October 7, 2005

Are You My Counselor?
Page 2
Special Report: Hurricane Katrina
Team Captain Profiles
Page 5
Page 8
On the Internet:
www.samohi.smmusd.org/thesamohi
Circulation: 3,600
Published Triweekly
Vol. XCVI No. 1 October 7, 2005
First Read: Katrina
Strikes Close to Home
By Annie Danis
The Samo library is about
as far away from New Orleans
as Dorothy’s Kansas was from
OZ. But the effects of Hurricane
Katrina don’tstopontheLouisiana
state line. The devastation of this
event reverberates as far as our
side of the country and will leave
a lasting mark on this nation. No
one seems to recognize this more
than Library Media Teacher Dana
Bart-Bell.
Mrs. Bart-Bell is a lithe,
charismatic woman who wears
her passion for books on her
sleeve in the form of a pin that
proclaims “read banned books.”
In this quiet little corner of Samo,
the effects of Katrina are almost as
real as if she had come here and
swept all the books away.
Daughter of Louisiana
natives, Mrs. Bart-Bell is Creole
– a mix of French, African,
and Indian blood that she calls
“distinctly American.” This
culture originated in New Orleans
and is deeply rooted in the sense
of community and belonging
that the city has afforded it.
With the destruction of the city,
Mrs. Bart-Bell mourns the “loss
of communities that have been
in existence for so long.” She
goes on to explain that “a lot of
people on the west coast don’t
understand the idea of strong ties
to one region. It’s a very mobile
culture we have out west. People
in New Orleans are deeply rooted
there.”
Many people had trouble
leaving the area because of this
connection. Two of Mrs. BartBell’s elderly relatives “basically
gave up” and passed away when
uprooted from their homes. Of her
“hundreds of family members,”
eighteen have seen their homes
destroyed and are now in a kind
of limbo between the lives they
once had and the prospect of
starting over. “They’re caught in
between where they don’t have
jobs and they don’t have homes,
but they don’t have any incomes
[from relief agencies].” (con’t. on
page 3)
Homes for the Homeless
By Alice Ollstein
After 16 years dealing with
the subject, Santa Monica is
implementing a new program to
combat the city’s homelessness
problem. The program would
immediately give chronically
homeless citizens apartments
of their own. City officials
announced at the City Council
meeting Sept. 13 that they would
use a $940,000 grant from Housing
and Urban Development to begin
to implement Councilman Bobby
Shriver’s Housing First plan.
This plan, already a success
in cities such as New York and
San Francisco, is the reverse
of traditional rehabilitation
programs which require
abstinence before housing. These
facilities, though helpful to
some, are only available to
those who are physically and
mentally able to follow the often
strict rules regarding substance
abuse and behavior. Shriver
proposed that the Housing
First pilot sites be located at the
Veterans Administration’s West
Los Angeles campus, where
the buildings in question are
currently empty and unused.
Shriver described his methods to
the Santa Monica Mirror: “When
you meet a homeless person on
the street, instead of making them
jump through a bunch of hoops
first, you just give them the key to
their apartment. Then you give
them services.” These services,
linked directly to the housing
facilities, include supportive
medical and psychological care.
Samo students see the
homeless problem every day.
“It’s a little scary to be walking
around alone where there’s lots
of homeless people, like the
beach or the Promenade,” said
sophomore Rachel Horn. “But
mostly it just makes me sad to see
people without enough clothes
and food.”
The National Coalition to
End Homelessness claims that
this program is an important
step in Santa Monica’s journey to
house our homeless population:
“Youth or adults who are living
on the streets often have a mental
illness or substance addiction.
When people feel safe and secure,
they are more likely to participate
in treatment. Housing has this
effect.” (endhomelessness.org)
However, some people fear
that this is not a secure solution.
“There’s not one perfect model
to address homelessness. It’s
a complex problem that needs
many approaches,” summarized
Scott Ito, Director of Development
and Communications at LAHSA.
“I know students are aware of the
homeless problem just by walking
around. Hopefully, they will see in
the years to come that the situation
has improved.”
Smoke rises over the Santa Monica Mountains Sept. 29 from the wildfire that started in
Chatsworth the night before.
Photo by Max Jordan
Samo Houses Take on More
By Analee Abbot
Due to a growing desire to
unite individual Houses, many
processes that were once the
duties of Samo Administration
are now the duties of Houses.
Redesign began three years
ago when the Santa MonicaMalibu Unified School District
(SMMUSD) decided to split
Samo into six smaller learning
communities. Now, as Houses
are taking over attendance and
discipline duties, CEO/Principal
Ilene Straus thinks things will run
more smoothly: “It makes sense
to keep all things about a student
in one place. If one place knows
your attendance and another
place knows all your academic
stuff, then it doesn’t connect
very well.”
A-House Principal Wendy
Wax Gellis shares Straus’s view
of a new and improved Samo:
“Slowly but surely, students
will have a connectedness to
their houses and know that
people are really looking out for
them.” Attendance is just one of
the day-to-day things that has
switched from the responsibility
of the school to the responsibility
of the Houses. Last year, Houses
took care of attendance for one
hour in the morning, and the
Attendance Office did it for the
rest of the day. Now, the Houses
(except for A period) re-admit
students from absences and
input them into the schoolwide
computer system. M-House
Secretary Leslee McGee has
mixed feelings on the subject:
“It’s good for us because we get
to know our kids better. The bad
side is obviously more work.”
She thinks that the change was
made in order to reduce the
amount of confusion regarding
attendance. “They’re trying to
get the Houses to be completely
self-contained.”
Discipline is also now done
primarily through the Houses.
According to Wax-Gellis, this
builds a steady relationship
between students and
administrators and encourages
consistency through the different
stages of discipline. Wax-Gellis
explains the process House
administration undergoes when
there is a problem on campus:
“When a student from our House
gets into trouble, we take care of
the follow-through with our own
student. However, if an A-House
student gets in trouble with a
student from another House,
we communicate with the other
House to make sure students get
progressive discipline. We want
the same person who hears all the
information to do the discipline
for it.”
It’s not only a shift in duties
that is causing the Houses to
become more self-sufficient.
Samo Administration is also
looking to the Houses to create
an academic support structure for
their students. Said Straus, “We
really want to try and keep ninth
and tenth graders in their Houses
for all of their core classes.”
While both House and School
Administrations seem to be
handling the changes well and
are satisfied by their success, some
Samo students feel differently. “I
feel like it’s less together this year
than last year,” said sophomore
Davita Paul. Freshman Adele
L’hrar feels even less sure about
the Houses: “I have only two
classes in my House. I don’t
understand what the Houses
mean.” Straus feels that Samo has
come a long way these past two
years, but she knows that it can
still improve. “[Administration]
now really wants to focus on
school unity. I just feel that all
of us want this…We have to
build the good will and the good
feelings.”
Future of Renaissance Academy Uncertain
By Max Jordan and Nicola
Persky
Renaissance Academy Charter
High School (RA) opened last year in
Pacific Palisades to provide students
with the option of an alternative
form of public education. However,
zoning problems, an expired lease,
and a delayed matriculation date
have left students and parents
ambivalent about the school. Many
former RA students enrolled in
Samo this fall.
After a year of battling with the
Palisades community over its land
rights, RA lost its lease, forcing the
school to move to a new location at
1901 Bundy Ave. In addition, RA
did not receive a zoning change nor
a Conditional Use Permit (CUP)
in September for this site and was
therefore unable to open Sept. 6.
Parents were not notified until early
September that classes would be
delayed.
During the past month,
many students enrolled in other
schools. Some, however, stayed at
Renaissance, took on-line classes,
went on field-trips, and hoped that
the school would reopen officially.
On Sept. 19, RA moved to a
temporary location at the Faith
Tabernacle Church. In a letter posted
on the school website, Executive
Director Paul McGlothlin, despite
news of the temporary location,
urged students to stay enrolled at
other schools: “Students who are
attending other schools should
continue doing so until [RA] has
explored additional temporary
space possibilities,” he said. The
lettergoeson tosaythatstudentswill
be welcomed back to RA as soon as
it has secured a permanent location.
“Until I’m sure that Renaissance is
going to work out, I’ll stay at Samo,”
said a former RA student who
prefers to remain anonymous.
According to the RA website,
as of Oct. 2, classes would be held
at the Bundy site. However, a
parent-run website (rahigh-save.
org) affiliated with the school’s
website reveals that the LosAngeles
Department of Building and Safety
as well as the Fire Department
shut down RA at 12:30p.m. at the
1901 Bundy site on Oct. 3. RA still
lacked the Temporary Certificate
of Occupancy as well as the CUP
necessary to hold classes there. RA
Administration then received two
notices warning students and faculty
not to return. In addition, the school
violated building, health, and safety
violations since moving to the site.
McGlothlin was unavailable to
comment.
The situation has left many
students wondering about the future
of RA. According to RA senior Alex
Becket, the school “will definitely
reopen.” When describing the
current standing of RA, though, he
said, “A lot of kids left. The senior
class used to be about 100 or so...
not a lot have returned.”
Opinion
Caffeine: Drug of Choice
Stand Up and Pledge
By Molly Strauss
usual “cup a day” feel physical
and mental withdrawal. Effects
can range from minor grumpiness
to serious anxiety and depression.
Though less obvious than heroin’s
“cold turkey” symptoms, these
symptoms prove that caffeine is
just as addictive.
And why are addictions undesirable? “Addicted” individuals
need outside assistance to live
normally, and this social and
emotional dependence is more
damaging than any physical effects. Coffee is no exception.
Senior Casey Corn gushed,
“Caffeinated coffee is my
life! I’m always drinking... something with
coffee in it.” Those
who need caffeine to
function can no longer call themselves
fully free.
Our generation
has a reputation for
being over-achievers. Dr. Mel Levine
was quoted on “60
Minutes” as saying,
“This is a generation that
has long aimed to please...
their parents, their friends,
their teachers, their college admissions officers.” As a result of both
external and internal pressure, we
often try to overdo everything, and
we turn to coffee when we get
burned out; it allows us to go longer and achieve more. Ambitious
as we are, a balanced and healthy
life is more important than looking
good on college transcripts. So,
put down that cup of coffee. And
go get some sleep.
By Nora Casey
Every day in homeroom we
stand up, face the flag, and recite
the Pledge of Allegiance. This
“we” usually refers to myself and
another three to seven people who
see fit to take a moment to respect
the United States of America.
I, too, was once one of the
seated, until I tried to explain my
reasons for not saying the Pledge
to a friend. I defended myself
like many liberal Santa Monicans
would; I mumbled something
about separation of Church and
State and my disapproval of the
war in Iraq. I considered these adequate reasons. My friend turned,
looked at me, and said, “What
are you talking about?! You’re
American; say the f---ing Pledge.
It’s simple.” And I realized that
he was right.
For me, the Pledge of Allegiance serves as a brief opportunity to reflect on America. While
it reminds us of things we may
disagree with, such as being a
nation “Under God” or the Iraq
war, it also reminds us of all the
noble ideas to which our country
aspires.
Mark Twain once said, “Patriotism is supporting your country
all the time, and your government
when it deserves it.” I understand
that many students disagree with
our government, but I do not see
how that justifies not pledging allegiance to your country. Feel free
to protest our President’s foreign
policy, but know that sitting during the Pledge is an ineffective
method. America is a country.
America is a concept. America
is not George W. Bush. We can
make this nation better through
dedication to it, not by ignoring
our ties.
However, I fear the main reason
that people don’t say the Pledge is
pure laziness. Senior Nikki Ross
commented: “Adolescents today
don’t do [anything] unless they
are required to.” Since teachers
cannot force students to say the
Pledge, few are motivated to go
through all the trouble on their
own. I should point out that this
strenuous activity lasts a mere
sixty seconds of your life.
Am I honestly supposed to
believe that the Pledge is too much
to ask of the average student?
Millions of people have fought to
preserve America and the ideals
outlined in the Pledge. Millions
of people have marched, sweated,
campaigned, rallied, and died to
create a better life for our generation and to make “The Republic...
with liberty and justice for all” a
reality. By dismissing these concepts as unworthy of our time, we
disrespect all of their hard work.
Just take a moment each day to
think about our country. Think
about everything it has been, it is
today, and everything that it can
become, if we work together to
improve it.
No one should force us to say
the Pledge. As American citizens,
we should love and care about
our country. We should want to
offer our allegiance to America.
Patriotism is not bad, wrong, or a
Conservative idea. Just stand up,
open your mouth, and pledge.
maternity leave). However, when
I look around at my friends from
different Houses, I realize that
some have had great relationships
with their counselors that have
lasted for all four of their years at
Samo. I can’t help but feel everso-slightly cheated out of what
could have been a spectacular,
long-standing friendship with
my own counselor. If Redesign
is going to function, and function
well, the Administration needs to
make sure that all students, from
all Houses, are being dealt equal
hands; the staffing imbalance
between the Houses is unfair to
students.
Glancing down at the counselor recommendation form, I
saw that my counselor would not
only have to rate my work ethic,
strengths and weaknesses, but my
sense of humor and social skills
as well. This complete stranger
will soon have to tell my prospective colleges how “emotionally
mature” I am, how I “react to setbacks,” and how much “respect”
I have “accorded by faculty”
members. I have a strange feeling that my brag sheet may end
up supplying the majority of this
information.
No matter how many pizza
parties or poster contests Houses
may propose in this coming year,
I don’t think my counselor will be
able to accurately judge my levels
of “self confidence” and “concern
for others.” If the Administration
wants to send Samo students
off to fine institutions of higher
learning, it can help by building
a strong, reliable staff, so when
it comes time for every class of
seniors to fill out these time-consuming forms, they can depend
on their teachers and counselors
alike to put in a thoughtful and
effective word.
“I’d like a Venti Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino® Blended
Crème.” We’ve all heard this before; it’s the modern java drinker’s
mantra. These days, there seems
to be a Starbucks or Coffee Bean
on every corner, providing a convenient way to get “a cup of Joe”
and prolonging the seemingly
“harmless” routine of millions.
However, despite its popularity,
the coffee habit is not harmless.
Caffeine is just another one
of those socially acceptable
addictions, but unlike cigarettes and alcohol, few are
aware of its dangerous
effects. Largely ignored
by preoccupied politicians and unconscious consumers,
the coffee addiction is
damaging American
society.
The java habit has
several undesirable
consequences, especially for teenagers. And,
as evidenced by the neverending Ice Blended supply
on campus, teens definitely consume it. Yes, there’s Grandma’s
warning that too much coffee will
stunt your growth. But more importantly, caffeine affects sleeping
patterns. Whether rehearsing for
an orchestra concert, cramming
for a Biology test, or babysitting
a little sister who refuses to fall
asleep, many of us spend hours
wishing we could just lie down.
“Teens need about 9 1/4 hours of
sleep each night to function best,”
states the National Sleep Foundation. When we finally do get the
chance to curl up, it’s absolutely
necessary to make use of every
minute. Those who drink coffee
don’t have this luxury. According to a study by the American
Academy of Pediatrics, “Higher
caffeineintake in general was associated with shorter nocturnal sleep
duration… limitation of the availability of
caffeine to
teenagers
should
therefore be considered.”
There are really no two ways
about it: coffee is physically addictive. According to the Journal
of the American Medical Association,
“Caffeine exhibits the features of
a typical psychoactive substance
of dependence.” In other words,
people who stop drinking their
Seniors Are Wondering: Are You My Counselor?
By Eliza Smith
This summer, as the dreaded
college application season approached, I decided to look over
some of the forms just to see what
I was up against. While scanning
one of the applications, I came
across a counselor recommendation form. Much like the letter of
recommendation written by teachers, this form asked counselors to
describe the prospective student.
I tried to think who my counselor
was, but I just couldn’t remember.
Then it hit me: If I don’t know who
my counselor is, how will he/she
know who I am? Moreover, how
would he/she ever be able to fill
out this form? I had thought that
with the implementation of Redesign, students would have closer
relationships with their House
counselors. I have heard House
Principal after House Principal
reiterate this year after year. Could
I have heard wrong?
When I was a Sophomore,
Redesign was in its first year,
Do You Have An Opinion?
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submissions of up to 800 words
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and was far from perfect: House
staff was constantly changing and
House offices had a nasty habit
of moving around. I didn’t get
a chance to develop any kind of
relationship with my counselor,
but I assumed this was because
Redesign was new, and things
would eventually settle down.
However, I never got to know my
counselor; in fact I have never gotten to know any of my counselors
because I’ve had a different one
for every year I’ve been at Samo.
That’s four different people who
have each failed to recognize me
at the annual A-House ice cream
social!
I have to admit, the House
System has at least made it easy
to contact my counselor (whoever
he/she is). I know that I can turn
up at my House office and schedule an appointment to change
my schedule or pick and choose
classes for the following year.
Additionally, many of these staff
changes have happened because
of personal, justifiable reasons (i.e.
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Submissions due by October 14
Let’s See Some ID, Kid
By August Lipp
Opinion—Page 3 The Samohi October 7, 2005
The Vatican is preparing to bar all homosexual men from
the Roman Catholic priesthood.
What do you think?
See Submit Box on Pg. 2 to write a “Letter To the Editor” in response.
MY TURN: The Curfew Fiasco
By Kerri Epps, senior
It’s Friday night. My friend
and I both have midnight curfews
set by our parents. So we were
understandably surprised when
a flashlight shone into our car at
10:30 p.m.. Though startled, we
weren’t worried; after all, what
could the cop want with two innocent girls? But, unbeknownst
to us, Santa Monica has a 10 p.m.
youth curfew. The police officer
informed us of this, then explained
that curfew violation really isn’t
that big of a deal. Boy, was he
wrong.
Here’s what happened: the
police called my parents, sent me
home, and expected me to appear
in Juvenile Court. Best of all, my
record will reflect this “misdemeanor” forever. When I appeared
before the judge, I had to either pay
a fine of $290, or pay a fine of $35
and attend a four hour class for
minors about civil disobedience.
I picked the second option.
Curfew school, called the
Corrective Behavior Institute, is
basically a nice version of prison.
From filling out a booklet on my
various misdemeanors, to watching a video about jail, the whole
business was a waste of time. At
the end, I received a certificate
stating my successful completion
of the course. Definitely something
to save for my grandchildren.
Here’s my complaint: how
in the world was I supposed to
know about curfew? It’s never
mentioned in school or at the DMV,
and it’s not posted around town.
I understand that negligence of
the law does not excuse breaking
the law. But come on! Let’s look
at permit and license restrictions
for drivers during their first six
months. According to the DMV,
we can drive between 5 a.m. and
12 p.m.. How are we supposed
to obey city curfew with such
conflicting information?
Yes, the point of curfew is to
protect people. Statistics show that
the rate of crime increases after 10
p.m.. Our City wants to keep kids
off the street, and I support that.
But I don’t support the enforcement of a law that no one knows
about! If I had known about curfew, I would have made different
plans that Friday night.
The Left Isn’t Right About Roberts
By Marissa Silverman
After a month-long appointment process, the Senate has
approved Judge John Roberts as Chief Justice William
H. Rehnquist’s successor to
the Supreme Court position.
Throughout his hearings, Democratic Senators stood divided
on whether or not to support
Bush’s conservative nominee.
When push came to shove, all
ten Republican representatives
as well as three Democratic
representatives voted in favor of
Roberts, while five Democrats
voted against him. The Roberts
hearings were just one example
of liberals’ lack of unity and
cohesiveness, hindering their
political success as a party.
Since the 2000 election of
President George W. Bush, the
Democratic party has surrendered political influence to the
Republican party, which still
maintains ultimate control of the
White House. Although previous
GOP decisions were not always
popular, the party led with a
cohesiveness that the Democrats
only strive to reach—a political
strategy resulting in their 12 year
majority.
Now, I am by no means a
“bumper-sticker Bush supporter.” However, Republicans
understand a key concept that
Democrats don’t: unity is everything.
The way the Democrats
handled the nomination of Judge
John Roberts and other recent
political issues was ineffective
and largely fragmented. After
Democratic Senators Patrick
Leahy, Russ Feingold, and Herbert Kohl assisted in the majority
“yes” for the 13-5 Roberts vote, an
outpouring of leftist anger only
further intensified the division
within the party. Leahy, who
voted in favor of Roberts and is
undeniably one of the most influential Democrats in Congress,
said, “Only later will we know if
Judge Roberts proves to be the
kind of Chief Justice he says he
would be, if he truly will be his
own man... I readily acknowledge
the unknowable at this moment,
that perhaps they are right and I
am wrong. Only time will tell.”
Who is Leahy referring to when
he states, “they are right and I am
wrong”? Is he in disagreement
with the Republicans, or with
fellow Democrats?
Here, in a single statement,
lies the ultimate problem with the
Democratic party: lack of unity.
Leahy’s mind-set only divides
those who should be fighting for
a common goal.
Another influential Democrat,
Senator and Democratic National
Committee Chairman Howard
Dean blatantly disagreed with
his fellow party member: “[John
Roberts] is the wrong man at the
wrong time for our country- a
trait that he shares with much of
the Republican leadership, including the President who nominated
him...Americans deserve a Supreme Court Chief Justice who
will stand up for their rights and
freedoms. John Roberts is not
that man.” Senator Kennedy responded in agreement with Dean,
and in opposition to Leahy: “There
is clear and convincing evidence
that John Roberts is the wrong
choice for chief justice. I oppose
the nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.” When the
most influential party members
fail to present a cohesive response
to the Roberts nomination, how
can they expect to gain power in
Washington?
For the past five years, while
the Democrats divided over petty
differences, the Republicans further united as a political posse.
However, the recent crisis over
Hurricane Katrina and the government’s action (or lack thereof)
has consequently lowered Bush’s
approval ratings. This presents an
opportunity for liberals to unify
and gain back some power on
Capital Hill.
So, a call out to my fellow
Democrats: we need to get our
act together! If there is any hope
of regaining control, let alone
influence in Washington, we
must stand uniform and prepare
to work together. When we do,
we will enter Stage Left...the new
wave of the Democratic party.
Point-Counterpoint: The Bible Belongs in Schools, But Where?
Caesar, Washington, Jesus...
The Odyssey, The Great Gatsby, The Holy Book...
By Daniel Galdjie
By Alice Ollstein
The Bible is unquestionably one
of the most influential works ever
written. Therefore, knowledge of
the Bible provides an educational
advantage to students. Samo’s
policy of requiring the Bible as
12th grade AP summer reading
seems warranted, right? Well, no.
Although Bible proficiency is an
essential aspect of our intellectual
growth, there are several problems
with teaching it as literature that
make it unfit for English classes.
It is extremely insensitive to
religious students to teach the
Bible as plain literature. Many
people believe that the words of
the Bible are the words of God,
and asserting in English classes
that Man conceived the Bible is
disrespectful to those students.
Conversely, teaching the Bible
as a holy book would be a gross
violation of America’s separation
of Church and State. This would
further alienate non-Christian
students, who already have to
deal with the uncomfortable reality that the school district deems
their holy books unworthy of
teaching. Due to deep sensitivities regarding the Bible, English
teachers run the risk of offending
a great deal of students, regardless
of how they approach the text. In
its 2000 Santa Fe vs. Doe ruling,
the United States Supreme Court
characterized the issue by stating:
“School sponsorship of a religious
message is impermissible because
it sends the ancillary message to
members of the audience who
are non-adherents that they are
outsiders...and an accompanying
message to adherents that they are
insiders.”
In other words, the Bible must
be taught if students are to have
a comprehensive education, but
teaching the Bible in English classes is bound to offend and ostracize
people. So what is the best solution
to this apparent quandary? We
should take the Bible out of English classes and put it into History
classes. There it can be taught more
objectively, avoiding problems
associated with analyzing the text
as literature. Placing
the Bible in History
classes will also
make it easier
to incorporate
other influential holy
books into
the teaching curricul u m .
This will
serve two
purposes:
first, it will
lessen the estrangement of
non-Christian
students by acknowledging the
value of their religious texts, and
secondly, it will be eye-opening to
Christian students at Samo.
As Supreme Court Justice
Hugo Black once said: “A union of
government and religion tends to
destroy government and degrade
religion.” In order to continue to
preserve our religious freedom,
we must heed Black’s words.
Teaching the Bible in English
classes blurs this separation; the
objectivity of a History class is the
only safe haven where students
can be religiously educated without endangering the principals of
the Constitution.
It’s everywhere. You can hardly
open a book without finding an
allusion to it. It’s hidden in paintings, newspaper headlines, and
even advertisements. It is the good
ol’ Holy Bible, and to become an
educated member of society, one
must have the tools to recognize
and analyze its widespread references. But how do
you take such a
controversial religious text into
public schools
without mixing Church
and State,
or offending students?
By taking
it
straight to
an English
classroom,
where students
can argue their
differing viewpoints and explore
the Bible’s connections to the modern world. I
fully support assigning the Bible
as summer reading for 12AP
literature students, and kicking
the year off with an in-depth
analysis of this provocative piece
of writing.
Some believe that it’s impossible for teenagers to discuss the
Bible without blood pressure
rising and personal beliefs causing verbal warfare. But I have
more faith in our generation. It’s
true that one must tread carefully when discussing the Bible
in school. If teachers treat the text
as a fictional story, some believers
might take offence. And if they
treat the text as truth, non-JudeoChristians could feel alienated. But
these conflicts are opportunities in
disguise. A class discussion where
everyone held the same interpretation would be dead and pointless.
Only conflict of opinion brings
these discussions to life. Last week
in my English class, I listened to
two students (one thought the
Bible was complete propaganda
while the other drew spiritual
inspiration from it) discuss their
opposing views in a sophisticated
and civil manner. I felt proud of our
generation and confident in our
ability to resolve other conflicts
with the same poise.
Studying the Bible in English
class is also essential to a wellrounded education. English
teacher Berkeley Blatz spoke of
its literary value: “By teaching the
Bible, you can expose students to
an amazing variety of genres and
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
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ideas. There’s the heroic saga, the
myth, the parable, there’s poetry,
and even an introduction to existentialism! You don’t have to believe in it to learn from it and use
it. Voltaire and Steinbeck didn’t
believe in Christianity, but both
Candide and The Grapes of Wrath
are re-workings of the Bible.”
Were the Bible to be approached from a different angle,
this literary value would be lost.
When you treat it as a mere historical document, a provoker of
events, you end up only studying
these events and stripping the text
itself of its beauty and power. It’s
fine to connect the Bible to our past,
but it’s more important to connect it to what happens around
us every day. After reading the
Bible and using English class as
a forum to argue and extract its
hidden connections to our lives,
I feel more prepared to meet the
world ahead of me.
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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,
Jaquelyn 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
Feature
What the Deuce? Family Guy is Back It’s a Boba Fête!
Americaʼs favorite
family returns to its
time slot on Fox.
By Jackie Berkman
America’s most beloved
show is back and better than
ever.
Although
Family
Guy was cancelled in 2001
because of low ratings, the
show finally returned this
May. Devoted fans, who
exhibited their loyalty by
petitioning online for the
return of Guy and buying
2.2 million copies of the
Season I DVD, rejoiced
at the rejuvenation of the
show.
So what exactly is the
obsession with the Griffin
Clan? Is it the idiotic father,
Peter, the two hopelessly
confused teenagers Chris
and Meg, the scheming
baby Stewie with a British
accent, or the sensible mother
Lois who manages to hold
them together? Some would
say it’s Guy’s unique brand of
comedy. The show’s signature
nonsensical
references
to both politics and pop
culture mark its originality
and entertainment value.
Samo students are laughing,
too. Junior Jake Weinraub
elaborated, “Family Guy is
one of those shows that uses
random humor as its main tool
for hilarity. It has a balance of
jokes that my little brother and
I would laugh at, and it’s not
afraid to be controversial.”
And controversial it is. In
the Sept. 11 premiere episode
“Peter ’s Got Woods,” the
show satirized radical socialist
Helen Keller ’s visual and
auditory disabilities. Another
episode, “Jungle Love,” used
always-reliable
bathroom
humor to poke fun at liberal
documentary
filmmaker
Michael Moore. The show
is
shamelessly
unafraid
of addressing a variety of
sensitive
topics,
ranging
from alcoholism to terrorism.
But most of the time, we’re
laughing too hard to really take
anything to heart. As creator
Seth
Macfarlane
proudly
stated regarding himself and
his team of Guy staff writers,
“We are equal opportunity
offenders.”
So now Guy marches
full speed ahead, a new
season off and ready to
roll, with its partner show
American Dad in the time
slot next door. While Dad
boasts some of the same
humor of Guy, it just does
not seem to have quite as
much magic as creator
Macfarlane’s
original
work. “Family Guy was
created in the Clinton
years, which was a much
different era,” Macfarlane
said, “American Dad is
a product of the polarized
political times we live in.”
But Dad aside, it is obvious
that the culturally savvy jokes
of Guy are too special to be
cancelled again. “We try to
walk the line between bizarre
yet traditional,” Macfarlane
said. It is a strong balancing
act indeed.
By Erin Schneider
Boba tea, also known as
bubble, pearl or tapioca tea,
seems to have replaced the
milkshake as the new refreshing
sweet drink. Traditionally made
as a mixture of ice, sweetened
tea and milk, the unique aspect
of boba is the
approximately
seven mm thick
tapioca
balls
swimming around
the bottom of the
tea.
Despite
the
fact that boba has
been around for
over 20 years, it
seems to be at an
all-time popularity
high these days.
There are dozens
of places to get it.
Volcano Tea (2111
Sawtelle Blvd.) is one of the
better places in town. Open
late hours and with dozens of
different drinks, Volcano Tea
offers an authentic environment
and a huge beverage menu not
to be seen at any other boba
bar. It also has a prime location
on Sawtelle, amongst other
Asian-influenced stores and
restaurants.
A
better-known
boba
establishment is Zen Zoo Tea
(13050 San Vicente Blvd.).
With drinks named after signs
of the Chinese Zodiac, Zen
Zoo boasts an original array
of teas, along with a basic
menu of Asian cuisine. Each
drink, or “Zodiac ZenFusion,”
comes with a description of the
strengths of each
sign along with
the drink’s content
“the
Ox
(e.g.,
represents balance,
persistence
and
generosity”).
Though the actual
teas and foods are
satisfactory to the
palate, they are
overpriced.
While there are
places like Zen Zoo
which create their
own mixed drinks,
the most eclectic
and untraditional boba menu
seems to be at Boba World (1116
Westwood Boulevard). With
drinks ranging from traditional
tea blends to smoothies,
milkshakes and coolers, Boba
World puts tapioca balls in
almost any drink you could
think of. If you’re up for
extreme beverages or just some
plain experimentation, boba tea
is just for you.
Thumbsucker: Watchable More Tricks up Kanye’s Sleeve
By Will Bromell
school ends and he goes off to
the big city and everything, of
Watching Thumbsucker, the course, is going to be all right.
debut film from former music
Mills makes a point of
video director Mike Mills, drawing parallels between
is not dissimilar to studying Justin and the adults in his life
an Impressionist
painting. who all seem to be just as lost
Up close, it appears to just as he is. These adults include
be random shades of colors his simpleton father, Mike
and feelings, spread thick and Cobb (Vincent D’Onofrio), his
purposefully across the screen. lonely, young-at-heart mother,
However, what separates Mills’ Audrey Cobb (Tilda Swinton),
movie from these paintings and his dentist, Perry Lyman
is that no amount of distance (Keanu Reeves), whose faulty
between you and
spiritualism
Thumbsucker
will
the movie
“Like most high carries
bring any clarity to
through more than
his images. Each schoolers, [Justin one dead spot.
scene is a loose
all of
is] in limbo: on However,
sketch, too selfthese characters are
one hand, heʼs only seen through
conscious to be
filled in. It’s a movie
ready to move the eyes of our
with an identity
titular adolescent.
onwards and
crisis; we’ve seen
As a result, no
all this before, and
forwards... on matter how well
Mills knows it, but
they may be fleshed
the other hand, out, we’re still only
is too timid—or
too stubborn—to the poor boy still seeing these adults
approach the subject
as they relate to
matter differently. sucks his thumb.” children; it’s a
However, just the
skewed perspective
fact that he’s approaching this that prevents these characters
subject matter at all makes this from breaking out of the mold.
a film worthy of respect, if not
Every movie that Thumbsucker
admiration.
echoes—from Harold and Maude to
Based on the novel by Rushmore to My Life as a Dog—
Walter Kirn, Thumbsucker tells serves the same purpose: to
the story of an alienated high gently remind lonely people that
school senior named Justin they are not, in fact, alone. And
Cobb (Lou Pucci). Like most in its ramshackle way, this film
high schoolers, he’s in limbo: achieves that. We feel for Justin
on one hand, he’s ready to because we understand him,
move onwards and forwards, even if we don’t understand
away from home and into the the movie in which he’s
unknown; on the other hand, been
realized.
Ultimately,
the poor boy still sucks his Thumbsucker is a case of form
thumb. And that’s really all over function. Still, like the
there is to it. Justin goes on movies it mimics, it’s worth
ADHD medication, goes off seeing because its function—
ADHD medication, falls in love, however overwhelmed it may
falls out of love, and then high be—is nothing if not honorable.
By Andrew Reilly
“George Bush doesn’t
care about black people.”
With
these
controversial
words, spoken at a Hurricane
Katrina
benefit,
Kanye
West may have temporarily
overshadowed the release
of his second album, Late
Registration.
Despite the
debate stemming from his
remarks, sales of Registration.
album continue to rise at a
meteoric rate.
With the release of
Registration on Aug. 30, West
proved his debut album, The
College Dropout, was not just a
fluke and firmly established
himself as the new driving
force behind hip-hop. In
producing Registration West
took a new, innovative
approach, collaborating with
Jon Brion, a music producer
with no previous hip-hop
experience. Brion’s previous
credits include soundtracks
for independent movies
such as Eternal Sunshine
of the Spotless Mind and I
Heart Huckabees, as well as
production work on Fiona
Apple’s albums. The result of
this collaboration is a unique
mix of melodies infused
with strings and horns as
well as direct, forceful lyrics.
Brion’s influence is evident
when listening to the various
instrumental codas embedded
in the tracks on Registration.
Why did West take such
a drastic departure from hiphop production tradition?
According to West in a Rolling
Stone interview, “They say
you can’t be all things to
all people, but I want to be
all things to all people.” In
fact, West employs what he
refers to as the “white boy
crew,” a group of technicians,
engineers, producers, and
artists who, despite working
very hard on Registration, are
limited in the sing-alongs on
account of West’s constant
use of the n-word.
Key tracks on Registration
are “Gold Digger” in which
West and Jamie Foxx reunite
from
“Slow
Jamz”
(on
Dropout) for this catchy,
upbeat number. The song
highlights West’s talent for
sampling other artists— in
this case, Ray Charles.
“Drive
Slow”
On
(featuring Paul Wall of Mike
Jones fame) West replicates
the
screwed-and-chopped
(hip-hop put in slow motion
to create a laid-back feeing)
music signature of Houston,
TX.
The
driving
piano
featured is made less intense
by the smooth, flowing
saxophone. Drums are key
in this song. The constant
play of the cymbals creates a
strong backbone for the rest
of the instruments, creating
a perfect mix of melody and
rhythm. While Wall’s rhymes
are fueled by his oversized
ego, they manage to come off
as honest.
In “Diamonds of Sierra
Leone (Remix)” West takes
a James Bond theme song
and turns it into a lament
regarding slave labor in the
diamond mines of Africa.
The listener enjoys a brief
intro of the Bond sample
before the track explodes
with powerful horns and a
driving beat. Jay-Z hijacks
the song and turns it into a
spotlight for his immense
rhyming skills.
“Crack Music” is West’s
politically charged track,
accusing U.S. governments,
past
and
present,
of
sabotaging
the
AfricanAmerican
population.
Delicate trumpets introduce
the record before the hard
beat and haunting harmonies
break through. The anger
of the lyrics can only be
associated with the anger
a crack addict feels when
deprived of another hit.
The
provocatively
compelling messages of some
of the songs force listeners to
think about the responsibility
they have to improve their
society. With his newfound
fame, West seems intent on
shaking the foundations of
the hip-hop music genre
and using his influence to
urge his listeners to right the
injustices they witness with
daily.
Special Report: Hurricane Katrina
Former Samo Student
Flees Tulane University
Samo graduate Robbie
Gould (ʻ05) was just getting
settled at Tulane University
in New Orleans, when Hurricane Katrina hit.
Robert Gould,
inteviewed by Nicola Persky
Chris Hero, father of Senior Emily Hero, traveled to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
to help out his relatives. This restaurant sits a few blocks from where Hero used to live.
Photo courtesy of Emily Hero
Franklin Big-Rigs
Bring Big Help
By Analee Abbott
In the wake of Hurricane
Katrina, two Louisiana-native
Franklin Elementary parents, Tom
Browne and Debra Krizman, organized a charity drive. With the intent to help the people affected by
the hurricane, the two set to work
gathering food, clothing, toys, basic hygiene articles, and just about
anything else that people wanted
to give.
The drive took place over
the weekend of Sept. 2-5, in front
of Franklin Elementary School.
Originally intended to fill up one
40 foot trailer worth of supplies,
the drive ended up collecting
enough supplies to fill six 50 foot
trailers.
Initially, Krizman sent out an
e-mail asking for donations from
30-40 of her friends. She was extremely surprised by the kind of
response she received. “It’s inspirational how much people care.
People just kept coming and coming. It was an amazing sight to
see.”
Both individuals and larger
companies contributed to the
drive. One man dropped off one
thousand dollars worth of five
dollar bills to hand out to refugees
for spending money, a local shoe
company donated five thousand
pairs of brand new shoes, and
20th Century Fox donated 200
blankets. Even the actual trailers
used to transport the items crosscountry were donated. Several
Burbank Police officers ended up
riding along on the trailers heading East because they too wanted
to do their part to help out.
The most donations were
baby care items but, as Krizman so tactfully puts it, “we
got almost anything you could
imagine.” This includes prom
dresses, talking George Bush
Dolls, and snow skis, some of
which weren’t actually put in the
trailers.
By Sun. morning, Krizman
and Browne had received so
many toys and items of clothing
that they stopped accepting these
donations, except for brand new
socks and shoes. Instead, they
turned their attention to gathering food, water, medicine, and
toiletries.
What was originally intended to be a small way for
two people to help ended up becoming something much larger,
drawing in people from across
the street and across the county.
In the end, six trailers set off for
Louisiana.
“I had been at Tulane for
one night when the school told
us we would have to evacuate.
All orientation meetings were
cancelled, and [all students]
were told we’d have to leave Tulane by 5 o’clock. So I called up
Northeastern University in Boston which had been my second
choice [college], and they told
me I could enroll for the semester.
I got a ride with this girl
and her family through Alabama and Mississippi. Then we
were supposed to catch a plane
from Atlanta to New York, but
we missed the plane and had to
wait in the airport for 10 hours.
In the airport we watched the
hurricane on TV. When we left
New Orleans the hurricane had
been a class 2, but by the time we
reached the airport it had turned
into a class 5 hurricane.
All my stuff was still being
Fed-Exed when the hurricane
hit, so I lost everything except
for what was in my back-pack
but I mean, in comparison to
all that’s happened, I was really
lucky. I think the kids at Tulane
were in a much better position
than most of the other people in
New Orleans.”
Samo Poll: Students Weigh in on Hurricane’s Wrath
Compiled by Carl Nunziato and
Matt Weber
49% of students polled donated
something to hurricane relief.
The Samohi conducted a survey
of 221 Samo students from 9-12
grades about their reaction to
Hurricane Katrina.
55% underclassmen donated
something to hurricane relief.
Only 43% of upperclassmen can
say the same.
24% of students polled know
someone who was affected by
the hurricane.
One person surveyed blamed
“Bush hating Democrats.” 75%
of students polled (and 84% of
Juniors) fully or partially blame
President George W. Bush for
the slow hurricane response.
Only 30% of students polled
fully or partially blame former FEMA Director Michael
Brown, who resigned after intense criticism for his handling
of hurricane response.
24% of students polled fully or
partially blame the nation for
its lack of support immediately
after the hurricane.
Samo Parent , Dr. Pratt, Goes to New Orleans
By Annie Danis
Last week The Samohi sat down
with Samo parent and Medical
Director for the Los Angeles
County Fire Department, Dr.
Franklin D. Pratt. In Aug. Dr.
Pratt accompanied an Urban
Search and Rescue team to
New Orleans. Dr. Pratt’s team
searched areas of the city for any
remaining residents in need of
assistance.
The Samohi: What was your
initial reaction to what you saw
in New Orleans?
Dr. Pratt: We were just
completely in awe of the extent
of the damage and the extent to
which the population had been
displaced. It was virtually an
empty town. The wind and the
water had just wreaked havoc
on the city, much more than
you see on TV.
The Samohi: Were there any
specific events that have left a
lasting impact on you?
Dr. Pratt: We had a couple
sentinal moments. We found
an 82 year old woman who
had been in her home since the
very beginning. She had run out
of food and water three days
before we found her. She was
dehydrated, she was confused.
We ended up saving her life; We
were able to find out who she
should be connected with when
she left New Orleans. That’s
just using cell phones from the
field.
The Samohi: How did you
deal with the deaths you
encountered?
Dr. Pratt: I don’t think that
death itself was something we
all hadn’t dealt with many times
before. The feeling was that it
would have been great if we
could have been here sooner, if
someone could have been here
sooner to help this person. That
was the frustration.
The Samohi: Is there anything
you think the Samo community
could
learn
from
your
experience?
Dr. Pratt: The number one lesson
for us is to be self sufficient.
Make sure you’re prepared;
make sure your family’s
prepared.
Have
supplies.
Have food, have water … basic
things. Disasters happen but
we know that the bad effects
of disasters can be blunted by
good preparation.
First Read: Ms. Bart-Bell’s Hurricane Experience Brings it All Home
(con’t. from page 1)
In many ways the hardest thing for Mrs. Bart-Bell has
been dealing with this displacement. “There’s something that
it’s kind of hard to put your
finger on, because you don’t
know how it’s going to come
out, but you have a sense that
people are not going to move
back and there’s no way you’re
going to be able to recapture the
community that you had before.” She tears up as she talks
about the pink shotgun house
her grandfather built and raised
his family in, and the butcher
shop her relatives owned in the
Circle Grocery. “There’s a sense
of history being lost,” she says,
“The [Creole] culture is a dy-
ing culture and this seems to
have accelerated the process.”
Mrs. Bart-Bell also talks
about the reasons the destruction has been so widespread.
“[New Orleans] is poor in a
way that’s much more visually apparent than it is here.
You’ll see homes that look like
you could just lean over and
blow into them and they would
just fall down.” She says most
people acknowledge the “hot
and spicy cultural gumbo” of
the region, but fail to recognize how severe the poverty is.
That same poverty has
factored into the feeling of an
“incredible sense of betrayal”
concerning the relief efforts.
Mrs. Bart-Bell thinks there
could have been just as much
damage (though not as many
deaths) even if the relief from the
government had come sooner.
But she says “there was a stronger emotional response in everyone I saw and spoke to because
there was a sense that the whole
spectrum of race and class was
hanging over it.” She shares that
reaction to the haphazard relief
efforts and adds,“When you saw
what was going on, you truly
didn’t think that was America.”
So Mrs. Bart-Bell decided
to do something about it. She
signed up to be trained as a relief
worker through the Red Cross.
“When this happened, I felt like
doing something.” She pauses
to gather herself. “Nothing I
could think of to do seemed adequate.” Her number hasn’t been
called yet, but she expects to be
deployed to a shelter or relief
team in the next few months.
Mrs. Bart-Bell also worries
about the effect Hurricane Rita
will have on her family’s decision to move back to New Orleans. “A couple of weeks went
by and it seemed like maybe
the worst of it might have been
over for them, psychologically.
My greatest fear is that having
to go through this whole cycle
of storms is going to push them
into deciding not to go back.”
Some people like Mrs. Bart-Bell’s
cousin have already returned,
mostly she says because “[they]
have no choice, no cushion. Eco-
nomics is the main thing that
will drive people to go back.”
Again and again Mrs. BartBell emphasizes a feeling of loss
greater than simply one of property – one of culture and livelihood. Hurricane Katrina’s arm
stretched to reach Mrs. Bart-Bell
all the way on the West Coast,
and she believes it didn’t stop
with her. “You might live in Santa
Monica and have never ventured
out of it,” she tells me with tears
in her eyes. “You might think
there’s no life east of the 405 Freeway… you might not think the
world outside your community’s
walls matter, but it does. We need
to learn to balance our need for
security with a responsibility
for people who are suffering.”
Campus
Life
I-House: Helping Samo Students Scream “I can!”
By Cara Safon
“I Can!” scream the trendy blue
bracelets seen recently on the wrists
of several Samo students. These
students hope the catchy slogan
will, in fact, catch on. In addition
to the bracelets, I-House created a
student mentorship program over
the summer to encourage freshmen
to feel comfortable at Samo and to
generate house unity.
Students on the I-House Advisory Committee of the Focus Groups
created last semester, in which
students discuss certain issues on
campus, have now become “mentors.” To bring the group together,
I-House organized a picnic that
included teachers, mentors, and parents. “There were about 120 people
there,” said I-House Principal Eva
Mayoral. “It was a big success and
allowed students in I-House to get to
know one another and the school.”
The program consists of a three-step
process: Welcome, Connect, and
Support. I-House is currently in the
“Connect” phase. “I feel like I am a
support system for my mentees and
can be somebody they’re friends
with,” said senior mentor Misty
Goldenberg. “But we need to start
more activities like the picnic so we
can really connect with them.”
Some I-House freshmen were
Remembering Ernie
By Nick Barlow
After nine years of service, security guard Ernie Gonzales has left Santa
Monica High School to pursue working alternatives.
“[Security] is a natural position for me,” said Ernie. “I like helping
students.” Some of Ernie’s favorite memories of Samo are when he would
help students and give them advice. He recalls a time when one student
was having problems at home, “we sat down in the quad and talked about
life, I think I really helped her out.”
Ernie’s favorite places on campus are the weight room where he would
work out during his break, and underneath the Samo marquee on 6th
and Pico where he once took a nap. His least favorite is his supervisor’s
office.
Ernie was born in Baldwin Park, CA, though he tells most people he
“ran over from Mexico.” He worked as a security guard at Temple City
High before working at Samo, where there were only twelve hundred
kids, and he knew them all. “I knew where kids would smoke and which
bathrooms they would fight in.”
Ernie admits that his nine years feel like two. “I wish I didn’t have to
leave; it breaks my heart” he says. “He’s a good, hard working individual,”
says fellow security guard Ray Cooper, “and I’ll miss him to death.” Says
senior Jesus Contreras: “I once saw him lifting a 200 pound weight, with
one arm.”
Autistic
Awareness
By Jaquelyn Hoffman
Imagine a peerless world. Imagine not being able to communicate
what you think or feel. This is Autism. To raise general awareness and
tolerance of Autism and Asperger’s
Syndrome, Samo’s English Department conducted presentations
inspired by the school-wide reading
of the curious incident of the dog in the
nighttime, by Mark Haddon.
A panel of twelve speakers,
including Advocates for Special
Kids and representatives of FEAT
organizations, gave 81 presentations to over 2,400 students in the
Mortensen Library. These discussions of real and sensitive issues
ran smoothly according to speakers and staff. “I was particularly
pleased that people were willing to
ask very tough, controversial questions because those very large issues
will never get addressed if people
are afraid to bring them out in the
open,” said speaker Karen Mohan.
Through the presentations, teachers
and students expressed appreciation
and newfound understanding. “It
reminded me as a teacher that I want
to see each student as an individual
and not as a label,” said S House
Teacher Leader Meredith Louria,
who helped coordinate the library
events. Math teacher Kelly Okla feels
similarily, “Christopher Boone [the
main character in the book] reminded
[me] that, no matter what impression
we get from people, or what impressions we give, everyone is brilliant at
something.”
Overall,studentsfoundthecurious
incident of the dog in the nighttime and
library discussions engaging and appealing. Sophomore Kristalyn Lipps
enjoyed the library talks but found the
book’s plot drawn out. “The book
was really boring and I felt bad for
Christopher, but it just kept talking
about the same stuff and I had no
interest in the book,” said Lipps.
The book and seminars broadened student’s awareness.“It gave me
a better understanding of people with
Autism and they aren’t as different as
we may think they are and we need
to start incorporating them into our
lives,” said Senior Joseph Sahili. If
we all felt the same as Sahili, autistic
individuals could learn in a comfortable and inclusive environment.
Samo By The #s: Inch by Inch
Compiled By Nora Casey, Marissa Silverman and Zoe Young
Area of the Mirror in the girls Tech. bathroom:
2100 sq. in.
Area of Paint on the Palm Tree in front of the History Building:
2880 sq. in.
Area of Caesar Chaves’ Nose in Circle Mural:
72 sq. in.
Area of Graffiti Obscuring Handicapped Sign, Opposite the
Cafeteria: 36 sq. in.
Area of Bird Dropping in the Hallway between Science and
Technology Buildings, Second Floor: 2448 sq. in.
glad to have gotten a chance to tour
the school before the first day. “After
my mentor showed me around the
campus, I just didn’t feel nervous
anymore,” said freshman Michael
Marmolejo.
Others, though, feel that not all
freshmen need mentors. I-House
freshman Brandon Forgo said, “I see
how the program could be helpful
for kids who don’t know anything
about the school, but my sister goes
to Samo and has been helping me,
so I didn’t really need the extra assistance.”
Mayoral explained the main
objective of the program is to make
students in I-House feel welcome, not
to compete with other houses. “The
purpose of the program is to make it
so that ‘I’ is more than just a letter on
students’ ID cards,” she said. I-House
has received positive feedback from
students, teachers, and parents alike.
“I think having older students at such
a big school is a main intimidating
factor,” said I-House parent Kristie
Thompson. “For freshmen, a mentor
program is a smart idea.”
H-House Principal Ruth Esseln
said that I-House inspired them to
follow a similar pattern. Emulating
the old I-House program in which
teachers were paired with struggling
students, H-House has organized its
own teacher-student program to give
students extra assistance. Regarding
the I-House mentorship program, Esseln said, “I think that it will definitely
have an impact on how ‘at home’
new students feel at Samo.”
S-House Principal Greg Runyon
mentioned that he would like to
see other houses organize a similar
program to that of I-House. In fact, to
make S-House freshmen feel united,
S-House has new English/Freshman
Seminar blocks in which one teacher
teaches both classes, with similar
content discussed in each so that concepts the students learn are consistent
throughout their classes.
I-House Freshman Seminar
teacher Patrick Cady also hopes
other houses will follow the lead . He
said: ” I think that all houses should
consider mentoring freshman. It
provides an important connection
for newcomers at a critical time in
the first weeks of school and ongoing support during the school year
from people who really know the
school.”
Get on The Fast Track to College
By Jennifer Galamba
As word went out this summer
that both of the college advisory positions were open, Torrance Unified
SchoolDistrictveteranStaceyHarvey,
and former H-house counselor Linh
Le-Cassidy jumped at the chance to
play an important role in the lives of
Samo students.
Le-Cassidy grew up in California
aftermovingherefromVietnam
at age four. She says her career
was inspired by the strong relationship with her high school
counselor and to follow that
example she headed off to the
Loyola Marymount University Counseling Program. Post
college, Le-Cassidy has been
a counselor, senior counselor,
and most recently one of the
H-House counselors at Samo.
She left last spring to have a baby,
and returned this year to start her first
year as a College Counselor.
Harvey, a graduate of Samo,
knew as a student that she wanted
to work in education. Once she found
the Loyola Marymount University
Counseling Program,sherealizedthat
she could be in a school environment,
be with students, but not necessarily
teach, and immediately knew that the
program was right for her. Harvey
spent a number of years in Torrance
Unified School District in a number
of positions. She then moved to LeCassidy’s position when it opened.
Now she is the college counselor for
houses S, A, and M, while Le-Cassidy
counsels O, H, and I.
Harvey and Le-Cassidy under-
stand students can easily get sucked
into the insurmountable process of
getting into college. Both agree that
taking the right subjects to fulfill
your requirements, taking rigorous
classes, and being involved in extracurricular activities will get you there.
Harvey explained, “That doesn’t just
mean being in a sport or a club. It can
mean something like being in an
[activity outside of school]. Colleges
really want to see someone who is
motivated, committed, and who has
found something that [they] have a
passion for.”
The objective of the College and
Career Center is to provide a place
where students can come in for
resources, information, or guidance.
According to Le-Cassidy and
Harvey, more can benefit from
the Center than the few who
come in. Some do not make the
effort because they have chosen
not to apply to college. Harvey
encourages students to “keep
[their] options open and apply
to [4 year] colleges, even [if you
think] that [you] are going to
SMC. There are students that
are eligible for a state school
or a UC, that are intimidated
or think that they [can’t] pay for it.”
Lower Classman can benefit too.
Le-Cassidy urges that “students don’t
havetowaituntiltheyareseniorstogo
to the College Center. They can come
in when they’re [a lower-classman]. If
[they] have specific college questions,
we’re here.”
Freshman Seminar Reloaded
By Jeremy Tramer
The Freshman Seminar program
here at Samo is getting an extreme
makeover. First officially taught to
freshmen in the 2003-2004 school
year, Freshman Seminar is, according to the Santa Monica High School
website, “an introductory class designed to prepare ninth graders to
be academically successful for the
next three years.”
Many past Samo freshmen
feel that the class is not worth its
weight in textbooks.“I thought it
was pointless,” said junior Taylor
Black who took Freshman Seminar
in its inaugural year. Lauren Young,
a sophmore, agrees with Taylor. “It
was completely pointless,” she said.
“I would identify some clear goals
, and make it more of a planned
thing.” Sophomore Alex Spence
said that he “just didn’t think it was
worth a whole period.” Spence did
have a suggestion though. “I think
that they should incorporate history
into it” he said.
Spence was thinking along
the same lines as the Freshman
Seminar teachers who, according
to A-House Principal Wendy Wax
Gellis, met over the summer to cre-
ate the course syllabus. Freshman
Seminar as a course has been completely revamped and this year will
be taught with a curriculum called
Facing History and Ourselves. “It’s
about human behavior and trying to
understand why we behave certain
ways, both in the past and today,”
said Michael Felix, teacher of two
Freshman Seminar classes, during a
presentation at the PTSAmeeting on
Aug. 13 Felix said that the curriculum will include case studies on the
Holocaust, the LosAngeles riots, and
the American Eugenics movement.
Felix emphasized that this is not an
actual history class. There will be
units on Identity, a unit called Us vs.
Them, and California State health
standards will be taught. “This is a
class about you,”
he said.
MeredithLouria, Teacher Leader for S-House,
says that this year
S-House students
will take English
and Freshman
Seminar as a
two period block
class, with the
same teacher for
both classes. “We think its been really
great so far,” Louria said.
Freshman Seminar Teacher
Contrad Cuda feels good about
the class. “The students seem to be
having a good time with it.” Freshman Anne-Sophie Dutoit backed
up Cuda’s view. “It’s a good class,”
she said. However, freshman Fanny
Ballantine remains unconvinced that
Freshman Seminar is worth an entire
period. “I want to take different electives but because I have Freshman
Seminar, I can’t do it.”. The general
opinion of the class seems to be much
more favorable than in the past two
years. It seems as though everybody
is looking forward to this turning into
a class that is respected by students
and staff alike.
Sports— Page 7 The Samohi October 7, 2005
Problems With Drake Pool Can’t Girls Volleyball Setting
Stop Greenies From Winning Themselves Up for League
By Erin Nadel
Bay Tournament this past weekend, the boys were allowed to swim
The Samo boys water polo
in the Drake Pool for the first time
team held a 11-4 record as of Oct.
in nearly a week when they faced
5 despite untimely problems with
rival El Segundo on Oct. 3. The
Samo’s Drake Pool, which forced
score was close throughout the first
the team to change the location of
half, but junior Skylar Nathanson
two of their games.
gave Samo a bit of a cushion when
Coming off of a fourth place finhe tipped in a goal
ish in the Bell Gardens
from the post posiTournament that took
place on Sept. 8-10, the
tion and scored anGreenies lost to Palos
other goal with less
Verdes 9-14 in their
than a minute left in
home opener on Sept.
the second quarter
13. The Samo defense
to give Samo a 9-6
couldn’t handle Palos
lead going into halfVerdes’ speed and countime. The Greenies
won 13-9 despite
terattacks.
the physical play
Senior Adam Cline,
of their opponent,
named the “Best Water
which resulted in
Polo Player in the South
the ejection of the El
Bay” by The Daily Breeze,
Segundo goalie in
felt that the Greenies
the fourth quarter.
were the less experiThe varsity
enced of the two teams,
team consists of
and that this contributed Junior Pedro Caldas attacks the Palos Verdes
three sophomores,
to the team’s loss.
defense on Sept. 13 at Samoʼs Drake Pool.
six juniors, and six
Against Whittier on
Sept. 21, Samo once
Photo by Ashley Osberg seniors, all of whom
are now “starting
again struggled. The
Greenies lost 5-11 after going score- half. Behind eight goals from junior to work together,” according to
Eliot Storms, Samo won 21-4. “Our Jacobs. Senior captain Ivan Pintoless in the fourth quarter.
Samo was scheduled to host team is finally starting to click,” Rodriguez and fellow senior Sam
Chadwick on Sept. 27 at the Drake said senior Jack Jacobs. Still, several Devorris are confident that the
Pool, but due to a problem with the parents of Samo water polo players team will continue to play well,
pool’s pump, the boys were forced expressed their anger concerning and make it to the CIF chamto make the trip to Chadwick to the state of the Drake Pool. One pionship. Head Coach Matthew
play the game. Despite the circum- parent, Debbie Jacobs, said, “That Flanders agrees: “I think we can
stances, the Greenies pulled off an pool has been dirty and nasty for go all the way.”
years. Unfortunately, it’s going to
With four weeks of the regular
11-6 victory.
With the Drake Pool still unfit take someone getting really sick season remaining, and the majority
of league competition still ahead,
for competition two days later, the before anything gets done.”
After finishing fifth in the South the Greenies will look to build off of
Greenies were without a venue
their recent success while keeping
that ultimate goal of winning the
CIF championship in mind.
for their scheduled home game
against Miliken on Sept. 29. Fortunately, Santa Monica College
allowed the Greenies to use their
pool for the game. Samo was
dominant from the start and did
not give up a goal until less than
two minutes remained in the first
Girls Golf Tr ying to Keep
Up With Tough Opponents
By Emily Foshag
Through the first four matches
of the season, the Samo girls golf
team has shown steady improvement, shaving 39 strokes off of their
team’s total in just ten days.
Thus far, the Vikings have
impressed their new head coach,
Samo mathematics teacher and
last year’s assistant coach, Ramon
Veral. “Considering the amount of
experience some of our girls have,
we are doing well,” said Veral,
who took over when 3-year Head
Coach Marty Verdugo resigned
his former position to become
an Assistant Coach in the girls
basketball program. The girls are
excited about playing for Veral
because, according to sophomore
Gabrielle Page, “he really knows
how to play the game.”
Behind the scores of senior
Christine Foley, junior Samantha
Walters, and Page, the Vikings out
shot their opponent St. Monica’s
297-354 on Sept. 20 in their season
opener at the par-36 Rancho Park
course. Despite the win, the girls
were less than satisfied with their
performance as a team: “Some of
us knew that St. Monica’s wasn’t
that good, so we didn’t come
ready [to play],” said Foley after
the match. “We were completely
unfocused,” added freshman
Zoe Rose.
The Vikings stepped it up in
their next match on Sept. 22, once
again at Rancho Park against St.
Monica’s. Page led the team, scor-
ing a 50, and Walters improved
to a 52. Rose, who was a pleasant
surprise at this past summer’s
tryouts when she out shot everyone present, including returning
seniors, shot nine strokes better
than she had two days prior and
recorded a 53. As a team, the girls
shot 29 strokes better than they
had in the previous match-up
between the two schools, winning
268-348.
Although the girls took a step
backwards against North Torrance
on Sept. 27, losing 281-256, the
Vikings bounced back on Sept. 29
and shot their best round of the
season. Foley led the team with a
49, and Walters and Page each shot
a 51 in the Vikings 241-258 loss to
North Torrance, and despite the
loss, the girls were pleased with
their performance.
While the girls golf team has
already equaled their win total
from last season, when they went
2-7, the Vikings are scheduled to
face some tough opponents in the
future, which means the team’s
goal of winning more matches
than last year isn’t as easy as it
sounds. Just next week, the girls
will face Torrance, a team led by
senior Angela Park who was a
semifinalist at the U.S. Women’s
Amateur competition last month.
Still, although Veral acknowledges
the tough competition that is coming up, he feels that, “as long as we
keep improving like we have been,
we’re doing something right.”
By Zahir Alibhai
If you thought volleyball was
an easy sport to play, you haven’t
seen the Samo volleyball practices
run by Head Coach Liane Sato.
“We practiced quite a lot over
the summer and we hope it pays
off, especially during CIF,” said
senior captain Roxanne White.
The Lady Vikings will look
to last season’s Ocean League
Defensive Player of the Year,
senior Lauren Myman, to anchor
the defense, while players such
as outside hitter junior Bailey
Ford and freshman setter Jeana
Schkud control the offense. The
girls performed well in the season
opening match against Palisades
on Sept. 22 yet suffered a hard
fought loss in five games. Myman had ten digs, and Schkud, in
her first varsity match for Samo,
recorded 32 assists. Against El
Segundo on Sept. 27, however,
the team struggled. White and
Ford combined for just ten kills,
half of the 20 that they came up
with in the previous match.
League play began on Oct. 6
against Culver City, and the girls
will play Beverly Hills today, a
match-up that the team had been
heavily anticipating. “Beverly
Hills is going down,” proclaimed
senior Daryl Fairweather before
the match. According to Sato,
Fairweather and the rest of her
senior teammates are dedicated
to making the most of their final
season: “We have a big group
of seniors that want to go out
with a bang,” said Sato.The girls
have high aspirations for the
remainder of the season, and according to team manager, senior
Fred McLafferty, “There is a lot
of hidden talent in the team, and
with practice and experience it
will emerge.”
However, if the Lady Vikings
want to see the postseason, they’ll
have to tap into their potential
and start winning some games.
Senior Roxy White spikes the ball on Sept. 27 against El Segundo.
Photo by Max Jordan
Cross Country: Running Towards Victory
Boys
By Jackie Berkman
Tensions ran high at the South
Bay Cup meet in Torrance on
Sept. 28th when a Culver City
runner punched junior Jules
Sulpico mid- race. “He was trying to cut me off like a Nascar
driver,” Sulpico said. The Culver
City runner will be suspended
from the next two meets. Drama
aside, individual runners ran
well, including junior Julio Alba
who placed 28th in the varsity
race with a time of 16:35, and
sophomores Daman Coffman
and Simon Einstein who placed
4th and 14th in the Sophomores
Boys race with times of 16:41
and 17:43.
“We’re just starting out, a lot of
people didn’t run over the summer
so they’re not prepared [now]. I
feel like we’re a little behind”, boys
Cross Country coach Tania Fischer
after the 2nd meet held at Woodbridge High School on Sept. 17th.
Specific strong performances at
the invitational included Coffman
with a time of 16:48 and Alba and
junior Wyles Vance crossing the
finish line with times of 17:08 and
17:09, respectively. “Everyone ran
well, considering, but I hope they
learned how much better they can
do,” Fischer added.
On Sept. 22nd the first league
meet was held at Rancho Park
and several runners stepped up
to the challenge, including Alba
with a time of 16:24 and Coffman
with 16:29 who came in second
and fourth place in the boys
varsity race.
With four meets under their
belt, boys cross country is beginning what will be a very exciting
season. After the Kenny Staub
Invitational was canceled this
past weekend due to the fires, the
second league meet isup next, on
Oct. 11. “This season is going to be
hard, but our team is going to go
far and run fast”, Coffman said.
And Alba confidently added:
“We started out pretty badly,
but we’re going to dominate in
the end.”
disappointing performance to
the lack of clarity regarding the
course which resulted in several
of Samo’s best runners going
partially off course. However,
the general sentiment was one
of conceded defeat. Sophomore
Maki Nakamura explained that
succeeding against difficult
opponents like Beverly Hills
simply requires more practice.
She expressed hope that “the
team could learn from the meet
and improve.”
Although Samo’s defeat was
disheartening, there were some
high points such as Nakamura’s
impressive fifth place finish with
a time of 21:23. Team co-captain
Misty Goldenberg, who was unable to compete due to an injury,
explained; “The competition was
tough all around, but we plan
to keep practicing hard to win
league.”
The girls cross country team’s
next competition is a league meet
on Oct. 11. The girls are highly
motivated and seem eager to
redeem their standing.
Girls
By Daniel Galdjie
Hoping to maintain the momentum built from last year’s
successful season, girls cross
country Coach Pat Cady is optimistic about this season. After
two grueling meets on Sept. 9
and 17, the girls participated in
their first league meet at Rancho
Park on Sept. 22.
In spite of a strong effort, no
Samo girl finished the 3-mile
course in under 21 minutes
against rival Beverly Hills.
Some runners attributed Samo’s
Sports
Who Are Samo’s 2005 Fall Captains? Football Season Off To
Girls Golf:
By Sam Cotten
Very Promising Start
As the 2005 fall season begins,
so do the campaigns of many new
Team Captains. These select few
were chosen either
through the meticulous deliberation
of their coaches or
simply because they
have been on the
team
the longest. So now
The Samohi would
like to introduce
you to this year’s
Fall captains:
Boys CrossCountry:
on the team, only six are returning
from last season. Vafa and Yeh
were natural choices for captains
because they know the game well
and have been around the longest.
Members of the team said that this
Christine Foley and
Samantha Walters
With a new coach and several
new players this year, the Golf
Team captains are strong. Foley,
a senior, has played the past
two years while also playing
softball. Walters, a junior,
has been on the team for
three year’s and was the top
scorer for two of those years.
Before Coach Verdugo left last
year he chose these two girls
because of their trustworthiness. Foley and Walters really
think that this years team is
strong and prepared to win,
“Our nucleus of players
this year is very strong and
talented.”
Greg Bogosian
Dubbed “El CapiGirls Cross-Country:
tan” by his teamMisty Goldenberg, Danielle
mates, this is BoMeyer, and Miriam Rubengosian’s third year
son
as a Cross-Country From Top Left: Greg Bogosian, Ivan Pinto-Ro- Hand-picked by their berunner. Bogosian driguez, Ramona Vafa, Danielle Meyer, Christoff loved coach, Pat Cady, these
won JV League Neuman, Robert Garcia, Lauren Myman, Roxanne girls are this season’s Girl’s
Finals in both 2003
White, Misty Goldenberg, Samantha Walters, and Cross-Country captains. Meyand 2004. Accorder, a member of the Circle of
ing to his coach, Christine Foley.
Friends club, also enjoys “inTania Fischer, Greg
terpretive dance.” Rubenson is
Photo By Max Jordan the leader of Project Safezone,
was a “perfect candidate because of
and Goldenberg is an expert at
his motivational qualities, as pair enjoys singing “reggae-toned rolling over in a kayak. The three
well as the fact that he gets along music,” and are planning on mak- girls are seniors and have been on
with just about everyone.” Over ing a Samo tennis documentary. Cross-Country for all four years.
the summer Bogosian had his “4 They would like to dedicate this Despite an unusual amount of
centimeter-long” tonsils removed season to head coach Antonio injuries this year, the girls expect to
but managed to recover in time Robertson, their heroes, and Justo run through the pain: “We plan on
for the season. Greg’s take: “With Vazquez, “the greatest T.A. ever.” working together to beat Beverly
a well-rounded team, and a great
Hills and win the Ocean League
coach, losing will not be an option
championship title.”
Girls Volleyball:
this year.”
Lauren Myman and
Roxanne White
Football:
Boys Water Polo:
Coach Sato chose these two Christoff Neuman and
Ivan Pinto-Rodriguez
girls for their leadership skills as Robert Garcia
Selected by Coach Flanders, well as their loud voices. “They
Coach Burnett has selected
Pinto-Rodriguez believes he was have been on Varsity the longest dual captains for the team this
chosen to be captain for his good
and are most qualified to lead.” year. Neuman, known as “The
nature and his trustworthiness. He
Myman has been on Varsity for Franchise,” and Garcia, referred
thinks that, “people can confide in
three years and is running for to as “Big Hit,” are both sharing
me easily, and I am an easy person
the title for the 2005 season. The
to talk to.” In addition to playing Homecoming Queen, and White two seniors agree: “The hard work
loves
Capri
Suns
and
guavas.
water polo, Ivan enjoys singing
pays off.” Mitchell Rathner, a
opera and playing jazz. He believes Both are a part of the tight group sophomore on Varsity asserts, “the
that “with our strong core of play- of seniors that make up the bulk Franchise will catch everything,
ers, we definitely have the ability to of the team, some of which have and Robert is a tackling machine.”
known each other since elemen- The team is working very hard
win a CIF Championship.”
tary school. Myman and White are this year and it’s definitely payconfident in the team and are very ing off. Neuman and Garcia are
Girls Tennis:
excited about this season. The two very confident in the team: “It’s
Ramona Vafa and Savannah Yeh
Coached by the 6’7” Antonio captains proclaim that “everyone been a difficult journey and we’ve
Robertson, these girls train hard else is going down…way down, come a long way. We will be CIF
every day. Out of the 24 members all the way to Chinatown.”
champions.”
Girls Tennis Rebuilding, Not Quitting
By Lincoln Boehm
Having lost virtually every
member of their varsity team last
season, it is safe to say that the Girls
Tennis team entered this season with
a bit of a chip on their shoulder. With
only one returning Senior, the girls
lack the leadership that has proved
to be a defining characteristic for
past teams. “The team is fifty percent
Freshman, so this year is definately
a rebuilding year,” said Assistant
Coach Justo Vazquez. “We have five
Juniors who will step up next year
on the varsity level, but we aren’t
giving up. We’re not going to call
this a throw-away year.”
The girls have lost their only
two non-league matches against
Crossroads and Redondo Union.
However, their league standings
show a little more promise. They
have played four league matches much of a fan base might be playagainst Morningside, Inglewood, ing a large part in the team’s lack of
Beverly Hills and Palos Verdes and success. “When other teams come
hold a 2-2 record within the Ocean to play us they bring fans with
them, and we are here at Samo with
League.
nobody watching us, and that is
Senior capa bit upsetting. I mean it really
tain Ramona
isn’t that we don’t have talent,
Vafa explains:
it’s that we need to build up our
“This year is goconfidence and work out the
ing to be really
kinks. We have to learn how to
hard for us, we
play with one another.”
lost 11 seniors
Although the girls’ season
last year so we
hasn’t started off the way they
have to start
wished it would, they still have
from scratch.”
time to make up some ground in
Sophomore
league with eight more matches
standout Anto be played. Their next match
astasia Sonkina
is this Tuesday at Samo against
thinks that the
Torrance at 2:30 p.m. So
fact that the Junior Alisa Olinova.
don’t forget to come out
Tennis team
doesn’t gain Photo By Ashley Osberg and support your squad.
By Lincoln Boehm
you’re playing against one of the
best teams in the city.”
On Sept. 30 the Vikings faced off
against crosstown rival St. Monica’s. The Vikings took command
of the game early with Adeyemi
scoring 21 points in the first quarter. “We really didn’t want to lose
to St. Monica’s,” said senior tackle
Max Forer. “We knew going into
As the Santa Monica Vikings
rode home from Palisades after a
decisive 24-14 win over the Dolphins, their season was picture perfect with a 2-0 start. There were a
lot of question marks surrounding
the Vikings young offense, starring
new quarterback
SophomoreRyan
Katz, and
running
back Junior Louis
Adeyemi.
However,
in these
first two
games the
Vi k i n g s
showed
no signs
of inexperience or Sophomore E.J. Woods runs the ball against the tough
youth, just Venice defense on Sept.23.
poise and
precision.
Photo By Ashley Osberg
“We know
how good
the game that we were bigger and
our offense is, we worked on our of- stronger than them, so we stepped
fensive plays all summer, and now out onto the field Friday night with
against Venice we have to go out the highest level of confidence.” At
and prove that we can put numbers halftime Samo held a commanding
up against top defenses.”
41-6 lead over the Mariners, and
The Vikings first big test would in the second half the second and
come when they faced off with one third team defense was able to
of the best teams in the southern shutout St. Monica’s making the
section, Venice. Venice is known final score 48-6.
for their tenacious defense and
This year’s football team is by far
nationally acclaimed running the best this reporter has seen in the
back senior Ken Ashley. There past four years, and it seems hard
were many cynics who thought to say that any team out there can
that the young and inexperienced scare them. “We aren’t physically
Samo offense wouldn’t be able to afraid of any team out there,” said
get past the Gondoliers tenacious Adeyemi. “We know how good
defense, but this young team came we are, and we know that when
out with the utmost confidence, we step out onto the field we’re
running the ball down the throats going to show the other team how
of Venice and gaining big yardage good we are, no matter who we’re
off of numerous screen passes. playing.”
“This year we have the tools to go
Today the Vikings play a road
against any defense we face,” said game against the 1-3 Roosevelt
Katz. “We can score on anybody Roughriders. Although Roosevelt
and I feel like we proved that hasn’t had a lot of success this year,
against Venice.” Samo’s defense, they do showcase a running back
led by Seniors Robert Garcia and in Senior Mario Contreras who has
Michael Seibold, also did a great 379 all purpose yards, so the Samo
job containing the Venice running defense will have a tough task in
game, and ended the half down shutting down the Roughriders
only 13-10 thanks to an amazing running game. “Numbers don’t
goal-line run by Sophomore E.J. mean anything to us,” said middle
Woods and a 40 yard field goal by linebacker Garcia. “The reason
senior Jordan Rosenhack.
he’s having such a great season
When the second half started the is because of his big offensive
Vikings offense kicked into gear. line. We’ve played better backs
Wide receiver, junior Geo Allen before and we are going to shut
made a diving catch in the end zone [Contreras] down.” The game is at
to give the Vikes a 17-13 lead. The 7 p.m. at Roosevelt High School,
defense was able to hold Venice so show up and support your
for almost the whole second half, Vikings who look as though they
until letting up a big pass with one have a serious shot at this year’s
minute left in the game, which was CIF Championship.
followed by a goal line run to put
the Gondoliers on top. Samo lost
ADVERTISE WITH
the game 20-17, but the way their
team was able to keep up with the
fast- paced Gondoliers showed
Eight Dollars per Square
that this year’s team is not a joke
at all. “This year’s team has been
Inch
working extremely hard,” said
head coach Michael Burnett. “You
never feel like you played as well as
call (310) 395-3204
you could have when you lose, but
ext. 217
we feel like we played well enough
to win, which is encouraging when
THE SAMOHI