January 24, 2008

Get Inside the Mind of
ZAC EFRON
The Samohi interviews the teen star
page 2
SPECIAL REPORT:
ELECTION ‘08
pages 6 & 7
OCEAN LEAGUE:
FULL COVERAGE
Vol. XCVI No. 6 January 24, 2008
Circulation: 3,600
pages 9, 10 & 11
Published Biweekly
Vandalism Strikes the Vikes’ Inn Circle of Friends
Founder Retires
By Katy Cain
Staff Writer
In a random act of vandalism,
trespassers broke into the Samo
Vikes’ Inn on Sunday afternoon,
Dec. 23. It appears that nothing
was stolen.
When security arrived at the
scene, there was no one there to
apprehend; perpetrators had very
likely left the scene at the sound
of the alarm. The security present
during the break-in was an outside
security company hired by the
school rather than school’s own
campus security team. This alarm
system is set every night and is
generally used when no one is on
campus.
When Dean of Students
Catherine Baxter was informed
of the incident on Dec. 24, she
Photo by Soraya Danesh
found that one of the windows in VIKES’ INN BREAK-IN: Though nothing was stolen, a window was
front of the Vikes’ Inn had been broken and a screen was ripped in an attempted robbery.
shattered and a screen had been
ripped off. She called the police who came to number of students coming in and out of the Vikes’
investigate.
Inn every day, making it hard to sort out which
No items were stolen, and no money was fingerprints belong and which do not.
taken. There were, however, fingerprints, which
The damages to the store were temporarily
have been recorded. However, with such a huge taken care of with plywood. Most of the damage
number of kids in the school, fingerprints are was fully repaired before winter break ended and
hard to place. Furthermore, there are a large the Vikes’ Inn resumed buisness as usual.
It is yet to be determined who
will
be Palilis’s successor. Said
Special Report Editor
Palilis: “The ideal person to run
Circle of Friends (CoF) Circle of Friends in the future is
mastermind and Samo Speech the Speech Pathologist that will be
Pathologist Barbara Palilis hired for September...I will certainly
announced her
be happy to be a
retirement from
part of guiding and
the Santa Monica
supporting the new
Malibu Unified
person next year.”
School District
Senior and
(SMMUSD) on
CoF President
Jan. 14.
Jacqueline
Palilis, who
Hoffman is, like
has been in the
m a n y, s a d t o
district for 21
see her go. Said
years, is leaving
Hoffman: “She
due to personal
created and helped
reasons. Aside
lay a foundation
from spending
for an amazing
more time with
program which
her family, she
should continue
plans to start CoF
to thrive at Samo.”
Photo by Soraya Danesh
chapters at other
Added Senior VP
h i g h s c h o o l SAYING GOODBYE: Barbara of Activities Alyssa
a n d c o l l e g e Palilis leaves Samo after 21 years. Ladner: “I think
campuses. As
Barbara will be greatly missed, but
far as Samo is concerned, Palilis I have complete confidence in the
“hopes that the future of CoF at program and it’s members that we
Samo is bright,” and “continues can keep [the program] running for
for a long time.”
years to come.”
By Saba Hamedy
Movie Revenue Earns Samo a Face-Lift
By Aaron Eslamboly
Sports Editor
The recent sixteen-day film
shoot of “17” on campus has
earned both Samo and Olympic
High Schools an estimated
$150,000 for improvements
to their campuses.Though the
net revenue from the film is
yet to be determined due to
labor chargebacks, Samo will
receive a large portion of the
allotted $150,000 provided
by New Line Cinema for the
filming of “17.”
According to Director
of Theater Operation Carey
Upton, the majority of this
money will be used for the
renovation of basketball facilities
in the South Gym, an intermittent
task for Samo. The renovation has
The majority of [the
allotted $150,000]
money will be used
for the renovation of
basketball facilities
in the South Gym.
an estimated total cost of $35,000.
This restoration includes the
replacing the wooden backboards
with glass backboards, re-
adjusting the height of the baskets
to the official ten feet, and fixing
the machinery that moves the
backboards around the gym.
Prior to filming, Upton and
several other administrators
involved in the distribution of
money decided to have the Greek
re-painted with a solid color in the
coming months in addition to fixing
cracks and any missing bricks.
Many of the changes on campus
were made to specifically for the
set of “17” and will remain after
filming has wrapped. The display
cases in the History Building
hallways have been refurbished
and the additional ones used for
the movie have been donated to
the music rooms. The faded
plexiglass windows in the
cafeteria and some in the history
building have been replaced
by real glass. Several areas on
campus have also been painted
over in an attempt to beautify
the school.
Furthermore, the producers
of the movie, New Line Cinemas,
have donated $5,000 to the
graduating Class of 2008.
The additional Samo portion
of the film revenue will be
distributed in the summer. Onethird of the revenue is to be
distributed to all schools in the
district for facility enhancements
by the permit fund. The last
1/3 of the money goes directly
to Theater Operations, which
includes maintenance and salaries
for Barnum Hall staff.
What’s Inside...
Campus Life . . . . . . . 3
Opinion. . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Special Report . . . . . . 6
Feature . . . .. . . . . . . . . 8
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Photo by Soraya Danesh
A BARE GREEK: The Greek Theater, once adorned with paintings from graduating classes of the past, has
been re-painted to a solid grey color.
Photo Essay. . . . . . . 12
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Get to Know Zac Efron
By Lulu Mickelson
Staff Writer
From staring in “High School Musical” to
standing outside our high school Spanish
classes – Efron discusses his role in “17,”
love of acting, and personal high school
experiences with The Samohi.
kids on campus?
Yeah… well I am kind of used to it. My high
school where I grew up had like, gosh I think we
had 3700 students. So I am okay, I can navigate
without bumping into too many people. It is
funny because it really feels like coming back.
High school, when you are there and you are
one of the students, it kind of feels like home.
First off, what is your character like in
“17” and what drew you to this role?
My role in “17”… well let me give you a
little overview of the movie. It’s a little bit
like the movie “Big” with Thom Hanks. If
you recall, he’s young and still mentally his
young self, but he’s put into Thom Hanks’s
body. It’s kind of a reverse of that. What
intrigued me about the role was the idea
of playing the mentality of a 37-year-old
guy as a 17-year-old. Everyone always
wonders what it would be like to go back
to high school: the decisions they would
have made, what they would have done
differently knowing what they know now, as
opposed to how naive they were when they
were actually in high school. So combined,
I think it is just a set up for a very funny
situation. And then the character himself…
well Mathew Perry plays the older version of
me… and my character goes back to school
here at Samohi with his actual kids and gets
to know them in their true environment. And
kids are kind of two different people; at least
I know I was. I was a different person at
school than I was at home.
So how has your experience been working
at Santa Monica High School?
It has been fantastic! It’s great… we’re
right here at the beach. And it’s a beautiful
campus. I was really excited, because I
think the last feature that was filmed on
the Samohi campus was “Rebel Without a
Cause”. And I thought that was awesome.
So we kind of pay homage to that in one
of the shots; in the beginning to middle of
the movie our director references that in
one of the scenes.
Has it been challenging working while
school is in session and there are 3400
stereotype I fell into. I was definitely not a jock,
and then again I didn’t spend all my time in school
studying. I got pretty good grades, I think I was
in the top 10 in my class. I guess I did well in
school, but I had friends in all different categories.
I was kind of a floater.
So when did you start getting into theater?
I did a lot of theater outside of school. It’s
weird; there is a difference between having to
do something for a grade every day, and going
for two hours of very serious work achieving
something that you love to do [outside of school].
That is why I stuck to community theater… and
I thought it was a more fun experience for me
having it outside of school.
What character that you have played so far
most resembles who you were and some of the
struggles you faced as a high school student?
So, I would say that if there were anyone who had
a similar decision, similar situation as me in high
school… it would have to be Troy [from “High
School Musical”]. Though I was definitely not
the stud in school, I was not the coolest kid, or
the captain of the basketball team… I was very
far from it. But Troy faced a similar decision in
following his dream to do theater, which was not
necessarily perceived as cool by everyone around
him. And, I’d say I went through that almost
exactly. Except it dragged out for years, it started
in grade six and went all the way through high
school. I was always that drama kid.
Were you supported by your friends with this
decision to be in theater?
Courtesy of beanstockd.wordpress.com
ZAC ATTACK: “High School Musical” star Zac Efron
speaks to The Samohi about his work on “17”.
And now walking around after being gone for a
few years is very alien. It’s actually helping me
out with the character because I feel like I am not
necessarily supposed to be here, I have lost my
high school awareness. And that all really plays
back into my role.
So what were you like in high school? How would
you describe yourself?
Man… well I don’t know if there is a particular
Yeah, I would say absolutely, especially now days.
I have had the same four best friends since literally
we were in diapers together. Those core friends
definitely supported me. I think at moments
it might have gotten weird, it’s not a tangible
thing when you are going off and rehearsing for
a movie or being part of a theater program. It’s
not something that they can do with you, and
that’s the hard part for friends. I wouldn’t call
it jealousy… they miss you, that’s really it. And
there is a little bit of time where you can’t hang
out with your friends and be a kid: play video
games, do homework, or spend the night. So I
think I got a bit of flack for that. But there was
always support, always.
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Editor-in-Chief
Erin Nadel
News Editor
Gabrielle Hernandez
Campus Life Editor
Sam Cotten
Opinion Editor
Jennifer Galamba
Special Report Editor
Saba Hamedy
Lifestyle Editor
Evan Perkins
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Jeremy Tramer
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Aaron Eslamboly
Charlie Paris
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Jesse Grebler-Hull
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Danielle Worthy
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Officer
Kristina Naderi
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Leah Robinson
Art Editor
Ran Zhang
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Kathleen Faas
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Salonee Bhaman, Sam
Bleiberg, Nicky Borenstein, Maisy Bragg, Katy
Cain, Chris Cotten, Soraya
Danesh, Cosmo Diener,
Danielle Ehsanipour, Pepito
Escarce, Zane Four, Owen
Gorman, Jade Kedrick,
Jane Kivnick, Rose Kleiman, Lulu Mickelson, Brian
Nadel, Jennifer Perdomo,
Lindsay Reno, Kourosh
Shaffy, Roland Templeman,
August Thompson, Chelsea
Watson
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CAMPUS
CAFÉ SAMO: FOOD AND SHOW $10
By Jane Kivnick
Staff Writer
Trying to plan a night of fun with your friends? Craving live performance by talented young singers and actors? Well look no further—“Café Samo” is just around the
corner. This cabaret style show is put on annually by the choir program, and features
dozens of talented student performers who create and produce their own acts. The
show will be in the Humanities Center on Feb. 1 and 2. Food will be served at 7:00pm
and the acts will begin at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10. Don’t miss it!
CTF GAME TO SETTLE HOUSE FEUD
By Rose Kleiman-Weiner
Staff Writer
It’s official: H house has challenged I House to a game of Capture the Flag. The actual
day has not yet been set, but H House Student Council Committee plans to meet with the
I House Student Council Committee to discuss the time and place. Capture the Flag was
chosen because it has not been played by any other houses and H House wanted to kick off
the new year with a different type of game. The game may be held after school instead of at
lunch because it generally takes longer than a lunch period to play. H House chose to challenge I house because H House lost their house letter to I house in recent competitions and H
House hopes to win it back. H House principal Steve Martinez spoke highly of his team saying, “We have a large number of varsity football players. I House should come prepared.”
RED HAND DAY COMES TO SAMO
By Leah Robinson
Photos by Owen Gourman
A Broad, Abroad: Samo Art teacher and Artist Bonnie Sue Schwartz stands in front of her
work. Her landscapes are currently on display in the Roberts Art Gallery.
Artist’s Artistic Art
By Chris Cotten and Kourosh Shaffy
Staff Writers
Who travels around the world by land
and sea, and who’s name begins with a B?
No, not Batman, but Bonnie Sue Schwartz,
an artist and Samo art teacher. Her paintings
demonstrate a fascinating use of water colors and are currently on display at the Roberts Art Gallery. Her paintings are mostly
of places far away and are punctuated by
vibrant, hybridized colors. As she herself
is a traveler, the scenes she create elaborate
on her highly decorative life. Yet, despite all
of her ventures, she remains somewhat stationary in Los Angeles, her birth place.
Amongst her most vividly-painted
landscapes are those of Sydney, Australia,
the California Incline and Sedona, all of
which are places she has visited. She especially enjoys depicting chunks of land surrounded by water. These riveting seascapes
include Alaska, Catalina Island and Big Sur.
Whether you find your taste to be landscapes
with ice cold water or jagged cliffs and high
drop-offs, you will agree that Schwartz is
best at capturing wonderful scenes of nature. Her current exhibit, accounting for
80 of her illustrious portraits, is a compilation of a multitude of places to which she
has travelled. Regardless of which paintings catch your eye, you will be riveted by
the natural beauty of her landscapes. Upon
closer examination, you’ll be overwhelmed
with her awesome images, almost believing
that you are actually there. Each landscape
leaves the viewer in with a queer resonance;
you’re left not knowing quite what to do
next. Do you continue to stare at the scenes
in front of you, or do you leave with your
mind boggled by what you have seen? Only
you can find out. Our official grade for this
exhibit is an “A,” for the artistic talent of
the artist and frequent traveler Bonnie Sue
Schwartz. Her art exhibition is aptly titled,
“A Broad, Abroad,” and it is now open for a
limited time to all Samo students.
Copy Editor
On Feb. 12, the Human Rights Watch Student Task Force at Samo (HRWSTF) will be
bringing Red Hand Day to Samo. The day is an international event designed to raise awareness of the use of child soldiers around the world. On this day, schools and communities
around the globe will try to place as many red hands as possible in public places. These red
hands have a white silhouette of a child soldier in the center, and represent the crisis facing
our world as a whole.
President of the HRWSTF at Samo Francis Ahn said, “It’s really important for students to realize that kids our age and younger are suffering and that we can put an end
to it.” To show you support, the HRWSTF asks that you wear red on Feb. 12. For more
information visit redhandday.org or the information table that will be set up in the Science
Quad at lunch on Feb. 12.
North Gymnasium Gets a Face Lift
By Pepito Escarce
Staff Writer
“Now, people come in and know where they
are,” said girls’ basketball head coach Marty Verdugo with enthusiasm. He was referring to the renovations applied last Nov. to the depleted North Gymnasium, where Samo’s basketball and volleyball teams
compete. Previously struggling to maintain old baskets and chipping paint, the North Gym was freshly
outfitted with new baskets and glass backboards, as
well as a fresh coat of paint. Additionally, space was
cleared on the walls so that Samo’s championship
banners—including those recently won—can now
be properly displayed, giving the gym an aura like
Pauley Pavilion. These magnificent renovations
were funded entirely by Turner Construction executives Rory Dejohn and David Turner.
Turner Construction, also in charge of building the Los Angeles Clippers’ new practice facility,
contributed $50,000 towards the revamping of the
North Gym. Dejohn, the Western Regional Manager of the company and good friend of Verdugo,
coordinated the project, but Turner was the one who
initially agreed to the investment. Athletic Director
Norm Lacy helped with the project as well, and together they organized the renovations and insured
they were completed satisfactorily. Said Verdugo,
“I got the ball rolling, but Mr. Lacy made the slam
dunk.”
The success of the project was possible by
a growing interest of construction companies for
“capital improvements to athletic facilities,” explained Verdugo. The renovations—because they
were planned so well—were finished within two
weeks. They have already improved the quality of
play, excitement and pride that players and coaches
experience “being Vikings.” The Turner Company
was honored at one of the most important home
games of the year on Dec. 14, when the Lady Vikings matched up against Marlboro, the defending
state champion. Homage to the company for their
charitable work was made at halftime. Verdugo
claims the generosity of the Turner Company has
“filled everyone with Samo pride.” Hopefully, this
renewed pride will result in gym walls covered corner to corner with championship banners.
T H E
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LINDSAY SAYS:
Teen Screen Addictions
By Lindsay Reno
Staff Writer
Whether you were one of
them or not, the wildest dreams
of many girls materialized
when teen sensation Zac Efron
appeared on Samo’s campus in
preparation for his upcoming
movie. The campus-wide giddy
smiles and squeals upon his arrival were, among other recent
examples, perfect reminders of
how much our lives are determined by what we watch on TV
or in movie theaters.
Many of us have shows we
are almost tragically addicted
to, relying upon them for an
hour of escape into a world of
manufactured excitement. For
me, it’s “Lost”. Not only is my
“Lost”-themed calendar permanently on my favorite character’s
month (Sawyer – who else?), but
as the writer’s strike threatens
to postpone the show’s third
season until 2009, I know my
week would be devastatingly
empty without a dose of the
island’s mystery. Others get their
Wednesday-night entertainment
fix from America’s Next Top
Model; thosands spend the following week fiercely debating
each episode, speculating who
is hiding an eating disorder and
who deserves to be voted off
by Tyra Banks’s judges. There
are also those who substitute
Tila Tequila’s catchphrases for
greetings, or work the swelling
chorus of Hannah Montana’s
“I Got Nerve” into everyday
conversation. And while guys
typically don’t reach this level
of TV and movie obsession, it
was hard to miss their Superbad
quotations in early September.
Samo’s current addiction,
Gossip Girl, is the perhaps the
best and most current example
of insane TV fanaticism; on
Thursdays, campus-wide talk
dominated by Serena, Blair, Nate
and Dan becomes so serious that
outsiders mistake the characters
for actual people. And, causing
recent uproar and intrigue, the
gossip website in the show has
spawned Samo’s own blogs,
detailing the dramatic lives of
Samo students with the same
catty candor popularized by
the show.
While it’s easy to criticize our
TV addictions, I wouldn’t have
it any other way. Whether its
holding weekly Grey’s Anatomy
parties on Thursdays, or chattering about the latest drama in the
wake of two characters’ juicy
hookup, we become closer to our
fellow teens with every episode.
Even in a year, when watching
Zac Efron’s movie and nostalgically remembering the way
the entire class lined up to get a
peek at him, we’ll know what we
watch creates unique memories
and a bond with others through
shared experiences. What better
way to be entertained?
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My T urn: A Hidden Education
By Alexander Sassoon
Samo Alumnus
In the Sept. 25 issue an article
entitled “An Education to Die For” by
Cosmo Diener, a valid and important
point was made: it’s awfully tempting for some to join the armed forces
on the basis that it will pay for their
education. But that is not necessarily
the case. It’s not that they won’t foot
the bill, they just give you an amount
which, by their estimate, is enough
to go to college. But how good is
their estimate?
While I took a class at Santa Monica College, I met someone who had
been in the Marines, purely because
at the time, they said they would
pay for him to go to college. After
serving a tour in Iraq and picking up
some post-trumatic stress, he came
back, only to find that he didn’t
have enough [money] sic to get a
bachelor’s degree.
Now, I’m sure this was probably
something to do with his circumstances, or maybe just a fluke, but
what’s the good in going through it’s still cheaper when you think of
all that if you can’t even graduate how much it will cost you at a UC:
on it?
about $23,000 year, which is about
But there are other options: col- $2,000 per class, say $1,000 to be
lege-level
conservative. So you’re
classes. As a
saving at least $900 per
If you’re consider- UC-equivalent class
recent graduate, I won- ing [the military] just you take at SMC, if
dered how
you take expenses into
much all my so you can afford to consideration. That
AP and SMC go to college, pay at- sounds a lot better
classes would
spending your
tention to alternatives. than
count towards
post-high school years
my college Preferably ones without in the military.
career. I re- high mortality rates.
And then there
cently found
are all those APs you
out that I’m in
could be taking. $84
fact less than half a year to becoming for an exam you could get cola junior. All those classes and hard lege credit for. Now I know, it’s
work payed off for me in the end. But a commitment. And APs are
it barely cost me anything.
getting ever more popular and
SMC has a deal worked out with therefore crowded. But think of
Samo, which lets anyone take UC- the benefits. You get more credit,
equivalent classes concurrently or and it looks better when you’re
in the summer for free. It may cost applying, so you’re more likely to
you the price of a few books, or a get in anyways. It’s just all-around
trip to the library copy room, but better.
Sure, there are just some people
who have a calling to go into the
military. But if you’re considering it just so you can afford to go
to college, pay attention to the
alternates. Preferably ones without
high mortality rates. But don’t forget that there’s a college education
for anything out there you want to
do. Underwater basket-weaving
anyone?
If all this jazz isn’t for you, don’t
sweat it. There are people who get
to college without a plan. There are
people in college who drop classes
because they’re too hard. I know
people who’ve tried college for a
while and decided it just wasn’t for
them. You just have to find something that interests you. Maybe
that’s the military for you. Don’t
be ashamed to admit something’s
too much for you, we’ve all had
it happen. But keep challenging
yourself, and you’ll stay immersed,
interested and happy with your
choices. I promise.
Selflessness Should Not Be Seasonal
By Lulu Mickelson
Staff Writer
There are over 8765 hours in
the year; I just spent two volunteering to serve a Holiday meal at a
local homeless shelter. I felt good,
really good. I believed I was doing
the right thing, feeding the hungry,
making a difference. But really I
slapped a band-aid on world hunger and called it a day. In fact, I
called it a year. Most of us don’t
help the world until next year,
when the compassionate mood of
the holidays thaws our hearts and
pressures us into doing the kind of
charity work that should be done
on a year-round basis.
As the winter months come
around, each of us sees our extravagant presents and our tables
covered in food, and we realize
how truly fortunate we are. We
become motivated to make a difference, and are filled with generosity, sympathy and guilt…lots
of guilt.
We donate to the annoying
charity collectors outside supermarkets and rummage through
pantries to find canned foods for
local drives. We spend a few hours
volunteering in a soup kitchen.
Once radio stations, shopping
centers and TV commercials stop
constantly playing Christmas carols, we settle back into our passive,
self-indulgent lifestyles…but the
We go through our closets for
Good Will.
After putting in our time, energy
and money, we are proud of our
generosity. Our guilt is relieved
by our little deeds we feel we actually made a positive change to our
world. Then we enjoy our hearty
holiday meals and use our expensive gifts with a clear conscience.
problems are not gone.
We may be able to repress a
guilty conscience, but there are
hungry families in our community all year round. Even though
we may have helped prepare that
one meal, the homeless cannot
survive on a single dinner for the
next twelve months. By allowing
ourselves to skip out on helping
others, we’re only letting the
problem continue to grow, despite
how our post-holiday self-satisfaction may make it seem.
By all means, feel good about
yourself when you give back.
Enjoy the happiness that comes
with generosity. However, do not
feel good about your few hours
of volunteer work when you do
not contribute your time on the
other 364 days of the year. Do
not let your guilt subside: you
have not done all you can do to
improve the world.
Holiday-inspired giving
makes a difference during the
holidays, but the problems humanity faces need more than
a few hours of our time. Our
guilt-induced work isn’t that effective. If we want change, we
must work toward solutions with
a year-round commitment to making a difference. If we worked to
promote a cause for a few hours
on a weekly or even monthly
basis, just imagine how different
the world might look.
Editorial: Green Awareness Necessary In Education
Everybody knows (or should know) recycling is a good thing in
many, many ways. From economical to environmental, the benefits are
vast. Unfortunately, our school seems to have given up in this noble
pursuit. The once ubiquitous blues bins that positively beckoned for
use are now gone from classrooms. This leaves no option but to trash
objects that could potentially be used again.
But you can’t really blame the administration for this; we students
seem to be woefully misinformed when it comes to recycling and can’t
seem to put the right items into recycling bins. Though the manyfold
benefits of recycling are extolled from an early age, education on what we
actually CAN recycle is surprisingly limited. The recycling contest that
ends tomorrow has been a success, but it will take more than occasional
contests to make Samo truely “green.” The blue bins should return. To
aid this, people need to know what can and can’t be recycled, and the
very tangible benefits that recycling brings in a healthier world more in
tune with the enviroment around us. Santa Monica has been consistently
ranked one of the “greenest” cities in the United States. There is no
reason why Santa Monica High School cannot follow suit.
Despite what many cynics may say, we can make a difference.
Use that water bottle again, throw those old homework pages into the
recycling, and try your best to use fewer resources.
The Samohi has prepared a chart of what can and can’t be recycled.
Little by little, we can help make Samo, and the world, a nicer place to
live. Just don’t put those pizza boxes in the blue bins.
Can It Be Recycled?
CAN:
CAN’T:
RNotebook Paper
RPrinter Paper
RNewspaper
RFrozen Food Boxes
RGlass Bottles
RPlastic Bottles
RClean Metal Cans
DPizza Boxes
DWet Paper
DUsed Tissues
DCandy Wrappers
DBurrito Wrappers
DFood Scraps
DPlastic Bags
T h e
s a m o h i
L I F E S T Y L E
P a g e
J a n u a r y
2 4,
5
2 0 0 7
Looking Back: ‘07 in Film
By Roland Templeman and August Thompson
Staff Writers
‘07 was one of the best years in recent memory for movies.
From dark and brooding crime sagas to suprisingly deep comedies,
the sheer volume of movie suprises was a pleasant suprise. With
Oscar nominations released, the race for best picture has just
begun. In light of this, The Samohi has made a totally subjective
and unscientific list of the best films of last year.
“There Will Be Blood”
This movie was perhaps one of the best movies of the whole
decade. A story of an oil man (Daniel Day Lewis) and his son on
their way to wealth as they cross paths with a religious fanatic (Paul
Dano) in the very beginning of the 20th century, “There Will Be
Blood” defies simple explanation. An epic western that has some
deep themes of Americans’ greed, along with great cinematography including Sacha Baron Cohen, as his partner in crime Mrs. Lovett
and a great score, it is truly amazing. It is likely to win best movie of (Helena Bonham Carter) makes them into delicious meat pies.
the year and at least best actor for Daniel Day Lewis, who gives his
best performance to date. Easily deserves the Best Picture Oscar.
Adapted from Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction novel, “Into the
Wild” follows Chris McCandless (Emile Hirsch) as he venOne of the most intense movies ever made, “No Country For tures through the wilderness on a spiritual search for serenity.
Old Men” is the story of a man (Josh Brolin) who comes across two Hirsch’s spectacular acting is backed by a strong supporting
million dollars in drug money and must choose between wealth and cast (including Marcia Gay Harden and Vince Vaughn). Direcfamily while being hunted by a psychopathic murderer (Javier Bar- tor (and Samo alumnus) Sean Penn also makes masterful work
dem). The eerie bleakness of the American Southwest provides an of McCandless’s story. He constructs Into the Wild so that it
appropriate setting to this violent, unforgiving tale. With an excellent serves as a tribute not only to McCandless’s journey, but also
performance from the whole cast, including Tommy Lee Jones, it is to his free-spirited (if ultimately doomed) character.
the Coen brothers’ best movie so far.
“Into the Wild”
“No Country For Old Men”
“Sweeney Todd:
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
While musicals can be hit or miss , the Demon Barber of Fleet Street
managed to impress even me. While ridiculously over the top and
sometimes goofy, the movie manages to keep a certain dignity about it
that impresses even the harshest critics. Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp)
is a man on a quest for vengeance who kills everyone and everything,
“Juno”
Ellen Page is impressive in the title role of Juno, 2007’s best
comedy and suprise Best Picture nominee. She is joined by fellow
young star Michael Cera (Evan from Superbad), who also gives a
fine performance as a potential father caught way in over his head.
Directed by Jason Reitman, Juno manages to find humor in teenage pregnancy, one of the most pressing issues facing American
youth. The low key and clever humor, coupled with emotional
depth, makes it one of the year’s most enjoyable films.
Pictures from imdb.com
“American Gangster”
In this magnificent crime epic set in the tumultous late 60s
and early 70s, Academy Award winners Russell Crowe and
Denzel Washington team up with highly-acclaimed director
Ridley Scott. The result is a rousing film with sensational
acting. Scott’s scrupulous camera work makes for a visually-pleasing film while Washington turns in a commanding
performance as the menacing drug lord Frank Lucas.
Special Award for Badassery
“300”
Ok, “300” wasn’t actually a good movie. But man
was it cool. Although a little dissapointing if you were
expecting something fresh and captivating, it is extremely
entertaining, if you turn off your mind and allow yourself
to be overwhemled with blood, screaming, and some landhungry Persians. “This is Sparta!” was probably the most
memorable single line of the year. While it doesn’t quite
live up to “Sin City” or Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300,
it has some sweet- looking action and more slow motion
blood splatter than you could ever need.
What to Look Foward to in ‘08
By Salonee Bhaman and Rose Kleiman-Weiner
Staff Writers
Grand Theft Auto IV
U.S Presidential Election
The recklessly violent and incredibly popular video game series
Kind of a big deal. The United States gets to choose
2007 was pretty good, but 2008 is shaping up to is coming out with a new sequel for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
who will lead it for the next four years. Might actually
be even better. Here are a few of the most exciting With a giantic and incrediblty detailed caricature of New York City, be pretty important. Promises to be very dramatic. Might
movies, games and events that will shape our world some of the new features the series include: nearly no load times, be worth a look, but will have to overcome bad buzz.
in the year to come.
players who are more agile and able to climb telephone poles and
Date: Nov. 4
fire escapes, call underworld connections on their cellphone and
evade the police with a whole new notoriety system.
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
Due to astrological reasons far beyond our compreThe Harry Potter series continues on in film. As
Release
Date:
around
April
hension (something about synchronizing our calendar with
in
the
book, the movie will follow Harry as he begins
the stars), 2008 will be a glorious 366 days long! With a
to
uncover
the mysterious secrets of Voldemort’s past,
whole extra day at no additional cost to us, February is
Harrison Ford and Shia LaBeouf star in the fourth installment of against the dark background of a civil war in the wizfinally redeemed (at least until 2009).
the Indiana Jones movies, subtitled “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” arding world. Hopefully, it will live up to the book.
Date: Feb. 29
The movie is set in 1957 during the Cold War, putting Indiana against
Release Date: Nov. 21
dastardly agents of the Soviet Union. Rumor has it that LaBeouf is
the love child of Indiana and girlfriend Marion Ravenwood from
University Driving School
“Raiders of the Lost Ark”. I guess we will have to wait and see.
(310)559-9056
Release Date: May 22
The hilarious pothead duo is back. On a flight to
Amsterdam, they get themselves in trouble with the US
Drivers Education, Enrollment, and Training
governement for unintentionally looking and acting like
China will open its doors to the world as it hosts the Games of
Six Hours of Drivers Education Includes:
terrorists (by sneaking a bong onto an airplane). They
the XXIX Olympiad this year in its capital city of Beijing. Events
are arrested and incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay, only
include 31 sports, with nearly every country in the world participat- Free Pick Up, Drop Off and Private Lessons
to escape and find themselves on the run. The ridiculous
Classes Also Avaliable Online
ing. The competition in most events looks stiff. Can China reap the
Cheech and Chong-esque jokes that fill the movie will
Good Price-Good Service
homefield advantage, or will America dominate once again? Tune
please any fan of the previous film.
10680 W. Pico Blvd. #288 L.A, CA 90064
in this summer to find out.
A Leap Year
“Indiana Jones 4”
“Harold & Kumar Escape from
Guantanamo Bay”
29th Summer Olympics
Release Date: April 25
Dates: Aug. 8-24
ack Obama
B ar
Election
ary Clinton
Hill
Jo h n
Edward
s
Photos courtesy of cnn.com
By Tina Naderi, Ad Editor
By Nicky Borenstein, Staff Writer
By Kourosh Shaffy, Staff Writer
Previous Political Experience:
Previous Political Experience:
Previous Political Experience:
Junior state senator from Illinois representing the
13th district and current senator
Views on...
EDUCATION: Supports recruiting more teachers
to work in public school and raising wages
HEALTH POLICY: Doesn’t support universal
health care, believes it should be available to all
IMMIGRATION: Advocates tighter security and
First Lady and then elected senator
Former senator of North Carolina
of New York
Views on...
EDUCATION: Wants complete reform of the No
Child Left Behind Act
HEALTH POLICY: Supports universal health care
for all and plans to offer tax relief
Views on...
EDUCATION: Plans to give states more resources
with which to bring underperforming schools up to
the status quo
HEALTH POLICY: For a universal health care plan
to give families more affordable prices
IMMIGRATION: Believes illegal immigrants
draw our troops in an orderly manner
IMMIGRATION: Supports deploying new technology to help stop the flow of undocumented
immigrants
WAR IN IRAQ: Wants to carefully and immedi-
our National Parks and Forests and decrease the
ENVIRONMENT: Supports green building fund
ENVIRONMENT: Wants to utilize the excess sun-
reforming the process of becoming a legal citizen.
WAR IN IRAQ: Against war and pledges to withENVIRONMENT: Wants to increase protection of
amount of toxins in air
ately start bringing our troops home
and green-collar job training
Campus Voices
How do you feel about the 2008 elections?
Compiled by Lulu Mickelson and
Jane Kivnick, Staff Writers
“One of the most important things the next president
must do is get the troops out of Iraq.” -Lianna Cohen,
9th grade.
“I think the 2008 elections are really exciting and I am looking
forward to it.” -Theo Benjamin, 10th grade.
“I think these elections are going to be pivotal to our generation
and we [the youth] will play an imense role in determining the
future of our country.” -Jean-Michel Hoffman, 11th grade.
“I think it’s important to register to vote, and for
the youth’s voices to be heard.” -Nivia Alvarado, 12th grade.
Mark Your Calenders!
should pay a fine for staying in the U.S.
WAR IN IRAQ: Wants to withdraw all troops
from Iraq within 9-10 months
light as a means to provide alternate, eco-friendly
substitutes for fuel
C
h - C h - C h a n g i n ’
By Nicky Borenstein,
Staff Writer
Good news, Samo—we can all rest easier knowing that our future
will be in the hands of a man or woman who will bring “change.” Do we
know what kind of “change”? No. Have any of the candidates specifically mapped out what sort of “change” they propose? Negative. “Change”
has become the sound bite for the 2008 election, but from where I sit, it
is little more than an expression of vast discontent with the President we
now have, and a word completely lacking in any articulation of the kind
of “change” the candidates propose. No matter who is elected, there will
be “change.” But what exactly do they have in mind?
Fortunately for us, the candidates know the importance of “change.”
To them, “change” means whatever they need to say to get elected. To
some, change is just vague enough to leave them with the feeling that
they are doing their part; they are voting for the candidate that will do
them justice. Luckily for them, every other candidate is promoting just
that.
“Change” is the undisputable theme for this upcoming election. How
could it not be: the front runners of the Democratic race are a woman
and an African-American man. This has never happened before and it is
undeniably a major step for the entire nation. But is it simply enough for
these new images to speak for itself? Shouldn’t they promote some sort
of a real, live change? Something with substance? Whether we agree or
disagree, don’t we need to know just what change they hope to adopt?
We need something more than the sound bite to evaluate the change.
Jan. 29: Florida
primary election
Compiled by Katy Cain, Staff Writer
Jan. 26: South Carolina Primary election (Democratic Party
only).
Feb. 1: Maine
election (Republican Party).
ns 2008
Mitt
Romney
By Lindsay Reno, Staff Writer
Mike
Huckab
By Pepito Escarce, Staff Writer
Previous Political Experience:
Views on...
EDUCATION: Wants to evaluate schools through
Views on...
EDUCATION: Believes states need their own plat-
HEALTH POLICY: Plans to provide financial aid
HEALTH POLICY: Does not believe in universal
testing
to those unable to pay for his or her own insurance
and does not want the government to impose a
blanket healthcare mandate
IMMIGRATION: Wants to tighten security and
won’t allow immigrants to get drivers licenses
WAR IN IRAQ: Strongly supports the war and
plans to keep troops in Iraq until necessary
ENVIRONMENT: Wants the rest of the world to
join the effort in fighting global warming
Previous Political Experience:
Senator of Arizona for four terms and two-term
representative
Former governor of Arkansas
Views on...
EDUCATION: Believes vouchers and charters will
forms for educational improvement
improve our school system
HEALTH POLICY: Believes privatization may be
health care but want to make healthcare more af-
necessary
fordable without raising taxes
IMMIGRATION: Believes in securing the border
IMMIGRATION: Believes illegal immigrants
thoroughly for the safety of our nation
should be deported and not be granted amnesty
WAR IN IRAQ: Does not support immediate troop
WAR IN IRAQ: Refuses to withdraw the army
withdrawl and plans to add more troops
until democracy is established in Iraq
ENVIRONMENT: Plans to pursue a market based
ENVIRONMENT: Believes alternative energy
sources must be investigated to be less dependent
on the Middle East
The Wonders of the World Wide Web
By Kristina Naderi, Ad Editor
The Internet has always been a powerful tool and it’s growing more and more powerful every day. Presidential hopefuls are using it to their advantage by posting their YouTube
campaign videos, creating Facebook groups and subtly creepy Myspace profiles.
Earlier this year we witnessed the first CNN-YouTube debates and watched live with
the rest of the nation as candidates took questions from voters via YouTube. The Democratic
Party’s debate in South Carolina on July 23 broke ratings expectancy, combing in an impressive 2.6 million viewers. Likewise, the Republican Party’s debate in Florida on Nov. 28 also
drew much attention. The party’s debates mark the first step in trying to connect with audiences across the nation and, more importantly, youth voters.
However, YouTube is not the only website where candidates are campaigning; there
are also the popular social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook. Yeah, that weird
old guy that wants to be your friend? That’s U.S. senior Senator John McCain. In fact, almost
all of the candidates have profiles on popular blogging sites to get in touch with the youth, the
future voters, the… we!
It’s not just the candidates who are taking advantage of this newfound surge to the
World Wide Web. Groups made by voters are popping up all over the internet (some even
founded by Samo students) - either to support or shun particular candidtates. Some have
found that his or her name became more popular as a result of this, for better or for worse.
This trend in internet campaigning is just going to increase with the popularity of such
sites as YouTube and Facebook.
Feb. 5: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota,
Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah
primary elections.
McCain
By Danielle Ehsanipour, Staff Writer
Previous Political Experience:
Former governor of Massachusetts
Jo h n
ee
cap and trade system to limit greenhouse gas emissions
P o l i t i ,c a l J a r g o n
By Nicky Borenstein Staff Writer
Absentee Ballot: used to vote when not able to go to
the voting locations
Ballot: a sheet of paper or a card used to cast or register
a vote
Caucus: meeting of party members for selecting delegates to a state or national nominating convention
Conservative: favoring traditional views and values;
tending to oppose change
Liberal: favoring proposals for reform, and open to
new ideas for progress.
Democracy: government in which the supreme power is retained by the people (such as in the United
States)
Electoral college: a body of electors chosen to elect
the President and Vice President.
Exit poll: a poll taken of voters as they leave the place
of voting. Such polls are often conducted and widely
reported by the media.
Lobby: a group of persons engaged in trying to influence legislators.
Partisan: devoted to or biased in support of a party,
group, or cause.
Majority: the number by which the votes cast for the
candidate, bill, etc. receiving more than half of the
votes exceed the remaining votes.
Primary election: An election to select a party’s candidates for public office.
Feb. 9: Louisiana primary
election. Kansas primary election (Republican Party).
Feb. 12: District of
Columbia, Maryland
and Virginia primaries.
T h e
F E A T U R E
s a m o h i
P A G E
J A N U A RY
2 4 ,
8
2 0 0 8
Nadya Strueva: From Russia With Love Early Exit: Extremely Excellent?
the organization which supplies
many of the Freshman Seminar
resources. The grant paid for me
to go to Russia for a summer trip
so that Nadya and I could create
a unit that we’d teach in coordination with each other. The grant
tions, and the “we vs. they” phenomenon stressed in the FreshStaff Writer
man Seminar curriculum. It ends
For the first time in recent
with a project on the Cold War.
Samo history, a foreign exchange
Strueva’s students in Russia and
teacher came and taught several
Louria’s students here completed
classes. Meredith Louria, AP
the same work and communicated
11th grade Engonline. Strueva
lish and Freshsaid: “I helped
man
Seminar
continue the unit
teacher formed
in Ms. Louria’s
a
partnership
classes. I have
with
Russian
come here to get
English teacher
acquainted with
Nadya Strueva.
the students, exFrom Jan. 14plain the steps
18 Strueva sat
of the Cold War
in on and taught
project, and disLouria’s English
cuss the results
and Freshman
of the unit my
Seminar classes.
students comIn
2004,
pleted in RusLouria was givsia.”
en a US State
The teachDepartment USing collaboration
Eurasia Award
was beneficial
for Excellence
for the teachers
in
Teaching,
and students inwhich enabled
volved. One of
her to particiLouria’s 11 AP
pate in a teacher
students, Matteo
exchange proFonda-Bonardi,
gram in Russia. Nadya Strueva, a teacher from Russia, speaks to a Samo class.
said that Strueva
There she met
offered an “inPhoto by Owen Gorman
Strueva,
and
spiring view on
taught her classes. The two have also paid for her to come to the the vast unknown world of Ruskept in touch ever since. Louria US and teach here at Samo.”
sia.” Strueva and Louria both
explained: “I wrote a grant funded
The unit Louria and Strueva agree that the teaching exchange
by Facing History and Ourselves, created focuses on human interac- was a “wonderful opportunity.”
By Jane Kivnick
ISSUE
OF THE ISSUE
What are the New Year’s Resolutions of Samo students?
“I’m going
to grow, be
nicer and
think before
I do insane
things.”
“I want to
climb the
Empire
State
Building.”
Brooke Davis
Sam Speiser
Freshman
“To set the
Samo record
for rushing
yards in a
season.”
Christian Ross
Junior
Sophomore
“I already
broke mine.”
Bobby Unger
Senior
By Aaron Eslamboly, Sports Editor and Rose Kleiman-Weiner, Staff Writer
With all the stress of classes and tons of extra-curricular activities, it is often difficult for high school students to maintain sanity. For
those students who feel the stress is too much, there is an alternative to
the standard four years of high school: leaving Samo before the end
of your senior year to pursue a different kind of study.
Samo student Michael Yadegaran opted out of his senior year of
high school this past year to attend Santa Monica College. Yadegaran’s
reason for choosing this path was simple: “It puts me a year ahead of
my entire class. I don’t have to compete with other people in my year
for the same colleges.” Furthermore, Yadegaran is sure about where
he’s headed. He wants to study law, and his current major is Political
Science: “The classes I choose are more geared toward Political Science, as opposed to the classes I would take at Samo that have nothing
to do with what I want to be.”
Former senior August Lipp says his reason for leaving Samo early was a way out of high school. “I didn’t really enjoy high school and
I didn’t really relate to my peers.” Lipp is beginning his first quarter
at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon this week,
where he is working towards a career in illustration. Although he has
not been exposed to the entire college experience, Lipp is still optimistic about his future there. “I haven’t met any of my classmates yet,
but so far it’s been a mixed atmosphere,” said Lipp.
But opting out of high school early and beginning college immediately is not the only choice. Ex-Samo-senior Ellen Herra has chosen to take an entirely different route. Herra is currently on her own,
enrolled in independent study. “You have to be self-motivating and
it’s all up to you because there’s no one there to push you. It made
me re-evaluate how school should be done and how there are other
options than the typical way of school that we’re used to,” explained
Herra. Yadegaran agreed that opting out is not as easy as it sounds:
“No one will get mad at you or scold you if you mess up or don’t get
things done. It’s just kind of your own fault. You’re pretty much on
your own.”
All three ex-Samo students interviewed for this article believe
that opting out of high school early is not for everybody. “I recommend it for someone who is ready to get out of high school and is
mature. If you enjoy high school, stay and enjoy the experience,” said
Yadegaran.
T H E
P A G E
S P O R T S
S A M O H I
D E C E M B E R
1 3,
9
2 0 0 7
SOCCER BOYS REMAIN UNDEFEATED AT 6-0
By Zane Four
Samo only up by one. Ten minutes
later, West found the net again, scoring on another breakaway and tying
up the game at two goals apiece.
successfully preserving their undefeated season and leaving them with
a perfect 6-0 record.
“We’re starting off on the right
three-goal comeback before winning
at Mayfair.
Down 3-0 and nearing the end
of the first half, things looked grim
A goal late in the first half had
the boys going into halftime down
3-1. Three goals later, including
West Torrance has quickly
senior midfielder Luis Zavala’s
become one of the soccer
game winner, the
program’s newest rivals,
Vikings were up
beating the boy’s soccer
4-3, putting the
team for the past two years,
finishing touches
both in a heartbreaking
on their impresfashion.And even with a 5-0
sive win.
start this year in which they
On Dec. 4
have outscored opponents
Peninsula trav21-5, the Vikings traveled
eled to Samo for
to Torrance on Dec. 11 with
the boy’s third
something to prove, a chip
game of the reguon their shoulders.
lar season. The
The Vikings got
boys were able
things started early, scorto apply heavy
ing within the first five
pressure on the
minutes of the game.
opposing goalie
Junior midfielder Ricardo
all game with
Martinez punched the ball
shot after shot
in after a deflection, putand successfully
ting Samo up 1-0. Things
kept the ball out
simmered down quickly,
of their defensive
however, as neither team
zone for most of
scored for the remainder
the game. Basak
of the first half.
had two goals
Senior forward Charand senior caplie Paris struck first in the
tainAlex Kovacs
second half on a beauti- Senior Luis Zavala gets up to finish a header for a goal against Leuzinger on Dec. 6 as senior Allesandro Canale
began to rack up
fully constructed play. looks on. The Vikings rolled to a 4-0 victory.
some impressive
Photo by Jeremy Tramer saves as well,
Midfielder Artur Jozkowics, who leads the team
who has currentin points, crossed a corner kick to
Still, in the final minutes of foot, but we’re still tweaking our style for the Vikings, especially with senior ly has recorded three shutouts.
junior forward Orhan Basak. He then the game Samo was able to do what of play. We’re almost at where want defenders Adam Stocker and Chris
The Vikings won their next
headed the ball straight to Paris who they’ve done all year: find a way to to be,” commented Gatell.
two games against Leuzinger and
De La Rosa out with injuries.
finished the play with a goal, increas- win. This time it came in the form of
On Nov. 27 Samo easily won
“The chips were down and the Palisades, 4-0 and 3-1, respectively.
ing Samo’s lead to two.
junior midfielder Juan Magana who their regular season opener against boys stepped it up,” said Gatell. In
The boys will try to improve their
With about twenty minutes scored the game winner off a volley Mira Costa 4-0, proving that they fact, in all his years at Samohi he had record in their next game on Saturday,
left in the game, West was finally able from the top of the box.
could win big. Two days later they never seen a team come back after Dec. 15 against Crespi at the Airport
to score on a breakaway goal, leaving
The final score was 3-2 Samo, proved something else, mounting a trailing by three so early in a game. Field in Santa Monica at 3 p.m..
Staff Writer
Girls Basketball Starting Strong
By Sam Bleiberg
Staff Writer
The Lady Vikings improved to 7-2 following a victory against Winward on Dec. 12. Senior Daisy Feder
scored 24 points alongside junior Jenny Harding’s 13.
However Harding’s best play came on the defensive side
of the ball as she was charged with the task of guarding
one of the state’s premier three-point shooters and was
able to hold her to a harmless three points. Another astonishing outing was senior Ellesse Brandis who, after
missing practice on Monday because of the flu, came back
and scored 14 points. Verdugo pointed out that, “Michael
and Kobe had some of their greatest performances while
under the weather.” Senior Katy Keating also played
well, both defensively and on the boards.
The Winward game was the perfect bounce back
after the team received two tough losses in the Redondo
Tournament. In the opening game of the tournament
against Vista Del Lago where, despite Feder exploding
for 33 points, Samo was unable to seize the game at
close times and eventually lost in overtime, 64-60. Feder
said of the game, “We need to be able to take control
of a close game.”
Samo came back hard in the next game against
Westchester, winning 77-39. Brandis, Feder and Keating all had double figures as the team built up much
needed momentum.
They continued that momentum into the next game
against Brentwood as Brandis had a season high 21
points to lead Samo to a 51-42 victory.
The final game versus Marlborough would turn out to
be another heartbreaker, as the win was within reach the
entire game but Samo fell short in the final minutes and
lost, 55-58. Keating nearly had a double-double with 14
points and eight rebounds and Feder had 15 points but in
the end it wasn’t enough to win. “We need to improve on
working as a team and not playing as individuals,” said
Keating. Brandis added, “To win we need more hustling
and rebounding. The more rebounds we get the more
points we can score.” Verdugo pointed out the upside,
saying, “It was a good indication of what we’re going
to have to do to compete in our CIF sectionals.”
Back in early December, Lady Vikings started the
season off strong with four straight wins en route to a
first place finish in the Moorpark Tournament. In addition to winning each game by a margin of 15 or more,
the team had three players on the all-tournament team:
senior Katey Keating, junior Ellesse Brandis and Feder,
who also won tournament MVP honors.
The tournament opener versus Newbury Park on
Nov. 28 was a blowout, 64-42 and set the tone for the
games to follow.
However, the next game against Agoura brought
about a scary situation as Keating, who already had
four rebounds and 13 points in the game, broke her nose
when she was elbowed in the face by an Agoura player.
“It was such a hard hit that the other girl dislocated her
elbow,” said head coach Marty Verdugo of the incident.
Luckily, payback was sweet as, with a little help from
Feder’s 24 points, Samo rolled to a 79-45 victory.
The third game had a similar result as Samo held
Camarillo to a ridiculously low score and won the
game 76-12. With Keating unable to play, Brandis and
senior Jacey Binder picked up the slack with 10 and 13
points, respectively, and Junior Whitney Daniels had
seven boards.
The championship game against the host team Moorpark went much the same way. With Keating returning
to play wearing a Rip Hamilton-esque mask, Samo had
their way with Moorpark, winning 65-50.
Overall, Verdugo emphasized “we did a great job of
executing every play at ‘Santa Monica level.’” Binder
credited the victory to the team’s work ethic: “We played
like our life depended on it.” Verdugo summed it up, saying “it was the best performance I’ve had by a team.”
Although the season is young, Verdugo states we
have already “caught a glimpse of the team’s potential.”
Be sure to come catch a glimpse of the teams potential yourself at their home opener tomorrow, 7 p.m.
in the North Gym.
Average Statistics from the
Moorpark Tournament:
Player
Ellesse Brandis
Kristina Johnson
Daisy Feder
Karlia Batalla
Thea Lemberger
Lilly Feder
Katy Keating
Jacey Binder
Brenna Mcnamara
Jennie Harding
Asha Doucet
Whitney Daniels
PPG
10.5
2.0
14.5
5.5
5.8
3.5
11.3
7.3
2.7
7.3
5.3
5.0
RPG
1.8
0.3
4.3
1.8
1.3
1.5
3.7
2.0
1.0
1.5
2.3
2.8
Stls
0.8
2.0
2.3
2.3
2.3
0.8
1.3
0.5
0.7
1.0
0.8
0.5
Boys Soccer Stats:
(as of Dec. 12)
Player
G
Artur Jozkowicz 4
Eduardo Delgado 3
Charlie Paris
4
Juan Magana
2
Luis Zavala
2
Nick Ferro
2
Josue Moran
2
Orhan Basak
2
Ricardo Martinez 2
Alessandro Canale 1
Nico De La Rosa 0
A
4
3
0
3
1
1
1
1
0
1
2
P
12
9
8
7
5
5
5
5
4
3
2
DECEMBER
Come support your fellow Vikings!!
*South Tournament, games pending victory in previous
round
THURS.
13
FRI.
The Samohi
publishes
MON.
17
G Soccer vs.
South Torrance
24
TUES.
18
G Water Polo
vs. Louisville
25
W i n t e r
WED.
19
G Water Polo
vs. Redondo
G Soccer vs.
Notre Dame
Academy
26
14
SAT.
15
G Soccer vs.
G Water Polo G Basketball vs.
Beverly Hills
vs. Chadwick Marlborough
B Soccer vs.
B Basketball vs.
Crespi
Mira Costa
20
22
21
The Samohi
publishes
B Basketball @
Palos Verdes
B Soccer vs. San B Soccer*
Luis Obisbo
27
B r e a k
28
B Soccer*
29
s p o r t s
T h e
S a m o h i
J a n u a r y
constantly applied pressure on Culver City’s goalie throughout the secThe Samo boy’s soccer team ended
ond half. This, coupled with their shut
2007 with a bang, winning five games
down defense had the boys in control
in three days en route to a first place
the entire game.
finish in the South Torrance TournaCanale scored his second goal of
ment on Dec. 22, a first in Samo histhe game to begin the second half off
tory. Not only was it an important win,
Jozkowics’ second assist, increasing
but a “pre-cursor” to CIF as well, acthe boy’s lead to five. Then, Culver ficording to Director of Soccer Frank
nally broke the 5-0 run, before Samo
Gatell.
ended the game with an exclamation
The
boys
point. With the score now at
didn’t skip a beat
5-1, sophomore Janish Narain
in the New Year,
sent the ball hard down the
as, a little over
sideline where Jozkowics
two weeks later
caught it, dribbled, and scored
on Jan. 7, Samo
on a high ball to the upper
found themselves
left corner. The game ended
ranked
number
soon after, with Samo leading
one in the CIF
6-1, leaving them alone atop
Southern
Secleague standings with a 4-0
tion Division IV
record. Samo’s key to sucCoaches’
Poll.
cess all season has been their
The number one
explosive offense, but their
ranking automatidefensive play has skyrockcally turned Samo
eted as of late, allowing and
into the number
average of only .73 goals per
one contender for
game.
a CIF champion“We’ve been working on
ship in their renew techniques, as well as
spected division.
holding the line, forcing offAnd so far
side traps, and winning balls,”
the boys haven’t
said senior co-captain Nick
disappointed as
Ferro.
they play with a
As Samo’s record grows
photo by Maisy Bragg
16-0-1 record as
with every win, so does
of Jan 22. Ocean Junior Tyler Horton battles it out with a Beverly Hills optheir reputation. After being
league play has ponent for possesion of the ball on Jan. 16. The boys mainranked number one in their
been no differ- tained their undefeated record as they defeated the Normans, CIF division, Samo was also
ent, as the boys 3-0.
ranked the fifth best team in
cruised to three
the Southland by the L.A.
straight shutout victories in their first Paris, who leads the team in scoring, Times, as well as the sixth best in the
three games, 4-0 at Morningside, 5-0 was able to add yet another goal off a country on StudentSportsSoccer.com’s
versus Inglewood, and 3-0 versus Bev- corner kick by Jozkowics. Then, with “FAB 50” poll.
erly Hills.
Said senior co-captain Alex Kovacs
less then a minute remaining in the first
However, the Viking’s premier half, senior Eduardo Delgado scored on of Samo’s growing reputation: “It’s a
league match came on Jan. 18 at Culver a tough shot over the goalie’s finger- step in the right direction, but the only
City. “We’re both undefeated in league tips, putting Samo up 4-0 at the half.
thing that matters is who’s holding up
and only one of us can stay that way.
Samo wouldn’t let up as they the trophy at the end of the season.”
Staff Writer
We’ll have to step up to the challenge,”
said senior points leader Artur Jozkowics.
Samo’s dominance, however, was
evident early, as they quickly pulled
ahead to a two-goal lead. Senior Nico
De La Rosa scored first off a deflection
and a few minutes later senior forward
Alessandro Canale hit a rebound shot
to put Samo up 2-0.
Later in the first, senior Charlie
24,
2 0 0 8
Winter Break
Scoreboard
Strong Play Puts Vikings at 6th in Country
By Zane Four
10
p a g e
Samo Visitor
18
03
Boys Basketball
12/20/07
12/26/07
12/27/07
12/28/07
12/29/07
1/3/08
vs. Palos Verdes
vs. Dos Pueblos
vs. Venice
vs. San Marcos
vs. Upland
vs. Hart
Win
Win
Win
Win
Loss
Loss
62-50
53-48
55-43
50-43
43-58
49-68
12/20/07
12/21/07
12/22/07
1/4/08
vs. Righetti
vs. Santa Barbara
vs. Buena
vs. Palos Verdes
Win
Win
Win
Win
79-34
80-28
60-56
73-41
12/20/07
12/21/07
12/21/07
12/22/07
12/22/07
1/4/08
vs. S. Luis Obispo
vs. N. Torrance
vs. PV Penninsula
vs. Bellarmine
vs. Palos Verdes
vs. N. Torrance
Win
Win
Win
Win
Win
Win
1-0
2-1
2-1
1-0
3-1
4-2
1/5/08
vs. Santiago
Loss
0-1
Girls Basketball
Boys Soccer
Girls Soccer
Girls Waterpolo
No Games
Wrestling
Tournament of Champions
Syed - 2nd Place
Boys Soccer Stats
(as of Jan. 18)
Player
Charlie Paris
Artur Jozkowicz
Alessandro Canale
Luis Zavala
Juan Magana
Ricky Martinez
Eddie Delgado
Nico De La Rosa
Nick Ferro
G
10
8
8
7
7
4
4
2
2
A
2
13
3
2
3
4
5
5
3
P
22
29
19
16
13
12
13
9
7
New Year Sparks Lady Vikings in Ocean League
By Cosmo Diener
Staff Writer
Perhaps the Shebas made some
new year’s resolutions; better yet,
perhaps the new year has endowed
a refreshing spirit to the team. Either
way, the team’s record now stands at
a far improved 9-7-3. Aside from a 10 loss against Carona Santiago coming just days after the end of break,
Samohi has been on a tare, winning
four straight games and outscoring
their opponents thirteen to one. Although the victories come against a
weaker pool of enemies, that of the
Ocean League, the teamwork the
Shebas are building is invaluable
as only six games remain before a
possible playoff birth. “Once these
girls get an idea of what they want,
they can do anything,” said Soccer
director Frank Gatell.
What once was a team rattled
with injuries, youth, and chemistry,
now sets its aims higher. “Last year
we were 10-0 in ocean league play.
We would like to repeat that success,” said Gatell. Based on what
happened during the Ocean League
home opener, a 5-0 win, these aspirations seem likely.
The game was against a Morningside team with little depth, at
times having no more than one
substitution. However, in the first
half the Shebas were playing the ball
up the middle and at times looking
too hesitant to make the necessary
offensive moves so that by half time
they were in a 0-0 tie. “You’re not
happened next. Five goals were
scored, some of which were in quick
succession. Freshman Julia Glanz
scored the first goal minutes into the
vitz scored the second. Gourvitz, a
consistent offensive contributor, has
eight goals and three assists to date.
Junior Kristen Kearsley and Senior
photo by Jesse Grebler-Hull
Senior Allison Gourvitz fends off a Morningside opponent on Jan. 9. The Lady Shebas
went on to defeat the Monarchs 5-0.
winning big,” said Coach Serafin
Rodriguez; however, the phrase
served to accurately describe what
half, as well as the fourth. Glanz currently has seven goals this year to go
with 2 assists. Senior Allison Gour-
Julia Lieberman also scored in the
one sided win.
The next two games would be
of a similar fashion, coming as a 2-0
win against Inglewood on goals by
Kearsley and Gourvitz and a 4-0 win
against division rival Beverly Hills.
Beverly came second in league behind Samohi last year. In that game
Beverly was shutout with only one
save while the Shebas got off twelve
shots in root to goals by Gourvitz,
Glanz, junior Captain Monica Mirch,
and junior Melisa Sanchez. “I know
it wasn’t the first game against Beverly but it meant a lot to this team,”
said senior captain Jessica Anderson
who is now recovered from a head
injury and back on the field playing
games. Keepers Allison Bronstein
and Stephanie Karba combined for
the three consecutive shutouts.
Entering Friday, the Sheba’s
winning percentage was over 500
percent and they were set to play
against a team with an identical
3-0 record in League play, Culver
City. It was not necessarily a battle
of the titans, but first place was at
stake. “They seem to put a better
product on the field,” admitted
Gatell. However, one could tell none
of the latest teams stood too tall in
the eyes of the Shebas.The airport
-located battle was a 2-1 victory on
goals from Glanz and Kearsley. The
only Ocean League team Samohi has
yet to beat is Hawthorne. The girls
eagerly aim to improve as a team
and win come playoff time.
s p o r t s
T h e
S a m o h i
p a g e
J a n u a r y
24,
11
2 0 0 8
Girls Basketball Proves Potential With Big Win Over Ayala: 77-55
By Sam Bleiberg
quarter when Samo went on a 9-0
run and never looked back.
The team dominated the
rest of the game, at one
time leading by 28, enough
to empty the bench in the
fourth quarter and still
win by 22. Senior Daisy
Feder led the team with
25 points but everyone
contributed as senior Katy
Keating, junior Ellesse
Brandis, and sophomore
Thea Lemberger all were
in double figures. Ayala’s
top scorer, UCLA-bound
Rebecca Gardner had 21
points, but only one other
Ayala player was in double
figures in an impressive
defensive outing by Samo.
“It’s one of the best performances I’ve seen in this
program,” said head coach
Marty Verdugo. “It sent a
message to the other teams
that there’s not a team we
can’t beat.”
photo by Soraya Danesh
The Lady Vikings
Senior Daisy Feder elevates for a
improved to 3-1 in league
jump shot on Jan. 18.
on Friday by defeating
Culver City at home.
Samo controlled the pace of the
The Lady Vikings came up game from the opening tip, pushwith a huge win against the de- ing the ball on offense at every
fending CIF champion and No. 4 opportunity. The score was back
ranked Ayala last Saturday at the and forth for the first few minutes,
Ayala Extravaganza. The Samo but Samo gradually started to pull
offense exploded for 77 points en away leading to a 23-11 lead in the
route to a 77-55 victory. The game second quarter. The lead hovered
was close at 26-25 in the second around 10 until the fourth quarter
Staff Writer
when, following a few turnovers Unfortunately, a series of turnovers first league win.
that resulted in wide open layups, followed and Samo failed to score
The Lady Vikings continued
Culver City narrowed the lead to the rest of the game as Inglewood their league success with a 52-44
five. At that point the game was up took the victory, 49-46. “We need win against rival Beverly Hills,
for the taking, but the Lady Vikings to play our game and lately we playing at the “Swim Gym,” a
regrouped and, after taking three haven’t been,” said Senior Karlia notoriously tough place to play.
The two wins gave the team some
charges, regained the momentum Batalla.
Following the loss the team positive momentum coming into
and went on to win 56-44. Throughout the game, Samo controlled came back and made a statement their match-up with Culver City
the offensive and
that upcoming friday.
defensive glass,
Now that the team
something that had
has proved themselves
been one of their
by defeating one of the
goals coming into
stronger Ocean League
the game. “We foteams and an even stroncused on reboundger non-league opponent,
ing and boxing out
first place in league is
all week in pracwithin their grasp. “All
tice,” said Brandis,
we have to do is take
who led the team
care of business when we
with 17 points. Fedplay at Culver City and
er and junior Jennie
then protect our house
Harding also had
against Inglewood,” said
double figures in
Lemberger. The rematch
scoring with 14 and
against Inglewood will
13 points, respecbe interesting, especially
tively. Lemberger
since Inglewood suffered
added, “We tried
a loss to Culver City.
to push the tempo
Keating emphasized,
with a fast paced
“To win in league we
offense and just
need to focus on certain
play the game our
aspects of the game like
way.”
rebounding.” With two
Samo started
photo by Soraya Danesh tough games standing
off league with a Sophomore Thea Lemberger dribbles past defenin their way, the Lady
Vikings will need to play
tough loss against
to their potential in order
Inglewood. With sive pressure from Culver City.
to reach the goals they’ve
only 3:30 left in the
fourth quarter, Samo was up by four against Morningside by winning set for themselves. As Feder said,
and it looked as if the Lady Vikings 74-24. Feder had 19 points and “When we play our best, the sky
would pull away with a victory. Lemberger had 16 in the team’s is the limit.”
P H O T O
T H E
E S S A Y:
12:35pm - 1:10pm
S A M O H I
P A G E
JANUARY
24 ,
2 0 0 8
Students eat their lunches near the Greek.
Owen Gorman
Students play a pick-up game at lunch, a great time to sharpen your ball-handling skills.
12
Volunteers get students to register as voters.
Owen Gorman
Soraya Danesh
By Owen Gorman, Staff Photographer
Lunch: A time to eat, or an extension of our freedom?
Crammed into these measly 35 minutes of madness,
we stuff our faces and laugh away our youth, all while
dreading our upcoming classes. Out of our fourth
period classes, we charge into the lunchtime battlefield
and engage in shoving wars for food at the lunch carts,
talk smack to our friends, play ball and just chill, leaving only a shameful mountain of trash behind.
Students wait in a cloud of smoke for fresh, made-to-order burgers.
Soraya Danesh
A group of friends eat lunch in front of the Administration
building.
Soraya Danesh
From left, juniors Joan Favretto, Kara McVey and Rebecca
Rodriguez give us orange peel smiles.
Owen Gorman