Issue 3

ISSUE , VOLUME XXVII | THE BUCKLEY SCHOOL | STANSBURY AVENUE, SHERMAN OAKS, CA

focus: respectrashed page 14

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER ,

insidenews

mock trial | page 4mock trial completes fi rst season

opinion

harvestfest | page 10has harvestfest lost its charm?

features

mr. roden | page 13 principal does a lot more behind scenes

a & e

musical | page 24south pacifi c show a great success

sports

tennis | page 32girls tennis winssecond CIF chapionship

INDEX:news.........................................1-7opinion..................................8-10features..............................11-15focus....................................16-17arts & entertainment......18-25sports..................................26-32

in the midst of aC H A M P I O N

PAGE 31

Garbage closes downstairs of library ShilpaMantri ‘13focus editor

Librarian Matthew Wittmer closed the downstairs library on November 21 because of students’ lack of respect for school property.

Wittmer has found food, trash, socks, and couch cushions scattered over the � oor and food stu� ed under furniture and in between books on shelves.

“I pick up trash daily, maybe every three hours, but it continues to accumulate and students are continuing to eat down there when they are out of eye shot of supervision. � e other day I picked up eight blow pop sticks that were within the same four foot radius, some of which had the sticky part smashed into the carpet,” said Wittmer.

Wittmer advises students to keep the library clean, but some

students argue back and make excuses.

“Students have to hear and feel the message as well. Closing the downstairs is an inconvenience to students and myself because we have to continually enforce it. But, it spreads the message,” he said.

“I hope it helps students self-police each other and encourages them to simply pick up trash when they see it because it’s what we all should be doing in the � rst place, not debating about it or leaving it around carelessly.”

Junior Andrea Mackey concurs that the downstairs library should be closed temporarily.

“I can’t believe how bad it has gotten. People have to learn to pick up a� er themselves. Mr. Wittmer is not our personal maid. We brought this upon ourselves, and we have to face the repercussions,”

Above: Half-eaten pizza from lunch lies on fl oor of the downstairs library.Right: Chairs and pillows thrown around the lounge space. see library, page 2

news2 wednesday, november 23, 2011 |

MILK AND BOOKIES | page 3Students support Milk and Bookies charity by hosting events for book donations for children.

Voice2Voice | page 5Voice2Voice with director of multiculturalism and inclusion Joelina Machera on the Diversity Initiative on campus.

HARVESTFEST | page 7Students enjoyed breakfast, cartoons, and a day in their PJ’s for harvestfest on November 18.

insidenews

MILK AND BOOKIES | page 3

with MACHERA | page 5

HARVESTFEST | page 7

newsinbriefUniform fabrics to change for 2012-2013 year

Deborah Monroe, Upper School principal, and Dina Figueroa, assistant Upper School principal, met with girls in grades 9-12 after an assembly on October 28 to discuss changes to the fabrics and styles of Dennis Uniform options which will be introduced to the uniform code in the 2012-13 school year.

Girls complained about the uncomfortable fabrics of the pants, shorts, and skort shorts at the meeting.

“We are just in the preliminary stages of this discussion with the company. We do know that they are planning on coming out with a newly designed pant with a similar leg that has some stretch in it,” said Monroe.

Monroe said that a spandex blend will be added to the fabrics of the pants, shorts, and the shorts in skorts in an effort to create more comfortable clothing. In addition, pockets will be added to the skorts.

Samples of the new pants and shorts options will be available on campus in a few months.

After trying on a skort, Monroe said that the inner shorts are “extremely uncomfortable” as they do not have any stretch. ClaireSelvin ‘13

The school’s 11 trimester athletic requirement mandates that students participate in some physical activity during all but one trimester of high school, with the exception of a required trimester of health class and students who are managers. The school gives credit to students participating in standard P.E. classes, specialty classes like Sunrise Yoga and H-period Conditioning, dance, pre-and-post season sports practices usually offered during H-period, and in-season sports. Students can also get activity credit from training and playing sports for a certain number of hours outside of school. The requirement has been the same for over 20 years.

“[Athletics are] not equal [to academics] and [they] shouldn’t be equal. But as a school we make a clear statement that we value the health and well-being of our students, and that’s why we pretty much insist that everybody’s in PE for their entire school career,” said athletic department chair Fraser Allan.

Allan and other administrators cite

Physical Education requirement at a glance

studies that show students perform better academically having also exercised or performed some sort of physical activity during the day.

The PE requirement is more efficient in theory than in practice, according to administrators. James Busby, assistant head of school, recognized problems with the implementation of the requirement after the first few weeks of school.

Some students, Busby said, end up losing the opportunity to take classes because of the limitations in the school’s schedule. The PE requirement adds to those scheduling issues. Busby added, though, that he values the school’s stance on fitness and people work well and feel better when in shape.

Allan said one of the current weaknesses of our program is that class sizes are too small, a problem that stems from the various scheduling constraints of students.

“I think we offer a weak curriculum. If we had classes of 10 to 20 students, than we could do an awful lot more activities like team sports which our facilities support. But when

you have a class of two, three, four, five, or six it becomes a lot more individualized and we don’t have the more modern facilities like a fitness center and a climbing wall [that allow for more individual] life-long activities,” said Allan.

Many students take issue with the requirement, although most do not complain until specific issues arise.

“I think the PE requirement should be mandatory for ninth and tenth grade. But for junior and senior year I think the school should prepare us for college and the freedom it will bring by having students independently manage their health,” said senior Shaina Goel.

Performing arts students are some of the more adamant voices for changing the requirement.

“If the regular PE classes were actually making people work out, they’d be worth it. But right now the classes are a waste of time. Lowering the requirement makes it easier to focus on other things,” said junior Ben Beatty, a performer in multiple productions.

JONATHANFRIEDMAN ‘12

The school’s physical education requirement will be lowered from 11 trimesters to nine for the next academic school year. First in a three-part series,

The Voice investigates the school’s current physical education requirement, other independent schools’

requirements, and the future of PE on campus.

said Mackey.Junior Kevin DeCorso believes that

the underclassmen cause the trash in the library.

“Maybe [the downstairs library] can be turned into a lounge for upperclassmen because the kids who leave trash like that are mostly younger kids,” said DeCorso.

Some students will miss the solitude of the space.

“What I loved about the downstairs library was the quiet working space it provided. I could lounge on a couch and do my work efficiently. Now, there isn’t much of an option to choose a quiet, comfortable zone because we have that taken away,” said Mackey.

The reopening of the downstairs library is yet to be determined, according to Wittmer.

“I want the library to be a place where students have some freedom to be a little less monitored, but with that comes responsibility,” said Wittmer.

from library, page 1

Downstairs library closed

3 wednesday, november 23, 2011 news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports

featuredfacts

aboutMilk and bookies

Milk and Bookies events sponsor book donations

MeherSingh ‘14assistant features editor

It was a Monster Jam at senior Frankie Clarke’s Milk and Bookies Halloween charity event at her house on October 30 where friends gathered to donate books and listen to live performances, including one by Madeline Fuhrman ’11. Junior Nika Shahery also held an event for the same cause on November 5 at Barnes and Noble.

“Milk and Bookies usually hosts events aimed for young kids and I wanted to host a more teen targeted event since the books would be donated to teens in foster homes,” said Clarke.

Fifty people attended the event and Clarke collected over 125 books for donations. Clarke has now hosted and volunteered at two children’s Milk and Bookies events. Along with Fuhrman, the event featured performances by Band Suns, Clarke, and a few of her friends.

Clarke said she has learned how to organize events, but is more inspired by seeing the books being appreciated.

“It feels great every time I get to deliver the books and see how appreciative they are. For one of the events I donated the books to a local Head Start [location] and I got to go into the school and hand deliver them. They were so grateful and it felt so rewarding,” said Clarke.

Shahery also held a Milk and Bookies event on November 5 at Barnes and Noble

geared towards younger children.“Basically the purpose was to encourage

parents to buy books to donate, and a percent of the money spent at Barnes and Noble that day will be donated to charities: Boys and Girls Clubs of Hollywood and Kederen Head Start,” said Shahery.

During the event attendees made cards and donations to charities for underprivileged children. The event also included making Fruit-Loop necklaces for fun.

“I had a lot of fun organizing it. It was definitely a great experience and unlike anything I have ever done before. The event seemed like a great way to benefit a charity while also providing something fun for kids,” said Shahery.

Shahery hopes to continue charity events like Milk and Bookies.

“I’m hoping to have another event soon, maybe sometime early spring of next year. But I’m thinking of a way to do an event geared more towards teens, so I can attract a different crowd,” said Shahery.

“It was unlike like anything I have ever done before .”

Nika ShaheryJunior

Senior Frankie Clarke and junior Nika Shahery hosted events to collect books for Milk and Bookies.

Courtesy of Frankie Clarke

PERFORM: Senior Frankie Clarke sang and played guitar with her dad on drums.

Courtesy of Frankie Clarke

READ: Fall Out Boy band member Pete Wentz read at Clarke’s event.

• Founded in 2004 by a Los Angeles mother

• Sponsors events that allow children to select books to donate to underprivileged kids

• Supports both donating books and fostering service learning through the events

wednesday, november 23, 2011 4news opinion features focus arts & entertainment sports

“All the judges had glowing things to say about us. We really felt like we did better than the other team in the second round, which is saying a lot given that it’s our first competition. We expect to do much better next year.”

Tucker HigginsJunior

Four students to attend People of Color ConferenceNatalyaSands ‘14staff reporter

Four Diversity Club members and 15 faculty and administration members will participate in the People of Color Conference (PoCC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 1-3.

President of Diversity Club, senior Julia Zukin, is participating for the first time.

“I have very high hopes for the conference and cannot wait to be a part of it this year,” she said.

The student portion of the conference is called Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). SDLC is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of high school student leaders from across the U.S. According to the National Association of Independent Schools, SDLC focuses on self-reflecting and building community.

Junior Marlen Grussi, sophomore Eden Lynch, and senior Olivia Esse will also be attending. The theme of this year’s conference is “We the People: Painting Our New Mural of Community.”

Faculty members also attending include: Joelina Machera, director of multiculturalism and inclusion, Rebecca Bailey, Christina Cosolito, Kylene Richards, Darlene Urwin, Zak Shaffer, Christina Roman, Michele McKenzie, Marco Camargo, Masami Hansen, Neal Roden, Robert Wright, James Forman, James Busby, and Ralinda Watts.

Led by trained adults and peer facilitators, participants will work on effective cross-cultural communication skills and a better understanding of the nature and development of effective strategies for social justice and practice expression through the arts. SDLC and PoCC participants also interact in regional and intergenerational dialogue sessions.

Mock Trial Club completes season after first phase of competition

MeherSingh ‘14assistant features editor

The newly formed Mock Trial team competed in its first set of trials at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on November 2 and 9, not advancing to the second round due to less than a percentage point.

The team argued the prosecution of Ryan Buschell, who was charged with the murder of his friend at a music festival similar to Coachella, in the first trial on November 2 and was very confident in their first mock trial competition despite losing the case. According to junior Tucker Higgins, co-president of Mock Trial Club, before the first trial, the team understood the law well, but was not experienced with the procedures and rules of the courtroom. “What shined through the most to me was that, although we did not know everything that we needed to like objections or specific rules, we pushed through it and succeeded,” said co-president junior Jack Rose. Arguing the defense of the same case, the team proceeded

to the next trial and tried to improve on the previous one. “We really refined things that we hadn’t refined in the first trial. That’s really what pushed us and gave us that extra edge and really brought us on level ground with teams that have been doing this for years, said Higgins. Ninety percent of teams do not make it past round one and the team is delighted with its success and has gathered praise for its exceptional and thorough preparation and skill. “All of the judges had glowing things to say about us,” said Higgins. “We really felt like we did better than the other team in the second round, which is saying a lot given that it’s our first competition. We expect to do much better next year.” Karen Drohan, history teacher and Mock Trial Club advisor, agrees with the judges and is proud of the rookie team. “Our strengths are our abilities to prepare. The Buckley students are well spoken and composed. They have a great ability to think on their feet and are prepared enough to answer questions given

to them,” said Drohan. I loved watching them and seeing their confidence grow as they came to understand the process. I also loved the opportunity for the students to be coached by Buckley parents who are attorneys. We have so much talent to draw from and it is nice to be able to utilize it.” The parent lawyer advisors who prepared the team analyzed the mock trial rules and sighted times when the other team broke procedural rules. Part of the trial is stating complaints about the other team, and according to Higgins, by the second trial, the team was able to make “significant complaints”. Drohan is excited for next year and the school’s mock trial future. “In both cases I felt that the Buckley students performed better than the other teams. But, we are so new and are still learning the nuances of Mock Trial. Once we have those down, Buckley will be unstoppable,” said Drohan. The team will continue to scrimmage among themselves during meetings to prepare for next year.

Olivia Perez The Student Voice

PREPARE: Sophomores Chloe Boasberg and Natalie De Vincenzi and junior Jack Rose were lawyers in the trial.

JSA talks focus on Diversity Initiative’s role and impact

Second week of discussions added due to high interest and participation.

ElleWisnicki ‘13assistant editor

JSA held two thought talks on the Diversity Initiative, first on October 27, and after popular demand a second on November 3 where students were able to air comments and concerns.

“One of JSA’s goals is to trigger more discussion about student concerns. The evidence that the talks were successful was seeing people continuing to discuss diversity outside of the meeting,” said JSA president senior Jonathan Friedman.

The talks covered four major categories: what are the goals of the Diversity Initiative; is the school achieving its goals; what

“Our students were able to engage in a civil, open-minded discussion while respecting each other, which says a lot about the type of students who go to Buckley,” said Wright.

The topic of affinity groups sparked controversy.

“Considering I am a part of an affinity group, it has been frustrating that the rest of the student body does not see the necessity of it, but since I talked about it, I appreciated how the students in the discussion got it and understood it more,” said senior Grace Cartwright.

Before the thought talk, junior Ally Borghi did not know enough about affinity groups to have an opinion on them. After hearing from the affinity group leaders she has a better understanding about their purpose.

George Russo, director of student activities, attended because he wanted to hear how students would discuss the topic.

“I want to empower students to take leadership roles which enables adults to listen to them. I am appreciative of JSA for addressing the topic, and want them to work with Diversity Club on this,” said Russo.

Russo was also impressed that students openly discussed their views on the initiative.

“This is the kids’ school and their home. We need to be comfortable with students discussing any issue that is pertinent to them,” said Russo.

Most students were eager for more discussion, as they did not want to leave the talks, and wished they could have continued for a third consecutive week.

“I think JSA can leave it up to Diversity Club now. I wish our president had been there, but I saw members from Diversity Club who will be able to bring what they saw in JSA into Diversity club and hopefully spread to the school,” said Moseley.

Friedman plans to share some of the ideas and issues discussed during the talk with the administration.

“I hope the administration responds constructively and considers revising some of its policies,” said Friedman.

changes would the students make to the current Diversity Initiative; and what is the role of affinity groups.

“Being a part of Diversity Club and affinity groups, I wanted to hear the perspective of those that weren’t a part of the club or an affinity group or just see what they considered diverse. Also [I wanted to see] how they viewed the school’s diversity initiative,” said senior Jordan Moseley.

JSA has held diversity thought talks in the past. According to JSA advisor and history department chair Rob Wright, the thought talks this year were attended by a greater representation of diverse students and a high number of seniors.

“One of JSA’s goals is to trigger more discussion about student concerns. The evidence that the talks were successful was seeing people continuing to discuss diver-sity outside of the meeting.”

Jonathan FriedmanSenior JSA President

Were the diversity thought talks productive

and informative?

FALL STATE

BrandonEdmonds ‘15staff reporter

46 students attended the JSA Fall State convention from November 12-13 and sophomore Ryan Kopelowicz and senior Andrew Davis won best speaker gavels.

“Even though we didn’t win many gavels, many of us spoke up and signed up for organizational positions,” said junior and Lieutenant Governor of Southern California JSA Tucker Higgins.

History department chair and club advisor Rob Wright said that members need to “get more comfortable with public speaking and debate.”

JSA president senior Jonathan Friedman said that the club will hold workshops to improve members’ speaking skills.

“Getting people to debate is my top priority, and I don’t see that being difficult. We’ll be having more workshop style meetings to get people to feel more comfortable talking and debating,” said Friedman.

64%of students said yes

36%of students said no


JOELINAMACHERADIRECTOR OF Diversity,

MULTICULTURALISM , AND INCLUSION

During a day filled with meetings with administrators, parents, and community leaders, Buckley parent and

director of diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion, Joelina Machera sits down with The Voice to discuss her role, the Diversity Initiative, and recent discussions about diversity

that have taken place on campus.

with AndrewDavis ‘12 & JonathanFriedman ‘12

voice: How do you see your role on campus?

machera: I see it as one of the administrative positions that hits all areas. I work with students, faculty and staff members, parents, board members and outside community leaders. I work on curriculum, hiring recruitment, and community.

voice: During the JSA thought talks, students voiced many concerns and perceptions about the Diversity Initiative. Can you please explain to the students, what is the Diversity Initiative?

machera: Yes. Before I arrived, there was an article in The Student Voice [“Black history assembly indirectly demeans Black race,” Issue 5, Volume XXI] that caused uproar. Dr. Dougherty arrived the summer following the article and met with constituents including faculty and, staff members, parents, and board members, In those meetings, they decided diversity would be the focus. They wanted to first recruit students, families and faculty of color. The initiative has grown to be much bigger than that, we expanded it from “of color” to looking at issues of gender, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, family structure, and we’ve really broadened what we’re doing. And we’re not only recruiting, when I came on board, [diversity] went from admissions to a position on its own. So now we’re also talking about supporting - what does curriculum look like, what are our conversations like, who’s in student council, who’s in leadership at JSA and Model UN, does Diversity Club really work. Are students supported? Are they able to be who they are? If someone wants to come out, can they say “I’m gay,” “I’m lesbian,” “I’m bisexual?” Can they say “I live on another side of town and it’s really hard for me to get here and my parents don’t drive,” or “we speak a different language at home and great that we have parent conferences but my parents don’t understand a word of what anybody’s saying.” Those are the conversations we’re having now. How do we become more inclusive at Buckley? Although that’s still a conversation, [skin color] it is now a part of the mosaic that we’re talking about, not the only piece.

voice: When you say bringing diversity into the curriculum, what does that mean?

machera: In Mr. Camargo’s class they did a culture identity box and Ms. Hansen changed the literature. The conversations go deeper in the classroom, so when Mr. Wright talks about issues in the social sciences he’s going deeper, he’s asking different questions. We have something in curriculum called an, essential question, that’s what you’re getting at every day, when you’re working with students. What is your essential question? Is that inclusive? Does it encompass all the learning that students need? Is that what makes students global citizens?

voice: How would you define what diversity is?

machera: I see it as a multi-pronged piece. Diversity is purely percentages of people. How many people of color do you have? How many girls do you have? How many people

who are out do you have? How many people from a different side of town do you have? Multiculturalism is about what are we doing in the curriculum. Does the curriculum look and feel like all of the students in our school? When you walk the hallways, who’s in the framed art? Who is important enough to frame and does that represent who’s in the classrooms. Inclusion is the next level, what’s happening outside of school. Who’s being invited to the sweet sixteen, the quinceanera, the Bat Mitzvahs and the Bar Mitzvahs? Are kids going to each other’s house to spend the night? [Inclusion is the] social [aspect].. Social justice is questioning the norms we have at Buckley and in the outside world. And in those norms are we really being equitable? Leading us into the conversation of equity. What is equity? Does that mean you have a voice or that you’re comfortable in who you are? Does that mean someone sees who you are, but they don’t address who you are? Diversity is the beginning, you always work on that, but it’s the minimum. What we really want to talk about is inclusion, equity, social justice, how we can get [to a point] and how we can stay there.

voice: Inclusion is what’s in the school’s new strategic plan--

machera: Yes, multiculturalism and inclusion.

voice: How do we get to that point and what does it mean that that’s part of our strategic plan?

machera: We have conversations, that’s the only way, to have deep courageous conversations about where we are and where we want to be. We set goals. You go back to diversity. Those are easy goals to measure because they are percentages. The other goals you’re measuring are the ways in which students interact with each other, Who’s going to [the Student Diversity Leadership Conference]? Is it just the same students every time or is it reaching everybody? Who are the leaders in the clubs that are really strong on campus? Do they represent different types of Buckley, different faces of Buckley? How are our affinity groups running? .We also look at girls in sports, girls in science, girls in math. What do those percentages look like? Go back down to diversity again. So you kind of bounce up and down, depending on where you are. But that’s how you measure. You find something that is a challenge--I call things challenges not weaknesses--you find a challenge. Ok, we don’t have enough girls in sports, two years ago we had assemblies about it, we talked about it, we still have to keep looking at it. What does that mean? We still don’t have enough girls in school, so that goes back to diversity with the off-percentages that you all wrote about [in the “Boys Dominating,” Issue 2, Volume XXVII]. So then it’s going to be harder to recruit girls in sports because you have fewer girls. That’s how we look at inclusion and how that works in the Strategic Plan. It is a long term goal, it’s three, five, ten years from now.

voice: What are the school’s criteria for admitting diverse students?

machera: Our criteria first and foremost are admitting a qualified student. What does that mean? That means we’re looking at test scores, grades, transcripts. That means we’re looking at participation of families, accessibility to the campus.. We do consider every aspect. If we have an athlete

that plays the trombone, that sings, and was student council president at their last school, they’re going to be pretty strong regardless of their gender or their skin. We try to get all our athletes in, we try to get all of our choral people in, we try to get all our student leaders in. Once we get that settled, then we start to look at how many girls versus boys, how many families with two dads versus families with a mom and a dad, how many families that are international versus US citizens. Do they balance completely? It never balances completely. We try to balance depending on what the school needs and what the [individual] grade level needs. voice: How diverse are we as a school?

machera: Depending on what you’re looking at. In looking at [gender], are we completely balanced? No. Are we diverse? Yes. In terms of kids who are out? We’ve got a few, not a lot. I don’t know who is gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, but we only have a few that articulate who they are. Kids of color? We’re really increasing in some areas and in other areas we’re still dragging so we have to look at that. You break it down even further. You’re looking at kids of color and then you’re looking at--[the National Association of Independent Schools] identifies five different ancestries--Asian ancestry, African ancestry, Hispanic ancestry, Middle Eastern ancestry, and Caucasian ancestry. Are we hitting all those five really strongly? [We’re] nowhere close. But we’re getting there. And we’re talking about it and we’re working on it. Are we balanced gender-wise? We’re getting there. We’re much closer than other stuff, but we’re still working on it. And that is students, we start the conversation again with faculty and administration.

voice: During the JSA discussions, a lot of students and faculty seemed to agree that all students should be seen just as students. Is that right, from your perspective?

machera: I believe that in order to see someone, you see all of who they are. I’m hoping when you see me you see a female, a mom, a straight-woman living in a family structure. Interestingly enough when it comes to ethnicity people see me differently--I see myself as biracial. I have a white mother and an African American father, not everybody sees that, that’s a conversation. -I think that you have to see who’s in front of you in order to truly value who they are. I think you are just a student and I think you are so much more. I think our goal in life is human connection and we all work at that, and the only way to have true connection is to truly look at someone for who they are.

voice: There’s a perception that members of our community cannot openly discuss the Diversity Initiative. Why do you think that is?

machera: Diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion… those are tough conversations. And I think it’s a skill-set. I call it leaning-in. When we’re uncomfortable, for whatever reason, as humans we like to duck-and-cover. Leaning-in is the most important part, but that’s a skill. That’s a skill we as educators should be giving to you all as future leaders of the world. Lean in to the conversation and find out what the differences are and where you’re coming from. When there’s dissidence in a room, when you want to have a conversation but everybody’s on a different page, we have to figure out


where to go from there instead of shutting down We’re learning that, and that’s hard, so of course people would assume and experience that these are hard conversations and I think they’re hard at the highest administrative level and they’re hard at the student level and they’re hard at the parent level. We have to encourage the kindergarteners to have conversations. Ask [questions]. If we teach to have conversations young, they’re so much easier as we get older and then really they’re not even difficult conversations because you’ve already learned how to have them.

voice: In the JSA discussion, it seemed that a lot of students were really open to talking about diversity. Some students thought that the discussion hadn’t been had before because they didn’t want to be labeled as someone going against the Diversity Initiative or going against the school. How do you respond to that?

machera: If someone comes in and says, “hey, I don’t get it,” there should be no judgment or value placed on that. It should again be a lean-in of “ok, tell me what you don’t get, I might be able to help you or I might be able to take you where you can get some help” or “let’s find out together.” We place judgment, then that takes away from the conversation. The conversation should be “what don’t you understand, how can I help you” and sometimes we agree to disagree but that doesn’t mean that we’re not bright, we’re not intelligent, we’re not caring individuals. The importance is to not judge anybody based on their beliefs. If someone wants to speak out against something that’s seen as a norm, that truly is inclusion, right? We want you to [speak out, respectfully].

voice: Do you think the school should have a more active role in promoting discussion?

machera: Absolutely. And I hope that my position does that. I don’t work with the students as much as I’d like to. But I know in Diversity Club and in the affinity groups that we do, we actively and openly discuss items and promote that conversation. This last week in Diversity Club Ms. Watts spent the entire meeting on gender issues based on [the “male prominence” article]. We pulled the article out, we talked about it, we did a Disney clip, we really had open conversation that was wonderful. Was there dissidence? Yes. Did people disagree? Absolutely. But it was positive, which is where you want to be.

voice: We started affinity groups five years ago. What was the initial purpose?

machera: To garner conversation. It was brought to our attention that not all students felt welcome on campus, so in order to have a conversation about why someone would or would not feel welcome, you have to bring people who don’t feel welcome together. It’s really about common ground and coming together and saying “we’re not always part of the bigger culture.” What does that mean? How does that feel? It is about common conversation, support, and acknowledgement of a path that several people are walking together.

voice: Students who are not a part of affinity groups said that they’d like the opportunity to attend some meetings to understand how these people feel. Would you support that or do you think there’s a better way for students to understand these different groups?

machera: I think that has to be a community conversation.

I think there does need to be a constant awareness of why affinity groups exist, and maybe there are times when meetings are open, or maybe not official meetings but times when everyone comes together and discusses the purpose of affinity groups, why they’re here, and what positive products have come out of them. Do I think it’s a conversation? Yes. Can I say that the meetings should be open? I think that depends on the group and what they feel.

voice: Do you think the affinity groups have made the people who are in the groups experiences better?

machera: I do. I think [the groups have] made their experiences deeper, I think [the groups have] made connections for people that may not otherwise connect.

voice: When students were discussing affinity groups, the general consensus was that we should have affinity groups, but we also need groups where students not of that affinity can understand other affinity groups. The school hasn’t really had those discussions as of yet. How do we have those discussions?

machera: Right now would be a good time [to start them]. As they come up, those issues find their way to me, or to Mrs. Monroe, or to Ms. Figueroa. [Students should] say “how can we better understand as a larger community how to help the process, how to support the process.” Conversations are starting to organically happen. I think we can push them. What comes from the student body is usually the most important conversation we need to have. So if that’s where we need to go, we need to talk about it.

voice: In the thought talks, a lot of students pointed out that African American diversity is more prominent than other ethnic minority diversity on campus. How do you respond to that perception?

machera: I think it’s a perception. I think when [The Student Voice “Black history month” editorial] came out it was based on African American issues. That was the premise for where we started, it’s always going to be a key component, I have as manyy conversations about socioeconomic issues, gender issues, and students who are out, as I do about ethnicity right now. Do I think that that means ethnicity falls off? No. Do I think that [ethnic diversity] is the only focus? No. But it’s the most visual. In all the studies, they always talk about how issues of inequity always come up first with people of African ancestry, because you can see it. You see a person of African ancestry walking up just like you see male versus female. I can understand the perception. I think our job, those of us who understand [the perception], is to articulate to everybody that that is not the focus of what we’re doing, it’s a component.

voice: Are there discussions at the administrative level about talking about those student perceptions and how to change those perceptions?

machera: There have been. Two years ago we talked about affinity groups and there were a lot of conversations about affinity groups. So [the administration] wanted to have an assembly. I spoke and a few students spoke, then Mr. Wright and Dr. Forman had a few conversations in their classrooms. We do try to articulate… Things about students don’t always get back to me. If it doesn’t come out in diversity club or one of the principals don’t talk to me I don’t know, the perception of students and also the understanding of students is what’s forefront in what we do. Student success and student growth

are the most important thing we do as an institution. I keep those as the focal point of what I do here.

voice: Students that have been at Buckley longer and since Lower School can see the change from when they were in Lower School and it’s clearly much more diverse now. Does the school see where Lower School is now as the future and where the school should be?

machera: I think we’re getting there. It’s not where we want to be completely, but we’re getting there. I think this year’s fifth grade is the first year you see where the effects [of the Diversity Initiative] were happening with admissions. This year’s fifth grade is the first really diverse group in terms of kids of color, adopted kids, all sorts of things. I think we see it in seventh grade and ninth grade as well because those are entry points [of admission]. I think this year’s eleventh grade is the last year where we didn’t see a really strong push for a difference. So I do think it’s changing and evolving. I know we see it as adults, I don’t think they see it as little people. But I think you all that are lifers or even seventh grade up have seen a drastic change in what we’re doing.

voice: Many students suggested we’ve had a natural diversity on campus for many years, in more ways than race but religious and preferential as well. Now some students seem to think that diversity is forced and students are brought in specifically for the purpose of diversity. How do you respond to that?

machera: I’ve looked at in the documentation that’s been written about what we’ve done and how we’ve evolved, it’s truly about casting a wider net. It’s not about trying to find one particular person, but at one time in Buckley’s career, as in the career as any institution, it is narrow in how you are founded and what you are looking for. In that narrow view, you’re only bringing in a particular type, so as you broaden it and that net gets wider and wider and you cast it further and further out you’ll see more and more people. I don’t think it’s forced at all, but I think when the visual starts to come into play is when we notice it a little bit more. People didn’t necessarily notice if we had Jewish students on campus or Muslim students on campus or Atheist students on campus, because you couldn’t see it and if you didn’t talk to anybody you didn’t know it. But now that we have differences in other ways that are easier to see. The net is getting wider and wider which makes us healthier and richer.

voice: As more discussions occur on campus like the JSA ones, will the school take input from everyone and maybe change their focus based on what some students and faculty suggest?

machera: I think it needs to be a common voice as we do it, a common voice coming together saying “we might want to look at this, we might want to make some changes,” but I do think we do, constantly evaluate the ipact or our actions. Diversity is no different in how that evolves and turns. Affinity groups were student voiced. . Diversity club was a student voice. The conversations in JSA are student voices. We haven’t started anything for the students that students haven’t asked for. These are all student voices coming forward and they are changing the culture and the face of who Buckley is.

voice: Thank you.

HOL IDAY TOY DR IVE 2011This year the school has teamed up with Head Start,

an educational program for preschool children, for our toy drive.Contact Ms. Braunchsweiger for more information about adopting

and gift giving.

Gifts must be received prior to Friday, December 2nd.


“Breakfast in Bed” Harvestfest draws studentsHarvestfest on November 18 raised $6,000 for the senior class and allowed students to wear PJ’s.

GraceMcKagan ‘15staff reporter

The Taiwanese committee selected Chinese teacher Sunhua Yeh’s classes as one of the five throughout the nation to take part in the annual informal exam to test how students are developing their reading and writing skills in the foreign language.

The exam is described as a mock test for Americans because the other schools that take the test speak the language fluently.

“If my students failed the mock test that means it was very difficult. The committee that is in control of the test, located in Taiwan, will check the questions. They try to comprehend the test to the student’s ability to motivate them to take it,” said Yeh.

Students feel encouraged to take the exam.

“I try to try my hardest at the test because you don’t know what to expect and it’s very formal. For example, the test supplies you with a name tag,” said freshman Lindsey Leino.

The test also helps teachers understand how to instruct their students more efficiently.

“The exam helps me with my understanding of my teaching method and whether or not I should adjust my teaching to the students,” said Yeh.

The next Chinese exam will be held on December 6 and it will help decipher if the students should move on to taking the formal version of the test that fluent Chinese speakers take part in.

Chinese students to participate in examination

ABOVE: Seniors Alexander Silverman and Timothy Halimi prepare pancakes for students

BELOW: Juniors enjoy their VIP table and food.

ABOVE: Fifteen hundred pancakes were served.

BELOW: Seniors Alice Breidenbach, Jamie Stern, and Ella Marciano work at the ceral bar.

Scheduling conflicts spurred the administration to consider changing the current schedule system.

Administration considers restructuring block schedule

SalimChamoun ‘14assistant news editor

The administration is exploring changing the structure of the daily schedule due to student complaints about conflicts that prevent students from taking the courses they want.

“As academic requirements are constantly changing, schedules need to as well,” said assistant head of school James Busby.

Scheduling conflicts sparked a desire for change. For example, when a student who qualifies for AP Euro also wants to take theatre, both G-period classes, the student is forced to make a choice.

“I am really disappointed in my schedule because half of my cores are the last two periods of the day and it makes it difficult to incorporate sports in my schedule, and impossible to take pre-season,” said sophomore Jason Freedman.

Busby thinks that the school’s philosophy encourages students to take on any activities they wish to explore.

“Buckley has asked itself to do big things and it should be reflected in our academic program,” said Busby.

The administration is looking at two options: refining the schedule or overhauling it.

New schedule options include block, rotating, combination, and intensive- all different types of schedules.

Busby hopes that the schedule will look very different in two years, once the new

buildings are complete.The number of rooms, student requests,

teachers, and periods are all important parts of changing the schedule.

The more rooms offered, the more flexibility a student will have.

“With more rooms there can be more periods offered for a course so a student does not have to make a choice between courses,” said Busby.

Starting classes later has become a new trend as studies show that adolescent minds begin to fully operate late in the morning.

“Free periods are very important for students to have and they will be taken into

“I am really disappointed in my schedule because half of my cores are the last two periods of the day and it makes it difficult to incorpo-rate sports in my schedule, and impossible to take pre-season.”

Jason FreedmanSophomore

consideration,” said Busby. Another problem is the late finalizing

of schedules. Students received schedules in mid-August this year, giving them little time to effectively change courses.

Busby thinks this problem can be fixed by having schedules ready by late spring or early summer.

By obtaining schedules early in the year students can also plan their summers, and this will help the school decide which courses to offer in the summer.

“I think we can create a schedule that serves Buckley’s needs,” said Busby.

“As academic requirements are constantly changing, schedules need to as well. With more rooms there can be more periods offered for a course so a student does not have to make a choice between courses.”

James BusbyAssistant head of school

Curriculum changes in effect for 2012-2013 year


To best reflect the Four-Fold plan, the Curriculum Committee has decided to make changes to the academic, athletic, and community service requirements.

For the 2012-2013 year, the physical education requirement will decrease from 11 trimesters to nine, the computer science graduation requirement will be eliminated, and the community service requirement will drop from 100 hours to 80 hours (20 annually).

“I think that shortening the requirement of community service helps maintain a balance amongst extracurricular activities such as sports,” said junior Evan Drapeau.

Three subcommittees were formed to deal with the objectives of the strategic plan: 21st Century Learning Skills, Scheduling and Building Community.

The decisions made have been in discussions for nearly three years.

“We weighed many different aspects of the issue, from student stress, developmental issues, and moral education to athletic competitiveness, college applications, and course variety, content, and appeal,” said assistant head of school James Busby, on behalf of the Curriculum Committee.

opinionwednesday, november 23, 2011 |8

the student newspaper of The Buckley School

Contact The Voice at:

3900 Stansbury Avenue, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

818.783.1610 ext. 461

[email protected]

voice.buckley.org

faculty advisorEllen Samsell Salas, Ph.D.

editor-in-chiefAndrew Davis ‘12

assistant editorsClaire Selvin ‘13Elle Wisnicki ‘13

design and production editorJonathan Friedman ‘12

EDITORIALSUnsigned editorials refl ect the majority

opinion of the Board of Editors of The Student Voice and not necessarily the

student body’s.

Signed editorials and columns refl ect only the writer’s opinion.

GRAPHICS Illustrations, graphics and artistic render-

ings may or may not represent the opinions of the artist.

ADVERTISINGPublication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product or ser-

vice by the newspaper or by the school. We reserve the right to refuse

any advertisement.

READER INPUTThe Voice values reader input via letters,

guest columns and story ideas.

The Online VoiceVisit The Online Voice at

voice.buckley.org for more up-to-date con-tent, and archives of print issues.

Printed on recycled paper.

news editorClaire Selvin ‘13

assistant news editorSalim Chamoun ‘14

opinion editorAndrew Davis ‘12

features editorJames Bernstein ‘14

assistant features editorMeher Singh ‘14

focus editorShilpa Mantri ‘13

assistant focus editorNika Shahery ‘13

arts and entertainment editorsAlice Breidenbach ‘12

Mark Cook ‘12

assistant arts and entertainment editorTara Bitran ‘14

sports editorsElle Wisnicki ‘13

Jack Rose ‘13

assistant sports editorTyler Morad ‘14

copy editorDaniel Gabbay ‘12

chief photographerOlivia Perez ‘12

business managerKathrine Herzer-Hansel ‘15

staff reporters Tucker Higgins, Michael Len, Billy Wilson,

Brandon Edmonds,

Stay motivated,28 days until break

STAFF EDITORIAL

Teachers should not have to send three referrals to convince students to turn in their work. Teachers should not convince themselves that a solid portion of the class did not do their homework. Teachers should not have to assign two and a half weeks for a 3-page research paper because they feel that one-week isn’t a su� cient amount of time.

While teachers should not feel this way, many do because their students aren’t working to their fullest potential. � e lack of drive in the classroom stems from outside distractions, to a lack of interest in course work.

� ese counterproductive elements to a learning environment must be limited.

While you may � nd some classes boring, embrace concepts and lessons you � nd interesting. If you do not � nd a class appealing because it’s too di� cult, do not be afraid to ask questions and ask for extra help during lunch, a free period, or a� er school. Teachers are happy to help.

Although some students get the idea that teachers are out to make their lives di� cult, their real intention is to challenge you and see you grow as a student.

If you feel like a student overwhelmed with class work, keep a schedule of all the tasks you must complete for the day and stay focused.

Tackle your homework when you get home - don’t do

it at 11 p.m. at night – try and sleep more.

Whether you’re a � rst semester senior or � rst semester freshman, accept the tasks ahead and try your absolute hardest. Don’t be a student who regrets getting a C in a class for simply not trying. Don’t be a student who submits an essay � ve days late and receives half credit.

You’ll appreciate and respect yourself a lot more when you put your hardest e� ort into whatever activity or class you have.

Attend classes on time and open your brain to challenges and di� cult concepts. When approached appropriately, the most challenging moments in the classroom are the moments

that make you a better person and student.

Teachers will respect you the most when they see you giving it your all.

Your classmates will work harder because they will appreciate the steadfast attitude you have toward academic achievement. Your parents will support you and encourage you even more when they notice you engaging in the course work at hand.

Winter break is almost here.

Before you know it, the math � nal will be over and you will have two weeks to relax. Until then, enjoy the four weeks we have le� , but enjoy them with a sparked motivation to succeed.

“Now think about the fl ip side, how would you feel if you saw teachers wearing booty shorts and low cut shirts? Not very pleasant, right?”

NikaShahery ‘13assistant focus editor

Booty shorts, micro-minis, cropped tank tops. Revealing clothing girls wear to � aunt their stu� .

Many girls wear revealing clothing to show certain areas of their bodies they are proud of. However, there is an appropriate time and place for such clothing to be worn.

School is not one of these places.

At our small school, a place where one is surrounded by both peers and adults, it’s safe to say that everyone knows everyone. With such familiarity, if a student steps out of line for whatever reason, the epithet he or she creates for him or herself sticks.

Even if a student is a sweet individual, wearing revealing clothing at school is extremely disrespectful.

Why? School is not the

time and place to dress in a sexual manner. Certain decorum should be followed, whether it be walking to lunch line or staying quiet during the an assembly. � e same applies to how students dress.

Because we are coming to school to

be educated, we need to understand that inferred restrictions are appropriate. Appearance has nothing to do with the quality of education we receive.

F u r t h e r m o r e , innapropriate dress is something teachers should not have to see.

Revealing clothing

makes some teachers feel uncomfortable.

And while school is a social environment, our campus is not a club venue or party.

Wearing see-through shirts at a school should be considered just as o� ensive as taking out a phone in class to text. Instead of

teachers focusing on teaching, the student is putting something in the teacher’s face that is hard to miss.

It’s hard to miss a girl walking around with P.E. shorts that barely cover her bottoms.

While the booty shorts carry an appearance to be noticed,

the shorts probably bring the kind of attention the wearer doesn’t desire.

� ink about the � ip side: How would you feel if you saw teachers wearing booty shorts and low cut shirts? Not very pleasant, right?

How would you feel if you had to point out their innapropriate clothing to them?

It’s safe to say that that would be an awkward situation because you can be accused for looking at the wrong area.

You should not dress to create discomfort for others; especially if you have a strict teacher who would possibly be writing your letter of recommendation.

Indeed, I am a strong believer that everyone is beautiful. I applaud individuals for being proud about the way they look. Loving your own body provides you with a nice level of con� dence people will notice.

I am a huge fan of con� dent individuals who stand for their beliefs, but you should not compromise that con� dence with suggestive clothing.

I understand that we are young. I understand that we all want a bit of extra attention - some want it by showing a little extra.

But there is a time and a place to strut your stu� . School is not one of these places, please keep that in mind.

The intention: attention

“We’re sexy and we know it.”


CROSS-COUNTRY“Some people create with words or with

music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, ‘I’ve never seen anyone run like that before.’ It’s more than just a race, it’s a style. It’s doing something better than anyone else. It’s being creative,” said America’s legendary distance runner, Steve Prefontaine.

I’m nothing in comparison to Pre; and yet, I strive to be. Since sophomore year I’ve been running cross-country. Something that was just a 3:30 practice � ve days a week one trimester, turned into an addiction prior to my senior year.

M o s t will not u n d e r s t a n d this addiction. Most think running 10 miles a day is a useless absurdity. I can’t help but e x p r e s s m y disagreement.

W h e n you run with a group of t e a m m a t e s (some you’ve known since � � h grade), the practices become addicting. When school is practically cancelled due to rain, and yet, you see seven guys on Gilley Field ready to get soaked – practices become special. And when you run � ve mile repeats and feel your hip muscle begging you to stop; you don’t; you can’t; you have to beat the guy ahead of you.

When I run I get a brief feeling of invincibility – my troubles vanish and I feel an incredible high. No referees, no timeouts – just a determined winner based on one simple factor: time.

I like the pain before and a� er runs. I like feeling my muscles twitch and ache in new areas of my body because I pushed myself to a new limit that day – a limit beyond the expectations of my body.

I like the feeling where my body goes numb and my breathing becomes extremely hard; I like to su� er for 16 minutes because the reward is better than anything. I push myself mentally, because, in my opinion, cross-country is as much a mental sport as it is physical.

Plenty of kids try cross-country the � rst week and quit. � ey quit because they think it’s simply too hard. � e few that fall in love with the sport have a hobby the rest of their lives. � e few willing to take a physical and mental beating at practice are willing to conquer whatever future adversity comes their way – running related or not.

Only one person wins a race. I trained all of summer expecting myself to be successful; sometimes I was, and sometimes I failed. But that failure motivated myself to try even harder the next race.

Each run is di� erent. A 6 a.m. run through the streets of Sherman Oaks is very di� erent than an evening hilly run near the top of the Hollywood sign. A CIF � nals race in the pouring rain is like leaving this planet for 16 minutes and returning a better man.

Again, I understand if you don’t appreciate this column because most people don’t appreciate or value the toughness of this sport. Our season just � nished and for the � rst time in seven years, we were Liberty League champions. For the third year in a row, we were CIF � nalists.

� e pain was worth it. I dare you to do something that hurts,

something that requires mental strength and toughness; I dare you to develop a mindset stronger than your peers’.

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.”

"I dare you to do something that hurts, something that requires mental strength and toughness; I dare you to develop a mindset stronger than your peers."

On parks and college campuses all across the coun-try, a movement is forming. It has collected over two years of discontent like a wave, tak-ing many shapes but informed by one central creed: that the rich are becoming richer, that the middle class is becoming smaller, that no one has a job, and no one seems to be paying attention.

Yet while Occupy Wall Street professes to encompass “America’s 98”--that is, the 98 percent of American’s living on less than $250,000 a year--it seems to have stemmed from a world entirely alien to our campus.

� at world would be the real world.

And the real world’s 98 is not a lot like our 98. Our 98 pay more than $130,000 for a high school education. Our 98 drive Audis and BMWs, have personal tutors, and, accord-ing to an article in last month’s issue of � e Voice, will be pur-chasing the new iPhone 4S by a margin of 1 to 3.

Our 98 is America’s two. And while it’s not this

wealth alone that is a problem, there is a culture that accom-panies it that is dangerous and counter-productive to a liberal arts education.

A culture of entitlement and seclusion, it misleads us to think we’re better than others,

and separates us further from the majority of the cashless world.

Of course, simply by choosing private school we sacri� ced a certain amount of exposure to the world.

Along with fancy calcula-tors and whiteboards that talk comes a sheltered childhood. But the system still works when we acknowledge these advantages, recognize our luck, and work hard to make something of it.

� e system fails when students are so deeply in the bubble they don’t even know they’re privileged. � e system fails when students believe that their abundance makes them better people than those who go without. And most of the time, it fails because par-ents have never le� the bubble themselves.

If we want to become better people, we have to ac-knowledge that we are not entitled to success. Like every-one else, we must earn success. Like few else, we must remind ourselves that success is not measured in dollars.

And until we can do that--until we can see that in all the ways that matter, there are not two worlds, but one--we will continue to be those detached 2 percenters whom the coun-try and Occupy Wall Street are protesting.

The school on a hill:our myopic culture of wealth

“While I understand that we as teenagers have the tendency to rebel, a normal part of adolescence, we should nevertheless always exemplify respect.”

ShilpaMantri ‘13foucs editor

Last month at South East High School in South Gate, Florida, a student knifed a senior girl to death and injured the dean and another student.

Unlike South East, we are extremely fortunate to have considerate students who show a certain degree of respect and treat each others courteously.

I don’t mean to say that all students here are well behaved. Rather, we should continuously strive to improve and treat our school community with utmost respect.

� e library is our one sanctuary, the one place meant for us to simply relax with friends, seek some solace during a strenuous day, and perhaps get ahead and do some homework. � is place is a privilege for us, which is why we must preserve and not wreck it.

Students need to understand they hold responsibility for the library. It belongs to them. � e library provides us with academic tools, and in return we the students should treat it with respect.

Equally important is respect that students should

have for teachers and elders.In one class this year, a

student fell asleep and snored loudly through the class missing a lecture.

� at night, when it was time for the student to complete his homework, he asked his classmate to complete his homework for him because he failed to pay attention in class. In addition to disrespecting his teacher, the student also cheated on his homework and disrespected the school, its integrity, and its honor code policies.

Several years ago, teachers were forced to sit among students in the bleachers during assemblies, according to math department chair Joanne Ryan. Although behavior in assemblies has generally improved from the past, some students still show disrespect by talking during the pledge or giggling during the moment of silence.

A few days ago, a student cut one of my peers in the lunch line. A� er I asked him how he felt about being disrespectful, his only response was, “I don’t really care. I’m just too lazy to wait [in line].”

While I understand that we as teenagers have the tendency to rebel, a normal part of adolescence, we should nevertheless always exemplify respect, one of the core pillars of the Buckley Commitment, and treat others the way we want to be treated.

We must strive for better behavior.

To better and further perfect our community, let’s all continue to practice respect.

Be respectful already

Our veterans and their families,

Thank you for your service

Creative Commons


submit your letterThe Student Voice invites

all readers to submit letters to the editor.

Letters are typically in response to an article

in a previous issue of The Voice.

Is anyone reading? We have not received a single letter this year. The Voice staff works very hard in

covering everything Buckley related and would love to hear from you. If you have an opinion or concern, don’t hesitate and

let your voice be heard.

Please e-mail all letters to: Andrew Davis at

[email protected]

Letters can also be submitted online at voice.buckleyla.org

Please, share your opinion.

Harvestfest: sending the wrong message

“The festival actually has its roots in a school tradition from the 1980s called Turkeyfest. It was a way for the students to bond and cel-ebrate Thanksgiving at their home away from home. [It was] a turkey day feast; home roasted turkey, stuffi ng, and pumpkin pie.”

PE requirement too demanding

MichaelLen ‘14sta� reporter

Harvestfest: a yearly tradition where students are served a variety of food by seniors in an attempt to raise money for prom. Simple, right? Wrong.

� e festival actually has its roots in a school tradition from the 1980s called Turkeyfest. It was a way for the students to bond and celebrate � anksgiving at their home away from home. � e senior class served tables then, but the food was always the same: a tur-key day feast; home roasted turkey, stu� ng, and pumpkin pie.

I have no problem with va-riety, nor do I cling to traditions, but the evolution of Turkeyfest to Harvestfest has only been for the worse.

What was once a celebration of community has become a com-mercial event, and a mad scram-ble for the seniors to get as much

money for prom as possible. Harvestfest disregards the

importance of our tight knit com-munity, and is now just a loud and obnoxious event.

People are trying to get food, servers are rushing around, and seniors are trying to commit lu-dicrous acts, all in the gym. � e ensuing chaos is not conducive to an environment to having a nice

lunch with friends.My biggest problem with Har-

vestfest is the push to make money. At its base, Harvestfest is now just an overpriced “exclusive” lunch sale, where a student can bribe a senior to wait on them. Where is the sense of community in that? We have Panda Express sales at school relatively o� en, so why is it necessary to pay $15-$20 for food

we can get for less than half that price?

A few years ago, a friend brought around $30 to Harvestfest (not including the ticket he already purchased) and spent it all.

What is essentially bribing is a little low brow for a � anksgiving tradition, and paying � ve dollars to have someone do something dumb on stage is silly.

I see the co-medic value, but seeing a senior run through the pavilion do-ing something dumb gets old quite fast.

I don’t hate Harvestfest, and by no stretch of the imagination

do I think we should stop it. I don’t mind the new food nor does any one part of the experience make me particularly uncomfortable.

I think we had a great com-munity tradition when Turkeyfest allowed the school to celebrate � anksgiving together, and with a few adjustments, we can restore Harvestfest into a similarly proud tradition.

ShilpaMantri ‘13foucs editor

With over two hours of AP chemistry homework to complete, an English essay to write, 25 math problems to solve, and a history quiz to study for the next day, some students rightfully view the extensive P.E. requirement as an added burden.

In order to graduate, students must participate in a P.E. class or sport for 11 trimesters, nine starting next year.

While some might consider P.E. class a relief from a stressful day, most Upper School students, already mentally exhausted from their rigorous coarse load, perceive P.E. as a waste of time.

“It is a disappointment to have P.E. instead of a useful free period,” said senior Anthony Gomez.

And, because P.E. can be such a physical drag, I bet most students have no motivation to work hard or exert any more energy a� er a strenuous day.

“I put in a limited e� ort because I really don’t like being forced into taking an exercise class, when that isn’t something that I feel is important to me, considering I am not overweight,”

said junior Zachary He� ner.� e P.E. department permits

students substantially involved in a physical activity outside of school to receive credit.

How absurd is it then that the department refused to give me credit for a dance performance that I spent over 300 hours practicing for last season? � e department reasoned that dance is merely a performing art, not a physical activity.

If that’s the case, then why do students who take dance at school receive both performing arts and P.E. credits?

Because I had to ful� ll my P.E. credit at school as well as dance a� er school, too much physical activity wore me down, and I fell sick every weekend for six weeks straight.

Other private schools take students’ health into consideration and don’t nearly have as much of a requirement as we do.

In setting its requirements, I ask the P.E. department to consider the crowded schedules of students and the physical activities they are committed to a� er school.

NikaShahery ‘13assistant focus editor

� e theater is a beautiful place. With great shows that amaze viewers

and transport them to whole new places. Now, imagine a play with no set, no

costumes, no lights, and no props. � e play would be completely bare. It would look like a bunch of actors prancing around a big black � oor, saying lines, singing songs a capella, and miming props that are necessary to the script.

� ink of Beauty and the Beast, a play that Buckley did for its 75th anniversary. A play so unreal all around that it could rival Broadway.

But would numbers like “Be Our Guest” look at all the same without the glorious two level set and over 20 di� erent costumes to simulate dancing furniture?

Does Broadway, with its bright lights and unbelievable spectacles, have any shows that are barren?

Well, this is where the crew comes in. A group of people who work incredibly hard to make sure the show is top notch. However, they are rarely recognized - even by people in the cast.

Junior Zachary He� ner said he puts in over 400 hours per production, working on everything from the set to cuing lights. If the director, for any reason, cannot direct a night of the show, the stage manager would step in.

Students run the majority of the show, come production week. Teachers aren’t the ones moving moving lights and cueing them in - it’s students.

South Paci� c had a student group backstage that organized all of the props and made sure the show ran smoothly. Props are so important that, during the rehearsals, when an actor did not have a pivotal prop, the show came to a halt.

Students work on creating stage e� ects that enhance the play, like the fog machine. Students conduct set changes with the actors, work as hang and focus people, work as grips, follow spots, are assistant to stage managers, and more.

Students give up their free time to play in the orchestra pit for three hours straight. We are very fortunate to have an orchestra that boosts the quality of the play with rich sound.

I pride myself in being a member of the costume crew for several productions. � e crew may sound like something unimportant, but we give a lot to the play.

When an actor suddenly changes into another out� t with very little time, the costume crew helps out.

� e costume crew also keeps order and averts any costume problems, whether we must � x a hook and eye, improvise when costumes go wrong, or stitch up tears, and everything in between.

At the end of the day, or in the show’s case when we walk out from backstage, the crew seems to not be in existence. � ere are very little people on campus who know what we do.

Even prejudice sadly exists amongst the cast and crew, where in a few cases elitism takes its toll.

At times, I ask myself, is it worth being on the crew? A bunch of students, myself included, dedicate so much of our time and health to enhance a play, yet they are not recognized by the audience as they never appear on stage.

� e only way for an audience to know who is working behind the scenes is if they read the program, or hear through word of mouth.

I propose just two suggestions: � rst, the cast should work to include the crew, and second, the crew should be allowed to have a bow a� er at least one of the shows.

While our productions are incredible, we are still a high school. While it’s true that in Broadway productions the crew does not receive a bow, it should taken under consideration that the crew is made up of students.

� e theater as a whole is indeed a beautiful place, and Buckley’s theater is no exception. So let’s acknowledge everyone who keeps it that way.

Appreciate the crew

features11 wednesday, november 23, 2011 |

insidefeatures

RODEN | page 13

GUARDS | page 16Boom! Kapow! The Voice inves-The Voice inves-The Voicetigates the personalities of the members of The Griffi n League of Justice.

GUARDS | page 16

Emi-Jay

Since debuting in February 2009, Goldmark and Matson have achieved wide commercial success with their company Emi-Jay. Magazines Allure and Marie Claire, among others, have praised the

versatility and practicality of their products.“Jennifer Aniston wore one of our hair ties to a movie

premiere, and it all followed from there,” said Matson.Realizing their mutual passion for fashion as eighth

graders, Matson and Goldmark began by designing hair bands for themselves and friends, eventually making some for clients of celebrity friend and hair stylist, Chris McMillan. Further expanding their brand, the girls created a website, www.emi-jay.com, allowing potential customers to purchase products online and for boutiques and stores to make wholesale orders.

Once magazines started to feature their merchandise and celebrities were wearing their hairpieces in June 2009,

Matson and Goldmark gained nationwide recognition and acclaim, taking Emi-Jay to a professional level and cementing their status as teen tycoons.

Although Matson and Goldmark are the creators of the Emi-Jay empire, they struggle to balance their work with school. To help them

manage their company, their mothers handle the business procedures while six hired employees take care of shipments and deal with the press.

The moguls have recently been working on two

additions to their website in an effort to incorporate new ideas and trends into their franchise, including a “spirit division,” enabling them to sell their hair ties in school and team colors, as well as the “Emi-Jay Boutique,” which features French jewelry line, La Vie.

Both Matson and Goldmark stress that patience and perseverance are key to starting any business.

Frosting

Shahery has also started a hair band company, Frosting by Nika Handmade Hair Accessories, in late summer 2011. Even though she is new to the business world, Shahery is experienced in the fi eld

of fashion, having been designing and sewing all her life. “It’s hard that starting a business is so slow in the

beginning, but I’m doing what I can to get it to pick up. There is a lot of work involved, especially because it could take me anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour to create just one hairpiece,” said Shahery.

Production for her brand started one year ago, when she would collect ribbons, fl owers, and trims and combine them with rolls of elastic to create her unique headbands.

Shahery sells her products predominantly through her website, www.frostingheadbands.com, but hopes to eventually expand her vending to small shops and events in the Los Angeles area, as well as on www.etsy.com.

Creating the website was diffi cult for Shahery, as she had to conduct photo shoots and design the layout on her own, but she feels all the hard work was worth the struggles, as she has received positive feedback for her efforts.

Shahery is looking forward to making more headbands for Frosting, and possibly selling her designs on an even bigger scale in the future.

“I have wanted to design ever since I was young. This seriously is only the beginning,” said Shahery.

iEnlive

Meanwhile, in August 2010, Ghadoushi embarked on a different route to success, creating a website, www.ienlive.com, solely focused on providing visitors with the latest news and information in

the areas of popular music, technology, and lifestyle. “Our prime vision is to be the location on the internet

for avid tech enthusiasts to electronic dance music lovers to enjoy the best media and entertainment out there, compiled into one, central, multi-platform website,” said Ghadoushi.

Thirteen authors, including Ghadoushi, contribute articles to the site on a daily basis, receiving up to thousands of hits per day for their fresh content.

Ghadoushi earns revenue through featuring advertisements and products such as phones and cameras on their site. Ienlive receives these items from their affi liate partnerships with mobile network carriers including AT&T and Verizon, as well as from large companies who produce content or manufacture hardware.

Ghadoushi hopes to continue sharing his hobbies and interests with the world, but is currently content with the status of his business, as it can quickly change.

“Who knows, the Internet, the servers, all or none have the potential to die anytime. In that case, enjoy every second of anything you do – and if you jump into it with a vision to succeed, anything is possible,” said Ghadoushi.

Dedication. Commitment. Devotion. Neal Roden, Middle School principal, does more than just his job. But most people aren’t aware of his con-tributions to the community.

Inventive and entrepreneurial, student moguls make it big.

TARABITRAN’14

Move over Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Bu� et, and Oprah Winfrey: a new generation of moguls is on the rise. With their innovative designs and fresh perspectives, juniors Emily

Matson, Julianne Goldmark, Nika Shahery, and sophomore Oliver Ghadoushi are generating buzz for their newest forays into business.

INVENTORS: Emily Matson, le� , and Julianne Goldmark

DESIGNER: Junior Nika Shahery models a clip from her collection.

Oliver Ghadoushi ‘14

RODEN | page 13


CLAIRESELVIN’13

CAFFEINECRAZECoff ee, energy drinks, tea, 5 hour energy: for some, this is their incentive to get through the

stresses of the day. But caff eine, like all drugs, has consequences.

Cram sessions that stretch into the wee hours of the night. An inabil-

ity to get out of bed in the morn-ing. A� ernoon drowsiness a� er a long day at school or work. We’ve all indulged in ca� eine to push our bodies, but how far do students and teachers go to maintain alertness and top performance?

Despite popular belief, and the United State’s $4 billion worth of co� ee imports per year, ca� eine is not addicting in the sense that drugs are. People can become semi-dependant upon the buzz of caf-feine, but withdrawal symptoms do not last more than a few days.

Seattle leads the United States in number of co� ee shops with Manhattan and San Francisco in close second and third positions. Laid back Angelenos cannot com-pete with the number of co� ee

shops of other US cities, but stu-dents depend on ca� eine to make it through stressful school days and nights.

Most students use co� ee to perk them up in the early morning; some like senior Ethan Hobel use it primarily to stay up at night when studying.

“[I drink co� ee during] a never ending cycle of procrastinating to stay up and then the next morning to wake up,” he said.

Junior Ally Borghi said that ca� eine’s e� ect on her productivity doing schoolwork varies.

“If I have a lot I typically get hyper and then my attention span seems to lessen, but in other cases it helps me stay awake if I need to pull an all nighter,” said Borghi.

Drinking co� ee during a� er-noons or nights can cause insom-nia, according to Web M.D., be-cause the body will absorb ca� eine in about � ve to seven hours.

Junior Ben Beatty, a daily im-biber, sometimes drinks co� ee in the a� ernoon before musical re-hearsals.

“It makes me much more alert and productive and happier really. I’m much less groggy and irritated when I drink co� ee,” said Beatty.

History department chair Rob-ert Wright experiences the same mood enhancement as Beatty.

“When I don’t have it I’m no fun around in the morning. In the a� ernoon I’m less on my game without it,” said Wright.

Wright also described trying to stop drinking co� ee as “really dif-� cult” until he adjusted a� er a few days.

Headaches, fatigue, irritability, and depressed mood are symptoms of ca� eine withdrawal for co� ee lovers.

“I [crash] sometimes, mostly when I don’t have ca� eine a� er I’ve been having it a lot. I’ve had head-aches before and it can be hard to wake up,” said Beatty.

Borghi’s a� ernoon ca� eine crashes hurt her performance in the classroom.

“I tend to crash midday and it hurts my ability to focus and stay awake in class,” she said.

Despite falling asleep in class once, ca� eine increases Hobel’s ef-fectiveness in studying or doing homework.

“I’m more productive having had a cup of co� ee if I didn’t sleep much the night before,” said Ho-bel. “I can be a little jittery if I have had an extreme amount of co� ee as I have built up a tolerance to it. I once had a 5 Hour Energy and dou-ble shot of espresso and fell asleep.”

With 50 percent of the Ameri-can population drinking co� ee on a daily basis, ca� eine “addicts” tend to have one thing in common uni-versally: their love for the rich taste of co� ee.

“I drink a Starbucks blend that my mom makes in the morning; it tastes amazing,” said Borghi.

Hobel enjoyed co� ee from the time of his childhood.

“I have always loved co� ee; since I was a little kid, I would steal a sip of my Mom’s co� ee,” he said.

CAFFEINE SIDE EFFECTS

The Jitters

Insomnia

Rapid Heartrate

Raised Blood Pressure

Headaches & Dizziness

Dehydration

Physical Dependency

Courtesy of the FDA

CAFFEINECONTENT (mg approximation)

3.5Decaff einated coff ee (5 oz)

4.5Hot Cocoa

(5 oz)

60Tea

(5 oz)

105Caff einated coff ee (5 oz)

1385 hour energyoriginal (2 oz)

Courtesy of the FDA


TaraBitran ‘14assistant a&e editor

How does he do it?

Neal Roden, Middle School principal, is a man of many talents; not only does he wear the hat of middle school principal, but also teaches a daily Life Skills class, o� ers gratuitous tutoring in math and

grammar, provides a homework club a� er school for students struggling with their assignments, and is a key administrator in the development and production of the CEP.

While he may accomplish a feat in completing all of his responsibilities, his dedication extends beyond the bounds of the campus and standards of a typical workday, as he represents Buckley at Chamber of Commerce meetings, participates on the Sherman Oaks Beauti� cation Committee, and is a member of both the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council and the Hollywood Schoolhouse’s board of trustees.

Roden’s tireless e� orts continually astound his colleagues, as he still manages to maintain an amiable demeanor despite his heavy workload.

“He is so devoted to his job and position, but is still such a nice person. He always checks up on me to see how I am doing and every time desserts or goodies come to the administration building, we always make sure to let the other know since we both love sweets. We take good care of each other in that way,” said Fran Holtzman, receptionist.

� ough he takes on so many tasks, Roden’s commitment ultimately boils down to his love of teaching.

“My favorite part of my day is getting to work with the students, whether it’s when I teach my Life Skills class, running homework club, or tutoring a� er school,” said Roden.

His classroom may only be limited to seventh grade students, but Roden’s homework lab and tutoring go through the high school grade levels, open to anyone that may need assistance.

“Mr. Roden really helped me with my math homework. I greatly appreciated how he would try to help me � gure out the problems I was confused with, even when I started high school,” said sophomore Madison Grubb.

Roden may have a busy schedule, but he still � nds the time to go the extra mile for his students. In particular, he personally o� ered to aid sophomore Angela Cho in her return to Buckley a� er she had previously decided to attend Marymount High School.

“Before I le� a� er eighth grade, Mr. Roden said that he would help me if I ever wanted to come back. So, a� er the end of the � rst quarter of ninth grade, I tried to see if I could return to Buckley, but he said it might be too late in the school year. But he was persistent, making all the phone calls, sending constant emails, and putting me on the top of the waiting list. I eventually got in because someone le� the school, but without him, coming back never would have been possible so I am really grateful,” said Cho.

Besides his work with students, Roden has been crucial to the progression of the CEP. Along with Curtis Covington and Lisa Turchan, Roden has been instrumental to the project’s success, as he has attended practically every meeting pertaining to the approval and construction of both the Academic and Performing Arts Building and the Science and Mathematics Building, met with various architects and venders, made decisions on furniture designs and layout concepts, reviewed products, sought out the preferences of teachers, students, and departments for what they would like to see in the new space, and debriefed and made plans with Larry Dougherty, head of school, Dina Figueroa, upper school assistant principal, and Deborah Monroe, upper school principal.

“Our goal is to build something that will be useful, have a positive impact on the program, and be as forward thinking as possible given the limits of our campus and our pocketbooks,” said Roden.

� e expansion of the Buckley’s teaching facilities has long been a dream of Roden’s, having been at this school for over 20 years.

“He has been the one constant through the years, acting as a kind of angel protecting all of these plans. I think we really are very lucky to have him here, and so blessed to have someone who cares so much about Buckley that he is spearheading the enhancement plan out of his deep emotional investment in

the school’s future,” said Rae Basmagian, assistant to the principals, including Roden.

� e happiest day for Roden was the o� cial groundbreaking of the Academic and Performing Arts Building, as seeing the structure � nally come to be made all of the hard work worthwhile for him. He anxiously anticipates what he expects will be the best moment of his career at Buckley: when there will actually be students and teachers inside of the building.

� ough Roden may seem to have an endless amount of work and does struggle with � nding enough hours in the day to ful� ll all of his duties, he could not imagine life any other way.

“I love this place and it truly is very hard for me to say ‘no’ when the welfare of the students, teachers, or community is at stake. I never thought that I would stay in one spot, but honestly, Buckley is my home; thank God I do not live far away,” said Roden.

Renaissanceman

1991NOTABLEACHIEVEMENTS

2001200720112011

Received permission to form a Middle School of grades 6, 7, and 8

Became Middle School principal

Went on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader as a contestant

Participated in CEP groundbreaking by digging the fi rst hole

Honored at Academic Awards as a Coca Cola Inspirational educator by Jordan Bloch ‘11

A man who wears many hats, middle school principal Neal Roden man-

ages to fi nd the time to ben-efi t his Buckley “home”

as a teacher, mentor, administrator

and friend.


On two spinning chairs at opposite corners of the small tower sit men in uniform. It’s morning time, and as students gear up to begin

their day, the guards who have been at school since the night before prepare to go home. Surrounding them on three walls are huge sheets of paper fi lled with dozens of notes and schedules. On the fourth wall, just a large window, sit a top hat and a small screen playing the news. Just under the screen are two large red buttons; inscribed on the fi rst, in big black letters: “The Buckley Nuke.”

Welcome to the guard tower. It’s a home base that, seen every

day on the outside but rarely from within, refl ects the humor and diligence of the team that inhabits it. There are eight members of that team in total--eight guards who, each day, 24 hours a day, keep us safe on campus.

They’re here on weekends, they’re here at nights, they’re even here on Christmas. But even though the guards spend more hours on campus than most students or teachers do, very little is known about what exactly they do. Even less is known about the stories these men have to tell.

Franz Gill

“We practically live here,” said Franz Gill, a guard of three

years.Gill was born in Guatemala’s

biggest city--Guatemala City--and moved to Los Angeles when he was 7 years old. Gill’s family tree on his father’s side is all German, which is how he got his name.

“But no one knows how to pronounce ‘Franz,’” he said. “I am not a country. So I go by Gill.”

Gill fi rst came to Buckley in May of 2008. Coincidentally, May is also the month of the annual fair.

“As soon as I got hired I had my fi rst fair. They threw me right into it,” he said.

Since his arrival he’s gotten to know students well. He has worked the “swing shift” since he started, which, going from the afternoon to 11 p.m., allows him to keep up with

athletes who practice on campus during those hours. It was frequent, during our outside interview, for him to ask athletes how their seasons were going.

“Good practice today? Is the arm good? Can’t wait to see you play,” he said to one baseball player as we talked.

Though he follows our high school sports, Gill’s passion for

athletics extends far beyond the gates he monitors. On his own time, Gill is an avid collector of all types of sports memorabilia. As he proudly showed me, on his phone are dozens of photos of sports conventions he’s gone to with his family.

“Jerseys, cards, helmets... I collect everything,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite things to do with my family.”

Jose Rosas

Before joining the security detail, Gill worked with the newest

guard, Jose Rosas, at a security company called Securitas. Rosas left Securitas in 2009 to work at Buckley, and has since earned himself a reputation for being tough-as-nails. Being the rookie, Jose’s reputation came with the nick name “Fluffy” and a rumor that he had once been in the Navy Seals.

While the rumor is false, it is believable. Rosas is known for doing

what other guards describe as “Navy Seal workouts” in his downtime. And once during his after-school patrol, when he witnessed a group of male and female students arm-wrestling, he improved the competition by instructing them all on proper technique.

Like Gill, Rosas also works the swing shift. During this period, athletes and outsiders are the most

common people on campus. “The swing shift is when

everyone’s here,” said guard Mario Mercado.

Danny Barrera

Barrera has worked every shift since his arrival in 1998, but

prefers to work during the day, interacting primarily with students and their parents.

Conversely, he said that with the graveyard shift--which runs from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.--“everything’s just very dead.”

Charismatic and friendly, Barrera said he values his relationships with those he meets while on the job.

“We get to know the students and parents coming in very well,” he said.

During the day, Barrera makes sure that the only people on campus are people with appointments.

“If you don’t have an appointment, you can’t come in,” he

said. “We kick lots of people out,” he told me.

If you are one of the lucky few who make it through, however, “The Buckley Nuke” is the humorously labeled red button that Barrera presses to open the gate.

From the tower, cars are directed to the second guard positioned at the crosswalk in front of the administration building.

Abel Martinez

Often, that guard is veteran Abel Martinez, who has been

working at Buckley a whopping 15 years--longer than any other guard on campus.

In fact, when Martinez fi rst started, he worked on the lot at the other end of Stansbury for a year coordinating the then-Buckley-owned busses which were based there. In the many year’s that followed, Martinez has seen a lot.

Once, years back, he remembered hearing of someone jumping over the gates during the graveyard shift. “Probably under the infl uence,” he said. “Their excuse was that somebody was chasing them.”

Mostly though, even now that construction has made traffi c busier, the job most often requires checking the many mechanical rooms on campus and ensuring that everything is under control.

“We have to check all the rooms to make sure nothing’s fl oating,” he said. A single fl ooded room, especially one with a server in it, could seriously impact the school’s ability to function.

When I asked Martinez about his life away from Buckley, at fi rst he was reticent to talk. But all of a sudden something changed and he brightened up--he smiled, and told me: “I love the ocean. I love the ocean, the palm trees... Oh my god.”

Martinez was born in a port in Honduras, and has always loved everything that has to do with water. When he was younger, his aquatic fancy led him to work on a cruise ship as a bartender.

Now Martinez has three grown children, a wife and a minivan--and he still tries to make it to the beach whenever he can.


GuardCouture

Walkie-talkies allow the guards Walkie-talkies allow the guards to coordinate traffi c and make to coordinate traffi c and make campus rounds more effi cient.campus rounds more effi cient.

Cesar Diaz-Garcia

Known for his humor and wit, Cesar Diaz-Garcia is known

simply as “The Clown.” It’s the one nickname of the eight that he himself did not make up.

When I asked the other guards about him, his name was enough to coax smiles from Gill and Barrera, and his presence made it nearly impossible for other guards to pose for photos without laughing.

Diaz-Garcia spent his childhood in Guatemala, though he was born in Los Angeles. Ever the jokester, his humor developed alongside his other interest: a passion for soccer. Once Diaz-Garcia moved to Los Angeles, he continued to play the sport, and continues to scrimmage in games on Gilley fi eld most weeks. The teams don’t change, but according to him, “we always win.”

In 2010, Diaz-Garcia became the assistant coach for girls soccer at school.

The road from coming to Buckley in 2002 to his job today as a guard and coach was a long one.

“I started out as a groundskeeper,” he said. “A few years later I became a guard, and in 2010 Byrd [Newman-Milic, director of athletics] offered me the position of girls soccer assistant coach.”

Diaz-Garcia said that he prefers

being a guard, but that all the jobs have their benefi ts.

Lloyd A. Davis

When he speaks, there’s a certain unique wisdom that

Lloyd Davis projects, and it’s almost tangible. And with his deep, resounding voice, he resembles the stoic grandfather that everyone wishes they had.

He started at Buckley in the summer of 2003, working in the business offi ce, and now he works his favorite shift during the night.

“I love the graveyard shift,” he said. There is no one around during the night, and “I enjoy spending time by myself,” he said.

Davis’s time spent managing our textbook purchases in the business offi ce has shaped the way he looks at his position.

“There’s so much money that’s wasted when people leave their lights and computers on,” he said.

It’s become his own personal mission to save the school money on its energy bill by making sure everything is off at night.

Along with the other overnight guard, Shephard, Davis greets students and welcomes them on campus every morning.

When he gets home each day, Lloyd spends time with his

wife--whom he loves more than anything--does household chores, and sleeps.

On Tuesdays, he goes to the hospital for dialysis, a time-intensive and draining process that takes up much of his day.

“My life revolves around dialysis these days,” he said.

Mario Mercado

Time is hard to come by for Mario Mercado as well.

Constantly vying for his attention are his education, his job, his internship, his religion and his family.

And, of course, sports cars.“Mario’s car is nicer than all of

ours put together,” Gill told me. Mercado recently graduated

from Santa Monica College as well as from the United Education Institute, and looks forward to continuing his education at a university in the future.

“I’m very interested in IT work,” he told me.

In addition, before work every day Mercado works with children from eight to 1.

“I’m a busy guy,” he said. When he gets the chance, he

likes to go to the movies.“I like funny movies, and

movies about life,” he said.

Walkie-talkies allow the guards to coordinate traffi c and make campus rounds more effi cient.

Longsleeve shirts are for more formal occasions like the school play; each guard carries a badge.

Longsleeve shirts are for more Longsleeve shirts are for more formal occasions like the school formal occasions like the school play; each guard carries a badge.play; each guard carries a badge.

For winter months, each guard has an offi cial rain coat; rain or shine, our campus is safe.

For winter months, each guard For winter months, each guard has an offi cial rain coat; rain or has an offi cial rain coat; rain or shine, our campus is safe.

For nighttime shifts, every guard For nighttime shifts, every guard carries a fl ashlight that can carries a fl ashlight that can double as a protective device.double as a protective device.

For nighttime shifts, every guard For nighttime shifts, every guard

double as a protective device.

The handcuffs have never been The handcuffs have never been used, but this hot-weather outfi t is used, but this hot-weather outfi t is used, but this hot-weather outfi t is for the summer and annual fair.for the summer and annual fair.for the summer and annual fair.

The last movie he saw was an animated comedy called Rio, which he attended with his ten year old sister.

Richard Shephard

The guard about which least is known is possibly Richard Shephard,

and in spite of more than a decade on campus is known to many of the other guards as “The Mystery Man.”

He has always worked the graveyard shift, and these days works at school on the later days in the week, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.During those hours, he patrols the campus at night and welcomes students and parents in the morning.

When he’s at home he enjoys golfi ng, his favorite sport and hobby. There are few hours in the day, and few things which Shephard is very open to talking about, but his passion for golf has managed found a way into his time and conversations.

In addition, Shephard enjoys spending time with his family--or, at least, the family he has in Los Angeles. Most of his blood-relations lives in New York, but Davis has two siblings who are local.

Like the guard who shares his shift, Shephard enjoys the night. Like all the guards, he’s dedicated to a sense of duty and to the protection of Buckley’s students and property.

Res

pec

16 The Student VoiceNovember 23, 2011

TRASH ED“I don’t really care. I’m just too lazy to wait.” - Anonymous

The Perpetrator VS. The Victim

“By cutting in line, he made me feel as if he was more important than me.” - Anonymous

Lunch line cutting

“I was being immature and look-ing for attention. It was very insensitive.” - Anonymous

“It’s a personal matter, and he re-ally had no right to tell the whole world about it. I feel humiliated.”- Anonymous

Gossiping

“My intentions weren’t malig-nant. I was just irritating her as I would to one of my friends as a practical joke.”- Anonymous

Insulting

“I was upset about the way he treated me. I was attacked and on the verge of tears.”- Anonymous

“I was a jerk in the library. Al-though I still think the rule of no lollipops in the library is dumb, it is my responsibility to follow it at all times.”- Anonymous Ea

ting

in the

library

“I was angry. I already told him once, and I got an argument back from him. And later, he was still eating.”- Assistant librarian Serena Vaquilar

It’s ridiculous. It’s a matter of personal courtesy. It’s called orchestra, not study hall.”- Vincent Houser, director of performing arts

Studying in class

“Mr. Houser is absolutely right in getting angry at me and our class when we study. Orchestra and Mr. Houser deserve the respect.”- Anonymous

The Student VoiceNovember 23, 2011

17

TRASH EDIn which ways do students

show disrespect?

To peers

52%

To campus property

28%

To teachers20%

75 responses, November 18

LibraryIt’s hard, if you are a student, to � nd a quiet, com-

fortable spot in the library free from the cries of Middle School students and away from athletes chasing each other competing to see who can throw the library pil-lows with the greatest force. Once you � nd a spot, chances are you’ll then have to dispose of a half-eaten Big Tex-as that one freshman le� on the table during advisory.

Most of us have been there.� e library is one big area where lack of respect and

manners is visible. Whether it’s abandoned food, upside-down furniture, random shouts, or cacophonous yells, the library is not the quiet and clean study setting it used to be.

“I expect kids to be kids. But, I also hope the stu-dents can self-police, take control, and tell each other to clean up. It’s just hard to see everybody, especially downstairs,” said assistant librarian Serena Vaquilar.

Head librarian Matthew Wittmer has ex-perienced various kinds of disrespect and van-dalism over four years that he’s been here.

“Is [disrespect] a plague here?—no. Is it here every day?—sure. � ere’s been eating in the library. I’ve found pizza folded up on plates shoved in between books as if they were a book. I’ve seen pop tarts on the shelves broken into smaller pieces and hidden in the shelves. I’ve found chips on the � oor. And, yeah, I’ve got to clean it all up,” said Wittmer.

Wittmer recently began issuing detention hours in coordination with Susan Sherman, dean of students, to students who eat in, or otherwise disrespect the rules of, the library. Although Wittmer believes the level of dis-respect is about the same as in previous years, he does note some new forms of disrespect and vandalism, in-cluding students drawing in the magazines and books.

“Here’s the disrespect I’m seeing in the library this year. � ere’s one thing we’ve noticed this year that’s more preva-lent than any other year. � at is—the continual, repeated asking to borrow things,” said Wittmer. “About 75 to 80 per-cent of the people who ask to borrow things are constantly arguing ‘please give it to me, please give it to me’ and I hear the whole gamut of reasons why they don’t want to pay.”

Wittmer buys school supplies at Staples and ping pong balls for students. He sells them to the students at a modest price so he can keep the system running. He feels disrespected when students complain and ac-cuse him of making a pro� t. As a result, earlier this month Wittmer discontinued the sale of school supplies.

Wittmer added that laptops and books haven’t been coming back to the library a� er being borrowed; two or three laptops hadn’t been returned at the time of the interview.

AssembliesIn addition to the Pledge of Allegiance, the

moment of silence, performances, and speech-es, assemblies also include murmurings, inter-jections, and sometimes whistles and shrieks.

It’s a “moment of silence.”Some faculty say they no longer sit in a student section

during a speech or performance because even when they ask students to stop whispering, they simply won’t comply.

Senior Jonathan Friedman, BSC president, said that he o� en sees students laughing during speech-es or mocking the speakers. Although he understands students’ urge to talk during assemblies when they don’t � nd the speaker interesting, he believes that ask-ing for half-an-hour of respect is not much to expect.

In fact, Friedman and Deborah Monroe, Up-per School principal, spoke to students about re-spect during an assembly on October 28 because the level of disrespect had become so apparent.

“Watching students be disrespectful is the most annoying thing you can ever experience,” said Fried-man. “From now on, we’re responding by calling [stu-dents] out for it and kicking them out of the assembly.”

Lunch TablesFor teachers on lunch duty, cleaning up the

trash and garbage of a group of irresponsible stu-dents who le� their overturned pudding cups or half-eaten lunches on the tables could be a daily event.

Where did the respect for the community go?For the most part, students don’t think disrespect is

a big problem. Neither do administrators, for that matter. In fact, one of the reasons that Monroe came to the school was its reputation for having respectful students. Accord-ing to Monroe, now and then, there’s the occasional lapse in respect during assemblies or � re drills, but most admin-istrators, including Monroe and Michael Pourciau, Middle School dean, agree students are respectful on the whole.

“I feel that respect is quite necessary and it exists, but I haven’t noticed any lack of respect in the four years that I’ve been here,” said senior Christopher Simmons.

It’s the teachers, however, who have a di� er-ent perspective. English teacher James Evans refers to his lunch duty service as a civic duty, and is gen-erally excited to serve because he then has the op-portunity to get fresh air and mingle with students.

Recently, it has become more di� cult for teachers to monitor students during lunch because they have started eating in new areas outside of the Oak Courtyard, such as outside rooms 107 and 171, and directly in front of the gym.

“It’s tough especially now that there’s so much ground to cover. In the past, students used to be more concen-trated in particular areas. It was easier to oversee peo-ple clearing up a� er themselves. I think the fact that we have to have teachers policing is a bit sad,” said Evans.

Because students o� en leave trash and walk away from a table while a teacher’s back is turned, teach-ers assign a student at each table to monitor the oth-ers and inform the teacher if a student does not clean up his or her trash. � e students who don’t comply with this system must assist him or her in the future by moni-toring students during lunch and cleaning up trash.

As the day progresses, food remnants on the � oors or desks are also a common sight that gets noticed during the next class period.

Class BehaviorEveryone knows there’s a certain lack of man-

ners that occurs in every classroom setting, but the limits of disrespect in most classrooms have recently been pushed. � is disrespect takes many forms: any-where from talking in class to texting to cheating.

English teacher Andrew Nelson, who teaches the Clas-sical Rhetoric elective course, believes that elective classes are more prone to disrespect than core classes because students seem to take the elective courses less seriously.

Recently, in his Classical Rhetoric class, Nelson was infuriated with the chatting that was occurring in the class when a student asked why Nelson was ‘always up-set.’ Nelson looked the student in the eye and said: “be-cause you show me no respect.” He said he heard the decibels increase with each word he uttered and noticed a growl in his voice when he unleashed the last two words.

“If I add up all the time I have to wait for kids to stop chatting, or the time wasted while waiting for kids to get their materials from their lockers, imagine how much time is lost over the period of a week, a quar-ter, a semester, an entire academic year,” said Nelson.

Nelson wonders why, while he was obedient as a child in school, his students � nd ways to disrespect him in class. Disrespect, according to Nelson, includes not only talk-ing in class, but also being inattentive in class, ignoring him, sending him dirty looks, ignoring his feedback on writing assignments, and accusing him of being unfair.

Some teachers have bigger problems to worry about.Cheating, in social science teacher Michael’s Pe-

trella’s opinion, is an issue in his Ancient World His-tory class. According to Petrella, although it has got-ten progressively less over the years, students still cheat, and many don’t even know that they’re cheating.

“Cheating becomes a big problem later in the year, and sometimes [my students] don’t realize what cheating is. For example, when they discuss a quiz outside of class and another students overhears who hasn’t taken it yet: that’s cheating,” said Petrella

.

Conclusion: You decide. Is respect an issue in our community?

By James Bernstein ‘14

arts & entertainment18 wednesday, november 23, 2011 |

insidearts&entertainment

a&eevents

south pacific | page 24Students perform the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

Reality tv | page 20Junior Nika Shahery asks if students are addicted to reaity television.

mylo xyloto | page 23News editor Claire Selvin reviews the newest musical tri-umph from Coldplay.

izakaya | page 23Daniel Gabbay reviews the new sushi hotspot.

bReaking dawn| page 19Olivia Perez reviews the newest film from the Twilight Saga.

RobeRt| page 25Robert Kardashian ‘05 talks with the Voice about his expe-rience as a finalist on Dancing with the Stars.

mylo xyloto | page 23

RobeRt | page 25

south pacific | page 24

bReaking dawn | page 19

Reality tv | page 20

movie: The Sitterdecember 9

movie: My Week with Marilynnovember 23

movie: New Year’s Evedecember 9

CONCERT: Jay Z & Kanye Westdecember 11, 12, 13at: staples center

CONCERT: Jingle Balldecember 3at: nokia theater

CONCERT: Young the Giantdecember 16at: galaxy theater

exhibit: digital darkroom

december 17 - may 28at: the annenberg space for photography

izakaya | page 23


DanielGabbay‘12copy editor

“SOLD OUT.”A rare phrase on movie marquees.

Th eaters are empty. And the lines of people waiting eagerly to purchase their tickets to see the latest fl ick have vanished. It seems as though the credits are done rolling for the movie-going era.

With at-home entertainment technol-ogy, the increasing price of movie tickets, and the entertainment industry’s lack of in-novative ideas, the number of movie-goers is steadily decreasing.

Rise in ticket prices plays a role in this decrease of audiences and the fi zzle of this American pastime.

In 1999, the average movie ticket sold for slightly over $5. Since then, the number of people buying tickets has dropped fi ft een percent. In order to make up for this slump, ticket prices rose steadily and swift ly during this time period.

Th e average cost of a movie ticket in 2010 was $7.89. And this upward trajec-tory is continuing: with the popularity of 3D movies and IMAX, the movie industry is charging more per ticket for people to be able to experience a movie in a new dimen-sion. Th is surge in prices fi lls in for the cost that it takes production companies to make the movie in 3D and the price that it costs movie theaters to install the special silver

screen required for projecting 3D fi lms; It costs tens of thousands of dollars to upgrade to digital projectors, and $20,000 to $50,000 more to install a 3-D system.

“Seeing some movies in 3D, like Ava-tar for example, are worth paying the extra dollars for. But I’d generally rather save my money and see a movie in 2D,” said senior Daniel Azadegan.

Not only are students losing inter-est with 3D movies, but even mem-bers of the movie indus-try are echo-ing this same thought.

Dreams Works Ani-mations CEO Jeff rey Katzenberg said that “3D audiences paid too much for too little quality at the theatre, which is one of the reasons for why there is a decline at the 3D box offi ce.”

Not only are ticket prices rising in order to promote 3D fi lms, but the movie indus-try is pumping up prices to make up for the shrinking number of movie-goers.

According to the New York Times, the-ater chains have increased ticket prices “to

pay large dividends to shareholders or to pay down debt.”

Movie production companies are feed-ing audiences the same plot lines that previ-ously caught sparked interest.

But the public seems to be tired of the taste.

“I remember when years ago, I used to see a movie preview and got genuinely excit-

ed to go see that movie. I haven’t had that enthu-siasm in a while to see a movie. All in all, movies are getting boring” said f r e s h m a n Kayla Levy.

W i t h movie franchises such as Twilight, Trans-formers, Mission Impossible, and Th e Hangover, movie production companies are trying to keep audiences interested in mov-ies that performed initially well at the box offi ce.

“Sequels fi t a demographic, and peo-ple want to be entertained with special eff ects, explosions and animated charac-ters,” claimed online movie review site fi lmindustrynetwork.biz.

People’s watching movies in the com-fort of their own homes is contributing to the decrease in the box offi ce. Movie watch-ers are now favoring at home entertainment over going to theaters to see movies. Ama-zon, iTunes, and Netfl ix, people have made renting movies to watch at homes available by the click of the mouse. And the $9.99 that it costs to rent a movie online pays for one ticket in the theater, eliminating the need to commute to theaters.

Dissatisfaction with the theatrical ex-perience and the increasing attractiveness of home entertainment as an alternative do seem to play roles" said Harris Interactive Media and Entertainment research manag-er, Greg Durkin about the box offi ce slouch. "Th e real surprise is the growth in the rental market."

Rentrak, an industry source for rental transaction data, reports that Americans rented more than 1 billion fi lms online dur-ing the fi rst 26 weeks of 2011, an increase of 17.7 percent from 856.5 million units rented last year.

Rise in ticket prices, a lack of inno-vation from the movie industry, and the convenience of renting movies at home all contribute to the lack of interest in the mov-ie-going experience. With the slim number of audiences and the steady decrease of box offi ce profi ts, is the silver screen losing its sparkle?

OliviaPerez‘12chief photographer

The lined up fans, screaming girls, and pale white faces let

the world know that it’s Twilightseason, one of the most beloved franchises returned to theaters No-vember 18.

Breaking Dawn Part 1, the fourth movie in the Twilight Saga, enters the grown up territories of marriage, unplanned pregnancies, and life-changing decisions. Be-tween the most anticipated wed-ding of the century and the birth that almost kills our favorite dam-sel in distress Bella Swan (played by Kristin Stewart), viewers are surely in for an action packed 117 minutes with a horror fi lm twist.

Opening with the most beau-tifully planned wedding I’ve ever seen, all appears perfect as Bella (Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) fi nally say, “I do,” aft er three movies of sexual tension and Bella’s lingering immortality. But trouble begins on the romantic Brazilian honeymoon when Bella realizes she’s pregnant with Ed-ward’s child, and it isn’t human. Once returned home, the couple must face the ill-fated truth that Bella will die giving birth to the rapidly growing monster living in-

Coming soon to a theater near you?

tory is continuing: with the popularity of reasons for why there is a decline at the 3D trying to keep audiences interested in mov- Rise in ticket prices, a lack of inno-vation from the movie industry, and the convenience of renting movies at home all

ie-going experience. With the slim number of audiences and the steady decrease of box offi ce profi ts, is the silver screen losing its

tory is continuing: with the popularity of 3D movies and IMAX, the movie industry is charging more per ticket for people to be able to experience a movie in a new dimen-sion. Th is surge in prices fi lls in for the cost that it takes production companies to make the movie in 3D and the price that it costs movie theaters to install the special silver

reasons for why there is a decline at the 3D box offi ce.”

Not only are ticket prices rising in order to promote 3D fi lms, but the movie indus-try is pumping up prices to make up for the shrinking number of movie-goers.

According to the New York Times, the-ater chains have increased ticket prices “to

trying to keep audiences interested in mov-ies that performed initially well at the box offi ce.

“Sequels fi t a demographic, and peo-ple want to be entertained with special eff ects, explosions and animated charac-ters,” claimed online movie review site fi lmindustrynetwork.biz.

Rise in ticket prices, a lack of inno-vation from the movie industry, and the convenience of renting movies at home all contribute to the lack of interest in the mov-ie-going experience. With the slim number of audiences and the steady decrease of box offi ce profi ts, is the silver screen losing its sparkle?

“I remember when years ago, I used to see a movie preview and got genuinely excited to go see that movie. I haven’t had that enthusiasm in a while to go see a movie. All in all, movies are getting borning.”KAYLA LEVY Freshman

With prices rising and interest seeming to decline, how sure is the future of movies?

It’s back...

side her unless she becomes a vam-pire. Th e rest of the movie revolves around the fi ght for Bella’s safety as the child slowly kills her from the inside out, leading up to the incredibly graphic and disturbing

birth scene where Edward must face the ultimate decision: to lose the love of his life or change her.

Breaking Dawn Part 1 splits the fi nal 768-page book of Stepha-nie Meyers’ series into two mov-

ies: the intense maturing romance of Bella and Edward, and the war they will have to fi ght to protect their new daughter. Straying from its innocent love story, Breaking Dawn kept me engaged by its abil-

ity to portray such a romantic re-lationship but also make me close my eyes at certain points due to the horrifi c and detailed graphic.

And although these scenes are critical to die-hard Twilight fans, 117 minutes was more than plenty for these events to be engraved in my mind. I do understand the moneymaking logic behind this split, but Breaking Dawn Part 1 was a two-hour movie based on a few exaggerated events that nearly sucked the life out of the audience by the time it was over. But despite the lack of plot and grim ambi-ance, Bella, Jacob (Taylor Lautner), and Edward successfully captured the hearts of millions of teens around the world; Breaking Dawn fi nally shed the series’ reputation as the cheesy chick fl ick featuring Barbie-esque vampires and tanned boys with six packs.

To fi nish the movie, the direc-tors of Twilight set themselves up for success as they gave the view-ers what they’ve been waiting years for and much to look forward to in 365 days from now at the release of Breaking Dawn Part 2. As the cam-era slowly zones in around Bella’s body coming back to life, the mov-ie ends with a focus on her pierc-ing red vampire eyes ready to suck the life out of you.

HOneYMOOn: Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) aft er saying “I do” in the new fi lm Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I.

Courtesy of Summit Entertainment


niKaSHaHerY ‘13

“I’m going to marry him one day,” said senior Savannah Fine about this year’s Bachelor Ben Flajnik. Fine, like many others, fi nds herself watching lots of reality TV.

Th e Bachelor running since 2002 and in its 16th season, attracts millions of viewers who tune in to hear Chris Harrison’s famous lines and to watch fairytale stories of fi nding love.

Junior Michaela Murphy watches Th e Bachelor aft er her friends got her into watching it, so they can discuss the episodes. “I’m drawn to the drama in Th e Bachelor and the people reacting to each other. It’s entertaining,” said Murphy.

“Honestly, I think reality TV is so pathetic, but I love it! When I am bored, the Kardashians and the Real Housewives amuse me. Reality TV is something that you hate to love,” said senior Grace Cartwright.

Watching reality TV, especially for shows like Keeping up with the Kardashians is like “watching a train wreck” which people cannot seem to look away from, according to articles about Reality TV.

“Competition shows are reality shows that are a little less

embarrassing to watch since it has to do with people’s pursuit of what they love to do,” said Cartwright.

Michael Pourciau, Middle School dean, watches competition shows like Survivor, So You Th ink You Can Dance, and American Idol. “I like when there is a winner and the contestants are competing against each other,” said Pourciau.

Murphy also watches So You Th ink You Can Dance: “I love the choreography and hearing new songs. I’m really inspired and amazed by the talented dancers and their technique,” said Murphy.

History teacher Karen Drohan watches competition shows mostly, her favorites being Project Runwayand Top Chef. “I enjoy watching how the contestants tackle a challenge and how they overcome barriers. Also, I love to cook and my daughter sews, so it is fun to think about how we would tackle a challenge,” said Drohan.

Reality TV’s niche is that the shows make viewers feel like they are watching real life, according to sophomore Rebecca Freed.

Freed defi nes what it means to be a reality TV junkie; she follows over 15 reality TV shows.

“Reality TV is my guilty pleasure, but I fi nd myself watching because it’s like an addiction. I feed off of the people’s ridiculousness, especially for shows like Jersey Shore and Real World,” said Freed.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Mike “the situation” Sorrentino Jersey Shore banked 5 million alone last year.

“I think reality TV causes no eff ect on the students; it’s really just a great way to waste time,” said Pourciau.

Over fi ve million people tuned in to watch Kim Kardashian’s brief nuptials on a few nights in October, an event which earned the family over 17.9 million. Th e Kardasian wedding, unlike the Royal Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, sold exclusive taping rights of the wedding to E! and photo rights to People magazine, in order to make a profi t according to the Los Angeles Times.

According to a survey done by Psychology Today, Reality TV attracts both people who engage in intellectually stimulating activities and those who do not. Also, some fans while watching the show could fantasize about gaining

status through automatic fame,

as the reality starts are oft en not celebrities.

“I think reality TV is popular because to some degree we see ourselves in the people we are watching. I also think the fact that the stakes, whether they are emotional or fi nancial, are real and make us more invested in the people we are watching, rather than a scripted television show on which the emotions can feel false or forced,” said Drohan.

Some students also fi nd themselves getting attached to the stories of reality TV stars.

“When Taylor Armstrong’s husband killed himself [from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills], my friend [senior] Julia Zukin and I talked about it for days and we felt as though we knew them. It is a little pathetic, but we defi nitely get attached. Especially with something like Project Runwaywhen you get attached to someone’s talent and you don’t want them to go home,” said Cartwright.

Reality TV stars also have gained not only popularity, but also scored roles in movies aft er being on shows like American Idol, Survivor, America’s Next Top

Model. Reality TV families have

become household names like the Osbournes, the Kardashians, and the Hiltons. Some stars have even published best sellers like Jersey Shore’s Nicole “Snooki” Pollizi’s A Shore Th ing and Keeping up with the Kardasians’s Kris Jenner’s … And All Th ings Kardashian which released a day aft er Kim’s divorce was fi led.

Robert Wright, social science department chair, is watching this season’s Dancing with the Stars.

“I like to watch Rob Kardashian on Dancing with the Stars because it’s cool to watch someone you know, since I taught him. I’m also forced to watch it because Mel watches it too,” said Wright.

Wright also watches the Biggest Loser at times, the show whose ratings dropped 13 percent the last week according to Th e Wrap TV.

“I like to see the trainers torturing the overweight people, and the show always gives tear jerking stories at the beginning about them losing their jobs, their houses, and their lives. Th en how the people turn their lives around,” said Wright.

Addicted to someone else’s reality?

embarrassing status through

yourvoice

Do you watch reality tv? Yes. No.61% 39%

If yes, why?

It’s funny.

73%

It kills time.21%

It’s relateable.6%78 responses collected November 18-20


aliCeBreiDenBaCH‘12

Pacifi c Standard Time is more than just an exhibit. Time is an event. Time is 46 shows and workshops running over the course of seven months in Los Angeles County, celebrating Angelino culture and recognizing the City of Angels as an international art mecca. Time is a big deal. And it’s happening all around you.

Pacifi c Standard Time

For more information and more exhibits visit www.paci� cstandardtime.com

MOCa: Under the Big Black SunDescribed as “the most comprehen-

sive survey exhibition to date to examine the exception fertility and diversity of art practice during the mid- to late 1970s,” Sun chronicles the free-spirited artistic

movement of 1970s Southern California.

laCMa: Asco: Elite of the Obscure, A Retrospective

Elite of the Obscure presents the fi rst-ever look into the controversial, and at times bi-zarre, work of the performance and concep-tual art group: Asco. Th ough Asco began to

respond to the turbulence of 1970s and 1980s American society with a Chicano point of view, and broke up in 1987, several mem-

bers of the group will reunite at LACMA on November 28 to discuss the exhibit and their

past work.

UCla Film & Television archive:L.A. Rebellion: Creating a New Black

Cinema302 East Melnit Hall ,Los Angeles, CA 90095

Th roughout November and Decembner UCLA will explore the contributions of Los Angeles-

based, African-American fi lmmakers by display-ing fi lms made by their own alumni of the 60s,

70s, and 80s. Most fi lms have never been screened publicly before and will be followed by a lecture or

discussion group.

University art Museum, CSU, long Beach: Peace Press Graphics 1967 – 1987: Art in the

Pursuit of Social Change1250 N Bellfl ower Blvd, Long Beach CA 90840

Th e product of the social idealism that emerged during the 1960s, the Los Angeles based Peace Press was founded in 1967 to blend the fi elds of artistic expression and social activism in its graphics. Th is exhibit not only showcases some of the Press’ most powerful graphic pieces, which

advocate for environmental causes and minority rights, but also invokes the environment in which these graphics arose by including historical timeline and 60s-era musical perfor-

mances, fi lm screenings, and poetry recitations.


soundoff

coldplaymylo xyloto

ClaireSelvin '13

reviews

Parlophone

"...one of my fa-vorite songs on the album, epitomizes its main theme: overwhelming joy."

On the evening of October 23 when I received an e-mail from iTunes that my pre-order of Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay’s fifth studio album, was ready to be downloaded, I couldn’t contain my excitement.

I waited patiently as each song downloaded and proceeded to immerse myself in Coldplay’s latest triumph.

Topping the album charts even before its release, Mylo Xyloto’s upbeat songs and cohesive lyrics exceed high expectations.

Overall, I am most impressed by the album’s uplifting vibe, with almost every song having parts that compel the listener to tap a foot, nod a head, or just start dancing.

One such song, “Hurts Like Heaven,” is peppy, fast paced, and enjoyable.

The combination of electric guitar with staccato keyboard creates a fresh new sound for the band. “Hurts Like Heaven,” one of my favorite songs on the album, epitomizes its main theme: overwhelming joy.

S i m i l a r l y, “Charlie Brown,” named for the l i g ht - h e a r t e d p r o t a g o n i s t of the hit cartoon series, e m p h a s i z e s e m b r a c i n g s p o n t a n e o u s adventure.

Lead singer Chris Martin exclaims: “We’ll run riot, we’ll be glowing in the dark,” signifying the incandescent quality of love and happiness.

The album takes a softer turn with “U.F.O.,” a calming song about uncertainty within the chaotic, vividly colorful world that the band creates in the album. “Lord I don’t know which way I am going, which way the river’s gonna flow. But it seems that upstream I keep flowing, still got such a long way to go,” Martin sings softly.

The song, full of acoustic guitar and soulful violin, is evocative of a natural road or river symbolic of an auspicious future.

Finally, Coldplay’s collaboration with Rihanna in “Princess of China” is, in a word, sublime.

The song’s instrumentals successfully play with disjointed electronic sounds and traditional beats. In addition, the combination of Martin’s deep voice and Rihanna’s feminine style creates contrast that takes the song’s uniqueness to new heights.

In Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay delivers a cohesive, cheery collection of songs that combine traditional instrumentals with new electronic sounds. I enjoyed every song on the album.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for both instrumentally and lyrically profound music that has a fresh aesthetic.

tastetestDanielGaBBaY‘12

FiSHY: (left) Izakaya’s herb crusted seared tuna with mustard sauce. (Right) The popular yellowtail sashimi with jalepeno.

When we think of Jap-anese food

and a trendy atmosphere, the famous Katsuya comes to mind. But now, there’s no need to drain your wallets in order to enjoy delicious Jap-anese food in a hip, crowded setting.

Izakaya, a new restau-rant on West 3rd street in Los Angeles, serves tapas-style Japanese food in a cozy, trendy atmosphere. Ideal for groups, the LA dining desti-nation serves portions large enough to share amongst friends. With dishes like the cut kobe burgers and the spicy tuna on crispy rice,

guests are able to taste a bit of everything and still feel satisfied with their meal.

“I love going to Izakaya because the food is tasty, the atmosphere is trendy but still intimate, and I can go with friends because there’s enough food to share with everyone,” said freshman Tyler Gabbay.

While Izakaya is ideal for groups because of its tapas-style dishes, the res-taurant’s cozy setting creates an inviting atmosphere for smaller parties of guests as well. The brick walls, dim lighting, and clear view of the kitchen from the seat-ing area all contribute to the

restaurant’s warm ambience. Not only is the interior of the restaurant fun, but the outside of the restaurant exudes undeniable side-walk appeal. In the midst of Third Street’s rapid pace and action-packed atmosphere, the small restaurant still at-tracts people with its large windows that enable pedes-trians to peek inside.

“I love dining in the heart of LA. When I look outside while I’m eating, it’s exciting to see the city’s busy

sidewalks, crowded streets, and lit buildings,” said se-nior Tiffany Nazar.

Indeed, the trendy and inviting setting makes Iza-kaya a go-to destination for anyone who enjoys a trendy dining experience. But the restaurant’s food is what truly makes it popular. The standout dish from the menu is the baked crab cut roll.

“The baked crab cut roll melts in your mouth. Its spicy mayo gives you a little

kick. The dish truly satisfies cravings and will leave you wanting more,” said senior Jonathan Friedman.

The baked crab cut roll is definitely a reason on its own to visit the restaurant. Its zesty taste dazzles taste buds and is a hot item on the menu. Also, the dish is cut into enough pieces that groups can share and all can taste this zesty confection.

Even though the food is top quality and the set-ting is trendy, Izakaya is still

a convenient place to dine; nothing on the menu costs more than $25 and is also easy to share. Also, the valet parking eliminates the stress of having to find a parking space on the street.

For contemporary, tapas-style food and a warm, hip setting, try Izakaya. Grab your friends and head over to LA’s Japanese hotspot. Taste a bit of everything – but beware. The food is so delicious that you’ll surely be craving more.

Courtesy of the Katsu-Ya Group Courtesy of the Katsu-Ya Group

Izakaya sushi satisfies

izakaya8420 West 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048

atmosphere: Cozy yet trendy recommended dishes: Baked Crab Roll and Spicy Tuna on Crispy Riceservice: Very hostpitable and attentiveprice range: Almost all dishes are 25$ and under hours: 7 days a week

(none) just plain badediblegoodquite goodexcellent

Ratings reflect the reviewer’s reaction to food, ambiance and service, with price taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are

subject to change.


family

Romance: Frenchman Emile de Becque (Mark Cook) charms WWII ensign Nellie Forbush (Savannah Fine).

sailoRs: Luther Billis (Ben Beatty) shows his com-rades a boar’s tooth bracelet from Bali Ha’i.

skiRts: Billis attempts to negotiate for his hand-made skirt prices with Bloody Mary.

laundRy: Billis presents Nellie with her newly pleted and hand-sewn clothes.

bali ha’i: Bloody Mary tempts Lieutenant Cable (Michael Cook) to visit the mysterious island Bali Ha’i.

family: Emile enjoys the company of his two half-polynesian children in the comfort of his plantation.

billis: Billis talks of meeting young women on Bali Ha’i island, because there ain’t nothin’ like a dame.

stRategy: Captain Brackett (Anthony Gomez) asks Nellie to reveal what she knows about Emile.

bloody maRy: Navy sailors sing the praises of mys-terious islander Bloody Mary. bali ha’i

laundRy

stRategy

bloody maRy

billis

Romance

sailoRs

South Pacific

skiRts

Photos courtesy of Olivia Perez, The Student Voice

aliceBreidenbach ‘12a&e editor

The cast of South Pacific enchanted audiences in four performances from November 10 to November 12.

Led by seniors Savannah Fine, as Nellie Forbush, and Mark Cook, as Emile de Becque, the Pacific cast led audience members through a story of wartime romance which must not only survive the violence of WWII but also overcome the close-minded intolerance of 1940s society.

In order for Nellie to be with her love Emile, the Southern bell must also come to terms with Emile’s children who are, as their

deceased mother was, Polynesian. The sensitive theme of racist prejudice

presented a challenge to the production, but director Neil Nash feels confident that the cast handled it appropriately.

“The subject matter of South Pacific is incredibly mature,” explained Nash. “While there is comedy in the musical, it definitely deals with heavier themes as well. The maturity with which the performers handled the material allowed us to give voice to some really mature themes, not just related to racial intolerance but also to love and romance. The performers really understood the material and took it to a level beyond

what we in the performing arts department could have hoped for.”

While communicating this sensitive subject matter, though, the cast did not fail to delight in their musical performances.

Fine and the female ensemble had the audience tapping their feet with their lively rendition of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” just as Senior Michael Cook, playing Lieutenant Cable, allowed the audience to feel the pain of racism with “You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught.”

“I thought the cast did a fantastic job,” said senior Julia Zukin. “I loved the musical numbers and couldn’t get ‘Some Enchanted

Evening’ out of my head.” Another number that had audience

members laughing and dancing along was “There is Nothing Like a Dame,” performed by the cast’s male ensemble, which included many rookies to the performing arts program including five seniors.

“I thought the boys were great,” said Nash. “[The new seniors] added so much to the production. We needed them, encouraged them to take a risk and they did. I hope their example encourages other students to get involved in future productions. I thought they were a big success.”


MiCHaellen‘14 MeHerSinGH‘14

From Buckley to the ballroomWhen Robert Kardashian graduated in 2005 he was not sure where he’d be in six years. But he was pretty sure it wouldn’t be a fi nale on America’s favorite

ballroom dancing competition. And he defi nitly didn’t think that his Waltz and freestyle would earn him and his parnter the leading position heading into the shows’ fi nale.

voice: So how does it feel being in the fi nals of DWTS?

kardashian: It’s crazy. Defi nitely did not expect myself to be in this position, when i started the com-petition. Even before, I really did not know what to expect, it either could have gone really good or re-ally bad, and so far everything has gone great. I’m really thankful and appreciative that people are voting for me. It’s not just about the fans voting for us, we are actually hav-ing skillful dances and we’re doing well out there, so I’m very excited.

voice: What made you want to be a part of dancing with the stars?

kardashian: Just to do something that I never in a million years would do again or have the oppor-tunity to. I don’t take life too seri-ously; I like to have fun with life, through good or bad. My main focus with the whole competition was just to have fun with it because there’s people who freak out and drive themselves crazy because of how nerve-racking it is. From day one I told myself I would just have fun with it, but the main goal for me was to do something that I was very uncomfortable doing, and at-tacking that fear and doing well at it. I believe that I have accom-plished everything I have set out to do and more.

voice: How have you overcome your fears and grown?

kardashian: Just the fear of danc-ing period for me is a big deal, I’m never the guy that goes out there and dances at a club, or at a wed-ding. Even in high school at prom and semiformal and stuff like that at Buckley, nobody really ever danced. Now, like the other night when we went salsa dancing at dinner for a family birthday, I was the fi rst one out on the dance fl oor. It’s really improved my confi dence and has given me the mindset that if you just really set your mind at something you can do anything because it’s just about work ethic. I’m not a performer, singer, ac-tor, nothing like that and to get up there in front of 20 million plus people and to do something that is super outside of your comfort zone, its just really hones my life on that whole factor.

voice: How has being on reality TV changed you?

kardashian: It really hasn’t be-cause I am the same person that I was in middle school and high school at Buckley. I have the same group of friends since fourth grade and I do the same exact activities that I have always done. I’m a big believer about family and friends and my circle is very short and close. I don’t really let anything change me; I’m the same guy and all of my friends that are close to

me know that. I don’t really let any of that stuff get to me.

voice: How has being at Buckley shaped and aff ected your career and day to day life?

kardashian: Buckley is such a small school, it was 70 kids per grade, I knew everyone in the school and all the teachers and had such a great relationship with them. Its really taught me how to respect others no matter who you are, whether you’re super smart or you’re an athlete or whomever. I go about my day and I respect every person how I would want to be treated. It [Buckley] really taught me too keep my friends and fam-ily because at Buckley, even on the sports teams I ran cross country and played basketball, everything was about family even in our grades, like in spirit week. Th at’s how I have been raised with my real family; its all about keeping the people in your life that truly matter and to not worry about all

the fake people in the world that are trying to bring you down.

voice: What do you miss most about Buckley? What is your fond-est memory about it?

kardashian: I just miss running cross country. Coach Halinan was my coach and I had an awesome, awesome experience on the cross country team. Still to this day, me and the guys who I ran with and some of the guys younger than me, we go out and still run the same courses and areas around Buckley. Th at’s one of my hobbies, its some-thing I do not just for the workout factor, but because it’s just fun for me. We go out and run for ten miles, fi ve miles, seven miles, on a nice hot day, cold day, or rainy day. Its just about keeping those close friends with you and going on a run and talking about life and stuff like that. Th at’s just the one thing I truly miss. And I miss all the teachers, whom I’m still close with. I defi nitely learned a lot from

all the teachers, each and every one of them.

voice: What was your favorite subject when you were in school?

kardashian: Th ere’s so many. I wasn’t great at math but I really did enjoy it. I was never in AP or honors math, but I always put in the extra time aft er. I went to math lab and I just really worked at it. I was not great at it, like dancing, but I worked at it. I learned so much more at Buckley than I did at college and I went to USC. I just feel the mindset was diff erent and that everybody at Buckley really worked hard.

voice: How would you say you embody the four-fold plan in your day to day life?

kardashian: Well for sports, I love to just run. Running is some-thing that is very therapeutic and a way for me to connect with my old cross country buddies. For the

arts, I manage artists; I’m always in the studio. My girlfriend sings and my dad was very passionate about music; he started several music companies. Music is around my life in a million diff erent ways. Art, itself, I have really grown fond of. For education, I just started read-ing again and trying to activate my mind. I’m going to start studying to go to law school and take my LSATs. I felt a disconnect and very uneducated since graduating from USC and I genuinely want to study again. Regarding values, I literally live by family; my dad has embed-ded that into our family. I have a very close-knit family and that’s literally all that matters in my life. I don’t care about anybody but my family. I have a pretty big family and that’s something that I value because not everyone in this world can say that they have a close fam-ily or a good father, mother, or sib-lings. I appreciate the fact that we do have a close family and that we all love each other.

voice: Is it hard being judged by people just based off of what they see on TV?

kardashian: Th at is very frustrat-ing. Sometimes it makes me laugh when people assume that I have never had a job. I’m underestimat-ed a lot by people who watch our show and thats probably the most annoying part because I actually had a really good upbringing and education and I graduated from a very tough university and I took all that very seriously. I had several jobs throughout even fi lming, but that’s also the world we live in and I laugh and don’t listen to all the negative stuff ; I’m really all about positivity. Everybody kind of likes to bring people down in this world and point out the negatives and the fl aws. Th ere’s a lot of haters in this world and I already know that go-ing into this, and I just brush it off and don’t listen to it. Like I said, you’ve got to just keep the close friends and family and positive people in your life; that’s kind of how I look at everything.

voice: How do you see yourself in 10 years?

kardashian: If I decide to really pursue my goal of graduating from law school, which will take about 3-4 years, then I want to open up my own sports agency because I have a lot of friends who are pro-fessional athletes and its some-thing that I have always wanted to do. I’m going to intern at a very respectable fi rm, but I’m probably going to open up my own sports agency fi rm. I’ve started several companies and I went to school for business, emphasis in entre-preneurship, so I’m working on a company right now and I just want to be a successful entrepreneur. But, my main goal probably would to open up a sports agency.

DanCe: (Top, clockwise from top left ) Kardashian’s 2002, 2003 and 2004 yearbook photos. (Bottom) Kardashi-an performs with partner Cheryl Burke on a recent episoide of Dancing with the Stars.

Courtesy of ABC Telivision Group

The Buckley School The Buckley School The Buckley School

sports26 wednesday, november 23, 2011 |

it’sgame

time varsity boysbasketball

november 28at Riverside Christian

november 30vs Animo Inglewood

december 5-10University High School

Tournament

varsity boys soccer

november 28at Oaks Christian

november 30vs Oak Park

december 2vs Crossroads

december 5at Brentwood

varsity girls soccer

november 28vs AGBU

december 2vs Shalhevet

december 5vs Einstein Academy

december 7at St. Monica’s

varsity girls basketball

november 30vs Animo Leadership

december 2vs Oakwood

december 5-8Buckley Tournament

CIF Finalists, league champs

Courtesy of Fred Bierman

TEAM RUNNING: Junior Tucker Higgins and sophomore Sam Bierman stay strong during CIF Finals November 19.

GIRLS TENNIS | page 32Team wins second consecutive CIF title by defeating Cerritos 10-8

BoyS BASKETBALL | page 28Boys look to return to CIF finals game

GIRLS BASKETBALL | page 28Six girls added to strong core

GIRLS BASKETBALL| page 28

directions and times on school athletics website


The Liberty League champion boys varsity cross country team finished their season November 19, placing second to last at the CIF finals race at Mt. SAC after making it to CIF finals for the third consecutive year.

“We didn’t make it to state because we didn’t have enough depth and hadn’t done enough hill training,” said captain, senior Andrew Davis.

At CIF Finals, captain, junior Nick Martin placed 37th, Andrew Davis 59th, junior Tucker Higgins 77th, sophomore Sam Bierman 93rd and captain senior Michael Vanhal 99th.

“I am most proud that the team did make it to CIF finals for the third year in a row. As a coach and an athlete you want to make it as far as you can. After the CIF finals, they were disappointed but they were good sports about it and still had a good time afterwards,” said head coach Chris Mack.

With the advantage of the flat rain course, the boys placed 5th in their heat at CIF Prelims November 12.

With two in the top 20, the boys were able to advance to finals. Martin placed 2nd and Davis placed 15th.

“We have made it to finals every year that I have been on the team. It is always good to make finals, and I consider it a win even getting this far. It was a very close league rivalry with Viewpoint-it came down to the wire but we beat them,” said junior Tucker Higgins.

Martin won Liberty League finals and was named league MVP, Davis placed 3rd, Higgins

6th, Bierman 7th, and Vanhal 13th,

all receiving All-League honors.“Sam had a fantastic peak.

At league finals he finished right behind Tucker. He’s a very strong runner with a lot of mental toughness,” said Davis.

Traditionally, league finals is at Pierce College; this year league it was moved to North Hollywood because of rainfall.

The boys attribute their success at league finals to the course being flat, unlike Pierce College, which is hilly. The boys have done more flat training.

“They won Liberty League, which is a great accomplishment for the school. It was outstanding; Viewpoint is a tough rival school

and they have a good team as well. The fact that they won that says a lot about how much they challenged each other to go to the next level,” said Mack.

Mack and Davis attribute the team’s success to commitment despite injuries and other obligations.

“I think the biggest key has been the determination of Sam and Michael in running before and after play rehearsals. If they had given up, we never would’ve made it [to finals],” said Davis.

Next year the boys will be losing key seniors; they hope to replace them with two strong incoming freshmen and other recruits.

“Nick and I will be training all summer and spring and are going to make sure those younger boys will be with training with us,” said Higgins. “Not only will we be the strongest team Buckley has seen, and not only do I think we will be able to get to state, but also do well at state.”

“The fact that they won [Liberty League] says a lot about how much they challenged each other to go to the next level.”

Chris Mack Head Coach


STRONG FINISH: Junior Nick Martin sprints to finish at CIF Prelims November 12. Martin placed second overall.

insidesports

BoyS BASKETBALL | page 28CIF CHAMPIONS | page 32


After absence, cheer team returns

Girls XC falls at Prelims, looking towards next yearTylerMorad ‘14assistant sports editor After a strong showing at Liberty League finals in North Hollywood November 4, the girls fell short in CIF prelims at Mt. SAC a week later.

“Through all the injuries and difficulties encountered throughout the season, I am happy to have finished out the season at prelims,” said captain, junior Elle Wisnicki.

At Mt. SAC, captain, junior Michaela Murphy placed 30th, sophomore Chloe Boasberg 42nd, Wisnicki 71st, sophomore Natalie Oniszk-de Vincenzi 76th, sophomore Natalya Sands 79th, and freshman Michaela Blanks 84th.

Captain, junior Samara Roman-Holba did not run in the race due to a shin injury.

“It would have helped if most of the girls on the team were not sick or injured [at Mt. SAC]. Chloe, Natalie, and Elle were sick, which held us back,” said Murphy. “The weather was also a factor because it was rainy and there was a gloomy atmosphere which may have changed our attitude during the race.”

The girls finished second to last at CIF prelims. Due to rainfall, the course at Mt. SAC was changed to flatt course.

“The benefit of having a flat course was that for me being sick I’d rather not run hills; however, for everyone with injuries, running on the flat cement was painful,” said Wisnicki.

Liberty League finals was scheduled

to be at Pierce College, but was moved to North Hollywood because of rainfaill.

Wisnicki placed 4th, Murphy 6th, Boasberg 9th, de Vincenzi 24th, Sands 25th, and Blanks 39th. Roman-Holba was unable to run this race. The top three Griffins were awarded All-League honors.

The last race Roman-Holba ran was the North Hollywood league meet on October 26. She placed fourth for the griffins.

Roman-Holba said getting injured for an extended period of time has truly affected her mindset about injures.

“I’ll definitely be more careful [when I run] but it’s [my absence that] made it [my injury] really difficult, especially being captain, and it makes me feel less part of the team. I’m really hard on myself because of it,” said Roman-Holba. “On a positive note, I constantly led the team from the sidelines. I became the team’s personal cheerleader.”

Head coach Amanda Marks is happy with the achievements of the squad this year, but hopes that in years to come the runners will not be felled by so many injuries.

“Getting injured was truly our downfall and what hurt us most. [Otherwise,] I wouldn’t change too much. I would really emphasize for the girls to start training in the summer and increase mileage slowly, and not to run if they’re injured,” said Marks.

“Overall, I’m very proud of the girls this season. They showed a lot of heart and I know it meant a lot to them to be there for their teammates and to me,” said Marks.

TylerMorad ‘14assistant sports editor

“We started out well without her [Grace], but we needed her strength on the outside, and we also got quiet and lost energy throughout the games when we were down. She was always the one to pick us up on the court,” said sophomore Sammy Siciliano.

Starting with promise, the girls volleyball season ended prematurely, beginning with the injury to their star, captain, senior Grace Cartwright.

Cartwright played right side because she is left handed, and being in that position was an asset because it gave her the power to hit well. She believes that her role on the team was picked up easily by senior Shaina Goel.

Cartwright says the injury was very emotional for her and for the team as well.

“I absolutely love the game of volleyball and I wanted to play for college. I am definitely hesitant to play again since my back is so bad, but I don’t think I would stop playing. It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t play anymore. Back injuries are very serious and I had to think about myself in the long run as well,” said Cartwright.

Cartwright first tore muscles in her

back in sophomore year, after trying an advanced serve.

The squad terminated the season with a league record of 6-4-0, and an overall record of 6-8-0. Cartwright only played four games and one tournament.

The last two games saw the team lose to rival Viewpoint 3-0, and came out on top 3-0 in the Senior Night match against Glendale Adventist.

Captain, senior Jamie Stern said that the team did come together to defeat competition and overcome being hit with injuries.

“A majority of our starters were injured at different times throughout the season, which made it extremely difficult to have fluidity in our season,” said captain, senior Jamie Stern. “However, we shifted our focus to our new strengths and patched up the holes that were open due to the multiple people who couldn’t play.”

Siciliano is optimistic that the team will have a promising season with strong girls next year.

“We are losing a lot of seniors, so each girl will have to work even harder. There are a lot of freshman moving up from JV that gained a lot of experience and should be able to compete very well in next year’s season,” said Siciliano.

ElleWisnicki ‘13assistant news editor

After a year of hiatus, the girls varsity cheer team returns under the leadership of head coach Merria Iaccino.

“Watching the Bring it On series made me want to try cheerleading, just to get a feel for it,” said sophomore Eden Lynch.

The squad has been working on arm motions, jumps, tumbling, cheers and dances.

Captain, sophomore Nia Cooper has a background in all-star cheerleading, including six years of competitive cheering and

tumbling experience.Iaccino said most of the team

members have taken dance classes, helping them learn material fast, work on flexibility, and understand the corrections they are given.

Lynch thinks the key to succeeding is practicing at home and then bringing that knowledge and skill to the competitions where they will cheer on Griffin teams.

“The girls get along really great. With three sophomores and three freshmen, all the girls knew each other before joining the team and have really gotten along nicely from the very first practice,” said

Iaccino.Iaccino works in the

development department as the database manager. Having high school and college cheerleading experience, she seeks to bring back cheer spirit to the school.

Iaccino coached at St. Genevieve High School in Panorama City and as assistant coach of the girls dance team in the 2009-10 season.

“I really wanted to get involved with students on campus and help bring even more school spirit to the campus and winter

sports games,” said Iaccino.The girls will cheer for boys

and girls home basketball games, and a few boys and girls home soccer games.

“I think I am most excited

about the girls working together, believing in themselves, promoting the games, and having a good time. That’s what high school cheerleading should be all about,” said Iaccino.

STRETCH: Senior Shaina Goel tips the ball against Glendale Adventist at home. The Griffins went on to win the game.

Courtesy of Holly Blanks

SPRINT: Sophomore Chloe Boasberg strides to the finish at Mt. SAC CIF Prelims on November 12. Boasberg finished second for the Griffins.

Volleyball misses playoffs after transitional season

Elle Wisnicki The Student Voice


League title eyed by boys


After making it to playoffs last season for the first time in six years, the girls soccer team begins their goal towards playoffs against AGBU High School at home on November 28.

“We have a lot of diligent girls and if we stay healthy and determined I’m sure we can make it to playoffs and possibly go farther than last year,” said junior Andrea Mackey.

The team worked in pre-season with strength and conditioning coach Rob Wright and with head coach George Russo on ball-handling, passing, and offensive skill building.

“Our ball-handling has i m p r o v e d because we have done a lot of sk i l l -bui ld ing drills,” said captain, senior Shaina Goel. “We are where we need to be to make it to the second round of playoffs.”

The first league game against New Community Jewish is at home January 5.

“It will take a strong team unit and taking our chances when we get them, especially offensive opportunities, to beat New Community Jewish,” said Russo.

The team has strong offensive players such as veterans junior Ally Borghi, sophomore Ibi Lagundoye, as well as freshman Alexis Eka, who has club experience.

“The strongest players on the team are Ally, Chloe and Ibi, who are forces to be reckoned with, using their speed and aggression to make keepers nervous,” said Mackey.

In the middle, Goel and sophomore

Chloe Boasberg use their ball control skills to spread the ball around the field.

“Shaina, our captain, is very skilled with the ball, she can easily outrun, trick, or push opponents out of her way,” said Mackey.

Goel, Mackey, junior Elle Wisnicki, and Boasberg have years of game-play under their belts and lead the team by example.

“With six new players and 11 returning, we have a good mix. During pre-season the girls showed really good work ethic,” said Russo.

According to Russo, the more experienced players are helping newer players build up to a higher level of game

play.“Although we

lost many strong seniors on the defense, I am extremely excited to see which other players step up to take those positions,” said Goel.

The team lost key defenders, Lauren Nourafchan ’11 and Giselle Brown-Little. Senior Liz Plumb leads the defense with Wisnicki.

“As a strong and fast defender, Elle keeps control over the ball in our half of the field and plays almost the entire game,” said Mackey.

The Griffins play rival Viewpoint January 27.

“Viewpoint is our biggest threat and I think we can we have a better chance doing well against them,” said Boasberg.

Last year the team beat Oakwood, Providence, and Glendale Adventist with ease and hopes to maintain that result.

“Ally, Shaina and Elle are tactically talented and I know they will bring the same skill level back this year; they have really shaped our team,” said Boasberg.

Girls ready to step up after strong last season


DEFENSE: Junior Ian Bernstein blocks sophomore Eric Fett’s kick during a team practice.

JackRose ‘13sports editor

Despite losing 17 seniors, the boys varsity soccer team looks to repeat as league champions and sets higher goals than previous years.

“We are trying to go farther than ever before,” said captain, senior Shawn Mcnitt-Gray.

Star center-mid player Eddie Manella ’11, currently plays at Division 1 college, UC Davis. The team will attempt to fill the void in production left by Manella through multiple players.

Junior Ian Bernstein replaces former leader at the back, goalie Thor Feinberg.

“Ian’s going to do a good job this year,” said Mcnitt-Gray. “But the most important thing is keeping the ball away from him.”

Mcnitt-Gray stresses defense as not only one of the most important factors going into this season, but also as one of the team’s strengths.

“We will be very solid defensively,” said head coach Andrew Pearce.

winter sports preViews

Pearce hopes that the team’s defense will be strong enough that he can move some of the defenders from last year into offensive roles.

“We are hoping that a lot of players that were right on the fringe last year will step up and do a good job,” said Pearce.

Both Pearce and Mcnitt-Gray want to play a team game this season by incorporating many players, both returning and new.

“We are not going to have any superstars, just a solid all around team,” said Mcnitt-Gray. “We have a lot of young talent and freshman coming in.”

Despite losing a hoard of seniors, the team expects to win league again and has set a difficult schedule to prepare themselves.

“Our first non-league game is against Oaks Christian on November 28,” said Pearce.

Pearce hopes what he calls a “big preseason” will prepare the team well for their in-league competition. The league schedule begins at Viewpoint on January 6.


After losing in the CIF championship game last season, the boys’ mission is to take it all.

Losing five players and two starters, including Larry Bush and Nick deBonfils ‘11, this year’s team looks to work on last year’s flaws in leadership and performance in high-pressure situations.

This year the team added four new freshmen: Mateen Zar, Elliot Penhasian, Andre Ferguson, and Austin Butler.

“Losing Larry was tough. He was fast and he could shoot, but we were able to bounce back even stronger with Austin. He

“Although we lost many strong seniors on the defense, I am extremely excited to see which other players step up to take those positions.” Shaina Goel Captain

One misson: win CIF championship


TO THE HOOP: Freshman Elliot Penhansian dribbles down the court.

is tough, has a great work ethic, and understands the meaning of a team,” said captain, sophomore Chase Holliday.

The team looks to captains junior Tyler Coppin-Carter and Holliday as leaders for the young, but talented team.

“We need to have our veteran players step up and set an example for the younger ones, they are new to this experience and the more prepared they are the more developed the team will be,” said sophomore David Yona.

Since summer, the boys have refined all areas of the body from legs, to abs, to chest, to biceps, and more, making them a very athletic

and powerful team. Last season, despite a .793 win

percentage, the team had more home losses than road losses.

“This year we definitely are faster and can execute at a higher level, which helps with closing out games,” said Yona.

According to head coach Mike Hamilton, the team has increased speed and strength by 30 percent.

“We played a team last week and it took them four minutes to get a clean look at a shot. We also probably forced 15-20 turnovers,” said Hamilton.

Holliday has been waiting for a moment to show the team’s talents, and Hamilton feels the moment will come this season.

“Our offense revolved around one or two people last year, now I think everyone will see a total team effort,” said Hamilton.

With Butler starting at shooting guard, the team improves its ability to drive at the basket and score easier buckets.

“Austin Butler has some really big shoes to fill. We will miss Nick De Bonfihls, CIF Player of the year. However, Austin is just as explosive. I don’t know many freshmen that can steal the ball, go behind the back and dunk the ball,” said Hamilton.

According to Yona, the bench has been targeted as an area for serious improvement. Last season, the bench was cause for concern and let many games slip away.

BillyWilson ‘14staff reporter

With the addition of six new players, the girls basketball team plans to move forward from last years’ injury-plagued season.

The team is considered very young, with juniors Nika Shahery and captain Marlen Grussi being the oldest members of the team.

Unlike last year’s team however, this squad has high

school basketball experience. The team this year retains the

core from last year. Head Coach Marie Philman

believes that the team has the opportunity to go far if the team stays healthy.

“At the beginning of the season we set our team goals, I

believe that our goals should be to improve our league and overall record from last year. We have talented players, but the key to our success will be the ability for the team to be in sync both offensive and defensively,” said Philman.

Replacing star player Samantha Wood ’11 will be a difficult task.

New players to the team are freshmen Tierra Murphy, Kylie Evans, Brenda Boudaie, Samantha Frey, Makhye Cannon, and Leah Purvis.

Early on in the season, Purvis has distinguished herself.

“Leah is our floor general, and she really helps the team with her great versatility”, said Philman.

The squad will be competing in the annual holiday tournament with a total of eight teams, as well as the Avalon Tournament towards the end of December.

“As a team, we have to stay focused, while practicing hard in order to reach our goals,” said Philman. “If we do these things and stay healthy, I think this team has the capability to be very good.”

The first league game is January 4 against Viewpoint.

“I think that Buckley will be pleasantly surprised at how the team plays this year,” said sophomore Tyra Gray after being held back by a knee injury last year.

“As a team we have to stay focused, while practicing hard in order to reach our goals. If we do these things and stay healthy I think this team has the capability of being very good” Marie Philman Head Coach

Girls hope to improve by syncing offense and defense


body becomes accustomed to an abundance of endorphins, epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, and when they do not exercise their body can experience withdrawal.

“I usually feel like I have to get at least some type of physical activity in just so I don’t start to lose my mind,” said junior Marlen Grussi.

Although overall exercise addiction is healthy, exercise addicts must be careful not to go overboard because working out when one is physically incapable, can cause irreparable damage.

Long-distance runners who experience the “addiction” to logging many miles per day sometimes � nd themselves prone to stress fractures and shin splints, o� en the result of pushing the body beyond its physical capabilities. � ese “addicts” must � nd a replacement for the absence of

chemicals when not exercising regularly due to an injury or other constraint.

Grussi said when she doesn’t exercise she feels lazier and more stressed than usual, a common feeling among athletes. Working out and playing sports relieves stress and

anxiety for her.� e release of serotonin and endorphins

help curb depression and anxiety, which explains Grussi’s experiences.

“I tend to feel very upbeat a� er a

workout because I enjoy looking back at the work I put in, and know that strains I put on myself are healthy for me mentally and physically,” said senior Matthew Zidell.

While exercising may be physically tiring, it is mentally awakening.

“Some people view working out as pain; however, I enjoy the sense of accomplishment I get from a hard workout, which puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day,” said junior Nick Martin, who runs for the boys varsity cross country team.

� e competitive aspect involved in playing a sport releases epinephrine (adrenaline), which increases heart rate enabling the � ight or � ght response.

“If you accomplish something great it will fuel you to endure more physical pain,” said sophomore Austin Wilson.

For junior Rita Farb, playing a sport is much more gratifying than working out at the gym.

“Working out at a gym greatly di� ers from playing a sport because although you can set personal goals for yourself they do not compare to the goal of an entire team and the sense of encouragement and motivation that comes along with these goals,” said Farb.

� e brain becomes reliant on positive feelings as well as chemicals released during exercise. � e combination of emotional and mental grati� cation is potent and forms an addiction.

While it is o� en di� cult to commence exercise when you are feeling down, the chemicals from exercise can form an irreplaceable addiction, creating a happier and healthier daily life.


� e word addiction o� en comes with a negative connotation, but one type of addiction exists that is healthy and can cure diseases such as depression: addiction to exercise.

“Exercise addicts display all of the hallmarks of substance addicts: tolerance, craving, withdrawal and the need to exercise just to feel normal,” said David J. Linden, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Exercise triggers the release of chemicals: endorphins; enkephalins, the brain’s version of opium; and endocannabinoids, the brain’s version of marijuana.

“Although my muscles are tired I always have a giant burst of energy when I � nish working out, I’m in a good mood, and I feel calm and focused,” said junior Samara Roman-Holba, � ve-day a week exerciser.

D u r i n g s t r e n u o u s e x e r c i s e , s p e c i f i c a l l y when breathing is heavy, the brain commences endorphin production. Endorphins resemble opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia (the inability to feel pain) and a feeling of well being.

For people who work out regularly, their

Can’t stop running?

who runs for the boys varsity cross

� e competitive aspect involved in playing a sport releases epinephrine (adrenaline), which increases heart rate enabling the

“If you accomplish something great it will fuel you to endure more physical pain,” said sophomore

“Working out at a gym greatly di� ers from playing a sport because although you can set personal goals for yourself they do not compare to the goal of an entire team and the sense of encouragement and motivation that comes along with these goals,” said

Are you addicted to exercise?

Yes27%

No48%

Kind of25%

Exercise addicts discover that working out provides their bodies with a wealth of healthy, natural chemicals that relieve stress, and make them addicted to their form of exercise.

“Some people view working out as pain; however, I enjoy the sense of accomplishment I get from a hard workout, which puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day.” NICK MARTIN Junior

78 student responses from November 18-20


“A race or soccer game against Viewpoint holds the same gravity as CIF competition. � e rivalry is that heated and I don’t see it cooling down soon,” said seniorMichael Vanhal.

Viewpoint and Buckley are arguably the two best sports schools in the Liberty League - and volleyball, boys cross-country, girls tennis, and boys soccer have intense, head-to-head rivalries.

In the past two years, either the Patriots or the Gri� ns have won the Liberty League crown for these four sports. While other schools in the Liberty League present challenges for some Gri� n teams, according to Vanhal, “the two teams that matter are the ones wearing blue and red, and I’m not talking about Oakwood.”

� e defending CIF champion girls tennis team knows what Viewpoint pressure is, experiencing both tears of joy and happiness a� er matches. � e Patriots won the Liberty League title in ’08 and ’09, but the Gri� ns have taken the title the last two years.

“During my freshman year, Viewpoint was the only team in our league we ever lost to. Every match against them was extremely close. We lost league, but everyone was excited when we played them in the CIF championship. It was such a close match and we wanted the championship title so badly. But, we lost and the whole team cried. I think that defeat is what sparked the rivalry,” said junior Rita Farb.

For the girls tennis team, because Viewpoint is the only other team with elite players in league, the Gri� ns always play Viewpoint’s best players in the individual tournament prior to CIF competition.

Two-time Liberty League singles MVP, senior Hadleigh Glist, knows what it’s like to play under pressure. Last season, Glist played senior Sam Engel for the MVP title and won 6-4, 7-5.

“I was so happy that I beat Sam. Sam is a great player with a great worth ethic and we respect one another. I’m happy that I � nally beat her, considering she beat me during regular season matches,” said Glist.

Last season, the girls varsity volleyball team played against Viewpoint on their senior night. � e Red Army had rows of students in the senior bleachers while “� e Navy” (Viewpoint’s Spirit Team) had a sea of students in the freshman bleachers.

“� e Viewpoint-Buckley volleyball game was really hyped up because Viewpoint students posted a series of comments on the senior night Facebook event page. � e Viewpoint students really took it to a di� erent level. � ey turned something that

was friendly competition into an all out war. We came ready for battle,” said senior Brandon Wong.

During the game, students from both schools screamed. � e Navy continuously chanted “our teams hotter.” In reaction, � e Red Army chanted “our teams smarter.”

Suddenly, senior Matthew Zidell, dressed in a red morph suit, ran across the gym towards � e Navy. Zidell paused in front of the Viewpoint students as � e Navy screamed and chanted names. As Zidell ran back to the senior bleachers he was sent out of the gym by athletic director, Byrd Newman-Milic. Dean of students, Sue Sherman asked Zidell to leave for potentially causing extra commotion and was given six hours of detention the next day.

“� e game was really competitive. All of a sudden a guy in a red morph suit dashes across the gym and causes so much commotion; I’ll never forget it,” said senior captain Jamie Stern.

“� at senior night was de� nitely one of the highlights of my volleyball career,” said senior Alice Breidenbach.

For soccer, the rivalry against Viewpoint is both verbal and physical. According to senior Michael Vanhal, while the Gri� ns against other schools play fairly, action

gets physical and verbal against Viewpoint. When the Gri� ns played Viewpoint at home last season, as soon as the Gri� ns scored one goal, Viewpoint began to play dirty according to Buckley players.

Junior Nick Martin believes that one of Viewpoint’s players faked an injury to cause extra commotion.

“I believe we were winning like 3-0. My brother and I went up to him and started talking smack to his face. He then got up and started pushing my brother because my brother called him a bad name,” said Martin.

As game play resumed, Carlin Steihl ’11 elbowed one of Viewpoint’s defenders in the neck knocking him to the ground. Because the tension elevated, the referees called the game o� and the Gri� ns won.

In contrast, for baseball, according to junior Jarret Weiss, “the rivalry is very tense but still really friendly.”

In 2009, Matt Lewis ’09 hit a walk o� hit in extra innings at home giving the Gri� ns a league win over Viewpoint.

“Even though I don’t play baseball anymore, I can’t forget that game. We made a comeback for the ages and pulled the win. Coach Louis Tapia took that game so seriously and it paid o� . When Matt hit in the winning run we all charged the � eld.

Beating Viewpoint was a great feeling,” said senior Michael Cook.

� e Gri� ns split the Liberty League title with Viewpoint in 2010. Last year, the Gri� ns were two runs away from splitting the title again in the league championship against Viewpoint.

“It was a back and forth game. � ey scored a run we scored a run until the � � h inning where we fell apart. � e tough pitching and nerves of young players � nally came out at the worst time,” said sophomore Ben Shahar. “No matter how strong of a team we have, Viewpoint is our motivation to work harder.”

In the last two seasons, boys cross-country races have been dominated by both Viewpoint and Buckley runners. Last

season, the top ten (approximately 42 runners each race) runners in league were mainly from the two rivals.

“Each time we ran it was an epic battle. We would win or lose by one or two points. We were so competitive that year and I was so upset when we failed to win the league title,” said Martin. “I remember a JV Viewpoint runner told me and my brother to run the wrong way at a league race causing our team to lose.”

But two weeks ago, the Gri� ns beat Viewpoint 31-46 at league � nals giving the Gri� ns their � rst league title in seven years.

� ough the Viewpoint, Buckley rivalry builds up at times, most students agree that the rivalry has a positive impact on sports teams.

ANDREWDAVIS ‘12

VS

A� er facing each other for years, the Gri� ns and the Patriots now � ght it out at the top of Liberty League. � e Navy and Red Army show team spirit and challenge each other in every sport from

cross country to tennis to baseball to soccer.

Red Army battles Navy


RACE: Senior Andrew Davis, sophomore Sam Bierman, and junior Tucker Higgins run against Viewpoint runners at League Finals at North Hollywood Park on November 4. � e Gri� ns would go on to win the race 31-46.


Go ahead. Name a school sport that’s nationally ranked and travels around the country competing in national circuits but only gets half a page in the yearbook.

Having trouble?Did you know that equestrian senior Olivia Esse earned

championships of three national competitions the week of October 31: one in Kentucky, one in Maryland, and another in Washington D.C.?

Esse has appeared in several equestrian magazines including � e Chronicle of the Horse and on the United States Equestrian Federation website. If you type ‘Olivia Esse’ in the search box on the Chronicle of the Horse website, it brings up several pages of links to articles, seven of which are from the last month.

� e United States Equestrian Federation issued a press release on November 5: “Olivia Esse and Illusion Crowned Junior Hunter Grand Champions at Alltech National Horse Show,” a� er Esse won her latest Grand Championship in Lexington, Kentucky with her horse, Illusion.

Esse owns not one, not two, not � ve, but nine horses. Clooney and Illusion are nationally ranked in the Junior Hunter-small horse category at fourth and ninth respectively. Her horse Small A� air is nationally ranked in the Junior Hunter-large horse category at thirteenth. Esse’s horses are usually hauled by trailers around the country for competitions but sometimes they will � y in cargo planes for national circuit competitions.

Clooney, Illusion, Stay Gold, Small A� air, Valor, and Pimm’s Cup are all hunters, which means that they are judged on their smoothness, accuracy, and grace over a course. Riverbird is strictly a jumper, and Fernway Park and Guns n’ Roses are equitation horses. Equitation is the art of riding on horseback.

Small A� air, or Poker (its nickname), is Esse’s favorite horse because it can jump the highest and is the most athletic. Esse said that the reason she has had success with him is that she and Small A� air “click really well.”

“Your horse is your partner. When you have a good bond with your horse, you perform well. So, in a sense, it’s a team sport,” said Esse. “It’s not like having a tennis racket of baseball glove; it’s a living animal with a personality and a mind of its own.”

Esse began riding when she was 7 years old. Her mother, who rode recreationally when she was young, brought her to stables and competitions when Esse was young. � us, Esse’s equestrian career was born.

Byrd Newman-Milic, athletic director and the school equestrian team advisor, has watched Esse compete since day one. He is a founding member of the Independent Equestrian League (IEL), in which the school equestrian team now competes in each year. Since its founding, the IEL has grown from nine to over 200 schools.

“I appreciate athletes who are good no matter what school or team they play for. I appreciate excellence and greatness, and in Olivia, you have that and she’s wearing a Buckley horse pad while she does it,” said Milic. “I just wish more members of our community, especially her classmates, could come out and see her ride.”

� e school equestrian team meets four times a year to compete in the IEL. But, compared to Esse’s national and international horse competitions, the IEL is a piece of cake. According to Milic, Esse has been winning championships

Go ahead. Name a school sport that’s nationally ranked and travels around the country competing in national

Did you know that equestrian senior Olivia Esse earned championships of three national competitions the week of October 31: one in Kentucky, one in Maryland, and another

Esse has appeared in several equestrian magazines and on the United States

Equestrian Federation website. If you type ‘Olivia Esse’ in the search box on the Chronicle of the Horse website, it brings up several pages of links to articles, seven of which

� e United States Equestrian Federation issued a press release on November 5: “Olivia Esse and Illusion Crowned Junior Hunter Grand Champions at Alltech National Horse Show,” a� er Esse won her latest Grand Championship in

Esse owns not one, not two, not � ve, but nine horses. Clooney and Illusion are nationally ranked in the Junior Hunter-small horse category at fourth and ninth respectively. Her horse Small A� air is nationally ranked in the Junior Hunter-large horse category at thirteenth. Esse’s horses are

Small A� air, or Poker (its nickname), is Esse’s favorite horse because it can jump the highest and is the most athletic. Esse said that the reason she has had success with him is that she and Small A� air “click really well.”

“Your horse is your partner. When you have a good bond with your horse, you perform well. So, in a sense, it’s

A champion by leaps and boundsJAMESBERNSTEIN ‘14

Courtesy of James Parker

JUMP: Senior Olivia Esse competes at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Courtesy of Kendall Bierer

CHAMPION: Esse wins Grand Junior Hunter Champion at Alltech National Horse Show.

Esse has multiple horses that quali� ed this year. Esse’s horses compete in the Junior Hunters division.

Despite her success, Esse isn’t going to compete in the NCAA because she wants a “normal college experience,” and at most schools, riders have to live in the same dorms and practice together. Esse wants no part of that regimen.

In fact, even now Esse trains much less that one might expect. Although she normally participates in weekly competitions, she trains only right before she rides. Because of school work, Esse doesn’t have time to train during the week.

“I didn’t used to care. I thought [equestrian] was an obscure sport and thought people would think I’m weird for doing it. Now, I have more respect for it,” said Esse.

For a while, Esse purposely didn’t mention her equestrian accomplishments around school because she didn’t want people talking about them. She doesn’t ride to win; she rides for the experience.

“To win feels amazing; competing against the best riders in the country and being part of the sport’s tradition at these prestigious shows is an incredible feeling,” said Esse. “It makes it worth all the hard work and the trips back and forth.”

at the varsity level against upperclassmen since she was in the seventh grade.

Now she has multiple trainers, the most successful of which Esse believes is one of the top riders in the nation: John French. He has practiced with her for about a year and meets up with her at all of her shows and championships, though Esse has had many trainers over the past few years.

At her � rst national show on the East Coast, French told Esse that when he was young, he only

h a d o n e

opportunity to travel across the country for a national show and how special it was to him. � is attitude has stuck with Esse and she appreciates qualifying for a national show by itself as a big accomplishment.

Now, Esse is proud to represent the West Coast in competitions around the country, as it is the underdog in the national circuit. She believes that the West Coast has begun to earn more respect over the past few years however.

At � rst, Esse had mixed feelings about the sport.“I did it every weekend. It felt like a job. Going through

the motions was always very automatic,” said Esse.But over the past few years, she has become more

competitive.“I’m a very internal learner, and it’s a very mental sport.

If I make a mistake, I know how to do something di� erent the next time.”

� e national circuit is classi� ed by age groups and horse size: under 15 and 16-17 years old, and small and large horses. Each class is broken down into several divisions, or sections. Normally, there are between 15 and 25 riders in each division.

In order to compete in the circuit, horses must accumulate points throughout the season in regional competitions. In other words, scoring goes by the horse and

sports32 wednesday, november 23, 2011 |

JACKROSE ‘13

A year after the best sports team in school history won the school’s first CIF championship, the girls tennis team won it again, defeating Cerritos High School 10-8 on Monday at the Claremont Club.

“It’s so surreal, I can’t believe that we did it again. I am so proud of everyone,” said co-captain, senior Natasha Super.

“I’m on top of the world. To be the best of the best two years in a row from 100 schools… I feel on top of the world,” said head coach Sue Sherman.

The Griffins started the match strong, winning two out of the first three matches. Despite dominating performances from captain and number one singles player senior Hadleigh Glist, who defeated the Dons opposing number one singles player Taylor Heath 6-2, freshman and number two singles player Naomi Rosenberg, who defeated number two singles Katie Wee 6-2, and the number two doubles team comprised of junior Rita Farb and sophomore Sheridan March, who defeated the opposing number two singles team 6-0, the match was locked in a 3-3 set tie after the first round of sets.

“We had a rough start; we

are not used to going 3-3 in the first,” said assistant coach Michael Jedrzejewski. “Usually we have very, very strong first rounds.”

Cerritos’ number one doubles team of Felisha Dinh and Emily Lee proved too much for the Griffins throughout the match, starting by defeating number one doubles co-captain, senior Kiara Gitlin and sophomore Lindsay Wilson 6-4. Dinh and Lee would lose only one set the entire match, losing only to Farb and March, 6-3.

Despite the tie in sets after round one, the team was confident in their seven game lead over the Dons. If the match ended in a tie, as the championship did last year, the winner would be determined by counting games.

In the second round, the Griffins made their mark. Glist won again, this time 6-0, and the duo of Gitlin and Wilson responded with a strong 6-1 win over the Dons number two doubles team. Despite senior and number three singles player Samantha Garrick and the number three doubles team of Super and sophomore Gina Ahmar losing, Farb and March won again, putting the team ahead 6-5 with one match left in the round: Rosenberg against Heath.

“Their number one hit really hard but I could stay in the point longer than she could,” said Rosenberg.

All eyes turned to center court, as Rosenberg’s match was the last to finish. Rosenberg won the first game before losing two straight to Heath, whose improvements throughout the match solicited praise from spectators. However, Rosenberg would not be denied as she went on to win the next five games and take the match convincingly, 6-2. When Rosenberg won her match, putting the Griffins up 7-5, the contingent of Griffin fans breathed a collective sigh of relief as victory got closer.

“Right now, we can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel and the third round makes sense to us on paper. Now the girls just have to do what they’ve been doing all season,” said Jedrzejewski after the second round concluded.

What the team had been doing all season was win. And win they did.

The players knew that all they needed were two more sets, as they were well ahead in games. Rosenberg was the first to complete her third round match, winning an

easy 6-0 to put the Griffins up 8-5. Garrick and the team of Super and Ahmar subsequently lost, leaving only three matches left. Glist and the team of Gitlin and Wilson lead their matches at the time, 3-0 and 4-1.

Soon, cheers could be heard as Gitlin and Wilson won 6-1, giving the Griffins their ninth set and an apparent victory. All spectators moved to watch the end of Glist’s match with Wee.

“I was up in my last match but I kept looking over at everyone to see what was going on and no one would smile and it was so frustrating [to not know the match score],” said Glist. She told herself she had to win and turned her focus back to the match.

Glist battled hard in the last few games of her match before winning 6-0. At that point, she had given the Griffins a 10-7 lead and a guaranteed victory.

“I looked to my left and I just balled,” said Glist. “I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much in my life.”

Glist was embraced by her teammates before Sherman calmed them down and moved the team as well as the fans to the final match of the afternoon, Farb and March against the Dons’ number

three doubles team of Madi Tien and Michelle Jen. Since the match was already decided, the players stormed Farb and March’s court as the team celebrated in the middle of the court.

“Emotionally, we have been under stress since August 15,” said Sherman. “The first day that we got together I said that there is only one word we are going to use and that’s repeat. They have carried that stress all the way through.”

Sherman was very proud of her team’s perseverance and the legacy they have created. Buckley became the fifth school to reach CIF finals in girls tennis four years in a row.

As the team moved to center court to take pictures and celebrate their victory, Sherman made sure to keep her team under control; not letting them celebrate too much with Cerritos still in the area. Sherman made sure her team maintained the same high character that allowed them to maintain control over their stress and emotion throughout their repeat run.

The team’s title becomes the second CIF championship for the school, the other being theirs from last year.

GIRLS WIN CIF. AGAIN.

SINGLES

Glist vs. Heath

Rosenberg vs. Heath

Garrick vs. Heath

Glist vs. Wee

Rosenberg vs. Wee

Garrick vs. Wee

Glist vs. Jang

Rosenberg vs. Jang

Garrick vs. Jang SuperAhmar vs. Dinh

Lee

FarbMarch vs. Dinh

Lee

GitlinWilson vs. Dinh

Lee

SuperAhmar vs.

FarbMarch vs.

GitlinWilson vs. Tan

Truong

SuperAhmar vs. Tien

Jen

FarbMarch vs. Tien

Jen

GitlinWilson vs. Tien

Jen

DOUBLES

championshipscoresheet win loss

6-1 6-0 6-0

6-2 6-2 6-0

2-6 0-6 3-6

4-6 6-1 6-1

6-3 6-0 3-6

1-6 1-6 3-6Tan

Truong

TanTruong

Now back-to-back champs, the girls varsity tennis team defeated Cerritos High School 10-8 at the Claremont Club on Monday, November 21.

Issue 3

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