January 20, 2006

A Republican View of Samo
Page 2
Special Report: Drugs
Winter Sports Begin League Play
Pages 7 & 8
Page 5
On the Internet:
www.samohi.smmusd.org/thesamohi
Circulation: 3,600
Published Triweekly
Vol. XCVI No. 6 January 20, 2006
Community Teen Shot
By Analee Abbott
Campus Life Editor
An 18-year-old boy was shot
in the arm on the 1800 block of
Pico Blvd. on Jan. 3. Classified as
an “assault by a deadly weapon”
by the Santa Monica Police
Department (SMPD), officials
have not yet filed a report of an
arrest.
Two SMPD officers who were
on duty at the time of the shooting
were notified of the shots. They
arrived at the scene at 4:17 p.m.
and immediately contained the
area and searched for suspicious
activity. When a car left an alley,
police followed and stopped it.
They detained the suspects
in the vehicle, and a witness of
the shooting identified one of the
people in the car as one they had
seen holding a gun.
The victim checked in to
a local hospital where he was
treated for his bullet wound. Police
investigations are continuing.
Anyone with information about
the incident is encouraged to
contact the Robbery-Homicide
Unit of the Santa Monica Police
Department at 458-8451. Callers
who wish to remain anonymous
may also call the We-Tip national
hotline at (800) 78-CRIME.
Last week, seniors Kevin Cooke and Dorene Lew (left) and Andres Rosenthal, Ernesto Martin
and Richard Wong (right) celebrate during Spirit Week.
Photos by Max Jordan and Ashley Osberg
Comes to Samo
Yolanda King at MLK Jr. Auditorium Podcasting
By Carl Nunziato
By Nicholas Barlow
Staff Writer
Yolanda King, first born
daughter of Martin Luther King
Jr. and founder/CEO of Higher
Grounds Productions, was the
keynote speaker at the opening
of the Martin Luther King Jr.
Auditorium on the birthday of
Martin Luther King Jr., Jan. 16.
The auditorium is located at the
newly restored Santa Monica
Public Library.
King spoke at the SGI (Soka
Gakai International) Auditorium,
at 525 Wilshire Blvd., along with
an array of inspirational readings,
music and presentations of
scholarships all honoring the
memory of Dr. King.
“My father would be
disappointed if we took this
holiday as a day to chill out; we
have other days for that,” said
King. “Today is a day on, not a
day off.”
King founded Higher
Grounds Production in 1990,
intending for it to be an
organization dedicated to creating
“unity by celebrating diversity,
and [helping] people embrace
their differences until difference
doesn’t make a difference.” King,
a respected actress, has played
many roles, including that of Rosa
Parks in an NBC-TV movie titled,
King. (Yolanda-King.com)
The Martin Luther King
Jr. Westside Coalition, a nonprofit coalition whose missions
are consistent with King’s
legacy,”(Santa-monica.org/news)
coordinated the free event.
The theme of the day
was “State of the Union: A
Time for Love, Not Hate; for
Understanding, Not Anger; for
Peace, Not war.”
Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter,
Sr. introduced King. Carter
is the first dean of the Martin
Luther King Jr. International
Chapel at Morehouse College
In Atlanta, Georgia, and the
founder of the Gandhi Institute
for Reconciliation.
“[The day] focused on
action and service more than
remembrance, nothing somber,”
said junior Allie Sachnoff.
“[The dedication of the
auditorium] is many years due,”
said Mayor Richard Bloom,
“It is great to see it has finally
happened.”
At the entrance of the
auditorium is a plaque with a
quote by Dr. King: “I have the
audacity to believe that peoples
everywhere can have three meals
a day for their bodies, education
and culture for their minds, and
dignity and freedom for their
spirits.”
The event ended with a twoblock march to the new Santa
Monica Public Library, where the
dedication of the new Auditorium
took place.
Staff Writer
Samo’s library has begun
posting podcasts of teachers’
lectures on the internet as part of
a continuing attempt to modernize
the library’s resources. Podcasts,
implemented by Library/Media
Teacher Dana Bartbell, are recorded
audio clips that are broadcast
online for people to download as
“on-demand” resources. Students
can store them on portable music
players such as iPods, or they
can simply use a computer, a
microphone and an internet
connection.
Bartbell chose Social Studies
Teacher Michael Felix to hold the
first podcasts at Samo “because his
lectures are so charismatic.” The
money for the equipment, which
consists of a 20 gigabyte iPod with
a voice recorder attachment, came
from a GATE grant.
According to a report by
Russell Educational Consultancy
and Productions, a firm specializing
in the application of technology to
learning, can be used to capture
“the imagination of learners by
presenting materials and providing
resources in the form of audio
or video podcasts in new and
interesting ways.” Studens can
even use them while doing other
activities such as exercising.
As of now, Samo relies on
Malibu’s internet server for
podcasting because that of Samo
is not equipped to handle large
audio files needed for podcasting.
In addition, before Bartbell makes
podcasting available to all studens,
she wants to make sure that they
will respond well to the project,
and that podcasts will not replace
library books as resources for school
projects.
Still, Bartbell hopes the project
will become a valuable tool: “The
hope is that students will just view
it as one other tool that will help
them as they do what they need
SARC Fails Report Card Samo Explores Idea of New Layout
By Alice Ollstein
Opinion Editor
UCLA Professor of Law Gary
Blasi, along with several graduate
students, conducted a survey
in 2005 and determined that
California’s“SchoolAccountability
Report Card” (SARC) is failing to
communicate vital information
about school districts to parents
and community members of
diverse ethnicities and levels of
education.
Every school district is
required by federal and state law
to publish a SARC for every school
in the district. In the UCLA study,
subtitled “Grading the Report
Card,” Professor Blasi and his
law students used three methods
to evaluate the SARC: first with
computerized readability analysis
programs, then with in-depth
focus groups with parents, and
finally with groups of “welleducated, civic-minded citizens”
to assess how well the SARC
enabled them to make factual
judgments about schools.
The first test utilized proven
commercial readability analysis
software to compare the SARC
to other typically “unreadable”
documents. Blasi’s team found the
SARC more difficult to read than
both the Microsoft Windows XP
Software Installation Instructions
and the IRS 6251 Alternative
Minimum Tax Form. In fact, the
test revealed that one needs 17.2
years of education to properly
understand it.
In the second test, the study
constructed two diverse focus
groups from the parents on
the UCLA campus, including
professors,administrators,students
and janitors. Besides revealing that
many have no idea that the SARC
even exists, the focus groups
provided further information
about the poor readability of the
report. The study also notes that
27 percent of California households
are “linguistically isolated.” This
means that no member of the
household can fully understand
English, let alone the SARC.
UCLA’sreportconcludedwith
three suggestions for improving
the SARC: “The State should draw
upon outside expertise to assess the
comprehensibility of the SARC,
the State should design, test, and
publish a more comprehensible
SARC template for use by school
districts, and the State should
require that the SARC be translated
into languages used by significant
groups within each school district’s
population.”
By Jennifer Galamba
Staff Writer
Community members have
been discussing tentative plans
for the architectural redesign of
Samo that will take place over the
next 20 years. The Santa MonicaMalibu Unified School District
(SMMUSD) has titled the task “The
SMMUSD Facilities Master Plan
Community Planning Project.”
City council members, members of
the SMMUSD Board of Education,
Samo parents and students have
met to consider the possibility
of a more efficiently structured
Samo.
Samo has hired members of
contract companies to observe
the students, staff and activities
that occur at Samo in order
prepare ideas for blueprints of the
exact structure of the school. The
proposal will be tentative until
approved by a board of Santa
Monica residents this summer.
The plan is only in the
beginning stages. CEO/Principal
Ilene Straus said, “ This program is
just starting now, and in a couple of
years we will have a [permanent]
proposal, and we will need a bond
measure. It will end up being
beyond the years of most of the
students here.”
Two student groups have been
established to formulate solutions
to potential problems with the
redesign. They will also assist in the
creation of the plans that will await
approval from the community.
Samo community members
will also contribute to the project.
According to SamoAdministration,
the participation and collaboration
of community ideals for Samo are
a priority.
Ashes and Snow in Santa Monica
By Annie Danis
Editor-In-Chief
Ashes and Snow, an exhibition
of photographs by Gregory
Colbert, resides in the temporary
“Nomadic Museum” in the
parking lot north of the pier. The
exhibition, sponsored by Rolex,
showcases over 100 photographs
of humans interacting with exotic
animals. The exhibition opened
Jan. 14 and will be on display
through May 14.
Colbert spent over 14
years traveling to Asia, Africa,
Antarctica and the Middle East,
trying to capture, as he said in
a press release, “the common
ground that once existed when
people lived in harmony with
animals.” Each photograph is
printed in sepia tones on handmade Japanese paper and strung
between wires, keeping the
photos unfettered by frames.
The 56,000 sq. ft. Nomadic
Museum features innovative
sustainable architecture. Paper
tube columns and 152 steel
cargo containers comprise the
two-story lofted space, giving
viewers plenty of room to absorb
Colbert’s large prints.
Ashes and Snow, the title of
this exhibition, is a reference to
Colbert’s novel, Ashes and Snow:
A Novel in Letters, in which a man
writes 365 letters to his wife while
on a spiritual journey in nature.
The novel is referenced in a film of
Colbert’s expeditions that serves
as a focal point for the exhibit.
The Ashes and Snow
Education Outreach Program
offers free admission for all
K-12 student groups with a
reservation. All Santa Monica
schools and Title I schools in
the greater Los Angeles area are
automatically eligible for a bus
grant. For more information on
the exhibit, visit Ashesandsnow.
com.
Page 2
Opinion
A Teen Driver’s Plea for Rights
by Eliza Smith
Feature Editor
The driver’s license used to be
the adolescent’s symbol of freedom and independence. However,
because the State government
constantly implements new rules
and regulations, getting a license
is now more difficult than ever.
Restrictive curfews and age limits
are not only discouraging but frustrating. Now, with the arrival of yet
another law for underage drivers,
curfew has moved from midnight
to 11:00 p.m., and teens cannot
drive passengers under the
age of 21 without supervision of an adult for an entire
year after receiving their
license. Furthermore, this
law is retroactive: all minors who patiently waited
their six months to drive
passengers must give up
their chauffeuring rights and
wait an additional six months.
This new law is another case of
unnecessary teen driver disenfranchisement.
Many drivers who have been
behind the wheel for over six
months feel the law unreasonably
affects them, as it takes away the
rights they’ve waited so long to
obtain. “After half a year you’re
experienced enough to drive
people around,” said junior Taylor
Black. “Everyone [before this new
law] got to drive people after six
months. Why do we have to wait?”
As a member of this group, I am
infuriated. I passed the test: the
DMV guaranteed me the right to
ferry around passengers under
21 after six months of having my
license. However, on Jan. 1, in addition to removing this right, my
curfew was bumped up an hour.
How can the lawmakers actually
expect teen drivers to obey the law
after their feelings have been so
blatantly
ignored?
According to TheAutoChannel.com, “The new law should
further reduce teen crash deaths
and injuries which have already
been significantly reduced by the
existing [six month] law.” If the
law was effective, why has yet
another been devised? Moreover,
why is it retroactive? Steven Bloch,
Ph.D., Senior Research Associate
at the Auto Club explained, “The
number of crashes involving
California’s 16-year-old drivers
between 11 p.m. and midnight is
nearly 13 percent higher than we
would expect.” However, an earlier curfew could lead to even more
reckless driving as teens hurry to
get home on time. And, let’s face
it, teens who drink will have one
less hour to sober up after the party
before driving home. Ultimately,
more tickets will be passed out to
drivers breaking the curfew law;
eventually, no one will have any
incentive to drive. The State
should find a better way to
elminate grid-lock than taking rights away from teens
who rely on their cars for
daily transportation.
Instead of further limiting our rights, the State
government should focus
on drivers’ education.
Those Red Asphalt videos,
cheesy as they were, scared
me out of drunk driving for
good. Unreliable online driving
courses could be limited, and
behind-the-wheel training could
be emphasized and increased
from the current three sessions
to four or even five. My peers are
already responding negatively to
the new law; many are likely to
rebel against it. The State should
realize that teens won’t respond to
laws they feel are unfair, but will
respond to tedious but enriching
and practical drivers’ training.
The Six Commandments
of Cell Phone Etiquette
Hannah Bernstein
Staff Writer
Every new technological development comes with its own
problems and annoyances. Samo
students have become so addicted
to their cell phones that they spend
passing periods checking their
voice mail and class periods text
messaging under their desk. I
believe it’s time for a few simple
do’s and don’ts to prevent cell
phone insanity.
1. DO silence your phone when
it could disturb others. You don’t
want “Hello Moto” blaring at your
grandmother’s funeral.
DON’T forget that vibrating
phones can disrupt too, especially
when clanking against the keys in
your bag.
2. DO keep private conversations private. No one should have
to listen to you fight with your
mother or complain about a zit.
DON’T talk on a cellphone in
elevators, restaurants, waiting
rooms, libraries, cemeteries, movie
theaters, airplanes or any other
enclosed space.
3. DO realize that cell phones
can pick up your voice when you
talk at a normal volume.
DON’T yell to overcome a bad
signal. Shouting “Can you hear
me now?” will only work if the
person is 10 feet away.
4. DO use a headset for your
cell phone while driving. You
needn’t get into an accident trying
to make a one-handed left turn.
DON’T use a hands-free device
outside of a car, unless you want
to be mistaken for a schizophrenic.
It’s frightening enough to see businessmen walking around talking
to themselves; seeing a teenager
doing it is just ridiculous.
5. DO realize that a unique
voice mail message can be a great
way to show off your personality
and entertain your friends.
DON’T subject anyone to more
than ten seconds of banjo, and
never make it sound like you’re
actually there; that’s just rude.
6. DO realize that Big Brother
could be watching and listening.
Text messages were evidence in
Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case;
it could happen to you.
DON’T talk (or joke) about
anything illegal in text messages.
It’s all being stored by the phone
companies and combed through
by the police. We’ve all seen Law
and Order: SVU.
If Samo students (and a few
teachers) can stop chatting and
text messaging long enough to
consider these commandments,
we can have a more technologically polite campus.
In Defense of Samo’s Republican Students
Daniel Galdjie
Staff Writer
America’s liberals often hail their ideology as one of progress, open-mindedness
and tolerance while characterizing conservative ideology as archaic, unsophisticated
and bigoted. However, because of the liberals’ certainty in their righteousness, they
have become the unsophisticated bigots
they accuse conservatives of being. This
irony is clear in “The People’s Republic of
Santa Monica,” especially at Samo. Liberals
have good reason to believe in their ideology, because the liberals of the world have
courageously moved society forward for
centuries. However, in 21st century America
nothing is black and white. On issues ranging from welfare to the economy to national
defense, there are no clear-cut answers;
only through debate and compromise can
the best policy be selected.
These basics of democracy seem to be
lost on liberals, at least those that attend
and teach at Samo. In class discussions,
when Republican students try share their
views, the liberal majority usually tries to
shut them up, not wanting to hear ideas
that conflict with their narrow view of the
world. Senior Greg Bogosian expressed his
feelings as a conservative at Samo; “There
is no acceptance. People have these stupid
and frankly offensive stereotypes that they
constantly throw at me.”
Samo teachers as well as students harbor hostility against conservatives; I myself
have had a teacher who nearly cried upon
hearing that I’m a Republican. It is unfortunate that an educated teacher does not
understand that the open right-left debate
in America that makes this country the
best in the world. Instead of being upset
over the fact that I’m a conservative, that
teacher should have applauded the fact
that I have different ideas, realizing that
every difference in opinion is a new opportunity to reach a better solution. Senior
Jessica Kilburn explains: “Students at Samo
are radicals; most are close-minded to the
Republican Party, and their sentiments are
Remember, this paper is by students
and for students. Use the Opinion page to
express yourself: submit an original article
or respond to one of our published articles.
Do You Have An Opinion?
The Samohi seeks “My Turn”
submissions of up to 800 words
or a “Letter to the Editor” of 500
words or fewer on any topic,
including a reponse to published material. Please include
references for any facts you use.
We reserve the right to edit submissions for length and clarity.
E-MAIL: samohiopinion@gmail.
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601 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
SCHOOL: T217
Submissions due by Nov. 30
reinforced daily by the rhetoric of their
teachers.”
Even this newspaper, staffed by intellectual and well-read students isn’t immune.
During a recent brainstorming session, one
student acknowledged the newspaper’s
lack of political diversity, but then added
that he “hates Republicans.” The comment
drew little attention; statements like this
are common at Samo.
To measure the deep prejudice against
conservatives at Samo, The Samohi conducted a survey: Out of 162 upperclassman
surveyed, 55 percent are Democrats, and
about 12 percent are Republicans. 72 percent of Samo Democrats reported having
“very negative” or “somewhat negative”
feelings towards Republicans, but only
43 percent of Samo Republicans reported
having “very negative” or “somewhat
negative” feelings towards Democrats. The
survey also found a significant difference
in how Democrats and Republicans feel
about the level of political tolerance at
Samo: Only 36 percent of Democrats char-
acterized Samo as politically “intolerant,”
while 86 percent of Republicans reported
Samo as being either “somewhat intolerant” or “very intolerant.” After seeing these
statistics, senior Democrat Sean Gaynor
acknowledged: “It’s hard for a Republican
to live in an area as liberal as Santa Monica.”
Samo junior Sultana Megalos added, “I
believe a lot of the hostility against Republicans comes from Bush’s unjust policies,
like those in the Iraq war.”
Few liberals realize that even though
they disagree with conservative policies,
the two parties want the same basic things:
a healthy economy, a country free from terrorism, and the civil liberties guaranteed
in the Constitution. They only disagree on
the ways of reaching that better America,
but this should not create hostility. The
French philosopher Voltaire is believed to
have said, “I do not agree with what you
say, but will defend to the death your right
to say it.” Unfortunately, the Democrats of
Samo have forgotten the idealistic words
of this great thinker.
Opinion—Page 3 The Samohi January 20, 2006
Murdoch Owns My Mind, My Mom and MySpace
By Annie Danis Editor-in-Chief
and Alice Ollstein Opinion Editor
He owns nine satellite television networks, 100 cable channels,
175 newspapers, 40 television
stations, one movie studio, 40 percent of the Los Angeles Kings, 9.8
percent of Los Angeles Lakers, 40
percent of the Staples Center, and
now... MySpace.com. He’s Rupert
Murdoch, a staunch conservative
Republican whose multiple media
corporations reach as many as one
in five American homes at any
given time.
A firm believer that the news
business is a business, Murdoch
researches trends to find out which
news stories sell. Thus, he has
shifted his focus from newspaper
journalism to television (such as
FOX News), and now has set his
sights on teens’ preferred source
of news: the Internet. The Carnegie
Corporation’s 2004 study on news
sources found that Americans
believe Internet news is “more
up-to-date, more accessible and
more entertaining than newspaper
news” (Carnegie.org). Murdoch
believes so strongly in the power
of the Internet that he paid 580
million dollars this past July to
purchase Intermix Media, which
owns more than 30 marketing and
entertainment websites, including
MySpace.com.
Chances are, every one of us
is influenced by at least one of
Murdoch’s many corporations,
seeing as he has a total audience
of 4.7 billion people, almost threequarters of the world population
(Outfoxed). You may
not care which
wealthy old
manownstheTVshows
you watch or the website where
you can comment on your friend’s
latest picture, but it does make a
difference in your perception of
the world. Murdoch holds blatant
Republican views and forces them
on his news outlets, including the
Weekly Standard, a neoconservative
journal that pushed for war in Iraq.
Murdoch’s most watched channel,
FOX News, forced an anchorman to portray Ronald Regan’s
birthday as “something akin to
a holy day” by airing endless
footage of the Regan Presidential
Library instead of news (Outfoxed).
Murdoch shared his beliefs at a
Senate Hearing in 2003, when a
Republican senator asked him to
explain 300-plus hours a week of
conservative talk radio versus only
five hours of liberal talk on one of
his stations. Murdoch responded,
“Apparently conservative talk is
more popular.”
According to a 2003 study by
PIPA (Program on International
Policy Attitudes), those who watch
FOX News often develop skewed
views on world issues. Randomly
selected participants answered
questions about current events:
Republican FOX viewers got 78
percent of the questions wrong,
Republican Public Broadcasting
(PBS/NPR) viewers got 50 percent
wrong, Democratic FOX viewers
got 48 percent wrong and, in contrast, Democratic PBS/NPR viewers got every question
right. This
study
proves that
a news source can and
usually does affect our perception of the world. Murdoch gives
America news that sells: a sensationalized right-wing perspective
that often strays from the truth.
He reports news that benefits his
businesses instead of reporting
what actually happened. In our
capitalist country self-interest is
inevitable, especially in business.
But when it causes a large percentage of people to believe that the
United States found weapons of
mass destruction in Iraq (which
has been proven false), we have
a big problem.
When the Senate called Murdoch to a hearing regarding
regulation of American media
enterprises, California Senator
Barbara Boxer asked him if there
should be limits to the amount
of media one person can own.
Murdoch answered, “I don’t know
what the right limits are. But I’m
certainly in favor of relaxing the
existing limits.” She then asked,
“Should there be limits on you?”
Murdoch replied, “Of course not.”
Murdoch fails to grasp that a free
press must offer the public a choice
of news sources; if one man with
one set of beliefs owns everything,
as is quickly becoming the case,
the press is no longer free.
As he moves into the domain
of the Internet, Murdoch gains
yet another portal into the minds
of Americans. With a new tool to
spread his doctrine and nothing
barring his path, Murdoch will
continue to give the people what
they want, factual or not, in order
to turn a profit.
Health Food Labels Lie Stop Week: A Necessity
By Carl Nunziato
Staff Writer
Cold Sharing
Isn’t Caring
By Chelsea Rinnig
Ad Editor
High School: an enchanting community where friends,
teachers and cold viruses
somehow co-exist. Rampant
coughs and sore throats make
classrooms a breeding ground
for sickness where students
prioritize school over health.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m
not insanely germaphobic, but
after I got sick last fall, I began to closely examine every
surface before I touched it and
frequently scrub my hands
until they were red. Many
teenagers are careless. They
share everything: drinks,
pencils, desks, lip balm, cell
phones and therefore, colds.
At this age we should be more
conscientious of what we put
in our mouths—they taught
us that in kindergarten after
little Jimmy drank the glue.
Because there is no cure
for the common cold, it is
important to let your body
fight the virus. How are we
supposed to get well if we’re
busy trying to keep our eyes
open during class?
I am not saying that students should spray antibacterial on every surface, live
in a plastic bubble, or start
ditching school at the slightest sneeze or cough. Rather,
take vitamins, eat well, sleep
more, avoid smoking and
drink plenty of water. And
hit the hay, not the books,
when you’re feeling under
the weather.
Fad diets have been around
forever, offering quick, easy ways
to lose weight without providing
long term results. With so many
“painless” ways to slim down,
it’s a wonder that, according to
Friedman School of Nutrition
Science and Policy, 55 percent of
Americans are still overweight.
Thousands of health food
stores are springing up across the
nation, in response to the popularity of a new fad—the “low fat,
low calorie, all natural” diet. From
Albertson’s health food section to
Jamba Juice’s smoothies, it seems
like every market and restaurant
is jumping on the healthy band
wagon. Even local liquor stores
and school vending machines
stock brands that advertise under
the banner of “healthy.” On the
surface, the popularity of these
foods suggests that American
shoppers are finally embracing
healthy, non-sedentary lifestyles.
However, health food is not what
it seems to be.
The nutrition facts on the
backside of those brightly-colored
labels often make me wonder if the
manufacturer made a misprint.
Many products have high caloric
content and are filled with sugar,
strange chemicals and fat. Rather
than signaling a true shift towards
healthier lifestyles, American’s obsession with health food actually
reflects our continued ignorance
concerning nutrition.
If shoppers overcame their
aversion to reading and actually
looked at nutrition facts, “healthy”
foods would be far less popular.
Wheat Thins, for example, betray
consumer trust; the name itself
(Thins) is supposed to sound sliming. It’s hard to believe that a small
snack-sized bag could contain
230 calories and a slew of added
chemicals and preservatives.
Foods with “no artificial flavors” printed somewhere on the
package are especially deceptive.
These labels imply that a product’s
taste has not been tampered with.
However, if you take the time to
flip the package over and read the
list of ingredients, odds are you’ll
find “natural flavors” near the bottom. According to Eric Schlosser’s
Fast Food Nation, the phrases
“natural flavors” and “artificial
flavors” both mean that a strange
assortment of man-made chemicals was added to make food look
or taste the way it does. Schlosser
also reveals the origins of these additives: one type of coloring used
in pink products such as Dannon
Strawberry Yogurt and Ocean
Spray’s Pink Grapefruit Juice,
called carmine or carmic acid, is
harvested from the fermenting
bodies of insects.
Many restaurants also use deceptive language. Jamba Juice’s
mission statement, to provide
“great tasting smoothies that are
good for you, too” is misleading.
The original Strawberry Wild’s
480 calories and 92 grams of sugar
are about as healthy as a liter of
coke. And the majority of Jamba
smoothies have similar nutritional
value; all but five contain over 400
calories. Fast food companies are
also trying to carve out their share
of the health food market, though
it’s amazing that “McDonalds”
and “health” can be crammed into
the same sentence.
It’s fine to enjoy “health”
snacks in moderation. But if you
want to eat food without fearing
it will destroy you from the inside
out, try cooking it yourself. People
tend to consume 50 percent less
calories when they choose a homecooked meal over restaurant food,
according to USA Today’s Lifestyle
section. Also, buy certified organic
whenever possible, to ensure your
produce is chemical-free. The Santa Monica Farmers Market, held
at multiple locations throughout
the week, is full of fresh, organic
fruits and vegetables.
If you don’t have any interest in
cooking meals, buying fresh produce, or working out, at least take
the time to check the ingredients
on the back of labels. It takes less
than a minute, requires no physical
effort and can do wonders at keeping unwanted additives safely
outside of your stomach.
By Samantha Walters
Staff Photographer
Every year, the week before
finals is designated as “Stop
Week,” when all extra-curricular
activities are supposed to be cancelled (no theater productions,
club meetings, sports practices,
or music rehearsals). This pause
in school-related activities should
give everyone at Samo free time
to study. Contrary to this philosophy, there were 26 sports games,
a winter band concert and a choir
rehearsal scheduled this year for
the week before finals. Athletes
and musicians deserve a real Stop
Week, just like everyone else.
This is my third year at Samo,
and, so far, I have never been able
to study for finals without musical
and athletic distractions. This year
alone I had three basketball games,
plus practices every other day of
the week. On top of that, I had a
band concert for three hours.
Why do students like myself
choose to torture themselves
with so many extra-curricular
activities? In a nutshell, college
is getting more competitive. According to collegeadmissioninfo.
com, the number of students has
increased almost 30 percent over
the past decade, and will continue
Editor-in-Chief.................Annie Danis
Managing Editor...Marissa Silverman
News Editor........................Cara Safon
Opinion Editors..............Alice Ollstein
Molly Strauss
Feature Editor....................Eliza Smith
Special Report Editor....Nicola Persky
Campus Life Editor......Analee Abbott
Sports Editors..............Lincoln Boehm
Emily Foshag
Photo Editor......................Max Jordan
Ad Editor......................Chelsea Rinnig
Copy Editor...............William Bromell
Art Editor........................JoJo Samuels
Adviser...........................Kathleen Faas
to increase until 2008. Many (like
myself) have chosen to do music
and sports to give them an edge
in the admissions process. In
addition, participating in extracurricular activities helps many
students feel at home in a big
school like Samo, where it’s easy
to get lost in the crowd. But every
year I feel punished for participating. Samo shouldn’t make us
choose between our classes and
our teams by scheduling countless activities in what should be a
“dead” week. The 11-plus hours of
activities probably affect students’
final grades in numerous subjects.
Remember, student comes before
athlete in “student athlete.”
Most people are lucky enough
not to have this problem, but of the
3,500 students at Samo, 255 play
winter sports and nearly one third
dedicate their time to the music
program. Athletes and musicians
have had to stretch themselves
thin over the last week to achieve
the same results on finals as others. Samo should realize that stop
means stop. All students deserve
a real Stop Week, even if it means
moving finals before winter break
or extending a sports season. If it
helps the overworked musicians
and athletes survive finals, I am
all for it.
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Published triweekly during the school
year by the Associated Student Body
of Santa Monica High School, 601
Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA. 90405.
Unsigned editorials reflect the opinions of the staff. Signed editorials
represent the opinions of the writer.
Staff
Zahir Alibhai, Zoey Baldwin, Nick
Barlow, Jackie Berkman, Hannah
Bernstein, Nora Casey, Sam Cotten,
Jennifer Galamba, Daniel Galdjie,
Jacquelyn Hoffman, August Lipp,
Erin Nadel, Carl Nunziato, Ashley
Osberg, Charlie Paris, Evan Perkins,
Andrew Reilly, Erin Schneider,
Jeremy Tramer, Samantha Walters,
Matt Weber, Sophia Young, Zoe
Young
Page 4
Feature
The Public Library: Not Just for Bookworms
By Nicola Persky
Special Report Editor
If you haven’t already checked
out Santa Monica’s remodeled
Public Library, you should do so.
The two-story building, located at
601 Santa Monica Boulevard, looks
like a museum, and runs just as
smoothly.
Designed by Moore Ruble
Yudell Architects & Planners, the
104,000 square foot library took
two years to renovate, costing
$57.7 million dollars. The first floor
features fiction and new books, a
children’s library, a teen lounge and
a grand reading room. Books aren’t
the only materials offered: CDs,
DVDs, magazines, downloadable
audiobooks and newspapers are
also available on the first floor.
If you want a quiet place to
study, head to the second floor,
which features study rooms,
computer commons, community
meeting rooms available for public
programs and a computer training
room. Nonfiction, periodicals,
reference services and the World
Languages Collection are located
on this floor as well.
A self-service check-out center,
featuring digital scanners and
printable due-date receipts, allows
for efficiency. Solar panels and
other sustainable features make
the building environmentally
conscious. The building is also
easily accessible: the library sells
bus cards and contains a three-level
public parking structure.
In addition to offering a
wonderful collection of resources,
the new library provides a beautiful
space for community members to
come together. Said City Librarian
Greg Mullen, “The bottom line
is that rather than a library that is
just designed to store books and
accommodate people, we have a
building here that is designed for
people and accommodates the
collection.”
Mullen cites the outdoor
courtyard featuring artist Carl
Cheng’s “Underwater Canopy”
and the soon-to-open café as
examples of the library’s dedication
to the community’s interest in
creating an aesthetically pleasing
public library. “[The community]
wanted an open building with open
natural light and meeting spaces,
which is what we have created,”
said Mullen. The building also
houses a permanent art collection,
including Stanton MacdonaldWright murals, designed in the
1930s as a WPA project for one
of Santa Monica’s original main
libraries.
The library’s grand opening
was Jan. 7. The day featured
numerous activities, celebrities,
speeches
and
presentations,
including a performance by the
Santa Monica High School Band,
book readings and signings by
children’s authors Rhea Perlman
and Jamie Lee Curtis, a puppet
show and a presentation by “The
Animal Guys,” which showcased
a dozen wild animals. “There was
a tremendous, positive response
from the community,” said Mullen
of the grand opening.
The library’s Martin Luther
King, Jr. Auditorium will host
upcoming events in the community,
including the salsa dance class Viva
Salsa!, a tribute to author Raymond
Carver and the Los Angeles
Flute Quartet. Visit smpl.org for a
complete calendar of events. Said
junior Tiimo Schultz, “The [new
library] is amazing. I usually don’t
go to libraries, but I’ll definitely be
coming back here.”
American Apparel is “Clothes” Minded Bad Movie Madness
By Zoe Young
Staff Writer
It’s hard not to notice the
bright, monochromatic clothes
that have begun to dot our
campus:
a shocking
orange tee in the Science
Quad, a forest green
dress near the Language
Building, even a tight
red pencil skirt strutting
down the breeze way.
These clothes are not just
cotton coincidences- they
are all made by American
Apparel (AA).
With
locations
all over Los Angeles,
including stores in Santa
Monica and Westwood
Village, AA has become
one of today’s most
popular boutiques. AA
specializes in colorful singles,
made to match anything they’re
paired with. “There are so many
choices that you can find a color
you really connect with,” said
junior Jake Weinraub. “I don’t
have to overthink it when I’m
wearing it.”
Along with the company’s
all-seeing fashion sense, AA
happens to be one of the
most humanitarian garment
manufacturers in the world. In
an industry where sweatshops
reign supreme and workers are
chained to their sewing machines
for long hours, AA is a light at
the end of a long tunnel. The
entire company functions out
of one factory in downtown
L.A. Its average sewing floor
employee earns over $12.50
an hour, more than double the
US federal minimum wage. AA
offers workers (both those who
sew and those who design) health
insurance for only $8 a week.
AA provides employees with
complimentary transportation to
and from work, English
as a Second Language
classes for free, along
with
Yoga
classes,
bathroom breaks, free
use of the phone, paid
days off and a bicyclelending program.
CEO/Senior Partner
DovCharneyestablished
the company in 1998.
Charney’s idea behind
the business was to
manufacture clothing
for men, women, kids
and dogs while treating
factory workers fairly
and “having a good time
in the process.” (americanapparel.
net) In a market where people
have to worry about the ethics
behind the clothes they buy, it’s
nice to feel good about buying
a name brand and not guilty
about the sweatshop where it
was produced. AA is dedicated to
giving us good clothes, without
the guilt.
By Evan Perkins
Staff Writer
It’s a bad little habit of the
major movie studios to release
all their really terrible movies
in January. Here are a few of the
stinkers to avoid this month:
Bloodrayne: When you
base a movie on a videogame
about vampires, bad things
happen. Especially when said
videogame about vampires
isn’t very good and the director
(Uwe Boll) is internationally
known as one of the worst
filmmakers alive. What you’re
left with is a movie about
vampires that nobody should
go see, even as a joke. Not
even if you like vampires.
Underworld: Evolution:
An unnecessary sequel with
a lame-sounding title, this
film proves that every once
in a while someone will come
up with a really stupid idea
(in this case, the war between
vampires and werewolves)
and make a movie out of it.
Of course, Sony decided to
make a few more bucks off of
this terrible premise and put
out a sequel. And of course,
due to obvious reasons, the
sequel sucks. Don’t see it. Not
even if you like vampires (and
werewolves).
Big Momma’s House 2:
This movie is not only a terrible
waste of film, but it’s also a sign
of the Apocalypse, or at least a
prophecy of Hollywood’s new
low point. This time around,
Martin Lawrence, as Big
Momma, must stop a murder.
Of course the plot doesn’t
really matter, as it is the sequel
to Big Momma’s House, the
movie that nearly drove me
to suicide. At least there aren’t
any vampires.
Cheaper by the Dozen 2:
Technically this movie was
released in 2005, but it still
deserves a mention on this
list. The fact that someone
decided to make a sequel
to the wretched piece of
garbage that was Cheaper by
The Dozen is probably proof
in itself that there is no shred
of goodness or originality
left in Hollywood these days.
You should most definitely
avoid this abomination at all
costs. Especially if you like
vampires.
Beware of the Penis Flytrap, A New Breed of Condom
By Sophia Young
Staff Writer
Women no longer need to
fear dark alleys and suspicious
strangers – The Penis Fly Trap
is here to the rescue! The Penis
Fly Trap (actually called rapex)
is the first female condom of
its kind. Prior to the advent
of rapex, protection against
pregnancy and STDs was the
main goal of birth control. Now,
with this new South African
invention, female condoms can
add rape prevention to their list
of attributes.
“Nothing has ever been
done to help a woman so that
she does not get raped, and
I thought it was high time,”
said Sonette Ehlers,
creator
of the innovative new form of
protection. The device, made of
latex and sharp barbs, is worn
much like a tampon, and is
meant to stop a sexual attack
before ejaculation. In the incident
of rape, the barbs painfully hook
into the perpetrator’s penis.
Surgery is the only possible form
of removal of the Penis Fly Trap,
giving it the added bonus of easy
identification of rapists. Trials
have been carried out on women,
who have tested the product for
comfort, and plastic male models
(no live men have been used
yet).
Ehlers claims that her
invention is meant to serve
women living in areas of
frequent violence, such as
South Africa, where authorities
estimate there are at least four
times more incidences of rape
than the 50,000 reported each
Despite
year
(msnbc.com).
the intentions of the groundbreaking invention, many antirape groups wonder if rapex may
in fact be counter-productive. “If
a victim is wearing such a device
it may enrage the attacker further
and possibly result in more
harm being caused,” explains
Sam Waterhouse, advocacy
coordinator for Rape Crisis.
There are still others who view
the device as simply barbaric and
medieval.
Ultimately,
the
most
disturbing factor with regards to
Ehler’s invention is its necessity.
With hope, we will one day live
in a world that does not require
the threat of severe injury to stop
crime, but until then, we must
brave such inventions as the Penis
Fly Trap. As Ehler explains, “This
is not about vengeance... but the
deed, that is what I hate.”
SPECIAL REPORT:
DOES SAMO HAVE A DRUG PROBLEM?
A Survey of Samo Students’ Drug Habits and Addictions
The Samohi surveyed • Of the 22% of Samo
students who have
383 students of all
tried inhalants, 46%
grades about their drug
did so in 5th grade
habits.
• Of the 81% of Samo
students who have
consumed alcohol,
36% admit to doing
so at school.
or earlier, while 34%
first tried them in
middle school.
• Of the 10% of Samo
students who have
used meth, 50% tried
meth during or before 9th grade.
• 17% of Samo students
have sold drugs. 4%
consider themselves
dealers.
How easy
is it to get
Marijuana
at Samo?
• 12% of Samo students have tried Ecstasy. 4% have tried
it more than once.
• Of the Samo students
who have tried drugs,
60% believe they will
• 13% of Samo students • 18% of Samo students
Compiled by Carl Nunziato and Matt Weber
never quit.
have tried cocaine.
have used Acid.
Staff Writers
Samo’s
Substance
Policy:
Every
Student
Treated
Equally?
By Nicola Persky
Special Report Editor
Samo administrators and
security officers, following
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District’s (SMMUSD)
Controlled Substance Policy,
frequently bust students for
drugs. However, some students
feel that the policy’s procedure
is not executed in the same way
for every student, which could
be a result of the hazy definition
of “Soft Evidence,” not clearly
defined by the policy.
The Controlled Substance
Policy divides drug-related
evidence into Hard Evidence
and Soft Evidence. Hard
Evidence, basically consisting
of physical evidence of drugs
and eye-witness testimony
of drugs, leaves little room
for debate. However, the
definition of Soft Evidence is
less concrete. “Soft Evidence is
more subjective; it involves all
other forms of evidence and is
usually based on observation
of student behavior,” reads the
policy. There is no mention, in
the policy, of how much Soft
Evidence warrants punishment.
However, Soft Evidence can
hold equal weight in terms of
student punishment for drug
abuse. H-House Principal Ruth
Esseln described a situation
involving Soft Evidence, “In one Reynoso, was detained in a was suspended for a week, a
case two pieces of Soft Evidence different room and questioned sentence Nani took to be racewere sufficient to recommend a at the same time she was. “They related. “I’ve heard about
student for expulsion, given the tried to scare me into ratting white kids getting cigarettes
extensive drug history of the him out by saying that they had confiscated and walking free
student in question.”
punishment]…I
see
found a lot of money on him [from
Outreach Worker Kathy and that the money was drug blacks and Hispanics getting
McTaggart, former director of money. It was his Christmas suspended for the same thing.”
the Alliance Program suggests money!” she said. Nani was
While McTaggart has not
that while administrators and shocked by the security personally observed racial
security officers execute the officer’s attempts to make her profiling in the Controlled
Controlled Substance Policy reveal information about her Substance Policy’s application,
fairly, inequality in
she does not deny
student
punishment
the
possibility;
could exist because of the “[Observations of student behav- instead, she sees
Soft Evidence Procedure.
ior] are somewhat of a judgment Nani’s claim of racial
“[Observations
of
discrimination
as
call, though I believe the judgstudent behavior] are
evidence of need for
somewhat of a judgment
ment is made by people with
racial
acceptance
call, though I believe
on campus. Said
enough training to properly deal McTaggart, “I think
the judgment is made
by people with enough
with these issues.”
[Nani’s
claim]
training to properly
is
an
interesting
~Kathy McTaggart
deal with these issues.”
observation, and if
Junior Erika Nani
students are seeing
was searched under the
things that way, we
Controlled Substance Policy. boyfriend, who had no drugs have a long way to go before
A security officer came to her on him. “[Security] wanted me students on this campus are
P.E. class and escorted her to to squeal on [Reynoso],” Nani treated equally.”
a Samo House office. “I didn’t said. “Security asked me, ‘Do
McTaggart feels that the
know why they were searching you think you’re in love? You Soft Evidence procedure may
my stuff,” said Nani. “They don’t know what love is?’” allow some students to avoid
told me a source had told them Administration denies this punishment altogether. “In a
I was affiliated with drugs. I claim.
group of three or four students,
told them I had nothing to hide
After more futile searching, some show more signs [of drug
and they could search all they security gave Nani an apology. use] than others and thus, some
wanted.”
Administrators found half students will not get caught.
Nani
says
that
her of a Zig-Zag rolling paper For every student who is busted
boyfriend,
junior
Esteban and a lighter on Reynoso. He there are probably like twelve
who aren’t caught,” she said.
Esseln feels that the drug
policy procedure is executed
fairly, but says that the Soft
Evidence policy is a “loop-hole”
in the sense that administrators
and security officers are able
to make personal judgment
calls as to whether a student
is showing signs of drug use
and should thus be punished.
She feels, however, that this
freedom allows administrators
to keep students healthy.
Esseln cites an example of
when the subjectivity of Soft
Evidence could lead to different
punishment among students
for the same offense, but views
the example as one necessary in
keeping students off of drugs.
“If a student has previously
been caught and punished
for drug or alcohol and I find
Soft Evidence, I may be more
inclined to further question
and search them than I would
if I were dealing with a student
who had not previously been
caught,” said Esseln. Esseln
feels that as an administrator,
it is her responsibility to help
students stay off of drugs
and alcohol. “It’s about
rehabilitation,” she said. “If
we didn’t search kids who
have shown signs of significant
drug problems, we wouldn’t be
doing our jobs.”
Addicted to Studying? Samo’s Rehab: Angels at Risk
By Erin Schneider
By Chelsea Rinnig
Staff Writer
Studies show that students
across the country take Adderall
to improve their study and testtaking skills. Known to teens
as the “study drug,” Adderall
is easily accessible in most
school situations; students with
prescriptions for ADD or ADHD
can sell their pills to other
students for a profit. Like Ritalin
and other Attention Deficit
Disorder medications, Adderall
stimulates the nervous system
and increases concentration
span. The drug makes falling
asleep difficult, helping the user
stay awake for a study session or
test.
The
National
Institute
on Drug Abuse released a
study stating that “the most
dramatic increase in new
users of prescription drugs for
non-medical purposes” had
occurred among teens. Some
teenage students use Adderall
in order to improve their SAT
or standardized testing scores.
Other students pop a pill
before completing homework
assignments. A Samo student
describes his one-time experience
with Adderall, when a 10-page
paper was due in hours: “The
drug didn’t really help improve
my work, it just made it hard to
blink.”
Despite
its
positive
attributes,
Adderall
has
extremely dangerous side effects.
According to WebMd.com, people
prescribed Adderall risk raised
blood pressure, headaches,
dizziness, anxiety, insomnia and
change in sex drive. The website
cautions people with anxiety
disorders, epilepsy, or thyroid
problems not to take the drug,
and also warns that patients
can become “physically and
psychologically dependent.”
Ad Editor
“My passion is driven by my
belief that an addiction problem
in a child or teenager is a family
problem,” says Susie Spain,
certified Addiction Specialist
and founder of the non-profit,
on campus, substance abuse
intervention program, Angels at
Risk. The program focuses on
creating communication between
adolescents and their families
and is available to all students
throughout the West Los Angeles
area, though most students who
attend have been caught with
drugs or alcohol.
“When I first came to Angels
at Risk I thought it was a joke,”
said Samo senior Roy Sherman*.
However, Sherman was suprised
that so many students were
in similar situations. “Once I
realized I wasn’t alone I felt
much more able to confront my
problem.”
Angels at Risk reconnects
families
by
opening
communication so that they can
handle their struggles together.
“The program made me realize
that it wasn’t that bad talking
to my mom; she was actually
on my side,” said Sherman. By
repairing family relationships,
teens like Sherman gain the
confidence they need to battle
their addictions.
Spain believes that the key to
preventing the plight of addiction
is through education and
communication. Angels at Risk
often brings in guest speakers
who outline their descent into
addiction and the effects of their
drug abuse. The program has
also created a form of education
through the use of “Love Notes”
from teens to parents and vice
versa. Spain explains, “This form
of communication opens up a
dialogue between parents and
kids that’s safe and protected and
it’s the beginning of how parents
and kids can heal the breakdown
of communication between each
other.”
Spain sees a variety of
teens attend, many whom she
would not suspect as users.
She believes that most improve
by the end of the program and
sees the barrier between parents
and their children dissolve as
they progress. Santa Monica,
in Spain’s words, “holds this
program close to their hearts.”
She credits the success of Angels
at Risk to Visions Adolescent
Treatment Center and Santa
Monica-Malibu Unified School
District for donating its help
and support. “We use drugs to
close our hearts because we are
afraid to communicate. We at
Angels at Risk want families to
communicate.”
*name changed for confidentiality
Sports— Page 7 The Samohi January 20, 2005
Winning Streak Continues for 13-1 Lady Vikings
By Molly Strauss
Opinion Editor
Through sheer determination, the Samo girls basketball
team defeated both Morningside
and Inglewood last week. The
two games marked the opening
of Ocean League play for the
Lady Vikings.
The girls were prepared for
Morningside’s physically rough
play on Jan. 11, after splitting
their two meetings last season
on the way to sharing the league
championship. The Lady Vikings
kept their composure throughout
the game, refusing to be distracted by numerous Monarch
provocations. In the fourth quarter, a Morningside player pulled
sophomore Daisy Feder’s hair
after a jump ball. Fortunately, she
didn’t retaliate, and a technical
foul was called on Morningside.
Junior Emily Foshag made one of
the two technical free throws. The
Lady Viking’s focus frustrated
their opponent, allowing Samo
to dominate throughout the
entire game.
The score was close after the
first period due partly to Samo’s
weak rebounding, but the Lady
Vikings increased their defensive
pressure in the second quarter
and held the Monarchs to just two
points. Samo simply out-hustled
Morningside, who seemed to
play a sloppy and half-hearted
game. The Lady Vikings were
also able to hold Morningside’s
leading scorer, junior Sonia
Miller, to just ten points. Miller
averages 20 points per game.
“[She] is obviously their best
Records as of Jan. 17
Varsity
Boys Basketball
Overall: 12-5 League: 2-0
Girls Basketball
Overall: 13-1 League: 2-0
Boys Soccer
Overall: 9-3-1 League: 2-0-0
Girls Soccer
Overall: 7-3-4 League: 2-0-0
Girls Water Polo
Overall: 7-9
League: 2-0
player; she likes to get up and over the host team going into has been successful; the team
down the court. Our guards pres- halftime. Inglewood was able had a 13-1 record following the
sured her…She was exhausted to remain close throughout the two games which took place
game largely last week, and was on an eight
by the end of
due to the fact game winning streak going into
the game and
that the Lady Wednesday’s game, including a
was unable to do
Vikings gave 4-0 finish and a championship in
what she’s used
up 27 offensive the Garden Grove Classic over
to doing,” said
rebounds.
assistant coach
winter break and victories over
Junior Varsity
The girls’ Beverly Hills and Penninsula in
Marty Verdugo
Boys Basketball
commitment to mid-December. Said Verdugo
of Miller.
Overall: 15-1 League: 2-0
teamwork and of the team’s success so far this
Foshag led
Girls Basketball
determination season, “We’re happy with where
the Lady Vikings
Overall: 7-4
League: 2-0
Boys Soccer
to improve their we are, but we’re not going to be
in scoring, with a
Overall: 11-1-2 League: 0-0-0
game is paying satisfied. We have long term goals
total of 23 points,
Girls Soccer
off. According that we want to reach.”
and grabbed nine
Overall: 10-3-2 League: 0-0-0
to head coach
rebounds. Senior
One of those goals is to win
Freshman/Sophomore
Marcus Cha- the Ocean League championship
Monica Zell was
Boys Basketball (Freshman)
a force on the
ruvastra, “We outright, and after victories
Overall: 6-3
League: 2-0
defensive glass,
look about as over both Morningside and
Boys Basketball (Sophomore)
pulling down a
dorky as [we] Inglewood last week, the Lady
Overall: 7-9
League: 0-2
Sophomore Karlia Batalla
total of 10 recan be. We’re Vikings appear to be headed in
Girls
Basketball
looks to attack the tough
bounds.
not buff, we’re the right direction.
Overall: 7-4
League: 2-0
In spite of Inglewood defense on Jan. 13. not very tall,
League play continued on
Boys Soccer
Overall: 4-1-5 League: 0-0-0
numerous fouls
we’re not very Wednesday as Samo took on BevGirls Soccer
from their oppoerly
Hills
on
the
road.
The
girls
a
t
h
l
e
t
i
c
,
b
u
t
Photo by Samantha Walters
Overall: 3-5-0 League: 0-0-0
nents, the Lady
we get the job will face Culver City tonight at
Girls Water Polo
Vikings led by 15 at halftime. The done.” Apparently, this approach home. Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m.
Overall: 4-3
League: 1-1
girls were able to maintain the
lead throughout the second half,
matching Morningside’s intensity and eventually winning 60- By Emily Foshag
extremely well coming off the Culver City], we should be fine,”
42. Following the game, Feder, Sports Editor
bench, helping Samo to earn the said Lim. Samo’s biggest obstacle
who finished with 11 points and
13-3 victory.
appears to be El Segundo, a team
dished out four assists, explained
This
strong
performance
came
that is currently ranked second in
The Lady Greenies took a comwhy Samo won: “We just wanted manding lead over the visiting two days after the Lady Greenies CIF Division VI, and the favorite
it more than they did.”
Culver City Centaurs in the first struggled mightily against to win the Ocean League title. The
The ladies were victorious quarter of play of their Ocean Downey in a 10-1 loss, a loss that first meeting between the two
once again on Jan. 13, defeating
League opener on Jan. 12, and head coach Matthew Flanders felt teams is this Tuesday, Jan. 24, when
Inglewood in an away game.
never looked back. Samo was able was a result of the team not show- El Segundo comes to Samo, and
Sophomore Katy Keating had a
to capitalize on several fast break ing up ready to play. “We didn’t the girls will wind up the regular
double-double, scoring 16 points
and pulling down 12 boards. opportunities and had outscored come to win, we came to lose,” season on the road against the
Eagles on Feb. 9. Flanders
She also had four blocked shots. the opposing team 6-0 gofeels that the team has a
ing
into
the
second
quarter,
Samo ended up winning 47-38
realistic shot at winning
behind
three
goals
from
after holding just a one point lead
at least one of these games,
junior Gloria Esqueda and
but recognizes that the
a pair of assists from junior
Lady Greenies still need to
Katrina Dargel. Senior
address some weaknesses
Allison Born then scored
in order to have maximum
midway through the secspirits after some organizational ond period after receiving
success. Said Flanders last
problems last year. Senior Songs a pass from junior goalie
week, “We still have some
dancer Tobin Watenmaker said, Samantha Lim that went
ball handling and control
“Last year we did pretty well, but the length of the pool, furissues that reflect our inthis year we really stepped it up ther exploiting the inability Junior Helen Yu looks to take a shot against
experience.” Hopefully, as
Culver City on Jan. 12.
and [our routine] was right on
of the Culver City defense
the girls continue to gain
point.” Amanda Papo and Aisha
to get back and stop Samo’s
game experience, these
Ross, junior Songs dancers, both
Photo by Ashley Osberg problems will become less
counter attacks. The only
agree that the team this year is exof a concern.
tremely dedicated. “We’ve been Culver City goal in the first
half
came
as
time
expired.
The
Greenies beat Milken 19-0
said
Flanders.
However,
after
the
really on top of it. We’re not slackSamo’s
success
continued
on
Jan.
17,
and the result of yesterrecent
victory
over
Culver
City,
ing off,” said Papo. “We’re much
throughout
the
second
half
as
focus
has
shifted
towards
chasing
a
day’s
game
against Beverly Hills
more into the music,” added Ross.
the
Lady
Greenies
execution
league
championship.
According
was
unavailable
as of press time.
Having their decades themed
on
the
offensive
end
remained
to
Lim,
the
team
is
optimistic
about
Samo
will
take
on
Redondo today
routine prepared before the recent
sharp.
Substitutions
for
the
Lady
the
remainder
of
league
play:
in
a
non-league
contest
before hostpep rally has also eased some of
Greenies
stepped
up
and
played
“If
we
play
like
we
did
[against
ing
El
Segundo
on
Tuesday.
the pressure from the Regional
competitions in February.
Riding on Songs’ success,
Varsity Cheer earned second
place out of eight teams in another
in the first period, which is leading commented on the performance
By Zahir Alibhai
Sharp competition at Whittier
to solid wins.” Not surprisingly, of his team in this past tournaStaff Writer
High School on Jan. 14. Senior
the wrestlers have a high opinion ment, saying, “We had too many
and Varsity Cheer Co-Captain,
The Samo Wrestling squad re- of Zahursky in light of what he’s injuries and couldn’t secure the
Megan Schaeffer explained that
ceived a boost from a new trainer, done for them. “He’s an easy going top position at Nogales.”
the competition was largely for
Still, there has been notable
National Champion Dustin Za- guy whose technique really helped
practice. “It was mostly a trophy
hursky, who helped train the team me against tough opponents,” said improvement since the team’s
competition just to get a feel,”
along with head coach Mark Black junior Chris Magaña. Senior Matt first competition of the season.
she said.
and varsity coach Brent Wright. Reddick agrees: “[The training] According to Zahursky, all that
Cheer recieved a score of 87
The added tutoring in technique isn’t exactly at the elite level, but is left is to “make slight tweaks
last weekend. They need only
that Zahursky provided was evi- it’s still advanced and gives us an in their endurance and technique
a score of 80 or higher at next
while on the mat.” Said Zahursky,
dent in the team’s recent league edge in the game.”
weekend’s regional competition
Since
their
performance
at
the
“These are changes that will suredual
meet
against
Torrance,
where
to move on to national competiEl
Dorado
Tournament
in
midSamo
defeated
Torrance
with
a
ly come from experience.” The
tion in March. This score, as well
December,
Samo
improved
their
final
team
score
of
47–22.
coaching staff agrees that the team
as the feedback the team recieved
standing
with
four
placements
at
The
highlight
performance
of
looks great for a building year, and
from judges, leaves Schaeffer
“very confident. “ She said, “Now
the meet belonged to junior Lev the Rosemead tournament, which the squad’s recent performances
we know precisely what formaDarkhovsky of the 112 lb. Weight took place the weekend before have shown just that.
tions and stunts to fix.”
class, when he deftly picked up his winter break, compared to the
Samo Wrestling faced North
Cheer will be competing Jan.
opponent and landed a pin in the two at El Dorado. At the Nogales Torrance yesterday (the scores
22 for a bid to nationals. Songs
tournament on Jan. 6-7, there were were not available as of press
first eight seconds of the match.
will compete Feb. 4. Nationals
According to Zahursky, “The five placements. The highest place- time), and will compete in the
will be held in Anehiem on March
intensity is coming out. A lot of ment went to senior Sundar Mims, Laguna Hills Invitational this
17-19 and will be televised on
the moves and points are coming who earned second place. Black weekend.
ESPN.
Greenies Win, Ready for Rival El Segundo
Cheer, Songs Perform Well
at Recent Competitions
By Annie Danis
Editor-In-Chief
“GO! Sam-O, GO!” echos
through the Greek every afternoon. As the basketball and competition season gears up, Samo
Cheer and Songs teams have been
working non-stop to ensure that
every moment of every routine is
picture perfect.
The season began on Jan. 7
at a Sharp International Spirit
Competition at San Gabriel High
School. Songs placed first in the
hip-hop division and won the
prestigious “Overall Sportsmanship” award out of 15 other cheer
and dance teams at the competition. The win has raised the team’s
Wrestling Shows Steady Improvement
Page 8
Sports
Boys Soccer: On The Ball
Jainen Narain and sent it past
the diving goalkeeper for Samo’s
Sports Editor
second goal of the game. After
After finishing 9-0-1 in Ocean
a poor clearance by the Viking
League play last season to earn
defense allowed Inglewood to
the league championship, the
score, a goal from junior Victor
Vikings began their defense
Rivas in the seventy-ninth
of the title on Jan. 11 when
minute gave Samo the 3-1
taking on Morningside.
win.
Samo was able to overcome
In addition to starting
a sloppy first half to beat
out 2-0 in league play, the
the Monarchs on the road,
boys are also undefeated in
6-1. The Vikings appeared
the new year. The Vikings
to be on the verge of an
came back on Jan. 4 after
offensive explosion when
being idle for almost two
sophomore Luis Zavala
weeks to beat North Torscored just seven minutes
rance 5-0. Smith recorded
into the game, but Samo’s
an authentic hat trick,
scoring opportunities were
scoring three goals within
limited for the remainder
a six-minute span during
of the first half as the boys
the first half. In the wake
struggled to win the ball
of his personal accomplishfrom Morningside players
ment, Smith credited his
on many occasions. Senior Sophomore Artur Jozkowicz controls the
teammates for finding him
Danny Coll broke the scor- ball in Samoʼs game against Inglewood
in prime positions to score:
ing drought with a goal on Jan. 13. Jozkowicz leads the team with “I may have been the one
early in the second half via
to put the goals in, but it
six assists and is second on the team with was my teammates who
a 30-yard pass from fellow
senior Rafael Guzman. The seven goals.
set me up all the way,” said
Photo by Ashley Osberg
goal was the first of five
Smith.
Viking goals in the half.
The Vikings, ranked
“[Morningside] had a weak of the net as well and the half fifth in CIF Division V as of
defense, and our forwards took ended in a scoreless tie. In the Jan.17, will look to continue their
advantage of it,” said junior fiftieth minute, junior Brendan success against Ocean League
defender David Castellanos of Smith finally put the Vikings opponents when taking on Culhis team’s second half success. on the board when he used his ver City this afternoon.
Added Director of Soccer Frank body to deflect a ball off of a
Gatell, “In the second half, our defender into the goal. Then,
guys finally played their style of in his first varsity action this
soccer.”
season, freshman Orhan Basak
By Lincoln Boehm
League play continued on received a ball from sophomore
By Emily Foshag
Jan. 13 as the Inglewood squad
came to Samo, and for the second
time in as many games, the boys
couldn’t get things going in the
first half. Luckily for the Vikings,
Inglewood failed to find the back
Ocean League Opponents
No Match for Girls Soccer
By Sam Cotten
Staff Writer
Continuing the season after
winter break with their first league
game on Jan. 11, the girls beat
Morningside 4-0 at home. Junior
Samantha Greene scored two goals
and sophomore Allison Bronstein
earned her fifth shutout of the
year. Director of Soccer, Coach
Frank Gatell explained, “During
the beginning of the first half, we
didn’t play at the level that we
can usually play at. We were up
2-0 at the half, and then began to
play our brand of soccer. Once we
cleaned up our passing and play,
Morningside couldn’t keep up and
the girls showed why they are two
time champs in this league.”
According to Gatell, before
the game against Morningside,
the girls were not quite up to par
regarding their normal skill level,
made evident by the two games
they played following the end
of the break. On Jan. 4, the girls
tied against Sherman Oaks Notre
Dame, a game that would have
resulted in a loss had it not been
for a corner kick by junior Nora
Casey that tied the score 1-1. Then,
on Jan. 5, the girls lost to Redondo
0-2. Gatell attributed the team’s
poor play in these two games to
the fact that the team was “still
on vacation mode.” Continued
Gatell, “We weren’t playing our
style, and we had poor control of
the ball. Our reaction time was
much too slow.”
Before the break the girls were
doing well; on Dec. 17, the team
placed fifth in the South Holiday
Tournament and defeated North
Torrance when sophomore Allison
Gourvitz scored in the last three
minutes of the game.
In the Lady Vikings’ second
Ocean League contest on Fri., Jan.
13, the girls cleaned up Inglewood
with an overwhelming score of 100. “[Inglewood] is obviously not
a competitive team, as we were
up 8-0 at the half,” says Gatell.
So far Greene, freshman Yanneth
Guzman, and Gourvitz lead the
team with five goals apiece, while
goalkeeper Allison Bronstein has
a total of six shutouts, second-best
in league. The team has scored a
total of 27 goals and given up eight,
leaving the team with an overall
7-3-4 standing. After playing at
Beverly Hills on Wednesday, the
girls will take on Culver City at
Samo today.
Boys Basketball Going Strong
Surfing at Samo
By Nora Casey
Staff Writer
“Samo Surf Team kicks
ass,” stated senior Jason Abraham confidently. Abraham is
President of the Samo Surf
Club, and, like many other
suntanned Samo beach bums,
a proud member of the Samo
Surf Team.
Thus far the team holds a
record of 0-3, mainly because
they lack enough female surfers
to compete in the girls races.
The team has a registered 37
members, only three of which
are girls. This means they cannot
accumulate enough points to
win, in spite of great individual
talent.
The team is coached by
Brian Guth and Yorba Travis,
teacher Michael Adams is club
advisor. The Samo Surf Club, the
school organization of the Surf
Team, meets Tuesdays in E100.
The club, which is open to all,
consists off Samo students who
bond over “a common goal, a
shared dream, and a love for the
sport of surfing” according to
their website (samohisurf.com).
Prior to competitions the
club members have a surf-off
among themselves, and only
the best go on to compete.
The selected then compete in
heats against other schools in
the Channel Islands Division,
which spans from Long Beach
to Santa Barbara. As the day
progresses, only the best surfers
advance. Guth, who feels that
this year is an up and coming
team, said “We have a few key
players we’re trying to build
on- to create some momentum
for next year.”
This past weekend, the team
was scheduled to compete at a
meet in the Santa Barbara area.
However, due to the rainy conditions, the team was unsure of
the status of the event and opted
not to attend, which resulted in
a forfeit for the team.
The Surf Team’s final competition will be held in Ventura
on Feb. 6th.
Upcoming Athletic Events:
Girls Soccer vs. Culver City
Today, 3 p.m.
Culver City, who finished second in the Ocean League last year behind Samo, comes to
Samo looking to rebound from a 1-2 loss to Morningside last Friday. Varsity kicks off
at 3 p.m on the North Soccer field. JV plays at 4:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball vs. Culver City
Tonight, 6 p.m.
their win streak to three games.
“I think that we have more talent
and chemistry than most other
teams in the Ocean League.” Said
Gainer. “And that will definitely
be a factor down the stretch.” Next
season is starting.” By the looks
of things, the season is starting
off better than could have been
Over the holiday break, while
expected with the Vikings going
we were all bundled up by the
2-0 in league. “The games we’ve
fire opening Christmas presents,
played in the past mean nothing,
watching the glowing candles of
we just look at the game
the menorah and countin front of us.” Continued
ing down the new year,
Freedman. “The fact that
the Samo boys basketball
we have a [four game]
team was in Santa Barbara
streak doesn’t mean anycompeting for their beloved
thing to us. We just have
school. The Santa Barbara
to go out and prepare for
tournament took place beour opponents the way we
tween Dec.27 and Dec.30.
always do.”
“When we were out in
On Wednesday, Samo
Santa Barbara we were only
hosted the 10-8 Beverly
thinking about basketball.”
Hills Normans (results of
Said senior Akil Gainer.
game were not available
The Vikings lost to Santa
by press time) and felt that
Barbara High School by one
in order to win they would
point in the second round
have to close out and try
of the tournament, but then
to stop their shooters.
went on to finish fifth in the
According to Freedman,
consolation bracket going
3-1 in the tournament as Junior Leo Arnold Jr. steals the ball away from pretty much every team in
a whole.
Inglewood, in what would turn out to be a nine the league besides Samo is
“guard oriented.”
Coming out of the
point victory for Samo on Jan.15.
Today Samo will conSanta Barbara Tournament,
tinue their quest for the
the Vikings were an impresPhoto by Ashley Osberg Ocean League Championsive 10-5, but now faced
ship in Culver City against
their first league opponent
in Morningside. On Jan.11, the up was another league opponent, the sub-par Centaurs. Tip-off is at
Vikings traveled to Morningside the 6-11 Inglewood Sentinels. Se- 7:30, so if you are sitting at home,
and defeated the Monarchs 64-54. nior captain Will Freedman said, alone watching reruns of MASH,
This pushed the surging Vikings to “we’re happy to be playing some get out of the house and support
11-5, 1-0 in league, and extended league games, it finally feels like the your Vikings!
Sports Editor
The Centaurs, who held a 13-5 as of Jan. 17, are led by senior guard Allison Taka who leads
the team in both scoring and assists, averaging just over 16 points and four assists per game.
Samo won both meetings between the two teams last season, but this year’s Culver City squad
has shown improvement. Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m., following the JV and Frosh-Soph games.
Girls Water Polo vs. El Segundo
Tues., Jan. 24, 3 p.m.
Ranked second in CIF Division VI, El Segundo appears to be the Lady Greenies’ biggest
obstacle on their quest for a league championship. Come to the Drake Pool to watch this
long-time rivalry play itself out. The game begins at 3:00 p.m., and the JV contest follows
the varsity game.
Boys Soccer vs. Morningside
Fri., Jan. 27, 3 p.m.
Morningside looks to avenge their 1-6 loss at home at the hands of the Vikings on Jan. 11.
Boys Basketball vs. Morningside
Fri., Jan 27, 7:30 p.m.
The Vikings won the first meeting between the two teams by 10 points at Morningside.