October 25, 2007

Denny’s
SMACKDOWN
NORMS
v.
page 8
SPECIAL REPORT:
Samo: Then and Now
A look back at the history of our school and
how it’s changed since it’s start. pages 6&7
Circulation: 3,600
Spotlight On
Daman Coffman
page 10
Published Biweekly
Vol. XCVI No. 2 October 25, 2007
Board Meeting and Rally Get Samo
$19 Million More Than Projected
A five-hour meeting
to discuss allottment
of Measure BB
money grants Samo
$57 million for
reconstruction
By Pepito Escarce
Staff Writer
After much discussion and
debate in the City Council
Chambers at City Hall, the
Santa Monica Malibu Unified
School District (SMMUSD)
school board officially
guaranteed $57 million to
Samo for new construction and
renovations under Measure BB
on Oct. 17.
BB, which was approved by
Santa Monica and Malibu voters
in November 2006, brings in
$268 million through a citizens’
tax, though only $149 million is
available for construction. The
measure also gives priority to fix
problems at the district’s high
schools. Before Thursday night’s
meeting, the recommendation
from district staff was to allocate
$38 million to Samo ($12
thoudand per student) and $27
million to Malibu High School
($2 1 thousand per student),
which is in much better condition.
Supporters of the “Give Samo its
Fair Share” campaign made a
significant impact in swinging
the controversial issue towards
Samo’s side.
The Board needed to
decide how much of the $149
million for construction should
be distributed to Samo as
well as to other schools in
the district. The $38 million
originally recommended for Samo
was deemed insufficient by the
Measure BB Advisory Committee,
a citizens group, which proposed
increasing Samo’s allocation to
$57 million.
Sixty-five parents, teachers,
administrators and students
offered their thoughts to the
Board during public comments.
Supporters of guaranteeing
Samo more money argued that
“Samo’s physical appearance is a
disgrace.” One man argued that,
though Samo has high academic
achievement, parents see a very
filthy, unattractive school with
“cracked steps and unhealthy
air,” and are less likely to send
their children there. Basketball,
tennis and volleyball players
complained that the courts are
in very bad condition, injuring
players frequently and making
practices less efficient; said one
protestor: “The ceiling in the gym
is crumbling and tiles frequently
fall to the floor.” One colorful
personality claimed that Samo
“looked exactly the same as it had
in 1968, when [he] first visited it,”
while another alum claimed that
he “could still see the etchings
on benches and walls that were
there when he graduated nearly
20 years ago.” Most supporters
of redistributing more money
to Samo shared the sentiment
that it is very obvious Samo is in
dire need of upgrades, and the
upgrades that could be completed
with $38 million are not sufficient
to provide a functional learning
environment. Opponents of the
new proposal argued that Malibu
High is just as needy as Samo
and it would be inappropriate
to take away money for Malibu
middle school that was previously
recommended. Toward the end,
arguments on both sides became
redundant, but nevertheless, in
the spirit of democracy, all voices
were heard and public discussion
continued until 10:11 p.m.
A tense ten-minute recess
followed, during which all who
attended the hearing eagerly and
nervously anticipated the Board’s
deliberations. At 10:21 p.m., the
Board stated: “It is apparent that
Samo was not adequately funded
initially and should be guaranteed
a larger sum of money, not because
80 percent of the district’s high
school students attend Samo, but
because it is clearly drastically in
need of physical improvements.
To those of you who believe that to
change the allotment of money is
wrong, it is all part of the process,
which was never really over.” At
11:45 p.m. there was a unanimous
vote granting Samo an additional
$19 million, which may used for
the renovation of the gyms and
science labs.
“Samo’s physical appearance is a disgrace...
The ceiling in the gym is crumbling and tiles
frequently fall to the floor.”
Fighting For A Fair Share For Samo
By Jane Kivnick
Staff Writer
As a result of the hundreds
of protestors, dozens of brightly
colored posters and passionate
statements projected by
megaphones, Santa Monica City
Council issued $57 million of the
measure BB money to Samo.
With much effort by the
community and apparent need
in the schools, the property tax
measure BB passed on Nov. 7th,
2006. The money from this bond
was to be distributed throughout
the 17 schools in the district on
the basis of need. A band of
dedicated parents formed the
“Coalition for an Excellent Samohi
Campus” (CFESC) to effectively
organize the rally, presentation
and various speakers for the school
board meeting.
At 6:30 p.m. families began
arriving on the lawn outside city
hall, posters is hand, ready to rally,
protest and sign petitions for CFESC
to present to the board meeting at
7:00 p m. Elizabeth Stearns, mother
of sophomore Greg Stearns, was
outspoken about CFESC’s reasoning
behind the Samo money appeal during
the rally: “The staff and district officials
have done a year of research to see how
much of the BB money each school in
the district needs. Samo, the largest
high school in the district receives 80%
of the children from our elementary
and middle schools. Each Samo
student is allocated around $11,000
whereas each Malibu student’s share
is about double that. Most of our
buildings are half a century old, the
newest, the English building, is 36
years old. The oldest building on the
Malibu campus is just under 30 years
old. Samo is in need of a larger portion
of the BB money, to improve our many
deteriorating facilities.”
While people were gathering at
the rally, ASB members Ilan BenMeir, Josh Miller, Jenny Harding and
Alex Spence along with Dr. Pedroza
were inside city hall talking with
the school board and voicing their
support for CFESC’s purpose. On
his way out of city hall, ASB president
Alex Spence said “The council gave
us time for public comments. Ilan
and I spoke mostly of the parking
issue and the rest of us talked about
Samo’s construction needs.” At
7:00pm the protesters entered city
hall to participate in and witness the
school board meeting. Four and a half
hours later, the board issued a much
needed $57 million to Samo.
Photo by Jane Kivnick
What’s Inside...
Campus Life . . . . . . . . . . 3
Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . 4 & 5
Special Report . . . . . 6 & 7
Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Sports . . . . . . . . . . 10 & 11
Photo Essay. . . . . . . . . . 12
O CT O B E R
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Benway Closes It’s
DoorsAfter10Years
IN BRIEF
By Cosmo Deiner
Staff Writer
Local record store Benway Records
will close this Halloween. Benway had been
an installment near the Venice boardwalk
for nine years before moving in 2006 to its
current location next to Vidiots on Pico
and 4th.
The owner decided to close in order
to spend more time with her daughter,
Samo senior Veronica Jackson. Although
the closing does not symbolize the falling of
the record store in America in the same way
Tower Records’ mass closing nearly one year
ago did, the detrimental impact will still be
felt by the music community in the area.
One of the last local places one can
actually check out music with the social
aspects, radical posters and concert ads
included, the store was a frequent venue for
teenage bands to showcase themselves. Said
Veronica: “My mom’s been doing this since
she was 19; she needs a break.”
All goods are being sold at half price
until the closing day on Oct. 31, so go pay
A BENWAY FAREWELL: Benway Records, the local record store on Pico and 4th, is closing on Oct. 31.
your last respects.
Photo by Owen Gorman
Writing For Change and Tolerance
Author Alex Sanchez
speaks to students
about his life, his
books and his message
of gay tolerance.
By Lulu Mickelson
Staff Writer
Speaking at Samohi during a
recent book tour, award-winning
author Alex Sanchez told students:
“Writing fiction is all about honesty.
It’s about putting down truths from
your own experiences and pulling
from your struggles.” The event
was sponsored by Children’s
Book World, a local independent
bookstore, which approached the
Samohi library with this great
opportunity. A successful author of
six adult and teen novels, Sanchez’s
work focuses on the friendship, love,
family and struggles both straight
and gay teenagers encounter as they
come of age.
Sanchez was full of enthusiasm
as he spoke to 2nd and 3rd period
English classes about his books, his
life experiences, his challenges with
writing and his powerful message
of gay tolerance. He talked about
his newest novel “The God Box,”
which confronts the conflicts
that arise between religion and
homosexuality. Inspired by his
own experiences and those of
his readers, Sanchez hopes this
book will promote an unbiased
understanding of homosexuality.
Sanchez spoke openly about the
challenges he has faced because of
his sexual preference. Coming out,
past girlfriends and life philosophies
2
were all discussed as he told classes
about his past and took questions
from students. He spent a lot of
his time relating with students
by talking about the difficulty he
encountered being gay as a teenager:
“High school was so hard for me. No
one talked about being gay and no
one was open about it. I thought I
was the only one… struggling with
this attraction to the same sex… I
went through high school alone,
closed down and depressed.”
However, the author feels
things are shifting and homosexuality
is becoming much more accepted in
our culture. “The reality is our nation
is changing a lot,” Sanchez told
students, “and part of the reason
is because of open-minded young
people who are changing the way
everyone sees homosexuals.” He
wanted students to understand
that they have an opportunity to be
part of that change by accepting
and appreciating homosexuals for
who they are. Ninth grader Diana
Romo said: “He’s been through a
lot of struggles and I thought he
was really brave. Not many people
dare to write about this topic.”
Sanchez hopes his novels will
affect the opinions of his readers
and help create a relatable portrait
of homosexuals. “He writes funny
and realistic stories with both
gay and straight characters who
struggle to accept themselves and
accept others,” says Mrs. Bart-Bell,
the school librarian. Through
his work, straight students are
able to gain a great deal of
understanding and respect for gays
and the challenges they may face.
The books also help gay readers
by providing guidance and an
understanding that they are not
alone.
QUIZ BOWL TAKES
THE GOLD
By Jane Kivnick, Staff Writer
On Sunday Oct. 7, Samo’s Quiz
Bowl team received first place in
the TWAIN high school division
competition. Samo reigned supreme
over 22 Southern California high
schools. The competition was held
on the UCLA campus. Senior Aaron
Burkenroad said, “I was excited; it
was my first time competing on the ‘A’
team. We didn’t have too tough a time.
Each of us study our own subject, so
it’s definitely an ensemble effort.” After
competing for nine hours, seniors Ilan
Ben-Meir, Aaron Burkenroad, Evan
Perkins and junior Marino DeFranco
surely deserved and were delighted
with the win.
A MESSAGE FROM
SPECIAL ED I.S.
By Chris Cotten, Staff Writer
Last year, special education
students involved in the Intensive
Studies (IS) program assisted
classrooms around the school by
collecting their recyclables along with
the trash. The students raised money
from the accumulated recyclables,
but an issue arose questioning the
necessity of collecting the trash. In
response to the issue, this year they
will no longer collect the trash that
is often times unsanitary and in large
amounts. Special Education teacher
Elizabeth Kim sends a message out
to Samo’s classrooms: “If it’s trash, we
won’t pick it up from the classroom.”
Kim says they plan on continuing
to pick up recyclables along with
paper, only if the two are separated
in different bins.
MISSING REPTILE
ALERT!
By Jane Kivnick, Staff Writer
H House Biology teacher, Mr. Gaida,
announced that his beloved corn snake
“Checkers” is on the loose for the
second time this year. Checkers slipped
from Gaida and his students’ sight on
Oct. 2 during period 5. “The first time
she went missing, she was gone for two
weeks. We’re hoping she’ll turn up,”
Gaida said. Sophomore and AcaDeca
member Toni Rubell said, “A lot people
in his classes like to hold her. She’s a
friendly snake.” Gaida and his students
hope their slithery pal will return to
S204 soon, safe and sound.
MISSING LAB TECH
ALERT!
By Jade Kedrick, Staff Writer
Science labs at Samo have slowed
to a halt due to the disappearance of
the employed laboratory technician.
Without a lab tech to prepare materials,
teachers are forced to prepare their
own chemicals. Among the aggravated
teachers is AP chemistry teacher
Martha Chacon, who is “frustrated
because it takes away from time I
could use to improve my lessons.”
Junior Shirin Bhagwagger, an AP
Chemistry student shared the teacher’s
frustrations saying, “Our labs are
interrupted, stalled, or even cancelled
without the assistant of a lab tech like
last year.” The application process
has long been reopened but only one
applicant has even passed the required
exam to serve as a lab tech.
T h e
C A M P U S
s a m o h i
L I F E
P A G E
o c t o b e r
BARNUM HALL: LEADING A DOUBLE LIFE
2 5,
3
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LINDSAY SAYS:
High School Stereotypes
Introducing
The Samohi’s
new columnist
By Lindsay Reno
Staff Wrier
BARNUM: After a long and costly renovation process, the hall is finally complete and available for expanded use.
Samo’s facilities
are for rent when
students are out
By Salonee Bhaman
Staff Wrier
Most of us on campus think of Samo’s
Barnum Hall and Greek Theater as the
places where pep rallies are held, school
musicals take place and band and orchestra
concerts are performed. However,
Barnum and the Greek both lead a double
life—they often play stage to outside
organizations who utilize them as a venue
through the City of Santa Monica. Since
the end of last year, Barnum and the Greek
have played host to a variety of events, such
as Microsoft’s E3 gaming convention and
High Holiday services for local temple
Beth Shir Shalom. Clients who wish to
Club Corner:
Club World
Awareness
By Danielle Worthy
Managing Editor
The On the Move For
the Globe club started last
year when a group of friends
decided to take a stand against
world hunger. Their mission:
to make a tangible difference
in third-world countries. After
getting off to a slow start,
they’ve now begun to actively
pursue their goal. On Oct. 16
(World Hunger Day), they
collaborated with ASB to pass
out blue ribbons emblazoned
with the cry, “End World
Hunger!” Club president
Melissa Etehad said: “We are
so fortunate to have food on our
tables, homes to feel safe in and
places to learn. My club wants
to give these same necessities to
those who have never had them.”
All proceeds from fundraisers
are currently donated to the
people of Malawi, Africa, who
suffer from not only starvation,
but ignorance of farming
techniques in a country whose
economy is based solely on
agriculture. The On the Move
For the Globe club hopes to
raise enough money to donate a
permanent establishment, such
as a school. They meet every
Thursday in Rm. H100.
rent out Barnum Hall can either request the services
of the school’s AV Crew—Running With Speakers
(RWS)—or bring in their own. One stipulation,
however, is that they must allow at least two interns
from Samo to shadow them during the event.
RWS President, Eric Solomon, said, “It’s
really a great opportunity for us to both view and
work with equipment that the school doesn’t have,
work with professionals and network with people
who are actually in the industry.”
“Many of the sports teams had to be moved off
location [for E3], when no outside personnel were
allowed on campus. Football didn’t have access to
the weight rooms and Soccer was forced to move
to another field in the middle of tryouts,” said Samo
Soccer Coach Frank Gattel.
The new plan to generate a self-sustaining
income for both Barnum and the Greek went into
effect in December 2006, in an effort to support
and maintain both facilities following the long $8
million renovation. The money raised through
engagements booked at Barnum and the Greek go
Photo by Jesse Grebler-Hull
directly to the care and upkeep of both, as well
new high-end recording and sound equipment,
upgrades to dressing rooms, touch-ups in the
Greek, as well as a full-time Theater Operations
director to oversee all crews, rentals and filming
on campus. Similarly, profits gained for any
other event not utilizing Barnum or the Greek
are directed towards a general permit fund,
which is later divided up among district schools;
budgeting for permit money is at the discretion
of the administration.
Rentals are only offered for periods after the
tentative district calendar has been announced,
as first priority falls to school events. “The
benefits of renting Barnum and the Greek
are innumerable,” said Theater Operations
Director Carrie Upton. “The added income
that is raised by the facilities themselves results
in students gaining better production quality,
due to a trained professional staff and the use
of a professional, well maintained amphitheater
and auditorium.”
Delians: Followers of Apollo
By Kourosh Shaffy
Staff Writer
On registration day you’ll rush
yourself into the frenzy of a line
that’s already formed inside the
administration building, a line of
students yearning to be Delians,
to flaunt their little
star-shaped stickers
all over the place
without
knowing
what Delians is
about. As I was
waiting to re-register,
my friend asked me if
I knew why we had to
sign up for it and give
up 10 bucks. I could
only say, “It’s good for
our college resumes,
and everybody else is
doing it.”
Ihavesincefound
myself researching
the
organization
and procuring key information.
Foremost, likely no Delians Officer
knows where the name “Delians”
comes from, lest they happen to
study Greek mythology in their
free time, in which case, they would
know that according to myth, there
once was a little floating island
named Delos. Zeus, the god of all
gods, had an affair with Leto. Zeus’
wife, Hera, found out and vowed to
place a curse on any land that would
allow for Leto to have her baby.
However, the tiny island of Delos
readily accepted her as it was already
disconnected from the mainland.
The child born there was Apollo,
god of knowledge, education and
good grades. Thereafter, Apollo
gave the island his blessing, thus
eliminating the curse. In honor of
Apollo, all who live up to his good
grades are called Delians.
Now, what is Delians? Delians
is an honors society. The name
“Delians” is unique to the Samo
chapter of the larger organization,
the
California
Scholarship
Foundation (CSF). The Samo
chapter was founded in 1923.
According to their website (www.
samohi.smmusd.org/delians),
“Qualifying for membership is on
a semester basis following a point
system which requires A’s and B’s in
the most difficult classes. To become
a lifetime member (Sealbearer),
students must have qualified for
four semesters during their last
three years of high school, including
one semester in the senior year.”
Even more pressing, how do
all those Hamiltons get
spent? According to
college counselor Stacy
La Duke, the funds go
toward all of those blue
certification cards that
we get at registration
with lines for our names
and cleaning graduation
gowns.
Additionally,
the money is used for
scholarships that Delians
Officers might apply for,
and any activities that
Delians might choose to
do. In the past, Delians
has held senior banquets
and
made
annual
presentations at Senior Awards
Night. Nevertheless, it’s important
to be in Delians because, well, it’s
an honors society! It’s good for
college applications, shows your
responsibility in keeping up with
your grades, and you can rack up a
few community service hours while
you’re at it. But the most important
reason is most Delians members
receive those awesome golden
stoles at graduation, and those they
can justly flaunt around.
To the multitude of people
who claim to be “different” on
your Myspace profiles: You are
anything but.
In a pool of over 200 million users, the desire to stand out
is natural. But shortening your
long list of quirks into that inescapable D-word merely indicates
that you’re as limited in your selfanalysis as everyone else has become. This trend seems to stem
from the fear of being too complex, multi-sided or long-winded
for online “friends” to handle – at
school, the same fear causes us
to smack brightly colored labels
onto our own foreheads, falling
into roles that help us stay easy to
grasp by those who judge us.
Our tendency to package
our personalities into neat boxes
is never as pronounced as it is
during the beginning of school,
when many of us are still mysteries to each other and all of us are
anxious to make the right first
impressions. First-day-of-school
outfits, people we associate with,
those who we purposefully ignore – by the end of September,
our small, calculated decisions
have led others to classify us under a narrow category. Usually,
we spend the rest of the year subconsciously burying ourselves beneath this label.
The class over-achiever continues to raise her hand and the
apathetic boy in the corner continues to keep his down, regardless of whether or not they have
anything interesting to say. The
“gangster,” the “jock” and the
“nerd” repeat their respective patterns in fear of upsetting the norm
or overturning expectations.
Even the supposed non-conformists, who take pride in their
freedom from the judgments of
others, are under enormous pressure to maintain a certain reputation. They constantly strive to
top their own rebelliousness until
taking part in once cutting-edge
activities, such as doing drugs
or getting tattoos, becomes its
own type of conformity. Many of
us stick the blame on each other,
whining, “Nobody knows who
I really am.” Maybe we are a lot
more complex than the picture
we send – but isn’t this our own
fault?
Whether or not we realize it,
we show others a dishonest and
generalized version of ourselves.
It’s time we stopped basing our
actions on destructive labels and
started embracing our personalities for what they really are
– constantly changing, genuinely
unique and impossible to define.
T H E
S A M O HI
O P I N I O N
p a g e
O C T O B E R
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Liberals Shouldn’t Be Bad Teachers: A Blessing And a Curse
Practicing Intolerance
By Lindsay Reno
Staff Writer
By Jennifer Galamba and
Katy Cain
Opinion Editor and Staff
Writer
For the most part, Santa
Monica citizens are liberal, tolerant and proud of it. Most of us feel
that everyone is welcomed here,
aside from annoying tourists who
take pictures of every square inch
of the city. That is to say, everyone
except for the intolerant, the warmongering , the Republicans and
the Conservatives. After seeing
the way some Santa Monicans
treat Conservatives, it’s obvious
that we’re not quite so tolerant
after all.
While California attracts
many Democrats, places like
Santa Monica in particular have
become a hotbed of liberalism.
Most Samo students grow up
here immersed in this mindset,
without learning about the
rationale and tradition behind
political values common outside
of the L.A. area.
When people are so uninformed and closed-minded, they
begin to make generalizations
about other parties and those of
opposing opinion. According to
a recent CBS poll , the current
administration has a dismal 29
percent approval rating; most
Americans see the president,
Since the possibility of changing classes at this
point
is slim to none, here are three types of teachers
the most powerful offi cial in the
that
might
keep you in a rut all semester– and why
nation, as a failure. However, many
you
should
thank
your advisor for denying your many
Liberals take this controversial
requests
to
switch
out.
administration as representative of
all Republicans. The hostility these
Mr. “That Reminds Me of My Sister’s Excitizens have towards the current
Boyfriend…”
state of aff airs in politics has become
The Sympredirected towards U.S. ctizens who
toms: This guy
lean towards the right. Senior Adrien
has an endless
Stepien explains: “Being in the
supply of ranminority as a Republican is diffi cult dom and unrein Santa Monica. It’s hard to share
lated topics to
your views here when everyone else is
discuss– good
defensive of their democratic views.”
thing he never
This agression has manifested in the
gets tired of
lives of the students who take the
hearing himself
courageous step to admit they are
speak. His stoRepublicans.
ries can get so
Thomas Jeff erson once said, “I off -topic that you
may not agree with what you have to
forget what class
say, but I will defend your right to say
you’re in daily. Not to mention someone in your class
it, to the death.” Being broad-minded
has actually started keeping tally of all his tangents.
and free from prejudice, the core
The Issue: When you’re lucky, he gets caught up in
p a
g
values of liberalism do not translate
an amusing childhood memory and forgets to assign
to glorifying your ideas and boasting
homework; when you’re not so lucky, a class-long rant
about your hatred for those with a
about the pointlessness of standardized testing takes
dissenting view. It does mean being
the place of review for your 400 point final.
able accept more than one opinion,
Why To Be Thankful: Like a laid-back sub who
regardless of which one you choose
somehow gets promoted to a full-time teaching job,
to agree with. If we are going to
Mr. Tangent won’t ever quite feel like an authority
live up to the progressive views we
figure. He’s easy to approach and injects fun into mateclaim to have, we need to practice the
rial that otherwise would be boring or stressful.
openness that is an integrated part of
Mr. “Open Your Book to Page 64”
being liberal. If we’re not even willing
The Symptoms: He speaks in a monotone voice,
to attempt to understand where the
assigns a truckload of busy work each night and is the
other side is coming from, how can
reason why your backpack weighs almost as much
we continue to pretend to be tolerant
as you do. You get the sense he hasn’t strayed from
and progressive?
Smoking Ban To
Create A Better
State of Living
ticipate in unhealthy activities such as
smoking, they shouldn’t be allowed to
Staff Writer
perform them where there are people
that choose to be smoke free.
We’ve all seen the pictures of
A $250 fine is now charged to citiyoung hipsters, Samo students zens caught smoking at our beaches,
included, glamorizing tobacco. in parks, at the pier, in outdoor dinHowever, cigarettes are called ing/bar areas, at the Third Street
“cancer sticks” for a reason. With Promenade, at the farmers market and
this fact in mind, laws which pro- in other public centers. We’ve all had
hibit smoking in bars, restaurants, the experience of choking on a cloud of
cafes and outdoor seating areas someone else’s smoke while strolling
were implemented in Beverly Hills down the street. These laws should
on Oct. 2 and here in Santa Monica make that kind of encounter less comon Oct. 6 of last year. These laws mon. Yes, smokers are human beings
are beneficial to the health of all of and are entitled to certain rights, even
our citizens, especially to us teenag- if exercising them is self destructive.
ers who are still developing. The Yet smoking must be regulated in
new legislation limit cigarette’s order to prevent harm to the inharm on society. While people nocent bystander. According to the
certainly have the right to par- American Lung Association, second
hand smoke
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By Jane Kivnick
his lesson plan since 1970.
The Issue: What could have been interesting
somewhere else is simply dull in this class. You might
try to focus, but your eyes drift from the over-packed
whiteboard to the clock on the wall until learning is
far from a possibilty.
Why To Be Thankful: Can you say, “nap time?”
Mrs. “IS THAT CLEAR?!”
The Symptoms: Right
away, she
shows that she
means business
by handing out
a detailed list
of rules and
consequences
and saying
something
intimidating
like, “This isn’t
[previous grade
level] anymore
– this time, it’s serious.” Her tests have no partial
credit and her pop quizzes are no longer very surprising because they happen every day.
The Issue: No, there is no such thing as an
excused absence. No, the stomach flu isn’t a satisfactory reason for not having your homework on
her desk. No, you cannot have extra time to finish
your in-class essay/group project/science lab. Mercy
isn’t her thing.
Why To Be Thankful: Automatic bragging
rights if you get lucky and pass her class. (But
that’s a big “if.”)
When the endless tangents, 592-pound
textbooks and empty threats grow stale, there
is one final benefit to groan-worthy teachers – you
have to rely on yourself to learn. And maybe that isn’t
such a misguided lesson after all.
MySpace and Facebook
Not as Helpful as They
May Seem
By Roland Templeman
Staff Writer
smoke are irritations of the nose and
throat, and more serious conditions
are lung cancer and heart disease
(lungusa.org)..In drinking alcohol,
another legal yet dangerous behavior,
the participant doesn’t endanger others merely by drinking; the combustion of cigarettes, however, creates
second hand smoke which frequently
harms the passerby. We are forced
to share the same air, smokers and
non smokers alike. Laws against
smoking in public are justified and
appropriate.
Most young adults do not smoke
for enjoyment, but rather to make a
statement. It’s no wonder students
smoke near campus and not out of
the public eye. It’s sickening, if you
ask me. Why begin to ruin your lungs,
vocal cords, heart and many other
vital parts of the body? If teens, and
people of all ages for that matter, still
insist on lighting up, however, at least
these laws will prevent them from
hurting others.
All citizens have freedom of expression. While smoking is legal for
people 18 years or olde r, its harm on
the non smoking community is unfair.
Smokers can certainly still smoke on
their own property, yet in the presence
of innocent and untainted citizens, it’s
time to stamp out the butt.
Myspace and Facebook help
us keep in touch with friends
(and enemies) and assist us
in making new ones, all while
completely occupying each and
every second of our idle time.
And although many of us reap
the benefits of these websites,
what we may not understand is
that these sites will ultimately
bring new levels of time-wasting
to our generation.
Is the appeal of these networking websites that they provide us
with another convenient method
of communicating with our
friends? Or is it that they give
us the opportunity to reach out
to those we may not know so
well? Or maybe the excitement
we experience after “stumbling
upon” the deatils of our peers’
lives is what draws us towards
these sites. Whatever the reason,
there is no doubt that Myspace
and Facebook both possess
favorable qualities.
Unfortunately, it is just these
qualities that draw us to waste
hours upon hours of precious
time. Wander into the Apple
store at any time of day and
you’re bound to find at least 49
social networking addicts logged
onto their website of choice, eyes
glued to the computer, frantically
scrutinizing a friend’s “recently
updated” profile for the seventh
time. It doesn’t make sense to put
in the effort to visit a public place,
like the Third Street Promenade,
only to waste time when you arrive
on Myspace and Facebook. The
fact that one would prefer social
networking over any activity offered at the mall is absoloutely
ridiculous. However, for many
teens, the attraction of social
networking is much stronger than
the attraction of movie theatres,
shops, and spending time with
friends outside of the internet.
While social networking does
have its perks, it should definitely
not be considered a productive
use of time. Each second we
spend gossiping in cyberspace is a
second lost that could be used for
something more constructive.
The success of these websites
has also validated the fact that
addicting, time-wasting activities
targeted at teenagers produce
vast amounts of revenue. Even
free websites like Myspace and
Facebook manage to rake in
billions of dollars. Soon, more
time-wasting diversions will be
produced, and more teenagers
will begin to ignore their priorities. So, log out of Facebook or
Myspace, stop thinking about
whose profile to comment on next
and start thinking about the future
of our society.
OPINION
O C T O B E R 25 2007
P A G E
“Vote for Me For Bes t All
Around, And Mos t Humble”
By Nicky Borenstein
Staff Writer
Every year seniors gear up
for an important time of year.
One that’s before prom, before graduation, even before
homecoming: senior polls. But
somewhere along
the way, we’ve
lost touch with
the actual premise of these polls.
Are polls not a
place for us to
vote for what we
believe in? Therefore, shouldn’t we
vote for a senior
that clearly demonstrates the attribute to which
they are supposedly elected? It
just doesn’t make
sense to me.
I thought it was safe to say
that as a people, humans don’t
usually like to brag. Obviously, I was wrong. For the
last month, we have seen seniors flocking to one another
desperately pleading for the
title of “Most Beautiful in the
Whole World.” Polls are supposed to be a place for seniors
to vote for the students who
they find to be best suited
for that position. This year
I have seen seniors who have
never even received a parking
infraction in their life gun for
“most likelies,” but why must
we relate to running for these
positions? These polls are not
elected positions one holds
for a year and makes critical
decisions for; they’re a picture
in the yearbook with a title.
Why lose all self-respect and
such a large senior class some
believe that we must resort
to collectively voting in order
for one person to win. But
it should be that those who
truly deserve the polls should
win. Seniors at Samo happen to be incredibly diverse
Lifestyle Editor
Samo has never been known
for especially good food, but
things this year are especially
bad. The once delicious Otis
Spunkmeyer cookies are a small
and undercooked shell of their
former selves. The regular cart
cookies are now so tiny that
buying them is a poor decision
indeed. The price of the often dry
but filling Taco Bell burritos has
increased to two dollars, more
than double the 79 cents they cost
at a Taco Bell resturant. Worst of
all, the hallowed $3.75 Big Mac
combo, formerly the best food
Editor-in-Chief
Erin Nadel
News Editor
Gabrielle Hernandez
Campus Life Editor
Sam Cotten
Opinion Editor
Jennifer Galamba
Special Report EditorSaba Boradeh-Hamedy
Lifestyle Editor
Evan Perkins
Feature Editor
Jeremy Tramer
Sports Editors
Aaron Eslamboly
Charlie Paris
Photo Editor
Jesse Grebler-Hull
Managing Editor
Danielle Worthy
Public Relations
Officer
Kristina Naderi
Copy Editor
Leah Robinson
“Most likely to get a speeding
ticket.” This process is seemingly more crazy than these
desperate seniors.
I find the polls to be a
great outlet for us to vote
our peers to their respective
torment your friends with
the constant banter that you
want to win “best all around?”
Obviously you aren’t “best all
around” if you need to wholeheartedly convince us that
you are.
I understand that with
and if the 800 plus students,
ethnic mashup and dozens of
clubs doesn’t prove it, then I
don’t know what does. Trust
me seniors, we already know
who you are and what you’ll
win—no need to publicize.
A Life Without Big Macs is
Not a Life Worth Living
By Evan Perkins
5
deal on campus, no longer exists,
undoubtedly due to hubbub in
the wake of the school-wide read,
Fast Food Nation. America is
founded on the principles of free
choice. Students want Big Macs;
it would be positively unfair and
un-American to deny them that
basic right.
Telling people that they
shouldn’t eat something that is
cheap and tastes good because
of “health concerns” seems like
a moderately sensible idea. But
denying them the choice to eat
unhealthy food could just be
the start of a slippery slope. If
denying citizens food that can
Have an
Opinion?
Want your view
to be read by
3,600 students,
parents and
administrators?
Submit a MyTurn or Letter
to the Editor to:
SamohiOpinion@gmail.
com
be bad for them, it would be
logical to eliminate the football
and wrestling teams. After all,
contact sports can result in injury
and harm. And why do we have
pep rallies when loud music has
been proven to speed up hearing loss? As bad as they may be,
the best things in life are often
unhealthy. Meat, grease, french
fries, profanity, salt, coffee, MSG,
too much excercise, not enough
excercise, chocolate and alcohol
are all things that can shorten
your life, but without them,
would life really be worth living?
We should be allowed to choose
to use moderation of potentially
unhealthy activities. If you elimi-
nate the harmful things, then life
becomes nothing but pointlessly
drifting along in an endless sea of
bland, preplanned nothingness. I
for one, wish to avoid this empty
and unpleasant fate.
Unfortunately, it seems as
though Samo has fallen down the
dark path of oppression, at least
when it comes to food options.
With vending machines stocked
with tasteless healthy food, with
nary a Butterfinger in sight, the
slow march towards outlawing
fun has begun. Only time will tell if
we can right ourselves once again.
Bringing back the Big Macs
would be a very good start.
Every Samo student has
seen it: a freshman getting
pushed over in a hallway
just for being for being a
freshman, a door slammed in
someone’s face because the
last person out didn’t bother
to hold the door open, a group
of students chatting in the
middle of a stairwell blocking everyone from getting to
his or her class on time. The
lack of respect that students
have towards one another is
appalling. In a mall, on the
street, on a bus or in any
other public place, people
act with much greater courtesy towards one another. At
school, however, this conduct
seems to disintegrate. Why
shouldn’t we at least respect
those people we see everyday,
share classes with and spend
precious time with?
Even in the midst of Homecoming week, the one week of
the school year where Samo
is supposed to be “unified” in
school pride, class rivalries
break out into violent screaming matches. There is no problem with being proud of your
class year, but when it gets to
the point of chanting curses
at other years, it has gone too
far. We are sharing one school
and one community; everyone
has friends in different years,
Art Editor
Ran Zhang
Adviser
Kathleen Faas
Staff
Salonee Bhaman, Sam
Bleiberg, Nicky Borenstein, Maisy Bragg, Katy
Cain, Chris Cotten, Soraya
Danesh, Cosmo Diener,
Danielle Ehsanipour, Pepito
Escarce, Zane Four, Owen
Gorman, Jade Kedrick,
Jane Kivnick, Rose Kleiman, Lulu Mickelson, Brian
Nadel, Jennifer Perdomo,
Lindsay Reno, Kourosh
Shaffy, Roland Templeman,
August Thompson, Chelsea
Watson
Subscriptions
$40.00 per year
Published biweekly during the
school year by the Associated
Student Body of Santa Monica
High School, 601 Pico Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA. 90405.
Unsigned editorials reflect the
opinions of the staff. Signed
editorials represent the opinions of the writer.
Editorial: Let’s Be Nice
so why diss other classes?
Does it really strengthen your
class at all?
Next time you see someone
in need of help, try giving them
a hand. If you see someone’s
bag about to fall open and spill
all of his or her belongings, let
them know they need to fix it.
If a classmate looks stressed
and upset, at least try to
smile. Upperclassmen, even
if it would just make your day
to make fun of that freshman,
give him a break. After all,
like it or not, we’re all stuck
at school every day. Maybe if
we’re nice to each other, the
days won’t feel so long.
Journey back in
TIME
Compiled by
Saba Boradeh-Hamedy,
1870
Special Report Editor
1920
S LAN G
The Samohi compared slang from
way back in the day to present day
lingo, check it out:
THEN
1940
Information courtesy of samohialumni.org
1921:The Memorial Open Air Theater
was added and
dedicated to Samo
boys who had
served in World
War I.
1930
1934:Extensive
remodels began
after a 1933
Earthquake
damaged campus buildings.
1971: Workers
finished renovations of the Language Building.
1876:Samo was
founded at its former Sixth and Santa
Monica Boulveard
location.
1910
1913:Samo
moved to its current location on
“Prospect Hill.”
1955: Director Nicholas
Ray filmed
“Rebel Without
a Cause” on
Samo’s campus.
SAMO TH
1950
1943: The newly
renovated,
1400-seat theater, named after
former principal
W.F. Barnum,
opened.
NOW
-And how!
-Hell yeah!
-Good day
-Peace
-How are you doing?
-What’s up?, What’s
good?
-Ah, applesauce!
-Oh shoot!
-Balled up
-Messed up
-Most certainly
-For sure
-Don’t worry
-Take it easy, Don’t
Trip
-Get a wiggle on!
-Let’s bounce
-The Real McCoy
-The Real Deal
-Jack, rubes, dough -Money
1960
1970
1980
1993: Samo
saw major
construction again as
proposition ES
work began.
1990
2000
1969: The
Greek
Theater’s
seating capacity was
enlarged to
3558.
-Spifflicated, canned, -Drunk
corked, primed,
scrooched, jazzed, Compiled by Kourosh
zozzled, owled, em- Shaffy, Staff Writer
balmed, ossified
Two ASB representatives show their scho
and in 2007 (right) Photos courtesy of S
1988: The dress
code policy
banned drug
and alchohol
logos.
2005:Kanye
West performed in
the Greek
Theater.
Three JV cheerleaders sit at the bottom of The Greek in 1945 (left) and in 2007
(right). Photo courtesy of Samohi archives and Soraya Danesh
HEN...AND NOW
Photos courtesy of Google Earth and Samohi archives
Compiled by Jane Kivnick,
Staff Writer
These days we like to “Crank Dat” and “Party Like a Rock Star” on the
dance floor at Homecoming, or jam to other hits on our way to school. Click
the rewind button on an iPod, go back 50 years, and you can say “Bye Bye
Bye” to pop and hip hop and hello to good old fashioned rock and roll. Check
out some of the top singles that Samo students listened to from the 1950’s
through the 1990’s (matrix.com).
THE FIFTIES: “Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley
THE SIXTIES: “Hey Jude” by The Beatles
THE SEVENTIES: “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone
THE EIGHTIES: “Physical” by Olivia Newton John
THE NINETIES: “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
ool spirit in the quad in the 80’s (left)
Samohi Archives and Soraya Danesh
Awesome A-List Alumni
TONY ALVA
Alva is most famous for
being one one of the three ZBoys, skateboarding pioneers
who quickly became sports
legends and inspirations to
youth. He was key in creating
the first aerial moves while
popularizing the use of empty
pools as skate parks. At age
19 he skated away from large
companies and started his own
franchise, Alva Skates.
MAYA RUDOLPH
Rudolph is a member of the
“Saturday Night Live” (“SNL”)
cast. She is known as the master of accents and impressions;
in many “SNL” sketches she
impersonates celebrities like
Oprah, Paris Hilton, Versace
and others. In addition, Rudolph is a skilled singer and
film actress. She is at the top
of her career and still climbing
the ladder.
RICK MONDAY
Although Monday is now
a Dodgers radio commentator, he was once a successful
baseball player for Samo and
eventually the Dodgers. His
most famous moment came
during the 1981 National
Baseball Championship where
he homered in the ninth inning
vs. Montreal and gave the
Dodgers a 2-1 victory, leading
them to the World Series.
By Cosmo Diemer
Staff Writer
Photos Courtesy of
Google images
SEAN PENN
Actor Sean Penn starred in
famous films such as “I Am Sam,”
“Mystic River,” “Fast Times
at Ridgemont High” and even
directed “Into the Wild,” now in
theaters. At Samo, Penn was an
active member of the surf team.
Alongside his acting career, Penn
voices his critisism against the
Bush administration and is very
politically involved, making frequent visits to the Middle East.
T h e
s a m o h i
P a g e
L I F E S T Y L E
s e p t e m b e r
2 5,
8
2 0 0 7
WT
The Ultimate Showdown
Compiled by Salonee Bhaman, Katy Cain, Chris Cotten, Cosmo Diener, Pepito Escarce, Gabrielle Hernandez, Lulu Mickelson,
Kristina Naderi, Evan Perkins, Lindsay Reno, Leah Robinson, August Thompson and Ran Zhang
At the corner of Colorado and Lincoln, Norms and Denny’s stand diagonally across the street from each other, selling similar food at similar prices. 5IF4BNPIJ decided to determine which of these two classic American restaurants
is better. We evaluated the two in the categories of Breakfast Food, Lunch/Dinner Food, and Miscellaneous.
Let the showdown begin!
Breakfast Food
Breakfast Food
Norms has almost uniformly good morning cuisine. Mention must be made of their
breakfast specials, including their signature $3.99 breakfast of two pancakes, two sausages
and two eggs; more than enough for all but the most ravenous trucker. Their eight dollar
“Lumberjack Breakfast” indeed lives up to its name with an overwhelmingly vast quantity
of food. Norms thick and fluff y pancakes are are “very good,” “the epitome of pancakes
,”
while their sausages are “savory” and
have that authentic “snap” that marks
a good sausage. Additionally, the
waffl es are pretty darn good, though
they are “drowned” in “overly sweet”
strawberry sauce. The weakest link in
the chain are the eggs, “served cold.”
Norms is the
WINNER
LOSER
in
this category with unbeatably cheap,
great morning eats.
Pancake with butter
Lunch/Dinner Food
Lunch/Dinner Food
From whitefish to avacado-turkey sandwiches, Norms has something for every
palate. Their early bird dinners (served from
2-5 p.m.) are extraordinary deals, with an
entree, fries, soup and salad for less than eight
dollars. Much of the food itself is pretty darn
good. The chicken tenders are “juicy” and “very
flavorful” (though the accompanying honey
mustard sauce “leaves much to be desired”),
while their gumbo is described as “good, but
too salty.” The “gross” soggy vegtables that
come with the entreés are also unforunate.
Norms stumbles a bit when it comes to fries.
They are described as“too starchy,” “not crispy
enough” and “sub-par” though some appreciate
that you can “actually taste the potato.” Ultimately, Norms dinner and lunch options are
LOSERScomparedtowhatDenny’s
whips up for its lunches and dinners.
Miscellaneous
Denny’s does have some decent breakfast options, but is ultimately outshone by Norms. The
five dollar Grand Slam is a good deal (if not as good as Norms $3.99 special), but the food served
with it does not match Norms’s high standards. The pancakes are “salty,” “bland,” and “flavorless,”
while the bacon is “dry” and “overcooked.” Their sausages are no
match for Norms’s, being overly
spiced and lacking real quality.
The hash bowns are “mediocre,”
“bland” and in need of ketchup.
Futhermore, Denny’s higher prices
leave a bigger dent in your wallet for
“markedly inferior” breakfast food.
With worse food for higher prices,
Denny’s is the
in
Lumberjack Slam
the breakfast food battle.
WINNER`
Chicken strips with fries
in
Denny’s is the clear
this category, with a wide variety of top-notch
lunch and dinner food. Though slightly more
expensive, Denny’s chicken strips are “much
better than the ones at Norms,” with “larger
portions” and “jucier” strips. The delicious seasoned fries especially deserve mentioning; they
are variously described as “amazing,” “incredible”
and “excellent.” The regular fries are also “good,”
especially when covered with cheddar cheese
and bacon as a delicious appetizer. The sandwiches are a little less impressive; the Chicken
Ranch club is “good, but a little bland” and the
BLT is described as “edible,” but “nothing to
write home about.” Denny’s redeems itself with
“great” garlic bread and an overall larger variety
of things to choose from than Norms. If it’s a
good and filling lunch or dinner you crave, than
Denny’s is the better choice.
Brownie a la mode
BLT with fries
Chicken strips and seasoned fries
Miscellaneous
Denny’s scores with “delicious” tropical
Underneath its trademark retro sign, Norms
drinks, ranging from mango lemonade to Sprite
has a “slightly shabby” 70s look and a “comfortand passion-fruit though they are a bit “overpriced.”
able” eating environment. The overall atmosphere
Denny’s desserts are “nothing special.” The brownis bright and cheery with oldies playing in the
ie a la mode is “decent” and the “alright” cheesecake
background. The dining room is “well lit” with
fails to off end too badly. Unfortunately,the decor
large windows giving great views of Denny’s and
and service make Denny’s a
.
the Edison power sub-station. The waiters and
With
most
of
the
blinds
drawn
and
a
dark,
unwaitresses at Norms are all interesting characters
pleasant color scheme, the dining area is dreary
with stories of their own. The service is speedy, but
and
uninviting. Compounding the problem is the
you get the feeling they want you to be speedy too.
staff
. While “nice” and “friend
ly,” they can have difWhat makes Norms the real
Hot chocolate
ficulty understanding orders On the bright side,
is their “fantastic” hot chocolate. Pay $1.99, and
the food arrives quickly, even if drinks
you get “awesome” hot chocolate with a gigantic
sometimes arrive after you’ve finished your
mound of whipped cream and unlimited refills.
food. Overall though, Denny’s just isn’t as
The Samohi recommends asking for half coff ee/
pleasant a place to be as Norms.
half hot chocolate, it has the kick you sometimes
Though Denny’s does have its strengths, Norms emerges as the better overall restaurant.
need for those long winter nights.
If you find yourself two blocks from Samo with a craving for a cheap, quick and hearty meal,
Norms is the superior choice. Denny’s makes some mean seasoned fries though.
LOSER
WINNER
Overall Winner: Norms
T h e
s a m o h i
“Halo 3:” Three Times the Fun
By August Thompson
Staff Writer
You’ve heard the hype, you’ve
seen the ads, and now you’ve
played the game (unless of course
you’ve been
deep underwater recently. Oh wait,
that’s “Bioshock.”) Out
on the Xbox
360, “Halo 3”
is the concluding
installment of what
is arguably the
greatest video
game series of
all time.
In “Halo
3” you fight as
a genetically
enhanced
superhuman
named the Master Chief. As the
strongest human ever made, you
are the last thing keeping The
Covenant, a race of religious fanatic aliens, from destroying the
galaxy. Sounds like gibberish?
Then I suggest you go play the
game.
But let’s get down to the
nitty gritty details of the game.
The cons: one of the few negative
things I can say about “Halo 3”
is that it leaves a lot unexplained.
Some people might prefer this
artistic choice, which is similar
ISSUE
OF THE ISSUE
F E A T U R E
to the finale of “The Sopranos,”
but as for me, I like to know what
happens. Also, if you don’t have
Xbox Live the game seriously
loses its playability.
The pros: even on my 20-
gamespot.com
year-old Panasonic 26-inch TV,
the game looks absolutely amazing. It has some of the best graph-
ics I’ve ever seen on the Xbox 360.
More importantly, though, “Halo
3” has superb game play. From the
single player mode that remains
fun time and time again, to the
multi-player mode that will keep
you occupied for hours, this game
is a blast. And did I mention the
amazing score and sound effects?
I can honestly say that this game
is as close to flawless as I’ve ever
seen in a first person shooter. It’s
the type of game that brings out
your inner nerd (if it isn’t already
out), and allows you to have immeasurable fun. It is truly a Mecca for video game lovers.
But who am I to judge? I’ll
just let the numbers do the talking. Before “Halo 3” was even released, it sold over a million copies in pre-orders. Within the first
24 hours it had sold $170 million
worth of copies, which means
that 2.8 million people had purchased it in this time. Within the
first week, over five million people
had purchased it.
“Halo 3” is already one of the
best-selling video
games of all time,
and will continue
to sell tons of copies. The game is
helping to transform the Xbox 360
into the real power
player among today’s most popular
video game conbungie.net
soles.
P A G E
o c t o b e r
2 5,
9
2 0 0 7
Many Samo students are playing “Halo 3” instead of doing their homework. What is your opinion on this practice?
Evan Parra-Raygoza
9th Grade
“It’s really
their choice.
As for me, I
do it sometimes because
it’s fun.”
Josh Kalmar
11th Grade
”Some people
like studying
homework;
some people
like studying
‘Halo 3’.”
Autumn Davidson
10th Grade
“It’s pathetic.
Everyone’s obsessed with this
game. It’s very
annoying.”
Natalie Coriaty
12th Grade
“I think they
should, because ‘Halo
3’ only comes
out once.
Duh.”
O c t o b e r
2 5,
s p o r t s
2 0 0 7
p a g e
11
Girls Tennis Hopeful for Succesful CIF Run
Girls Tennis wraps up
league play, begin preperation for CIF.
By Zane Four
Staff Writer
The Lady Vikings got off
to a quick start this season with
back-to-back matches on Sept.
26 and 27.
In the first, El Segundo traveled to Samo for the girl’s home
opener, which turned out to be
quite the nail biter, ending when
the officials instituted a tiebreaker
to decide the winner. The points
were tallied and a 9-9 tie was
deemed an El Segundo victory
when it was revealed that the Samo
girls had lost two more games than
their opponents in total sets.
After the disappointing loss,
they looked to their first league
match the next day for redemption.
Showing poise and perseverance,
the girls didn’t let the loss against El
Segundo affect them, easily beating the Morningside Monarchs
Junior Alona Lubovnya returns a shot against league rival
Beverly Hills on Oct. 18. The lady vikes were defeated by the
Normans, 15-3.
Photo by Maisy Bragg
16-2, giving them their first win
of the season and a 1-0 record in
Ocean league play. On Oct. 2,
the team traveled to rival Beverly
Hills, a unanimous favorite to
win league. There, they suffered
a tough 18-0 loss, dropping them
to 1-1 in league standings.
However, when put in perspective, the loss to the Beverly
Hills seemed to ignite a fire in the
girl’s tennis team as they began
a three game league-winning
streak with dominating victories
over Culver City,Inglewood and
Morningside, with scores of 153, 16-2 and 17-1 respectively.
After inter-league matches
against Mira Costa and Brentwood, the Lady Vikings approached their final meeting of
the season vs. Beverly Hills at
4-1, clinging on to a second place
league ranking. A win would put
the girls in contention for first
place, but a loss would leave
them tied for second, turning
the Oct. 23 match vs. Culver
City into a battle for second
place. Though they couldn’t
pull off of the upset, they did
show improvement with a final
score of 15-3. “We did very well in
singles matches, but our doubles
play really hurt us,” commented
coach Wilston Poon. “We definitely
did better than the last time we
played Beverly.” Co-captain junior
Jenny Harding and teammate junior Alona Lubovnya had strong
performances, winning the team’s
three sets. “We did better than the
last match and our singles have
improved, but we need to focus on
teamwork and our doubles game,”
commented co-captain Molly
Southam.
With the stage set and second
place on the line, the Samo girls
hosted Culver City in their most
important match of the season.
Not even wild-fire, smoke and
Santa Ana Winds could stop the
Lady Vikings on a day where
their season rank was on the line.
What was initially a close contest
quickly turned into a romp, as Samo
emerged victorious, 13-5. “I think
the girls know what they have to
do intensity-wise to finish out the
season strong and do well in CIF,”
said Poon after his team clinched
second in league for the second
consecutive year.
The Lady Vikings will end
their season today with a match
at Inglewood, a team they easily
defeated earlier this year.
Football Falls to Beverly, 28-26 Athlete of the Issue:
DAMAN COFFMAN
By Charlie Paris
Sports Editor
The Vikings suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the
Beverly Hills Normans when a late
rally fell short on Oct. 19.
Playing in their first away game
of the year, the Vikings nearly came
back from a 28-20 deficit late in the
fourth quarter. With less than two
minutes to play, senior Ryan Katz
marched the Vikings down the
field before finding senior Taylor
Wright in the end zone on a ten
yard strike, his second touchdown
reception of the game. However,
the Vikings came up empty on the
ensuing two point conversion, and
lost by a final score of 26-28.
“It was frustrating,” said Katz
of the loss, “because we didn’t play
with any emotion, and we didn’t
play with any heart.”
Wright got the scoring started
for the Vikings in the back and forth
game, scoring on a long 50 yard
catch and run from Katz to tie the
game at seven early on.
The Vikings also got a rushing
touchdown from junior tailback
Vince Lawrence, as well as another
from Katz. However, a missed extra point that would have tied the
game at 21 loomed large when the
Vikings were forced to go for two
after their final score.
“It was certainly a tough loss,”
commented head coach Zach
Cuda. “It was a big game, but we
didn’t step up and take it to them,
and it cost us.”
Despite rolling up over 200
yards apiece rushing and passing,
the Vikings were unable to get the
job done. “We struggled to find a
rhythm offensively,” admitted Katz,
“and it felt like we were just going
through the motions out there.”
The loss drops the Vikings to
a 1-1 record in the Ocean League
heading into a critical game tomorrow night against an undefeated
Culver City squad.
“It’s time to step it up,” said
Wright, adding: “If you want to
be in the playoffs or make a run
in the playoffs, you have to play
with all you’ve got. We need to
step it up.”
“We’ve put ourselves in a difficult situation for the second season
in a row that requires a win from us
to make the playoffs,” said Cuda.
2007 Varsity Football Team Leaders
OFFENSE
Passing
Player
Comp-Att Comp % Yds
TD-Int
Ryan Katz
87-138 0.630
1219
11-4
Rushing
Player
Carries
Yds Yds/Carry
Vince Lawrence
102
546
5.4
Christian Ross
49
376
7.7
Ryan Katz
41
324
7.9
Jah-Herb Johnson 2
9
4.5
Receiving
Player
Catches Yds
Yds/Catch
Taylor Wright
28
461
16.5
Jon Dunn
34
447
13.2
Isai Carrillo
10
180
18.0
Christian Ross
5
82
16.4
QB Rating
106
TD
7
2
5
1
TD
4
3
2
Defense
Player
Max Monbouqette
Taylor Wright
Al-Rilwan Adeyemi
Drew Hammond
Terry Wilson
Luke Zelon
Christian Ross
Ronald Austin
Jon Dunn
Billy Arnold
Kicking
Player
Alex Kovacs
In other games, the Vikings
nearly avenged last season’s 35-0
loss to Los Alamitos in another nail
biter on Oct 5. Despite leading for
most of the game, the Vikings lost
34-26. However, down only one
and driving midway through the
fourth quarter a fumble by junior
Christian Ross—what was probably his only mistake in a 183 yard
performance—did the Vikings in,
and allowed the Griffins to score
their final touchdown on the very
next possession.
The Vikings, however, did
defeat Long Beach Jordan and
former coach Thomas Barnes on
Sept. 28 by the final score of 2713. Touchdown receptions from
senior Jon Dunn and Wright, and
a rushing score by Ross propelled
the Vikings to the victory. Meanwhile Katz commanded the game,
throwing for 206 yards and two
touchdowns and rushing for an
additional 39.
The Vikings have been playing
much better football than their
4-3 record shows, and, as Katz
put it, “We need to start playing
our game.”
Kickoff will be at 7 o’clock.
DEFENSE
Tkls
88
50
38
38
32
31
22
16
9
11
Tkls/Gm
12.6
7.1
6.3
6.3
4.6
4.4
3.1
2.7
1.5
1.6
FG Made-Att
1-1
Sacks
3.0
4.0
3.5
1.0
Int
1
6
3
1
PAT Made-Att
19-24
By Zane Four
Staff Writer
Imagine a sport with no timeouts and no breaks. Imagine three
miles of pure speed and endurance.
Imagine a runner who pushes it to
the limit every time. The sport is
cross-country and the runner
is senior Daman Coffman,
captain of the 2007 boys
cross country team.
As a four-year varsity veteran, Coffman
has had his fair share
of achievements,
but on Oct. 11, he
looked to solidify
his spot in Samo
sports history.
On a warm
sunny day, Coffman did just that,
running a remarkable time of 16:14 at
Kenneth Hahn Park,
breaking the all-time
course record by a mindboggling 24 seconds.
“It’s a very tough course
and to have that record
is special,” commented
assistant coach Alfredo
Korzenik. “It’ll be a while
before anyone even comes
close to breaking it.”
However, this recordbreaking performance only
added to Coffman’s already
impressive cross country career.
The 2006 MVP and three-time all
Ocean League cross country team
member boasts an impressive win
list, which includes first place
finishes at Mt. Sac and the South
Bay Cup, not to mention countless
other top ten finishes.
On Oct. 20 Coffman returned
to Mt. Sac, the biggest
meet in Southern California,
known for its harsh hilly course.
With a time of 15:53, he finished in
third place overall.It was a remarkable feat that propelled the Samo
boys to a fourth place finish, their
best in recent memory.
Coffman has gained interest
from colleges, but is still unsure
of where he will end up.
“Hopefully I’ll be running in college with
a scholarship,” he
said, pondering the
future. “I know if
I continue to run,
I can be much
better than I am
now.”
“Coffman
reminds me a
lot of Steve Prefontaine, he has
guts and he’s always going to give
100 percent,” said
head coach Tania
Fischer.
This year,
Coffman is 2-0
in Ocean League
meets and will contend for an undefeated season on Nov.
1 at Rancho Park.
In his final league
meet as a Viking,
Coffman hopes to be
crowned varsity champion. Teammates line up
to praise their captain, but
senior Jon Lavian seems
to put it best, “Just when we
think Coffman can’t get any better,
he always surprises all of us.”
Photo Courtesy of Sam Cotten
T H E
S P O R T S
S A M O H I
P A G E
O CT O B E R
2 5,
1 0
2 0 0 7
VOLLEYBALL CLINCHES LEAGUE
Samo girls remain undefeated
in Ocean League play with
victory over Beverly Hills.
By Sam Bleiberg
Staff Writer
Junior Kenna Alemania (7) sets the ball for fellow junior
Brittany Neff (2) in an Ocean League match against Morningside on Oct. 11. The girls won in straight sets, 3-0.
Photo by Maisy Bragg
CROSS COUNTRY
BREAKS A SWEAT
By Danielle Ehsanipour, Staff Writer
BOYS
Senior Daman Coffman (16:14) broke the Kenneth Hahn course
record by fourteen seconds on Oct. 11, leading the Samo boys to yet
another league victory. The team also had strong performances from
other members too, with senior Shane Browne (17:00), junior Ezana
Tesfu (17:31), and captain senior Matt Cohen (17:36) finishing second,
third, and fourth, respectively as the Vikings dominated the meet.
“It’s important that the five boys are not just fast, but that they also
work well together,” said head coach Tania Fischer. “This year’s varsity
team is doing just that.”
The boys then headed to Cal Poly Invitational on Friday, Oct. 12
for a race the next morning where Coffman came in twelfth place overall
in the 5k race, with teammates senior Simon Einstein (17:17) and Tesfu
(17:22) following closely behind to earn the team a third place trophy.
The boys gained even greater recognition when they placed fourth
in the Mt. Sac invitational. Coffman finished with a time of 15:53, good
enough for a third place overall finish, while the rest of the Viking team
all finished within the top half of the race’s 173 runners. GIRLS
The Samo girls cross-country team fought hard at their last Ocean
League meet on Oct. 11, winning the meet and once again reinstituting competition with rival Beverly Hills. The previous league meet at
Kenneth Hahn Park was a tough one, where a reinforced Beverly team
sought to scare the Samo girls. However, the lady Vikings ran hard,
losing by only one point.
The team pulled together and finished strong. Senior Karissa
Gonzalez, with a time of 21:06, finished first for Samo, coming in second place overall, with junior Gabi Cruz (21:12) finishing right behind
her in third.
Sophomore Stevy Stovall (22:19), senior Rachel Horn (22:30), and
freshman Esme Levy (22:39) also ran well, finishing in seventh, eighth,
and ninth places respectively to round out the Samo five, racking up
enough points to give Samo the seven point victory over second place
Beverly Hills.
“This is the fastest team Samo has had since 1999-2000,” said head
coach Patrick Cady. “They work hard and support one another very
well.”
The Samo girls volleyball team clinched first
place in the Ocean League on Tuesday with a
home win over rival Beverly Hills. The win improved the squad’s undefeated 8-0 League record, and also secured a first round home game
in the playoffs. Incredibly, the team has not lost
a single game in Ocean league, winning all their
matches in three games.
The season started off with a well earned
win over the El Segundo Eagles. The Lady Vikings won two of the first three games, but the
Eagles won the fourth, forcing a final game. After a speech from head coach Liane Sato, Samo
came out with new life and won the fifth and final
game, and the match along with it. Summarizing
the game, junior Jen Katona said, “If this is the
worst we play all season, it’s going to be a great
season.”
The Lady Vikings followed up their first win
with a victory against Morningside, their first
league game.
The team rode their momentum into their
next match, an away game at league rival Beverly
Hills on Oct 4. The Lady Vikings beat the Normans in a dramatic three games in one of the biggest games of the season. Samo was down 24-16
in the second game, but scored eight points in a
row to win the game and eventually the match.
Beverly Hills is seen as a tough place to play due
to the loud crowds and the “Swim Gym,” a pool
with a retractable wood floor, making the victory all the more admirable. Sato said of the
victory: “They were a good team but we just
played better. We had a great comeback in the
second game and did a good job of competing
no matter what the score was.”
The Lady Vikings blew past the competition in their next three games against Hawthorne, Inglewood and Culver City, improving their league record to 5-0.
Samo placed 3rd in the Marlborough
Tournament on Oct. 13, losing in the semifinals to Oaks Christian. Katona was named to
the all-tournament team, a title she also earned
in a tournament earlier this year.
The Lady Vikings bounced back from
their loss by winning their next two matches
against Hawthorne and Morningside, but lost
a tough game to Palisades that had been rescheduled from the beginning of the season.
Said Katona of the loss: “It was our third away
game of the week and we were all tired. It was
a fluke.” Still, it is a non-league game and has
no effect on the Ocean League standings.
With an Ocean League championship
secured, the team can now focus on CIF
playoffs. “The team has done a good job competing,” said junior Heidi Hillman, “and will
continue to be successful if we can keep it
up.” Sato agreed with her, saying, “The team
must keep on improving and working hard.”
The Redondo Tournament on Saturday will
allow the team to prepare for playoffs by playing against tougher opponents than those in
the Ocean League. “The tournamnet will definitely give us a taste of real competition,” said
Sato.
In the meantime, come support the Lady
Vikings at their final home game of the season,
today in the North Gym against Culver City.
Tough Loss For Greenies
Samo suffers 10-9 setback to Beverly Hills, marking the
fourth time this season they have lost by just one goal.
By Brian Nadel and Erin Nadel
Ocean League. After a one
point victory against the El
Segundo Eagles last week (10In their last chance to claim the
9), Samo will need to beat the
Ocean League title, the Greenies
Eagles again to secure a second
faced off with league rival Beverly
place league finish. The game
Hills on Oct. 22 at the
will take place
Drake Pool.
next Monday at
The
Greenies
Samo.
started off slow against
Regardless
Beverly, falling behind
of
Monday’s
5-3 by the middle of the
upcoming game,
second quarter. But
the Greenies have
before the quarter ended,
secured a spot for
Samo found a rythm and
CIF, and their
went on a 4-1 run to give
playoff
season
themselves a 7-6 lead
looks
hopeful.
shortly after half time.
Samo is currently
“Our offense can
ranked fifth in
work,” said co-captain
their
division,
senior Shane Keckin,
and
Navarette
“but its more important
is confident that
for us to just run the right
the team will do
defense throughout the
well. “Our goal
whole game.”
is to win CIF,”
But the advantage
said Navarette.
disappeared
in
the
Beverly Hills is
third quarter, with the
also seeded high,
Normans scoring twice Senior Ryan McCarthy cocks back to shoot
and will quite
for an 8-7 edge.
possiblyplaySamo
against Beverly Hills on Oct. 22.
Early in the final
Photo by Soraya Danesh again. “Our teams
period, co-captain senior Sam crucial mistakes, and Samo
are really evenly
Einstein scored to tie the match scored only once, winning by a final matched,” said Stepien, “We’ve
at 8, and the two sides were again score of 10-9.
played four different times and
even. Both teams strained to gain a
After Monday’s game and a only lost by one each time. I
lead, and exploited every error their previous overtime victory against know if we face them in CIF
opponents made. “It was a game of Samo (12-11), Beverly Hills will our team will pull it together
who could make the least mistakes,” undoubtedly finish first in The for a win.”
Staff Writer and Editor-in-Chief
said head coach Fernando Navarette
“and we made a few too many.”
Senior Adrian Stepien agreed, “A
few mindless mistakes really hurt us
in the end.” In the final minutes of
the game, Beverly scored off of two
T H E
S A M O H I
P H O T O E S S A Y:
Downtown L.A.
Jesse Grebler-Hull
The Los Angeles skyline is one of the largest in the United States and it is still growing. Most of the buildings were built in the
1970s and 1980s and the U.S. Bank Tower is the largest building west of the Missippi River, standing at 1,018 feet.
P A G E
O CT O B E R
12
2 5, 2 0 0 7
Jesse Grebler-Hull
Located in the center of the sprawling city of Los Angeles, Downtown is a mecca of wealth and business, bordered by the poverty of
East Los Angeles.
Jesse Grebler-Hull
The Walt Disney Concert Hall was designed by Architect Frank Gehry and opened in October, 2003. It seats 2,265 people and is the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Owen Gorman
Philippe’s is one of the oldest and best known restaurants in Southern California. Philippe’s was established in 1908 by Philippe Mathieu, the inventor of the
French Dipped Sandwich.
Owen Gorman
Los Angeles’ Chinatown is regarded as the largest and most historic Chinatown in North America. It’s also a
great place to buy lucky bamboo and turtles and eat great Dim-Sum.