June 17, 2005

Hi, My Name is 923006
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Spanish My-Turn: Reward
Immersion Students
Top 10 Senior Athletes
Page 8
On the Internet:
www.samohi.smmusd.org/thesamohi
Vol. XCV No. 10 June 17, 2005
Circulation: 3,500
News
Published Triweekly
Briefs
SMPD Officer Dies in Iraq
By Samantha Johnston
Lead singer of Samo student band Bird Waffle, senior Braffo Agindotan, performs for a packed Greek
Theater during the Peace Rally on Jun. 15 (left). The Samo Chorale sings “The Hymn of Praise” led
by Social Studies Teacher/Track Coach Patrick Cady (right).
Photo by Max Jordan
Samo Hires Ninth Administrator
By Brittany Benjamin
Last month, CEO/Principal
Ilene Straus hired a Jose Iniguez to
be next year’s O-House Principal .
Current O-House Principal Craig
Lewis will fill a new role as Samo’s
ninth administrator, Assistant Principal of Samo.
Intrigued by its Rededisgn
process, Iniguez inquired about
Samo with his professor at UCLA
and former SMMUSD Superintendent Eugene Tucker, who set up
a meeting with Straus. Following
this meeting, Straus introduced
Iniguez to Superintendent John
Deasy and other district personnel.
Once Straus heard that the district
would provide funding for the
ninth administrative position, the
district hired him.
House principals and the rest
of the Samo community, including students and parents, were
not involved in the process of
hiring Iniguez. I-House Principal
Eva Mayoral, M- House Principal
Tristan Komlos, and S-House Principal Greg Runyon did not know
that there was an opening for the
O-House Principal job. At roughly
the same time, they learned that
Lewis would be changing positions and that Iniguez would take
the new job.
Straus explained that it is not
uncommon to recruit before a position is officially open: “I recruit
before jobs open. Always.”
Mayoral and Komlos both described the interview process that
they went through for their Principal position: they had two and three
interviews respectively, first with a
large panel from the entire Samo
community and then with smaller
interview groups.
Junior Sean Gaynor was part
of the initial interview board last
spring when Samo hired Mayoral
and Komlos, and finds it “worrisome that an administrator was
hired without community involvement.” He added that “the
involvement of students and teachers is essential in hiring a quality
administrator” because they offer
more perspectives. “Three of us
students said things that others did
not notice,” said Gaynor.
Straus said that she worked
exclusively with district personnel
because the situation was different.
“I was negotiating at the same time
for an additional administrative
position from the district,” Straus
explained.
Had Straus heard that she
did not get the funding for the
Assistant Principal position, she
says that she would not have been
able to hire Iniguez and that Lewis
would have remained O-House
Principal. But once she heard
about the new position, she reorganized. “I had to make a decision
about what I needed. Sometimes
leaders do that to achieve their
goals,” said Straus. “I looked at my
team and made a decision based
on strengths.”
Straus believes that this new Assistant Principal position is important to Samo because Samo needs
someone to help her and Dean of
Students Catherine Baxter to help
cover school-wide responsibilities.
The Assistant Principal position
will be differentiated from Dean by
the responsibilities they cover.
The Assistant Principal position
is not guaranteed for the long-term,
and according to Straus, if Lewis
does not stay with the job next
year, there is no guarantee that it
will stay.
Lewis was unavailable for comment.
Iniguez graduated from Samo
in the 1980s. “When I went to
Samohi, everyone dressed like
Michael Jackson or Madonna,” said
Iniguez. He later graduated from
UC Berkeley and then received a
law degree from UCLA. He holds
a master’s in Education and a
master’s in Administration. For
the past four years, he has been an
Associate Principal at Leuzinger
High School.
The ideas behind Redesign,
which he calls “the Great Experiment,” are particularly enticing
to Iniguez. “I was a mediocre student, not because I couldn’t do better, but because I had no personal
connection,” explained Iniguez.
Thus, as O-House Principal, one of
his main goals is simple: “I want
to get to know as many people
as possible – students, teachers,
and parents,” said Iniguez. “The
more people know one another,
the more they’ll be able to share
problems and share solutions.”
Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Officer and United States
Marine Core Major Ricardo Crocker died serving in Iraq on May 26. He
was in the Al Anbar Province when a rocket-propelled grenade attack
took his life.
Crocker, 39, was a member of the Third Civil Affairs Group based out
of Camp Pendleton. He had been a part of the SMPD for ten years, and
worked closely with students in the Police Activities League.
A memorial for Crocker took place on Jun. 2 at St. Monica’s Catholic
Church.
SMPD Lieutenant Frank Fabrega remembers Crocker’s impact on Santa Monica: “He
had a passion for working with kids and
helping mentor them so they could achieve
their dream of getting to college...he was a
tremendous asset to the SMPD and loved
doing what he did best -- being with the US
Marine Core.”
Friend for 12 years Terry Jahraus said, “He
loved the beach, the surf, the Dodgers, hiking,
and being with his friends. Professionally he
was a hard charger...but privately he was an easygoing guy.”
Religious Flyers Cause Controversy
By Brittany Benjamin, Samantha Johnston, and Cara Safon
The Metro Calvary Chapel has begun releasing district-approved
religious cards on campus on Jun. 13, sparking controversy about the
relationship between church and state. The cards, part the “Pray for
LA” campaign, direct viewers to a website that advocates Christian
beliefs as a solution to problems in L.A.
According to Elise Thompson, the member of the Metro Calvary
Church who brought the flyers to Samo and other schools, Superintendent John Deasy initially denied their distribution. After Thompson
consulted with an attorney and claimed that the district was violating her right to free speech, Deasy approved the cards for display on
counters in the office. He directed, however, that they not be mailed
home to students. CEO/Principal Ilene Straus followed this directive
by putting them out, but preferred not to post the cards up around
school. “I don’t believe that community groups should use bulletin
boards for advertising,” However, flyers were posted on doors and
bulletin boards on Tuesday morning.
The “Pray for LA” campaign hopes to accomplish 10 goals, according to its information card, which include a “revival in Los Angeles”
and an “emergence of Godly youth.” The card also directs people
toward a website, prayforla.org. The website advocates Christian beliefs, stating that “it’s all about Jesus,” and “the work of Christ is the
only work that is true...”
Thompson feels that students at Samo are exposed to learning
about “circus sex” and have become “hard” and “hateful,” and that
they “need some type of moral or spiritual awakening.”
Sarah Tamor, a parent of a Samo sophomore, feels differently: “I
have nothing against praying, or even people trying to get others to
pray…but I don’t think it has any place in the school. I’m disappointed
that Dr. Deasy approved this message to be available.”
Deasy did not respond to phone messages or emails.
Administ rat ion Realigns Course Selec t ion
By Cara Safon
Samo administration reports
that due to budget cuts enforced
last year and the subsequent loss
of teachers, Samo will not offer certain art and foreign language courses next year. The
cuts will also serve to reduce
class size in core academic classes
and create an in-school suspension
program.
The budget cuts resulted in 55
sections being cut at Samo. Five
of the reallocated sections are currently planned to be part of a new
in-school suspension program, a
collaborative idea of administrators, teachers, and students. The
program includes coursework,
mediation, and campus cleanup,
so that suspension won’t seem like
a vacation from school for the students involved. , Straus explained.
Although new sections will
be added for in-school suspensions, certain departments are
suffering from course cuts. The
cuts will severely affect the German language program, which is
being phased out. Until this year,
Samo offered level one through
five German classes to students.
This year, the administration
felt that there were not enough
students who wanted to take German 1. According to a 2004 Samohi
PALS bulletin and Language Teacher Berkely Blatz, 37 students had
signed up for the class. However,
Straus said that the German program is being cut because students
“who take German don’t stay in it
over time.” Blatz thinks that the
cut hurts Samo: “The elimination of
German is one more nail in the coffin some people still call Samo.”
Parents of students who take Ger-
man are similarly disappointed. Veronica Haddad, concerned parent
of a German student, said, “Samo
is one of the few schools in the
Los Angeles area that offers German. In fact, that is one of the
reasons why I sent my daughter
here.”
The art department is facing difficulties due to the cuts as
well. Last semester, CEO/Principal
Ilene Straus informed Art Teacher
Thor Evensen that he might have
to teach art part-time along with
social studies classes in order to
keep his job at Samo and help
fill teacher requirements for core
classes. Evensen worked to receive
a history credential from Santa
Monica College so that he would
be able to teach history classes. Just
last week, however, Malibu High
School offered Evensen a job as a
full-time art teacher. Evensen will
begin work at Malibu in the fall.
“I want to stay at Samo because I went
to school here,” said Evensen. “But
I feel that I should be teaching only
art, and I will be able to do that at
Malibu High.” Straus has promised
Evensen that he can return to Samo
when a full-time position opens up.
In other areas, some elective
physical education classes may be
cut. There is an average of 37 students in these classes, but the capacity is 50 students per class.
Over the past few weeks, students have had the chance to request
their schedules for next year. Based
on what students are interested in
taking, administration will then
decide where to place teachers
and students. Straus said, “Students can be assured that we will
give courses that they need for
graduation and courses that they
desire.”
Opinion
ID: Ineffective Detention Campus Opinions: Jackson Verdict
By Nicola Persky
Kids around school have
started wearing their hearts and
their ID numbers on their sleeves
in response to the daily check of ID
cards. This new security measure
is the school’s attempt at “better
security,” and stems from the
events of Apr. 15, as well as the
results of the Western Association
of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
evaluation, which declared that
we needed to improve security on
campus. I agree that in the wake
of April 15 Samo needs better
security. However, checking ID
cards and punishing kids who
fail to show them is misguided
and absolutely ineffective.
To begin with, I’m appalled that students
who forget their IDs
are punished with
detention, but
still allowed inside the school,
without a
background
check to actually ensure
that they are
Samo students. Isn’t
the purpose of the
ID check to
make sure
that every
child entering is enrolled
in Samo?
One recent Monday
I reached into
my backpack and
found that I had
left my ID card in
my purse (I’d needed
it to take the SAT’s the
previous Saturday). I tried to
explain this to the security officer
at 7th and Michigan. “Everyone
has an excuse,” he grumbled, and
he wrote my ID number on his list,
simultaneously motioning for me
to enter Samo. How was he sure
I was a Samo student? Shouldn’t
he have consulted some master
list to ensure that I actually was
student #634315? Though security
officers often work at the same
gate every morning, and might
recognize many students by sight,
the overwhelming population of
our school ensures that no one
person can identify every kid that
swarms through the gates.
I had almost forgotten the
incident until a week later, when
I got a call slip in my 6th period
class. Detention. Under the word
“reason” was written: “no ID.”
I don’t understand why the
administration wastes the time
of so many people (the security
officer, the person in the office
who fills out the detention forms,
the student who delivers the mes-
Do You Have An Opinion?
The Samohi seeks “My Turn”
submissions of up to 800 words
or a “Letter to the Editor” of 500
words or fewer on any topic,
including a reponse to published material. Please include
references for any facts you use.
We reserve the right to edit submissions for length and clarity.
sage, the detention proctor, and
the students who have to serve
detentions) when the actual ID
checks are nothing more than a
formality. In essence, detention
attendance is soaring but kids are
still allowed on campus without
ID cards.
The inconsistency in the ID
check system angers me even
more. Some mornings I notice
that the 7th and Michigan gate is
left completely unguarded. Other
mornings, the gates to the circle
stand wide open. If the administration is genuinely concerned
with our safety, shouldn’t we be
protected, say, everyday? I also
discovered that some of the kids
given detention for forgetting
their cards avoid punishment through their
advisors, while most
unlucky kids still
have to serve their
sentence.
This leads
me to another question.
Why do we
need identification
checks at
all? The general consensus among
students
seems to be
this: the administration
fears that
kids outside
of Samo are
responsible for
problems such
as the events of
April 15. To me,
this seems a tad
naïve. Samo kids are
fully capable and take
full advantage of their abilities to create their own problems.
If the administration wants to
create a safer environment, it
should focus on improving Samo
from the inside out. Perhaps the
security guards could focus on
the kids inside Samo’s gates. The
administration could also poll
kids to get student perspective on
what would effectively improve
campus security. We are the ones
the administration is trying to
protect, right? If so, we should
have a voice in the solution to
the problem instead of sitting in
lunch detentions for forgetting to
bring a piece of plastic to school.
Checking ID cards seems like a
way of diverting the blame from
Samo to “everyone else.” If the
administration is actually serious
about the ID checks, it should
be absolutely consistent in its
application of checks and in its
punishment. All kids deserve to
feel safe at school, but ID cards, as
of now, seem to represent blame,
not change.
E-MAIL: samohiopinion@gmail.
com
MAIL: Journalism, c/o Santa
Monica High School
601 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
SCHOOL: T217
Submissions due by Sept. 30
Compiled by Hannah Tepper and Ava Tramer
On Mon. Jun. 13, a
jury found superstar
singer Michael Jackson
not guilty on all counts
of child molestation. The
Samohi asked Samo students how they felt about
the verdict.
“[Jackson] has been accused
of molestation so many times,
but it’s never true. It keeps on
happening. An opportunity
opens up [to try to get Michael
Jackson’s money] and people
just go for it.”
“Based on what the kid said
before, I think the mom was
lying, and that they had a deal.
I really thought that he was
guilty, and I’m surprised [that
he’s not].”
Rio Bonney, freshman
Josh Lhrar, sophomore
“I think he’s guilty because
people wouldn’t make those
accusation for nothing. I
also didn’t like how all the
supporters [behaved] outside of
the courthouse.”
Layla Abidia, sophomore
“I’m indifferent. I always
knew he’d be acquitted because
that’s what happened last
time. People only accused him
because they were greedy.”
“I feel concerned having my
little brother walking around
knowing that a man who [I
think] molests little boys is out
there.”
Stephen Humpherys, senior
Chris de la Rosa, freshman
Letter to the Editor
A More Effective Use for Freshman Seminar: Current Events
Dear Editor:
Earlier in the year, I administered a survey on current events
to 119 ninth graders via Ms.
Baroody’s Freshman Seminar
classes, and the results were jaw
dropping. On average, only 26.8
percent of students knew the correct answers. Here are some of
the results:
•Only 28 percent of students
know that China is a Communist
country, and 10 percent think
China is a democracy.
•A dismal 27 percent of students know that the Republican
party has the majority of the House
of Representatives and the Senate, even though this survey was
conducted mere weeks after the
election hype.
•14 percent of students think
that Tony Blair is our Secretary
of Defense, 12 percent think he is
the Prime Minister of Canada, and
only 34 percent actually know his
correct position.
•22 percent of students know
what Guantanamo Bay is.
We live in an “age of technology” where information is abundant and easy to access. According
to the Department of Commerce
Census Bureau, over 66 percent
of American households have a
computer and Internet access.
Why then, do the overwhelming
majority of teenagers have limited or no knowledge of current
events?
I want to know why the explo-
ration and discussion of current
events isn’t a mandatory part
of any curriculum in our high
school. The closest thing we have
to discussing current events on a
regular basis occurs in the Government class only offered to seniors.
I asked my grandparents if their
high school education included
current events, and they replied
that they were always kept up to
date in their Social Studies class,
and tested weekly on important
events in the news.
Few question the importance
of having knowledge of current
events. The question becomes:
how does one integrate it into the
high school curriculum? Through
sharing the alarming results of my
survey, I hope to raise awareness
of the Samo community, and call
out for the “higher bodies” of the
administration to take action and
address the school’s ignorance of
current events.
Josh Miller, freshman
freshman seminar by Sara Frier
Sports— Page 7 The Samohi June 17, 2005
CIF Playoff Results: 2004-2005 Sports Highlights
Softball
By Michael Blackman
On May 24, Millikan shut out
the Samo softball team in the
second round of CIF Division
II playoffs. Samo’s 0-11 loss
marked the end of its successful season. Despite winning the
Ocean League title, Samo was
unable to compete with Millikan
and its powerful offense.
Millikan, the fourth ranked
team in Division II, showed up
ready to play. Samo Head Coach
Debbie Skaggs couldn’t help but
be impressed by Millikan’s strong
hitting and overall talent. “They
are a very good team with great
hitters,” said Skaggs. Skaggs
tried out almost every pitcher on
her roster to no avail: “The bottom line is, it didn’t matter who
was pitching for us.” Although
the Vikings only committed three
errors and displayed good defense, Samo was unable to quell
Millikan’s hot bats and contain
its power hitters. “They were
hitting every pitch, no matter
what we threw,” said junior
Christine Foley.
Samo was also unable to step
up offensively. Freshman Dana
Boys Volleyball
By Petey Kass
As the Samo spring sports
season began to wrap up, the boys
varsity volleyball team looked
to end its Cinderella playoff run
with a CIF Division III championship. After defeating three highly
ranked opponents en route to a
semifinals match up against top
ranked Oxnard, the boys entered
their game riding a wave of confidence.
Because CIF semifinals by rule
cannot be held in the home team’s
gym, Oxnard opted to play the
neutral site game at Pacific High
School, just several minutes from
the Oxnard High campus. Already playing a very competitive
team, the Vikings also had to face
an opposing crowd that dwarfed
the number of Samo supporters in
attendance. Fellow Viking starters
juniors Fred McLafferty and Neil
Cline described the crowd as “unbelievably loud. It seemed that the
Oxnard students alone could have
filled the North Gym.”
As the match began, the Vikings seemed unable to find their
rhythm, and gave up points that
Sigman gave one of her best performances yet, with two base hits,
but Samo’s offense did not come
through at key moments. “We
weren’t getting our bats on the
ball,” said Foley. Added Skaggs
after the game, “I think more than
anything, we’re disappointed
that we didn’t give them a good
game.”
Even with the disappointing
conclusion to their playoff run,
the members of the Samo softball
team remain positive about the
past season. “It was difficult to
go out with such a blow out, but
it was still a very successful and
generally fun season,” said senior
Anna Nabel. “[Millikan] was a
very impressive team and they
beat us across the board, despite
our best efforts,” said Nabel.
Skaggs too is satisfied with her
team’s play over the season: “We
had a good season. It meant a lot
to us to become league champs,
so I’m very proud.” Skaggs is
also looking forward to next
year’s team, which already shows
promise: “We have a lot of outstanding players coming back
next year and we can expect an
even more successful season.”
On May 24, the Samo baseball
team jumped on the El Segundo
starting pitcher for six runs in the
first two innings in the second
round of the CIF playoffs. Clutch
hits by senior Michael Eyler, and
sophomores Michael Schwartz
and Dylan Early gave the Vikings
an early 6-0 lead.
The Vikings held a 7-4 lead
going into the fourth inning, but
due to a dominating El Segundo
reliever, it appeared that Samo
would have to rely on its defense
to contain the powerful El Segundo
offense. The Vikings’ defense
failed, as it allowed El Segundo’s
batters to rally for three runs in
the bottom of the sixth and take
an 8-7 lead.
Heading into the top of the sixth
inning, Samo had three outs left to
make a comeback. El Segundo’s
Football (6-5)
•In the homecoming game, the Vikings
beat the Roosevelt High Roughriders in the
closing seconds as senior quarterback Kevin
Poindexter made the game-winning touchdown pass to junior tight-end Christoff
Neuman with 8.1 seconds left in the game,
giving the Vikings a 21-14 victory
•The Vikings beat Beverly Hills 21-18 at
home to clinch their playoff berth
•Finished third place in Ocean League
•Senior Devin Packard will be going to
Fresno State on a full scholarship
•Alfredo Diaz won the Ocean League Defensive Player of the Year Award
•Four players from Samo were All-Ocean
League First-Team selections: seniors Devin
Packard, David Kim, and Kris Ulloa and
junior Jordan Rosenheck
they had easily been defending
the week before. In describing
the team’s performance, McLafferty said, “we played horribly. I
mean, it was ugly. If we had come
out and played a strong match, it
would have been closer.”
The combination of strong
play by the Oxnard squad, opposing crowd enthusiasm, and poor
play on the part of the Vikings
gave way to a 3-1 loss in the match,
and elimination from the CIF
playoffs. Despite the fact that the
Vikings did not end their season
by adding another banner to the
North Gym wall, they accomplished more than had any boys
volleyball team in recent years.
Said junior Mike Campbell, “The
team really came together and
worked hard to win in playoffs.
I’m proud of the amount of effort
the team put forth.”
With all three of the team’s First
Team All-Ocean League selections
returning next season, along with
an abundance of younger talent,
the boys volleyball program looks
destined to recapture the legacy
created by Viking volleyball players years before them.
closer proceeded to retire the
first three Samo batters he faced,
ending the Vikings’ season with
a 7-8 loss.
Despite being denied a trip
to the CIF quarterfinals, senior
Cody Decker was satisfied with
the season: “It’s a great way to end
my life here at Samo, making the
playoffs and winning that playoff
game at home. It felt great and
I’ll miss it.”
Samo Head Coach Kevin
Brockway also expressed positive
thoughts regarding the outcome of
the team’s season: “I’m very satisified with the hard work the kids
put in this year. The team chemistry
was great; it was truly a joy to work
with all of the kids.”
After winning the Ocean
League title and posting a 18-9
record, the baseball team has plenty
to be proud of.
Fall Sports Cont’d
Boys Water Polo (16-15-0)
•Went 6-2 in the Bell Gardens Tournament
to win second place
•Won Ocean League championship with a
6-2 league record
•Faced Jurupa Valley in the second round
of the CIF playoffs, and won an exciting
double overtime game, 11-10; junior Adam
Cline’s ninth goal of the game came in the
sudden-death period to give the Vikings
the win
• Lost in the CIF quarterfinals to Bonita, 147. Cline scored 4 goals for the Vikings
•Senior goalie Saman Morin, senior driver
Charlie Click, and junior driver/set guard
Sam Devoris were named to the All-Ocean
League First Team
•Senior Zac Bloom was named to the AllOcean League Second Team
•Cline was named the Most Outstanding
Player in the Ocean League
Winter Sports Cont’d
Girls Water Polo
•Advanced to CIF semifinals; lost to
Downey, the eventual champions
•Won Ocean League; beat El Segundo 5-3
to win the title
•Seniors Nila Ward, Irma Hernandez, and
Sarah Munro-Kennedy and junior Allison
Born were named to the All-Ocean League
First team
•Senior Melissa Mendoza, who led the team
with 80 goals, was named Ocean League
Most Outstanding Player, and to the AllCIF Second Team; Ward was named to the
All-CIF First Team
•Ward led the team with 63 steals and
added 51 goals
Girls Volleyball
Samo players block against Hawthorne on Nov. 12
Photo by Samantha Walters
Baseball
By Wade Moody
Fall Sports
Girls Cross Country
•Both Varsity and JV teams win league.
•Senior Stephanie Thornton wins league
title for the third consectutive year.
•Freshman Maki Nakamura finished
third overall in league competition.
•Won the league championship in their
first season in the reconstructed Ocean
League
•Earned a CIF playoff berth for the first
time in 5 years; lost in the second round
to Milken
•Senior Milan Clarke signed to play Division 1 college volleyball at the University
of Tennessee
•The girls varsity volleyball team sweeps
the Ocean League’s top honors as Clarke
wins Ocean League MVP and senior Akila
Bledsoe wins Ocean League Most Outstanding Player
Girls Golf (2-7)
•This season, the average score went down
from 53 to 48
•Despite key seniors leaving, next year’s
team will have a strong nucleus of talent.
•Swept rival school, St. Monica’s this
season
Winter Sports
Girls Soccer (16-5-2)
Senior Brooke Borcherding takes on
the Cross Country course at Kenneth
Hahn park on Oct. 14.
•Ocean League champions for second consecutive year with a record of 9-1-0
• Finished seventh out of 24 teams in South
Torrance Holiday tournament
•Final ranking of ninth in the CIF Division III poll
•Lost in first round of CIF playoffs 0-1 to
Arroyo Grande
•Senior Nicole Allen, who was named
Ocean League Offensive Player of the Year
in addition to being selected for the All-CIF
Second Team, led the team with 12 goals.
•Ocean League MVP senior Payton Raffa
was named to the All-CIF First Team.
•All-Ocean League first-teamers sophomore Samantha Greene, and juniors Nikki
Hoffman and Julia Keighley return to lead
next year’s squad.
Photo by Lincoln Boehm
Boys Cross Country
•Varsity, JV, and Frosh-soph teams win
their respective league titles
• Defeated rival Beverly Hills in last league
meet of the year
•Senior Yermie Cohen wins league
•Freshman Daman Coffman wins fourth
place in league
•Junior Greg Bogosian wins back-to-back
JV league championships
•Senior Adam Siegel wins most consistent
JV scorer
Photo by Jonathan Lee
Boys Basketball (16-11-0)
•Won the consolation championship at the
Santa Barbara Holiday Classic; senior Jason
Deutchman led the tournament in both
points scored and three-pointers made
•Non-league victory against Villa Park
(25-3), the ninth ranked team in CIF Division II
• Finished second behind Inglewood in the
Ocean League with a record of 6-4
•Lost in first round of CIF playoffs to
Esperanza
•Deutchman led the team with 17.0 points
and 8.7 rebounds per game, and senior
Petey Kass dished out a team-leading 4.3
assists per game
Girls Basketball (18-7)
•Finished third in Palisades tournament
and won the consolation championship
in the Marlborough tournament, both in
December
•Shared the Ocean League championship
with Morningside, as both squads posted
a league record of 9-1
•Earned a first-round home CIF playoff
game; lost to Millikan, 28-30
•Senior Amanda McGrew, the Ocean
League Offensive Player of the Year,
averaged a team-leading 14.5 points per
game
•Seniors Rebecca Frank and London King
contributed 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists
per game, respectively. Both were named
to the All-Ocean League First Team
Wrestling
Girls Tennis
• Finished second in the Ocean League
with a 12-5 league record
•The Vikings sent two players, senior
Alex Khoury and sophomore Savannah
Yeh, on to compete in CIF.
• Lost in the third round of the CIF
playoffs to Walnut High School by a
score of 7-11.
Junior Will Freedman challenges a
Penninsula playerʼs shot on Jan. 7.
Senior Payton Raffa attempts to steal
the ball against Arroyo Grande on
Feb. 18.
Photo by Max Jordan
•The entire team qualified for CIF individual competition for the first time in
Samo history
•Seniors Alex Darkovsky and Dylan Giagni
were dual CIF champions; both qualified
for the state championships
•Samo had four league champions in
Giagni, Darkovsky, senior Al Kinslow, and
junior Sundar Mims
•Sophomore Jazzy Green becomes the
women’s Southern California regional
champion and goes on to become Samo’s
first women’s State Champion
Boys Soccer (19-3-1)
Senior Alex Khoury sets up to return
a serve.
Photo by Wade Moody
•Defense gave up a record-low 11 goals
throughout the course of the season
•Finished third in the South Torrance
Holiday tournament
•Won Ocean League with record of 9-0-1
•Consistently ranked among the top-ten
CIF Division III teams; final ranking of
fourth.
•Lost in the first round of playoffs, 1-2,
when Santa Fe scored the go-ahead goal
on a penalty kick
•Senior Omid Shokoufandeh, Ocean
League Offensive Player of the Year and
All-CIF second-team member, scored 23
goals and had 10 assists
•Defender Michael Eyler, named the Ocean
League MVP, earned a spot on the All-CIF
First Team
Senior Dylan Giagni wrestles a North
Torrance opponent on Jan. 20.
Photo by Emily Ferrell
2004-2005 Sports Higlights continued
on page 8
Opinion—Page 3 The Samohi June 17, 2005
MY TURN: La falta de
reconocimiento para Inmersión
Por Olinka Pineda y Lucía
Tejeda, Seniors
El ciclo escolar del 2004-2005
está a punto de acabar, y como
reacción típica, los “Seniors”
desean ser reconocidos por sus
esfuerzos durante la secundaria,
y es cierto que cada alumno que
haya tenido cualquier tipo de
logro debe ser reconocido.
Actualmente existen reconocimientos para los atletas, lo líderes de la escuela, y las personas
que forman parte de programas
académicos, tales como el de Delians y el de Inmersión. A pesar de
que el último no es tan popular
como los otros programas que
ofrece Samo, los miembros del
programa de Inmersión están
obteniendo los mismos logros
académicos que los alumnos que
participan en otros programas.
Sin embargo, se debe observar
que éste es un programa excepcional porque los estudiantes
tienen retos mayores, ya que éste
es un programa bilingüe, y las
materias escolares se estudian
en inglés y español. Es cierto que
los miembros de este programa
merecen un reconocimiento por
su esfuerzo y dedicación por
trece años pero, lastimosamente,
la realidad es otra.
Por trece años, la clase de
Inmersión del 2005 se ha comprometido con el programa para
seguir aprendiendo a través de
dos idiomas. Muchos de los estudiantes han tenido que sacrificar
clases de Advanced Placement
porque se han compromentido
con el programa por un período
extenso. No sólo han tomado estas clases por el honor de haberse
comprometido por tanto tiempo,
sino que han puesto un ejemplo
para las demás generaciones del
programa. Es difícil ser un estudiante bilingüe y tener clases que
requieren traducir información
de un programa al otro. Las clases
de Inmersión requieren la misma
cantidad de trabajo que una clase
de AP y Honores.
Si la escuela ofrece reconocimientos para los participantes
de otros programas, sería justo
decir que los participantes de
Inmersión también deben ser
reconocidos por trece años de
dedicación y éxito académico.
Al igual que un atleta, los estudiantes de Inmersión son parte
de un equipo, un equipo que promueve excelencia académica, ser
bilingüe y bicultural. Además, los
estudiantes del programa de Inmersión llevan un honor especial
porque son parte de un programa
selectivo, ya que Samo es una de
sólo seis escuelas secundarias
en todo el país que ofrecen el
programa de Inmersión. ¿Por
qué no darles reconocimiento a
estudiantes que han participado
en este programa?
Un miembro de Inmersión
le preguntó a la administración
si los estudiantes del programa
podían usar las medallas de
reconocimiento en la ceremonia de graduación en junio. La
administración dijo que la ceremonia de graduación se trata
de tradición e igualdad para estar
unidos en ese día tan especial.
Si esto fuera cierto, entonces
los miembros de Delians y lo
que reciben otros honores como
medallas, no deberían usarlas
en la ceremonia ya que como la
administración indicó, se trata
de igualdad y unificación. Los
estudiantes que se graduarán
este año, no esperan que ocurra
un cambio en este ciclo escolar,
pero están luchando para que
las futuras generaciones del
programa reciban algún reconocimiento.
Ya que los estudiantes de
Inmersión les brindan apoyo y
admiración a los miembros de
otros programas de la escuela,
también se desea tener un intercambio y recibir el apoyo de los
demás estudiantes de Samo para
los estudiantes de Inmersión.
Politics Prolong Human Suffering
By Sara Frier
The Supreme Court’s senseless restriction of access to a very
legitimate form of medication
displays an utter lack of regard
for the sick and dying. The Court
interpreted the Supremacy Clause
of the Constitution to state that the
federal government could enforce
its ban (i.e. raid) on medicinal
marijuana dispensaries despite
state laws protecting patients
with prescriptions. While it is
indeed the job of the Court to
interpret the Constitution in
order to determine law, this
decision ignores some of the
fundamental natural rights
that the document was meant
to protect; partisan ideology
has taken yet another unsettling precedence over human
compassion.Political beliefs
and affiliations aside, when
it comes to human suffering,
the Constitution simply must
be interpreted to protect the
welfare of its people.
Contrary to the suspiciously alternative feel of
its “herbal” classification,
medicinal marijuana is not a
homeopathic fad. In use since
2737 BC, it has remained a
cheap and efficient last resort for
chronic pain sufferers around
the world. It is clinically proven
to at least partially reduce the
symptoms of headache, glaucoma,
cancer, weight loss, muscular
spasticity, involuntary movement,
and seizures.
Despite its long and statistically significant history as a
legitimate medicinal option (by
researchers Grinspoon & Bakalar,
Burish & Tope, and Harvard professor Jay Gould), marijuana continues to be feared and stigmatized
for its other uses. However, this is
not a debate about recreational use
of marijuana. While Americans
pop millions of pills daily, pills
for every type of pain, pills with
daunting side effects, pills that cost
an arm and a leg, it seems ironic
that we, and now the Supreme
Court, dismiss an option whose
side effects are minimal at most.
One wonders if it is the simplicity
of the treatment itself that lends
cannabis its air of illegitimacy—after all, everyone knows that a
cheap, natural plant that comes
from the ground is scarier than a
pellet of manufactured chemicals
from a gigantic pharmaceutical
corporation. Irony aside, it is time
to separate the social stigma of
marijuana as a narcotic from the
time-tested benefits of marijuana
as a medicine. However, ever since
the Comprehensive Drug Abuse
Prevention and Control Act of
1970 placed it on Schedule I—the
most dangerous governmental
grouping of narcotics (along with
heroin, mescaline, and LSD) it
remains illegal under federal
jurisdiction.
In its recent decision, the Court
did not resolve whether marijuana
was good medicine or a dangerous narcotic; rather, they focused
on allowing the government to
override the publicly passed
policies of 10 states in which voters legalized its medicinal usage,
including California’s passage of
Proposition 215 in 1996.
One could argue that the Court
was acting out of responsibility to
their role as impartial interpreters of Constitutional law, which
states that in a conflict between
state and US law, “the Laws of
the United States shall be made
the supreme Law of the Land”
(U.S. Const. art. VI, Paragraph 2).
However, while they have upheld
their responsibility to interpret
the law according to the words
of the Constitution (in this
case, federal law banning
all use of marijuana would
override state law), the Court
has neglected to think—or
care—about the effects their
decision would have on the
citizens of this land.
The decision illustrates
another ironic political twist,
in which the liberal justices
join Bush in defense of the
federal jurisdiction, while
the majority of conservative judges, including Chief
Rhenquist, vote with the
states. While it seems funny,
the result is yet another sad
show of political ideologies-this time about the scope
of government eclipsing a
grave question of human
suffering. It’s the same old
story of pro-federal government
Liberals fighting state-power Conservatives, but the issue at hand
has turned the table of human
rights 180 degrees. Think: if this
were a question of gun control,
we’d all be shaking our heads
at the conservative justice who
stood for state protection of the
second amendment, thinking of
the suffering those guns would
soon inflict.
Sadly, this time, when a cancer
patient helplessly fights waves of
nausea, we must think of their suffering and shake our heads back at
the Democrats who have proven
no better. Political beliefs and affiliations aside, when it comes to
human suffering, the Constitution
simply must be interpreted to protect the welfare of its people.
Our Hardest Class: Summer
By Alice Ollstein
When we were little, teachers
sweetly asked us to write papers
on “How I Spent My Summer
Vacation.” These essays spoke
of play-dates, board games, and
sandcastles. Now, instead of sweet
Mrs. Winnie, college admissions
point an accusing finger at us and
demand: “What did you do with
your summer vacation?”
According to an article from
the Star-Ledger entitled “Don’t
Call It Summer Vacation,”
many students now plan
their summer activities
around what will impress
a college, not on what they
love to do. Author Kathleen
O’Brien writes out her ‘rules’
for choosing a summer program:
“It can’t be regular camp; it must
be computer camp. Foreign travel,
yes, but preferably to an exotic
destination…It has to be not only
enriching, but unusual.” So many
American high school students are
immersed in a culture of stress,
where the same acronyms dominate every conversation: GPA,
SAT, ACT. The threat of the thin
envelope has infected every aspect
of our teenage lives, from class
choices, to after-school activities, to
weekend jobs, and now the virus
has spread to our summers. This
is exactly the unhealthy, obsessive
culture that we need to reject, before it swallows our childhoods
and sanity whole.
Some believe that you must go
to college to learn about getting
into college to get into college.
These people sign up for programs
like Duke University’s $965 “Constructing Your College Experience”
program, and spend two weeks
learning the ins and outs of applying for college. Programs like
this call themselves “enriching,”
but how enriching can spending
your summer trying to work the
system be?
Don’t despair! There are so
many summer programs out there
that you are bound to find one
that’s right for you. Ask yourself:
“What will I truly love doing?” If
you hate children, don’t sign up
to look after a village of them in
Nepal. If you suffered through Bio,
don’t enroll in science camp.
If money is an issue, as it is
for most of us, look for a job
you’ll love. If you blow all
your savings on expensive,
exotic summer programs,
you might not be able to
afford the fabulous universities you do get accepted to.
I know that the words “summer job” immediately produce
gruesome images of burger-flipping and floor mopping, but think
outside the golden arches. You can
be a counselor at a summer camp,
or even try being an entrepreneur,
and start a thriving dog walking/tshirt making/web page designing
business.
In the end, what will really impress colleges is the honest passion
you express in your essay, something you can’t fake. And contrary
to popular belief, living your life
around college admissions is not
living your life.
After 13 years as
adviser to The Samohi
newspaper staff,
English Teacher Lorri
Horn will take a leave
of absence next year
to spend time with her
son, Florian. Her dedi-
Editor-in-Chief.................Annie Danis
Managing Editor...Marissa Silverman
News Editor........................Cara Safon
Opinion Editor................Alice Ollstein
Molly Strauss
Feature Editor....................Eliza Smith
Special Report Editor....Nicola Persky
Campus Life Editor......Analee Abbott
Sports Editors..............Lincoln Boehm
Emily Foshag
Photo Editor......................Max Jordan
Ad Editor......................Chelsea Rinnig
Copy Editor......................Will Bromell
Art Editor........................JoJo Samuels
Adviser................................Lorri Horn
cation, moral tenacity,
and care for her students
will truly be missed.
On behalf of past and
present Journalism
students, we wish Ms.
Horn the best and hope
to see her soon.
Subscriptions
$20.00 PER YEAR
Published triweekly during the school
year by the Associated Student Body
of Santa Monica High School, 601
Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA. 90405.
Unsigned editorials reflect the opinions of the staff. Signed editorials
represent the opinions of the writer.
Staff
Zahir Alibhai, Nick Barlow, Brittany
Benjamin, Jacqueline Berkman,
Michael Blackman, Peter Egziabher,
Sara Frier, Daniella Greenberg, Samantha Johnston, Petey Kass, David
Kim, Jonathan Lee, Wade Moody,
Sanyu Nagenda, Carl Nunziato, Jeremy Rosen-Prinz, Michael Rubin,
Adam Siegel, Sonia Sohaili, Hannah
Tepper, Ava Tramer, Samantha Walters, Matt Weber, Nicole Wong
Sports
Top Senior Athletes of the Year
Michael Eyler:
After being named MVP of the freshman soccer team, Eyler became a
varsity starter as a sophomore, but
only played the first half of the season
due to a broken back. He worked hard
during physical therapy three times a
week and returned ready to start the
junior year strong. Eylerʼs coach Frank
Gattell claims, “It is [Mikeʼs] integrity
that separates him from everyone else.”
Eyler was voted the teamʼs MVP and
Bay Leagueʼs defensive player of the
year that season. Eyler became captain
of the team senior year and and helped
the defense limit opponents to the least
amouont of goals in Samo history. Eyler
earned MVP of Ocean League, and was
awarded First Team All CIF. Eyler also
plays for the Samo baseball team.
Yermie Cohen:
Cohen has been on the Varsity
Cross-Country/ Track team for all
four years. He has consistently run
under 16:00 in his last three years
on Cross-Country. As team captain
this year, Cohen led the X-Country
and Track teams to league titles.
His coach Tania Fischer claims
that Cohen’s success has a lot to
due with his work ethic: “He is out
running in the sun and the rain, and
that’s why he’s able to be so consistent.” Cohen will be attending MIT
next fall and will run on its Track
and X-Country teams. Throughout
all four years Cohen has been a
leader, showing his perseverance
by bouncing back from numerous
injuries. “For me the running was
much easier than fulfilling my duties as captain,” said Cohen. Senior
year he managed to score 43 and
a quarter points throughout the
whole season. His leadership will
be sorely missed next season.
Baseball (18-9-0)
- Samo’s baseball team went undefeated in league and won their first playoff
game in the last decade.
- Four sophomores, Michael Schwartz,
Dylan Early, David Castellanos, and Jonny
Huerta emerged and became varsity starters towards the second half of the season.
The four sophomores give the program
much excitement for the years to come.
Softball (16-9-0)
- Won league championship.
- Defeated rival Culver City.
-Santa Monica’s sophomore Hannah Rose-Peters and junior Nicole
Hoffman had the two highest batting
averages in the league.
- Mercied Santa Paula in the first
round of playoffs 11-0.
-Had several pitchers throw nohitters throughout the season.
- Went undefeated in league.
Amanda McGrew:
McGrew has been on the varsity
basketball team since freshman
year, and has had a huge impact
on the Samo girls basketball
program, which is made evident
by the program’s increase from
two to 18 wins in the past four
seasons. Named Ocean League
Offensive Player of the Year and
team MVP this season, McGrew
averaged 14.5 points, 3.4 steals,
and 4.0 rebounds per game. Her
personal highlight would be :
”getting ejected from the Morningside game this year.”She will
continue her basketball career at
the University of Rhode Island on
a full scholarship.
Cody Decker:
After an amazing offensive year,
Decker became the varsity baseball team’s starting third baseman sophomore year. He hit 14
homeruns, batting .470, with 32
RBIs. His 14 homeruns broke the
team record of nine homeruns set
by former Los Angeles Dodger
Rick Mundy. Decker’s success
would limit his number of at-bats
the following two years, as pitchers walked him a total of 68 times.
Senior year, with a new coaching
staff and more experienced team,
Decker led Samo to an Ocean
League sweep, and got the team
its first playoff victory in the last
decade. Decker hit 11 homeruns,
batting .480, with 45 RBIs. Decker
will attend UCLA next year on a
baseball scholarship.
Stephanie Thornton:
Thornton ran Cross-Country for
three years and was team MVP in
each. She is a three time CIF finalist
and league champion. Thornton
also holds the school 800m record
with a 2:17.89. Thornton is also
this year’s Ethell Robinson award
winner, which goes to the most
well- rounded female senior. Coach
Pat Cady claims that “she inspires
everyone around her to be better.”
Thornton was this year’s team
captain for Track and X-Country.
During track season she ran multiple events including the 400m,
800m, 1600m, and 4x400m, and she
succeeded in all of them.
Nila Ward:
Freshman year Ward practiced
with varsity water polo and became a starter her sophomore year.
Junior year she was the team’s
MVP and made First Team All
League. Senior year she led the
team in steals and took the girls
all the way to semifinals. Ward
reflected on her favorite part of
her four year career: “The most
memorable moment was when we
won league because that’s what
we were working for the whole
time. Our main goal was just to get
that ‘05 banner back on the wall.”
Ward’s Coach Matt Flanders feels
that it’s Ward’s “hard work ethic
that allows her to be such a great
athlete.” Ward will be attending
UC Davis where she will swim
and play Water Polo.
Kevin Poindexter:
Poindexter won the job as varsity
starting quarterback junior year.
His leadership on and off the field
uplifted the Vikings as he led the
offense from a winless season to
six wins and a CIF playoff berth.
In his senior year, Poindexter
threw for 1019 yards and seven
touchdowns, and also rushed
for six touchdowns. According
to Poindexter the highlight of
the season was “throwing the
winning pass at the homecoming game against Roosevelt.” He
was awarded the Barnett Award
for the most well-rounded male
senior. He will be attending UC
Berkeley next fall.
- Senior Yermie Cohen won 1600m
and the 3200m.
- Qualified 20 people for CIF.
- Junior Daniel Locke wins 3rd
straight league title in the 100m.
- Senior Keith Jamerson goes to
CIF in discus.
- Team goes undefeated and wins
league.
Girls Track (4-1-0)
- Senior Jackie Sicard wins league
in the 100m.
- Seniors Sabrina Fields and Rebecca Frank win every shotput and
discus event of the season.
- Lost first place in league by a
mere two points.
Boys Tennis (7-7-0)
- Senior Brian Gelfand, senior
Jonathon Sappaiboon, and sophomore
Anthony Rollins make all Ocean League
first team.
- Sappaiboon wins league singles.
- Team got to the second round of
playoffs.
Spring Sports
Boys Swimming (5-1-0)
- Finished 2nd in Ocean League.
- Finished 8th in division three CIF.
- Qualified three relay teams for CIF.
- Qualified six individuals for CIF.
- Junior Kristof Igloi wins team MVP
award.
- Junrior Bobby Alexis wins team most
Inspirational award.
- Junior Kevin Cooke wins most im-
Girls Swimming (5-1-0)
- Finished 2nd in Ocean League.
- Qualified two relay teams for CIF.
- Qualified three individuals for CIF.
- Junior Allison Born wins team MVP
award.
- Senior Nila Ward wins most Inspirational award.
- Junior Molly Fishman wins most
improved award.
Clarke lettered all four years
while on the Volleyball team.
Sophomore year she moved from
middle blocker to outside hitter
and became a dominant force.
Clarke led the team all three years
with her powerful kills, having
as many as 23 in one match. Junior year Clarke qualified for All
League. Senior year she led the
team to the second round of CIF
and was voted MVP of Ocean
League. According to Clarke, a
major reason the team succeeded
was the enormous amount of fan
support: “I like the spirit that everyone had for the team, and how
everyone was very supportive of
us.” Clarke will attend the division
one University of Tennessee on an
athletic scholarship.
Dylan Giagni:
Giagni lettered in all four years
on the Wrestling team. He was a
CIF qualifier his last three years,
and a masters qualifier/ CIF place
winner his last two years. Senior
year, Giagni became a CIF champion, placed seventh in masters,
and qualified for state. He recently placed second in western
Junior Regionals for Greco Roman
wrestling qualifying for the Junior
Nationals in Fargo, ND. His coach
Mark Black says, “Dylan brought
great athleticism to the team. What
makes him distinctive is his mental
outlook on competition. He only
wants to compete against the best.
Dylan is also a great leader; he can
run the team on his own.”Giagni
will wrestle at the University of
Oregon.
2004-2005 Sports Highlights Cont’d.
Boys Track (5-0-0)
Milan Clarke:
Boys Volleyball (20-12-0)
- The boys varsity team made
it to the Semifinals of CIF playoffs
for the first time under Coach Sato’s
tenure with the team.
- The varsity volleyball team
qualified three players for the First
Team All Ocean League: juniors
Neil Cline, Mike Cambell, and Fred
McLafferty.
- McLafferty wins all league
MVP award.
Kickball (0-0-1)
- Senior Logan Lemberger (Yearbook) goes 18-22. That’s a lot of at
bats!
- Senior Wade Moody (Journalism)
goes 3-3 with two runs.
- Junior Lincoln Boehm (Journalism) goes 3-4 with 3 runs and 1 RBI.
- Senior Petey Kass (Journalism)
pitches 8 innings giving up only 7
earned runs.
- Journalism destroys Yearbook’s
weird mascot.
Alex Darkovsky:
Darkovsky lettered in all four
years on the wrestling team.
Freshman year he made CIF.
Sophomore year he placed third
at CIF and qualified for masters,
almost making it to state. Junior
year Darkovsky went undefeated
and was expected to make it to
state, but a hip injury kept him off
the mat during CIF. Darkovsky
made a comeback senior year
placing second at the prestigious
Five Counties Tournament, making him the number two ranked
wrestler in state. Darkovsky won
CIF, going on to masters where he
placed sixth, qualifiying himself
for state. Darkovsky qualified for
nationals, but his ankle injury prevented him from attending. Coach
Mark Black says: “[Darkovsky’s]
probably the most talented athlete
I’ve ever coached.”
Roller Hockey (8-2-0)
2002- Mike Jellen, father of senior
Brett Jellen, becomes Coach. Tom Ponton,
father of senior Jeff Ponton, becomes
team manager. Ponton and Jellen lead
the league in points. The team loses in
overtime 6-5 in the championship game
against Culver City.
2003- Team makes it to championship game once again and loses to Mira
Costa.
2004- Team makes it to championship
game once again and loses to Mira Costa.
Ponton scores 10 goals and racks up 18
assists, while Jellen scores 13 goals and
gets 8 assists.
2005- Two freshmen and one sophomore from this year’s varsity team are
projected to play again on the next team,
which will be coached by current JV coach
Jim Freedman.
Graduating seniors:
Kevin Glatt, Nick Kim, Brett Jellen,
Jeff Ponton, Brandyn Tepper.