June 15, 2006

The College Obsession
Page 3
Class Of ‘06 Collage
Page 5
Top Senior Athletes
Page 8
On the Internet:
www.samohi.smmusd.org/thesamohi
Circulation: 3,600
Community Briefs:
Venice Student Shot and Killed
By Marissa Silverman
from a long history of violence.
“It’s gang-related, it’s race-related.
There’s a lot of layers to it,” said
The a�er-school harassment Oscar de la Torre, founder of the
of 16-year-old Venice High School Pico Youth and Family Center and
student Alejo Contreras ended in School Board member.
However, the Contreras’want
the fatal shooting of his brother,
the community to
17-year-old junior
know that although
Agustin Contreras,
the shooting may
last Monday.
have been gangAlejo, one of four
related, their sons
Contreras brothers,
were and are not
was reportedly
associated with gang
leaving his class
activity. “Her son
when a group of
was never a gang
black gang members
member, never has
tried to take his cross
been a gang member.
and chain. Agustin latimes.com
To the contrary, he
tried defend his
Late Venice student volunteers at the
younger brother in
schools [and] he’s a
the campus parking Agustin Contreras
football player,” said
lot, but was shot once
a�orney Luis Carrillo.
in the chest.
Older brother Jesus Contreras
The Contreras family is
working with police, lawyers, shared words of love: “Agustin,
a n d f e l l o w c o m m u n i t y we love you and miss you. God
members to not only find the has taken you from us and we
shooter, but to bring peace to have to deal with it. I hope you
a neighborhood which suffers like heaven.”
Feature Editor
Chief Butts Accepts New Post
By Chelsea Rinnig
security forces, in addition to other
responsibilities. He will report to
his new position in late summer
Police Chief James T. Bu�s to facilitate a smooth transition
accepted the position of Deputy of command.
Butts has two degrees
Executive Director of Airport
in
Business
Law Enforcement &
Administration
Protection Services at
and worked at the
Los Angeles World
Inglewood Police
Airports (LAWA)
Department for 20
on May 24. A�er 15
years. He was also
years of overseeing
president of the Peace
the Santa Monica
Officers Association
Police Department
of Los Angeles
(SMPD), he will
County. Butts has
leave to manage the
helped to lower Santa
largest airport law santamonicapd.org
enforcement and Santa Monica Police Monica’s crime rate
security organization Chief James T. Butts by 63 percent since
1993 and reduced
in the nation.
violent crime to its
LAWA airports,
including LAX, require increased lowest levels since 1957 (LAWA
police security in response to the News Release). Santa Monicans
September 11 a�acks. Bu�s will will not forget his dedication and
supervise the LAWA police and commitment to responsibility.
Special Report Editor
Dr. Straus’ Farewell To Samo
By Nick Barlow, Editor-AtLarge and Molly Strauss, News
Editor
CEO/Principal Ilene Straus
recently announced her decision
to leave Samo at the end of this
school year a�er four years as
Chief Educational Officer. She is
seriously considering a number
of offers, including one from the
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District (SMMUSD) to
become Director of Secondary
Education, a potential new
position at the District requiring
both middle and high school
expertise.
Much of the job description is
still undefined, according to Straus,
but she believes it will include
curricular support, improving
curricular alignment between
district schools , and intervention
support. She emphasized the
limitless possibilities: “I think it
could have amazing potential
for our community.” The District
awaits School Board approval
before declaring the position
official.
Straus came to Samo from
Lincoln Middle School to replace
Sylvia Rousseau when former
Superintendent John Deasy
convinced her to take the job.
As she began to implement
Redesign—six small learning
communities (houses) within
a large campus—she met
opposition from people unhappy
with changes. Straus reflected,
“I think I’ve given [Redesign] my
heart and soul and everything I
had. I did the best thinking I could
at the time, and we’ve modified
things as we’ve gone along.” The
Administration team is commi�ed
to the process, and will continue
to strive toward its initial goals
even in her absence.
Many wonder whether
Straus’ choice to leave was fueled
by unhappy students, parents
and teachers who expressed
concerns about her leadership
at recent School Board meetings.
History teacher Don Hedrick
explained their position: “[Under
Straus], Administration seemed
to favor top-down management.
We want faculty and students
to have a voice on campus. We
want a democratic school.” One
displeased freshman, Brandon
Magana, shared his feelings
towards Straus: “She doesn’t get
to know the kids, she doesn’t say
‘hi’ to us in the hallways. And she
has so many meetings that she
can’t even come to our classrooms
to say ‘what’s up.’”
Others, like sophomore Lisa
Sacahn, feel satisfied with Straus’
performance thus far, “I think
she’s a good principal, a person
who knows how to run the
school.” In response to these
mixed reviews, Straus explained
that she’d “been thinking about
[leaving] for a while” and, with
her recent engagement, “it just
seemed like the right time” to start
a new phase of her life.
But the question of who will
fill Straus’ shoes still remains.
Many members of the Samo
community feel that a House
principal should take the position.
“Right now it’s all rumors,”
said I-House Principal Eva
Mayoral, “but it would be hard
on campus to have someone
come in with a whole new set of
ideas; it would stall any progress
we are making on any front.”
Mayoral was recommended
for the position by numerous
teachers. Straus does not believe
she will be involved in choosing
her replacement; SMMUSD plans
to conduct a standard search
for candidates, and will fill the
position accordingly.
Straus boasts 34 years of
educational experience, 23 in
principal positions. Under her
leadership, Lincoln Middle
School was named a California
Distinguished School and a
National Blue Ribbon School.
Straus also received a California
Secondary Principal of the Year
award in 1991.
Straus will miss students’ “life
energy and hope for the future”
most when she leaves Samo: “The
kids have been the best part of
the work.”
(See related article on page 2)
Photo by Samantha Walters
Samo Tests New Tardy Policy
By Jacquelyn Hoffman, Staff
Writer and Jennifer Galamba,
Ad Editor
Samo began a five day trial of
its potential new tardy program
on Monday. Administration
will use the pilot to determine a
strategy for preventing tardies
come fall.
A group of faculty and
By Alice Ollstein, Former Opinion Editor and Carl
administrators
developed the
Nunziato, Opinion Editor
program to help keep students
• nterim Superintendent Mike Ma�hews has removed his
in class. The team will meet over
name from the running for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School
the summer to assess weaknesses,
District’s next Superintendent. The School Board expects to announce
make modifications and
our new Superintendent at the next board meeting.
determine consequences
before permanently
• he Administration has decided to hold a summer school graduation
implementing the policy
in August to congratulate those who complete their remedial courses.
next year.
During the five
• amo’s Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform in Carnegie Hall next
day trial, teachers lock
Memorial Day weekend, the group’s first tour in 16 years.
doors at the tardy
bell for periods
• n what coalition forces have hailed as a significant blow to the Iraqi insurgency,
two through five.
leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a United States
airstrike near Baquba on June 8. Al Qaeda released a statement announcing Zarqawi’s If students arrive
late, they escort
martyrdom and naming his successor, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir (Reuters).
In Other News...
I
T
S
I
T
Published Biweekly
Vol. XCVI No. 12 June 15, 2006
• hough former chief of staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby faces a criminal indictment,
top White House aide Karl Rove won’t be charged with any crimes in the investigation
into the leak of a CIA officer’s identity (latimes.com).
Correction:
themselves to the cafeteria where
staff records the offense and
informs a parent/guardian by
phone. Security escorts students
who neglect to take themselves.
The first floor English Building
hallway was deserted on June 12 at
9:30 a.m. (shown above). Similar
results campus-wide lead many
to believe the pilot is working.
Science Department Chair Eric
Walser noted that “people are
ge�ing to class on time.”
CEO/Principal Ilene Straus
encouraged teachers to send
“a clear message” by starting
to teach at the beginning of the
period, regardless of late students.
Administration believes that
students will become punctual
if teachers begin promptly.
However, many feel that locking
doors is counter-productive:
“It’s ridiculous to make students
miss more class time by going
to the cafeteria than they would
[miss] by just being tardy,” said
sophomore Brian Fletcher.
Some fear that next year’s
policy will lack flexibility for
one-time offenses. Principal/
CEO Ilene Straus, aware of this
concern, stated “We have to have
a fair system...where kids can be
late a li�le bit because they have
problems, but basically make it a
habit to get to class on time.”
Teachers have shown strong
support for the long-term goals
of the policy. Some believe that
attacking the tardy problem
will reduce other school-wide
issues, such as truancy. In recent
years, numerous advisor-based
tardy solutions have proved
ineffective. Many hope that the
new policy, which relies on teacher
and administrator support,
will eliminate inconsistencies.
However, some students are not
as optimistic; junior Bobby Martin
said “It’s not going to change
[behavior]. Students don’t even
care.”
Last issue’s article titled “Tennis Coach Accused of Verbal Sexual
Harassment” suggested that multiple students wrote le�ers to Administration against
boys tennis coach Antonio Robertson. Only one student filed complaints.
Page 2
OPINION
In Defense of Dr. Straus, An Administrator with Integrity
By Daniel Galdjie
Staff Writer
Appreciation has, for the
most part, evaded Principal/CEO
Ilene Straus during her four years
at Samo. Two weeks ago, Straus
decided to leave our school, compelled by a group of radical teachers who have relentlessly pursued
her dismissal since she came to
Samo in 2002. These teachers have
accused Straus of being a leader
who lacks compassion for the
teachers she employs. However, a
look at the policies and accomplishments of the Straus administration
demonstrate her competence and
integrity as the leader of our school.
Her leaving Samo is an unfortunate
loss to the Samo community.
A�er talking to several teach-
ers who opposed Straus, it is clear
that nearly every one of their
criticisms were either baseless or
unreasonable. One accusation
made against Straus is that she
increased the level of bureaucracy
at our school. The number of administrators at Samo has actually
not changed since Straus became
principal, the existing administrators have been redistributed
into the house system, essentially
streamlining the administrative
process.
Other accusations include:
“Dr. Straus does not make close
relationships with teachers.” This
claim may be somewhat true, but it
is an unreasonable complaint. With
over 260 employees, Dr. Straus has
to make a judgment call on how
she spends her time. She can either
spend it socializing with teachers
and making friends, or she can
spend it running the school and
working for progress. Straus chose
the la�er. It seems, however, that
certain Samo employees would
prefer she socialized.
A particularly ludicrous
complaint that has been thrown
at Straus is that she is somehow
responsible for the racial tension
and violence that has hit Samo
in the past year and a half. The
ignorance of this claim speaks for
itself. “It is ridiculous to expect
that one person can solve the ills
of society.” said Economics teacher
Michael Burne�.
Many complain that Dr. Straus
is a “dictator” who disregards
the democratic process. To them
I say: Samo does have potential,
Noise Pollution, Hollywood Style
-The laying off of incompetent
teachers. This was somewhat unpopular; but I believe that a leader
should strive to do what is right, not
what is popular at the time.
-The increase in the graduation requirements, along with the
number of Honors and AP classes
offered to students.
-The success of Re-design and
the streamlining of the administrative process. (Students now know
where they need to go when they
have a problem or concern: their
house office.)
Sadly, Straus is now leaving
our school because a some teachers are afraid of change. We can
only hope that whoever is hired as
principal next year, like Straus, has
the integrity to do what is right, not
what is popular.
The Final Word:
By Zoey Baldwin
Staff Writer
True story: the other day I read that Paris Hilton was releasing a
CD and almost vomited. The last thing we need is to hear another rich
pseudo-star howl at the moon. In her television show The Simple Life,
and movie House of Wax, Hilton has already proved to the public that
she and her acting deserve to be catapulted into a vat of sulfuric acid.
We’ve had enough with “artists” like Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan,
and worst of all, the dreaded Hilton. Why do these young celebrities
insist on confirming that they can’t do anything at all?
Paris Hilton can’t act. Now we know that she also can’t sing. But
on the bright side, at least shes multi-tasking.
Another case in point: Hilary Duff. She was cute on “Lizzie
McGuire”, but a�er three years of listening to her cartoon conscience
ramble, we’d heard plenty. The last thing we need is to hear the whiny
drone of her teenage angst.
Lindsay Lohan, who exhibited her acting talent in the hilarious
satire Mean Girls ruined it all when she miraculously convinced the
public to listen to her poor excuse for music.
No one wants to see these once-innocent girls make fools of themselves. Despite their claims that they are doing things they really love,
it is obvious that this is just another ploy for a�ention (as if having paparazzi on their tails 24 hours a day weren’t enough). What else could
these celebrities be singing for, cash? Judging by their abundance of
designer pets, and golden Sidekicks, it seems like they have plenty. Plus,
they have no talent. Isn’t that argument strong enough? The solution is
clear: these celebrities need to stop singing. As soon as possible.
Paris Hilton should know that any copies of her single that sell will
have been purchased by one sole customer: me. I will stack 20 copies
in the middle of the street, and videotape the bus running them over,
symbolically obliterating all that is wrong with the world. Only then
can we join hands and sing the Hallelujah chorus.
Everyone complains about pollution of the air, yet these singers
are polluting the airwaves. Don’t be surprised if people start going
deaf by choice.
but to achieve progress we need a
strong leader. It seems that some
of Samo’s teachers have not yet
recognized this.
Those opposed to Straus are
against her because she reduced
their power and made serious
changes to the way the school runs.
However, nearly everything that
Straus has done in the past two
years has been necessary for making this school a be�er place, from
Redesign to increasing accountability in the classroom. Here is
a list of some of the more notable
accomplishments achieved during
Straus’ tenure:
-An increase of 46 points on the
Academic Proficiency Index from
the spring of 2003 to the spring of
2005. (API score increased in every
demographic subgroup as well.)
A New Beginning
By Annie Danis
Former Editor-in-Chief
We like endings around
here.
As June grinds along, it has
become clear to most Samo-ites
that this is a time for endings.
From freshman, who will no
longer be shamed at pep-rallies
for yelling “09!”, to the seniors
who are finishing high school all
together, everyone on campus
seems to be rushing to some
finish line.
While trying to
write this article,
ye t a n o t h e r
e n d i n g
in this
season
o
f
until the last minute and every
meaningful conversation I had
about literature.
What I had forgotten was
that a person is not made up
of a series of separate actions,
a college brag sheet, or a list of
achievements or failures that
is typed on a leaf of paper and
filed away, and that the journey
really is more important than
the “paper profile.”
care about.
This newspaper may not
really matter in the grand
scheme of things.But what I’m
positive does matter, is the fact
that I took the time to sit down,
actually log off of AIM (oh the
horror!), and appreciate the
act of attempting something,
regardless of the end result.
If there’s anything I’ve
learned at Samo – and I’m
thinking I’ve learned a few
things despite everyone’s best
efforts – it’s that the world
is made of options.
The word option
implies both
the ability
to choose
a n d
n o t
Pans are my Anti-Drug
By Sophia Young
Copy Editor
According to surveys conducted earlier this year by The Samohi, we
go to a school that knows about – if not much else – recreational drug use.
Nearly everyone seems to have participated in some form of substance
abuse at some time.It seems that the anti-drug campaigns have le� us
unmoved. In 2004, 19 million teens were believed to have partaken
in drug use (cbsnews.com). But the question is: a�er all the anti-drug
commercials of our youth, why is this still the case? The anti-drug commericals with dancing vegetables and dead teenagers who have fallen
victim to the sinful world of drug abuse are offically ineffective.
The truth is, the majority of today’s youth do not care about the
opinions of so called “experts” – especially when it comes to something
that epitomizes teenage defiance– substance abuse.
In 1998 the Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PSA) aired an
ad featuring Rachel Leigh Cook smashing up a kitchen full of appliances. Although it may have been fun to watch, I knew that my brain
was not an egg, nor did my family and friends consist of blenders and
tupperwear.
Other equally vague and ineffective commercials include a boy who
smokes pot and shoves his fist in his mouth because his friends told
him to. In effect, the ad really becomes a cautionary warning against
shoving large things into your mouth, all the more reason to not take
it seriously.
No ma�er what our parents say, teenagers are a pre�y inquisitve
bunch. When it comes to anti-drug ads, we’d like to know the truth.
finales, I
was swept
up in that
same flurry that
seems to take us all
at one point or another.
This was my last big chance,
my indelible mark before I left
Samo to once again start from
scratch. The last three years on
this newspaper- four in high
school-slipped away,and all that
was left was the huge need to
have something finished that
said all I wanted to say, and to
leave the impression I wanted
to leave. What I had forgotten,
as we all seem to be forgetting
more and more these days, is
every step that got me to this
point- every other thing I’d
ever written, every interview
I’d ever run, every paper I saved
I
had forgotten that the act of
caring about something I was
doing would bring me to the
more important end, not the
life-changing article itself.
It is easy to fall into the
mentality that’s running rampant
among us: the addiction to
production rather than process;
the need to fill every second
with a new stimulation to stay
ahead, on top, ahead of the
curve. We’re so busy trying
to stay busy that we forget to
even think about what it is we
choose.
Choose
what you
like. Forget the
rest. Forget about
who your parents say
you should be in 20 years, what
college is rated number three in
that book (which we all know is
BS), what job will make you the
most money, what you have to
wear to marry that girl/guy that
may (or may not) exist. Forget
it all. Because the funny thing
is, if you do one simple thing
that you care about, all the rest
will fall into place. That’s not to
say every person who is true to
themselves is a millionaire, or
beautiful, but at least at the end
of it all they can answer that one
big question: Why?
And that is the final word.
Opinion—Page 3 The Samohi June 15, 2006
My Turn:Let My People Go!
By David Litwak, senior
Samo has one of the best public
high school music programs in the
country, and I am very proud to
be part of it. However, participation in Samo’s wonderful music
groups should be voluntary. For as
long as I can remember, the wind
players have been forced to take
Wnd Ensemble, a separate class,
in order to participate in the premiere orchestral group, the Symphony Orchestra. This practice
is detrimental to both the music
program and the students.
Because students are forced
to participate in Wind Ensemble,
they skip band – some days half
the band doesn’t show – and
even the commi�ed kids become
disenchanted by the lack of enthusiasm and stop a�ending. Band
Director Terry Sakow’s favorite
lecture when this happens is the
“You are replaceable” lecture. He
elaborates on the “deep bench”
he has and, this is a direct quote,
how, “I don’t need the best players,
I just need commitment.” Well,
Mr. Sakow, you can’t have your
cake and eat it too. If people are
dragged into doing something, it’s
only natural that they will drag
their feet. Since you have so many
replacements, let us go!
Mr. Sakow fails to realize that
not everyone wants to become a
professional musician. While two
music classes may be beneficial
to our music education, if one is
planning to go into science one
might be be�er off taking a chemistry course. Students should be
able to participate in just one
group of their choice (orchestra),
without being required to be
in band as well. Music teachers
constantly justify this rule, saying
that it’s necessary for the good of
the music program. Too bad, the
music program can suffer a li�le
for the good of the students. The
music teachers have become a
li�le too greedy: they are obsessed
with filling up their groups by
whatever means necessary, even
if their selfish rules harm their students. The fact of the ma�er is, two
music periods a day is too much.
It puts more stress on the students,
fills up space on their class schedule, and frankly, playing Leroy
Anderson’s “Typewriter” is cruel
and unusual punishment. While
the Music Department is willing
to sacrifice our sleep and education for band, I’m not.
As a departing senior, the
outcome of these arguments will
not effect me, but for those of you
who are involved with the music
program I have some advice for
you: either protest these ridiculous rules or switch to a string
instrument. You’ll get to be in
the best high school symphony
orchestra in the nation without
having to give up two periods.
To the music teachers, while I
understand that you seek to create the best group possible, you
should put the students’ lives
before your own desires for fame.
The Not-So-Great Generation
By Matt Weber
Outreach Coordinator
Throughout history each generation has strived to do be�er
than the one before it. Every
generation has accomplished
this goal,except our parents generation, the “Baby-Boomer generation” (people born 1945-1964),
Compared to our grandparents
generation, the “Greatest Generation,” the Baby-Boomers failed
to ensure a brighter future for
their children
Let’s be honest: both
generations messed up
our environment. The
difference is that our
grandparent’s generation did not know
about global warming,
but our parents do. Too
many of our parents own
gas-guzzlers. I’ll give our
parents credit—they did
invent Hybrids for us, but that
is not enough. Knowing about
global warming, they should have
made new legislation regulating
fuel efficiency and pollution, or
just shopped with the environment in mind. No educated adult
should buy a car that gets less than
10 miles per gallon, no ma�er how
cool it makes him/her feel. Our
grandparents did not know their
impact on the environment, but
our parents do, yet they continue
to destroy our environment. When
the effects of global warming are
fully realized, I will know who to
thank: mom and dad.
Both generations fought a difficult war, but our grandparents
did so much more. They went
through the Great Depression,
which is viewed by most as one of
the worst times in American history. Not only did they survive it,
but they rebuilt our entire country
and economy. A�er that, they
went on to defeat Nazi Germany
and Imperial Japan. No offense
to our parents, but I do not think
that they would have been tough
enough to take on the Nazis or
the Japanese, let alone both. Our
grandparents are widely referred
to as “The Greatest Generation”
because they did so much and
valiantly served our country.
Both generations have had
to deal with enormous health
problems, but they took different approaches to eradicating
them. Our grandparents generation dealt with Polio, which they
didn’t begin vaccinating for until
1955 (cdc.gov). Our parents, on
the other hand, had to deal with
AIDS, which they ignored and
branded a “homosexual disease.”
Many people charge that not all
resources were initially used to
eradicate AIDS as it was a “gay
man’s disease.” Polio was defeated
so successfully because no one stereotyped the type of person who
could get it, as they did with
AIDS. Now AIDS is a world
wide pandemic. There are
approximately 4,900,000
new infections of AIDS
worldwide every year
(aidshotline.org) while
there are only 461 reported cases of Polio
worldwide (polioeradication.net). AIDS could
have been contained from
the start but because of
stereotypes and people’s personal issues with homosexuals
it has become a pandemic. Great
job mom and dad.
It’s clear that our grandparents generation really was “The
Greatest Generation,” especially
compared with that of our parents. Our parents did some things
right, but they could have done
so much more, especially with
all the technology they had. Our
grandparents did so much more
with so much less. Hopefully we
can be�er imitate the Greatest
Generation –but trust me, it won’t
be too hard.
The Education Nation
By Saba Boradeh-Hamedy
Relax–It’s Just College
By Alice Ollstein
Former Opinion Editor
I’ve seen the best minds of my generation destroyed by college
madness. I’ve seen juniors burst into tears in the middle of the
hallway from sheer stress. I’ve seen sophomores bang their heads
against computer screens a�er checking Pinnacle, and I’ve even
seen freshmen surrendering their precious Saturdays to SAT prep.
Believe it or not, your childhood should not be a narrow tunnel to
a fancy college. Here are a few ways to stop obsessing and start
living a healthy life.
•Instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars to apply to every
college with ivy on its walls, research the colleges that cater to your
interests, have a friendly student body and have professors that
actually care if you sink or swim. Don’t be afraid of small colleges
that aren’t well known. Find a college that fits who you are and
what you love, and throw prestige out the window. Remember, one
MIT student takes his or her own life every year (discover.com).
•Instead of burying yourself in SAT vocabulary flashcards or
writing 10 practice essays for your tutor on “whether laws help
society,” pick up a good book and start reading. Not only will
books give you hours of pleasure, but your vocabulary, reading
comprehension and writing skills will improve as well.
•Instead of se�ing your heart on one glowing college, be openminded and flexible. A�er all, no ma�er how fabulous you are,
your college of choice might reject you because of things you can’t
control (i.e. gender ratios, racial ratios and even a need for lacrosse
players). Any college is what you make of it. Don’t jump off the pier
if you didn’t get into Harvard. Just be happy that you’re going to a
college and not running for your life in sub-Saharan Africa.
•Only challenge yourself in areas that interest you. If you hate
writing, don’t take AP English. If you can’t stand memorizing pages
and pages of information, stay away from AP Biology and AP U.S.
History. Don’t take courses just to impress an admissions board,
and don’t overload yourself with an unrealistic schedule. When
creating a schedule for next year, factor in extra-curriculars, food
and sleep. While five APs look good on paper, they won’t look
good at 3 a.m. on a Wednesday night.
No one will care how many colleges you got into 10 years from
now. What people will remember is your kindness, your passion
for what you believe in, and maybe your funny dance moves.
Copy Editor
Dropouts are the kids who
fall through the cracks, the ones
who rarely get extra a�ention or
tutoring, and the ones who very
o�en find themselves giving up
on school altogether. Alongside
the dropouts are the overachievers: the ones that always raise
their hands in their AP classes and
participate in millions of extracurricular activities everyday. Why
does the more successful group
receive the a�ention needed by
the underachievers?
I never noticed how different the two groups were until a
recent article in Time magazine
called “Dropout Nation” grabbed
my a�ention. The author, David
Thornburgh, states a sad truth
that made me understand the
dillema of our generation: “Most
everyone agrees the issue [high
school dropout rate] is serious.
Research has shown that dropouts earn an average of $9,200 less
Editor-in-Chief..................Emily Foshag
Managing Editor..............Analee Abbott
News Editor.......................Molly Strauss
Opinion Editors............Jackie Berkman
Carl Nunziato
Feature Editor..........Marissa Silverman
Special Report Editor......ChelseaRinnig
Campus Life Editor..............Nora Casey
Sports Editors........................Erin Nadel
Charlie Paris
Photo Editor..............Samantha Walters
Ad Editor....................Jennifer Galamba
Copy Editors.....Saba Boradeh-Hamedy
Sophia Young
Art Editor......................Sarah DeRemer
Editor-At-Large..................Nick Barlow
Outreach Coordinator.........Matt Weber
Adviser..............................Kathleen Faas
a year then high school graduates
and are far more likely to need
government assistance or end up
in a jail.” The cliché “kids are the
future” caused me to question
America’s schools.
How can a country as great as
ours sit back and watch our schools
become so divided? Education is
going down the drain as more and
more children drop out because
school no longer interests them.
The overachievers excel in school
because it is their main priority.
They aspire to a�end college and
start a career. The dropouts believe
they don’t need college, they can
find a job without school related
skills. This mindset is what makes
the two groups different from one
another. If students in non-honors
classes were more interested in
what they were learning and if
the overachievers helped make
dropouts feel more a part of their
school system, the country would
no longer be called a “dropout nation” and would instead be known
as an “education nation.”
Subscriptions
$20.00 PER YEAR
Published biweekly during the school
year by the Associated Student Body
of Santa Monica High School, 601
Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA. 90405.
Unsigned editorials reflect the opinions of the staff. Signed editorials
represent the opinions of the writer.
Staff
Zahir Alibhai , Zoey Baldwin, Hannah Bernstein, Lincoln Boehm, Sam
Cotten, Annie Danis, Daniel Galdjie,
Jacquelyn Hoffman, Max Jordan,
Alice Ollstein, Ashley Osberg, Evan
Perkins, Nicola Persky, Andrew
Reilly, Cara Safon, Jojo Samuels,
Erin Schneider, Eliza Smith, Jeremy
Tramer, Zoe Young
Page 4
The College
Packing List:
Twilight
By Nora Casey
By Marissa Silverman
When you’re packing up for
college next year, I’m sure your mom
will have a to-do list of everything in
the world to fill your suitcase, from
extra Kleenex to condoms. But there
are a few simple things that can make
college life easier, although they’re
o�en overlooked in The Princeton
Review. Here’s The Samohi’s insider
tips on a few more things to throw
into that bulging suitcase.
Amoeba Music presents this
year’s 22nd Annual Santa Monica
Pier Twilight Dance Series- Santa
Monica’s own beach block-party.
Come see your favorite artist or
discover a new one every Thursday
night at 7:30 pm on the Santa Monica Pier. And the cost? Free!
Check out this year’s line up:
Dance Series:
Make Like a Boy
Scout, Be Prepared
The Best Free Party
in Town
Campus Life Editor
Feature Editor
*June 29- Poncho Sanchez
Candy: A great way to make
new friends. You will find that
the number of people who
stop in your dorm to say “hi”
increases exponentially if you
have candy available for the
taking, so bring a bag or two
to liven up your new room on
those first few days.
Nintendo®/PlayStation®:
Although your mom might try
and convince you that college
is about more important things
than Super Mario, the truth is
that you will still spend way too
much time gathered around that
li�le screen pushing bu�ons-and you won’t be the only one.
Bowl: A must have for cereal/
Top Ramen/holding things.
However, you don’t need to
bring utensils; you can simply
borrow or take them from the
dining hall. So why waste space
packing them?
Tupperware: In addition to
borrowing utensils, taking
and storing extra food in your
room can be handy, so bring a
few containers for storage, and
maybe even some plastic bags
for cereal.
Coffee cup: not for coffee.
Flask: also not for coffee.
Febreeze®:
When
your
bedroom is also the study,
kitchen, and laundry room, this
can really come in handy.
Sex, Murder,
Betrayal:
Summer Reads
By Alice Ollstein
Staff Writer
Believe it or not, there
are some crazy people out
there—like me—who believe
that summertime is not only
for making money, getting
a tan, and partying until
dawn; it’s about kicking
back with some high quality
literature as well. But
what to read? Never fear,
a certified literature geek
is here to help, with a few
modest suggestions of which
books to take to the beach.
Happy page-turning!
Graveyards, Hot Dogs, and Scientology,
Welcome to Los Angeles!
By Erin Schneider and
Nicola Perksy
Staff Writers
This coming fall, many seniors
will be packing up their belongings,
kissing their parents goodbye, and
heading miles and miles away from
both the city of Los Angeles and the
beautiful sunny state of California.
The Samohi encourages you to take
full advantage of all the strange,
wonderful, and unique things
available to us only in this city by
the sea.
The Silent Movie Theatre
611 North Fairfax Avenue,
Hollywood
(323) 655-2510
The last operating silent
movie theatre le� in the world!
With a live piano player and
lively introductions, the lushly
decorated theatre calls back the
glamour and charm of early
Hollywood days. Visit the
website or keep an eye on the LA
Weekly for upcoming screenings,
including pre-talkie classics with
Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton,
Lillian Gish and more!
The L. Ron Hubbard Life
Exhibition
6331 Hollywood Blvd, L.A.
323) 960-3511
Only in Los Angeles will you
see a whole block and museum
The Ridiculously Long Book: Now
that the APs, term papers and
group projects have ended, you
finally have time to dive into a
juicy, 500 page plus whopper. I
highly recommend John Irving’s
The World According to Garp, which
follows famous author T.S. Garp
throughout his bizarre life. Note:
Includes sex, murder and crossdressing. I’d also recommend the
adventure classic by Alexander
Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo,
which is all about the sweet taste of
revenge, but has plenty of romance
and sword fighting along the way.
The Easy-But-Fun Book:
Sometimes our poor brains get
so frazzled during the year that
all we want to do is curl up
with a book that won’t require
us to think too hard. The good
news is, some so-called easy
books are in reality pre�y
dedicated to L. Ron Hubbard,
creator and head honcho of
Scientology. Make sure to take a
tour and the complimentary stress
test outside to see how Scientology
can help your life!
Cinespia at the Hollywood Forever
Cemetery
6000 Santa Monica Blvd, L.A.
www.cinespia.org
Saturdays at 8 p.m., $10
Every Saturday this summer,
you can watch old films right next
to the movie stars! The audience
picns on grave-free grass both
under and next to the stars as
the films are projected against a
mausoleum. An added bonus- DJs
spin before and a�er the film. The
next showing on June 17 will be A
Place In The Sun (1951). Be sure to
get here early for a good lawn seat
and to see some celebrity graves,
including rock stars Johnny and
DeeDee Ramone.
Jet Rag $1 Sale
825 N La Brea Ave, L.A.
Opens Sundays at 11 a.m.
Every Sunday morning Jet
Rag sets out piles of clothing for
tenacious and patient thri� store
enthusiasts to si� through.
The best part is, everything is $1!
Make sure you peek inside as well
for their wide range of vintage
shoes, jewelry and clothing, and
stop by the nearby Fairfax Flea
great. This summer’s schoolwide reads book is Funny in
Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas. Yes,
it’s required reading. But it’s
also well-wri�en, touching and
hilarious. Give it a try, you might
like it.
The Short-But-Sweet Book:
Admit it, most of us have an
a�ention span the length of a
shampoo commercial. That’s
why God created so many
wonderful SHORT books and
plays for our enjoyment. For
instance, pick up The Martian
Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. Even
if you’re not into sci-fi, you’ll be
sucked in by his mysterious
plotlines and odd characters.
Then go read The Importance of
Being Earnest. You’ll bow down
to Oscar Wilde as the king of wit,
if you can stop laughing long
enough.
Market every Sunday at Fairfax
High (on Melrose and Fairfax)
Watts Towers Arts Center
East 107th Street, Los Angeles
(213) 847-46461765
Wa�s Towers, built by
construction worker Simon
Rodia from 1921 to 1954 are
made of wire, railway and mesh
and decorated with bo�les, sea
glass and other found objects.
The towers were repeatedly
vandalized, until 1959, when
the commi�ee for Simon Rodia’s
Towers in Wa�s restored the
structures. The towers are now
part of The City of Los Angeles’
Simon Rodia State Historical
Park.
Pink’s Hot Dogs
709 N. La Brea Ave, L.A.
www.pinkshollywood.com
Pink’s Hot Dogs, home of
the world’s best chili-dog, is a
family owned hot dog stand
created in 1939. It has become a
L.A. landmark. Try a dog today!
The Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica
www.americancinematheque.com
Aero
The American Cinematheque
at the Aero features a plethora of
films both new and old. Check
out their website for a list of
screenings.
Grammy-winning conga player
and percussionist is the king of
Afro-Cuban jazz.
*July 6- Indigo Girls
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers are
still together a�er two decades
with their sweet harmonies.
*July 13- Dick Dale
Dubbed the “King of the Surf
Guitar” by his fellow surfers,
Dale is the creator of wicked surf
guitar music.
*July 20- Mavis Staples
A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
and queen of soul & blues.
*July 27- LyricsBornandDaaraJ
Double Feature of hip-hop and
world fusion with rap, reggae,
and Cuban influences.
*August 3- The Aggrolites,
JoeyAltruda’sClassicRiddims,
and Chris Murray Combo
Three L.A. Reggae groups- what
more can I say!
*August 10- Salif Keita and
Ashley Maher and Her Big
Global Band
Keita’s Afro-pop style and Maher’s world grooves are sure to
be a hit.
*August 17- Inti Illimani
Named “The Chilean Super
Group” by the L.A. Times, this
performance marks their 40th
anniversary tour.
*August 24- Kiran Ahluwalia
Indo-Canadian singer of traditional Indian “ghazal.”
*August 31- David Grisman
and Stephane Wrembel
Grisman’s “dawg” music and
the bohemian melodies of french
guitarist Wrembel are a winning
duo.
Congratulations
Photos by Maisy Bragg, Owen Gorman, Max Jordan,
Carl Nunziato, Ashley Osberg, Samantha Walters, and Matt Weber.
CAMPUS LIFE
Page 6
Samo’s Not All Bad
Film
Festival:
Dinner
and
a
Movie
by Zoe Young
By Evan Perkins
Staff Writer
This year’s Samo Film Festival
(SFF) satisfied all of the senses.
Singing ushers greeted the audience at the front entrance to
Barnum Hall, giving the perfect
musical welcome to the perfect
venue. “Barnum is more of a
movie theater se�ing,” said audience member junior Hannah Getz.
“It’s tailor made for the festival.”
Getz was absolutely right. Upon
seeing the huge white screen rolled
down over the stage, I felt like I
was at the movies.
The film festival accepted
entries from students at schools
throughout the Los Angeles area,
as well as from Samo alumni. SFF
is the only event that Running
With Speakers coordinates completely on its own and for itself,
and from food to film they did a
fabulous job.
Two of the most hilarious en-
tries were Semi-Formal, submi�ed
by Sam Alper and Josh Morgolin
of Harvard-Westlake School, and
A�ack of the Audio Virus, submi�ed
by Samo’s own Mel Shaw. SemiFormal follows two boys in their
knee-slappingly funny preparation for the school dance. Virus envisions a world where people pass
a rap song to each other like the
common cold. Of her film, Shaw
said only that “art is a person’s
perspective of the word. I just
happen to see every one singing
‘Shake That Laffy Taffy’.”
In contrast, senior Mike Flores,
the festival coordinator, showed a
poignant film of the Eddie Lopez
memorial.
Eon Mora of Culver City High
entered a fascinating narrative The
Sky is Falling, whose title literally
explains the plot.
The show was also li�ered
with student public service announcements. In one, what looks
like a teenage Woody Allan is
pressured by his friends to fly,
and a�er he jumps off the roof, the
screen reads “peer pressure kills.”
Another, more serious announcement measured the number of
cigare�es that various people had
smoked second-hand by listing the
number of cigare�es and dumping
them on to the person themselves.
Unfortunately, from the audience,
the cigare�es strikingly similar to
french fries.
A�er the last movie credits
rolled, the film-makers were invited on stage for a question and
answer session. Sophmore Morgan
Cox apologized that his stop-animation Bad Ass Army Men, had to
be significantly edited because “the
sheer awesomeness of the original
would have put everybody in the
hospital.”
The audience exited into the
breezeway where a free Mexican
dinner was served to all and a small
chamber orchestra played peacefully in the background.
Civil Disobedience Done Right
By Analee Abbo�
Managing Editor
Can you imagine being discriminated against, even to the
point of physical abuse, by your
very own teachers? Bobby
and Yolanda Verdugo can
because they faced such
obstacles during their high
school years. To protest,
they, along with countless
others, participated in the
East Los Angeles Walk Outs
of the 1960s. They held signs
proclaiming “Equal Education
for All” and led chants to inspire
Chicano pride. Despite the peaceful and nonviolent nature of
the proteest, the marchers were
faced with police brutality and
several arrests. Tommorrow night
the Verdugos will speak about
their personal experiences at six
treated. They were given janitorial
punishments instead of detention.
They were not allowed into the
bathrooms at lunch and were
forced to pee in the bushes. They
were beaten for speaking Spanish
in class.
The walk outs were organized to protest against their
schools by making the district
lose money every morning
when roll was taken and the
students were absent.
The event, organized by
the Civil Rights Club and
Me.C.H.A., will showcase the
speakers accompanied by scenes
from HBO’s documentary Walk
Out. Admission is free, as are
refreshments that will be served
before 5:30 p.m.
They were
beaten for
speaking Spanish
in class.
p.m. in the Humanities Center.
When they were in school the
Verdugos were frequently mis-
Dodge that Ball!
By Hannah Bernstein
Staff Writer
Student and teacher volunteers from I-House and S-House
played a spirited dodgeball
game last Wednesday as Samo
students and teachers looked
on. Some came
eager to relive
their elementary
school glory days,
while others were
triggered to show
up by the recent
Ben Stiller movie
Dodgeball. And, of
course, there were
those who flocked
to the so�ball field
in order to acquire
the complimentary pizza and
root beer floats
and who mostly
le� once the tasty
supply ran out.
A thoroughly Samo-esque
event, the game was chaotically
set off with an announcement of
“Any player who hits another
player on the head will be thrown
out of the game,” and then they
were off. The I-House players who
arrived early enough were clad in
dark blue “I-House” emblazoned
shirts, while S-House players
were simply in their own athletic
garb. Students and teachers lined
the sidelines of the field, o�en on
their tippy toes in a�empts to see
over the heads of the spectators
in front of them.
Darya Farhoodi, junior and
member of IHouse, believes
that I-House’s
adamant enforcement of team
spirit may have
contributed to her
team’s win, “All
of the I-House
teachers had to
wear the shirts all
day today, but it
was really worth
it because most
of the fans here
we r e I - H o u s e
kids. Their support was why we
won!”
Junior Amelia
Daly enthusiastically commented that, “the
dodgeball game was a lot of fun
and really brought the students
together.” However, as an HHouse student: “Ge�ing into the
game was kind of a hassle. We
had to rush the field just to play
some ball.”
Staff Writer
As the year comes to a close, it’s
time to look
at some of
the more notable accomplishments of
Santa Monica
High School
students this
year.
Kanye WestThe fact that
our entire school was able to unite
and bring a multi-platinum rap
star to perform at our school last
December is no small accomplishment. Our fantastic onslaught of
the Power 106 online poll is the
stuff of legends. Here’s
to hoping we can get an
even be�er musician
next year (and in the
years to come).
Project Echo ClassOur Virtual Business
and Project Echo
classes are not only
state champions in the
Civic & Environment Conscious
Entrepreneurship competition,
but champions of the entire
United States of America. The
international competition, which
involves business simulations and
competitions,
will be held
in Shanghai
in August. Go
Project Echo!
Science BowlOur Science
Bowl (a academic competition sponsored by the US government) team
managed to place third in the
entire country last April, a truly
impressive accomplishment.
Oceans Bowl- Our
school also placed third
nationally in the Oceans
Bowl academic competition last month, which
places us in the upper
echelons of academics
in this country.
Samoh Orchestra- Our
orchestra, in addition
to performing in China
over spring break, was the first
public school orchestra to ever
play in Disney Hall, which they
did with style last February.
Madrigal Singers- This advanced
choir placed
thrid in the
highly prestigious Golden
State choral
competition.
B o y s Vo l leyball- Our
boys varsity
won CIF for
the first time since 1979. That
speaks for itself.
Cheerleading- Samo’s varsity
squad won the first place trophy
at a U.S.A. regional competition in January. Nicely
done.
No Riots- More impressive than all that is the
fact that Santa Monica
High School has not had
one riot all year (unless
civil disobedience at
School Board meetings
counts). Keep up the
good work guys.
Election Scandals Resolved
By Saba Boradeh-Hamedy
Staff Writer
In a world where political
scandals are frequently part of the
national debate, not even Samo’s
ASB elections are free of tarnish.
In the weeks leading up to the
election, the campus became promotion central. Walking from class
to class, it was hard to ignore the
election signs on every corner, the
students with campaign t-shirts,
and the bu�ons and stickers on
people’s clothing. Every candidate had their own advertising
gimmick, from rhyming slogans
(“Leadership without Kelly is
like Peanut Bu�er without Jelly”)
to repetition (“Who Can? Chris
Can. Who Can? Chris Can. Who
Can? Chris Can”). The candidates’
speeches were aired on June 6 in
all English clasess.
Through all this advertising,
chaos, and commotion, junior Alon
Nachshon found himself in a mess.
Without Nachshon’s consent, a
few of his friends created a list of
names, pin codes and ID numbers
that students gave them to who
supported Nachshon, but didn’t
want to go through the trouble of
voting. He then had over one million votes because the codes given
were used more then once.
A few students and teachers
informed Marsh, who came to
the immediate decision of disqualification.
Suprisingly, not just Nachshon
was disqualified. Junior Danielle
Duarte was also taken off the ballot
for the same reasons.
Many felt disqualification of
both these candidates was unfair.
Said freshman Caroline Knab: “It
seemed like they knew what they
wanted to do with our school, and
didn’t force anyone to do anything,
they were just trying to reassure
themselves that they were going
to win.”
Marsh explains that she felt it
was best to disqualify them because last year similar incidents
occurred as well. Despite these
announcements, Nachshon’s and
Duarte’s supporters organized a
group and headed to Principal/
C.E.O. Ilene Straus’ office. There
they raised their concerns and
feelings towards disqualification, asking Straus to grant the
candidates re-entry into the race.
Straus decided to organize an
appeal board with ASB students,
teachers, and advisors. The appeal was held on Friday June
9 during fourth period where
Nachshon and Duarte argued
their cases.
Nachshon said “It was unfair
because I got blamed for the
actions of my friends. They told
me that I am responsible for what
they do but I didn’t even know
they were doing it until they got
in trouble.” He explained that
despite this he looks forward to
next year on ASB.
After much debate, both
candidates were readmi�ed to
the race.
Voting has been occuring in
the school computer lab before
and a�er school and during lunch.
Marsh gave new pin and ID codes
to access the website, which was
under ASB’s control so students
didn’t vote more then once.
Sports— Page 7 The Samohi June 15, 2006
2005-2006 Samo Sports:
The Year in Photos
w
ith boys volleyball winning their first CIF championship in 27 years,
and both boys basketball and water polo reaching the semifinals this year, Samo’s
athletic program has achieved an impressive level of success. “Now the goal is to
maintain this as a standard for years to follow,” said Athletic Director Douglas
Kim. “Simply reaching the playoffs isn’t enough for us, we [as a school] should be
striving for the quarterfinals, the semis and the championship every single year.”
Kim, with enthusiastic praise for the coaches, describes them as “the backbone of
our department.” He continued, “Without their dedication to the program, we
wouldn’t be nearly as competitive [as we are now].” Kim, with equal praise for the
student athletes as well, added “The dedication and work ethic of our athletes is
another reason why we succeed.”
By Charlie Paris, Sports Editor
Senior Alex Bon spikes the
ball against Downey en route
to a CIF semifinal victory last
month. The boys went on to
win the Division III championship over Costa Mesa.
Senior Sam Devorris looks to pass in a
match agaisnt Culver
City. The Greenies
lost in the semifinals
of Division III CIF
Playoffs to Roland
Hills. The Greenies
went undefeated in
league play for the
first time since 1998,
earning the Ocean
League
championship title.
Photo by Ashley Osberg
Not Pictured:
Boys golf - Sent Senior Alex Bon and junior
Chris Kim to compete in CIF
Girls golf - Junior Samantha Walters competed in the CIF tournament.
Girls soccer - finished 15-4-4; lost to Mayfair
in the second round of CIF
Baseball - finished the season 18-11-1 before
losing in the opening round of CIF playoffs
So�ball - posted a record of 21-6; fell to number-one seeded Oaks Christian 0-3 in the second round of CIF
Girls tennis - finished second in league
Boys tennis - finished third in league
Swimming - Sent four individuals and two relays to CIF Finals
Girls water polo - finished second in
league and lost in the CIF quaterfinals
Cross Country - Boys won league
Girls volleyball - finished second in league
Senior Will Freedman (below) drives to the
hoop over two helpless defenders. Freedman
and the Vikings made it to the semifinals of
the Division I CIF playoffs, before falling to
Long Beach Jordan.
Photo courtesy of J Shields
Sophomore Daisy Feder brings
the ball up the court aginst
Beverly Hills in the game that
clinched the Ocean League title
for the Lady Vikings. The girls
finished the season 20-2 before
falling to Long Beach Poly in
the first round of the Division
I-AA CIF playoffs.
Sophomore Nicholas Ferro
(le�) heads the ball into space.
The Samo boys soccer team
suffered a heartbreaking 2-1
defeat in the first round of CIF
at the hands of Norwalk a�er
finishing the season with a record of 14-6-2, good enough
for second place in the Ocean
League.
Photo by Samantha Walters
Photo by Samantha Walters
Photo by Ashley Osberg
Sophomore Robbie Paris (above right)
finished seventh in the 300m hurdles at
the CIF Finals with a time of 40.01. Paris,
who was also named the boys varsity
MVP, was the only Samo runner to qualify. Junior wrestler Jazzy Green (above
le�) won the state championship for the
second year in a row. Samo sent nine
wrestlers to compete in CIF.
The Samo football program has reason to celebrate after the varsity
squad finished the season with an impressive
8-3 record. With sophomore
quarterback
Ryan Katz and All-CIF
junior free safety Cameron Collins returning,
the Vikings are looking to repeat last year ’s
success, despite head
coach Michael Burnett
leaving.
Photo by Ashley Osberg
SPORTS
Page 8
World Cup ‘06
By Nora Casey
Top Senior Athletes of the Year
Campus Life Editor
This year, you can celebrate
because the world’s most popular
sport- football, soccer, call it what
you will- is here to take over the
world as 32 teams compete to win
the World Cup. Even if you’ve
never followed the World Cup
before I promise you that the talent of the players, the fans, and the
infectious spirit will win you over.
Here’s a li�le pre-game warm up
to provide maximum enjoyment
for the 2006 Cup, which runs from
June 9 to July 9.
Two teams will emerge from
each of the eight tournament groups
to play in the knockout stages,
which begin June 24 .
GROUP A - Germany, Costa Rica,
Ecuador, Poland
GERMANY - The host country,
which gives them a definite edge.
This year, their greatest strengths lie
in midfielders Michael Ballack and
Bastain Schwiensteiger, and Arsenal’s goalkeeper Jens Lehman.
GROUP B - England, Paraguay,
Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago
ENGLAND - England’s team is led
by offensive powerhouses Wayne
Rooney, the striker from Manchester
United with 19 goals this season
(WayneRooneyOnline), and the 6” 7’
Peter Crouch. They also have David
Beckham and Michael Owen, who
made the national team at 18.
GROUP C - Argentina, Ivory Coast,
Serbia and Montenegro, Holland
Allison Born:
Michael Campell,
Fred Mc Lafferty,
Bronson Olivera, Neil
Cline, and Alex Bon:
Terrance Boozer:
Born has been member
of the varsity water polo
and swim team squads for
three years and recently
won the US Army Reserve
Nation Scholar / Athelete
Award at senior awards
night. She was named
Most Outstanding in the
Ocean League this year.
As a junior, Born was Most
Inspirational in water polo,
and Most Valuable Swimmer on swim team in 2004,
2005, and 2006. “In my
seven years of coaching,
{Born] is the most dedicated swimmer I have ever
coached, it has been amazing to watch her grow,”
said swim coach Jeannine
Houchen. Next year Born is
on the water polo squad at
the University of Micigan.
“I’m nevous to play at the
next level, but excited,”
said Born.
Anchored by five starting
seniors, its obvious why the
boys volleyball team won the
CIF Division III championship. Cambell was named the
Division III player of the year,
while teamates McLafferty
and Cline made the All-CIF
first team. Mc Lafferty was
also named Ocean League
MVP. Olivera, the back-court
specialist, is headed to Ohio
State next year where he will
play for the Buckeyes. Both
Cline and Mc Lafferty will be
playing club at UC Berkeley
next year, while Campell
heads to UCLA. Bon not only
helped lead the Vikings to a
championship in volleyball,
but he is also an outstanding
golfer. One of only two Samo
golfers to go to CIF, Bon also
earned Ocean League MVP.
A member of the varsity
basketball squad since
freshman year, Boozer
was a key ingredient to
the boys basketball team’s
CIF semifinal appearance
this past season. Coach
James Hecht describes
him as “a great leader,
and an excellent point
guard.” While leading the
team with an average of
12 points per game as a
senior, Boozer was named
to the All-CIF Division IAA team. After four years
on the Varsity squad,
Boozer has learned that
“if you keep a positive
attitude and work hard,
it will get you far in
life.” The six-foot guard
is unsure whether or
not he will continue to
play basketball when he
attends Cal State Northridge next year.
Kristof Igoloi:
Rose Robitaille:
Robert Garcia:
Christine Foley:
Second team All-CIF
catcher and team batting leader, Foley helped
lead the girls softball
team to an impressive
21-6 record, including
a perfect 10-0 in league.
Foley posted a .575 batting average with five
home runs and 21 runs
batted in. Not just a
hitter, Foley also had a
.951 fielding percentage behind the plate.
Foley also knocked in the
game-winning run in the
Lady Vikings’ first round
playoff game. Foley will
continue her softball
career next year while
attending Loyola Marymount University. Aside
from softball, Foley has
also been a member of
the Varsity golf team for
the past three years.
Milan De Pillars:
While helping the Samo
baseball team to a 18-11-1
record, De Pillars posted
a .355 ba�ing average and
was one of only three Vikings to hit a home run.
Ba�ing third in head coach
Kevin Brockway’s lineup
all season long, De Pillars
was also a force on the
field, finishing the season
off without commi�ing a
single error and a perfect
1.000 fielding percentage.
De Pillars made several outstanding defensive plays in
the outfield over the course
of the season to preserve
victories for the Vikes. “He
came to play everyday and
was an example to everyone
on how to improve as a
ballplayer,” said Brockway
of De Pillars. “He was one
of our leaders and had a
strong presence both on the
field and off.”
GROUP D - Mexico, Iran, Angola,
Portugal
MEXICO - Despite having never
won a World Cup, this team has
potential a�er beating Brazil in the
2005 Confederations Cup (FourFourTwo). Defender Rafael Marquez
of Barcelona will be important along
with strikers Guillermo Franco and
Jared Borge�i up top.
GROUP E - Italy, Ghana, USA,
Czech Republic
UNITED STATES - We reached the
quarter-finals in 2002, and this year
the boys look make it all the way.
Key talent resides in the midfield in
DaMarcus Beasley and Los Angeles
Galaxy star Landon Donovan, as
well as defender Oguchi Onyewu
and striker Brian McBride. British
soccer magazine FourFourTwo rates
the U.S. team as “Fit, talented, welldrilled, experienced, but no match
for Brazil in the second round.”
GROUP F - Brazil, Australia,
Croatia, Japan
BRAZIL - The defending champions are heavily favored to win
again, as the legendary Ronaldo,
FIFAWorld Footballer of the Year in
1996 and 1997 (infoplease.com), and
Ronaldinho, another FIFA World
Player of the Year from Barcelona
(The Los Angeles Times), headline the
all-star line up.
GROUP G - France, South Korea,
Switzerland, Togo
FRANCE- Zinedine “Zizou” Zidane is playing his last World Cup,
a�er leading the team to victory
against Brazil in the ‘98 Cup and
being named MVP (infoplease.com).
Arsenal’s leading goal scorer Thierry Henry, and Lilian Thurman are
also keys to France’s success.
After moving here from
Hungry at the age of 13
Igoloi made the most of
the swimming opportunities in California.
“[Igloloi] spends more
time in the water in
one week than most of
the other guys spend
in a month,” said boys
varsity swim team coach
Evan Maczka. Igloloi
has been swimming
competitivly since he
was six years old and
plans to swim at UC
Santa Barbara next year.
Igoloi has been MVP and
team captain on varsity
swim team since sophmore year. This year he
swam the 200 Yard Individual Meadly, and 500
Yard Freestyle. Igoloi
has been a CIF finalist
for four years. In his
spare time, Igoloi builds
computers and enjoys
anime. “Now that school
is finishing up, I will
have even more time
to spend in the water...
fun!” Igoloi said.
Robitaille held down the
defense for the girls varsity
soccer team this year, having been a member of the
Varsity squad since tenth
grade, when she was moved
up at the end of the season.
As starting sweeper, the last
and most important defender, she stayed calm and
composed in the backfield,
executing tackles with precision and distributing the ball
well on the a�ack. She was responsible for organizing the
defense and shu�ing down
all a�acks.As a senior she was
named to the 3rd teamAll-CIF
squad and was named the
Girls Varsity Soccer Defender
of the Year. Robitaille will
not only be missed for her
soccer talent, however. She
was a great team player, and
had many friends among the
team. Her strong will, intelligence, and humor made
her both an admirable and
lovable character. Said junior
teammate Bianca Greene of
Robitaille, “If it wasn’t for
her we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. She’s a true
champion.”
The first-team All-League
middle linebacker/fullback was a key part of the
football team’s turnaround
from a 0-9-1 finish in league
his sophomore year to a
second place Ocean League
finish this past season.
Garcia, a three-year le�er
winner for head coach Michael Burne�, plans to play
at Santa Monica College
next fall and then transfer
to a major university. “[He
was] our best defensive
player and leading tackler,
and had a great work ethic,”
said Burne� of Garcia, who
started playing football at
the age of nine with the
Culver City and the Santa
Monica Pop Warner programs. “He was the heart
of our team,” said Burne�. Teammate and friend
senior Max Forer also
expressed how important
Garcia was to the football
program, saying, “A�er our
0-9-1 season two years ago,
Robert has worked harder
than any of us to try to get
Samo back to a high level
of success.”
Adam Cline:
Cline has been a member of the varsity boys
water polo squad for
three years, and the
swim team for four.
This year he was named
MVP of the team, and of
Ocean League. He was
also named 2004 Most
Outstanding Player in
league. Cline made second team all league junior year and first team
all league this year. He
attended Junior Olympics and a national
age group tournament
junior and senior year.
Next year Cline will
play at Pitzer College.
GROUP H - Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia
Compiled by Emily Foshag Editor-in-Chief, Nora Casey Campus Life Editor, Erin Nadel and Charlie Paris Sports Editors
Lizzie Jacobs:
According to coach Liane
Sato, Jacobs is “one of the
hardest working players,
a great athlete and a great
team leader.” These traits
earned Jacobs team MVP
honors as well as help lead
the girls volleyball team
into the playoffs with an 82 league record and second
place in the Ocean League.
Jacobs has decided not to
continue playing volleyball next year at San Diego
State University. Despite
losing in the first round
of the CIF playoffs, Jacobs
will fondly remember her
volleyball days saying, “I
will miss them all.”