOTO BY JAMIE MARK

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN THESE SENIORS? With GPAs higher than 4.65 these Class of 2011 Valedictorians are feeling some relief as they anticipate the next adventure of their education.

Noteworthy Achievements

Alexa Lucas

Feature Editor

They walk among us. We see them everyday. We marvel at their accomplishments. They are the WHS valedictorians.

This year, 15 students will graduate at the top their senior class with the accomplishment of achieving a 4.65 indexed GPA. Such a goal seems almost impossible to achieve, but these exceptional students have shown that with few hours of sleep and extreme motivation, it is clearly possible.

These top scholars are now getting ready to further their education at some of the top schools in the nation. Nine of our valedictorians decided to continue their success in some of California’s most prestigious schools.

Shannon Chen, Kevin Wang, and Pamela Guo committed to the University of California

Los Angeles. Chen plans to major in Biology, while Wang will focus on Electrical Engineering.

Entering UCLA’s rival school will be James Freymuth, Joshua Peng, and Eszter Boldis as they journey nearby to the University of Southern California.

Peng intends to major in Kinesiology, the study of human movement. His love for medicine developed throughout his participation in WHS’s Advanced Anatomy. Peng’s heavy involvment as Co-President of the Future Meds club also contributed to his decision.

Ashley Lim ’11 plans to study Biochemistry at UC Davis, starting this fall.

As Lim’s school regiment has clearly proven successful, she advises the future seniors to “never give up, dare to dream, and have fun!”

Seniors Vivian Shen and Lizzie Callahan are travel-

ing up to Northern California to study at UC Berkeley. Shen plans on focusing her studies on Bioengineering while Callahan is going the opposite direction as she will major in History.

“Study hard, but schedule in some fun! High school goes by so quickly!” advised Callahan.

Also heading towards Northern California is Lisa Ly, as she is enrolled to enter Stanford University and study Human Biology.

Ly advises future seniors to not “procrastinate. Later you’ll have more fun not stressing about work.”

Genevieve Guerra is headed off to Loyola Marymount University to study Biology. Guerra took part in the WHS Advanced Anatomy program and wants to further her education in this field.

“In ten years, if I go to medical school, I’ll just be establishing myself in a career as a doctor,”

said Guerra.

Leaving California, Joyce Shi plans to travel to Connecticut and enter Yale next fall to major in Pre-Med. Although Shi admits that her high school career was far from easy, she feels all the stress “has paid off.”

“Don’t worry about impressing other people. Be internally motivated.”

-Lizzie Callahan

“[The admission process] is unfair at times, but everything happens for a reason,” said Shi. Off to New York, Nicole Chang will attend Cornell University in the fall. As this year’s Senior Class Vice President and

Advanced Anatomy Vice President, Chang plans to continue as a leader at Cornell.

Lisa Peng ’11 will also head to the east coast, attending the University of Pennsylvania with a major in Business and Economics.

Peng ‘s leadership in JA and JSA not only affected others, but also her future aspirations.

Hannah Barrett ’11 will also be on the east coast, attending the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (more commonly known as MIT). She will major in Mathematics.

“Don’t waiver from your goals and you will surpass what you thought was possible,” advised Barrett.

WHS congratulates these successful students. Although to many, such a high GPA seems near impossible, these 15 WHS students have pushed the limits and are now graduating as the Class of 2011’s valedictorians.

Le Crème de La Crème

Genevieve Guerra’s secret to success: “Determination and sleep deprivation” Hannah Barrett knows “in the future I will be making a difference in the world and helping others.”

James Freymuth’s secret to success: “Good breeding.”

Lizzie Callahan is involved with Achieve in Africa Club, JSA, Literary Chronicles, WHSSF, NHS, and Track and Field.

Nicole Chang varies her school activities between Westlake Student Scholarship Fountain, Literary Chronicles, and Senior class activities.

Joshua Peng believes the key to success is “Procrastination and last minute cramming.”

Lisa Ly thinks the college admission “process takes up too much time from the first half of senior year, but the work is worth it in the end.”

Ashley Lim occupies her free time with Chamber Orchestra, Golf, American Red Cross, FBL, Bazooka Music Club, JA, and JSA. Shannon Chen advises her peers that “[School] doesn’t get easier.”

Kevin Wang’s biggest worry is “running out of energy”

PHOTO BY HANNA HONG

Lisa Peng “fights evil” as an outside activity and believes “seven days of sleep makes one weak.”

Vivian Shen’s best way to waste a day is “sleeping in!”

Joyce Shi recommends others to “pay attention in class and do your homework. Then, you never have to study. I never do.”

Pamela Guo’s secret to success: “Breaking my ankle so I could avoid school.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Valedictorians Hannah Barrett, James Freymuth, and Eszter Boldis achieved the remarkable, a GPA above 4.65. Not Pictured: Pamela Guo.

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The World According To...

FEATURE

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

Class of 2011

Photo By Katrina Brewer

Quotable: (from left to right) Jimmy Hopkins, Taylor Rieger, Richard Sutedjo, and Jordan Myrick discuss their contemporary world.

Katrina Brewer Feature Editor

Each graduating class faces new challenges. The “issues of today” evolve from year to year; morphing along with the minds of the youth. These issues are what the young adults of this world make of them- actions and reactions shape future society.

However much disdain students hold toward their high school experience, there is one aspect of it that is undeniable: high school is security.

These four years are a shelter where students are able to cultivate their minds and personalities in preparation for “the real world.”

As a by-product of this security, high school acts as a filter. In many ways high school students are still treated like children, resulting in focus on petty, child-like problems.

Friend drama, a loss at a sports game, mis-stepping down the stairs resulting in your papers softly floating in a cloud around you as you slide from the fourth floor to the first...all of these trivialities will be gone tomorrow.

Yet it is tomorrow the senior class has been asked to think about.

Four members of the graduating class of 2011 were

challenged to put aside their diminutive problems and focus on the big picture. Taylor Rieger, Richard Sutedjo, Jordan Myrick, and Jimmy Hopkins represent their senior class by reflecting upon how their high school experience has shaped them and what fundamental obstacles their generation will face outside of the haven of Westlake High School.

Sutedjo right off the bat put the senior class in its place.

Forever a realist, he warned the seniors to accept themselves, play to their strengths, and always keep straight who they are.

“They [parents] tell you that you are a uniquely shaped beautiful snowflake that makes all the difference when in fact, you are just a rain droplet that contributes to the whole ocean; and maybe your drop will make am impact,” advised Sutedjo.

He warned the senior class to tread with caution, appreciate its youth and mentally prepare itself for the responsibilities of adulthood: “Your high school life is nothing to what mediocrity you’ll face in the future...you can look for money your whole life but youth only happens once.”

Precious and fleeting, youth should be cherished and spent wisely. This brings to mind the

tell-tale time wasters: Facebook, phones, and drama.

Due to social networking, people have begun to live vicariously through (and become obsessed with) the lives of others; hence detraction from focus on one’s own goals, accomplishments, and wellbeing, is increasingly prevalent.

Facebook remains an enigma: its usefulness is apparent, but do its destructive and self esteem destroying properties outweigh the benefits? Is it healthy to be so over-connected with thousand of people you may or may not know?

The seniors tended to agree on a happy medium between obsession with other’s lives and a genuine connection with the people around them.

“Because I’ve moved around a lot, I have friends all over the country and Facebook helps me see what’s going on with them.

I think the concept of adding people on Facebook even if you dislike them is strange. If I don’t like being around you in real life, I definitely don’t want to see pictures of you at your cousin’s Quinceañera,” said Myrick.

Rieger qualified the reality of keeping Facebook through her adulthood: “Not having one as an adult

is unrealistic (although it’s almost painful to see older people try and use what they refer to as ‘The Facebook’). People would feel limited without that kind of connection, having been exposed to it at a young age. I would definitely let my kids have Facebooks, although I would want to make sure they actually had social skills to communicate in person….there are enough W.O.W. (world of warcraft) players out there that don’t leave their bedrooms already.”

Hopkins cleared up the pros and cons: “Facebook... offers a unique way to remain interconnected with a large group of people...This makes socializing almost too easy.” On the subject of whether or not Hopkins will permit his children to use social networking sites, he declared, “I reproduce by mitosis, but were I to have children I would not see a problem with them having one past a certain age.”

New forms of pop culture arise with each generation and Sutedjo’s cynicism shone through once again regarding the direction pop culture is flowing: “I see pop culture heading toward catchy horrible songs with bad lyrics…get ready for more celebrities showing their illegitimate children, rated R

movies being PG13, and running out of things to talk about. We can always have the dark ages again; I like swords.”

Maybe at this point, where corruption seems to surface at even younger and younger ages, Sutedjo’s solution of heading back to simpler times is completely on the right track. But the seniors are focused on looking forward and college is right around the corner.

“I’m petrified to go to college, but I’m also excited. I think it will be a thousand times easier to make friends in college.

The kids in high school all go through some kind of mandatory awkward transition at some point throughout the four years.

It was not until my senior year that I came to terms with the fact that I am entirely too obsessed with Harry Potter, but more importantly, that I am okay with it,” said Rieger.

Acceptance of oneself is vital upon entering a new college.

Lifelong friendships are born in the cramped dorms you will call home and knowing the kind of people you want to spend those years with reflects what you know about yourself. With these words of wisdom from the representatives of the senior class, the 2011 graduates are sent off to shape their destinies.

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

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FEATURE

Good Things Come in Small Packages Monica Huskins Ari Sadwick

Future Homes of Five Seniors

Staff Writers

A

s the school year comes to a close, Westlake’s seniors are committing to colleges and planning their futures. Many different factors come into play as students select the school that will fit them best socially, academically, and geographically. For five WHS seniors this selection led them to choosing some of the nation’s smallest private colleges.

Hannah Gray: Washington and Jefferson College

Ezra Levy: Skidmore College Ezra Levy, agreeing that small class sizes are better, will attend Skidmore College which has only 2,400 students currently enrolled. However, this coming fall, Levy will not be heading off to New York but instead heading across the pond to London.

Levy said, “I couldn’t be more excited/terrified, but that’s all part of the experience.”

His trip to study abroad will only last a semester, and after that, he will be returning to Skidmore to finish his education.

Levy states his motives for enrolling in such a small college, “the student to faculty ratio is nine to one with an average class size of 17. I’m looking forward to easily engaging with professors and students in the classroom.”

He continues, “Outside of academics, there’s sure to be a sense of community I’d never find while lost in a sprawling large university campus.”

He applied early decision, and chose Skidmore over multiple schools of the same caliber such as Bard, Brandeis, and Sarah Lawrence. Levy says, “Skidmore just felt right.”

Riley Weidle: Adrian College

Jennifer Jackson: Connecticut College

Riley Weidle will be attending Adrian College, located in Michigan, this coming fall, with a student population of only 1,688.

When asked if size affected Weidle’s decision of which college to attend, she responded, ”When I began my college search, I did not feel that size would be important and I looked at schools on all sides of the spectrum. But, when I began visiting, it felt so much better when I could see and interact with the teacher.”

Another factor that led Weidle to commit to Adrian College was the recent renovation of the classrooms. Weidle describes the new classrooms saying, “They have all been recently redone so even in the largest 50-person ‘lecture’ room, the desks are mahogany and the chairs are highbacked padded swivel chairs.”

Riley was looking for a change of scenery, and her college search was primarily focused on out of state options.

The reason behind her decision to leave California is to embrace a new experience.

“I haven’t lived in California all of my life and I have always liked the personal small town kindness that I have experienced back on the East Coast and Midwest.”

Also, as an avid lacrosse player, Weidle, “knew that she would have to go to the East Coast to have competitive play.”

Jennifer Jackson knew that she wanted a college with a strong art program as well as a friendly and dedicated atmosphere.

However, for her the most important factor in her decision was the class size.

Jackson noted, “I want to work with my professors not just get lectured by them.” For these reasons, she committed to Connecticut College with an underclass size of approxiametely 1,600 students.

While many high schoolers view college as a place for school spirit and Greek life, Jackson wants to stay focused on her studies and eliminate distraction.

However, she still wants a school with a great atmosphere, just without all the unnecessary chaos that surrounds a huge school.

Jackson has no interest in being around a crowd of “partiers,” and instead will spend her time at college around students with similar interests and convictions.

“To me, high school is a time of self discovery, and college is a chance to live out the life that you dreamed of while stuck in high school,” stated Jackson.

Jennifer flourished at Westlake, and was active in clubs, and successful in many AP courses.

Jackson has been taking Computer Graphics at Westlake for two years, and she has chosen to make art a part of her career path.

Sonia Barrad: Grinnell College

Barrad clarifies her decision to attend Grinnell saying, “I chose this college because it has an extremely strong academic program, lots of research opportunities for undergrads, and a diverse student body.”

The UC system did not appeal to Barrad, and she describes how Grinnell structures its classes.

“The average class size is about 15 or 20 students and even smaller classes for upper level courses. Of course, this means that professors will know every single student in their classes, which makes it harder to skip class.”

As for the campus, Barrad says that it is very welcoming, and that the current students were very approachable. Barrad cannot wait to begin in the fall.

Sonia Barrad has committed to Grinnell College, with a student class count of 1,600.

Barrad chose to head off to this small Iowa school saying, “I like the small size because I will get a more personal education and more opportunities to interact with my professors and to assist them in research.”

She expressed excitement about the high level of her courses and the chance to be surrounded by passionate students and professors.

Sonia based her decision on academics, and she says that the location was not what drew her to the school.

Washington and Jefferson College

Adrian College

Washington, Pennsylvania Undergrad Population: 1,460 students

Adrian, Michigan Undergrad Population: 1,688 students

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa Undergrad Population: 1,600 students

Courtesy Photos

For Hannah Gray, the number one factor in determining which college to attend, was her pug Coco. Gray researched schools that had “Pet Dorms,” so that she did not have to part with her beloved companion.

Luckily for Hannah and Coco, Washington and Jefferson College located, in Washington, Pennsylvania only has 1,460 undergraduates, and accommodates pets of 40 lbs or less.

Gray is looking for a more hands-on approach to learning, and as she says,”I wanted to live in a small community that allowed me to easily access my professors.

My goal was to find a college where I would not get lost in a huge class; the ratio of students to faculty at W&J is 12:1.”

While many students are filled with regret or fear as they transition from the safety net of high school into the real world, Hannah will leave her home with a familiar face in tow.

Gray commented about the next chapter in her life saying, “I can’t wait to have such a unique experience—provided Coco gets accepted as well! I’m pretty confident she will though.”

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, New York Undergrad Population: 2,400 students

Connecticut College

New London, Connecticut Undergrad Population: 1,600 students

Congratulations to all 2011 WHS graduates!

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” –Dr. Seuss “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson “If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.”

-Milton Berle If you can imagine it, you can achieve it, if you can dream it, you can become it.”

-William Arthur Ward “Two roads diverged in a wood, and II took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

–Robert Frost

Michele Manfredi A 2006 WHS Graduate REALTOR® Direct- 805.390.2584 Mmanfredi@prucalhomes.com DRE# 01886346

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A

I, Drew Adamksi, of cyborg mind and titanium alloy body, will my internal motherboard cooling system to Alec Adamksi.

I, Alexandra Altman, of cheerful mind and uplifting body, will my hatred of Justin Bieber to Audrey Altman.

I, James Anderson, of Roger Gaulke status mind, will my suitcase to Jacob Delson.

I, Allison Arentzoff, of brilliant mind, will my amazing driving skills and ability to procrastinate to Megan Cutaran and Ryan Yamashita.

I, Valerie Armstrong, of super smart mind and awkwardly tall body, will my “Bobmobile” and never-ceasing awkwardness in front of people to my little brother, big brother, Steven Armstrong.

I, Jess Au, of golden mind and taller than Mr. Rose body, will my fantastic baking skills to Andy Lorch, my impromptu cooking skills to Tyler Baca, my hide-and-seek ability to Diego Rivera, my love for Bertie Bott’s Every Flavored Jelly Beans to Lexi Sloan, and lastly, my infinite love and passion for WHSCMD to my little brother, Daniel Au. I, Ariana Azmoydeh, of kafackled mind and smoking body, will my patience for Jim Benkert to Rachel Maurer.

B I, Daiana Baez, of open mind and free-spirited body, will my senioritis, crazy life mottos, and good times to Bridgette Jaffee.

I, Brian Barbosa, of brilliant mind and god-like body, will my awesomeness in its entirety to Zane Spruce.

I, Sonia Barrad, of super human mind and rock hard body, will my strange sense of humor to Natalie Green.

I, Hannah Barrett, of random mind and insignicficant body, will my love of math and lack of sleep to William Barrett and Zach Dion.

I, Siara Behar, of musical mind and Brittney Spears circa 2004 body, will my connections at all local eateries (especially ecbc) to Kristina Ferrari, Josefina San Martin, Stacey Kane, Dani Gilbert, and Alex Martin and my bond with Mr. Lynch to Luke Hegeman.

I, Kyle Bergsma, of logical mind and calm body, will my patience and positive attitude to Micah Bergsma.

I, Susie Binsol, of arduous mind and tranquil body, will my sweet tooth and nonchalant attitude to Veronica Gerges.

I, Alex Biston, of flourishing mind and petite body, will my love for Inn-Out to Shannon Reiffen, Ethan Reul, Michelle Noyes, and Ryan Malouff.

I, Kelly Blake, of intellectual mind and strong body, will my hiking and pilate skills to Shawn Michael and my G1 friendship skills to Jason Blank.

I, Casey Bliss, of beautiful mind and swagful body, will my teen center basketball team and facial hair to Patrick, Luke, Jake, and James.

I, Jamie Blumhardt, of intelligent mind and athletic body, will my amazing athletic skills and generosity to Jason Blumhardt.

I, Shelby Bowman, of excited mind and scorpion stung body, will my fire red hair to Shawn Michael, my fantastic knees to mama Bow, and my senioritis to the cute couple--Jason Blank and Lily Buegler.

I, Brandon Butler, of intelligent mind and noble body, will my magical abilities to Sean Haney.

Julia Ozello and the WHS jumpers.

I, Andrew Camuccio, of genius mind and swole body, will my great looks to Ryan Brown.

I, Gabe Canaan, of able mind and a body, will my soul and dragon memorabilia to Jacob Faltemier.

I, Mary Case, of limitless mind and sexy athletic body, will my beastly pole vault skills to Luigi Colella.

I, Connor Catanese, of brilliant mind and athletic body, will my ability to dive and friendship with Milldog to Ryan Kort.

I, Jake Cavanah, of extraodinary mind and breathtaking body, will my swagger to Brandon Cavanah.

I, Michael Chang, of Einsteinian mind and average body, will my love of history to Alice and my common sense to Allison. I’ll be taking my physics genius to the afterlife.

Sorry Cynthia!

I, Nicole Chang, of scattered mind and ladybug body, will my infamous laughter to Nicole Winer.

I, Shannon Chen, of decayed mind and normal body, will my punctuality to role call to Lauren Chi. I, Brittany Corey, of creative mind and relaxed body, will my senioritis and my good times to Emily Detweiler.

I, Amy Counts, of innocent mind and spiritual body, will my ability to know music theory to Nicole Nelson.

I, Amanda Cowden, of accelerated mind and toned body, will my altoids, gum, and Riccola cough drops to my favorite junior, Antonio Arias.

I, Jake Crawford, of superb mind and strong body, will the reigns down to Luke Hegeman, do work next season puppy.

I, Katherine Crooks, of strange mind and pale body, will my whiteness and friendship to Amanda Catlett.

I, Katy Cutaran, of hapa mind and wasian body, will my car to Megan Cutaran, my “BW” to the volleyball juniors, and my awkwardness to Kimberlee Keller.

D I, Alexander Duke Daley, of unstable mind and perfectly formed body, will my beautiful blue eyes and athletic ability to Gordrique, Gimley, Legloloth, and Monkey.

SENIOR WILLS

I, Katelyn Morgan Dear Class of 2011, Elvin, of scatterThank you so much for an amazing senior year. Serving as senior class presibrained mind and human body, will dent, this year, in activities ranging from the rallies and football games to Homemy short attention coming and Senior Showcase, has made this the most memorable year of my life. span and senority I would like to thank our class advisor, Ms Alderson, our Dean of Activities Ms. to Deanna McNur- LaRue, the ASG advisor Señorita Blackburn, Mrs. Harrison, our teachers, our other lan, my cheering senior class officers and dedicated class members, and all of you for the advice, supprowess to Chelsea port, and help I’ve received this year. Regardless of your high school experience or Lam, my sense of your plans afterwards, graduation will mark the end of an important phase of our romance to Day and lives; it is a transition that will affect our future. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once Nick, and my work posited, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to ethic and Nutella to what lies within us.” Be proud of the experiences you’ve had at Westlake, no regrets, my friends in track. and be proud of the person it’s made you. Thank you all once again.

I, Caitie Epsteen,

of senioritis mind,

Yours Truly, will my back parking

James Freymuth skills to Peter Eps Senior Class President teen.

I, Sara Esposito, of I, Hannah Gray, of Justin Bieber I, Jennifer Jackson, of regularly sleep deprived mind and chocolate-fueled body, will my obsessed mind, will my 5 hour en- weird mind and graceless body, will determination and good luck to ergy and red mock trial suit to Lisa my late night stalking skills to CasBattaglia and Elizabeth Matusov. sidy von Kronemann, my protractor Emma Claire.

I, Richie Greentree, of wise mind to Louise Millet, and my mom car and rockin’ body, will my tennis tra- SUV to Katie Jackson.

F ditions to Frank Duan.

I, Steve Jones, of sharp mind and I, Joseph Grimes IV, of baseball light body, will my car and my bank I, David Kong Faltemier, of narcis- mind and impenetrable body, will account to Jackson Englund and sistic mind and sexy body, will my my amazing umpiring skills to Matt Doug Walsh.

Suburban and style to Jacob Falte- Cornelison.

I, Nicole Juarez, of forgetful mind mier.

I, Genevieve Guerra, of intelligent and hungry body, will my eating I, Matt Ferrin, of senior mind and mind and fun-sized body, will my habits and inability to go to school fine body, will my sweet bass notes running prowess to Emily Guerra, to Stacey Juarez. to Aaron Jassenoff. anatomy skills to Lauren Chi, and I, Victoria Firestone, of scandal- philosophy club passion to Aaron K ous mind and voluptuous body, will Noad. my love to Ali Angle.

I, Pamela Guo, of scandalous mind I, Celine Flores, of cre cre mind and secretly obese body, will my I, Adam Kane, of bamalicious mind and caffeine-addicted body, will first semester ability to do home- and delicate body, will my hard my deep-rooted hatred of math to work and be motivated to Michael work, talent, enthusiasm, and all my incomplete homework to StacShannon Reiffen, my equally as Dansey. deep-rooted love for tacos to Di- I, Andrew Gurewitz, of he music li- ey Kane. ego Rivera, and my Bubble Bazin- brary mind and interesting body, will I, Sam Kazemian, of lazy mind and lazier body, will my procrastination ga magic to Journalism. my music library and copier codes powers and awkwardness to Andi I, Kennedy Fontenot, of outra- to drumline, enjoy children. geous mind and bodacious body, I, Joacin Gurrola, of inceptive Lorch. will my awkwardness and fantastic mind and ravishing body, will my ri- I, Katie Keane, of ebullient mind and majestic body, will my beadmusic taste to Kyleigh Fontenot. diculous ability to think of amazing I, Sawyer Fox, of creative mind and excuses and thus save my butt and ed trinkets, Gloria and Esteban, to Kimberlee Keller. unbelievable body, will my good sanity to Juanna Zhai.

I, Andrea Kemp, of toned mind looks and overwhelming charm to and thoughtful body, will my stress Max Steinman.

H and commitment to all the returning I, Oliver Franckom, of gifted mind yearboogers. and flawless body, will my wax I, Rachel Klavir, of relaxed mind I, Neda Hajian, of diva mind and statue and skilled mind to Sean fierce body, will my rapping skills and tan body, will my love for napGomelsky.

I, James Freymuth, of magical and savy ways to Penny Vorissis ping to my little brother, Matthew Klavir. mind and body, will my art skills to and Jess Evaristo.

I, Adira Hemmerla, of caring and Meredith Shiney, the tribe club to Luke Hegeman and David Cheung, loving mind and unsound body, L the traditions to BK, HH, BH, FD, will my amazing personality, weird and AF, and the balance to Alex doings, and caring heart to all my I, Mikaela Lang, of creative mind, freshman and to my junior friends will my Lang Dynasty to Sam Lang, Struck. as well.

Katie Lang, and Alisa Hunter.

I, Tucker Higgins, of gifted mind I, Tori Law, of musical mind and peG and chiseled body, will my insanity tite body, will my good times in choir on the lacrosse field to Luke HegeI, Rebecca Gant, of fiery man, Alex Struck, and Brian Bald- and procrastination to Valerie Lawton. mind and flame-retardant win. body, will my love of “It’s I, Sabaa Hoda, of distorted mind I, Adam Lazar, perspacious mind Always Sunny in Philadel- and tiny body, will my Nintendo Wii and angelic body, will my kindness and dedication to WHS football to phia” to Alec Adamski. and videos games to Nickel Revie.

I, Connor Gantt, of awe- I, Kaitlin Hodgdon, of discombob- Luke Hegeman, the Rothschillers, some mind and cute body, ulated mind and whiter than pale James Rodriguez, and Luke Hall. will my jokes and chilling body, will my paleness to Jeffrey I, Daniel Lazar, of creative and techniques to next years Laufer, note X to my Sopranos, and beautiful mind and swag body, will my creative and beautiful ceramic MC’s. pure awesome to Gimpy Kyleigh abilities to Brandon “Bshaw” Shaw.

I, Catherine Gebhardt, of obser- Fontenot. vant mind and clumsy body, will my I, Tim Hodgkins, otorhinolaryn- I, Haewon Lee, of abstrusive mind sweet team management skills and gological mind and thyroparathy- and tangible body, will my creative good times to Kat Sun, Sam Wil- roidectomized body, will my boyish mind and isms to budding artists.

I, McKenna Lee, of oooooson, and Kenna Fallan. charm and known aliases to Sean kaaaayyyy mind and Taylor gang I, Sarah Jean Tejeda Gerlach, of Luben. bangin’ mind and even more ban- I, Colton Hoffmans, of willful mind body, will my support to Ciera Ligin’ bod, will Students for Solar and bulky body, will my dedication gouri.

Schools to Alex, Frank, Michael, and strength to Jack Donovan, Gar- I, Tammy Lee, of limitless mind and incredible body, will my impecable and Miraj, my statistics grade to rett Hardy, and Matt Kaufman. and unbeatable running talent to Maggie, and my two years of Mock I, Hunter J. Householter, of beau- Nicki Ghazarian. Asian culture to Trial to Brian and Woody. tiful mind and sculpted body, will my I, Sam Gilbert, of spastic mind terrible basketball skills to Hunter Lauren Chi, and bottomless lore to Taylor Cooper, Katie Miller, and Erin and bangin’ body, will my witch-line Cobleigh. cackle to Dani Gilbert, my stalk- I, Lucas Huffman, of creative mind Roughan. ing abilities to Josefina San Mar- and stylish body, and photographic, I, Ezra Levy, of transcendental tin, Alex Martin, and Kristina Ferra- design, and fashion skills to Danny mind and bearded face, will my patience for absurdity and unwitting ri, my tucking in skills to Daniel Po- O’Brien. rush, my TDF lifestyle to Luke He- I, Matt Hull, of abnormal mind and sarcasm to Eva Maria Pino. geman, and my heart and phone strong body, will my OCD and dug- I, Ashley Lim, of brilliant mind and small body, will my laziness and number to Christopher Klifman. out characteristics to Paul LaVanne. musical incompetence to JY, AC, I, Reid Glaser, of intelligent mind GH, JT, AC, DA, and PK. and bronzed body, will my ASG I, Caitlin Lima, of awkward mind I training sessions and backstabbing and ghost like body, will my title to David Cheung and Luke HegeI, Brittany Impellitteri, of blonde of Mrs. Schlener’s perfect angel to man.

I, Dimitri Gorenc, of skewed mind mind and bodacious body, will my Brooke Weger and Stacey Kane. and tall body, will my locker and snow cone maker and lemonade I, Julia Lin, of detached mind and various jelly beans to some random stand to Dylan, Devin, and Bren- weathered body, will my fantastical nan Ray. guava tree to Juanna Zhai, Kevin freshman.

Chian, Phil Kwon, Jeffrey Kurohora, I, Alana Graves, of derpy mind and Tyler Hom, Nelson Wu, and Matbroken body, will my soul and all my J thiew Choi. insanity to Cassie.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”

C I, Lizzie Callahan, of agile mind and not so agile body, will my jump skills and social awkwardness to

—Henry Thoreau

I, Kelan Dammers, of true mind and Nathan Ruchman body, will my mystic butterfly to the future members of Mock Trial room 908.

I, Tyler Davis, of Odd Future mind and Wolf Gang body, will my swag and confidence to David Cheung.

I, Chris Detweiler, of bright mind and worldly body, will my parking pass to all new juniors.

I, Nicholas Doder, of sarcastic mind and broken body, will my flow, water polo/ninja powers to my boys DZ, RK, SC, MK, JM, DG, DM, CM, TT, BB, and my baby sis.

I, Andres Duenas, of skewed mind and unknown body, will my understanding of nonsense and six pack to Gino Colella.

E I, Ross Eckley, of patient mind and tough body, will my love of music, friends, and adventure to Ray-Ray, Maggie, Blondie, Fuzzy, Bro, Pitts, Alex, wife, AJ, and strength to Tiny.

I, Sean Eckley, of creative mind and drum corps hardened body, will my skills on the field and my caring devotion to Will, Brandon, the WHS trumpet section, and the WHS band, and my everlasting care to Alexandria.

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW

June 1, 2010 • THE ARROW I, Hannah Lotan, of experienced mind and Yogurtland body, will my creeping skills to Brigette Empey.

I, Cheyenne Lounsbrough, of wandering mind and lengthy body, will my clear lack of laziness and outstanding study abilities to Corey Lounsbrough.

I, Sami Lux, of questionably sane mind and too short body, will my study skills to Stephen Leicht, and complete lack of humor to philosophy club.

I, Lisa Ly, of unwavering mind and uncoordinated body, will my total lack of punishment for sleeping and eating constantly in class to NW, JH, AC, JZ, IL, FW, JG, and SC.

M I, Alex Macat, of a lifted mind and relaxed body, will my confidence and WHS legacy to Maddy Fischbein. Use it well.

I, Fernanda Macias, of willed mind, will my patience and all around amazingness to Geena Smith and Leslie Robledo.

I, Travis Magorien, of a sensual mind and delicate body, will my lokos and cartwheel abilities to all the students of WHS. I, Hanna Mandell, of imaginative mind and determined body, will my fascination with the dissection to future Anatomy students.

I, Lexi Marino, of awesome mind and rockin’ body, will my infatuation with Ryan Bleier to all women.

I, Jamie Mark, of chipper mind and Selena Gomez body, will my excellent driving skills to Jason Blumhardt, my coffee cups to Michael Dansey, and my joke telling abilities to Kim Seltzer.

I, Lupe Martinez, of blurred mind and fitted body, will my blurred mind to Marissa Martinez.

I, Katelyn Masket, of Kate mind and Pippa (I wish) body, will my inability to get to school on time to Taylor Masket, my TQM to Frank Duan, and my love of Caron to Journalism.

I, Kylie McNutt, of strong mind and abnormally skinny body, will my amazing singing voice to Madi Gagnon, my nose kisses to Vicki Yick King, my bows to Sammy Judd, Lars rhymes to Jordy Hall, my cuddling to Aerin Creamer, and my pep talks and deep conversations to Luke Dykstra.

I, Sarah Mendiaz, of crazed mind and body, will my false hope and red cups to Sydney Bale.

I, Philip Taylor Messuri, of intelligent mind and athletic body, will my work from high school and locker to Brendan Bleier.

I, Suzie Meyer, of constantly changing mind and constantly changing body, will my adventure drives and love of Baz Luhrmann to Katrina Brewer and Brigette Empey.

I, Marius Miller, of hungry mind and mundane body, will my secret bass and imaginary fortune to Jeffrey Laufer.

I, Gillian Miller, of brilliant mind and luscious body, will my power to pass tests without studying as well as my multitude of indie points to Jess Evaristo.

I, Michael Miller, of genuine mind and approachable body, will my leather bound books, charm, and good looks to Zak Daniels, Matt Baynard, and Ryan Kort.

I, Mika Miller, of sarcastic mind and vertically challenged body, will my amazing memory and hilarious inside jokes to Jeffrey Laufer.

I, Luke Misiroglu, of lazy mind and overweight fat body, will my swag to Brandon Shaw.

I, Brianna Mumford, of random mind and thoughtful body, will my interesting and entertaining personality to Ana Rabadan.

I, Jordan Myrick, of organized mind and hungry body, will my Westlake Underground to Gabriel Poissant.

N I, Daniel Narvy, of Kahanist mind,

will my Israeli nationalism to Mitch Krems and political charisma and charm to Cory Miller.

I, Ian Nelson, of drifting mind and bronzed body, will my TV and bedroom to Brent Nelson.

I, Amanda Newman, of long mind and bodacious body, will my hotness and awesomeness to Brooke Newman.

I, Phoebe Ng, of tired mind and even more tired body, will my sassiness to Grace Ng. I, Tylar Nichols, of questionable mind and satisfactory, will my enthusiasm for band to Jonathan Yan amd Lilly Chen.

I, Patrick Nutter, of sleepy mind and lethargic body, will my love of naps to Drew Dahms.

O I, Brenna O’Reilly, of friendly mind and tall body, will my early morning parking spot area and ability to sleep in any class to Christophe Bonnefoi.

I, Kirstyn Ormsby, of determined mind and chlorine stained body, will my awkward Russian accent and good luck to Spud Miller, Courtney Allen, and Michael Mancuso.

P I, Kathleen Pacpaco, of furry mind and feline body, will my red rolly chair and cat daddy to the yearboogers and Alec Adamski respectively.

I, Nikesh Patel, of talented mind and brown body, will my power in E-crew to David, Faraaz, and Jacob, and my Indian dancing to Faraaz.

I, Sejal Patel, of zestful mind and bodacious body, will my awesome Indian dancing and the fate of ABCD club to Faraaz Siddiqui, Akshaya Sekhar, Shobha Jagannatham, and Asad Abdullah.

I, Leanne Pearl, of wise mind and spazzy body, will my ADD and creative ways to Jasen Eckhart.

I, Josh Pearlman, of clever mind and large body, will my great study habits to Carly Pearlman.

I, Joshua Peng, of agile mind and iron body, will my dissection and Anatomy testing skills to Lauren Chi. I, Lisa Peng, of tardy mind and nocturnal body, will my powerpointmaking OCD and my table leader swag to James George Carney.

I, Jen Peterson, of day-dreaming mind and lazy body, will my group’s lunch spot to the next high school generation of genuinely kind and intelligent people.

I, Max Peterson, of unsound mind and broken body, will my determination to the ones yet unknown.

I, Madison Pollack, of doo-da-doo mind and sensual body, will my obsession with Cabo to Dani Gilbert and Alex Martin, my love for Tay Tay Swift to Josefina San Martin and Kristina Ferrari, my Colina sweatpants to Matt Corneilson, and my face to Tatiana Rawlings.

I, Kye Porter, of lazy mind and active body, will my books and papers to Mrs. Watenmaker.

I, Abby Puczkowski, will my flawless relay starts and extreme awkwardness to Haley Preston and Savannah Miller.

SENIOR WILLS

abilities to Luke Hegeman.

I, Veronica Robinson, of peaceful mind and body, will my leadership position and positive attitude to Jessica Evaristo, Megan Rittenhouse, Devin Milligan, and Zoe Lemieux.

I, Emily Roth, of sarcastic mind and lazy body, will my cave man accent to Natalie Green and Christophe Bonnefoi, and my amazing driving skills to Jessica Beal and Alissa Ross, and my parking pass #1 to Connor MacLean and #5 to Annie Sundling.

I, Nathan Ruchman, of corrupted mind and swim body, will my love of surf and beach and my obscure thoughts in my mind to Savannah Miller, Daniel Au, David Sommers, Amanda Meyer, and Daniel Ruchman.

I, Jeremy Ryan, of forgetful mind and glistening body, will my ability to do so much in so little time to Chase Rosenberg.

S I, Meagan Salmon, of procrastinating mind and paleskinned body, will my summer clothes and legit back-parking skills to Emma Salmon.

I, Juana San Martin, of royal mind and princess body, will my ability to give Romeo a voice to Josefina San Martin, and my key chain to Dani Gilbert, Alex Martin, and Laura Rosenblum.

Sci Oly and AZ. I, Tyler Shepard, of clever mind and tranquil body, will my passive being and studying skills to Brett Shepard.

I, Joyce Shi, of incredible mind and exhausted body, will my uncanny ability to not pay attention in class, yet retain information and GPA, to the patiently waiting Austin Shi and Ardalon Tadayon.

I, Daniel Alexander Short, of enchanted mind and extravagant body, will my sublime knowledge, courage, strength, and confidence to Christopher Hayden Rose.

I, Marina Simms, of sleep-deprived mind and coffeeless body, will my knowledge of Anime and my Blue Braids to Cora Diez and Juliette Griffin.

I, Zach Skovold, of clever mind and paralyzingly scrawny body, will my tasteful sense of humor to Ardalon Tadayon.

I, Nicole Spadaro, of humorous mind and musical body, will my love of music and cheery disposition to Meghan Hunt and Nicole Nelson.

I, Danielle Spencer, of clever mind and bodatious body, will my magical unicorn and my backflip skills to all of the the junior class.

I, Sean Stephens, of reluctant mind and strong body, will my strange yet pleasing humor to Genna Gemeier, my everyday words of wisdom to Amanda Meyer, my Asian sensation to Daniel Au, my want of becoming a Pokemon master to Matt Kaufman, my sillyness and love for others to Savannah Miller, and my amazing driving skills to David Sommers.

I, Andrew Stone, of absent mind and lanky body, will my DJ skills and love for great music to Jamie Stone.

I, Matt Sullivan, of radiant mind and stunning body, will my J-Crew tradition and amazing parking spot to David Cheung and Taylor Perry, respectively.

I, Connie Sun, of Asian mind and magical body, will my brain to Amanda Whitaker, Taylor Wing, Mallory Ferguson, Brooke Casey, and Sasha Allen.

I, Richard Sutedjo, of prophesying mind and sound body, will my 2000 acres of land, a mansion, and seven selections of John Deere utilities with the headquarters in La Baya Dr. to Seth Lisle, my enemy.

I, Anabiah Syed, of somewhat organized mind and tired and busy body, will my IMC notebook, organization, and super stress to next year’s IMC president and IMC, and my passion for the arts to Najeeb Syed.

I, Helen Szeto, of majestic and precious body, will my class and beauty to Annie Chen.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

R I, Elliott Ray, of willful mind and powerful body, will my leggos and movies to Ethan Wertlieb.

I, Sean Rieger, of superlative mind and laid back body, will my flannel shirts to Erik Lauer.

I, Taylor Rieger, of unique mind and quidditch toned body, will my undying love of Harry Potter to Dani Gilbert, Josefina San Martin and Stacey Kane, and my light show

—Dr. Seuss

I, Patrick Sands, of Westlake mind and swagger body, will my report cards to anyone who wants them.

I, Simha Sankar, of absent mind and my own body, will my Indian dancing abilities and charm to Jess Evaristo, Taylor Perry, and Ardalon Tadayon.

I, Nick Saremi, of musical mind and wolf-like body, will my chest hair and voice to Ardalon Tadayon and Bijan Saremi.

I, Collin Sasse, of distracted mind and tired boyd, will my nap pillow and snuggie to the class of 2012.

I , Dan Schneider, of magical mind and LeBron James body, will my baby faced assassin wetball to Grant Lozoya.

I, Nickole Scholey, of twisted mind and fantastic body, will my vast array of inappropriate jokes to everyone I have made laugh.

I, Emma Schuett, of creative mind and graceful body, will my photoshop skills to Stephanie Caranica.

I, Hannah Schuett, of intelligent mind and athletic body, will my beast volleyball skills and five stars to Shawna Korshavn, Courtney Birkett, Paige Harris, Emily Detweiler, Sam Wilson, Lexi Ozder, Megan Young, Julia Mannisto, Megan Stephens, and Paige Rasmussen.

I, Bobby Scott, of intellectual mind and voluptuous body, will my impeccable singing voice to Mikey Giguere.

I, Jenny Seltzer, of visionary mind and transcendental body, will my jar of olives in the fridge and mister microphone to Kim Seltzer.

I, Brady Serwitz, of exhausted mind and curly hair, will what knowledge and manliness I may have acquired to the “manliness collective” that I share with Patenaude, Freed, Biersborn, Azevedo, Acton, Chad Scott, and Coach Snyder.

I, Vivian Shen, of efficient mind and really lazy body, will my locker to my brother and my pride to the future

T I, Alexa Terrazas, of silly mind and kind body, will my driving skills and good times to Lauren Bell.

I, Spencer Thibo, of unnatural mind and fragile body, will my unique knowledge to the world.

I, Emily Turner, of outgoing mind and fun sized body, will my silly sense of humor and “big bootiness” to Nicole Ghazarian and the Turner legacy to my brother Thomas Turner, love you both.

I, Dane Richard van Tamelen, of elevated mind and stimulated body, will my superior laziness and extreme fortune to Conner Powell.

V I, Christina Vasiliou, of enthusiastic mind and energetic body, will my ability to say “Hi” to Frank Duan, my extreme creeping skills to Brigitte Empey, and my obsession with Caronology (the study of Caron Battaglia) to all of Journalism.

W

7

I, Kayla Walian, of patient mind and ripped body, will my gym membership and drawing abilities to Chloe Walian.

I, Brennan Walker, of basketball mind and basketball body, will my basketball abilities to Jason Blumhardt.

I, Zac Wallace, of cosmic mind and centered body, will my knowledge of all things euphoric to anyone who craves it.

I, Dylan Walsh, of exhausted mind and Simha’s body, will my courtroom skillz to Garrett Hardy, Jordan Hobmann, Lisa Battaglia, and Brian Chang.

I, Kevin Wang, of logical mind and lethargic body, will everything associated with my name to Kevin Wang ‘13.

I, Heidi Warfield, of curious mind and tall body, will my insane tanning abilities and photography skills to Emma Salmon.

I, Matt Weitz, of majestic mind and sub-par body, will my wonderful car and intelligence to Megan Weitz.

I, Delaney West, of delicious mind and bangin! body, will my “get on my level” and love of Grasel to Gabby Scudieri.

I, Katie Wetherwax, of logical mind and tan lined body, will Veronika Weiss to Stephanie and Bri, and all my water polo skills to next year’s varsity team.

I, Chloe Wheeler, of easily distracted mind and long-legged body, will my clumsiness and perpetual optimism to Julia Ozello.

I, Elizabeth Whetstone, of noble mind and able body, will my movie-quoting capabilities to Nick Whetstone and my drawing skills to Ms Preston’s 6th period class.

I, Erica Williams, of creative mind and marching body, will my musical talents, fond memories, and senioritis to Margret Harrison, Maegan Richards, Steven Robinson, and Zach Larence.

I, Caleb Williamson, of puzzling mind and mediocre body, will my Juicy Juice to Justin Zong, my Nature Valley Bars to Casey Talbert, and my Clementines to Gabriel Poissant.

I, Zach Winters, of a mind and/or body, will nothing to Alex Farkas.

I, Lyndsay Witkoski, of cheerful mind and artistic body, will my ability to hit a high C to Chloe Walian.

I, Trever Wood, of intelligent mind and sexy body, will my tan and good grades to Shawna O’Shea.

I, Katie Wurtzel, of trivia-filled mind and clumsy body, will my soul and spazz attacks to Deanna McNurlan and all responsibility for small African villages to Pace Luno-Sidi.

Y I, Sara Yamashita, will my wit and intense volleyball skills to Ryan Yamashita and my abilitiy to tell great stories to the volleyball girls.

I, Sophia Yu, of amorphous mind and shapely body, will my genes, and annoying physical habits to all my children and my mastery of procrastination to DG and AF. I, Blake Yuckert, of the sharpest mind and most perfectly sculpted body, will my leather-bound books and suits “so fine they make Frank Sinatra look like a hobo” to the J.V. outfielders.

Z I, Nick Zavala, of absent mind and long body, will my athletic ability and my room to Christian Zavala.

I, Ramon Zepeda, of clever mind and enduring body, will my mind and kind heart to Shontelle Khaliloua.

I, Sarah Zou, of wacky mind and divalicious body, will my sick dancing skills to Zoe Steele.

SENIOR STANDOUTS

8

Anita Gao

Staff Writer WHS AcaDeca team will be missing three valuable students next year: seniors Michael Chang, Rebecca Suslik, and Ali Ohringer.

also with each other.

“My favorite part about AcaDeca is second semester,” Suslik said. ”Second semester is when the team is able to bond the most.”

Though AcaDeca is a diverse group, the camaraderie among its members is very evident.

“AcaDeca is what happens when you take AP students, band geeks, philosophers, and standard students and put them into one room,” said Chang.

The result is an eyeopener to the true diversity of Westlake,” Chang said.

In the fall, Chang will attend UC Berkeley, Suslik will attend Pomona College, and Ohringer will head off to Emory University.

Julia Model

Feature Editor As Sports Commissioner in ASG, Phoebe Ng ‘11 has dedicated an immense amount of time and effort in making the high school experience fun and memorable.

Phoebe has worked on every senior activity this year: she has organized football and basketball tailgates, created college posters for the finale rally decorations, coordinated senior shirt delivery, organized rose, balloon and candy sales for Valentine’s Day, and has made Senior Showcase a huge success.

“My favorite part of ASG is being able to work with some amazing individuals and making things happen...It’s rewarding to bring ideas to fruition,” Ng said.

Phoebe’s responsible, hardworking, and “above-and-beyond” attitude landed her the ASG Advisor’s Award at the banquet held on May 26.

“She has left her mark in so many areas,” said ASG Advisor, Diane Blackburn. “Phoebe is one

LEADER FOR LIFE: Phoebe Ng ‘11 has big dreams for her future at Carnegie Mellon to become the Foreign News Correspondent for NBC Nightly News.

Whatever Phoebe’s destination may be, she is sure to be successful at any goals that she has for herself. She’s grown immensely as an individual as a result of participating in ASG. Phoebe is confident that she can leave high school feeling “ready to face situations that aren’t necessarily ideal...” she said. “I’m hopeful that I can go through the rest of my life with the same vivaciousness and tenacity that ASG has proven me capable of.”

of the top student leaders I have worked with in my five years as ASG Advisor and she sets a phenomenal example for the younger students.”

Phoebe will attend Carnegie Mellon University and plans to double major in Global Studies and Professional Writing with the prospects of becoming the Foreign News Correspondent for NBC Nightly News.

However, she says she “might do a 360 and become a wedding planner. Or a lobbyist.”

Cheer Captain Leads the Way to Kansas State Monica Huskins Ari Sadwick Staff Writers

What does it take to be a WHS Varsity cheerleader?

It takes a positive attitude, a good work ethic, and most importantly school spirit.

The WHS Spirit Cheer squad is a competitive team that requires major commitment.

Only those who are very passionate about cheer can carry on through the frustrations and the struggles of dealing with an SCHOOL SPIRITED: Taylor Kennedy all girls team.

While on Varsity, senior (right) poses with fellow cheerleader Taylor Kennedy ‘11 stepped up Connie Sun (left). to the plate as the captain and continued to stay loyal which took on the task as role model for made an impact on younger squad all of the squads. members,” said Zuckerman.

Cheer Coach, Missy It is crucial that team captains Zuckerman has witnessed Taylor are good role models to the Kennedy’s growth as a leader and younger squad members because a person. they can set a positive example “Taylor is a team player for the future of the team. Taylor and always makes sure the team Kennedy is greatly admired and looks good and is prepared,” said is an essential part of the team.

Zuckerman.

“Everyone loves Taylor.

The captain is expected to She is a great team captain and always be vigilant and work for a crucial member of our squad,” the betterment of the squad.

Brigette Jaffe ‘12 said.

“Taylor was the only fourTaylor Kennedy fulfills all year cheerleader on varsity. She the necessities of being a good

Courtesy Photo

Rebecca Suslik

COURTESY PHOTO

Ali Ohringer

PHOTO BY ALANA MODEL

However, these three seniors are ready to tackle their next challenges in college and life.

They are equipped with personal memories and experiences derived from Acadeca.

“They have all been great role models for underclassmen in Acadeca,” Acadeca advisor Joseph Nigro said.

“They have modeled what it means to be a dedicated decathlete.”

Acadeca, short for Academic Decathlon, studies ten different subjects: mathematics, literature, economics, science, social science, essay writing, speech, interview, art, and music.

“A great thing about Acadeca is studying subjects you wouldn’t necessarily learn about in school. For example, speeches and interviews,” said Ohringer.

In this year’s Acadeca competition, Chang took silver in economics, bronze in social science, and was deemed one of the highest scoring seniors in Ventura County.

Suslik received bronze in interview, bronze in math, silver

PHOTO BY ALANA MODEL

Michael Chang

in language and literature, and gold in social science.

Ohringer won awards in the contest and is also the current president.

“We might be second place, but we still have the best people,” Chang said.

Though Chang, Suslik, and Ohringer have all achieved above and beyond, there are also many other exceptional seniors in AcaDeca that will continue to bring achievement to WHS. “All have been a pleasure to have in the program,” Nigro stated.

Ohringer claimed the best thing about AcaDeca was the awards nights.

“Every solitary student got a medal,“ Ohringer said.

“Acadeca is hard work that actually gets validation.”

Chang stated one of the greatest highlights of the was informing former Acadeca veterans of their victories.

“We would call the previous Acadeca members the night after awards night and tell them how we did. That’s how closely knit we are.”

Acadeca not only has a close relationship with its alumni, but

ASG Student Leaves Her Mark

PHOTO BY ALANA MODEL

AcaDeca Students Finish the Final Round

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

cheerleader. She not only has a bubbly persona but also has the strive that is needed of an unforgettable leader.

Zuckerman continued, “Taylor is a wonderful cheerleader and a fantastic leader. She will be missed.”

Kennedy enjoys going to the beach, hanging out with friends, shopping, and watching football with her family.

When asked what cheer means to her, Kennedy replied, “It has made me feel like I’m part of something bigger than just another kid walking in the hall. I got the chance to meet so many people that I don’t think I would have if I didn’t do cheer.”

As Taylor leaves Westlake behind, she looks forward to enrolling in Kansas State University.

She wants to do cheer in college and said if she doesn’t cheer in college, she will miss it greatly.

Because of her years as a cheerleader, Kennedy now makes every “bad situation a positive one.” Her advice to next year’s squads is, “Be the power squad I know you will be and make me proud!”

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

MEMORIES

Class of 2011

9

10

SENIO

Sacramento State University Briana Linares UC Santa Cruz Daiana Baez Brandon Butler Gabriel Canaan Sonoma State Ricky Davies Oliver Frankcom Sean Eckley Erica Williams Andrew Gurewitz Humboldt State Nisha Joseph University Blake Nahmias Ashley Disney Sean Stephens Zac Tillet Stanford University Dane Van Tamelen Elizabeth Bouchard Delaney West Lisa Ly San Jose State San Francisco University State University Daniel Lazar Allison Arentzoff John Salangsang Matt Daley Academy of Art Madison DeRonde University Max Maddox Tiffany Luptak Matthew O’Kelley Marius Millar Josh Pearlman Mika Miller Nick Romacker Zac Wallace Dennis Sherry Erin Watson

The Jour

UC Davis Michael Jee Ashley Lim Tavior Mowry Anabiah Syed Vincent Wang

UC Berkeley Drew Adamski Jared Berman Elizabeth Callahan Michael Chang Kelan Dammers Sarah Gerlach Neda Hajian Hanna Mandell Dina Obed Kirstyn Ormsby Emily Roth Vivian Shen Sydnee Stanley Connie Sun Helen Szeto Christina Vasiliou Sarah Zou

Hawaii Pacific Hannah Schuett

Moorpark College David Alexander Antonio Alvarez Anne Marie Avery Kathleen Avery Eric Bass Siara Behar Barbara Bessol Ryan Bleier Blair Breger Russell Byrd Andrew Camuccio Connor Catanese Amy Counts Jake Crawford Tyler Davis Sara Esposito Mario Estrada Lara Fidelia Grant Geiselman Mallory Grabot Lauren Greg Dimitri Gorenc Alexandra Heisser

Cuesta Community College Micaela Bavaro

Cal Poly San Louis Obispo Aryana Azmoudeh Zach Bernstein Nicky Evans David Faltemier Samantha Gilbert Caroline Hollister Lisa Mayerson Jennifer Moore Garret Rice Kenny Romine Jeremy Ryan Curtis Seeger Colleen Taggart Ventura College Diana Baez Abby Puczkowski Shannon Sharpe Taylor Woellert

Adira Hemmerla Mark Herbert Francisco Hernandez Juan Huerta Brittany Impellitteri Katherine Jackson Craig Johnson Steve Jones Nick Kahn, Seana Keough Fidelia Lara McKenna Lee Tammy Lee Caitlin Lima Clair Lofthouse Alex Macat Fernanda Macias Chantel Martinez Luke Misiroglu Brianna Mumford Ian Nelson Amanda Newman Nikesh Patel Jesus Perez

UC Santa Barbara Rachel Andrews Lindsay Appell Valerie Armstrong Chris Atanasian Katy Cutaran Nicole Franzman Andrea Kemp Sullivan Morsa Chris O’Connor Kathleen Pacpaco Emily Turner

Ford Tech Program Eric Bardin California Institute of the Arts Ally Halliburton Pepperdine University Bianca Rector Claremont McKenna College Max Winsberg Max Peterson Kye Porter Alexandra Preisz Elliot Ray Tiana Sarmiento Bobby Scott Jenny Seltzer Daniel Short Marina Simms Zack Skovold Derek Smith Marin Spariosu Danielle Spencer Spencer Thibo Katrina Ton Kevin Towne Ashley Warme Michael Wilson Lyndsay Witkoski Blake Yuckert Troy Zaslove Ramon Zepeda

Seattle University Amanda Cowden

Oregon State University Katherine Crooks

Joshua Wildnerness Institute Nick Zavala Fresno City College Megan Grande Santa Rosa Junior College Angela Hernandez Santa Barbara City College Cory Charton Victoria Firestone Hunter Householter Lexi Marino Cory McNerney

University of Washington Alex Bale Emily Beale Ryan Chu Hanna Hong Meagan Salmon Sara Yamashita University of Oregon Nici Bentivegna Shira Dennis Katelyn Elvin Caitie Epsteen Mikey Finneran Sarah Mendiaz Suzie Meyer Andrew Stone

Brigham Young University- Idaho Kyle Bergsma Matt Ferrin Mikaela Lang

University of Nevada, Las Vegas Alexa Terrazas

UC Merced Adam Lazar

College of Southern Nevada Alexander Daley

CSU Channel Islands Zoltan Batoczki Fred Contrata Brittany Corey Tori Law Cheyenne Lounsbrough University of La Brenna O’Reilly Verne Pomona College Shawna Skowrup Rebecca Ho Rebecca Suslik Tyler Soosman Trever Wood Northwestern Prep USC California LutherRichard Sutedjo Eszter Boldis an University Nick Doder Cal Poly Pomona Shelby Bowman Celine Flores Katie Wetherwax Mary Case James Freymuth Santa Monica City Kenny Cruz UC Irvine Stan Joacin Gurrola College Sam Palumbo James Anderson Luke Hubbard Nicole Juarez Tyler Shepard Kelly Blake Kirsten Jakob Seth Keenan Nicole Spadoro Julie Ferguson Shane Laguna Matt LaBelle Nickole Scholey Sabaa Hoda Katelyn Masket Lupe Martinez Michaela Thompson Gillian Miller Michael Jee Violette Nelson Elizabeth Whetstone Joshua Peng Julia Lin Jenn Petersen Michael Miller Pierce College Juana San Martin Jasmine Saeidian Daniel Narvy Natalye Chandler Keats Stanley Emma Schuett Patrick Nutter Joseph Kidd Heidi Warfield Jessica Sanderson FIDM Chapman Univer- UC San Diego Lucas Huffman Joana Abed Elahad sity Madison Sowa Joe Giessinger Jess Au Pabasara Jayasena Alexandra Biston Sejal Patel Brittany Cole Simha Sankar Joseph Grimes IV Jamie Mark CSU Northridge University of San Brady Serwitz Allie Ferber Diego Kennedy Fontenot Kylie McNutt Kaitlin Hodgdon Laguna College of Hannah Lotan Art and Design Travis Magorien Tyler Lillie Steven Paro UC Los Angeles Adrian Powditch Max Avruch Nathan Ruchman Shannon Chen Colburn ConservaCollin Sasse Art Institute of Pamela Guo tory of Music Avery Schulman California Juyea Hoo Tylar Nichols Rio Cohen Sam Kazemian Marinello Rachael Klavir Ashley Burnside Loyola Marymont Julia Lomino University Kevin Wang Genevieve Guerra Jenny Zhou Jonny Miller Veronica Robinson Dylan Walsh Sophia Yu

Brigham Young University Rachel Lang

University of Arizona Geoff Carr Jacob Cavanah Stefan Darbouze Christopher Detwiler Ross Eckley Chris Frank Brett Goldman Arizo Richie Greentree Mega Alana Model Ryan Julia Model Sean Rieger Dan Schneider Jack Shepherd

San Diego State University Jamie Blumhardt Rebecca Brown Sam Delaney Danielle Ferrari Taylor Messuri Anthony Mian Madison Pollack Katie Porush Kayla Walian

11

OR MAP

rney Continues to . . .

a

Washington & Jefferson College Hannah Gray University of Michigan Casey Bliss

Lycoming College Angelo Jacobs Eastman School of School Of Visual Arts Music Haewon Lee Sarah Persichetti Bennington College Rochester Institute of Kimmie Gilbert Technology

Middlebury College Ryan Brown New York University Skidmore College Reid Glaser Brandeis University Adam Kane Ezra Levy Cameron Wolff Jordan Myrick Vassar College University of WisconsinBoston University Chloe Wheeler Carnegie Mellon Madison Matthew Sullivan Cornell University University Katie Wurtzel Tucker Higgins Nicole Chang Adrian College Phoebe Ng MIT Riley Weidle Franklin & Marshall Hannah Barrett Dordt College College Heidi Ferkranus Boston College Emerson College Rebecca Gant Do Yeon Kim Alexandra Altman Grinnell College DePaul University Ohio State UPenn Sonia Barrad University Sawyer Fox Lisa Peng Yale University University of Denver Kim Preish Andy Macat Joyce Shi Nick Saremi Butler University Connecticut College Matt Weitz B rennan Wa lker University of Colorado, Boulder Johns Hopkins Jennifer Jackson Kansas State University Brian Brousseau University University of Evansville Taylor Kennedy Wesley College Lissa Galluci Samantha Lux University of Missouri Jackie Kossoff TreShon Wilson Jim Hopkins Johnson County Community Brian Barbosa Vanessa Pan Zach Winters Allison Muench College Belmont University Connor Gantt

Leanne Pearl Taylor Rieger Rachel Reynolds Nelson Spruce

Alana Graves

Harding University Corey Rhoades

University of New Mexico Elena Simeone

ona State University an Moore n Olkes

Madi Marshall

University of Texas- Austin Colton Hoffmans Alex LaValle Abilene Christian University Caleb Williamson

Vanderbilt University Blair Tramel

North Carolina State University Missy Malouff

Northeastern University Bay-lee Power

Emory University Alison Ohringer Stephanie Yang Louisiana Tech Nick Isham Tulane University Katie Keane

University of Georgia Catherine Gebhardt Southeastern University Matthew Hull Nova Southeastern University Alexa Blatt

U.S. Air Force Alexio Avila

U.S. Marine Corps Cary Ahlvers Ryan Collins Luis Mendoza Kendra Meyer Patrick Sands

University of Miami Jamie Jarett

Class of 2011

“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

“Those will be the best memories...”

12 MEMORIES June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

FAVORITES

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

Senioritis is. . .

“It’s three weeks before the AP’s and I don’t know the dates of my tests.”

-Patrick Nutter “When one knows which angle to rest his head during sleep to avoid binder marks.”

-Nick Saremi “After three years of not wanting to come to school, you finally stop.”

-Jenny Seltzer “When procrastination turns into just not doing it. Ever.”

-Joyce Shi “Max Avruch.”

-Katelyn Masket “When the four period minimum on game days feels like cruel and unusual punishment.”

-Connor Catanese “Calling yourself in sick because you didn’t study for your test; then eating and sleeping all day; thus causing you to call in sick again because you never studied to begin with. Finally you take the test and fail because you never studied.”

-Joacin Gurrola “Getting to school to find no good parking spots and deciding walking takes too much effort, so I go to Starbuck’s until I can park on Lakeview.”

-Cheyenne Lounsbrough

Top

13

5 Favorite Teachers

Why do you like teaching seniors?

Jim Azevedo: “They are old enough to be adults, but young enough to be energetic.”

Doug Freed: “I enjoy working with people smarter than me.”

Lora Novak: “I like helping prepare seniors for success in college, improve

their writing, and help them through the application process.”

Tom Donahue: “They are really mature and have intellectual dialogue and I like the fact that they get out of school a week earlier.”

Greg Korshavn: “Seniors are excited about looking ahead knowing that what they do today will help them in the future and they finally have it figured out.”

iated c o s s A ost Song M ear: Y r o i n e S ” by

with

“Friday ack l B a c c Rebe ay” by

2/11/11

ip D k S r o i n “Se er Mac Mill

Favorite

Movie Most Associated with Senior Year:

Inception Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

“Minimum effort, maximum results.”

-Jim Hopkins “113 absences, 13 truants.”

-Connie Sun “When Mr. Lynch is no longer surprised when I show up for 3rd period Government, but don’t stick around long enough for 5th period Human Geography.”

-Siara Behar

THE END IS NEAR: (From left to right) Katie Keane, Sarah Zou, Caroline Hollister along with many WHS students dressed up for the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I.

School

Ac

Football G tivity: ames Common Planning Rallies

TOP 10 MOST ANNOYING FADS 1. Hair Feathers 2. Uggs with Shorts 3. Justin Bieber 4. Sillybandz 5. “No Regrets” 6. Dre Beats 7. “Friday” 7. Ravers/Techno Music 8. Saggy Pants 9. Non-Prescription Glasses 10. $wag

CARTOON BY GABY BREITER

14

SPORTS STANDOUTS

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

College Bound Athletes 2011

Nelson Spruce

Nick Isham

CU Boulder Louisiana Tech Football

Years on Varsity: 3 Began Playing: 7 years-old Best WHS Memory: CIF Championship Accomplishments: All-State receiver and CU Boulder Scholarship What you love about football: My teammates What you will miss the most: High school football Intended Major: Undecided

Football

Years on Varsity: 4 Began Playing: 7th grade Best WHS Memory: CIF Championship Accomplishments: All-State quarterback, CIF MVP, and Louisiana Tech University scholarship What you love about football: Playing it with friends What you will miss the most: The people and the Friday night lights Intended Major: Undecided

Tavior Mowry Max Winsberg

UC Davis Football

Years on Varsity: 3 Began Playing: 6 years-old Best WHS Memory: CIF Championship Accomplishments: UC Davis scholarship, all-time career rusher and touchdown record holder What you love about football: The rush of being chased What you will miss the most: Friday nights Intended Major: Business, Marketing Advertisement

Claremont McKenna Football

Years on Varsity: 2 Began Playing: 7 years old Best WHS Memory: CIF Championship Accomplishments: All-CIF What you love about football: My teammates What you will miss the most: The fans and Friday night lights Intended Major: Business Finance

Keats Stanley Travis Magorien Adrian Powditch

Jonny Miller

CSUN

LMU

USC

Volleyball Years on Varsity: 4 Began Playing: 7th grade Best WHS Memory: CIF Championship Accomplishments: CIF and All-County player of the year, MVP, and scholarship to USC What you love about volleyball: Winning!

What you will miss the most: Wearing my jersey on game days Intended Major: Sports Management

Volleyball Years on Varsity: 3 Began Playing: 13 years-old Best WHS Memory: Winning CIF sophomore year Accomplishments: MVP League 2010, 1st Team All State 2009, 1st Team All CIF 2009-2011, 2011 Ventura County State Player of the Year What you love about volleyball: The camaraderie and how it’s a team oriented sport.

What you will miss the most: Being coached by my dad Intended Major: Communications

CSUN

Volleyball

running

Years on Varsity: 3 Began Playing: 5 years ago Best WHS Memory: CIF Championship Accomplishments: All-Tournament at Junior Olympics What you love about volleyball: It’s pretty fun!

What you will miss the most: Playoffs Intended Major: Undecided

Years on Varsity: 4 Began Playing: Freshman Year Best WHS Memory: Making it to state Accomplishments: 4:24 mile, 9:35 2 mile What you love about running: It is very competitive.

What you will miss the most: All of the guys on the team Intended Major: Recording Arts

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

15

SPORTS STANDOUTS

College Bound Athletes 2011

Abby Puczkowski Chloe Wheeler

Ventura Swim

Years on Varsity: 4 Began Playing: 6 years old Best WHS Memory: Winning CIF sophomore year Accomplishments: School record in 200 Medley Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay What you love about swimming: The fact that I have a family outside of my family.

What you will miss the most: Working hard with my team to achieve our goals.

Intended Major: Nursing

Vassar Soccer

Years on Varsity: 4 Began Playing: 4 years old Best WHS Memory: Going to the CIF championship on a charter bus Accomplishments: First team all Marmonte, ďŹ rst team all county What you love about soccer: I can always rely on soccer to keep me sane.

What you will miss the most: The friends I have made and playing soccer with them.

Intended Major: Undecided

Mary Case

Hannah Schuett

CLU

Hawaii PaciFic

Years on Varsity: 4 Began Playing: 5 years old Best WHS Memory: breaking the senior class record in long jump Accomplishments: competing in Ventura County Championships for 3 years What you love about track: It is fun to see all the hard work pay off.

What you will miss the most: All the friends I have made Intended Major: Communications

Years on Varsity: 3 Began Playing: 8 years-old Best WHS Memory: Breaking the assist record Accomplishments: Breaking the ace record, 1st Team All Marmonte League and All County, Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame Athlete of the Year What you love about volleyball: The team aspect What you will miss the most: All the varsity girls Intended Major: Biochemistry

Track

Volleyball

Nici Bentivegna Shelby Bowman

Delaney West

Riley Weidle

University of Oregon

Santa Cruz

Adrian

Years on Varsity: 3 Began Playing: 2nd Grade Best WHS Memory: Going to play the #1 team in the nation, Mater Dei, and getting annihilated Accomplishments: Junior All Ventura County all-star teams What you love about basketball: Love playing and working hard to accomplish my goals.

What you will miss the most: Being with my coaches and teammates and experiencing all we did together.

Intended Major: Psychology or Business

Years on Varsity: 4 Began Playing: 6th grade Best WHS Memory: Growing the sport and getting CIF approval after so many years Accomplishments: Team captain since freshman year & All-District team selection What you love about lacrosse: No matter the defecit of the game, lacrosse is so fast that you can always turn it around.

What you will miss the most: The competition Intended Major: Biology

CLU

Lacrosse

Track

Years on Varsity: 3 Began Playing: 2nd grade Best WHS Memory: Powder Puff football game Accomplishments: team captain, MVP Sophomore year What you love about lacrosse: Being part of a team is great feeling.

What you will miss the most: I will miss the people I have played and bonded with.

Intended Major: Business Amdinistration and Sports Management

Years on Varsity: 4 Began Playing: 4 years ago Best WHS Memory: Senior picnic Accomplishments: 4 varsity letters in track What you will miss the most: The relationships that I have made at WHS Intended Major: Exercise Science/Psychology

Basketball

Lacrosse

REFLECTIONS

16

READY FOR CHANGE

Carving out a Future: No Regrets Julia Model

Feature Editor Each day brings a plethora of choices; whether they are important, such as deciding where to go to college or choosing a career path or something insignificant such as deciding what to wear or what to eat. I try to make up my mind, without seeking out approval from anyone else, just relying on myself to approve of my own choices. As selfish as this may seem, I want to create my future without living a life filled with “What if’s.” This is the goal that I hope to carry out along my college journey.

The world is full of opportunities.

Throughout high school, I have learned that you have to choose to be happy, and to create your own future. Waiting on something great to happen to you will get you nowhere in a society where competition is fierce and prevalent. For example, in my Monday night Pilates classes, Sally tells us, “ It’s [ Pilates] discipline, it’s work, and it’s a journey.”

This, to me, is a remarkable point of view from a woman who I perceive to be a strong, independent and caring individual.

In my opinion, everything in life applies

to this statement. Through the hardship, comes strength along with the room to grow into your own entity that is you and only you.

I am aware of my personal goals and dreams that someday, I hope to achieve.

College will serve as a gateway to success, but it is I who can make great things happen.

Now, many incoming college students may believe that getting a degree and graduating from a reputable university will place them in a great job and create for them a world of prospects. But my take on success is this: accomplishment only stems from your passion, your drive, and your willingness to create opportunity and not wait for it to come to you.

It is so easy just to settle, to think, this is good enough. I made an effort. But is it really good enough, or are you settling for achieving less than what you’re capable of? We’d all like to think that all of the money that goes into a college education will be well worth it. So, my advice to you is this: cherish every moment, let your experiences, the people you meet, and the things you learn along the way change your life forever and most of all, enjoy the journey along the way.

A Senior Reminiscence

Katie Porush Staff Writer

As we prepare to take a step forward to a new path in our lives, we must remember to take a look back on the past four glorious years.

We, the Class of 2011, have had a great time at WHS. From Friday night football games to late night study sessions, from the infamous rallies and dress up days to the dreadful AP tests—we did it.

We survived high school.

Freshman Year. Let’s face it, freshman year was rough. We were thrown into a giant sea with millions of unfamiliar fish squirming around. The school seemed as though it was a large, confusing maze.

I remember walking around campus during WOW week trying my hardest to memorize the building numbers and the routes, repeating them over and over in my head. Although freshman year was one to remember, I think it’s safe to say we were all ready to progress from being little “freshies” to being sophomores.

Sophomore year was when a sense of belonging started to appear. We became comfortable and felt at home here.

Sophomore year brought freedom as well.

The second each of us stepped out of the Thousand Oaks DMV with a license in hand, our lives (not our parent’s) got a million times better. We were, in a sense, on our own. But, by the end of the year,

we were most definitely ready to be upper classmen.

Junior year, was the year of late night test cramming, studying and doing homework 24/7, and struggling to stay motivated, while wondering if all this constant work, lack of sleep, and no social life was really worth it. Right when we were given the gift of being upper classmen, it was quickly shunned when we were also given the gift of piles of homework, millions of tests, and the constant call of our parents from the next room saying to “get off facebook” and “this is the year that counts.”

The only thing that kept each of us going were the fantasies of being on our own in just two more years, and now that time has come.

We are here, at the end, senior year.

College applications are done and time is winding down. For the past few months, seniors have been on “summer” break which was made up of numerous “doctors appointments,” sleeping in, beach days, and absolutely no school work.

Now, summer has actually arrived.

As we start this new chapter in our lives, we must remember to take with us all of the wonderful memories, experiences, and most of all friendships we have made here at WHS. I want to thank you all for your contribution to the Class of 2011 and wish you all the best of luck in the future.

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

Steven Paro

Feature Editor You know how every cheesy movie about high school always has some long speech about how high school is not the end, but the beginning of something new?

Have you ever wondered why they say the same thing over and over again? Because it’s true.

Many students are afraid of what is to come after high school. The shock of adulthood can strike fear in even the most confident of graduates. Mom and Dad, once the safety net of childhood, are no longer the lifeline they once were when things start turning sour.

These new adults are now experiencing things for themselves. These “new things” that come during college are stories the Class of 2011 may have only heard about in those ridiculous high school movies. It might be something such as buying their first car, or moving out of the house, or possibly even getting married. All of these events can feel so foreign, it’s as if they have stepped into another person’s body or life.

But me, I’m ready. I’m excited to live life outside of the routine of high school. Finally getting to break free from

the endless rut of wake up, go to school, homework, sleep, repeat. Life has been the same for too long.

I am excited at the idea of relying on myself to get simple things accomplished, such as doing laundry or cooking. Also, I am an only child, so moving in with another person dorm would be a new experience.

But my mom has been trying to convince me otherwise. She keeps trying to scare me of the horrors of the dorms and how I’m going to be paired up with someone who doesn’t get along with me. Her efforts didn’t prevail.

A change of scenery would be nice too.

Being born and raised in Thousand Oaks was nice, but enough is enough. I need to get out and try something new for once in my life.

Cal State University Northridge has the thrill of having me next year, and I’ve never been so excited. The fresh, new experience of going to school and seeing people I’ve never seen before is a nice change of pace.

Don’t get me wrong; I love WHS, but I have grown bored of the same old same old. This year was my favorite in school yet, but I’m excited to start a new chapter in my life.

Lessons From High School Alexandra Biston

Advertising Manager

Celine Flores

Entertainment Editor Graduation does not only signal the commencement of four years-but marks the beginning of another four. As we look back at our high school exeriences, and salute a last farewell to Westlake High School, we say goodbye to much more than Algebra notes and Government scavenger hunts.

We are leaving behind Bubble Bazinga tournaments, midnight In-n-Out runs, and tailgate parties. Knowing that these good times are slowly coming to an end also signifies a new beginning. For most of us, we get to experience crammed in dorm rooms, hours of studying, hundreds of new faces, and the begining of the rest of our lives.

The real world is waiting for us, and these last few weeks of high school seem unreal.

AB: When entering Westlake my first day of Freshman year, I was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. I was excited to be starting high school, but I was afraid of the norm (not fitting in, hoping to like my teachers, etc) and at my stature of 5’0, everything looked huge to me. Today, as a Senior, everything still does look huge to me, but I see it in a different way. Freshman year, everything was new and exciting, I didn’t know what to expect. Now as I get ready for college, I realize I am in the same boat as when I was a naive fourteen year

old. College is going to teach me many things that many of my professors will be unable to teach me. We will all make our own mistakes and hopefully learn from them, just like we did in high school, and just like I will do for the rest of my life. In a short four years, who knew I could learn way more about myself and who I want to be than in any academic class? I know, that when I walk across the stage at graduation, I have gotten everything out of high school that I wanted to and that I am ready to move on and greet the unknown of the future with a big smile on my face.

CF: On the surface, my high school experience could not be any more different from Alex’s years at Westlake; I moved here, to my third high school, in my junior year, and went from not knowing a soul to having friends I hope to know long after college. However, as we try to fit four years into a few paragraphs, it is becoming more and more apparent that it is not the classes we take nor the sports we play that defines our time here. I began my freshman year expecting my life to resemble a John Hughes film, and although I haven’t quite had my own Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I can say I have made the most of my time here.

After four long years of high school, the two of us have reached the end. However, what we discovered along the way is that it is not the math equations or literature that we’ll carry with us, but the lessons we learned from each other.

Exiting High School: A Surreal Experience Jacob Cavanah Sports Editor

Of all four years at WHS, this year has definitely been the most memorable and defining.

When I was just a freshman, I came into this school thinking that I knew everything and that I was all grown up, because I was finally in high school, but I learned on my first day of school that I was not. I remember feeling so out of place whenever I saw a group of upper classmen with their jaw line beards walking around campus.

My next year I was definitely more in the rhythm of high school in every aspect.

I felt as if I was starting to have a sense of belonging as a teenager in high school. I had an established group, which mainly consisted of the same kids from middle school, but a few of them were from other middle schools or just kids who I knew from Colina and just did not ever socialize with. I still looked at the seniors as being

so much older than all of us. I remember in my Journalism class I sat by three of them and I would always think about how much more mature they seemed even though the age difference really was not that big.

Once my junior year came around, I really felt like I was growing up. The fact that I was on the upper half of the four grades made me feel as though I had more of a sense of entitlement. The seniors were not looking that much older to me, and definitely did not seem nearly as mature.

Once it got towards the end of the year, it started to hit me that I had only one more year left before leaving Westlake, and I did not feel that I was ready for it. The first three years for me just flew by, and I can remember so many different things that feel like they were yesterday.

Finally, senior year came around and at the beginning of it I still felt the same way as I did at the end of my junior year. It was surreal to me that I was finally a senior in high school, and that I was the one of the older ones. At first, I felt too young to be moving on to a university. While everyone

was applying for these colleges on the other side of the country, I was content with having a 20-minute drive to Moorpark for school next year.

Then I realized I do need to move on, and I am ready for it. My dad motivated me to get out there and apply to a couple colleges. So I did and I could not be happier with my decision to go to the University of Arizona next year.

This year has had its ups, like getting out at 12:07 and getting called out because I felt like it, and of course its downs, which are neither here nor there.

What I got out of my experience here at WHS is that you are never too old to learn new things and mature. Even though my mom has been trying to tell me that for 17 years, it took four years of high school for me to learn.

Time To Plan for College!

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Call us today for a free No-Obligation Consultation Find out how we can help you get a jump On your College Planning now.

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June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

Conforming to Cliches

Jamie Mark Hanna Hong

Feature Editors Looking back on our four years at Westlake, the one thing we regret the most is stressing so much about insignificant problems that seemed so vital at the time.

Bottom line is, everything works itself out in the long run.

It may be cliché, but we have learned that everything happens for a reason.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. With every situation we have encountered in high school, we have learned to make the best of it. Applying to college is just one more obstacle that had to be conquered. For us, applying was the easy part.

Choosing where we would end up for the next four years of our lives, however, seemed like the most defining moment of senior year. The crucial question was, “in state or out of state education?” and the answer could not be less clear. Every day consisted of endless pro/ con lists and distressed conversations as the deadlines approached. But after making the final choice, the immediate feeling could only be described as right and natural.

All the second thoughts disappeared and gratification was all we felt. Ultimately one of us is staying in California and the other is going to Washington, but we made lemonade. We made the right choice for us.

If friends were flowers, I’d pick you. It is crazy to think that students that you may have merely passed in the hallways can someday become your closest friends. Take us for example, two different girls with very different interests bonded over the art of journalism, and found that they had much more in common than they ever would have guessed.

It is easy to have acquaintances, but it is harder to have true friends. So, never judge a book by its cover or give up the opportunity to befriend someone.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. As senior year approaches, the harder classes seem to pile up, and AP classes become an all consuming aspect

Christina Vasiliou

of school. After taking a plethora of challenging courses and wrestling with sleepless nights, if we could do it over again, our mindsets would be completely different. Instead of being consumed by the course, we would have immersed ourselves in the material, rather than just simply being in class. At the start of each year, we should have decided what we can handle and what was too much.

Just a drop in the bucket.

Prom. The most clichéd activity of the high school experience.

Personally, the events leading up to prom have put us on edge for the last remaining months of school. The emotions were a rollercoaster; we started off optimistic, then plunged into a depression, and finally sky rocketed back to happiness. All our worries that had once encompassed every thought of the day had somehow disappeared. Looking back, it is just a small part of all the memories we will take with us.

Home is where the heart is.

As much as we hate to admit it, Westlake High School has become a second home to us. We spend the majority of our days in the halls, in the classroom, and with our peers and teachers, who have inevitably become a second family. For us, Mrs. Battaglia’s classroom has become somewhat of a family room that we can always come to. From the day we graduate until the day we die, WHS will remain in our minds as the place we met some of our closest friends, had the most amazing experiences, and learned the most important lessons. WHS will always be there for us to return to.

Turn over a new leaf. After June 9th passes, we will be entering a world where we will be considered adults. WHS has prepared us to learn from our mistakes and make a successful future for ourselves. At graduation, stop, stare, and listen, because this is the end of our high school lives and the beginning of something much bigger.

From small beginnings come great things. Thank you Westlake High School for conforming to the clichés.

REFLECTIONS

TO BE CONTINUED. . .

Katelyn Masket

Senior Issue Editor

“As we go on We remember All the times we Had together” Life is one big collection of patterns and sequences. And for me and the rest of the Class of 2011, life is about to repeat itself, as we graduate from the privileged status of seniors and once again become the new kids on campus.

Hopefully, the process is not exactly the same the second time around. Although we must once more memorize the layout of the campus to avoid being the awkward freshman who runs to class, or make new friends so we have someone to sit with at lunch, high school has changed us, for better or for worse, since ninth grade.

The list of clichés is endless: high school is a place where people “find themselves,” or “discover who their true friends are.” While they can get old easily, looking back I have found these clichés to be surprisingly true.

What I did not expect, however, was that my experiences outside the classroom—during passing periods, volleyball practices, Barnes and Noble “study” sessions, and 2 a.m. Facebook chats—would be the most important aspect in shaping the person I am today.

While I cannot remember my freshman year schedule, I will never forget the piece of dead fish that flew at my head during ninth grade dissection.

With a little over a week looming until graduation, I can finally define high school, or at least the high school I will remember years in the future, as the sum of seemingly inconsequential moments that, upon reflection, had a far greater impact than expected.

To me high school is the 5 minutes and 13 second walk from my car at the end of the parking lot to Mr. Korshavn’s room on the third floor. It is inevitably arriving 13 seconds late to Mr. Korshavn’s class each day.

High school is a Juanes con-

cert, one with Senora Blackburn, scalped tickets, camisas negras, and left out suenos. It’s insanely freaking out about the Euro AP test and accidentally forgetting about the Gov one. It is a series of finale rallies, with malfunctioning videos, college posters, and the best ABCD club the world has ever known.

High school is car talks with two of my favorite friends, parked on random street corners at one in the morning when thoughts seem most profound, or embarrassing songs, created while half asleep, squished in the back of the bus after an away volleyball game. It is worrying about prom dates…seven months before prom, the convenient doctor’s appointments during fire drills, and spending countless hours after school finishing the newspaper.

I certainly hope that high school was not the best time of my life, but I am perfectly certain that it was far from the worst.

It is hard for me to imagine my life outside the walls of Westlake, where I cannot stop by Ms. Ryder’s room for a quick chat or

run to Mrs. Battaglia’s whenever I have a problem.

So over the past few days, as I walk through the halls trying to capture every image the embarrassingly sentimental graduation song by Vitamin C plays on repeat in my head.

It is hard to venture into the “real world” without the urge to look back, but I am comforted in knowing that long after my “permanent” transcript is lost I will still have the memories.

In addition, I simply could not leave my time in journalism without thanking Caron Battaglia for helping me make some of the hardest decisions I have ever come across and giving me a place I can call home at Westlake.

It is fitting that a childhood icon, Dr. Seuss, would have the perfect words to send us off to the next phase of our lives, so Class of 2011 remember, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

ject, three projects, and at least After wishing so hard that time two essays), and it will get bet- would go by quicker, I’m trying ter.” Junior year was filled with desperately to grasp onto my last the desire not only to escape the days here at Westlake, worried schoolwork but to finally make it time is passing too quickly and that I’m not ready for the biggest as a senior, to be the oldest.

Finally, you’d think senior change that will happen in my year would be different. But, life, thus far, to occur.

Ironically, I feel the four again, all I wanted was the college application process to be over, years year went by too quickly. the waiting for college decisions Only yesterday were my days spent on the to be over, and pool deck the monotonous smelling schoolwork to “It is so easy to waste our constantly be over.

The chlorine next issue of the lives: our days, our hours, our of and sunnewspaper, the screen. Only book we were minutes. …

It is so easy to yesterday reading in Engdid I drive lish, the frusexist instead of live.” with all my trating Calcu-Anne Quindlen friends with lus chapter, the the winday, the week, dows down the month, the and music year— I just blasting, wanted time to speed up and it all be over, I smiling hugely because I was wanted the next part of my life to one of the first to get my license. begin. Yet, as I sit here writing my Only yesterday, did I spend all farewell to Westlake, with 9 days my time at the library or Barnes left in my high school career, I’m and Nobles “studying” with my grasping onto the moments I have friends. Only yesterday did I stay for hours and hours in Journalleft.

I walk the halls from 1st to 5th ism obsessing over a layout. Only period trying to remember every- yesterday did my friends and I sit thing, every face I see, every word around being “bored” unknowmy teachers say, every moment ingly making some of the most with my friends and my family. definitive memories of my high

school career. Only yesterday did I think high school would never end.

And now it is. Looking back on all these memories, I realize that through the whirlwind of stress, excitement, and fun the memories that stand out to me are not the stereotypical “high school experiences”; they are moments that seemed inconsequential at the time but are now my most cherished memories.

So here we are, the Class of 2011, with all the moments of our high school lives replaying in our head excited and nervous to take the next step in our lives.

For some, grasping onto our last days here and for others counting down the seconds until we are done. Ready to start college, move out, get jobs, make new friends, study harder than we ever have (even more than in junior year), have the most fun we ever have, and begin to live the rest of our lives.

I realize now that high school for me was a mixture of embracing my time here and counting down the days until I’d be out.

It was a combination of counting down the 54 minutes of my most boring classes, yet filling those same 54 minutes with priceless memories with some of my closest friends; a combination of

groaning every Monday when the first period bell rang, yet rejoicing in excitement at getting to spend the day with friends and teachers I loved; a combination of getting through certain subjects (Mr. Korshavn, I’m sorry but Calculus really just isn’t my thing) and looking forward to my Journalism period (mostly because I love Caron); a combination of resisting the “Westlake Bubble,” yet loving the security that it brought and fearing the unknown of the future.

No matter how much I resisted the bad and embraced the good, I have to admit Westlake High School provided some of the best times I’ve ever had, some of the greatest people I’ve ever met, and some of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned.

So, as a graduating senior, with all my infinite wisdom of course, I advise you that no matter how monotonous classes are or how hard the work is, and no matter how much you want time to go quicker and to get older, embrace the fun of today and fill your moments at Westlake with happy memories because as journalist Anne Quindlen once said, “It is so easy to waste our lives: our days, our hours, our minutes. … It is so easy to exist instead of live.”

Thanks for the Memories

Senior Issue Editor

Starting on the first day of high school, I always wanted time to move faster.

The first year, with all the awkwardness and embarrassment of being a lowly freshman and attempting to appear older while memorizing a confusing campus, was filled with a desire for sophomore year and the routine that the second year of high school would bring.

Sophomore year, with the routine down and the confidence of knowing my way around, brought a desire for second semester when I would finally get my driver’s license and be considered independent. Harder schoolwork and higher expectations brought a desire for weeks to end, months to end, and of course, the school year to end and summer to begin.

Junior year, with the achievement of making it halfway through alive, brought excitement; yet, almost immediately the stress of “the most important year” came crashing down on my shoulders and I just wanted it to end. I remember so many times thinking to myself, “Okay, all I have to do is survive this week (filled with tests in every sub-

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FEATURE

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

it’s been a lovely time: As they prepare to enter college, four couples will have to adjust to life apart. (From top clockwise) Meghan Martinez and Dan Schneider, Haley Cohen and David Faltemier, Juana San Martin and Adrian Powditch, and Catherine Gebhardt and Matt Sullivan.

In it for the Long Haul Four couples, four stories. As their year ends, these high school sweethearts share memories and ideas about the future. together freshman year when all of their classes were right beside each other’s.

Juana defines a “high school sweetheart” as “a couple that has been through all of high school together and are each other’s prominent memory of high school.” Some of their best memories together were at Disneyland, the happiest place on earth.

While Juana greatly admires Adrian’s sense of humor, some of the traits Adrian appreciates most about her is the fact that “she’s cute, cares a lot about me, and is pretty inspiring.” Juana said, “No matter what happens in the future I know that we will always be great friends since we are so close right now.”

Katie Porush Danielle Ferrari Feature Editors As high school comes to an end, four high school couples share their stories about how they found love in high school and managed to stay together throughout all the good and bad times. These relationships prove that “high school sweethearts” are not just for romantic movies.

Meghan and Dan

Haley and David David Faltemier and Haley Cohen began their three-year relationship the summer going into sophomore year. They met

Matt and Catherine

Courtesy Photo

For the past four years Meghan Martinez and Dan Schneider have been inseparable. Both believe a “high school sweetheart” is a couple that “will always love each other and be an important part in one another’s lives.” Dan and Meghan’s relationship began freshman year after seeing each other around school and through mutual friends. In recollecting about the times they have spent together, she shared her favorite memory with Dan. “My favorite memory is the first time I hung out with him at Knott’s Scary Farm, and holding hands, but we both denied that we liked each other.”

Dan’s favorite attribute about their relationship is their ability to be themselves around each other. Although Meghan could go on and on with all of the aspects she loves about Dan, his sense of humor and how easy going he is really stands out.

They both know that no matter what, in the future they will always be good friends.

Prom?: Dan Schneider and Meghan Martinez share a moment the night Schneider asked Martinez to the prom.

at homecoming freshman year from mutual friends, but it wasn’t until they realized they attended the same church that they started talking. Haley defines “high school sweethearts” as “two people who have a great past together and consider each other their best friend.” They both believe that this quote fits their relationship since they are not just each other’s best friend, but so much more. “My favorite memories were all the road trips that we went on. From a 10-minute drive for some Wendy’s, or a five-hour drive to my grandma’s. The time alone spent behind the windshield was always a time to grow closer and just talk,” said David.

Another highlight is the vacations they took to Maui and Mexico with David’s family. They both believe the key to making a long relationship last is, “having complete faith and believing in one another. It’s easy to get caught up in the little things of high school life, but having a full understanding of what both your long term needs will withstand those in the heated moments.”

Juana and Adrian Juana San Martin and Adrian Powditch were forced to walk to every class

Matt Sullivan and Catherine Gebhardt’s relationship sparked freshman year on Valentine’s Day, a little over three years ago. When asked how they met Matt said, “I stole one of her banana chips in 7th grade science class. I also saw her in the Christmas mass and used it to talk to her!”

They will always recall their high school days together as being “high school sweethearts.” “Come what may in the future, Matt will always be the guy I remember my happy high school years with,” said Catherine.

Matt’s favorite memory with Catherine is, “this one time we went on a walk to her favorite spot by Lake Sherwood, then we made little pizzas together and watched a movie. It was our two month anniversary but it was such a happy memory for me.”

Another highlighted memory of theirs is when Matt built Catherine a tree house for her birthday one year. This loving couple both agree that they have been lucky to have each other in their lives and that their relationship is built on a strong friendship that has withstood time.

June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

SPORTS

SENIOR ATHLETICS 2011

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ASG

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June 1, 2011 • THE ARROW

CONGRATULATIONS! ASG SENIORS CLASS

OF

2011

TOP ROW: MATT SULLIVAN, REID GLASER,

CONNOR GANTT, JAMES FREYMUTH, JUANA SAN MARTIN, ESZTER BOLDIS, NICK DODER, STAN JOACIN GURROLA BOTTOM ROW: KATHLEEN AVERY, HANNAH BARRETT, PHOEBE NG, JULIE FERGUSON, TAYLOR RIEGER, SAM GILBERT, CAROLINE HOLLISTER

NOT PICTURED: ANNE MARIE AVERY, LUKE HUBBARD, NIKESH PATEL

GOOD LUCK NEXT YEAR!