November 21, 2006

My Turn: School Spirit?
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Playstation 3 Debut!!!
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Winter Sports Preview
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On the Internet:
www.samohi.smmusd.org/thesamohi
Circulation: 3,600
Published Biweekly
Vol. XCVI No. 5 Nov. 21, 2006
Special Education Students Bond Measure Update:
BB: Refurbishing SMMUSD
Tracking to Recycle for Extra Funding Measure
By Aaron Eslamboly
Saba Boradeh-Hamedy
Nowhere... By
Staff Writer
Copy Editor
COLUMN ONE:
Jesse Grebler-Hull
By Erin Nadel, Sports Editor
and Molly Strauss, News Editor
Juniors Josh Miller and
Ma� Goalen began shooting
a thirty to forty-five minute
documentary entitled Tracking
to Nowhere on Oct. 15, examining
racial inequalities at Samo
through the lack of diversity in
AP and honors classes.
Miller conceived of the
idea when cinematographer
and editor Goalen approached
him about directing and
producing a film of Miller’s
choice. According to Miller, “It
was an issue that I felt strongly
about, and it really pissed me
off.” The team went on to film
about three and a half hours of
footage, a “time-consuming”
process according to Goalen.
The film, still in its roughdra� stages, examines why AP
classes are 90 percent white,
while Samo as a whole is only
50 percent white. The cinematic
style is unique to Goalen, but the
team looked to documentaries
like Michael Moore’s Bowling
for Columbine for inspiration.
According to Miller, “[The
subject ma�er] is going to get
a lot of people talking.” Miller
and Goalen are hoping to
hold screenings of the finished
product in Barnum Hall and
the Humanities Center, and
possibly at the Aero Theater
on Montana Ave.
Tracking to Nowhere
includes interviews with
students, parents, teachers,
administrators, police officers,
a city official and a professor
of education at UCLA. Miller
noted the passion interviewees
felt for the topic. Some blamed
the students, some blamed
the administration, and some
blamed the parents for Samo’s
alleged lack of equality.
Miller and Golan have
been working in conjunction
with a Professor of Education
at UCLA and a Professor of Law
to offer perspectives on legal
issues. Samo sponsorer English
teacher Nathan Fulcher has also
acted as a mentor.
Parts of the documentary
spotlights two white students
and two Hispanic students with
similar gpa’s at the end of their
sophomore years. The white
students were encouraged by
Samo administration to take
AP classes junior year, while the
Hispanic students were not.
Visit trackingnowhere.com
for news regarding the film’s
status and imminent release.
(SMMUSD) and Samo are
very supportive of the Special
Education department, but
there just isn’t enough money
Samo’s Independent Study for the department’s needs.
(IS) Special Education class has The recycling program is a
created a recycling program creative way to gain money.” The
to subsidize state funding. IS program raised approximately
Special Education students $400 in 2005 and $150 so far
collect recyclable materials,
this year. With last year’s
separate them into piles
profits, the class bought
and bring them to a
a digital camera for
“ T h e re
recycling center in
class use and paid
just isn’t
exchange for small
for bus rides and
e n o u g h
sums of money.
trips.
money for the fieldEach
IS
Special
month
department’s students decide as
Education teacher
needs”
Kelly Dougherty
a class how to use
explained that students
the extra funding for.
participate voluntarily:
“They enjoy seeing the
“[The program] is not forced. money they have made together
[Students] enjoy it because they and deciding how it will be used.
feel a part of the school by keeping It’s good for them because it
things clean.”
helps them speak up, express
The recycling program was themselves and make choices as
created by teacher aid Kennia a group,” said Dougherty. “[The
Torres in October 2005. Said program] is the students’ way of
Circle of Friends Advisor Barbara learning ownership and gaining
Palilis: “The Santa Monica- certain skills that will help them
Malibu Unified School District out in the long run.”
20,914 of
31,216 Santa
Monica voters said “Yes
on BB” in the
Nov. 7 election, passing
the measure
by a margin of 67 percent.
The initial effort behind Measure BB began when hundreds of
community members participated
in the Santa Moncia-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD)
Facilities Master Plan process.
These citizens voiced a desire
for be�er campus facilities and
smaller school populations. Bond
Measure BB will provide funding
to implement these changes.
According to S-House Principal Greg Runyon, the over-crowdedness of our schools has caused
campus deterioration. Measure
BB guarantees improvement of
our aging campuses.
Over $268 million dollars
in bonds has been issued to
reestablish safety requirements
and repair damaged SMMUSD
buildings. The money will be
distributed to each school over
20 years based on a most-need-
first-serve basis; schools that need
money most for restoration will
receive it first. The measure also
includes an Oversight Committee to monitor how each school
spends its money.
Senior Nathaniel Miller said,
“I’m glad that the measure passed
because now our campus will be a
more efficient place and can be�er
serve our purposes.”
Runyon is organizing a
Samo BB Commi�ee, to be in full
effect by January of 2007, which
will identify facilities on campus
that need the most renovation.
Superintendent Dianne Talarico
and the Board of Education will
ultimately decide the top priorities
for each school site.
Thoughts for Samo include
restoring or creating a building
with a possible lot underneath
for senior parking. Higher quality
athletic facilities, labs, classrooms
and pedestrian entrances are also
on the tentative list.
Principal Hugo Pedroza is
very appreciative of those who
checked “yes” on the ballot: “I
would like to thank all the voters
who were happy with the idea of
a ‘face-li�’ for our school.”
Photo courtesy of smmpta.org
Measure Y: Softening Marijuana Laws
By Carl Nunziato
Staff Writer
Holbrook,
a
major
opponent
Santa Monica residents voted o f
the
overwhelmingly in favor of measure, was
Measure Y on Nov. 7, a bill to surprised by
By Gabrielle Hernandez
reduce the enforcement priority the margin
Staff Writer
of adult marijuana use. Santa with which it passed: “I guess it
Monicans for Sensible Marijuana comes down to personal values.
Samo administration recently adopted a new and
Policy (SMSMP) claims the bill, My value [regarding marijuana]
controversial strategy of filming students at pep rallies
supported by 65 percent of voters, is different than the majority
in an a�empt to improve crowd behavior.
will allow police to focus on of voters. I wouldn’t change
Administration decided to implement this measure
fighting violent crimes instead my values because Measure Y
a�er a teacher was hit in the head by a student during
of “wasting resources arresting passed.” Holbrook also wished
the last pep rally. “The main purpose of this strategy is
and imprisoning nonviolent to remind Santa Monicans that
to stop student behavior from escalating to a point of
marijuana offenders.” According they will still be issued citations
violence,” commented H-House principal Ruth Esseln.
to SMSMP, the city wastes over if discovered smoking in public
“We hope the video cameras will prevent unsafe student
$600 thousand each year arresting places.
behavior, not document it.” However, anybody caught
close to 300 marijuana users.
The new law softens
under the influence is subject to punishments outlined
Opponents of the measure marijuana laws for those over
in the drug and alcohol policy all students signed at the
claim that Y could protect 18 only, which does not affect
beginning of the year.
marijuana sellers and growers the majority of Samo students.
O-House Principal Jose Iniguez, M-house Principal
as well as users. Mayor Bob H- House Advisor Rena Baum
Becky Romano and Principal Hugo Pedroza worked
felt Samo would see li�le
previously at schools that used this strategy
change: “Students who used
successfully. Iniguez stressed, “The last thing we
[marijuana] before the
want is any of our students [to be] involved in
law will unfortunately
some sort of accident due to intoxication.”
By Carl Nunziato and Matt Weber
continue to use it and
Administration hopes the cameras will
Staff Writers
those who don’t will
deter dangerous student behavior, as students
hopefully continue
are less likely to engage in risky activities on
not to, regardless
• hadian government officials called for a state of emergency a�er
film. “We may show the tapes to parents,”
of the law.”
a�acks on their villages resulted in the death of hundreds, a spill-over from
commented Iniguez.
Graphic courtesy
the conflict in neighboring Darfur (Reuters).
Many students feel angered by the
of SMSMP.
new policy. “Pep rallies are supposed to
•
amas,
the
majority
party
of
the
Palestinian
National
Authority,
has
announced
be fun and carefree,” said senior Luis
that its unity government will not recognize Israel’s right to exist (Associated Press).
Romo. “Monitoring them creates a
Administration to Film
Students at Future Rallies
World News Top Five
C
H
A
weird vibe.” Junior Ilan Ben-Meir
• ccording to a United Nations (UN) agency, the UN cannot confirm whether Iran’s
added, “We might as well start
nuclear program is peaceful; the Iranian government is continuing its program despite UN’s
calling them ‘si�ing down rallies,’
threats of economic sanctions (cnn.com).
or maybe just ‘si�ing.’”
The Dec. 19 pep rally will
• outh Africa became the first African country and the fi�h worldwide to recognize gay marriage;
serve as a strategy trial before
a large number of its Parliament members voted in favor of the legalization (Air America Radio).
permanent implementation.
• uropean human rights activists are asking German prosecutors to charge Former Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld for war crimes, including the role he allegedly played in Abu Ghraib abuses (BBC).
Photos by Jesse Grebler-
S
E
Hull and Maisy Bragg
OPINION
Marines: Put Aside Judgement
By Tina Naderi
Staff Writer
Recently my friend, a Samo
senior named Brian McCoy,
delivered some shocking news:
He wants to join the Marines
next September and none of
his friends were supporting
his decision. What happened
to “friends always have other
friends’ backs”? As a society,
we are encouraged to help our
friends in times of need, but it
seems that when people’s own
values and, ultimately, their
self-interest is concerned, they
seem to turn a deaf ear on their
friend’s situation.
Friends should support
their friends’ choices, whether
they agree or not. The decent,
hardworking Americans who
are fighting in the war should
not be mistaken with the people
behind it. Just because someone
chooses to serve their country
with questionable people in
power doesn’t mean that their
characters are questionable.
These students are, in fact,
courageous and admirable for
choosing to defend our country
when most are all about talk.
McCoy is a li�le disappointed
that most of his friends aren’t
supporting his decision as much
as he thought they would. “My
friends responded negatively
to my decision. I think that it’s
because we live in Santa Monica,
which is a liberal community,
and that Santa Monica as a community isn’t very embracive of
people who want to go fight in
the war.” McCoy thought about
opting for college instead, but
said: “I choose to do this and get
help paying for college with the
scholarships that {the Marines}
have to offer.”
One advantage to joining
the Marines is that they do offer scholarships; in fact they
generously offer scholarships of
$500-$10,000 annually. Plenty of
educational opportunities are
offered to the young men and
women who choose to enlist. In
this year alone they have awarded 977 scholarship recipients
with $2.2 million (www.mcsf.com).
Not only that, but if a Marine has
a child, the child is rewarded a
$1,500 annual scholarship.
To avoid false judgements,
McCoy just wants to make sure
that people understand why
Democrats Take Over Congress
he’s chosen to do this. “This
isn’t some ‘red-neck’ thing,
this isn’t something that only
Southerners do. It’s something
that anybody who wishes to can
do. I’m just one of those people
who wants to do this. The people
that go and fight aren’t idiots,
and I think it’s really bad that
we have a stereotype that people
who do join are. I like being a
patriot, and I like the idea that
I would be helping defend this
country.” When it comes to the
war, everyone has an opinion.
But often, our opinions and
preconceieved notions prevent
us from being open minded and
supportive of others, even others
who are brave enough to try to
make a difference.
Pu�ing aside my views on
the war and politics in general,
I realize that my friend is about
to do a very scary thing, and I
choose to do the most friendly
thing I can think of: support him.
Am I scared for my friend? Yes,
I’m very scared of what could
happen to him. But it is not my
choice, and since I am his friend
I will acknowledge his choice
and respect it. Others should
do the same.
Page 2
The Worst School Reads
By Michael Bromberg
Staff Writer
Doesn’t it seem like English teachers here o�en go out of their way
to choose the worst books to read?Here’s a list of the top five worst
books read in school. (Honorable mentions go to anything by Hawthorne or Thoreau).
5. Demian by Herman Hesse: If you’re into books
with no plot, all symbolism, and some of the most
boring dialogue ever composed, then this novel is
right up your alley. A fun way to excercise active
reading: crumple up the pages and throw them at
your teacher. P.S., Hesse is probably the most overrated author ever.
4. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway: I
know everyone loves this book. I’ve figured out
why: They haven’t actually read it. Half of lines
are “Let’s go drink,” which is probably what
Hemingway did a lot of while writing it, and the
other half is random characters complaining about
problems nobody cares about.
3. Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples:
I read this book in seventh grade, but it was such a
traumatic experience that I feel it has to go on this
list. Basically, the protagonist tries to escape her tyrannical father, but is caught and beaten to a bloody
pulp. What a great message. Whoever decided this
book should be read in middle school has an incredibly bleak outlook on life.
2. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudlofo Anaya:
I must admit, this one was in the running for first,the
book is that terrible. I had no idea what was going on
through most of it,and the plot is so boring, I couldn’t
even get through the SparkNotes.
By Henry Garf
1. A Yellow Ra� in Blue Water by Michael Dorris:
Mix three generations of women who keep making
stupid mistakes and a terrible plot with hardly
any storyline, and you get this disaster.. Even
worse, it was a required school wide read, so all
four grades had to endure this painstaking reading
experience.Even the English teachers themselves
thought it was terrible.
Suspense—Suspended
By Bennett Rankin
Staff Writer
School is Giving Me Scoliosis:
A Student’s Plea Against Daily Routine
By Nick Barlow
Editor- at- Large
School is giving me scoliosis,
grey hair, and a bit of asthma.
My feet ache, I nap regularly, I
complain constantly: school is
disintegrating my youth, and it
seems I have become an old man.
Here is why:I find myself waiting
for my wife to come back from the
grocery store, only to realize that
I am 17 and cannot, nor want, to
be married. Sometimes I wake
up with a novella open on my
lap--books put me to sleep these
days. Also, I find myself using
phrases like “these days,” “when
Iwas young,” and lame words like
“groovy.” Friends of mine noted
this lack of vitality last year. I
would sit humped over my desk,
squinting at the board. “You look
old,” friends would say. I am not
old! (as I slam my fist on my podium). This is no way to live.
Last year my only escape from
fourth period math was to act
ill,and sleep ;I am disgusted by my
normal home routine. I eat and I
sleep (I go to sleep early-too early)
and I think about my homework.
Then I do my homework several
hours later. Sometimes I can’t even
do all my homework because I
spend my time thinking about it, it
looms over me like a vulture.That
covers it. Day in. Day out.
Last summer was groovy. It
had meaning. Summer was my
future, there in front of me. I could
be a doctor. I could be a neurosurgeon for all I cared.Summer,
with the less structured time and
increased opportunities to pursue
my own personal interest, allowed
me to live my life, not endure it.
Now I am back at school and it
seems like this meaning is lost.
Where did it go?
I don’t believe I am alone in
my anxiety.
I could run, but where? It seems
like a possibility, but then again,
running is so hard when you’re
chained to a desk. (Not literally,
of course).
This is in no way an a�ack on
Samo, or it’s teachers. The truth
is, I am too close to the end of
my high school years. This is my
cry for help.We all race towards
the finish line, but where are we
going?
I can only imagine how the
students with four APs feel.
Would the clever dialogue,
masterful suspense, and enthralling plots of Silence of the Lambs or
The Shining sell tickets today?
It’s a longshot. We’re far
too enamored with
watching people
gouge out their
own eyes or
dismember
strangers to
pay a�ention
to the artistry
of horror anymore.
I remember
suspense, that
concept that used
to keep us fixed to
our seats and filled with
doubt and wonder. Unfortunately, it has been replaced in
film with sadistic and indulgent
gore, selling movie tickets and
pervading theatres.
I can’t bring myself to understand why the upcoming film
Turistas, where morally debased
twenty-somethings are tortured
by crazed natives in the paradise
of Brazil, is coming out. Apparently our blood lust can’t be satis-
fied by three Saw films in as many
years, one Hostel, and another
Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Our
perception of horror has been le�
on the slaughterhouse floor. The
beauty of finding terror in the unknown has been completely
lost upon us. Unless
someone is dismembered every
15 seconds we
can’t pay attention.
Despite
the fact that
these films
lack any artistic merit,
they are undeniably scary.
However,enough
is enough. We get
the point; sadistic and
twisted people are scary. Get
over it. I got this point with the
original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The torture of watching the same
repetivive violence is far worse
than anything depicted in Saw.
Scare me in a new way. Scare
me artfully; scare me with suspense. Scare me with creeping
unease that won’t leave me. For
heavens sake though, don’t try to
scare me with Saw IV.
Some People Are All Talk
By Jackie Berkman
Opinion Editor
We’ve all been in this situation before: the bell rings, and we
shudder at the thought of going
to our next class. Not because the
class itself is so bad, but because
of that one kid who sits in front of
the room who uses the 56 minute
class period as a discussion forum
for his/her irrelevant comments
and suggestions. We always want
to say something to this kid, (lets
call him “William,” or something
equally preppy), but we never do,
because we feel that there must be
some fault with our logic. Clearly
“William” is just bright and assertive, and if we had intelligent
and insightful things to say, we
would be contributing more to
classroom discussions too, right?
Wrong. The fact of the ma�er is,
“William” talks too much and
needs to know when to put his
hand down and be quiet. If, while
reading this, you are unsure you
are “William” yourself, here a few
warning signs.
1) You sit in the very front
row of every class. Whenever the
teacher tries to move you, you
always have an excuse to stay in
front, and it has nothing to do
with vision problems.
2) A trend forms that whenever
you open your mouth to speak,
everyone else rolls their eyes.
This one speaks for itself—we’ve
heard enough.
3 ) Yo u a r e f r e q u e n t l y
labelled “precocious,” “nosy,”
“cha�erbox,” “overly curious,”
and any other word in the
thesaurus that is synonymous
with “annoying.”
It’s Time to Kick the
Nasty Sidekick Habit
By Saba Boradeh-Hamedy
Copy Editor
The Sidekick is the gadget
often found glued to the hands
of almost all teenagers these
days. I wonder, what is so special
about this bulky and overpriced
phone?
“I can’t live a day without
my Sidekick” says sophomore
Danielle Kotovets. Like
many others, Kotovets
finds herself
“addicted.”
According to
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual,
addictions
are “a pattern
of substance
use leading
to clinically
significant
impairment
or distress.”
There are two
varied forms
of an addiction, physical
dependency
and psychological addiction, both of
which apply
to the average
Sidekick user,
especially in
the long run.
Sometimes I think there should
be some sort of “Sidekick therapy” for those who can’t let go
of that item even if their lives
depended on it.
One thing that often occurs
due to excessive Sidekick use
is the gradual dissolving of an
active social life and becoming
a bitter, isolated individual. A
friend of mine recently purchased a Sidekick. Before the
purchase, she was the life of
the party, always talking with
friends and putting a smile
back on people’s faces. After
the purchase, she was the silent
one always typing away on her
keyboard and barely holding
conversations with those around
her. The online friendships that
replace reality are really just
meaningless relationships. It’s
pathetic how we as teenagers
have come to be excited by the
ring of IMs or the joy of getting
“new comments” on MySpace.
Society is breeding anti-social, alienated, lackluster and
depressed
youth driven
by consumerism. Basically
our future
generation
has turned
into zombies,
all because of
a shiny, flashing electronic
device.
We h a ve
grown so accustomed to
seeing Sidekicks on campus daily that
we barely notice the constant use of
them in class.
Sure everyone zones
out once in
a while but
Sidekicks detract from the
significance of a postive learning
environment. Bored students
rearrange their priorities, substituting their schoolwork for an
AIM conversation. First social
life, then school; but eventually, grades slip, school spirit
decreases and all you care about
is talking on your Sidekick.
I understand that Sidekicks
are cool and even if you don’t
have one, you want one. But the
Sidekick is a just a phone. It’s
not worth your time or money
especially if it leaves you with
lack of a real social life and your
grades in a wreck.
Opinion—Page 3 The Samohi November 21, 2006
4) You raise your hand too much
and it’s starting to become a
physical problem: mainly, you
have random muscle spasms in
your arm throughout the day.
Let’s face it, even your body is
telling you to knock it off.
5) Your teacher makes a long
speech about how he/she values
everyone’s opinion in the class
and the balance of a “successful
learning environment.” You
listen to what he/she says only
to contribute your next brilliant
piece of analysis.
6) When your teacher poses a
question to the class and you are
the only one to raise your hand,
your teachers eyes deliberately
dart across the room several times
in the hopes that anyone else has
something to say. Anyone but you,
in other words.
If you do fall into one of
these categories, don’t deny
it. Just accept with calm resignation, and put your hand
down.Won’t it make you feel
good to know that the rest of
us can finally doodle and zone
out in peace?
game and with your Alma Mater
a�erwards.
But it doesn’t stop there. When
class chanting begins, you have
hundreds of students yelling “F***
‘08!” or “F*** ‘07!” Let us not also
forget about the chanting that
continues during lunch, forcing
administrators and teachers on
this campus to break up groups
that are about to fight. How does
that create any kind of unity? I
have heard numerous complaints
that Samo does nothing to create
school pride. Well, even when it is
done, it is destroyed by behavior
that is insulting, immature, and
insensitive. I really wouldn’t be
suprised if Pep Rallies are taken
away one day because the behavior of the student body does more
harm than good.
So here’s the deal Samo: arriving to school drunk, doing
drugs, wearing costumes that are
offensive to minorities, picking the
wrong time to chant, vandalizing
the school with stickers, and using
foul language to show superiority
are all behaviors that make a Pep
Rally a pain to deal with for teach-
ers, staff, and administration. Not
to mention that it breeds poor
school spirit and forces those who
put effort into something cool,
like ASB, to just give up. I, frankly,
love Pep Rallies. I loved them in
high school and I love them now
that I teach high school and plan
activities on campus. Rallies are a
time for all of you to be proud of
a�ending Samo and to acknowledge the accomplishments of our
athletic teams. In addition, it is a
time to celebrate the fact that you
are a senior, junior, sophomore,
or freshman on this campus. The
real significance of a rally is your
rite of passage in high school. For
seniors, it is their time to assume
the role as school leaders. Juniors
know the deal and can hardly
wait to be a senior. Sophomores
are no longer guinea pigs and
freshmen just sit back, watch,
and figure out what high school
means. Regardless of the year
or House you happen to be in, it
is time you realize that you need
to celebrate the fact that you are
what you are: A VIKING.
I’ll see you in the Greek.
Chanting is Not the Issue
By Cathy Marsh
Activities Director and
Intensive Literacy Teacher
Samo, when will the chanting
issue ever end? Aren’t you tired
of it? Don’t you all realize that
chanting is not the issue? The
real issue is behavior.
Here are a few examples for
you to think about:
On Pep Rally days, students
have adopted the mentality that it
is okay to come to school drunk.
They fill their Aquafina bo�les
with Vodka and start drinking
at 7:30 in the morning. Some
students choose to get a pass out
of class, go to the bathroom, and
then get high. Others prefer to
not do either of those things, but
are just as ridiculous when they
chant their class year during the
“Star Spangled Banner” or “The
Hymn of Praise.”
Let me share something with
you all: even college students
who have been tail-gaiting
before a football game know
that you sing along with the
National Anthem before the big
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Staff
Zoey Baldwin, Hannah Bernstein,
Maisy Bragg, Michael Bromberg,
Sam Cotten, Aaron Eslamboly, Henry
Garf, Jessica Gerhardt, Owen Gorman,
Gabrielle Hernandez, Jacquelyn Hoffman, Jesse Grebler-Hull, Kevin Katz,
Jade Kedrick, Vincent Lai, Tina Naderi,
Carl Nunziato, Evan Perkins, Bennett Rankin, Anthony Ramirez, Leah
Robinson, Danielle Worthy, Natalie
Yadegar, Zoe Young
FEATURE
Page 4
Texas Border Patrol Goes Online Pitfalls of Santa Monica
By Danielle Worthy
Staff Writer
Live
video
feeds of the Texas
Border Patrol are
now available for
public viewing.
With increasing illegal immigration
issues, the Texas
government has
instituted Operation Rio Grande,
implementing an
innovative use for
the internet as a
means to control
the border. Any
participant will be
able to watch a 24hour per day seven days per week
live video feed of
the Texas border
and report any
instances of illegal behavior at texasborderwatch.
com. The participants, so called
“minutemen,” have eight cameras
available to them, equipped with
night-vision features and zooming
capabilities. An 800 number is provided to report suspicious activity.
This Virtual Patrol Plan will
encompass 1240 miles of the Texas/Mexico border, its main goal being to “use citizens to observe gaps
in border patrol routes commonly
Get Inspi(Red)
By Zoey Baldwin
Staff Writer
Recently, multiple companies including Motorola, American Express,
Gap, Armani, Converse, and Apple
have launched (RED)™, a campaign
that is helping to raise money for AIDS
research. Some of the featured products are red RAZR phones, red iPod
nanos, red American Express cards,
and a red line of clothing from Gap
which features shirts that say things
like, “Inspi(red).” Each of the companies is donating money from the
proceeds of these (RED)™ products
to The Global Fund, which is buying
the anti-retroviral medications necessary for the treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and is distributing them to African countries. Since
it was founded in 2002, The Global
Fund has donated $5.6 billion to
nearly 400 programs in 132 countries.
With funding and promotion
from celebrities like Bono, Chris
Rock, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Garner,
Heidi Klum and Shaun White (who
our own Michael Bromberg will be
interviewing about the cause), the
campaign hopes to attract buyers
worldwide. If a lot of people participate, it is definitely a good investment. About 50 percent of all profits
from these (RED)™ products are
donated to the Global Fund: Apple
is donating $10 dollars from the
purchase of every red nano, buyers
can go to www.converseone.com to
customize their own Chuck Taylors
and by 2007, Motorola’s (RED)™
phones will be available internationally. The products are great, and the
cause is better. The best part is that
a difference is really being made.
In May, Rwanda was the first
country to receive funding from
the (RED)™ campaign, and has received a total of about six billion
dollars since. In September, four
million was sent to Swaziland. With
the launching of the different companies’ campaigns, money will continue to be donated to The Global
Fund to help cure AIDS in Africa.
People are always looking for a way
to make the world a better place and
to help those in need. The (RED)™
campaign is an easy way to make a
difference. Visit the official (RED)™
website
at
www.joinred.com.
In Stores Now: PS3
By Anthony Ramirez
Staff Writer
With the early release of the
Xbox 360, Microsoft was well ahead
in the Console race. When Sony’s
PS3 came to stores, it was right along
side with it. Before you go out and
get this PS3, here is what it features:
Basic Core System $499.99:
The system will include a 20GB hard
drive that is built in the system, and
an USB 2.0 input. It is also equipped
with Blue Ray.Blue Ray is the next
generation of movie players, and will
eventually replace the DVD as DVD
replaced VHS. This is a great added
used as an avenue for illegal immigration,” (cnn.com). Video web
surveillance
cameras will be posted
at “hotspots” and
highway rest stops.
The plan is for 100
cameras to be in
operation
within
the coming year.
Critics of this
minuteman system
rebuke Operation
Rio Grande, saying
“This is just one of
those
half-baked
ideas that people
dream up...but have
no practicalapplications,” (msnbc.
msn.com). Texas
political
leaders
have not yet found
a solution to questions raised on the
likelihood of racial
profiling as well
as false reports. These potential problems are under scrutiny
and will be readdressed upon
the conclusion of a trial period,
where the entire operation’s success or failure will be determined.
By Nora Casey
those plates and think about how much
this revolved sushi is costing you.
Santa Monica is basically a
great place to live. However, there are
the occasional stores and restaurants
that you know just aren’t good. But
even worse are the places you expect
to be good, that should be good, but
aren’t. Here are some places where
if you go, you’re really just setting
yourself up for disappointment.
Mrs. Fields’ Cookies—Second floor
of Santa Monica Place. Mrs. Fields
always smells delicious, but ultimately the taste is a disappointment. One
or two little, normal cookies are good,
but those frosted cookie-cakes and
cupcakes (cup-cookies? I don’t know
what you call them) just don’t work.
They look so cute, but the frosting
tastes bad and you wind up feeling kind
of sick. Just go to Wetzel’s Pretzels.
Campus Life Editor
$15 orLess Store—3rd Street Promenade. The sign always gets you, but
once they lure you in, you realize- hey,
this place sucks! Unless you like tacky,
awkwardly fitting clothes, that is.
Segway Store—Ocean Ave. (by the
pier) Nobody but silly tourists ever
even think of riding a Segway. This
place only exists so you can walk
by on your way to the bus stop and
laugh. As much as I enjoy a good
laugh, that’s a sorry reason to exist.
Revolution Sushi—3rd Street
Promenade. Its just not that cool. We
all thought that a rotating sushi bar
would be awesome, but it’s better to
just watch the guys make it fresh. And
then you have fresh sushi, instead ofsushi that has been around the track for
15 minutes. Plus, you have to stare at
Carrows, El Torito, and Coco’s—
Ocean Park and Centinela. This
area is just a triumvirate of bad
taste. These mediocre chain stores
line the road past Cloverfield. They
have those menus with really overdone pictures of what the food absolutely is not, and it’s basically a bad
meal from Denny’s. What makes
it even worse is that Acapulco used
to be there, which was delicious.
But nowadays, just keep driving.
P.F. Changs—4th and Wilshire. I
enjoy the food, although I know many
people who say otherwise. Still, its really loud and dark, like a cave with bad
acoustics. Really, there’s no excuse for
that. Go eat somewhere where you can
see your food and hear your friends.
Many high school students have undergone the
fruitless book search. Your
English teacher demands that
his or her students purchase
the same title, in the same edition and with the same translator. You call every Barnes
and Noble within a 30-mile
radius—maybe even try Dutton’s in Brentwood—but fail
to find a single copy. Amazon.
com can’t ship fast enough to
meet the deadline. So what
do you do? There’s an alternative: it’s close, it’s cheap,
and it’s always an adventure.
Wilshire Books, located
in the same non-descript storefront at 3018 Wilshire Blvd.
since current owner Leigh Peffe established it in 1968, buys
and sells used books. There
are rows and rows of them, organized under a system I have
yet to figure out (something
resembling alphabetical order)
andpackedintoshelvescrowded so close that maneuvering around is less than simple.
The air, thick with the smell of aged pages,
hints at the treasures yet undiscovered.
According to book buyer and seller
Sean Hatchwell, many locals frequent
the shop. “[There are] regulars that live
within four or five blocks...and have been
coming here for years,” said Hatchwell.
But everyone is welcome at Wilshire
Books, especially if you’ve recently
moved, spring-cleaned,or cleared out
a deceased loved one’s collection and
are looking for a place at which to sell.
At Wilshire Books, you’re bound
to pick up that odd little volume with a
faded cover and pencil scribbles in the
margin, only to discover a classic long
out of print. Or you might catch sight
of an outdated edition of your favorite
sci-fi thriller, with “Happy Birthday,
Maggie!” inscribed lovingly on the title
page. Best of all, that ephemeral copy
of Hemmingway’s A Farewell To Arms
you’ve been searching for might be hiding near the bottom of a stack in the back
of the store. The price? A hefty $3.50.
You check the back cover to find out
its original cost... over twice as much.
For those interested in a more current selection, Hatchwell estimated that
30-40 percent of each “cache of books”
bought by the store are “new”
(used-book lingo for “published within the last year”).
It’s the old volumes,
though, that carry with them
a tantilizing history. Hatchwell
always wonders, “Whose
living room or whose library has this book been in?
Whose hands have touched
its pages?” We’ll never know:
a wealthy New York widow,
fur clad with poodle leash
in hand, may have toted that
same Great Gatsby now snug
in your backpack through a
wintry 1925 December. Or
a little girl in San Francisco—now fully grown—may
have received it as a 10thbirthday gift. There’s something enchanting about owning an item that’s seen more
of the world than you have.
So, next time you’re in
a book-buying jam, or you
simply crave some affordable literature with character
to boot, visit Wilshire Books.
You won’t be disappointed.
feature, especially because this system
goes for more than a grand in stores.
The PS3 is also compatible with PS1, PS2, and PSP.
The remote is a motion sensor, meaning if you are racing, you turn the
remote left if you want to go left.
But it has no rumble and you can’t
feel that you’re really in the game.
Senior Bryant Villa believes, “It’s
not worth it with no rumble.”
Deluxe System $599.99: This includes
everything above with the addition to a
60GB hard drive. The upside to getting this is that Wi-Fi is included in
the system. Wi-Fi is wireless Internet
— meaning that you can get Internet
access within 100 feet of the system.
It also comes with a memory card slot
.
The games:
Devil May Cry 4, Final Fantasy
XIII, Heavenly Sword, Lair, Metal Gear Solid 4, Resistance: Fall
Of Man, Tekken 6, Warhawk.
The verdict
The price is obviously high, but
well worth it and I strongly recommend it. If you want a great system
for a big price, this is for you. With
its release on Nov. 17, 2006, it’s a
great gift for the holidays, but if you
haven’t
pre-ordered
it,
you
may have to wait as long as
February to get the console.
THANKSGIVING
Alternative Thanksgiving Spots
By Evan Perkins
Staff Writer
Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and friends,
enjoying shared company and good home cooked food. But let’s
say you want to try something different than your Aunt Edna’s
horrible pies, or your crazy Uncle Victor’s “surprise” stuffing. If
that is the case, and you are willing to abandon the sweet confines
of home for your holiday meal, here are a trio of Santa Monica
restaurants that offer hearty Thanksgiving meals that save
everybody a lot of trouble.
Coco’s: 3440 Ocean Park Blvd. Price: $$ out of $$$$
Coco’s has a “Holiday Meal” promotion currently going,
which happens to coincide with Thanksgiving. For some reason,
Coco’s has decided that a “Holiday” meal consists of either steak
and lobster, steak and crab legs, or steak and shrimp. Silly me.
I always thought Thanksgiving meals involved turkey. Go here
if your family just can’t succsfully do Thanksgiving, or you just
want some seafood.
Norms: Lincoln Blvd. and Colorado. Price: $ out of $$$$
Norms, that 24-hour stalwart of intoxicated clubgoers and
high schoolers everywhere, is offering a very special Thanksgiving meal (that, believe it or not, actually involves turkey!). You
get a plate of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, all
for less than $10! Though I enjoy Norms as much as the next person, their track record when it comes to food is... spo�y. But then
again, for a cheap and hearty meal, you can’t beat Norms. Go here
if your family is really bad at Thanksgiving or if you just want
some really cheap food.
Whist at the Viceroy Hotel: 819 Ocean Avenue. Price: $$$$$ out of
$$$$ (yes, five out of four)
Man. I wish I was rich or a�ractive enough to get a Thanksgiving meal here. This most prestigious of restaurants offers a
$75, three-course, gastronomic orgy with dishes like “grilled asparagus, brioche enclosed so� egg and béarnaise sauce,” “baby
pumpkin filled with mascarpone polenta, roasted fall vegetables
and balsamic brown bu�er” and “dark chocolate mousse tart,
poached pear ice cream and red wine gastrique.” I don’t even
know what red wine gastrique is, but it sure sounds good (and it
costs a lot!). It ain’t Norms, that’s for sure. Go here if you want to
be disappointed by every subsequent Thanksgiving, or if you’re
just rich.
Thanksgiving, Samo Style
Compiled by Analee Abbott, Managing Editor and Vincent Lai and Kristina Naderi, Staff Writers
The Samohi surveyed 283 students, grades 9-12, about Thanksgiving.
---96% celebrate Thanksgiving
---94% like Thanksgiving
---83% eat turkey on Thanksgiving
---57% prefer gravy to cranberry sauce
---42% consider football to be a part of their Thanksgiving
---The favorite pie type, with 43% of the votes, is pumpkin
---62% celebrate Thanksgiving with both friends and family
---Potatoes, with 38% support, are the most popular side dish
Turkey+Duck+Chicken=Crazy Delicious
By Bennett Rankin
Staff Writer
Every year at Thanksgiving
I sit down with my family and
slowly eat a bland turkey. This
is not the fault of the chef (my
grandma is the finest cook in
existence. Insult her food and
I’ll make sure you’re eating out
of a tube) but rather the fault of
the bird. We all know that the
real point of having a turkey
at Thanksgiving is to get the
stuffing and gravy. Or is it?
There is a be�er alternative,
a truly fantastic alternative filled
with flavor and multitudes of
meat. That alternative is called
the turducken. It is a simple
concept really, and one that is
truly born of American ingenuity.
The turducken is a turkey stuffed
with a duck which is then stuffed
with a chicken. Or, if you have
a particularly large chicken or
small duck, a chicken stuffed with
a duck can fill the turkey. Rather
than the usual bread stuffing
that graces the layman’s festive
bird, the turducken is classically
stuffed with sausage! It is not
uncommon to see a turducken
covered with bacon for added
flavor. Unfortunately, because
the turducken is essentially a
completely solid piece of meat
and lacks a hollow core, it can’t
be deep fried.
I’m sure that there are
the skeptics out there saying
“Benne�, why would I want
to eat not one, but five types
of meat at once? Wouldn’t the
explosions of flavor get in the
way?” Well, the answer is a
simple no. The turducken is
an absolute must. Could the
turducken’s most famous fan,
the voluptuous gourmet football
announcer John Madden be
wrong? Of course not. In fact we
Americans are behind the game
in the multi-bird cook off. Roasts
of up to 10 birds have been
reported worldwide. The record
however, must go to the French
for their ingenuity in creating the
“bustergophechideckneaealckid
everwingailusharkolanine,” a 17
bird roast. Google it if you don’t
believe me, it is there.
So, when you sit down this
coming Thanksgiving before
your meager 21-pound bland,
dry, unimaginative turkey, ask
yourself this: “Why aren’t I
enjoying the earthly ambrosia
that is the turducken?”
Fun Fact
According to Samo AP U.S. History Teacher Michael Felix, the starving white settlers who attended what is now known as “the first Thanksgiving” had previously, out of desperation, resorted to digging up buried Native Americans and eating their remains. Maybe we should
be eating dead Native Americans instead of turkey! Bon appetit!
CROSSWORD
By Nora Casey, Campus Life Editor
CLUES
meal is taking a _______.
9. At dinner you __.
11. The first English settlers who
journeyed to New England.
13. Goes well with turkey and
chicken, apparently. (see article
above).
14. Pumpkin ____.
17. The English settlers were
helped
by
the
________
Americans.
18. The indigenous people helped
the settlers _______ their lands.
Across:
3. Thanksgiving centers on ____
4. ______berry sauce.
5. The Thanksgiving sport of
choice.
6. A pleasant activity after a big
Down:
1. The first winter for the English
Settlers was _______.
2. A _______ of ice cream goes
well on pumpkin pie.
3. How you feel after Thanksgiving
dinner.
5. Traditional group of people
you spend this holiday with.
7. Settlers who wanted to purify
the Church, so they came to
America.
8. Orange, sweet potato-like
tubers.
10. The Thanksgiving meat of
choice.
11. This vegetable makes a great
pie
12. A feeling which overwhelmed
the settlers in their first few
seasons of poor harvests.
15. An ___ of corn.
16. At Thanksgiving dinner, one
usually eats turkey and ____ing.
Smile,
You’re on Camera
CAMPUS LIFE
A Family Resemblance
A
By Natalie Yadegar
Staff Writer
Samo is watching you...and
they’ve video-taped it too.
Samo has now adopted Lesson Link, a teaching improvement method. As part of this
some teachers have chosen to
video-taping their class lessons.
The system began in Japan,
and was then adopted for American use. This year, roughly 12
Samo teachers began to use the
system. The goal is to have teachers collaborate to form an ideal
lesson plan. As English teacher
Meredith Louria said, “Two
heads are be�er than one.”
English teachers Alison Kennedy, Jennifer Pust, and Ruth Pimentel are working on perfecting
a perfect Socratic seminar. One
teacher video-tapes her lesson,
and the group reviews the tape
to refine the plan. A�er two more
revisions, they have a successful
lesson plan, recorded on video for
any new teachers to observe.
Kennedy said, “I thought
that [Lesson Link] was really
valuable, because it allowed me
to bounce ideas off of my colleagues and combine the best of
our ideas.”
The program was piloted last
year across the district. It was
organized by Amy Teplin and
Cindy Kratzer, in the Educational
Sevices Department.
Kennedy’s student sophomore Evelina Weary said “I’m
not camera shy, so it wasn’t that
big of a deal. It was just another
chance to show off my mad skills
in English, but I can imagine some
students feeling intimidated.”
“It felt really awkward,” said
sophomore Kyle Kim.
Faculty
Follies!
Tues., Nov. 21 @ 7 p.m. in the
Humanities Center
1. Michael
Felix
2. Maria
Stevens
B
3.
James
Hecht
E
4. Theresa
Luong
5. Peter
Davis
C
6. Miguel
Teran
F
Answers:
a5, b4, c3, d1,
e6, f2
Compiled
by Jennifer
Galamba
Reading No Fun (bad news for paper)
Samo students just don’t
want to read. English teachers are
at their wits ends trying to find
ways to encourage them.
Department Chair and Library Media Teacher Dana BartBell has been hosting numerous
freshmen and sophomore English
classes in the library in an a�empt
to help students find outside reading books that appeal to them.
This valiant effort to increase
reading enjoyment hopes to capitalize on students’ interests.
Freshman Honor students
Ely Niroomand and Saba Nassiri
wish their books were less boring.
Nassiri said “The class books
are so repititve and complicated,
especially Sophie’s World.”
Amy Estabrook, Yearbook
Advisor and 10th grade English
P teacher has trouble understanding why students don’t like to
read. “Kids love movies and TV
shows, but they don’t seem to
make the connection that a book
is the same as a movie. They’re
both stories.”
According to Estabrook,
teachers are in a double bind.
They can read books in class to
ensure that the content is understood but they are denied the fun
activities that help students love
to read. The other option is for
teachers to assign the reading
as homework and teach the fun
activities, but if a student hasn’t
done the reading then the lesson
means nothing.
Rob Thais, English Department Chair, has a more practical
view: “There was no golden age
where everybody loved to read. ”
He thinks that a teacher’s goal to
harbor a love of reading in their
students is not for reading’s sake
alone. “I want them to leave my
class with a be�er idea of how
to view critical thinking... I want
them to get any job they want
because they can articulate in an
interview.”
Whether or not students love
to read, they will be doing it the
rest of their lives. Now is the time
to at least learn to deal with it.
ders are currently on an individual
basis, but the website should be up
and running in early 2007.
Junior Jack “Yacek” Trocinski
is the owner of an online venture,
yacek.net. He used to make money
on his website, which
inculdes online
radio, and
sales of miscellaneous
goods,
through
advertising. Like
Schulze, Trocinski finds that
school is a major
obstacle in running one’s own
business.His website is currently
under construction, but soon he
will be back in business.
Junior Tyler Newell is another of Samo’s rising entrprenuers. He sells T-Shirts, hats, and
sweatshirts, ranging from $20
-25 dollars for shirts and hats,
and $45-50 for sweatshirts. Each
shirt sports his Okam logo, rather
than a design. He has an online
store in development at Okamclothing.com.
Sophomore Joshua McDonald also has his own fashion designs for sale, and they’re all about
paint spla�ers. McDonald takes
any old T-shirt, shoe, or hat and
adds a giant splash of well placed
paint. So far McDonald has sold
over $700 in merchandise. Prices
may vary. To have something
“spla�er-fied” contact McDonald
at school to discuss placement,
color, and price.
By Zoe Young
Staff Writer
Samo Students Making Money..Aren’t you Jealous?
By Sam Cotten
Staff Writer
“With our aura of dankness,
we’re basically capable of anything,” explained senior Tiimo
Schulze.
Schulze is one of many Samo
students already busy in the clothing industry.
Schulze runs a T-shirt and
clothing business with help from
junior Dean Schneider, whom he
credits as the brains behind the
venture. “He’s taught me all I
know,” claimed Schulze.
The business grew from both
students’ interest in T-shirt making. Schulze and Schneider use
silk-screening to create “professional-looking” shirts. Although
the shirts look very legitimate,
The Magical Mrs. McGee
By Analee
Abbott, Manag-
the two are careful not to lose
the “ghe�oness” that gives their
clothing character. Schneider said,
“It’s the flaws that really make the
shirts unique.”
Due to college applications and
general school-busywork, two commitments that
are deemed
decidedly
“undank”
by Schulze, much
of the production has
been le� Samo
alumni, Daniel Miller.
“Dan is working to keep things
together while we focus on school,
but as soon as we have time we plan
to really expand,” said Schulze. Or-
Gathering Independence, Moving On
By Jacquelyn Hoffman
Staff Writer
ing Editor
Leslee McGee: part mother,
part teacher and part friend. The
savvy M-House assistant always
has a smile up her sleeve. She’s
worked at Samo for nine years now
and always with one goal at heart:
success for her students.
McGee is a native to Southern
California. She spent her childhood in Westwood, went to USC
for two years, and majored in
Journalism. She is married and
has two children. Both a�ended
Samo and her husband currently
teaches Digital Design.
McGee was orignially an administrative assistant at the principal’s desk, but later she asked to be
placed in one of the house offices so
that she could get to know students
be�er. “I have such a passion for
high school students because they
see the world so honestly. It’s both
refreshing and dramatic ... I hope
that students feel they can just stop
by to chat,” said McGee.
D
Match these
teachers
with their
children!
Page 6
Whether she’s giving school
tours, running
the ticket booth at
football games, or
performing miracles
on the M-House copy
machine, she’s always
busy.
When she’s not at
school, she loves boating,
babysitting and reading
mystery books. She says she
could eat pizza five days a
week. She also loves animals:
she owns one dog, three cats,
nine fish and a turtle.
So next time you’re walking
down the History Building
hallway, pop in and say hello.
You won’t regret it.
Housed in a small classroom
in the English Building, Samo’s
Transition Program helps prepare
Special Education students for life
beyond high school.
The Transition Program,
created in 1988 and initially held
off-campus at the YWCA, aims to
help students with special needs
become more successful members
of the community. The program
provides a bridge for students,
ages 18-22, who graduated from
a four-year high school with a
certificate of program completion.
It concentrates on fostering their
independence and life skills.
The curriculum and community-based program employs reallife situations and lets students
take part in hands-on activities
on a daily basis.
“ I enjoy the Transition Program because I go to the pet store,
the animal shelter and the pier,”
said Transition Program partici-
personal interests. This approach
pant Andrew Yin.
Students participate in ac- allows students to make decisions
tivities like community concerts, and individualizes the program
shopping, banking, budgeting to tailor particular needs. “You
money, time management, ap- see [the students] mature and
plying for jobs, developing in- become aware of themselves,”
terviewing skills, cooking, and said Wurster.
doing laundry. Each student also
The program is designed to
participates at a volunteer or work promote “independent living
site. Every Friday participants ex- skills, appropriate social/personal
ercise at Virginia Avenue Park and skills, and vocational training
skills” to aid in the transition
do yoga, aerobics, or boxing.
This class is not based on the from high school to adult life
six period school day, but around (SMMUSD).
activities.
Tr a n s i tion teacherPat
The Samohi timed how long it took to get from
Wurster affirms
place to place here during passing period.
the success of
such activities:
Upstairs Tech to bo�om Floor Language: 5:26
“They’re learnUpstairs Language to South Gym: 5:22
ing to be as inNorth Gym to Bo�om Floor English: 5:23
dividual as they
Upstairs English to upstairs History: 2:29
can possibly
Art Building to Music: Building 4:26
be.” Students
Average wait to go to the bathroom: 3:26
select their indiAverage time to open locker: 0:56
vidual work or
Compiled By Leah Robinson and Danielle Worthy
volunteer sites
based upon
Samo by the Numbers:
Sports— Page 7 The Samohi November 21, 2006
Winter Sports Preview
2006-2007
Boys Soccer
Girls Soccer
T
his year, the girls soccer team is returning to action
with a strong core of veterans. Playing in the Ocean
League where they have dominated in the past, the
team is hoping to flourish in playoffs and maye even
win CIF. Says Director of Soccer Frank Gatell, “If we
are able to focus and show some discipline, we will be
very successful.”
The central factor at the heart of the team is the
great respect all the girls have for one another. Says
Captains seniors Dani- senior midfielder Bianca Greene, “We are all great
friends, and if we reach our full potential, not many
elle Duarte and Sam
teams will stop us.” As well, team co-captain Danielle
Greene
Duarte says, “We play for sheeba.”
So get out there Samo and show some support for the Lady Kickers. You might
just see a championship team playing.
NOTE: Tired of hearing the girls soccer team referred to as the “Lady Kickers?” The Samohi is looking
for a new nickname for the team. Send entries to [email protected].
A
fter losing just three seniors from last season,
the boys are poised to win a league championship and have a successful CIF run. Co-captains
senior David Castellanos and junior Artur Jozcowics will lead this experienced squad, which
won the LA Games Tournament last June. According to Director of Soccer Frank Gatell, this
team has the focus, work ethic and depth in each
position that least year’s team lacked. Gatell and
boys Varsity coach Jimmy Chapman believe that Captains senior David
this year ’s team has the talent to have a strong Castellanos and junior
and impressive season, and more importantly, Artur Jozkowics
says Gatell, “We’ll be fun to watch.”
Added Castellanos and Jozcowics, the team’s primary goals are to go
undefeated in league and do well in the playoffs. With this in mind, the
Vikings will begin the 2006-2007 season on the road at Mira Costa on Nov.
28.
Boys Basketball Girls Basketball
T he boys basketball team is back and ready to With a dissapointing loss in the first round of last
repeat last year ’s strong performance, a season
which ended with a three point loss in the Division I AA CIF semifinals. “This team has the
potential to do great things,” commented head
coach James Hecht. The team graduated four
starters, “losing a lot of [the team’s] leadership
and stability,” according to Hecht. “But,” he
continued, “we return a group of guys who
Captains seniors Taylor will bring a lot to the table.”
As always, there are high expectations for
Walker and Bryan Louff
the team, and “even though we still have a lot
of work to do,” commented Hecht, ”I’m really
excited about [our] team’s potential.”
Senior captain Taylor Walker noted “We’re excited for the season and
we’ve been working hard all summer and fall.” Fellow captain and senior
Bryan Louff added, “We’ll use last year as motivation for this year.”
season’s playoffs despite compiling a 20-2 record during
the season, the Lady Vikings look to bounce back this
year and make a run in the playoffs. With more than
half of the team and four of the five starters returning,
they believe they have the ability to do so.
The girls look to begin the season on a high note
while defending their title at the Moorpark Kickoff
Tournament next week. “Our ultimate goal is to win
the CIF championship, but before we can accomplish
that we need to get tough offensively and work on our Captains seniors Allie
rebounding,” said captain senior Allie Southam.
Southam and Emily
The biggest concern for the Lady Vikings is Foshag
rebounding. On paper, they are not a big team but
their quickness makes up for it. “Never in the past
have we been a good rebounding team, size is not our advantage,” said head coach
Marty Verdugo.
“With the talent we have coming back, we have a big chance of winning CIF,”
commented Verdugo.
Girls Water Polo Wrestling
T
he Lady Greenies are back and ready for the much
anticipated winter season. This year they are ready
to dominate the pool and win league. Team captain
senior Samantha Lim says, “I expect the team to continue working hard and I hope we play well together.
Hopefully we will win league and make it to CIF.”
However, head coach Ma�hew McDonough is
sure “[The Greenies] will make CIF, its just a ma�er of
how far we go. We have a shot to win the championCaptain senior Samantha ship,” he added. Though last year was a tough one for
the team, Lim has high hopes for this season. “We all
Lim
have our strong points and we are going to practice
hard. The season just started and we still have a lot to work on, but I’m excited.”
Despite losing the last year’s talented seniors, Lim says, “We have lot of new
talent in this year which will keep us going strong.“ She adds, “I look forward to
being captain.” Come support the Lady Greenies at their first home game on Nov.
27 against Chadwick.
T
he wrestling team is expecting a great season
and, “hopefully will take league for the first time
ever,” said captain senior Yusaf Syed. Captains
seniors Syed, Lev Darkovsky, and Jazzy Greene all
hope to defeat North Torrance this season. “Last
year was a rebuilding year, and we’re ready to come
out strong this year,” said Lev. This year, for the
first time, there will be Samo girls team entered in
tournaments. “[All the girls] are going to help each
other out along the way,” said Greene.
Captains seniors Lev
Head coach Mark Black hopes that five inDarkovsky, Yusaf Syed
dividuals qualify for state as well as place in CIF
and Jazzy Greene.
Championships. “Our seniors are 10 times be�er
than last year’s seniors,” Black said, “This group of
seniors are very elite.” He would also like to make CIF Finals as a team. As Syed
summed it up, “I think we’re going to have a great season.”
Complied by Michael Bromberg, Saba Boradeh-Hamedy, Emily Foshag, Erin Nadel, Charlie Paris, and Anthony Ramirez
Photos by Samantha Walters
Cheerleaders Deserve More Than a Pom-Pom or Two
By Michael Bromberg
Staff Writer
A lack of respect for the
school cheerleaders has always
been a part of Samo’s culture,
but I for one have had enough
of it.
For some reason, maybe
jealousy, maybe ignorance, the
cheerleaders at this school are
seen as bunch of girls who just
dance rather than the group
of true athletes that they are.
They have to perform extreme
stunts as well as flip and do
backhand springs. This takes
flexibility, coordination, balance, and extreme precision that
most athletes don’t have.
And, while some may say
it is sexist and backwards that
the girl cheerleaders perform
for the boy football players,
cheerleaders also attend girls
basketball and girls volleyball, to name a few. As well,
football and basketball games
only provide practice for the
competitions that cheerleaders really live for. The varsity
squad is ranked 3rd on the West
Coast in their division, and, in
the coming weeks is trying to
qualify for the Nationals, which
are held in Florida.
Additionally, they put in a
huge amount of work to make
this school a better place. Aside
from organizing the Homecoming Dance and Pep Rallies, they
make posters for many sports
teams and even throw a dinner for the football team. Says
Senior Football player David
Naylor, “the cheerleaders do a
number of jobs for us, and they
never get much thanks. We really do appreciate all the hard
work they put in.”
As for why so many have
such contempt for the cheer- and should be treated as such,
leaders, I can only hold ste- with respect and dignity from
reotypes accountable for this. all. Maybe one of these days,
Cheerleaders are often por- the Samo community will start
trayed as being bimbo airheads cheering for them.
who know
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SPORTS
Page 8
Football: Late Season Push Not Enough
By Emily Foshag
Editor-in-Chief
Although Samo’s football
team managed to put together
an impressive three-game winning streak to end the season,
the Vikings failed to make the
playoffs for the first time since
2003.
Against Hawthorne Nov.
10, the Vikings won 52-6 to keep
their playoff hopes alive and the
Cougars winless on the season.
Yet, because Culver City and
Beverly Hills played to in a tie in
the final week of Ocean League
play, Samo finished fourth and
failed to earn one of the Ocean
League’s three automatic bids.
When CIF officials announced
the playoff pairings Nov. 12,
St. Francis was awarded the
division’s lone At-Large bid.
The news was at the least
disappointing after Samo’s team
had bounced back from a 0-2
Ocean League start to win its
remaining three games. “We
made as strong a case for our-
Senior Louis Adeyemi runs for one of his two first half touchdowns
against Hawthorne Nov. 10. Adeyemi finished the season with 18
touchdowns.
Photo by Jesse Grebler-Hull
selves as possible, and when it
came down to it we had to leave
it in the hands of CIF officials to
make the right choice,” said head
coach Zach Cuda. “Obviously,
they decided that St. Francis
was more deserving of the AtLarge bid.”
After compiling a winning
record in Cuda’s first year as
head coach, the Vikings bid
goodbye to several key seniors,
including running back Louis
Adeyemi, who finished the season with a team-high 1424 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.
Wide receivers Geo Allen and
Cameron Collins will also be
missed, but junior quarterback
Ryan Katz, who passed for over
1500 yards on the season, will
still be around come next fall.
“We just came up short this
year,” said Katz. “Next year, we
just have to keep whether or not
we make playoffs in our hands
instead of the hands of CIF.”
Samo will also return its leading
tackler in junior Max Monbouquette, and running back junior
Vincent Lawrence, who gained
valuable game experience over
the course of the season while
Adeyemi was injured. With the
expected return of such players
and the promise of younger talent following successful Junior
Varsity and Freshmen football
seasons, Samo’s football program appears to have the pieces
necessary to make a statement in
the coming years.
Greenies Lose in Round II of CIF
By Erin Nadel
Sports Editor
Senior Zac Carriere defends Lakeside’s whole set on Nov 7.
Photo by Samantha Walters
On Nov. 9 the Greenies
traveled to Ontario High School
for the first round of the CIF
Championship, and easily pulled
off a 21-6 blowout. Highest scorers
include junior Adrian Stepien
(six), senior Zac Carriere (five),
and senior Skylar Nathanson
(four). “It was fun kicking ass at
the end of the season,” said senior
captain Emmet Bloom.
The second round game was
hosted at Samo on Nov. 11 against
Pasadena Poly. The Greenies lost
with a heartbreaking score of 9-7.
“We had a great season and we
improved a lot. Our plays were
working and we were running
them well, we just were not
finishing.” Carriere said.
The Greenies finished their
season with an overall 15-16
record. “I’m very proud of how
much we improved fom from
the beginning of the season,
and I think we had a great
season,” said senior captain Skylar
Nathanson.
Cross Country Season Faces This Rider Doesn’t Horse Around
Saba Boradeh-Hamedy
Tough Competition in Prelims By
Copy Editor
By Charlie Paris
Sports Editor
BOYS
Heading into the Division I CIF
Prelims on Nov. 11, the boys’ cross
country team was ready to make
history at Mt. SAC. No Samo team
has ever qualified for CIF Finals,
and “this could be our year,” commented former coach “Coach K.”
But, a�er all was said and done,
the Samo squad finished a mere
13th place overall, with 293 points,
compared to heat winner Valencia’s 55.
Junior Daman Coffman led the
squad with a time of 16:45, good
enough for 38th overall and senior
Julio Alba finished close behind at
16:54 at 46th over all. Senior Max
Einstein (17:11) and junior Simon
Einstein (17:18) finished 61st and
68th respectively. Sophomore Jordan Keslow, who for so much of
the season led the Samo squad,
finished 86 overall with a time of
17:48.
“I’m disappointed,” said head
coach Tania Fischer. “Every year I
say we’re going to make it to CIF
finals, and every year its an eyeopener to see how much faster
the other teams are.”
GIRLS
The lady runners traveled to
Mt. SAC on Nov. 11 to compete
in the CIF Division I prelims. The
team finished 16th overall in their
heat, amassing 457 total points,
a dismal effort when compared
with Saugus’s 46. Sophomore
Gabi Cruz (21:37) led the team
once again en route to her 85th
place overall finish. Junior Karissa Gonzalez finished 91st at 22:07,
and sophomore Stevy Stovall finished 94th with a time of 22:20.
Sophomore Beth Morrison (22:42)
finished 101st, and senior captain
Helen Yu finished 106th with a
time of 23:13 in her last race as a
Lady Viking.
Despite the performance,
head coach Patrick Cady was still
pleased with the results. “Everyone ran a whole minute faster,”
said Cady. With a young team,
Cady is proud of the improvements the team made this season,
and is confident it will carry over
into next year.
Sophomore Zazou Hoffman
hurdles in a competition.
Photo Courtesy of Winter Hoffman
While many Samo students
o�en complain about falling behind
in class due to their busy schedules
and full social lives, freshmen Zazou Hoffman knows the real definition of “time management.” Her
life consists of school, horseback
riding, the occasional party and
more school. She has been taking
lessons since the age of three, a total
of 11 years.
With intense training always
comes intense trainers to toughen
an athlete up. “I have two trainers
who have coached me since I was
seven. Both are strict on the outside
but really so�ies on the inside. They
have high hopes for my future and
it makes me feel like I can eventually make a profession out of riding.”
Along with the support of her trainers, her family is also by her side.
She’s traveled from places like
Vermont to even places like Colombia. “It’s hard missing so much
school but once I let my teachers
know what I’ve been doing they
are really understanding. Despite
all her absences from school, Hoffman maintains a 4.0 GPA.
Recently Hoffman was ranked
fi�h in a nationwide competition
where she was amongst 290 other
riders. But she says, ”I used to get
nervous before national competitions but now I’ve go�en used to
the chaos and I deal with it by living in the moment. Riding eases my
nerves, it’s something I can always
feel comfortable doing.”
So with all the effort that goes
into one sport, why horseback-riding? Hoffman says “I can’t imagine
life without it.”
Freshmen
Football ‘A
True Team’
By Emily Foshag
Editor-in-Chief
Teamwork. Unity. Togetherness. Enter any high school locker
room and you’ll hear those words
thrown around like loose change.
Yet, more o�en than not, that same
team that once spoke so highly
of teamwork falls prey to selfishness come game time. Everyone
is suddenly out to “get theirs,”
and concern for unity is thrown
out of the window. Not so for the
64 student-athletes and the coaching staff of the Freshmen football
team, which only just wrapped up
the most successful and inspiring
Freshmen football season in recent
history.
In a day where athletes frequently opt out of a college degree
to join the pro ranks, lower-level
teams are o�en overlooked. But,
just take one look at the box scores
and it’s clear that these boys knew
how to play. Consider their 34-0
whipping of Peninsula. Or that
41-0 victory over Beverly Hills.
How about the 20-0 win over Los
Alamitos, one of the premier programs in the state?
Tim Dearn, a five-time Freshmen team coach at Samo, took a
break from coaching this season,
opening the door for Doug Kim
to step in as head Freshmen coach.
Watching from the sidelines and
occasionally helping out in practice,
Dearn recognized that this team
was different from any he had seen.
“Not only were they very talented,
they were amazing kids in general,”
said Dearn. “You didn’t have to
waste time disciplining them.
They wanted to be there and they
responded to each other and the
coaching staff in a special way.”
Led by Luke Zelon, Brandon
Stokes, and Daryll James, the
Freshmen football team amassed a
7-1 record on the way to an Ocean
League championship. The one
loss came against a tough Culver
City squad, but even then, the team
fought to the end — together. “It’s
a special group of guys,” said Kim.
“All of them, from the manager to
the best player on the team, knew
what it was about — teamwork.
They were a team in every sense
of the word.”
On a 64-man team, it’s not
unheard of that the starters rarely
interact with those who see li�le
playing time, but according to
Stokes, Kim had the mentality that
when practice started, there were
no starters, which pushed everyone
to work harder. Then, “when it
came to game time, the people on
the sidelines stayed involved,” said
James. Although Kim came into
the position with limited football
knowledge, his energy and enthusiasm got a good response from the
players. “Best coach I ever had,”
said Stokes of Kim.
“There was incredible unity
among both players and coaches,”
added Zelon. “We were a true
team.”