December 9, 2005

KANYE WEST PERFORMS AT SAMO
Student Life in Iran
Late Start: A Good Idea?
Page 6
Page 4
(page 5)
Winter Sports Captains
Page 7
On the Internet:
www.samohi.smmusd.org/thesamohi
Circulation: 3,600
Beloved Teacher Passes Away
By Zoe Young
Staff Writer
Lincoln Middle School
History Teacher Stephen Max
Kramer died on Nov. 10 at age 62
of a possible heart attack.
He was a loving husband
and father and a devoted eighth
grade teacher. Mr. Kramer “made
history come alive for thirty-four
years,” said friend and Lincoln
History Teacher Gene Bream.
Even though Mr. Kramer
obtained a degree in counseling,
he chose to stay in the classroom
and remain teaching. He felt
he could reach students better
as a teacher. According to Mr.
Kramer ’s students, he was
right. “He never treated us like
children,” said Anthony Paul
Diaz, a former student. Mr.
Kramer was an understanding
person who truly cared about
his friends and colleagues. “He
would ask you how you were
doing and mean it,” said John
Obusek, one of Mr. Kramer’s best
friends and Woodshop/History
Teacher at Lincoln. “He was
intolerant of intolerance.”
Mr. Kramer touched the lives
of many different people. He
aided Santa Monica police officer
Joe Analco in helping troubled
kids all over the city.
After a powerful eulogy at
Mr. Kramer’s Memorial Service
put together by friends and
family on Nov. 19, Analco closed
by saying, “I miss my friend.”
Mandatory Permit Renewals
By Erin Schneider
Staff Writer
The Santa Monica-Malibu
Unified School District (SMMUSD)
requires students to renew their
permits yearly, as of the 2005-2006
school year. Permits allow students
who do not live within SMMUSD to
attend schools in other districts.
Prior to this change, students
were only required to apply for
one permit to last throughout
their entire attendance. Students’
parents are now required to submit
an application each year. This
new rule applies to both Parent
Employment Related Transfers
(PERT) and District Employee
Related Transfers (DERT) permit
holders. PERT permits apply to
children of employees working
in Santa Monica and Malibu, and
DERT permits apply to children
of district employees. The district
will revoke permits if students fail
to uphold academic, attendance or
behavioral standards.
This change will not affect
students who currently hold
permits. The district will grant
permit requests to students who
wish to attend schools other than
the local school, children of district
employees living outside of the area
and to siblings of students on permit.
These guidelines should provide
flexibility in response to annual
changes such as overcrowding and
budget cuts.
Circle
of Friends
Attends Conference
senior Danielle Meyer, Vice to share. The six people on our
By Alice Ollstein
panel managed to touch the
hearts of the 200 people in the
room.”
Four officers from Circle of
For Meyer, the highlight
Friends, a program at Samo that
was not the presentation itself,
facilitates friendships between
but rather the reaction of ASHA.
students with and without
“All our hard work was so well
special needs, presented the
received by so many Speech
Circle of Friends program to
Pathologists,” she said. “I could
over 200 people at the annual
tell that they wanted to bring
convention for the American
our program back to their own
Speech and Hearing Association
schools. I can only
(ASHA) in San
hope that their
Diego on Nov.
schools give them
18.
the support they
C i rc l e o f
deserve.” Morgan
Friends adviser
added, “I’m
Barbara Palilis
happy people
submitted
want to have
a proposal
Circle of Friends
to
ASHA,
in different
the national
schools.”
o rg a n i z a t i o n
P a l i l i s
for Speech/
n
o
t
ed
the
Language
overwhelmingly
Pathologists,
b e c a u s e s h e Four representatives from Circle of Friends pose for a photo in positive results
of the panel:
wanted to share
San Diego during the ASHA conference.
“People from all
“the success
over the country
of what we
Photo
Courtesy
of
Circle
of
Friends
came up to me to
experience here
congratulate me
with Circle of
and thank me for organizing the
of a student with Autism.
Friends” with her colleagues.
For Morgan, speaking on panel,” she said. “They said it
When ASHA accepted
the proposal and asked for a the panel was rewarding. “I was the best presentation they
presentation at the organization’s want people to know that you had seen in 30 years. It was quite
conference, Palilis quickly have fun and are never alone in an honor.” She also speculated
on why the presentation was
assembled a team she felt Circle of Friends,” she said.
Daneshrad recalls the so successful: “Most panels are
could communicate the group’s
success effectively. The team reaction of the audience during about kids, but we had a panel
included Friend Representatives the panel: “I could see that with kids. We also have a truly
senior Sharona Daneshrad, people were enticed, because unique program that doesn’t
President of Circle of Friends, we had something truly unique exist anywhere else.”
Opinion Editor
World AIDS Day Presentation a Success
By Jennifer Galamba
and Jacquelyn Hoffman
Published Triweekly
Vol. XCVI No. 4 December 9, 2005
widespread, the rate of teacher
deaths rises, producing poorer
quality education. Students then
viewed a documentary of an
orphanage of individuals affected
by AIDS in Africa. Sophomore
Sydney Shaevel commented, “It
was very well presented and the
information was strong enough to
those infected with the disease,
concluded the event by relating
Staff Writers
drug use to the vulnerability to
unprotected sex and eventually
Leadership held a seminar
HIV/AIDS. “I want [the students]
to raise awareness of the global
to have heard me talk about
AIDS epidemic in Barnum Hall
my experience and realize that
on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.
everyone goes down a difficult
Leadership junior class
path at some point in their lives, and
representative Kelly Snyder
what is most
o rg a n i z e d t h e
important is
seminar. “I hope
to be careful
that after coming
and take care
to the seminar,
of yourself
students will feel
according to
moved to learn
the advice
more about global
and support
issues like HIV/
y o u ’ v e
AIDS epidemic,
received as
share what they
a privileged
learn with others
member of our
and take action
society,” she
to fight these
said.
challenges,” she
Common
said.
Ground began
In
order
Common Ground representative Alexis Martin and Leadership p r o v i d i n g
to demonstrate
AIDS testing
that HIV/AIDS junior class representative Kelly Snyder acknowledge World at Samo in
affects 95 percent AIDS Day with red ribbons.
September. It
Photo by Max Jordan is available to
of developing
countries, the
students every
audience received cards with reach out to all the students.”
Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00
different colored stickers which
AlexisMartin,arepresentative p.m. in the nurse’s office. If a
represented different economic from Common Ground, the student tests positive, Common
groups that suffer from HIV. Westside HIV Community Ground helps link the student to
Students also learned that as Center dedicated to teach about HIV care and treatment services,
the disease becomes more HIV contraction and to protect counseling and doctors.
President of Public Relations,
junior Becky Morgan and junior
Paul Ramirez. During their
presentations, the four officers,
two with and two without
special needs, explained the role
that Circle of Friends plays in the
lives of its members, as well as
in their own lives. Also present
on the panel were Palilis and
David Rosman, a Samo parent
Science Funds, Bare Minimum
By Molly Strauss
Opinion Editor
Samo’s underfunded Science
Departmentreceivedanadditional
$2500 in a school-wide funding
reallocation on Nov 23. Though
helpful to the department, some
fear that the budget raise is too
small to significantly improve the
quality of Samo’s science safety
and education.
The Science Department
lacks certain desirable
safety equipment. Though
each classroom contains fire
extinguishers and an eye wash
sink and Chemistry classes have
goggles, few teachers have access
to fire blankets or first aid kits.
In addition, the Science
Department usually receives
enough funding to “suffice [its]
basic requirements,” according
to Science Department Chair
Eric Walser. These include a
1:2 microscope to student ratio
and various chemicals and
specimens for dissection and
observation. However, students
do not have access to appropriate,
up-to-date equipment. Many
teachers feel that the materials
are barely adequate. With seven
working TV’s/VCR’s and two
LCD projectors for 19 teachers,
“everything must be shared, and
so lots of things get lost or broken,”
said Walser.
However, funding for the
department seems to have
improved when compared to
the past. Biology teacher Ingo
Gaida explained, “Some years,
I think the funding is sufficient,
[but] other years we have to get
by on the barest minimum.” For
the first time, Physics teacher
Pam Latham received money to
support her curriculum last year.
The Chemistry teachers were also
able to purchase instructional
videos last year, whereas in the
past, all allotted Chemistry funds
went to buying chemicals and
other consumable supplies.
The Science Department
often resorts to alternative money
sources to supplement school
funding. Each science teacher
sends a yearly letter home with
students requesting donations.
According to CEO/Principal
Ilene Straus, the school’s budget
should support its supply needs
“maybe not at a Cadillac level, but
at least at a satisfactory level,” and
recognizes that some teachers feel
district funding does not. Samo
receives funds from the district,
the Education Foundation and
only gets a fixed amount of $6025
dollars a year per student from
the state.
Page 2
Opinion
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
Hats off to Sophia Young for her
beautifully written piece about the
unhealthy influence that the media
often has on young women in our
society. While it’s perfectly normal
to be concerned about one’s appearance, it can cause an obsessive
preocupation with mimicking the
media’s unrealistic “ideals.”
Think about the people you
admire most. You probably don’t
admire these people simply because they are beautiful. Those
with fleeting beauty and little else
today will hardly be remembered
tomorrow. How do you want to
be seen in the eyes of the people
whose admiration you most
desire? If you think that the guy
that you like will be attracted to
a weak woman, I ask you to think
more deeply about the future of
that relationship. The romantic
notion that he will pay for your
dinners and open the door for
you is perfectly okay, but when
the honeymoon is over, will he
respect your opinions, help with
the housework and honor your
career?
It’s heartwarming to observe
my female students who are
accomplished at music, sports,
theater, dance, and other physical and mental skills. I see the
admiring looks they receive from
guys and girls alike. From what
I’ve observed, the combination
of beauty and weakness ellicits a
different reaction.
Interestingly enough, we don’t
focus enough on the other side of
this issue: the media’s standards
are just as strict for men. How
Selling the Wrong Genes
many men are built like G.I. Joe
with the face of Adonis? And gosh,
doesn’t it ever get tiring to have
to always be so strong? Why do
we all agree that the boys must
still be the ones to ask for the first
date? After a few rejections, I’m
sure sometimes they want to cry,
but our societal standard doesn’t
allow them that luxury.
If you are interested in discussing these issues further, consider
participating in Project Safe Zone
on March 31, 2006. This day-long
workshop focuses on issues surrounding sexism (against women
and men) and homophobia. I guarantee that what you learn that day
will make you see the world differently. Feel free to stop by E217
to pick up an application.
Kelly Bates, Spanish teacher
The Samohi is seeking new writers for
second semester.
Interested? Pick up an application in T217.
Would You Like A Lawsuit With That?
By Zoey Baldwin
Staff Writer
Congress recently voted 276139 that people cannot sue any
food industry for their weight
and health problems, after the
government announced that obesity will soon surpass smoking as
“the nation’s biggest preventable
killer” (BBC News). The “Personal
Responsibility in Food Consumption Act” or “Cheeseburger Bill,”
passed in the predominantly
Republican House, though some
Democrats accused the GOP party
of catering to its food industry
supporters. Two New York teenagers sued McDonald’s in 2002 for
their health problems, sparking
a national trend in suing Ronald
and his rivals for personal health
problems. However, Ronald McDonald does not glue customers
to his plastic chairs and shove
hamburgers down their throats.
American consumers should seek
nutritional education, research
healthier alternatives and take
responsibility for their lifestyle
choices; they should not lay the
blame on fast food companies.
The mother of one teenage
plaintiff from the Bronx claimed, “I
always thought McDonald’s food
was healthy for my son.” (The Sacramento Bee). The “Cheeseburger
Bill” exists because many parents
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.
like her have filed lawsuits against
fast food companies for making
their precious teens obese. Parents
greatly influence their kids’ future
food choices by what they put on
the table each day. If parents don’t
know the effects of fast food, what
can we expect from their children?
To address this problem, California schools are mandated to teach
nutrition to help students to make
informed decisions about food:
“After keeping a food journal, my
students were suprised at how unhealthily they were eating,” said
freshman seminar and English
teacher Meredith Louria. “When
they had to set a ‘food goal’ and
follow it for a week, they also realized how difficult changing your
eating habits is.” This program will
help Samo students, but woe to the
millions of students whose schools
cannot afford an adequate nutrition program, or don’t understand
the importance of a school’s role in
fighting childhood obesity.
If we can’t rely on parents or
schools to teach our youth healthy
eating habits, it’s not suprising that
nine million children in the U.S.
have obesity-related health problems (BBC News). Furthermore,
healthier alternatives (organic
fruits and vegetables, chemical
free meats etc.) usually cost much
more money than a burger combo,
and a teenager strapped for cash
E-MAIL: samohiopinion@gmail.
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isn’t likely to blow their allowance on whole grain bread. But
those on a tight budget can still
make informed choices without
resorting to the pricey salad bar
at Whole Foods. Everything from
our new Freshman Seminar classes
to documentaries like Supersize Me
stresses the importance of portion
sizes; choosing small fries and
a soda isn’t only healthier, it’s
cheaper too. McDonald’s, perhaps
in response to the lawsuits, has
also added a new “health” menu
and printed nutrition information
on their wrappers (USA Today).
Our nation must continue
taking these vital steps towards a
healthy and educated population.
Although fast food companies will
continue marketing their greasy,
products to the public, the responsibility of what to buy still belongs
to the buyer. McDonald’s does not
make people obese; people make
themselves obese.
By Jackie Berkman
Staff Writer
“You can never be too beautiful,” the tag on my Abercrombie
and Fitch skirt told me, leaving me
disgusted and disturbed. Beauty
is in the eye of the beholder, but
the posters of the partying jocks
and barely clothed girls that cover
Abercrombie’s walls endorse only
the blond haired, blue eyed, Aryan
cliché. The dangerous combination of Abercrombie’s narrow idea
of beauty and their overwhelming influence on present day
American clothing and
culture damage their
biggest buyers: insecure teenagers.
In Nov. 2004
Abercrombie
and Fitch paid
40 million
dollars in
settlements
to Latino,
African
American,
Asian and
w o m e n
applicants
and employees
who experienced discrimination
from the company. In one of
the many lawsuit
stories, Abercrombie fired Jennifer Lu,
an Asian-American student at the University of Irvine,
after a corporate official pointed
to an Abercrombie poster and told
management, “You need to have
more staff like this” (cbsnews.com).
“This” means a tall, buff Caucasian
male. The corporate official’s comment bothers me even more than
Lu’s fate. Why does Abercrombie
need staff members who look
like their models, and why are
different races and genders not
beautiful?
Another former employee,
Anthony Ocampo, said that while
Abercrombie occasionally hired
African-Americans, Asians and
Latinos, they force them to work
in the stock room, away from the
eyes of customers: “The greeters
and the people that worked in the
in-season clothing section were
Kanye: Only The Beginning
mostly, if not all, white,” Ocampo
told CBS News. For the youth of
America, many of whom think
high fashion means high status
and happiness, Abercrombie and
Fitch sets a horrible example. By
endorsing a stereotype that represents only a tiny piece of the
American melting pot, by casting
those that don’t fit the desired
look into stock rooms, they send
the damaging message to their
primarily teenage customers that
the greater scope of America is not
worthy of acknowledgment.
In our highly sexualized
culture, we cannot blame
Abercrombie and
Fitch for trying to
market what they
believe will sell,
even if their
models are
practically
n a k e d .
(Funny, I
thought
they were
selling
clothes...)
However, time
after time,
Abercrombie drills
the message into its
customers’
heads: You need
to look a certain
way (white, fit,
tan), and you need to
dress a certain way (provocatively) or you are inferior.
Samo junior Natasha Nemanim
commented: “You feel like [Abercrombie employees] judge you.
You don’t fit in because all of them
look like Barbies and Kens.”
Superficiality is a part of
life, especially when it comes to
marketing clothing. But when
Abercrombie’s vision prevents
capable people from getting a
job, a line of ethical decency has
been crossed. The youth of the
real America shouldn’t cave in
to the false ideals of a retail store.
We live in the most diverse nation in the world, founded on the
ideals of equality and liberty, not
discrimination and conformity.
We need to give Abercrombie and
Fitch a crash course on what being
an American really means.
by August Lipp, Staff Artist
Opinion—Page 3 The Samohi December 9, 2005
Wednesday Late Start: More Hindrance Than Help
By Sam Cotten
Staff Writer
“Wednesday ‘late start’ schedule was voted on by the staff as
a time for teachers to meet for
professional development and departmental meetings...most of the
feedback we’ve received indicates
that students like the
mid-week break” (CEO/
Principle Ilene Straus).
The truth is, however,
that Wednesday mornings do not offer rest for
Samo students. In fact,
the interruption is more
of an annoyance than a
reprieve.
Teenagers are notoriously sleep deprived.
Samo students who
wake up at 6:30 in order to get
to school at 7:12 would have to
go to bed somewhere between
8:45 and 10:00 to get the recommended amount of sleep. With
homework, sports and extracurricular activities, many stay up
until the wee hours of the morning. Though Wednesdays seems
like the perfect time to catch up
on sleep, late start actually leaves
students more exhausted, because
getting the proper hours isn’t all
that matters. The National Sleep
Foundation stresses consistency:
“Establish a regular bedtime and
wake time schedule, and maintain
it during weekends and school
vacations.” Wednesday mornings
The actual amount that students can sleep in is negligible: for
those with AMs, classes start only
one hour and 32 minutes after the
usual time. Although the bell rings
later, many students must wake up
earlier than normal to compensate
for the additional amount of time
it takes to get to school. Traffic
their own—they can’t depend on
a ride from Mom or Dad. Public
transportation is much more
congested and off-schedule later
in the morning, and I have often
found myself at a loss for how
to get to school if I wake up late.
Both of my parents are gone by
7:00, and more than once I have
are interruptions in the normal
routine, and can throw off sleeping patterns. Spanish teacher Kelly
Bates notices a different mood on
campus on late start days, “You’d
think that people would be more
rested, but tardies are twice as bad
and students, as well as staff, seem
to have a much more complacent
attitude towards their work.”
increases dramatically at around
8:30 as many businesses and stores
open at 9:00. On Wednesdays,
numerous Samo parents need to
be at work earlier than their children need to be at school. Some
students arrive at the normal time,
sacrificing sleep to accommodate
their families. Those who choose
to follow Samo’s schedule are on
overslept and found myself with
no other option than to sit and wait
at the bus stop. I once missed the
8:00 Big Blue Bus Number Three
and waited for an hour before the
next one came. I finally arrived
at school halfway through first
period, missing AM completely.
Said Straus, “Samo has a bigger
tardy problem on Wednesday
Samo Administration is discussing the
possibility of ending first semester before
winter break.
Internet Communication
Connects Teens... JK! LOL!
By Jennifer Galamba
Staff Writer
Jk, brb, g2g, btw and
omg—just a few of the
idioms modern teens use in
daily online conversations. A
decade ago, Samo students
would have been confused
by these abbreviations. The
difference between teens of
1995 and 2005 narrows down
to one factor: the World Wide
Web. Its services, including
e-mail, Instant Message (IM)
and MySpace, have rapidly
changed the realm of communication. However, these
methods are invasive to the
point that neighbors IM each
other instead of making the
strenuous trip across the
lawn. The burst in Internet
communication in recent
years is more destructive
than helpful.
Many find IM’s ability
to facilitate conversations
between numerous people
convenient. However, teens
become increasingly isolated
as they depend on the Internet for social fulfillment.
Students at Stanford University researching IM found
that, “the ease of online
communication may lead to
weaker social ties, because
people have less reason to
leave their homes and actually interact face-to-face with
other people” (Stanford.edu).
Today, teenage seclusion
is due partly to our generation’s preferences: why
spend time with one friend
when it’s easier to sign on
and talk with nine? Research
confirms that social skills decrease with IM use: it is now
socially acceptable to devote
time to “computers instead
of friendships…[which]
hinder the development [of]
interpersonal skills” (futureofchildren.org).
Speed, not quality, is
the objective of the modern
methods of communication.
And teens apply this same
principal to other aspects of
their lives, including school.
Junior Christine Emhardt
explained, “I get used to
typing [abbreviations] and
then write them in my work
for class.” Heightened technological skills allow teens
to complete assignments at
high speeds. However, the
low quality of their work
reflects this faster pace.
Although the initial purpose of IM was to connect
friends, strangers are a
source of concern. Kidnappers, murderers, rapists and
identity-thieves choose the
Internet as an expressway
to personal information
and trust. Recently, a sex-offender “threatened women
during Internet conversations” (manchesteronline.
com). Thanks to the Internet, this felon had access
to victims without taking a
step out of his home. Teens
rarely consider the dangerous aspects of the Web when
signing on.
Internet communication’s negative repercussions on society are already
apparent. As the future generation, we have a decision to
make: move society towards
Internet dependency, or
move towards self-reliance.
We must re-learn to live outside the hard-drive, building intimacy on more than
the IM box. It’s our choice
where the future goes. Keep
that in mind next time you
double-click.
mornings than on any other day
of the week.” Late start makes it
very difficult for some students to
get to school on time.
Wednesday mornings provide
an opportunity for teachers to
discuss curriculum and share
techniques. However, these meetings hurt the very students they
are trying to help. Perhaps late start could
be moved to Friday,
aligning with students’ weekend sleep
schedule. Or maybe
teachers could share
ideas after school.
Though some fear that
releasing students
early may disrupt the
community, the benefits of meeting in the
afternoon far outweigh concerns.
Meetings would no longer conflict
with AM, so teachers could stay for
the whole time instead of leaving
early to teach classes.
The current schedule creates
hardships for everyone. The issue
of late start can be addressed. Students should not suffer through a
break they could enjoy.
What do you think?
See Submit Box on Pg. 2 to write a “Letter To
Williams Deserves Life But Not Liberty
By Marissa Silverman
Managing Editor
Imagine a Hollywood marquee reading: “Gang Co-Founder/Murderer/Author/ Humanitarian seeks clemency from
Body Builder/Actor/Governor.”
Sounds like a real hit. In reality, though, the fate of four time
convicted murderer and Crips
Co-Founder Stanley “Tookie” Williams is far from entertaining.
At press-time, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had yet
to decide whether to uphold
William’s capital punishment or
grant him clemency (sentence
him to life in prison instead of
capital punishment). No matter
his decision, arguments against
Williams’s capital punishment apply to numerous felons. Although
his guilt is apparent, sentencing
Williams, or any person for that
matter, to death is an irresponsible
and sickening act of injustice.
Many feel that Williams should
not be killed because of his actions
while in prison: he was nominated
multiple times for the Nobel Peace
Prize and published childrens
books discouraging gang involvement. Others argue that “[Williams] is a cold-blooded killer
who has left his mark forever on
our society” (Los Angeles County
District Attorney’s Office). But
whether or not Williams deserves
to be spared based on the crimes
he committed is not the issue at
hand. Williams should not be
defended or excused for what he
did. However, the moral issue
goes far beyond his actions.
Capital punishment is hypocritical, especially in a country that
claims to value life and liberty. The
United States recently executed its
“1000th person,” making Williams
the potential 1001st American
“executionee.” Chairwoman of
Crime Victims United of California Harriet Salarno believes that
Williams’s execution will “send
out an anti-gang message that is
loud and clear.” But what message
does the government send by
claiming that they have the right
to take the lives of citizens? Our
country kills those who kill, and
yet argues that these actions help
prevent death. Most importantly,
what qualifies Schwarzenegger,
or any human being, to take away
Williams’s life? Capital punishment is just another way of playing
God. When one person exercises
supreme power over another, their
actions are both unconstitutional
and immoral.
In addition to its ethical shortcomings, capital punishment
is impractical and financially
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
destructive. According to the
Death Penalty Information Center,
California spends ninety million
dollars a year on capital cases;
each Death Row felon costs about
six times more than non-capital
inmates. Considering California’s
poor financial situation, due
mainly to Schwarzenegger’s mismanagement of funds, I can’t help
but wonder what an extra ninety
million dollars a year could do for
our schools and communities.
It is never acceptable to take
the life of another, no matter what
the circumstances may be. We as
a people and a country must stop
promoting violence, and should
instead encourage education and
progress. Better to put Williams in
jail for the rest of his life than to
exterminate him from society. It
is my hope that this country will
reevaluate the powerful statement
it makes by killing its own.
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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
Metro Rail for Santa Monica LSD Fountains and Swirling Mushrooms:
By Evan Perkins
across the region. Said O’Conner,
“It will connect many cultural Ecstasy at the Geffen Contemporary
Staff Writer
The Los Angeles region
is not known for having an
adequate mass transit system,
but a significant step is being
made with the construction of the
Exposition Light Rail, which may
one day link the
skyscrapers
of
downtown Los
Angeles with the
waves of Santa
Monica. Arail line
linking downtown
L.A. and Santa
Monica seems too
good to be true
for these traffic
plagued
cities,
but may become
a real possibility.
The Exposition
Light Rail Line,
scheduled to begin
construction in
2006, will stretch from the Metro
Rail Station at Seventh Street
in downtown L.A. to Venice
Boulevard in Culver City. After
that, there may be a further
extension of the line into Santa
Monica.
As Santa Monica Mayor
and MTA Board Member
Pam O’Conner puts it: “The
likelihood of the [rail line]
extension is extremely high, with
the extension to Santa Monica
hopefully completed by 2015.”
O’Conner is a strong proponent
of the Exposition Light Rail Line,
saying that it would especially
benefit Samo students and youth
establishments and educational
institutions that are far apart,
like Exposition Park and also
would provide Samo students
with a quick way to get to those
places.”
Many Samo students also
believe that a rail
connection to Los
Angeles would
benefit Samo and
Santa
Monica.
Sophomore Ian
Scheffler
says
that “[A rail
line] would be a
great way to get
downtown
for
us students who
can’t drive, and
would eliminate
lots of parking
problems for those
who can.” Junior
Rafael
Lopez
thinks that the concept is “pretty
cool” and believes,“[The rail
line] would certainly ease traffic
and help out with pollution,
and would be a wise investment
for the future.” However, some
students do not believe the
Exposition Light Rail would help
the community. Samo sophomore
Erica Nagai believes, “Our money
should be spent on new textbooks
and better teachers, instead of a
rail line that would only benefit
a few.”
If a rail link is built between
Los Angeles and Santa Monica,
it’s sure to change the way we
think about traffic in our city.
By Nicola Persky
“Psilocybe
Cubensis
Certainty Still Kept,” was the art.
most beautiful and authentic Field,”
by
Roxy
Paine,
representation
of
altered featured hundreds of scattered
I’d never seen an LSD perception: inside a dark little mushrooms, creating
fountain until I
room, water the sense of a small, human
visited Ecstasy: In and
illuminated community. In “Assume Vivid
About Altered States,
by
weak Astro Focus,” by The Group,
a current exhibit
rays of light I was transported through a
at the Museum of
dripped from beaded curtain of the Pope’s
Contemporary Art’s
the ceiling, face into a smoky, mirrored
(MOCA)
Geffen
creating
a room, where a gigantic figure
C o n t e m p o r a r y.
w o m b - l i k e of a man/woman arched
sensation and across the space, electronic
Ecstasy
features
moca.org
allowing the music played, and parts of the
works representative
viewer
to walls changed colors.
of altered states and Museum goers gaze upsee the color
altered perceptions,
It
is
interesting
to
wards at spinning, polyof rain.
beautifully
and
consider Ecstasy contextually;
In Fred presenting simulations of
unconventionally styrol fungi in Carston
To m a s e l l i ’ s altered reality to the general
blending the line Hollerʼs “Upside Down
“Organism,” public, which for the most
between art and Mushroom Room.”
a
multi- part is at an unaltered state
experience.
The
exhibit
contains media painting, a human being when viewing the exhibit,
two central modes of artistic whose flesh is composed of eyes begs the meaning of altered
representation:
pieces and
branches,
is
p e rc e p t i o n .
attempting to capture the captured,
diving
What defines
specific artist’s awareness into the bottom of
it? Ecstasy is
of altered states, and pieces the painting, where
by no means
creating changed perception his head is lost.
limited
to
in the mind of the viewer. Although I enjoyed
defining
The
experiential
pieces “Organism,” I found
changed
were fascinating. “Warning: most of the merely
reality
by
Low Hanging Sculpture in representative works
moca.org drug-induced
Motion,” a sign beckoned. I to be less effective at
means; in fact,
followed the sign and was capturing changed Stuck in the DVD player
much of the
transported through a dark perception;
so again: Pipilotti Ristʼs
exhibit seems
winding
hallway,
which rigidly
recording “Related Legs (Yokohama to assert the
seemed to stretch infinitely. altered states seems
fact that art
Dandelions)” immerses
With every twist and turn the to contradict the idea
itself
can
hallway became lighter, until of mind expansion. viewers in virtual reality.
be a means
I was in a large white room,
Several
of
of
altered
where giant red mushrooms the pieces blended the line perception. Ecstasy runs until
spun from the ceiling. Olafur between conventional artistic Feb. 20. For more information,
Eliasson’s, “Your Strange expression and experiential visit moca.org.
Special Report Editor
My Logo is Hotter Than Your Logo
Math, G-Unit, English...
By Nora Casey
By Nick Barlow
Staff Writer
I was walking on Venice Beach
one Saturday morning when to
my dismay, I spotted a man
in a T-shirt reading, “Kinky.”
As I turned my head away
in disgust, I caught sight of a
pair of underwear hanging in
a store window which read,
“Spank Me.” It seems that there
is no escape from such logos,
which come in a variety of genres:
offensive, anti-feminist, and just
plain stupid.
Urban Outfitters on the third
street promenade is my favorite
place to find offensive logos. Urban
features a variety of ethnically
diverse T-shirts with slogans like
“Everyone Loves an Asian/Irish/
Catholic/Italian/Jewish
Girl.”
Or “The Best Girls are Southern/
from Brooklyn/ from New Jersey/
Canadian/Black.” I feel bad for
those groups that are left out. If
everyone loves a Catholic girl,
how come they don’t love a
Protestant girl? Or a Muslim
girl? If the Italians and Irish
get shout outs, how come all
Asians are grouped together
as one? There seem to be too
many bases to cover, and frankly,
not enough love to go around.
Even more fun are the flat
out sluttish tees. Wet Seal in Santa
Monica Place is a haven for them.
With logos like, “This Shirt Would
Look Even Better on Your Floor,”
you wonder why they used all
those letters to spell out “easy
and desperate.” To be fair, these
shirts are also available for guys,
with logos like, “I Don’t Need a
Tractor to Pull Hoes” and “Please
Tell Your Boobs to Stop Staring
at My Eyes.” With such obvious
come-ons, no one even needs the
Internet to get a date anymore.
When it comes to utterly
stupid shirts, the competition is
fierce. The web site tshirtsthatsuck.
com sports multitudes of logos
like, “Hooray for Boobies” and
“Ask Me about my Explosive
Diarrhea.”
All in all, our local stores
supply a plethora of logos of
every variety. Whether you want
people to insult you, hit on you, or
simply question your intelligence,
there are lots of shirts available to
meet your needs.
Staff Writer
How do you teach kids
who were expelled from high
school, reject authority, and
are considered by many to be
unteachable?
Robert Horton is the
director of the Santa Monica
Malibu Unified School District’s
(SMMUSD) new Community Day
School, an alternative education
program for students who need
more individual attention than
average public schools can offer.
Horton has a simple answer to
this question: hip-hop history.
“As long as you’re hitting
the [California State] standards
you can talk about any subject,”
said Horton, “so why not find
out something these guys are
interested in?”
Turns out all the students like
G-unit. So for a week or so CDS
focused on rap; what it means,
what it says, and a personal
reaction. Their final was to write
a rap song and an in-depth power
point focusing on an artist of their
choice. As Horton put it: “It was a
poetry unit, but they didn’t know
we were doing poetry.”
Open since the fall, CDS is
held from eight to three o’clock
Mon. through Fri. in Memorial
Park’s community meeting
rooms. However, one or two
hours a day are spent in the
SMMUSD computer lab across
the street.
Currently there is a small
student-teacher ratio, which gives
students a more intimate and
personalized learning experience.
CDS student Jace Mastel explained
that “[CDS teachers] have a lot
more control over students,”
compared to public schools
because of smaller class size. “At
Samo, people could ditch, but
they notice when someone is
gone here,” Mastel said
This first inaugural class of
seven students will work as a
sounding board for the future of
the newly flourishing CDS. The
teachers are as quickly discarding
ideas as they are presenting them.
Horton spoke of a 1920s mobster
unit explaining the gangs of the
probation era, which ultimately
failed to interest the students.
So the faculty dropped it, and
moved on.
“We have a plan in place
and we know the structure,”
said program Special Education
teacher Pamela Gaul. “But we’re
very flexible to deviate from that
structure to loosen something up
or curtail it so it fits each kid.”
So far classes have gone on
field trips to the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art and
multiple restaurants as part of
the “Create your own restaurant/
night club unit.”
In using Project Based
Learning, the CDS faculty hopes
to give students the educational
opportunities to return to public
school and ease into a real world
job. Be it a stockbroker, an architect
or the next member of G-Unit.
Page 5
KANYE WEST AT SAMO
By Nick Barlow
and Andrew Reilly
Staff Writers
Kanye West performed
in Samoʼs Greek Theater on
Dec. 5, as Samoʼs prize for
winning Power 106ʼs Big
Boyʼs Backstage with Kanye
competition.
After a long day of strange
scheduling, students, rife with
anticipation, filed into the Greek.
The crowd proudly displayed
their adoration for West, as well
as their class pride.
Following an introduction
by CEO/Principal Ilene Straus,
Big Boy ran a routine “sound
check,” a la Ice Cube. The
popular DJ and host of Big Boy
in the Morning congratulated
Samo on winning Backstage
with Kanye. “You deserve this,
Samohi,” Big Boy exclaimed to
a screaming Greek full of starstricken students. “You guys are
so good,” he continued, “weʼre
gonna try and come back!”
West finally burst onto the
stage, microphone in hand and
DJ at his side, rapping, “I gotta
testify, come up in the spot
looking extra fly.”
After opening with “Touch
the Sky,”West introduced himself
and proceeded into “Workout
Plan,” off his first album, The
College Dropout. West then sat
down with Big Boy for an onair interview, answering student
questions. In response to senior
Doug Monroyʼs question West
revealed that he started rapping
in the third grade. Through the
course of the interview West
spoke several times about his
high school experience. “I
didnʼt do a lot of homework,”
West said, “but I got a lot of As
and Bs.”
In fact, Westʼs past differs
Kanye West talks to national
media beneath the South Gym
before the concert.
greatly from the archetypal
hip-hop background; a high
school honors student from a
middle class suburb outside
of Chicago, West went on to
attend art school and Chicago
State University. West produced
for local acts, but gained a solid
reputation by producing for
artists like Jay-Z, Ludacris and
Alicia Keys. All the while, he
worked on a solo album that
was repeatedly dismissed by
record executives on account of
Westʼs unremarkable image.
In Oct., 2002 a near fatal
car accident left him to record
his first hit single, “Through the
Wire,” with his jaw wired shut.
His first album, The College
Dropout, was released on Roca-
“ I’m living out
my dreams and
touching the
sky right now.”
Kanye West
fella Records in Feb. 2004. West
released his second album, Late
Registration in Aug. 2005. The
album went on to sell 904,000
copies in its first week.
Although West dropped
out of Chicago State University
to pursue music and never
finished his college education,
he has recently partnered
with entertainment retailer
Musicland, to create the Free
U. Giveaway, a nationwide
sweepstakes to award a lucky
student $150,000, enough for
a full college ride. “You can
be successful without college,”
West said during the pre-show
press conference, “but its a hard
world and you want to take
advantage of what opportunities
you can.”
After the concertʼs Q and
A session, Power 106 took a
commercial break and students
calmly waited for Westʼs third
song, a medley of “Heard
emʼ say” and “Spaceship.”
The excitement of the crowd
became almost palpable during
the fantastic performance of
“Jesus Walks;” so much so,
that a group of students tried
to rush the barricade. Luckily,
they were held back, and West
continued with his signature
“Jesus walk” dance.
West ended the concert
with “Gold digger,” and walked
off stage as the crowd chanted
his name. “It takes people like
myself to stand up and say
music is part of our culture,”
West said before the concert. “I
want to educate students about
music.”
From the roof of
Drake pool Samo
Security Officer
“Mr. D” protects
students and
faculty.
“Power 106 and the Knowledge is Power Foundation is committed to education. Santa Monica High School has proven
that a school can pull its students, faculty and families together
to accomplish anything for their school if they truly want to
achieve a goal. They are deserving of this victory,” said Power
106ʼs Big Boy.
Behind the Music
By Eliza Smith
Feature Editor
Leadership Advisor Cathy
Marsh discovered that Power
106 FM was hosting Big
Boyʼs Backstage with Kanye
West competition, which
could potentially bring rap
superstar Kanye West to
Samo. Marsh remembers
filling out the entrance forms:
“I thought it was such an
amazing opportunity. But
then I wondered, would Samo
really go for this?” Marsh was
pleasantly surprised when
only minutes after she entered
Samo in the competition,
students were avidly voting.
Marsh believes this is by far
the “coolest thing Samo has
ever experienced.”
Although many schools
entered, the fiercest competition
raged between Samo and King
Drew High, a Los Angeles
Magnet School. Students at
both schools found ways to
make their computers enter in
hundreds of votes in just a few
seconds; some enthusiastic
teachers helped.
Photos by Max Jordan, Ashley Osberg and Sam Walters
While
King Drewʼs
percentages would skyrocket
during the day, Samoʼs
percentages would climb
drastically during the night.
Eventually, a general rule was
mandated: students would
not be able to vote during
school hours. Said Leadership
Commissioner of Activities
Sean Gaynor, “The turning
point of the whole competition
was when we couldnʼt vote
during school hours.” Gaynor
believes that the restrictions
helped strengthen Samoʼs
commitment towards winning:
“People put more dedication
into voting [outside of
school]. Everyone really came
together.”
On Nov. 28, Power 106
announced Samo as the official
winner of the competition.
Marsh believes that West could
not have had better timing.
“Not only is this a moment
for Samo to participate in
something really fun,” Marsh
said, “but after this Aprilʼs
lockdown, this is a moment
of healing, a time for Samo to
bond.”
Campus Life
Page 6
From Tehran to Los Angeles
By Daniel Galdjie
Staff Writer
History department student teacher Alan Glasband performs an
original song as part of the annual Faculty Follies on Nov. 22.
Photo by Ashley Osberg
Samo’s Student Sundance
By Nora Casey
Staff Writer
Running with Speakers sponsored a Film Festival in the Roberts
Art Gallery on Dec. 7. This festival,
the first of two annual ones, featured
only Samo artists.
Entries came from Multimedia
Instructor William Wishart’s sixth
period class, other Samo students
and Alumni of Wishart’s program.
“Dream Job,” a documentary directed, edited and produced by Junior
Mel Shaw, exemplified the local
flavor of the festival by examining
the street performers of the Venice
boardwalk and the promenade. The
interviews were both professional
and charming, allowing us an inside view of our own city. Another
documentary, “Perspective,” by
Senior Kevin Sheftler and Junior
Nick Hudspeth, focused on graffiti
artists and included an interview
with Samo Security Guard Mr.D.
“Late” by Nick Lopez, a brief
poignant film with a twist ending,
as well as “Rise and Depression”
by Carmelo Lopez made up the
alumni films.
“Teddy and Me,” by freshman
Eli Linnetz, “The Story of Hat and
Tractor,” by Sophomore Eric Weintraub and Junior Tiimo Schulze’s
satirical and amusing music video,
“The Next Episode: Censored” also
held their own. Schulze commented
about his work: “I can’t lie- it’s dank,”
adding, “It’s motivational to show
your films to other people.” Film
Festival Coordinator Mike Flores
said, “I think we did a good job.” I
believe the audience agreed.
Another Man’s Treasure
By Hannah Bernstein
Staff Writer
Far too often high school students pass over or demean the
custodial work done by the janitors
at their schools, forgetting that they
leadexhilaratinglivesand
deserve respect.
Jose Cuevas is
just one of
these people, who
works towardsmaking Samohi a
better school one
bathroom at a time.
Cuevas has been a custodian
at Samo for 17 years, more than a lot
of students have been alive. He, like
the other custodial workers at Samo,
works from 3:00 to 11:30 p.m., with a
“lunch break” at 7:00 p.m. “At night-
time it’s very peaceful, only the birds
and the open space,” Cuevas said. “I
like it much better than the daytime,
because nobody’s in your way, and
you’re able to do your job.”
His job, cleaning up after the 3,600
Samo students is a daunting task,
often made more difficult by
students who unnecessarily litter. “Sometimes it’s
like we’re
at a Kindergarten,”Cuevas
disappointedly
stated. “These kids
leave everything wherever
they sit ... in the restroom, they’ll wash
their hands and just leave the paper
on the floor.” He also mentioned
that the time he spends cleaning up
student’s messes, like graffiti, often
makes it necessary to “cut corners,”
and take away time from his usual
cleaning work. “A lot of kids ... don’t
like it when someone else tells them
[to keep things clean].” Still, Cuevas realizes that vandalizing isn’t
the norm for most Samo students:
“Everybody who cleans their own
mess helps.”
In his spare time, Cuevas enjoys
watching movies, reading and writing poetry. He’s written thousands
of poems. “I’d like to publish them,
but it’s private stuff. It reveals my
heart,” he said, gesturing towards his
own. “It’s a helper, like a diary; you
open it and you don’t want anybody
to see.”
Cuevas mentioned that he believesit’smostimportantforstudents,
teachers, and administrators to work
together with the janitors to keep the
schoolclean.“Ifstudentscooperateby
doing things like putting their trash
in the trashcans, this school is going to
be much better, much cleaner.”
A little over a month ago, Iran’s
new hard-line president, Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, declared that Israel
“must be wiped off the map” while
attending a political rally in Tehran.
Ahmadinejad, who was elected
president, vowed to return Iran to
the radical principals of the 1979
revolution. He began rolling back
reforms, increasing both political
and social restrictions. The Samohi sat
down with Arya Rahimian, a Samo
Junior, who moved here from Iran
several months ago, to get an in depth
look as to what Iranian life is like for
a typical high school student.
Rahimian explained that, in
many ways, going to school in Iran
is not much different than going
to school in California. The main
difference is that in Iran there is no
separation between religion and
state. Iran is a theocracy and religion
is actually imposed upon the people.
Rahimian explained; “To be Jewish
was bad, I could say ‘I’m Jewish’
but it got me into a lot of trouble.”
Teachers often encouraged their students to have anti-Semitic feelings,
especially in the Koran classes, which
all students were required to take.
“If I developed a friendship with a
teacher, other students would tell
the teachers, ‘don’t forget, he’s Jewish, don’t become too friendly with
him’,” said Rahimian. Rahimian is
quick to point out that “it wasn’t that
[his fellow students] were hateful
people, it’s that they were taught to
hate. The group of people that have
ruled the country for the past 25 years
have been brainwashing the people
to have these feelings.”
The harsh social treatment and
dire economic situation in Iran
spurred Rahimian’s family to flee
Iran, first to Austria then finally to
the United States, where he arrived
eight months ago. Rahimian, did
not know what to expect upon his
arrival; “First I thought it was going
to be so hard, I feared I wouldn’t be
able make friendships with other
students, but when I started school
I found how nice American students
are. They really helped me as a
new student.” Rahimian expected
there would be more violence and
racial tension on campus; he was
pleasantly surprised when he found
American schools are safer than they
are as portrayed overseas. Rahimian
was pleased to see art, music and
sports programs which are very rare
in Iran. Coming from a totalitarian nation, Rahimian is especially
grateful for the social and political
freedoms we enjoy in the United
States; “Freedom of speech is the
biggest blessing that the American
people have. Americans always can
criticize authority so they can change
their society, environment, or school
for the better.”
Another aspect of American life
that Rahimian cherishes is the lack
of government-enforced censorship in this country. Rahimian explained that “in Iran we didn’t have
choice in the books we read, most
western literature was outlawed
because the government deems it
un-Islamic. For instance, The Great
Gatsby was banned because of the
relation between a married women
and a man. There is an especially
heavy censorship on newspapers.
Often books are banned because
they make the people think, question, and criticize the government
that they have. If you are found
with outlawed literature you can
be fined, or if you have a large collection, they send you to jail.”
Rahimian has hope for the
future of his country. He says,
“totalitarian governments never
last. Soon the people will force
change, and they will instate a
democracy.”
What’s Up, Samo?
Dec.9-Dec.17- Guys and Dolls, Barnum
Dec.12-Dec.16- Progress Reports Mailed Home
Dec.15- Choral Concert, 7 p.m., Barnum
Dec. 17- BSU Carwash
Club Corner
M.E.Ch.A Makes for a Merry Christmas
By Analee Abbott
Campus Life Editor
Take a cup of leadership, add a
gallon of responsibility and a shot
of community service, stir in genuine care for others and compassion
and you get Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Áztlan (M.E.Ch.
A. )The club meets every Wed. at
lunch in E113 and according to
Club Presidents Seniors Karen
Martinez and Aaron Schwartz,
the purpose of the club is “to
bring political awareness, spread
diversity and promote higher
education.” Samo ‘s M.E.Ch.A.
chapter has been around for so
many years that some of Samo’s
teachers were involved in the club
during their youth. M.E.Ch.A. is
constantly looking for new members
to continue the legacy. As Schwartz
puts it, “We’re a club that actually
helps the community. We don’t just
sit around.”
Noticeable across the campus is
M.E.Ch.A’s annual toy drive. Every
year during the holiday season
they gather money from different
homerooms and purchase toys for
underprivileged children. Most of
these toys go to elementary schools
here in Santa Monica. Senior club
member Lulu Arias understand,
the importance of giving back:
“Since the kids we’re giving to
are so underprivileged, they don’t
expect anything, and the happiness
in their eyes upon receiving the
gift is amazing. Childhood joy is
amazing.”
One of the club’s Vice Presidents, Elvira Vivanco grabs the essence of the club when she explains
what M.E.Ch.Ahas done for her: “I
have learned how to make a better
future for myself by uniting other
people and helping them. I’ve
learned about social justice. This
club makes me more aware.”
expensive purchase led O’Connor
to form a club that has collectively
developed a passion for the works
of Samuel Beckett.
The small size (about seven
people) creates an intimate atmosphere. One club member was
knitting a scarf while listening to
her club mates’ friendly debate
over Bob Dylan. Later in the meeting I attended, O’Connor played a
tape of an actor reading a sampling
of Beckett’s soliloquies while the
rest of the club listened at their
leisure. Club members were sitting on tables and lying on counter
tops, all in the most comfortable
position they could achieve under
the circumstances.
When asked what made Beckett so wonderful, O’Connor
replied by paraphrasing a quote
from Nobel Prize-winner Harold
Pinter, “Beckett does not present
an audience with a dogma or
an escape. Instead he gives an
audience an aspect of themselves
and lets them explore.”
The club does not only focus
on Beckett. Charlie Lucas, a
senior club member and fencing
champion, feels that “[Beckett
Club] is a place to talk with
people about books more than
Beckett [specifically].” Mel
Shaw, a junior club member and
acclaimed student film director,
said that “the club provides a
solid thirty minutes of good
conversation.”
In order to join Beckett club
you must: know how to read,
have read Waiting for Godot (the
club will give you a copy if you
have not yet read the play), have
a knowledge of literature outside
of Beckett’s, and of course, the optional but desirable bowler hat.
Have a Blast With Blatz and Bowler Hats
By Zoe Young
Staff Writer
Every Tuesday at lunch
Berkeley Blatz, Samo’s existential
philosophy teacher, lends his
cozy room to an unusual club,
the Beckett Club.
This club began when senior
Fionnán O’Connor found a pile
of bowler hats at Trader Joe’s
market on sale for 60 cents a
piece. With a price so reasonable
O’Connor bought eight. The
inspiration for the club came in
deciding what to do with the
bowlers. Samuel Beckett, the
20th century author, was made
famous for his play Waiting for
Godot, in which all four main
characters wear bowler hats. The
answer was clear: create a club
where the bowlers could be put
to good use. This small and in-
Sports— Page 7 The Samohi December 9, 2005
Wrestling Struggles Against Tough
Opponents in El Dorado Tournament
By Zahir Alibhai
Staff Writer
The wrestling team’s El Dorado tournament last weekend
was a wake up call to the team’s
young players. “Our first tournament didn’t go nearly as well as
we had hoped,” said junior Lev
Darkhovsky.
HeadCoachMarkBlackthought
that the tournament “wasn’t bad
considering we had a really bad
seeding.” Although a computer
randomly decided the match-ups,
five of the new wrestlers were put
against number one wrestlers in
the area.
The only wrestler who placed
as the tournament, junior Yusuf
Sayed, placed first and dominated
his 152 lb. weight class. According
to Black, juniors Chris Magana, Lev
Darkhovsky and Collin Rothschild
performed extremely well and will
remain the team’s main source of
strength throughout the season.
The talent of the underclassmen
contrasts the impact of last year’s
seniors, who Black described as “a
dominating class.” Added Black,
“This year, we don’t have that
same domination.” The wrestlers
plan to change everything around.
They will change their practices according to Darkhovsky, and bring
a “different team” to the next tournament. Looking further into the
future, Black hopes to put as many
Samo players on the CIF team and
beat long-time rival North Torrance
for the league championship. It’s up
to the team members themselves to
find the inner strength and match
the domination of last year. Said
Rothschild, “Now that we know
were we’re at, we can rise up from
there.” The wrestling team will get
a chance at the West Torrance tenway this weekend.
Viking Basketball Optimistic
By Lincoln Boehm
Sports Editor
After months of rigorous
training, Samo’s boy basketball
team began their season on Nov.28
at the Pacific Shores Tournament.
Samo took on the Redondo
Seahawks in what turned out to be
a thriller. The Vikings lost the game
56-52, and were forced out of the
championship bracket and sent to
the consolation tournament. In their
next game, they faced Crossroads
who they defeated handily. They
proceeded through the consolation
bracket, beating Palisades and then
sadly losing to L.B. Jordan.
This veteran basketball team
has nine seniors who feel that this is
going to be a great season. “We have
lots of team leadership this year.
Everyone has varsity experience,
which will help us a lot come
playoffs,” said senior co-captain
Will Freedman.
Samo began the El Segundo
Tournament on Dec. 6 against San
Pedro. The boys came out shooting
well, and managed to pull out a
70-61 win thanks to the impressive
performance from senior Akil
Gainer. “We’re looking good.” Said
Freedman. “We have really high
expectations for ourselves, but
we’re definitely going to be able
to live up to them. The Vikings
played Kennedy High School in the
second round of the tournament
(at the time of printing) on Wed.,
Dec.7. Based on the format of the
tournament, the Vikings knew that
win or lose, they would play Serra
High School on Thurs., Dec.8. This
tournament features the two teams
with the best tournament records in
the Championship game, which is
tonight at El Segundo High School.
Winter Team Captains Announced
Compiled by The Samohiʼs Staff
Writers and Photographers
Girls Soccer:
coaching staff polled the team
concerning who they would like
to be represented by. The overall
team favorite? McElroy. After
sitting out last season at Venice
and transferring to Samo this
fall, starting goalkeeper McElroy will be the third captain.
Cheer/Songs:
Girls Soccer starts this year with
three new captains. Head Coach
Serafín Rodriguez is very excited:
Boys Soccer:
Selected by Samo Director of “We’re going to sweep league this
Soccer Frank Gatell and head year, and the team is very strong.”
coach Jimmy Chapman, seniors The three captains, seniors Nicole
Tony Sotoj and Rory McElroy Hoffman and Julia Keighley, and
and junior David Castellanos junior Samantha Greene, were
take the field as this year ’s chosen for their leadership skills,
boys soccer captains. Because their strong work ethics, and for
their skill level in the sport. Also
of his tenor on
a red belt in kavarsity, Sotoj
rate,
Hoffman
was a clear
is
out
with a
choice for captorn
ACL.
She
tain: “He has
will
return
to
always been
the
field
in
early
t h e re g i v i n g
January. Greene,
100 percent,”
after missing the
said Gatell.
first four games
Castellanos, a
due to a conflict
returning Allwith her nationOcean League From left to right: David
ally
ranked club
s e c o n d t e a m Castellanos, Nicole Hoffman
team,
looks to
pick after hav- and Tony Sotoj
lead the team’s
ing been on
offense this seavarsity since
son.
Keighley,
last
year’s team
his freshman year, brings conDefensive
Player
of
the
Year, will
sistency, a strong work ethic
anchor
the
defense.
All
three
capand team spirit to the table as
tains
are
enthusiastic
about
this
captain.
season.
According
to
Greene
and
Finally, recognizing that a
team captain should be some- Keighley, the team this year “has a
one that other team members lot of talent and if we focus, we will
appreciate, the boys soccer be able to achieve great things.”
Wrestling:
As of Dec. 7, the Wrestling
captains had not been selected.
Coach Black will select the captains based on the performances
and attitudes of the wrestlers
over the next few weeks.
Seniors Jessica Wildermuth and
Megan Schaeffer lead the cheer
squad this year, while fellow seniors Tilly O’Neal and Sarah Gross
are captains of Songs. According to
Pep Squad Coach Amy Meadors,
the girls make good leaders due to
the fact that they are well organized,
have positive attitudes and exhibit
strong work ethics. “They stepped
into leadership roles even as underclassmen,” said Meadors.
Water Polo Ends Season in Semifinals
By Erin Nadel
Staff Writer
In the 2005 fall sports season,
the boys water polo team was
the only Samo athletic team to
advance past the first round of
CIF competition. With an overall
record of 21-8, “the team had an
amazing season,” said head coach
Matthew Flanders. After going
undefeated in league, Samo had
four players named to the AllOcean League First Team: juniors
Skylar Nathanson, Pedro Caldas
and Eliot Storms and senior Sam
Devorris. Senior Jack Jacobs was
named to the Second Team, and
senior Adam Cline was named
the Ocean League’s Most Valuable Player. The Greenies were
recognized at a quad rally on Nov.
23 organized by S-House, where
they each received a certificate
and a flower.
The semi-final game against
Rowland, held at Walnut High
School on Nov. 18, was an upsetting defeat, primarily because the
Greenies did not play as well as
they were capable of playing. “It
was unfortunate that as a team
our worst game of the year happened to be the one that mattered
the most,” said Devorris. At half
time, the Greenies were losing 51, and despite pulling to within
two goals in the fourth quarter,
they were unable to overcome the
deficit before the game ended with
a final score of 6-8.
Senior Adam Cline, who was
selected the team MVP and the
Ocean League’s MVP in both his
junior and senior years, looks
forward to his future in water
polo. After attending a national
age group tournament in Florida,
and the Junior Olympics in San
Jose this summer, in addition to
playing for the Samo varsity squad
for the past three years, he is eager
to play at the next level: “I want to
play Division I water polo,” said
Cline. “I will be happy no matter
where I play as long as I am getting
a good education while playing
on a team that is competing for a
NCAA championship.” He will
understandably miss both the
Greenies and the Samo aquatic
program. Fellow senior Devorris,
who was named to the All-CIF
first team along with Cline, is also
planning on playing water polo at
the collegiate level, provided that
he attends a school with a water
polo team.
The rest of the seniors -- Ivan
Pinto-Rodriguez, Jacobs, and
Kevin Cooke -- do not plan to play
water polo in college. Still, as the
boys go off in different directions,
they recognize that the lessons
they learned in the pool will apply
to life. “Water polo has taught me
that discipline and work ethic is
more important than natural talent,” said Pinto-Rodriguez. With
the playoff loss behind them, the
seniors are not the only ones moving on: “Last season is over, and we
are working harder than any other
sport right now in order to win
the CIF championship next year,”
said Storms. In addition to Storms,
next year’s squad will be led by
Nathanson and Caldas, who were
named to the All-CIF Second and
Third teams, respectively.
Megan Schaeffer and Jessica
Wildermuth (top); Tilly OʼNeal
and Sarah Gross (bottom)
Boys Basketball:
Team captains Terrence
Boozer and Will Freedman are
veterans on the varsity squad
(Boozer has been on the team
all four years, Freedman for
three). “This year we are going
to rewrite the record books.”
Said Boozer. When asked for a
quote about the team, the pair
responded: “We don’t really
care about all of that stuff, we
just wanna play.” That seems
to be the message that these
two are trying to get across to
their teammates. How far can
the Vikings go this year? You
may be wondering. Well , according to the team’s enthusiastic captians, “the sky’s the
limit.”
Girls Water Polo:
Led by co-captains seniors
Irma Hernandez and Allison
Born, the girls water polo team
has a lot to live up to after last
year’s squad advanced to the
CIF semifinals. Hernandez was
chosen captain because she has
been playing water polo since
eighth grade and knows the
game well. Born was chosen
due to her tenacity and strong
swimming skills that motivate
the rest of the team.
Hernandez maintains high
hopes for the team’s success:
“Our win [at Bell Gardens]
was a good start for our season. We’re the underdogs now
that we’ve lost so many of our
seniors from last year, so we’re
trying to build a similarly strong
team.” Born agrees, adding
that “we’ll have to work hard
because we have a lot of new
members, but I think if everyone
works hard, we’ll do well.”
Allison Born and Irma
Hernandez (from left).
Girls Basketball:
Senior Monica Zell and junior
Emily Foshag take the court by
storm this season as captains of the
girls basketball team. According to
head coach Marcus Charuvastra,
the two “always lead by example—in the way the they play, the
way they practice and the way they
conduct themselves on and off
the floor.” The girls communicate
well and, as a result, “everybody
respects them and listens to them,”
said Charuvastra.
As leaders of a relatively inexperienced team, Zell and Foshag
understand the importance of
rigorous practices.
The girls
plan to focus on a strong defense,
and emphasize the importance
of teamwork. “I think our big
strength is our want, our desire
to win,” said Zell. Zell shares her
hopes for the season: “I’d like to
see us see us get past the first round
of playoffs, and go undefeated in
league.”
From left to right: Emily
Foshag, Will Freedman and
Monica Zell
U p c o m i n g A t h l e t i c E v e n t s f o r t h e We e k o f D e c . 1 2 t o D e c . 1 7
Boys Soccer vs. West Torrance
Tues., Dec. 13
In the first meeting between the two teams since
Samo earned a 2-0 victory over the Warriors in
the 3rd place game of last year’s South Torrance
Holiday Tournament, the Vikings look to build
on their 3-0 record as of Dec. 7. Kickoff is at 3:00
p.m. on the North Soccer Field.
Boys Basketball vs. Mira Costa
Tues., Dec. 13
Following the El Segundo Tournament that took place this week,
the boys host the Mustangs in their home opener at 7:30 p.m. in
the North Gym. Samo won the previous meeting between the two
teams 54-45 in Manhattan Beach. JV plays at 6:00 p.m., following
the Freshman and Sophomore games which take place at 3:00 and
4:30 p.m., respectively.
Girls Basketball vs. Penninsula
Weds., Dec. 14
After not meeting last season, these two
teams renew their long time rivalry in the
Lady Vikings’ first home game of the year.
Tip-off is at 6:00 p.m. in the North Gym. JV
plays at 4:30, Frosh-Soph at 3:00 p.m.
Page 8
Sports
Boys Soccer: Soaring Past Competition
By Emily Foshag
Sports Editor
The defending Division II
Co-Champion Loyola Cubs came
to Samo on Nov. 30 looking for an
easy victory against a team that lost
over 80 percent of its scoring and
returned just four players from last
year’s varsity squad. Instead, what
they got was a 4-1 loss.
Senior Danny Coll led the way
in the boys soccer team’s season
opener against Loyola, scoring a
goal in just the fifth minute of the
game. Said Coll of the team’s successful start, “Everyone, including
coaches, thought that we were going
to struggle this year, but that only
motivated us to beat [Loyola]. We
came out strong and got the job
done.” Sophomore Artur Jozkowics
then converted a free kick in the 30th
minute to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead
going into halftime. The Vikings’
impressive display continued for
the remainder of the game. Less
than five minutes into the second
half, Samo struck again. This time, “We stepped up big as a team and after the win.
The boys carried the momensenior Rafael Guzman received a played them with a lot of pressure
ball that was punched out by senior and got good results,” said Samo tum from their big win into their
goalie Rory McElroy and headed it Director of Soccer Frank Gatell next contest at South Torrance the
following day. In the
towards the Loyola
first half, passes from
goal, allowing junior
junior Bryan Eyler and
Victor Rivas to run
Coll found sophomore
onto the ball, and put
Luis Zavala and Josit away. The Vikings
kowics in prime posiheld on to the 3-0
tions to score, and both
lead until a Loyola
converted. A South
midfielder was able
goal just before halfto take advantage of
time gave Samo a 2-1
Samo’s slow transition back to defense
lead. The Vikings held
and scored, but the
on for the 3-2 victory.
Samo offense reFive different
sponded quickly as
Samo players scored
sophomore Alessanin the victories over
dro Canale volleyed
Loyola and South Tora cross by Guzman
rance, a stark contrast
into the upper left
from last year’s team
hand corner of the Senior Rafael Guzman protects the ball against Loyola on that relied heavily on
Omid Shokoufandeh,
net to give Samo Nov. 30. Samo won the game 4-1.
the commanding
now at the University
4-1 win. The assist
of Pennsylvania, for
Photo by Max Jordan its offensive output.
from Guzman was
According to co-caphis third of the game.
tain senior Tony Sotoj, “The new
formation we are playing allows a
lot more people to score.” Implemented by the Samo coaching staff,
the new formation Sotoj speaks of
is a 3-4-3 formation, which allows
for an additional person to attack
on offense. In the past, Samo teams
have used a 3-5-2 formation, which
made controlling the middle of the
field a priority. According to Gatell,
the 3-4-3 works well with the personnel at Samo this year because the
defense is strong enough to control
the backfield without the help of an
additional midfielder.
On Dec. 6, Samo hosted Harvard Westlake, one of only three
teams to beat the Vikings last season.
A pair of goals by Coll and Rivas
gave the boys the 2-0 win, as Samo
goalkeeper McElroy earned his first
shut out of the young season.
The undefeated Vikings (3-0)
took on Penninsula on the road
yesterday looking for their fourth
win of the season. See next issue
for further coverage.
Vikings Dominate
Lady Greenies Exceed Expectations Lady
By Molly Strauss
By Cara Safon
News Editor
The Samo girls water polo
team has maintained a fair record
despite the expectation that after
the loss of so many strong seniors
from last year’s team they could
not win. An astounding 16-3 victory over Bell Gardens on Nov.
29 gave the Lady Greenies momentum heading into their first
tournament of the season.
The Lady Greenies came out
strong in the Benson Cup tournament, and held their first two
opponents scoreless. The girls
outscored Ramona and Coronado
High Schools by the combined
score of 20-0. After that, however,
winning roles reversed as the
Lady Greenies lost to Brea Olinda
6-12 due to some careless passes
and defensive breakdowns.
On Dec. 3, the Vikings were
forced to play without starting
players Co-Captain senior Allison Born and junior Kendall Dill,
who were absent for the games
against Peninsula and Valencia
due to a band competition and
a modeling commitment, respectively. Despite a strong start in the
first game by the Lady Greenies,
the team had trouble putting
points on the board against
Peninsula which led to a 3-11
loss. The Greenies drew a lot of
kickouts in the game, but junior
goalie Samantha Lim played
well, blocking a four-meter penalty shot in the second quarter.
Following the loss, Lim said, “I
think our team altogether has a
lot of potential.” During the next
game against Valencia, the team
won 6-4 to finish fourteenth in
the tournament.A key substitution for the Lady Greenies, junior
Gloria Esqueda, had also missed
the first game due to a conflict
with the SAT, but made it back
for the second game to score two
goals. “I felt bad for missing the
first game, but that made me all
the more pumped for the second
game,” she said.
Due to Kanye West’s performance on Dec. 5, the match at
Redondo Union was rescheduled
to Jan. 20.
As the Lady Greenies struggle to gain the game experience
that is necessary for such a young
team to be successful, Born foresees victory through practice. She
said, “We’ll have to work hard
because we have a lot of new
members.”
The Lady Greenies will
enter another tournament this
Thursday at Villa Park. “I think
if everyone works hard, we’ll do
well,” said senior Co-Captain
Irma Hernandez.
Underclassmen Step Up For Girls Soccer
the end, the teams were tied at zero
so they went into rounds of penalty
Staff Writer
kicks (PKs). Bronstein found
a way to block three shots
On Nov. 29 the Samo girls
and helped Samo win the
soccer team faced off against
game. The girls then moved
Marymount. Freshman Yanneth
on to play North HollyGuzman scored a goal against
wood. Sophomore Erin Felthe Sailors in the first period.
ton scored the team’s only
Marymount later tied up the
goal, which was matched by
game, but with five minutes left,
North Hollywood. The score
Guzman scored a game-winning
was tied 1-1 when time ran
goal with a header right past the
out. As a result, the game
Marymount goalkeeper. Of the
was once again decided
freshman foward’s performance,
by a round of PKs, where
Samo Director of Soccer Frank
Bronstein blocked two more
Gatell said, “It’s not about what
grade you are in, it’s about how Junior Daniela DaCosta passes the ball giving Samo the victory.
The Vikings are off to a
you play the game.”
through two Marymount defenders on
strong
start, made evident
The tide turned against Mira Nov.29.
by
their
3-1 record as of Dec.
Costa Dec.1 when three starters,
4. Gatell commented: “The
juniors, Sam Greene, Michela
Photo by Ashley Osberg girls are very hard-workFitten, and Danielle Duarte were
ing and they’ve been very
out the team to refocus its efforts
dedicated in their efforts to
to defense. “We needed to step it and couldn’t score before the clock
elevate
the level of play.” The girls
stopped.
up, but in a conservative way. Said
are
very
excited about this year’s
The
girls
played
their
first
Gatell, “We needed to hold our
team,
and
hope that the strong
tournament
over
the
weekend
of
ground.” Samo’s new goalkeeper
Allie Bronstein made several great Dec.3. The Vikings first match was bond they have will help them win
saves, but late in the match couldn’t once again against Marymount. In throughout the season.
By Sam Cotten
stop a shot from a Mira Costa
forward. The girls ran out of time
stellar game, scoring 22 points.
Santa Monica defeated
Camarillo on Dec. 2 to advance to
The Samo girls basketball the championship game. Then, in
team won the Moorpark High the final game of the tournament,
School Tip-Off Classic last week, the girls played tournament host
defeating all four teams they played. Moorpark. The teams battled
The tournament,
down to the wire,
which occurred
but the Lady
before the league
Vikings finally
season starts in
pulled away
January, gave the
with a minute left
girls a taste of
because of two
success.
well-executed
S a m o
pick-and-rolls
defeatedAgoura
that resulted in
in the Nov. 30 in
open jump shots
the first game
for sophomore
of the Classic
Katy Keating. The
by 26 points,
girls ended up
with a score of
winning by seven
59-33. Junior
points. Following
Team Captain
the
game,
Emily Foshag,
sophomores
l a t e r n a m e d Head coach Marcus Charuvastra Daisy Feder and
To u r n a m e n t
Karlia Batalla and
discusses offensive strategy with
Most Valuable
junior Southam
Player, scored 21 the team in the championship
were named to the
points and added game of the Moorpark Tip-Off
All-Tournament
Classic on Sat., Dec. 3.
11 rebounds.
team.
The girls
The four
won 48-47 on
wins
gave the girls
Photo by Samantha Walters
Dec. 1 against
confidence, and
Newbury Park, the nineteenth prepared them for the Marlborough
ranked team in Southern California. Tournament that started this week.
Junior Allie Southam scored the Last year, the girls basketball team
game-winning basket by an lost to host Marlborough after a
impromptu lay-up with only 15 questionable loose ball foul was
seconds left in the game. Samo’s called against Samo which resulted
defense held Newbury Park’s in two free throws for the Mustangs
leading scorer, who already signed with less than ten seconds left. “It
with Loyola Marymount University was a really close, upsetting game
to play Division I basketball, to only for us,” said senior Team Captain
four points. Once time ran out, Monica Zell. After a victory over
“we were jumping for joy,” said Brentwood in the first round on
Southam. She further explained that, Dec. 5, the girls faced Marlborough
“[Newbury Park] was a big obstacle Weds. night in the semifinals of the
to overcome, and it was really a tournament. The result of the game
team effort.” Foshag played another was unavailable as of press time.
Opinion Editor
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