March 16, 2006

What’s Your Value?
In Memory of Eddie Lopez
Page 6
Page 5
Happy St.
Patrick’s Day!
Pages 7 & 8
On the Internet:
Love,
The Samohi
Circulation: 3,600
Spring Sports
www.samohi.smmusd.org/thesamohi
Published Biweekly
Vol. XCVI No. 9 March 16, 2006
TRAPA
Show Success
By Jacquelyn Hoffman
All proceeds go toward Art
Department resources and the
Samo4Art Booster Club, a nonThe annual student-run profit advocacy group created by
TRAPA (AP ART spelled parents to support Samo’s visual
backwards) Show opened March arts program.
Current funding allows $6.66
9 in the Roberts Art Gallery. The
goal for this year’s show is to for art materials per student per
increase financial support for the semester and only includes the cost
art department while displaying of paint, canvases and brushes. The
mug auction
a collection of
h e l p e d
collaborative
s p r e a d
art pieces.
awareness of
Senior Cortney
the budget
Herron and
shortage.
junior Tiimo
“ T h e
Schulze are cofundraising
chairs of the
aspect of
show which
T R A P A
continues
is a great
through March
addition.
24.
Holzman’s
In addition
talent will
to various
allow buyers
paintings,
to own a
sculptures and
handmade
photography, Junior AP artist Tim Plumwo r k a n d
t h i s y e a r ’s ridge’s work is displayed at the
contribute
show included TRAPA Show.
to the art
a cup auction
Photo by Ashley Osberg department,”
fundraiser
said fellow
organized by
senior AP
senior AP Art
ceramicist Justine Holzman. AP artist Ryane Acalin.
TRAPA demonstrates the
ceramics students individually
painted over 40 mugs that they dedication of many students.
then bid off opening night. “I “What drives us is the ability to
enjoy collaborative work. It was display our work in the gallery,”
fun to mix talents of all the AP said senior AP artist Lindsay
Art students,” said Holzman. Avolio.
Staff Writer
Sophomores Oscar Hernandez, Alex Arreola and Alex Kovacs mourn the loss of Eddie Lopez
at the Samo Memorial Service on March 2.
Photo by Ashley Osberg
Two Killed in Santa
Monica Plane Crash
about two miles from the airport, Angel Flight West is a nonprofit
By Cara Safon
News Editor
A plane crash in front of the
Santa Monica Pier le� a man and
a woman dead at around 9:35 a.m.
on Mon., March 13.
The plane, on a volunteer
medical transportation flight,
was returning to the Santa
Monica Airport due to engine
trouble just before it went down
according to Federal Aviation
Administration spokesman Allen
Kenitzer. The 63-year-old pilot,
host of the 1980s television game
show “Press Your Luck” Peter
Tomarken, was flying the Beech
A-36 single engine plane to San
Diego to pick up a passenger
who needed treatment at UCLA
Medical Center, said Angel Flight
West spokesman Doug Griffith.
organization that provides free
air transportation for medical
patients. Both he and his wife,
Kathleen Abigail Tomarken, 41,
died in the crash. The plane now
sits in 19 feet of water about 200
yards offshore.
Rescue boats and divers are
at the scene searching for a third
missing person about half a mile
southwest of the pier. (AP)
ASB Proposes Tolerance Resolution
By Analee Abbott
Campus Life Editor
Samo’s Associated Student
Body (ASB)/Leadership created a
resolution, passed on Feb. 28, that
expresses the members’ feelings
towards the lack of tolerance and
respect on campus. ASB asked
the School Board to adopt the
policy on March 9. The Board has
agreed to consider the proposal
further and make the resolution
a standard for the entire Santa
Monica-Malibu Unified School
District. The resolution was released
to students and faculty this week.
Theresolutionidentifiesthenine
reasons the resolution is needed and
states six ways Samo can cultivate
respect and tolerance on campus. It
calls for “an environment that values
individuals as equal members of the
human race.” It resolves that the
community should protect against
negative media coverage of Samo,
strive for a campus free of unwanted
surveillance procedures such as
security cameras and support any
community organization or event
promoting unity with all of our
resources.
ASB President senior Sharona
Daneshrad feels it was important
for students to take a stand on the
ma�er. “Hate crimes are not okay
and something must be done… a
lot of debate and discussion went
into this resolution. It was not
simple and it was not easy. We
wanted to represent and respect
everyone because we truly care
about Samo.”
ASB Commissioner of Racial
Tolerance Georgia Bruce explained
her feelings about recent events
on campus and how she feels
the resolution might help. “I am
saddened and disappointed that
our school has had to experience
negative racial content on the
campus grounds…I hope that
people from this campus can take
the resolution that will soon be
distributed on campus seriously.”
CEO/Principal Ilene Straus
is very proud of ASB and the
resolution. “It has a very strong
message…If it were up to me, it
would be hung on every wall.”
Samo
Cashes checks
Checks
Intended for PTSA
By Chelsea Rinnig
in total were worth $1,105.80 they end up in the wrong spot.”
Ad Editor
Throughout the past nine
months, Samo has cashed multiple
checks that were intended for
Samo’s Parent-Teacher Student
Association (PTSA). These checks,
donations to Samo’s softball
program, were accidentally sent to
and cashed by the school instead
of the PTSA due to Samo’s lack
of a financial accountant and
unclear instructions regarding
the depositing of the checks.
Administration placed Dean of
StudentsCatherineBaxterincharge
of this financial responsibility.
Samo parent Pat Osberg
donated money through the
business Well Point in the form of
three checks between the months
of May and Nov. 2005. All three
and were made out to “PTSA
California Congress of Parents,
Teachers and the Students, Inc/Santa
Monica High School,” but there
was no specification that they were
intended for the so�ball program
until the school called Osberg later
and asked who the check recipient
was supposed to be. Samo cleared
the checks, yet somehow the so�ball
program still only received only one
of the checks, wri�en for $407.40 in
November. Samo eventually cleared
the remaining two checks as well,
but so�ball coach Debbie Skaggs
does not know where the money
from the cashed checks is. She
believes the lack of a school financial
administrator compounded the
problem: “When you’re just turning
checks in and you’re not sure which
direction they’re supposed to go in,
ASB financial office has
cleaned up the financial mix-up
and hired accountant clerk Marti
Siskin. The so�ball program will
receive all of the money that Samo
cashed so that the so�ball program
can continue to run smoothly.
Education Code and District
Policies provide checks and
balances to prevent such instances
of financial error from happening.
CEO/Principal Ilene Straus notes,
though, that occasionally things
will fall through the cracks when
there is a lack of staff. “We’ve had
a problem with many positions
being open for a very long time and
the district not ge�ing us qualified
candidates,” she said. “We’re going
to try and fill our open positions
with people who can help us get
things done in an efficient way.”
Memorial in Greek Helps
Friends Mourn Loss
By Molly Strauss
Opinion Editor
Samo students, staff and
community members gathered
in the Greek Theater on March
2 to honor sophomore Edwardo
Lopez, killed on Feb. 28.
The ceremony gave everyone
an opportunity to celebrate
Eddie’s life. The memorial began
with an introduction by CEO/
Principal Ilene Straus. A�erward,
students lit candles. Despite
windy conditions, mourners
made a valiant effort to keep the
fire alive.
A group of Eddie’s friends
took the stage next, many of
whom had played baseball
or football with him. Each
reminisced about the aspects
of Eddie they most admired,
recalling his sense of humor and
friendly personality.
Baseball Coach Tim Dearn
and Football Coach Zachary
Cuda, with the help of Samo’s
baseball team, presented Eddie’s
parents with his baseball and
football jerseys. Overcome by
emotion, Eddie’s mother showed
her gratitude with tears.
Select Samo Madrigals
and Chamber Singers sang
“Remember ” by Christina
Rossetti, Monsignor Lloyd
Torgerson of Saint Monica Parish,
where Eddie participated in a
youth group, offered words of
comfort and H-House Principal
Ruth Esseln led the mourners in
a moment of silence, culminating
in the release of white doves.
Symphony Orchestra played
Elgar’s “Nimrod” as mourners
exited the theater, many of whom
cried quietly and comforted each
other as best they could.
(For more on Eddie, see page 5)
And In Other News...
By Alice Ollstein
Opinion Editor
• College Board recently
reported that it had given incorrect
scores to thousands of high school
students on the SAT. About 4,000
students who took the test last
October received scores as much as
100 points too low due to scanning
errors.
•In light of the U.N. Security
Council debate next week on
possible sanctions for Iran’s nuclear
program, Tehran warned the United
States that it could inflict “harm and
pain” using oil as its weapon.
•NorthKorearecentlytest-fired
two short-range missiles, renewing
concernsoverthecommunistregime’s
nuclear weapons program.
• It seems as if the only good
news occurs away from the earth’s
surface. Scientists recently found
evidence of water on Enceladus,
one of Saturns moons, indicating a
possibility of life.
Page 2
OPINION
Pro/Con: Drilling for Alaska’s Oil
By Daniel Galdjie
for oil than the Middle East.
Staff Writer
Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is America’s
Why does the United States, temporary solution. With an
the world’s most powerful nation, estimated 10 billion barrels of oil,
depend on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait the ANWR wildlife refuge could
and Bahrain for energy? If these supply the United States with 10
Middle Eastern nations cut off our percent of our oil needs for 16 years
supply of oil, our nation would (American Geological Institute).
instantly cripple. For example, in Also, according to Republican
1973, the oil-producing nations in senator Frank H. Murkowski of
the Middle East placed an embar- Alaska, development would affect
go on oil shipments to
only .01 percent of ANWR’s
the United States.
total area. Although
Oil prices imsome destruction of
The benefit
mediately
the land will occur,
quadrupled
of billions of bar- the benefit of biland the
lions of barrels
rels of domestic oil of domestic oil
American
e c o n o m y outweighs the minimal outweighs the
fell into
minimal costs
costs upon the
chaos (The
upon the enviNew World
ronment.
environment.
Order).
In addition to
With the Midmaking our nation
dle East as volatile
more self-sufficient and
as ever, America needs to
aiding our economy, drilling
wean itself off foreign oil. While in ANWR will also create “up
I strongly support developing to 735,000 jobs” (University of
alternative energy sources to al- Pennsylvania Wharton Economic
leviate our dependence on crude Forecasting Group). Not surprisoil, many energy experts estimate ingly, 70 percent of Alaskans
it will be years, if not decades, support drilling in the ANWR
until a cost-effective alternative reserve (Christian Science Monitor).
to petroleum is available (Taipei Opponents of drilling in Alaska
Times). For example, many hope have expressed concern that Alasthat hydrogen power will re- kan oil will reduce the incentive to
place crude oil; it is an a�ractive research new energy sources, but
prospect considering hydrogen- this argument has no basis in truth.
powered vehicles only emit water Crude oil remains inefficient and
vapor. However, according to the non-reusable, and the incentive
Washington Post, “Hydrogen is to develop a new energy source
still years away from reducing the will remain whether or not we
nation’s dependence on foreign drill in ANWR. ANWR is simply
oil. No one has yet figured out a temporary safety net.
how to generate large amounts
Despite the support of most
of hydrogen without causing as Americans (Alaskans in particumuch pollution as internal-com- lar) Democrats in Congress have
bustion engines now create, and continued to block oil exploration
the vehicles are prohibitively ex- in the reserve, sending the United
pensive.” Until scientists develop States deeper and deeper into
some alternative, the United States the treacherous hole of foreign
must find a more reliable source dependency.
By Alice Ollstein
Opinion Editor
I stand against drilling for oil in
Alaska, not because of a “bleeding
heart” desire to save the caribou,
but because of my belief that long
term results ma�er more than
short term relief. And, in the long
term, drilling in Alaska has terrible, permanent consequences.
Bush played it safe during his
State of the Union address
by emphasizing an idea
reasonable to both
Democrats and
Republicans:
“America is addicted to oil,
which is o�en
imported from
unstable parts
of the world.”
At a recent convention in Washington D.C., I heard
Gal Lu�, the executive
director of the Institute for the
Analysis of Global Security, call the
oil situation “a national security
issue of the first degree.” Conservatives like Bush and liberals like
Lu� only disagree on what should
be done. Alaskan oil a�racts the
GOP because it would be cheap
to transport, it would lower gas
prices and it stands as a “quick
fix” solution to the energy problem. I don’t believe in quick fixes.
I believe in environmentally and
economically sound, long-term
solutions.
Evidence from the Energy
Department’s Energy Information Administration shows that
Alaskan oil would not sufficiently
help America’s economy: “The
reduction in imports would be
modest. With oil from the refuge,
the United States would import
oil to meet 65 percent of its needs
in 2025 vs. 68 percent without
it” (washingtonpost.com). A three
Dependence
on oil is dependence
on oil, whether it comes
from the Middle East
or the Far North.
The Overlooked “Ism”
By Erin Schneider, Staff Writer
and Marissa Silverman, Managing Editor
On Feb. 13, policemen found 25-year old
Ilan Halimi dead near train tracks south of
Paris. Halimi, a Jew, lay naked, handcuffed,
and covered in acid burns. The gang The Barbarians, led by 26-year old Muslim Youssouf
Fofana, had abducted Halimi and taken him
to their apartment in the Paris suburb Bagneux. Police have suggested that residents of
the apartment knew that a Jewish man was
being held and tortured in the building and
didn’t call for help.
Although Fofana admi�ed to the crime, he
denies accusations of anti-Semitism, claiming that he kidnapped strictly for money.
However, he reportedly made ransom calls
to Halimi’s family ordering them to “get
money from their synagogue,” as well as calls
to a Rabbi saying, “We have a Jew.” Police
also revealed that four out of six victims of
The Barbarians’ previous abductions were
Jewish.
As horrifying as the act may seem, it is not
uncommon. Anti-Semitism has prevailed in
Europe since the Crusades, and the recent
death of Halimi is just one more example of its
presence in France. According to the National
Advisory Commi�ee of Human Rights, there
were 601 anti-Semitic acts in France in 2003
percent difference is not worth
destroying a delicate ecosystem,
ignoring global warming and
promoting consumption over
conservation.
Dependence on oil is dependence on oil, whether it comes
from the Middle East or the Far
North. Proof of global warming
tells us that crude oil is no longer
an acceptable source of energy,
and yet our country hesitates to
invest in alternatives. Lu�
complained: “You go
to the gas station
and find oil, oil
and oil. This
country must
think beyond
oil.” Instead
of spending
millions of
dollars draining Alaska dry,
America needs
to research and
harness alternative, renewable sources of energy.
The boundaries are political, not
technological.
Drilling in ANWR would not
be necessary if America made
the right choices. According to
Jason Grumet, the chairman of the
National Commission on Energy
Policy, “If 50 percent of cars on the
road were hybrids, we could save
2.5 million barrels of oil a day.”
Said Lu�: “We must design cars
that fit with the changing realities
of the world, and one reality is that
oil has become a weapon.”
This is not an issue of “Democrats versus Republicans” or
“Hummers versus polar bears.”
This is an issue of the private gain
of cheap gas and huge cars versus
the public gain of clear air, biodiversity and independence from oil.
We who will soon mold the future
with our votes must pressure our
government to end the addiction
to oil, Alaskan or otherwise.
and 970 in 2004. In 2003, 72 percent of hate
crimes in France were anti-Semitic.
This lasting hatred for the Jewish people is
frightening and disturbing. It is a prevalent
but neglected issue globally, nationally, and
even here at Samo.
Early in December, derogatory names
and swastikas were tagged on the door of
a Jewish teacher’s classroom here at Samo.
The teacher’s house, H House, addressed
the incident, but the Administration failed
to discuss it as an act of anti-Semitism or a
hate crime on a school wide level.
However, when students and teachers
arrived on campus in February to find antiBlack and Latino graffiti, the Administration
immediately called in human rights organizations to address the campus tension,
including the Anti-Defamation League–an
organization created to protect Jews.
We are not claiming that the racial graffiti didn’t deserve a�ention, but we can’t
help but wonder why the Administration
gave the anti-Semitic graffiti less a�ention.
If Samo does not recognize and address
every hate crime equally, it will send the
message that Samo tolerates some types of
hate and not others. Now is the time for the
Administration to step up to the plate and
reassure the community that acts of hatred
towards any group will not be tolerated.
Do You Have An Opinion?
[email protected]
... or deliver to room T217
Submissions due by March 30.
Technology:
the iCrutch
By Sam Cotten
Staff Writer
Breakthroughs in technology–from word processing to
the Internet to graphing calculators–make life easier. Technology
makes research and calculations
a breeze, but it can never replace
traditional education in the classroom.
While some teachers just pop
in a video to “teach” for them,
teachers like Latin teacher Luke
Henderson know how to use technology as a learning aid instead
of a learning crutch. He recently
integrated an online study tool,
wordchamp.com, into his homework assignments to help his
students memorize Latin vocabulary and phrases more efficiently.
Because these online programs can
be accessed from home, school or
a local library, there’s no chance of
losing important worksheets as
you go about your day.
Computers have also revolutionized word processing, replacing handwriting, which has been
part of schooling for centuries.
Because the average student’s
handwriting resembles hieroglyphics, students have turned to
computers for help.
Technology can help students
study and word process, but it isn’t
the best investment for schools. To
begin with, technology costs more
money than underfunded California schools have to spend. A new
computer can cost thousands, and
graphing calculators (required for
Algebra II and up) are over $100.
In addition, technology evolves so
quickly that the same computer
that cost over two grand five years
ago may now be worth less than
a Furby. Schools and businesses
waste millions on equipment that
soon becomes obsolete.
Technology loses value as the
years go by, but standard methods
of education have stayed valuble
for centuries. If used correctly,
technology can enhance learning,
but can never replace it. I worry
that our most amazing inventions
will result in an intellectual regression simply because of the crutch
they offer us.
Life After Samo Idol by Jojo Samuels
Opinion—Page 3 The Samohi March 16, 2006
MY TURN: Building Our Very Own Concrete Paradise
Samo, Show
Some Respect
Daven Talbott
Junior
Shame on you if you didn’t
go Eddie Lopez’s memorial
ceremony on March 2. It’s understandable if you had an appointment or something urgent
to do. But to those who didn’t
go without a legitimate excuse,
shame.
It sickens me that some of
my good friends did not attend the service. When I asked
why they weren’t coming, they
responded, “It’s going to feel
awkward since I didn’t know
him.” My response to that
should have been, “Hundreds
of people are coming that didn’t
know him. It’s all about respect.
Instead of viewing the situation
with an ‘I didn’t know him, so
I’m not going,’ a�itude, think
about how you would feel if
one your closest friends were
being honored in the Greek. You
would appreciate support during such a difficult time.”
It’s amazing that 99 percent
of Samo filled the Greek to see
Kanye West, but could not show
equal enthusiasm for a member
of our own community.
If you were at school on
Thursday but didn’t a�end the
memorial, seeing the early dismissal as an invitation to leave
campus before 3:16, think about
what you’ve done. Think about
the disrespect you have shown
for your fellow classmate, his
friends and his family.
(For more on Eddie, see page 5)
By Evan Perkins
Staff Writer
Downtown Santa Monica
o�en seems more like a gigantic
construction zone than a living urban district. The myriad of public
works projects and new buildings
going up cause more traffic and
street congestion than usual,
quite a feat in our already
overcrowded downtown.
This construction, and
its unavoidable effects
on city life, are a
headache for those
who have to deal
with it on a regular
basis.
Lately, companies have
dra�ed serious
proposals to
build large high
rises downtown.
Some of the suggested construction, such as redevelopment of
the RAND Corporation site into 325
housing units, has
been approved and is
on its way to fruition.
Despite the temptation to
complain and bellyache, we
should accept this construction
and its associated ills for what
they represent: true and undeniable progress.
Rome wasn’t finished in a day,
and Santa Monica won’t be, either.
Cities are living, breathing organisms that must grow to flourish,
and construction is merely a symptom of that reality. Downtown
Santa Monica is home to some of
the best real estate in a rapidly
growing region full of prime locations. There are few places in
the Los Angeles area
as beautiful
a n d
desirable as
Santa Monica, so
the increasing urbanization of
our downtown should come as
no surprise. The redevelopment
of the McDonalds on Second St.
and Colorado for office and retail
purposes is a far more effective use
of space than a stand-alone restaurant, as is the redeve l o p m e n t
of the
former
Toys ‘R’ Us
parking lot into
condos.
Despite this, groups like the
Coalition for a Livable Santa Monica oppose further development
downtown, citing the preservation
of “character” and “community
size” as reason to stop construction. These misguided community members need to realize that
condos and tall buildings are not
something to rail against and fear,
but rather, to embrace as a measure
of our greatness as a municipality. A�er all, New York City
and Chicago would not be
legendary places with
vast stretches of parking lots in their central
business districts. We
recognize great cities based on their
skylines and true
urbanity in the
streets, and it’s
high time that
Santa Monica
builds the skyline and urban
lifestyle it deserves.
Santa Monica
may never be a
world-renowned
city on the level of
New York (or Los
Angeles, for that matter), but that shouldn’t
stop our fair burg from
becoming all that it can
be. Though we may suffer
through inconvenient traffic
and noise in the short term, our
children will one day thank us for
le�ing Santa Monica live up to its
true potential as a city of the 21st
century. If we want our community to succeed and continue to
be one of most desired locations
in the country, we should let the
cranes and bulldozers do their
work unhindered.
Genes Code For More Than Proteins The Final Word: A Little
By Carl Nunziato
Staff Writer
As far as most people are
concerned, “Nurture” is the
clear winner of the “Nature
v. Nurture” debate. It’s easy
to understand why: how our
parents raise us when we’re
impressionable children clearly
affects who we become as we
mature. It’s common knowledge
that children whose parents read
to them o�en are more likely
to be avid readers as adults;
similarly, infants with abusive
or neglectful parents are likely
to repeat this behavior with their
own children later in life. However, “Nurture” supporters who
believe genes only code for our
physical characteristics greatly
underestimate the influence of
DNA over our behavior.
Yes, media creations like the
“obesity” and “gay” genes, allegedly responsible for complex
behaviors like gaining weight or
homosexuality, are fictitious. But
many genes can be a�ributed to
less complex, more chemically
induced human behaviors. For
example, The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has
reported that chromosomes of
thrill seekers and risk takers
o�en contain a gene allowing
for a higher concentration of
dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure, in
the brain. Additionally, studies
show that high dopamine levels
generally lead to greater risktaking behavior in humans.
The BBC also alluded to the
possibility of gene linkage to
more complex behaviors such
as aggression and violence.
The report mentions a family in
Holland where each generation
produces criminals carrying an
extremely uncommon gene that
affects brain chemistry. While
this gene is too rare to point to as
the cause of aggression, it proves
that there might be a correlation
between our genetics and our
general temperament. The same
is true of divorce: though your
genetics don’t force you to break
up a marriage, they can make
you more susceptible to marriage-shaking behaviors such
as alcoholism, drug abuse and
depression. While genes probably don’t directly cause people
to file for divorce or rob a liquor
store, they can play a significant
role in behaviors that ultimately
lead to these decisions.
These examples are just a
few of many that question the
“Nurture” theory’s overwhelming popularity. Before scientists
can reach a definitive answer
about the implication of genetics
on human behavior and a�itude,
we need to develop a be�er understanding of how genes work
and the effects of the proteins
they code for. There are 30,000
genes in an average human,
and ten times as many proteins.
These substances interact with
each other in complex ways that
researchers have only barely
begun to understand. With
uncertainty still surrounding
our chromosomes, it will be
many years before a true victor
can emerge from the “Nature v.
Nurture” debate.
Cuteness Goes A Long Way
By Jackie Berkman
Staff Writer
It happens everyday. We’ve
all seen someone pull out a pair
of mi�ens, a key chain, a mini
M&M, an iPod Nano, or a pintsized water bo�le, only to hear
girls with piercingly high voices
squeal in unison: “Oh my God!
That’s so cute!” Normally the
word “cute” is reserved for nouns
along the lines of babies, puppies,
or Orlando Bloom. But lately,
people are slapping the “C” word
on anything less than five pounds
or not of strikingly tall stature.
Why, I ask you?
The “cute” trend is irritating.
In an a�empt to stop people from
making this automatic connec-
Editor-in-Chief.................Annie Danis
Managing Editor...Marissa Silverman
News Editor........................Cara Safon
Opinion Editors..............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.....................Zahir Alibhai
Art Editor........................JoJo Samuels
Adviser...........................Kathleen Faas
tion (they got rid of the analogy
section of the SAT for a reason) I
find it necessary to list a few small
things that are not cute: tarantulas,
facial moles (especially ones that
have hair growing out of them),
the French dictator Napoleon
Bonaparte and those traumatizing
Furbies that some of us played
with, unfortunately, during our
foolish childhood years.
I hope that this li�le memo
serves as a reminder to the Samo
community: small does not automatically equal cute. So stop
saying it, please, for the sake of
my sanity. Yes, it will be difficult.
A�er all, I know how much fun
it is to hear yourself say the same
word over and over and over and
over again.
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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
Zoey Baldwin, Nick Barlow, Jackie
Berkman, Hannah Bernstein, Saba
Boradeh-Hamedy, Nora Casey, Sam
Cotten, Jennifer Galamba, Daniel
Galdjie, Jacquelyn Hoffman, Erin
Nadel, Carl Nunziato, Ashley Osberg, Charlie Paris, Evan Perkins,
Andrew Reilly, Erin Schneider,
Jeremy Tramer, Samantha Walters,
Matt Weber, Sophia Young, Zoe
Young
FEATURE
Page 4
in California at this time, the Rex
was anchored 3.1 miles offshore
of Santa Monica Bay, just outside
California jurisdiction.
“There are at any given
moment of a twenty-four hour
day from 1,000 to 1,990 avid
hungry-eyed folk aboard the
Rex,” wrote Florabel Muir
of The Santa Monica Evening
Outlook (1939). “They are worth,
on average, three or four dollars
a head to Cornero. He regards
them with a kind of detached
affection.”
Cornero focused not on high
rollers, but on the middle class.
To be polite, he never addressed
his customers as “suckers,”
a title he loathed,
Regardless if customers were
suckers or squirrels, The Rex was
a prolific business that hauled in
approximately $300,000 a month.
Thousands of customers would
line up along the Santa Monica
Pier to take a water taxi out to the
casino.
The boat could hold 2000
patrons and had a staff of 325.
The ship had a dance floor, an
By Nick Barlow
orchestra, a full sized kitchen,
Staff Writer
a bar, a hundred slot machines,
different gaming tables, a bingo
It was the morning of Aug.
parlor and a horse book that got
12, 1939 when Tony Cornero
race results via shortwave radio.
finally surrendered to the Santa
Though there
Monica Police department. He
was
nothing
had for nine days refused to leave
necessarily illegal
his floating gambling casino, the
about the ship,
S.S. Rex.
(besides the cargo
When asked why he
of unwarranted
surrendered, Cornero grinned
alcohol,
which
and replied: “I have to get a
was
somehow
haircut.”
overlooked) many
The Rex was
thought the Rex
themost prominent
a nuisance to the
gambling ship to
m
t
community.
emerge during the
h
.
o
radi
When
the
late 1920s and 30s
oreh
s
f
f
o
police came to
along the California
shut down the
coast. There was
joint,
Cornero’s
also the Tango,
men would not
Showboat
and
The Rex was
budge;
they
Texas, but, as said
by Time Magazine,
the most prominent gambling ship to defended the ship
high power
the “largest and
emerge during the 1920s and 30s along the with
water
cannons,
swankiest”
was
Santa Monica’s own
California coast. There [were others, but] and brandished
guns.
S.S. Rex.
as said by Time Magazine, the “largest and machine
The
court
The Rex was
originally a four- swankiest” was Santa Monica’s own SS Rex. case, held the day
a�er
Cornero’s
masted
British
arrest, ruled in
barkentine, named
the Kelingworth, in the Pacific instead they were his “squirrels.” favor of the state and county.
“There is only one kind Although Cornero went away
Grain Trade. Then, from 1903
to 1937, it was used as a luxury of sucker in the world,” said a free man, the county began to
sailing barge from Santa Monica Cornero in an interview with crack down on all the gambling
to Santa Catalina. In 1938 Cornero The Evening Outlook. “That is ships, and the Rex was shut
bought it and had it gu�ed, the sucker who is looking for down. Later, it burned and its
remodeled and transformed into a sucker. A squirrel, now, is hull was washed ashore where
a floating casino. The Rex opened different. He is looking only for it broke up on Santa Monica
fun, entertainment. And that’s Beach. There are no memorials
on May 5, 1938.
for the Rex.
Though gambling was illegal what I give them.”
All Aboard the
S.S. Rex, Santa
Monica’s
Floating
Casino
Friday Night Fiesta
By Nicola Persky
Despite
the
seemingly
endless
Special Report Editor opportunities Los Angeles provides, I o�en
find myself se�ling into the same boring
weekend routines. However, I found a cure
for routine Friday nights: Brazilian Samba
dancing at Café Danssa.
Located at 11533 W. Pico Blvd., the club
is dimly lit and infectiously shabby. A live
band plays into the wee hours of the morning.
Samba is a Brazilian ballroom dance of
African origin, but fear not Samba novices;
I arrived with some friends at about 10p.m.,
to find a long-haired Brazilian man giving
free Samba lessons. We all stood in a line and
bobbed along to the Samba beats as the man
swayed and danced, teaching us a routine. He
didn’t talk at all. He grooved and we grooved
along.
The steps got harder and faster, the Brazilian
man sweated more and Los Angelinos trickled
in, until by the end of the lesson, about 50 people
were dancing. And what people there were!
People of all shapes and sizes, colors and genders
danced Samba. The teacher floated away, the
lights went
discoandthe
free-dance,
which lasts
until three in
themorning,
began.
C a l l
Café Danssa
at
310478-7866
for
more
information.
Listening to
Winesburg
By Erin Schneider, Staff Writer
and Eliza Smith, Feature Editor
W
inesburg claims that
the biggest influences on their music
are their mothers, Norm’s Diner
and the original Star Wars trilogy.
Self-described as “progressive
twee in the vein of Mates of State,
with hints of Belle and Sebastian’s
deeply ingrained pop instincts,”
the band seamlessly incorporates
whimsical keyboard lines, cheerful
guitar riffs and the occasional whir
of a flex-a-tone. Composed of lead
singer/keyboardist Ana Naval,
guitarist Mariel Villareal,
bassist Jeff Mahachai
and drummer Luke
Silas, Winesburg has a
refreshing, upli�ing
sound that stands
apart from the typical
high school poppunk noise.
Hailing
from
both Venice and
Hamilton high schools,
the band members
fluctuated within various
other groups before becoming
Winesburg. Silas and Mahachai
met when they joined Samo alums
Blond... James Blond
He’s got it all. Good looks, a great car, and a license
to kill. And as of last October, James Bond will have
blond hair and a large following of angry fans.
By Sophia Young
Staff Writer
British film star Daniel Craig
was recently named successor
to the Bond legacy. His credits
include such works as the
Oscar-nominated Road
to Perdition and Layer
Cake. Yet Bond fans are
expressing doubts about
the latest choice for the
world’s favorite secret
agent. In response to the
official announcement
in October that Craig
would be taking over the
role of Pierce Brosnan,
a group of upset Bond
fans created the website
craignotbond.com.
“How can a short,
blond
actor
with
the rough face of a
professional boxer and
a penchant for playing
villains, killers, cranks
and cads pull of the role
of a tall, dark, handsome
and suave secret agent?”
ask the authors of
craignotbond.com. Their
answer is quite simple:
he can’t.
As harsh as their
criticism may seem, the
disgruntled Bond fans don’t
fail to explain their reasoning
for Craig’s inadequacy as
the new James Bond. Craig’s
appearance is compared to that
of Bill Murray, Charlie Brown,
a lemur, a neanderthal, two of
the Marx brothers and Kramer
Robert Cepeda and Reid Goldin’s
band Yes Means No of local fame;
Naval, Silas and Villareal played
together in The Intervals; Mahachai
was a proud member of the Kape
Crusaders. A�er a friend’s birthday
event at Cha-Cha Chicken, the
band came together and, as Naval
says, “started moving forward
musically.”
Winesburg has a plethora of
musical influences, including At
The Drive-In, Radiohead, Pixies
and Broken Social Scene. Naval has
been playing keys since she was
four, and her lighthearted, bouncy
melodies propel the band’s unique
sound. However,
Photo by Erin Schneider
from “Seinfeld.” “His blunt
features are more suggestive
of a pugilistic victim of Rocky
Balboa than of [a] suave secret
agent,” claims the website.
The website’s creators
are not entirely alone in their
sentiments. The public’s
opinion of Craig is not as
high as it could be either.
Onesurveyadministered
by MSNBC revealed that
43 percent of the public
were “aghast – he’s
blond!,” while Maxim
found an eight percent
approval rating of the
new Bond. In an article
published by the London
Daily Mirror titled “The
Name’s Bland . . . James
Bland,” writer Fiona
Cummins claimed the
newly chosen star shows
“none of 007’s charm
and charisma.”
Fortunately
for
Craig, not everyone is
so pessimistic. “At first
I was skeptical, but
a�er seeing Layer Cake, I
think he’ll make a great
James Bond,” admi�ed
History teacher and
aquatics coach Ma�hew
Flanders. Geoff Tipper,
Math
teacher,
said
“[Bond has] always been the
mysterious dark-haired guy . . .
Maybe they need to take things
in a new direction.”
Hopefully, with continued
support, Bond will be able to
once again fight off the bad
guy.
Winesburg isn’t all fun and games.
Named a�er Sherwood Anderson’s
classic novel, their lyrics reflect the
trials and conflicts of the characters
in Winesburg, Ohio. Said Naval, “The
book is about people whose lives
are intertwined. The characters are
trying to make connections with one
another; they all think too much.”
Winesburg has plans to record
soon and will be playing at The
Tribal Café on March 17 (1651
Temple St.) March 24 at Inside
Out (2210 Lincoln Blvd). They can
be found at myspace.com/winesburg
or at Norm’s Diner (1601 Lincoln
Blvd.)on the weekends.
For My Lil’ Homie
By David Nunez
I close my eyes
“When a soul passes
on to the long life it inspires
other souls to reflect on their own
lives. The young people are reflecting
on what happened to Eddie Lopez, and
they want peace.”
-Oscar de la Torre, Director of the Pico
Youth and Family Center and Board
Member
““It’s really sad
that it took someone’s life, especially
someone as good
as Eddie, to finally
unite
everyone.”
And wish everything away
Still can’t believe
I won’t be seeing you everyday
So used 2 spotting you on the block
Getting ready 2 ball
You was headed Big Time
Never 2 juvi hall
Competitive on the field
You had love 4 the game
Now your soul’s gone
And things will never be the same
I’ll miss seeing you push your Grandma around
on that wheelchair
Its a trip passing Edison
and not spotting you there
Growing up we shared the same glove
Opposite teams
But we had that left love
I’ll miss you little homie
But you’re in a better place
And I’ll never forget
That smile on your face
‘Cuz you were always
joking around
The smartest class clown
And when it came 2 grades
You had them As and Bs down
A bright future ahead
that was cut short
And your ticket 2 success
was always playing sports
You touched a lot of lives
Before your time was up
So instead of looking down
For you we look up
We ain’t saying bye
Cuz 4 sure we’ll C U Later
Until we meet again
‘Cuz heaven is this world’s neighbor
Rest in Peace, Homie!
-Carolina Paladez,
sophomore
R.I.P. EDDIE LOPEZ
By Maricela Reyes
You’re always on our mind
everyday and every night
We miss you and things just
ain’t right.
It’s hard to believe that was
back in the past,
Back in the days when
everything was fine.
We never thought’d we’d go
through anything like this.
Now we Sit back and pray and
reminisce.
Every night we pray and think
about you,
It’s hard to accept that you had
to go.
Rest In Peace in the heavens up
above.
Those you left behind got
nothing but love.
That’s how it is, you’re being
missed.
Now all we have are those
memories,
We used to share in the days
when
You were here with us.
I know we’ll see each other
‘Cuz we’ll be there some day.
Rest In Peace EDDIE,
For you we all PRAY!!!!
Eddie Lopez, a Samo sophomore, was fatally shot on Feb. 28, 2006. Born on June
3rd, 1990, Eddie was in the Santa Monica School district his entire life, attending Edison
Elementary, Grant Elementary, John Adams Middle School, and finally, Santa Monica
High School. Eddie was a well-loved and talented young man, who had been involved in
athletics nearly his entire life. As his cousin, Rafael Lopez, says, “He pretty much got good at
any thing he tried.” This included skateboarding, football and baseball. Eddie was heavily
involved in Samo Athletics as an active and valuable player on the baseball and football
teams. But Eddie was best known for his friendly nature and his sense of humor. Eddie
possessed the ability to make anybody laugh at his frequent jokes, and at home was a
caring son, grandson and brother who would always take the time to help his wheelchairbound grandma. Though Eddie Lopez is gone, his vitality, humor and positivity will never
be forgotten. He is survived by his mother Arminda, grandmother, brother Danny and
sister Faviola.
“It could have been
anybody, but it
had to be the guy
everybody loved.”
Donations may be made to: Eddie Lopez Fund--C/o First Federal Bank--1630 Montana Ave--Santa Monica, CA 90403--Acct #: 6022042188
-Justin Agullero,
sophomore
CAMPUS LIFE
Silence Isn’t Golden
Any Longer
By Zoe Young
Staff Writer
Two of Samo’s top choirs: Madrigals and Chorale took stage at the
Golden State South Choral Competition, a five hour choral ba�le
held in the First Congressional
Church Riverside on March 7.
The acoustics were perfect and
both choirs performed well.
Samo’s Madrigals and Chorale
have been competing in the
Golden State Choir Conference
for years, but this was their first
year under the leadership of new
choral director, Jeffe Huls.
The Golden State competition
consists of two categories, large
mixed choir (Chorale), and small
mixed choir (Madrigals). Before
any choirs are heard in person,
scores of ensembles submit tapes
of their performances. Many try,
and few are chosen, but both
Samo choirs that applied were accepted. With the field narrowed
to ten small ensembles and eight
large, the stage was set for intense
competition.
Every choir in a given category
was required to perform one
song selected by the winners
of last year’s competition. For
small choirs, last years winners,
Upland High School, couldn’t
have picked worse. “Wei Wallah Wooya,” by Sid Rabinovitch,
“doesn’t deserve the title of
song,” said Madrigal senior,
Taylor Brinkerhoff. “It’s badly
tabulated but at least you can
groove to it,” said Madrigal junior, Hannah Getz, trying to be
optimistic. The piece is not written in a known language but is
instead a compilation of random
tribal-sounding syllables.
At the competition, the defining factor of the “Wei Wallah
Wooya” performances was intensity. How much could they
make the song pop? Some tried
choreography, stamping and
clapping, but the proof was in
the sound of the harmony and
Samo’s sound was exquisite in
that hall. The other two songs in
the Madrigal repertoire were “Des
Tages Weihe”, by Franz Shubert
and “Sing Joyfully” by William
Byrd. Huls called the Madrigal
performance “the best they’ve
sung so far.” His praise was not
unjustified because the Madrigals
won third place in their division,
bringing home a beautiful black
and gold faux marble plaque.
Chorale’s required piece in the
large choir division was “This
Marriage” by Eric Whitacre.
Whitacre is scheduled to host
this year’s Stairway of the Stars,
tonight and tomorrow night at
the Civic Center. The general
opinion of “This Marriage” was
much higher than that of “Wei
Wallah Wooya.” “This Marriage”
is wri�en in English and though
Chorale did not place in the top five
large choirs, they performed “This
Marriage” with beautiful phrasing
and dynamics, conveying the soul
of the piece. Their second song
“Lass dich nur Nichts nicth dauren
Op.30” by Johannas Brahms continued the emotional tone of their
set. “Sensemaya,” the final piece,
by Sid Rabinovitch, heightened the
mood with excitement and almost
a sense of danger in this Spanish
chant for killing a snake.
The day had most of the expected
choir quirks, from the hidden soloist that the audience can’t find to
atrocious sparkly show dresses
re-incarnated from an 80s prom.
But the major highlight was the
winning large division choir, San
Marino High School Singers. They
took a risk that few choirs are willing to a�empt: “choralography.”
They performed “War Song” by
Shin-Ichiro Ikebe with martial art
choreography and a Tyco drum.
Out of all of the choirs a�ending
they were not only the most polished, but the most entertaining.
Samo will have to work hard to
beat their performance next year.
Page 6
“The environment we are living in- violence and hate... causes
people to stick to stereotypes and racism.”
-Oscar Valdez, sophomore
“Too many kids hate other kids for doing something, not
realizing they’re a part of the problem as well.”
ol
o
h
c
-Greg Alonge, Freshman
s
at the
h
t
e
v
elie
s to
75% b ment need
“The school seems divided by race, but what most people fail
n
ant.
o
envir more toler
to see are the friendships between people.”
e
becom
-Tony Sotoj, senior
“It’s hard to feel safe when I see six
different cops... Man, so many police, so
li�le to do.”
-Mason Sheridan, junior
45% did
n
the _ i ’t recieve
s my v
alue form
homero in their
om.
What’s Your Value?
The Samohi surveyed 195 students of different
grades on the effectiveness of the campaign.
‘Teachers should stop trying to be such good friends with the
students and begin actually punishing them.”
-Lara Holly, senior
“We as students are responsible for
our own actions, not the police to
take order and to be in charge.”
- Ryan Barber, Freshman
13% think it’s a bad
idea that won’t help
the school
52% think it’s a good
idea, but it won’t help
the school
33% think it’s a great
idea that might help
the school
2.5% think it’s a great
idea that will definelty
help the school
There isn’t enough love on this campus, damn it!”
-Steven Raudry, Senior
“To unite all the students at Samo you would
probably have to unite everyone in the nation...
and we all know that... is a fool’s dream.”
-Ryan Barber, freshman
hat’s
at the “W ot
th
e
v
e
li
e
can n
74% b
“The less we know about eachother the more we hate.”
ampaign
r Value” C us
u
o
Y
-Lauren Schein, Sophomore
e camp
change th
ent.
environm
“If our teachers truly want us to act like responsible adults, they
should treat us as if we have reasonable intelligence.”
-Erin Perkins, senior
Compiled by Nora Casey, Staff Writer
and Alice Ollstein, Opinion Editor
Teachers’ Projects Promote Peace
By Alice Ollstein
Opinion Editor
In response to recent events on
campus, English teacher Joshua
Arnold and History teacher Daniel
Braunfeld began projects aimed
at improving the social climate
of Samo.
Arnold began that process
by challenging his two freshman
seminar classes with a project
called “Social Justice Santa Monica,” in which every student must
plan a social justice project for the
campus or the community. “The
projects can be lo�y or simple,
but they have to be possible,” said
Arnold. The students must design
promotional flyers, plan logistics,
including a budget, and illustrate
the hypothetical “befores and
a�ers” of their project. Arnold
designed this assignment in order
to help students go beyond social
boundries: “There are so many
social boundaries, and they’re blatant and obvious, not hidden like
they used to be. I would like the
boundaries to be lines, not walls,
because lines can be crossed…
it’ll set the stage for them to think
about these issues through all of
high school.”
The ideas have been pouring
in. One student designed a program where ethnic food would
be served at lunch at rotating
locations. Another, who has a
sibling with a learning disability, suggested a “reverse Circle
of Friends”—where the special
needs students each pick a regular education student to be their
friend.
Braunfeld has a different
opinion and feels that strength
lies in unity. “I want to start combining these ideas,” he said. “I
want to create a centered, unified
response.” The idea at the forefront seems to be Mix It Up Day,
a national program designed by
the organization Teaching Tolerance in which students must eat
in diverse groups during lunch
and discuss issues of intolerance.
Braunfeld explained why Mix It
Up day would work for Samo: “I
know it won’t solve the campus’
problems, but it can pull back the
curtain and make people more
aware of them. It would be 100
percent voluntary.” Arnold, is
skeptical about the success of such
a project: “Mix It Up day is like
communism. It’s a good idea, but
no one will go along with it.”
What’s Up Samo?
March 16- 24- AP Registration, T211, $82 per test
March 16-17- Stairway to the Stars, Civic Center, 7:30
March 23- Annie opens, Barnum Hall 7 pm
March 28- Open House
March 30- May 4- Faculty Art Show
April 1- Freshman Orientation
April 4- Spring Band Concert, Barnum Hall, 7 pm
April 5- Spring Orchestra Concert, Barnum Hall, 7 pm
Braunfeld also headed off the
What’s Your Value campaign. “We
received over 1,000 responses to
the slips of paper asking students
to write what they value more
than hate,” said Braunfeld. “The
most popular responses—in
order—were love, friends, family, respect, peace, music and
education.” Some Houses might
post their favorite answers in
the Samo hallways, and Leadership plans on turning the most
popular of these responses into
bu�ons, which they will hand
free of charge. To receive one, one
must only sign a “social contract”
promising to play a positive role
in the larger community. At Open
House, Leadership plans to sell
coffee mugs, t-shirts and other
What’s Your Value merchandise
to parents. Though the response
to the campaign has been so far
positive, but Braunfeld admits,
“A noticeable amount of students
didn’t take the campaign seriously. Some put answers like ‘pizza
is my value’ or ‘sex is my value.’
But this doesn’t faze me. It was
just a bunch of uncreative people
thinking they’re original.”
Braunfeld feels that the school
and community might not have
the patience for such a long-term
project: “People are looking for a
quick fix to the problems on campus. They’re looking for a magic
pill that will cure intolerance.” He
recognizes, however, that people
are becoming less resistant: “
People who used to say, ‘Racism
doesn’t affect me. Gangs don’t affect me. I’m not part of it, so why
should I care?’ realize, because of
Eddie, that it affects everybody.
Eddie was a victim of something
he didn’t sign up for.”
Sports— Page 7 The Samohi March 16, 2006
Softball Splits Double-Header Samo’s Baseball Program Mourns the Loss of
Last Week After Winning Opener Beloved Teammate and Friend Eddie Lopez
By Charlie Paris
Staff Writer
Samo’s so�ball team was able
to salvage a split in last Thursday’s double-header against Torrance, winning the second game
1-0 against the Tartars. Torrance,
which is ranked fi�h in CIF Division IV, won the first game 2-1.
Starting pitcher sophomore Alyson Herman earned the loss, but
pitched well, giving up two runs
on just two hits and striking out
four. However, shaky defense
by Samo combined with timely
hi�ing on Torrance’s part helped
the Tartars score both their runs.
Trailing 2-0 going into the sixth
inning, the Lady Vikings cut the
lead in half when senior Christine Foley, an All-CIF catcher,
singled and then scored on an
RBI single by Herman. The Lady
Vikings were unable to make up
the remaining deficit.
In the second game, junior
Hannah Rose Peters pitched a
complete game shutout to earn
her second victory of the season.
Peters struck out five and walked
one while holding Torrance batters to a mere two hits. With the
help of solid defense and smart
play, the Lady Vikings hung on
to win in a nail-biter. The lone
Viking run came in the first
inning when Foley scored on
Peters’ RBI single. Samo out-hit
Torrance nine hits to four on the
day, but defense proved to be the
key as each team took home one
win apiece.
Peters also pitched in the
season opener against Oxnard
on March 7, in which the Lady
Vikings won 5-2. The Lady
Vikings came out strong, with
senior Lana Bowie leading off
the game with a single, and
then later scoring on Peters’ RBI
single. Samo added two more
runs on Bowie’s two-RBI single in
the fourth, scoring seniors Nikki
Hoffman and Sarina Fazio. The
game featured a bizarre scoring
play, which helped the Lady
Vikings put the game away. An
errant throw by a Torrance player
hit Samo sophomore Natasha
Warshaw in the helmet while
she was heading back to second
base. The ball ricocheted down
the right field line, allowing for
two runs to score late in the ball
game.
Head coach Debbie Skaggs
is optimistic about the Lady Vikings (2-1) this season. Despite
having a relatively young team,
she expects leadership and run
production to come from her four
returning seniors: Foley, Bowie,
Hoffman and Fazio.
The Lady Vikings beat Lynwood on Tuesday, 6-2, and faced
Redondo at home yesterday
(scores were unavailable at press
time). Samo will then take on
Oaks Christian today on the
road and New Roads tomorrow
at home.
By Emily Foshag
communication plays in dealing
with such a tragedy, saying, “I
make sure that we’re talking about
it a lot, anytime we’re together
I’ll always ask if anyone needs to
talk either with the group or as an
individual.
“It’s important that everyone
knows that we are all here for each
other,” said Dearn. Thus far, he has
seen an impressive sense of togeth-
memorative jersey complete with
Lopez’s number 23. Members of
the Frosh-Soph baseball team have
the initials “E.L.” stitched onto the
When the first pitch was
side of their baseball caps in bright
thrown in the Frosh-Soph baseball
gold le�ering. Many members of
team’s game against St. Monica’s
the baseball program a�ended
yesterday a�ernoon, just eight
Lopez’s funeral this past Saturday
Samo players stood on the field;
and the March for Peace held the
right field was vacant in honor
day before in Lopez’s honor.
of former starting right fielder,
The baseball season has now
sophomore Eddie Lopez. While
taken on a new meanLopez will no longer be
able to play baseball, he
ing for many of Lopez’s
will be as present as ever
teammates and friends
in the hearts and minds
throughout the baseof his former teammates
ball program, who,
and coaches.
according to Gerena,
“Eddie was a big part
have decided to play
of why most of us played
every game in Lopez’s
baseball,” said sophomemory. It was Lopez’s
mother, said Gerena,
more Daniel Gerena, a
who helped him realteammate of Lopez’s last
season. “It was hard for
Members of the baseball and football programs ize that Lopez would
most of us to dress and
not want them to miss
get out there and play stand in attention during the memorial service
a single practice or
held at Samo on March 2 as Frosh-Soph head
a�er the tragedy.”
game on his account.
“Everybody was sad coach Tim Dearn speaks of Eddie Lopez and the “Instead, she told me
and depressed,” added impact he had on those around him. Lopez was to play every game
sophomore Max Monto win because that’s
also a member of the football team.
something that Eddie
bouquette, who had
would do.
played baseball with LoPhoto by Ashley Osberg
“He strived to win
pez since third grade.
In the memorial service held in erness among his team: “Anytime every game,” said Gerena, “The
Samo’s Greek Theater on March someone has a hard time talking least we can do is return the favor
2, members of the Samo baseball about [Eddie and his death], there and try to win for him.”
As the season continues, the
program were among the people are five, six, seven people standing
impact Lopez had on his teammost visibly upset, yet their prac- behind them, there for them.”
In addition to honoring Lopez mates and the baseball program as
tice gear served as a reminder that
even without Lopez, baseball will by leaving right field vacant in a whole will not be forgo�en.
the team’s first home game, the
go on.
“He’s going to be with us
Frosh-Soph head coach Tim baseball program presented the through everything,” said GerDearn understands the importance Lopez family with a special com- ena.
Sports Editor
S w i m m i n g S t r u g gles in First Two M e e t s
By Saba Boradeh-Hamedy Staff Writer
and Emily Foshag Sports Editor
Junior Hannah Rose Peters connects with a pitch
against Torrance on March 9.
Photo by Max Jordan
Records (as of March 14)
Varsity
Baseball
Overall: 2-2
Track
Boys Overall: 1-0
Swimming
Boys Overall: 0-1
Boys Tennis
Overall: 2-1
Boys Golf
Overall: 1-1
So�ball
Overall: 2-1
Boys Volleyball
Overall: 7-2
Girls: 0-1
Girls : 0-1
Junior Varsity
Baseball
Overall: 2-1
Boys Tennis
Overall: 0-2
Boys Golf
Overall: 2-1
So�ball
Overall: 1-4
Boys Volleyball
Overall: unavailable
Freshman/Sophomore
Baseball
Overall: 0-3
Track
Boys Overall: 0-1 Girls: 1-0
Swimming
Boys Overall: 0-1
Girls : 0-1
Boys Volleyball
Overall: unavailable
This spring, there’s not just
splishing and splashing going on
in Drake Pool.
The swim season opened
March 6 with the Beverly Hills
Relay meet. Facing swimmers
from Torrance, Marymount, Palos
Verdes and host Beverly, Samo’s
boys lost nearly every relay. On
March 9, the girls and boys teams
traveled to Palos Verdes for their
first meet with individual events.
Both teams were beaten badly;
coach Ma�hew Flanders called
the meet “a good wake up call
for us.”
The boys team is led by secondyear captains, seniors Kristof Igloi
and Bobby Alexis. Both competed
in CIF last year and look forward
to another strong showing.
Seniors Allison Born and Molly Fishman lead the girls squad.
“I think our team can go really
far this season,” said Born. Junior
Katrina Dargel, one of the team’s
top swimmers, is also expected to
perform well this season.
This week, both teams have
been busy competing in the
Beverly Hills Invitational, a
multi-school meet that features
some of the best swimmers in the
area, according to Flanders. The
finals of this meet will take place
tomorrow. Several Vikings look
to post CIF-qualifying times at
the invitational.
Despite the rough start, Flanders has high hopes for both the
boys and girls teams: “We’re
working really hard to build a
competive swim team here at
Samo,” said Flanders. Hopefully,
that hard work will pay off.
Key Members Return Upcoming Athletic Events
Boys Volleyball vs. Beverly Hills Boys Tennis vs. Culver City
March 16
Wednesday, March 22
to Lead Boys Golf Team Today,
3:15 p.m. in the North Gym
2:30 p.m. on the Tennis Courts
By Samantha Walters
Staff Photographer
After last year’s disappointing fourteenth place finish at
CIF, the expectations of Samo’s
boys golf team have been raised
due to the high percentage of
returning players. Leading off
this young team is senior Alex
Bon, who made it to State in
the individual competition
last year.
Despite the strong returning
players, head coach Norm Lacy
understands the tough competition on the horizon. “We need
to break 200 to have a chance
of beating Beverly Hills and
Torrance,” said Lacy.
In the team’s first match of
the season against Chadwick
at the Brentwood golf course,
which is Samo’s home course,
the outcome wasn’t what they
hoped for. In order to score the
match, each team totals the top
five scores, and the team with
the lowest total wins. Because
Bon, Samo’s strongest golfer,
did not attend the match due
to a conflict with a volleyball
game, the team was forced to
use an unusually high score of
48 instead of Bon’s normal 36.
According to senior Ian
Keighley, the key to reaching
their goals as a team is not neccessarily about practice: “We
need to come together more has
a team and we need to support
each other, and that is when the
scores will get lower.” Hopefully, the boys will do this, and
we will see Samo once again at
the top.
In the coming weeks, the
boys have scheduled matches
against golf powerhouses Torrance and Beverly Hills.
Track vs. Beverly Hills
Today, March 16
2:45 on the Track
Boys Volleyball vs. Torrance
Thursday, March 23
3:15 in the North Gym
So�ball vs. New Roads
Tomorrow, March 17
3:15 p.m. on the So�ball Field
Boys Tennis vs. Beverly Hills
Thursday, March 23
2:30 on the Tennis Courts
Baseball vs. Banning
Saturday, March 18
11:00 a.m. on the Baseball Field
Swimming vs. North Torrance
Saturday, March 25
3:00 p.m. at the Drake Pool
FS Baseball vs. Crossroads
Saturday, March 18
3:00 p.m. on the Baseball Field
Baseball vs. Hawthorne
Tuesday, March 28
3:15 on the Baseball Field
Boys Baseball vs. Golden Valley
Wednesday, March 22
3:15 p.m. on the Baseball Field
Boys Volleyball vs. Culver City
Tuesday, March 28
3:15 in the North Gym
Page 8
SPORTS
Meet Junior Olympian Ryan
By Marissa Silverman
Managing Editor
Suspend reality for just one
moment, and picture this: a
sparkling stadium, thousands
of people screaming, cheering,
staring right at you as you stand
practically naked, in a speedo,
atop a 33-foot platform, waiting
for your moment to complete a
life-threatening combination of
complex somersaults, flips, and
twists, right before hi�ing the
water in the perfect form, so as
to avoid fatal injury to the neck
and spine. Can’t imagine it? Just
ask a diver.
At 5’6”, 150 lbs., Samo junior
Ryan King could easily be mistaken for a member of any of the
school’s athletic teams, but this
student-athlete has mastered a
sport which goes far beyond the
dangers of the soccer field or the
frightening odors of the wrestling
room. King is a self-proclaimed
“wild child, a crazy guy.” He is
an aquatic diver.
After a devastating gym-
nastics injury le� him unable to
practice or compete in the sport
he loved, “There was this big hole
in my life and I didn’t know what
to do with myself,” said King. His
parents had an idea: “They took
me to SMC one day and I fooled
around a bit on the diving boards,
and picked it up really fast. I met
another guy at the pool, Tom, and
he suggested that I go with him to a
center in Pasadena, and meet with
some of the diving instructors. I
signed up for a diving program
that day, and within a month, I
was on the team.”
King swims at the Rose Bowl
Aquatic Center in Pasadena for the
Rose Bowl Aquatic Diving Team,
and as soon as all the paperwork is
filled out he will make up Samo’s
one-man aquatic diving team,
coached by none another than his
mom.
King’s conversion from gymnastics to diving has been remarkably fast and successful. A�er
just six months of training, he is
a Junior Olympian, and quickly
working his way up the com-
petitive line. “Being 16, I’m one
of the younger kids on my team,
and technically speaking, I’m not
the best diver. But the coaches
know if I work at it, I’ll get there.
I spend almost all of my time at
the pool.”
And what keeps him driving
nearly two hours a day just to get
to practice? “It’s scary as hell, exhilarating to the fullest- that’s why
I love it. I love being scared out of
my mind, that’s why I do it,” said
King, “I do all the crazy stuff.”
“It’s also the personal competition
that makes it so scary and amazing. When I’m up 33 feet, I know
I’m the only person who can get
myself back down. You’ve got to
have trust in yourself more than
anything.”
As crazy as King may claim to
be, it is his diligence and drive that
has led him to such a successful athletic career thus far, and continues
to allow him to develop into the
even greater diver he hopes to become: “I plan on diving in college.
Olympics, hopefully...hopefully.
But for now, hacuna matata.”
Boys Tennis Falls to Mira Costa
By Zahir Alibhai
Copy Editor
This year, the Samo boys tennis team got off to a good start
against opponent Mira Costa on
March 9, but ended the match
in defeat.
In the midst of the second
round, a powerful wind coming
from the north forced the players to make several adjustments.
Senior team captain Hermes
Taylor commented, “The wind
affected our lobs the wrong
way.” Following the match,
singles player junior Michael
Bromberg said, “We put our
heart into this match,” but it was
Mira Costa that stepped up and
won the final tie-breaker set.
Junior Anthony Lai feels
that the team has the potential
to have a successful season,
Junior Michael Bromberg.
Photo by Samantha Walters
Volleyball 2nd In Redondo
Pre-Season Tournament
By Lincoln Boehm
Sports Editor
This year, I think it’s safe to
say that the boys volleyball team
has higher expectations going
into their season than any other
team has this year. Why is this?
Perhaps it has something to do
with the fact that they have four
starting seniors returning from
last season’s CIF semi-finalist
squad. So far, the boys have not
disappointed, earning a second
place finish in the prestigious
Redondo tournament.
The Vikings entered this tournament ranked 21st, but muscled
through a large field of competition to finish second overall. Senior captain Fred McLafferty and
junior Ari Feldman were named
to the all tournament team.
Senior captain Michael
Campbell commented: “Our team
is mostly a lot of seniors who have
been playing together for a while,
we know each other very well
and hopefully that expierience
will help us win a lot of games
come CIF.”
The day a�er the Redondo
tournament ended, the fatigued
team travelled to Peninsula High
School to face the Panthers who
they had just beaten in the tournament. “We were really tired
heading into that game,” said
McLafferty. The Vikings lost to
Peninsula in three games.
On Thu., March 9, the Vikings
went up against University High,
who they handily defeated 25-12,
25-11, and 25-9.
“This is the best team I’ve
been on at Samo,” said McLafferty.
“We have lots of offensive power
and two huge middle blockers
in Alex Bon and Ari Feldman, so
hopefully with those guys in the
middle I can spread out the offense, get things going and hopefully win a CIF championship.”
This is an experienced team
that has great players and great
coaches, which make the possibilities seem endless. Yesterday, the
Vikings played Beverly Hills in
their home opener (results unavailable at time of printing).
and Bromberg added that the
primary challenge this year will
be Beverly Hills, since Samo
moved into a weaker division
before the season started. Samo
will play Beverly Hills twice in
the upcoming weeks; the first
meeting will occur next Thu.,
March 23.
Of the team’s performances
thus far, Taylor said, “The singles players are looking good,
consistently scoring a majority
of the games, but doubles need
some work”
As of March 14, the boys held
a record of 1-2, with matches
against Inglewood and Culver
City scheduled for the upcoming week.
The team will travel to El
Segundo this afternoon.
Track Team to Face League
Rival Beverly Hills Today
Sophomore Arthur Four runs the 1600 m. race (left) and senior
Madeleine Moore competes in shotput (right) against Torrance
on Thu. March 9.
By Jackie Berkman
Staff Writer
On March 4, the track season
began with a “friendly,” nonscored meet against the prominant
track teams of Mira Costa and
Palos Verdes. “We have a long
season ahead of us and right now
we’re where we are supposed to
be,” said boys Distance Coach
Alfredo Korzenik, who is filling
in for Tania Fischer temporarily
while she is on maternity leave.
Several runners performed with
impressive times, including sophmore Daman Coffman and junior
Julio Alba, who crossed the finish
line with times of 4:49 and 4:52
respectively for the 1600 Varsity
race. Sophomore Simon Einstein
ran the Frosh-Soph race in a time
of 4:59, which was good for first
place.
In additon, the boys 4 X 100 relay came in first place with the staggeringly fast time of 44.9 seconds.
The girls were impressive as well,
as sophomore Daisy Feder earned
first place in High Jump and junior
Damecia Middleton won first place
in the Discus Throw. “We tried our
Photos by Samantha Walters
hardest and did good for our first
race. As we train harder we will
get stronger and faster,” Alba said
confidently following the meet.
The March 9 meet was held at the
Samo track against Torrance, and
brought victories for both the
Varsity Boys and Frosh-Soph Girls
Teams. Some highlights included
senior Jason Thompson crossing
the finish line in first for the 800
meter race with a time of 2:06 and
sophomore EJ Woods completing
the Varsity Boys 100 meter dash in
11.4 seconds.
It is evident so far that the track
season has started off on the right
foot, and with continuous training,
persistence and dedication, Samo’s
track team has a chance for Ocean
League Victory.
Beverly Hills comes to Samo
this a�ernoon for what will be
a tough match-up fueled on by
the heated rivalry between the
two schools that has developed
over the past few years. Because
both Beverly Hills and Samo are
the teams to beat in the Ocean
League, the winner of this meet
is virtually walking away with the
league title.
Samo Baseball Starts Season 2-2, Looks
to Be More Consistent in the Future
By Emily Foshag
Sports Editor
For those of us who can’t
stand school, spring is about
the two weeks of heaven we
call spring break. But, for members of the Samo boys baseball
team, springtime is all about
baseball.
The Vikings opened the
season on the road against
Malibu on March 4 in their
first Southern California Invitational/Royal Tournament
game and came away with a 3-1
victory. Senior Kevin Gonzalez
led Samo with a double and
an RBI and junior pitcher Joe
McGrew earned the win.
Against the Cleveland
Cavaliers on March 8, the boys
were not as successful. After being shut out 8-0 going into the
bottom of the seventh, senior
Milan De Pillars gave Samo its
only run on a shot to left field
that easily cleared the fence.
De Pillars’ home run was only
the third hit of the game for
the Vikings. Despite the lack
of offensive production, junior
co-captain Michael Schwartz
is confident in what he calls a
“solid hitting line-up.”
“We haven’t been hitting to
our capability, but as the season
moves on, I’m sure we will do
just fine,” said Schwartz.
Palisades got a taste of
Samo’s improved production
at the plate the following day
as the Vikings broke open a
game in the top of the sixth by
adding 5 runs in the final two
innings. McGrew earned his
second win of the season in as
many starts.
At home against Ventura
(2-3) last Saturday, however,
Samo again struggled. Ventura
had 11 hits and took advantage
of Samo’s five defensive errors
en route to a 1-12 victory. Samo’s
pitching staff held the Cougars
to just two runs in the first three
innings, but struggled mightily
after that. “We weren’t playing
as a team. Everyone was focusing on individual stats and we
didn’t come together in key
situations,” said co-captain Gonzalez following the loss.
The Vikings take on Poly
tomorrow afternoon in Sun
Valley in the opening round
game of the Redondo tournament, and they will play host to
the Banning Pilots on Saturday
morning, a team that started
the season 4-0. Looking further
ahead, the boys will begin their
defense of last year ’s undefeated league championship
on March 28 when Hawthorne
comes to Samo. Despite the high
expectations for a second consecutive league title, Schwartz
understands the importance of
taking the league schedule one
game at a time: “We can’t go in
too cocky because every team
wants to take it to us this year,”
said Schwartz.