Academic Council

by Nikki Stein

The existence of Academic Council, a group of Upper School students and teachers who discuss and reevaluate the school’s curriculum, gives Chadwick students an opportunity that few high school student bodies have.
“The purpose of Academic Council is to offer students the chance to provide input on academic issues presented to them by the administration as well as to offer topics for discussion of students own choosing,” said Wiedenmann.
The Academic Council has met once this school year on Jan. 6. Their main discussion topic revolved around the homework surveys required of students for each of their classes.
“I believe the input and feeback of students was quite helpful in improving the survey’s quality,” said Wiedenmann.
The Academic Council consists of twenty students and three faculty advisors: Headmaster Ted Hill, Dean of Students Lauren Stern and Head of Upper School Mark Wiedenmann.
Joining the Academic Council required student applicants to submit essays answering, “Why are you interested and what do you think you might be able to contribute to the group’s process?”
“There are no pre-requisites in terms of other elected and/or leadership positions, awards or accomplishments,” said Hill. “The essential criteria are thoughtfulness and a willingness to engage in an important process for the good of the school and your fellow students.”
This year, Hill has enacted changes intended to streamline the work of the council. “In response to feedback from students last year, we revised the Academic Council,” said Hill.
“The major changes are be to reduce the number of faculty and student participants and to focus the Academic Council’s meetings on issues on which we will move forward. We plan to include a limited number of representatives from each class (grades 9-12) to meet monthly,” he said.
Furthermore, Hill intends to broaden the spectrum of groups involved in the council as needed. “Depending on the focus of a given meeting, we will invite other members of the faculty and administration to attend and participate. Participants may be expected to read a modest number of background materials before meetings,” he said.
The Academic Council has bold goals for its 2010-2011 agenda. According to Hill, “The topics that we may tackle this year are the school’s new Strategic Plan for 2010-2020, relationships with Chadwick International School Songdo, AP-designated courses, homework, and the senior year experience.”

Round Square works with Cate School

by Chris Stanton

Chadwick’s Round Square Board recently teamed up with the Cate School’s Round Square Board for a conference and charity event on Jan. 15, 2011 in Santa Barbara, California.
The diverse groups from the two schools added up to twenty-six students and faculty members, which included our Round Square Board members sophomores Emily Newton and Kelly Lee, juniors Madelyn Tournat, Eliza Powers and Faith Memmo and board director John Nordquist. Junior Maddy Sung also attended the event. During the trip, the two groups discussed the different community service and international exchange programs offered at their corresponding schools. They also discussed diversity within local communities.
“The trip was pretty fun. Not only did we get to meet some cool people from a school other than Chadwick, but we also got to help a few people along the way,” said Newton.
On the trip, the group of twenty-six participants visited some sights in Montecito and Santa Barbara. Diversity in the neighboring areas, they found, came in all shapes and sizes from socioeconomic status to ethnicity. After doing some sightseeing, the volunteers headed to the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County to learn about hunger issues there and in surrounding locations.
“It was really shocking to hear about such issues in California,” said Tournat.
Later, the group of Round Square volunteers went to the food distribution center at the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County to be educated on the subject of local hunger.
After finishing their service, the students and faculty members drove directly to the Casa Esperanza Homeless Center, a charity dedicated to helping homeless men, women and children in the Santa Barbara community. The group served food to over 200 people and also cleaned the kitchen and the dining hall afterwards. Throughout this whole process, the members could ask the homeless center’s visitors about their lives and their beliefs.
“It was a great experience, and it was cool getting that chance to talk to homeless people about their hardships,” said Memmo.
The Chadwick group returned to Palos Verdes around 10 p.m. with a sense of accomplishment from their day of learning and helping others.
“We learned a lot from the Cate School’s Round Square members, and hopefully they learned from us,” said Memmo.

What’s up, LA?

by Talia DeRogatis

Celebrating musical talent at Coachella

Every year, thousands of music fanatics travel to Indio, California for the Coachella Music Festival. This year, the festival returns the weekend of April 15, featuring some of the most celebrated artists in music.
The headlining artists are Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon, Kanye West and the Strokes.  Since 2010, Arcade Fire, a Canadian indie rock band, has rapidly gained fans, fame and three Grammy nominations.
Other anticipated artists include the Black Keys and the relatively young English band Mumford and Sons, renowned for their meaningful music and live talent. A more veteran group, the Bright Eyes, is expected to attract crowds with brilliant, poetic lyrics and passionate folk songs.  Crowds also anxiously await Cee Lo Green, Wiz Khalifa, Cold War Kids and Empire of the Sun. Such exciting rising artists such as Jakes, Jack’s Mannequin and Yelle will also perform.
Because of the popularity of this event, scalpers have snatched all of the passes. However, Coachella hopefuls should wait patiently, because historically prices drop.

Hype for Beach House’s latest show

Beach House, an indie-rock duo formed in Baltimore, Maryland, will perform at the Music Box in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 17.
Consisting of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, the band formed in 2004 and has released three critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums since then. They are expected to continue developing upon their success and release more brilliant and addicting albums.
The band is influenced by Neil Young, Francoise Hardy, and Grizzly Bear, but has by now come into its own dynamic style. Many refer to this style as “dream pop,” and it is marked by a slow, atmospheric, sometimes haunting sound. After establishing this unique and powerful sound, Beach House has gained an impressive following.
Although the band still remains rather obscure to the majority of people, tickets to see this 8 pm show range from $50 to $70 and are projected to sell fairly quickly.

Blue Valentine captivates audiences

In the spirit of both the love and the heartbreak that surrounds Valentine’s Day, the film Blue Valentine is playing in general release in local theaters. The film, directed by Derek Cianfrance, tells the story of how a couple finds love, loses it, and attempts to get it back.
The story is told in a fragmented, unorganized sequence of past and present and mixes moments of joy and despair for a struggling married couple. All these portraits surround an emotional night during which the couple leaves their daughter for a night to attempt to save their marriage.
The raw, rough style of this film make it a fitting Cannes Film Festival selection, and the intensely real and vulnerable performances of Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams add to its promise. The actors’ chemistry has been called unequaled and the film has been said to revolutionize the portrayal of a love story. Furthermore, critics have praised the film’s unique plotline and emotionally moving cinematography.

Students deliver the magic of the Roaring 20’s

by Andie Conlon

This month, Chadwick students will roll their stockings down, “shimmy shake,” and “paint the town,” as they bring the Roaring 20’s back to life with the Upper School musical production Chicago.
Two casts will present this award-winning musical on Mar. 2, Mar. 3, and Mar. 4 at 7:30 pm, Mar. 5 at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Mar. 6 at 3 pm.
The Saturday evening performance will feature a pre-show dinner theater—this year with a cabaret theme and student performances.
Chicago is a colorful, high-energy song and dance spectacular that features dazzling Bob Fosse choreography and catchy music and lyrics, including “All That Jazz” and “Give ’em the old razzle-dazzle.”
Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, the musical takes on the themes of love, adultery, murder, fame, and scandal as it tells the story of chorus girl Roxie Hart (Ally Van Deuren and Sarah Brown), who murders her lover and is sent to Death Row.
Her cellblock is already inhabited by starlet Velma Kelly (Molly Heller and Amanda Long), who murdered her husband and her sister after she discovered they were having an affair.
The jail is controlled by the corrupt prison matron “Mama” (Zoe Fiske and Vanessa Contratto), whose song “When You’re Good To Mama” explains her system of aiding inmates in exchange for cash.
Mama has helped Velma become a media sensation as the “murderess of the moment” in the tabloids. Velma is not pleased to see Roxie, who is stealing her headlines as well as her lawyer, Billy Flynn (Jared Agnew and Matt Beshke).
After Roxie convinces her husband, Amos (Zach Blickensderfer and Arjun Bedi), to pay for Billy’s fees, Billy, surrounded by his adoring female fans, performs his anthem “All I Care About Is Love.” Billy takes Roxie’s case, Roxie becomes the new media sensation, and Velma’s fame is left in the dust.
When Roxie finds her own stardom fading, she fakes a pregnancy to put her back on the front page.
Drama teacher Thom McLaughlin is directing the musical, and choral music teacher Bob Marino is the musical director. Choreographer Leslie Miller is being assisted by sophomore Isabel Ngan.  Austin Welch, a sophmore, is the stage manager.
According to junior Zach Blickensderfer, the phrase “razzle dazzle” pretty much sums up what this musical is all about.
“The music is fantastic, catchy and memorable. The audience will enjoy the musical for its familiarity. People have seen the movie and have heard of the musical so they’ll know what the musical is going to be like going into it,” says Blickensderfer.
Chicago is known for its showstopping musical numbers and sizzling dance routines.
“The musical itself is different from any other I’ve done,” says Junior Jared Agnew, “because every other musical I’ve done has had music incorporated into the show and in this, the [musical] numbers are the whole show, with talking incorporated into the numbers.”
Senior Molly Heller thinks the audience will also enjoy the message of the musical.
“I love that the show really does a great job of commenting on the way societies [have a] fascination with celebrities and does so through great song and dance,” says Heller.
Most of the musical numbers are upbeat and light with the exception of Amos’s melancholy “Mr. Cellophane,” which is about how people can see right through him.
Numbers such as “All that Jazz” allow all members of the cast to shine.
“My favorite musical number has to be the ‘Cell Block Tango,’” says Heller, “it tells the story of six, sexy, menacing murderesses and how they killed their significant others. It’s really dark but really fun!”
Cast and crew have been working long hours to put together the best show possible. Rehearsal time increased after semester break to include weekend rehearsals. While some students will be relaxing or vacationing over President’s Day weekend, the Chicago cast and crew will be hard at work.
“It’s a big commitment,” says Blickensderfer. “The Fosse choreography is very difficult, and just getting the dance down is very challenging.”
That’s not to say that students aren’t having fun.  According to Stage Manager Welch, “The organization of having over sixty people in the performance is difficult, but enjoyable. It makes for quite a large family.”
Agnew agrees that working with a large cast can be challenging, but fun.
“There are so many people I’ve never talked to before, so it’s a nice way to meet people,” says Agnew.
As to the camaraderie backstage, Agnew says, “Everyone likes each other.  Everyone is supporting each other and wants to make the show the best.”
Chicago was inspired by real world headlines from the 1920’s.  The original play, written by Maurine Dallas Watkins, was made into a musical in the 1970’s with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, choreography by Bob Fosse, and book by Ebb and Fosse.
Heller says, “The Chadwick audience will like that this show is funny and sad. It is extremely entertaining, and the entire ensemble does an incredible job. This is a show you won’t want to miss!”

Hello, World

by Nicole Stanton

Teen arrested for aiming green laser beam at airplane beam attacks near LAX

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, a 14-year-old teen was arrested for pointing a green laser beam at a plane landing at Los Angeles International Airport.
Blinded by a green laser beam during its descent into the Los Angeles International Airport, the pilots of Boeing 737 were temporarily unable to see their path on the runway ahead. Fortunately, no one on board was injured.
The pilots were easily able to pinpoint the location of the laser, and the police immediately used their helicopters to find the suspect.
The 14-year-old boy was caught in his backyard still in possession of the laser.
This felony occurred less than a week after the U.S. Senate approved an amendment making pointing lasers at pilots illegal, thus a felony.
More than 100 of these green beam attacks have occurred near LAX in the past year. Nationally, the number of laser attacks on planes has doubled annually.
A spokesman of the Federal Aviation Administration stated that pointing a laser beam can cause temporary vision problems for the pilots, which forces pilots to turn over control of the aircraft to their co-pilots, or in worse cases, to abort landing.

Murderer convicted after leaving trail of leaves, squirrels
On Thursday, Jan. 6, Matthew Hoffman, of Mount Vernon, Ohio, was found guilty of three murders and a kidnapping.
When SWAT members raided his home, they found dry leaves covering the floors of his entire house, bags of leaves filling the bathrooms and closets ground to ceiling, and two dead, skinned squirrels in his freezer next to red popsicles.
After Hoffman was taken away, a 13-year-old kidnapped girl was found in his basement, sexually harrassed and bound to a bed of leaves.
Unfortunately, unaware of the fact that Hoffman had already murdered her mother, brother, and friend, the girl asked the whereabouts of her family members when she was taken into the hospital.
However, the bodies of the two adults and 11-year-old child were not found in his home.
Four days later, using information from Hoffman, the bodies were discovered  stuffed in a nearby hollowed tree.
Hoffman pleaded guilty, and his sanity was examined. Surprisingly, families of the victims have asked that the death penalty not be pursued, and Hoffman is now serving a life sentence for three murders and for the kidnapping and rape of the teen.

Egypt’s future hangs on two big questions

Will the protests recede soon?
Egyptian President Honsni Bubarak’ resignation on Friday, Feb. 11,has met the key demand of the protestors. However, under the circumstances, it is not likely that the protests will end soon.
Following Mubarak’s departure, protesters of different groups have raised numerous new demands.
Some of these demands include the abolishment of the current constitution, the dissolution of the parliament, and the establishment of a transitional government.
The Egyptian revolution, now entering its third week, overthrew Mubarak’s 30-year regime as head of a  corrupt and repressive government.

Will the presidential election take place as planned?
The immediate priority for any party of Egypt is to put a stop to violent crimes and terrorist plots, and quickly restore social stability.
However, an election needs to be held in the midst of chaos due to huge domestic and foreign pressures trying to shape the structure of the new democratic government.

What can writing cure?

by John Matson, English Teacher

You wake up in the middle of a night
after a day during which you could hardly wait
to stop hearing the sound of your own voice—
talking so feeble and fake and futile
that you don’t even remember it,
much less feel any remorse for it,
or release from it.
You didn’t say anything wrong,
but you didn’t say anything right, either.
You worry about talking yourself into a deeper hole,
since, to make matters worse,
you feel like you have to talk
to someone about all your idle talk.

You then remember a way
to make all this right: you write.
You put your confession of pointless prolixity
away in the kindest of coffins,
a shut up talking book that no one
need ever hear, least of all you—
a mute memorandum, an aspiring antiquity,
most precious when it is finally buried,
once and for all; to be excavated
only in the case of a catastrophe—
a quaking of the heavens or the earth;
a sudden need to show and thus soothe
some born again blight—
that binds us to the work of unsealing it.

What can writing cure?

The wound that comes
from taking things too personally;
then the scar that grows over this wound—
the scar: the mark of lost power
to take things personally enough.
The love letter:
not the one that asks for something,
but confesses something, rather,
and no longer hopes for personal benefit,
but rather a public good
and glory which,
however satisfying to the self,
is nothing you can take to the bank.

How to be a second semester senior

by Nicole Stanton

Well, Seniors, we made it. After filling out countless college applications and surviving one of the most taxing academic semesters of our lives, we have finally seen the light. However, we have been waiting for second semester for what feels like forever, but now what do we do?
Similar to post-Christmas morning when you are surrounded by countless presents, as a second semester senior we are supplied with a new freedom that we aren’t quite sure how to approach.
First of all, what does being a second semester senior even mean? Well, we no longer have expectations to reach. We have goals and things to strive for, but they are on our own terms. We don’t need our GPA to be raised by a tenth to get into our dream school, and we are not expected to fill every single waking moment as a leader of this or a member of that.
Additionally, some of 2011 has noticed a lightening of the homework load. Whether it be the teacher’s knowledge of our lack of focus or maybe just luck on our part, the lessening of work is something to relish.
Finally, and most importantly, as second semester seniors we realize that all we have to do is enjoy. The stress is gone, the work is lessened, and we realize that we are left with all of the things we love about Chadwick. Free time, the people we love and the school we have come to know, are just waiting in front of us and are ready to be savored.
My first piece of advice has to do with free time. An interesting suggestion I have heard is to initiate a new TV obsession. Many have been taking part in this activity, including myself. Whether it be Friday Night Lights, Modern Family or 90210, filling your life with something non-educational and seemingly pointless feels pretty good.
All of those times you have avoided the drama of a television series for fear of distracting yourself from studying for a calculus test now can be avenged.
And to those who feel as if television is unfulfilling and accomplishes little, make your obsession into a goal. Watch an episode a day, a season a week, whatever suits your needing-to-please anxieties. So, second semester senior, make a date with the couch and a remote and fulfill your long-stifled temptation.
My second suggestion is in regards to the friends we must enjoy. While focused on ridiculous amounts of business we tend to neglect our friends. We realize how important they are, and we know how badly we want to turn on iChat, respond to their text, or go on Facebook to talk to them, but most of the time can’t find a way to justify it. The first semester  excuses of imminent tests and essays apply, but no more! We can now turn on every one of the countless modes of communication we possess and socialize to our hearts content.
Even more importantly, we will come to discover the purpose of a weekend. It actually is not made for extra homework time or to cram in a project. Weekends are for this thing called a social life. Let’s get to know this thing very well. Make friends with your friends again and go on adventures, lie around and do absolutely nothing, go out to dinner, do whatever, but just spend time with the people you’ve neglected for so long.
My final piece of advice is to enjoy the present to its fullest extent. Although this semester has just begun, we all realize the odd nature of our situation. We are in this in-between state in which our minds are filled to capacity with high school knowledge. We are anxiously waiting for college news. And, we are extremely conscious of the countless good byes which are looming right on the horizon.
Let’s commit ourselves to focusing on the good. We can save the nostalgia for a later date. All we love about high school is in our grasp, so let’s embrace it.

Man’s Manifesto: The Search for a Manly Meal

by Jim Simmons and Hank Trumbull

In our five years here, we have seen almost all that Chadwick has to offer between the two of us. We have spent more time hanging around ’wick on the long fall days and late winter nights than most of the student body.
In all this time we have seen people and things come and go, but the one thing we have yet to see is a meal made by the cafeteria that is manly enough for our hearty tastes. The Chadwick cafeteria provides a light snack for the average freshman girl, but we hungry men are looking for a sandwich that has the big meat.
Here is the problem: as growing teenage boys, we look for a meal that will taste good, fill us up and is cheap. The cafeteria often fulfills a few of these requirements, but we have yet to see a meal that can meet all of our needs.
Sometimes, the cafeteria will provide a hearty meal of beef with a side of a surprise meat sauce, but we must refuse the entree in fear of spending our football practices throwing up in the bushes. Even though this meal is definitely large enough to fill us up, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t stay down.
On the other hand, the buffalo wings are always tasty, but we aren’t trying to pay $3 for something that couldn’t keep us full for more than an hour. We don’t want to pay a dollar a buffalo wing at school, when we can get a feast of buffalo wings delivered by Dominos for half the price. Worst of all, the Arizona Ice Tea says 99 cents on the bottle, but the cafeteria manages to sell it for $1.75. We were tired of these unfair deals and decided to take matters into our own hands.
Being the intelligent men we are, we decided to do a little research on our topic. We started with the question, how much does a quality meal that fills us up cost in the real world?
We visited our three favorite places to fill up where we go when we have the muchies: Taco Bell, Sandos and AM-PM. We loaded up on Crunch Wrap Supremes, THCs (turkey, ham and cheese sanwiches) and ICEEs until we couldn’t take any more.
We made sure to get as much food as desired, and after our fast food fiesta we totaled the prices to get an average amount paid for an excellent meal. After all that food, it only totaled up to be an inexpensive $6 dollar cost for a high-content meal. “Why can’t it be like this at Chadwick?” Dr. Ba (junior Jared Agnew) asked.
At ’wick the average break snack consists of a bagel, a Snapple, at least three buffalo wings, two bananas (one to eat, one for birdman) and a bag of chips. This all totals up to be around $8, and it only fills us up till lunch time. We finally understood  that the added convenience of the cafeteria was truly not worth the extra money.
Now, we decided, it was time to work towards a solution to our culinary problems. The obvious plan was to skip the cafeteria and go out to lunch every day, but being juniors, we could only do this a limited number of times before getting caught and forced back onto campus.
We needed a constant source of superb food as bad as Nala needed a manlier nickname. After pondering our problem for many hours on end, the solution hit us with a bang. Why pay all this money for food, when the absolute best food source available was right in front of us?
The answer was simple: home- made lunches from our mothers. We had forgotten about the beautiful, filling sandwiches our mothers had made back in the days of elementary school. Rather than complaining about the cafeteria food, we could just enjoy the food we had been eating since Day 1. Yet again, our mothers had solved all of our problems and now we are happy once again.

Guidos ski down to the Pita Pit

by Ari Kassardjian and Larry Feygin

As we reached our last milestone as Chadwick students by becoming second semester seniors, we finally could embrace the guido lifestyle to the fullest without the hassles of college applications, constant pressure from teachers and parents and jam-packed weekends full of homework. Thus, we finished our last midterm with perfection and sped north towards the cornerstone of every Chadwick student’s experience, Mammoth Mountain.
Our expectations increased exponentially during the prior weeks, yet as the moment came when we were pushed into the role of second semester seniors, the positive expectations became a looming cloud of stress because of the big shoes we need to fill. However, as you know, the guidos never disappoint.
After a fun day frolicking in the snow or barreling down a mountainside with your closest friends, nothing remains more satisfactory as the simplicity of a pita sandwich from Pita Pit.
So, as the extremely long second day of Mammoth winded down to a close, we decided to take a 1 am trip to Pita Pit joined by seniors Michael Kogan, Luigi Cervantes, Justin Hsu, Sean Ouye, Cotter Phinney, Harrison Kidd, Brian Shaw, Ben Krauss, Ryan Hood, Kevin Wang, James Calhoun, Saagar Shah, Jonathan “Jlew” Lewis, Chudi Iregbulem and Omar Qazi. With delirious and unrested minds, we trekked through the oncoming snowstorm after a night of debauchery. Our legs sank ankle deep into the white snow, highly reminiscent of the hobbits’ winding journey to Mordor in Lord of the Rings.
Once we arrived at Pita Pit, Chudi immediately lurched at the glass door and caressed its naked frame, relieved after the long journey we took. The literal and figurative warmth of the comfortable interior provided a sacred space for the gluttonous guidos to partake in our late-night gastronomic indulgence.
Ari ordered his usual chicken caesar pita with lettuce, tomatoes, hummus, olives, sautéed mushrooms, sprouts and banana peppers. Larry occupied his flatbread abode with grilled lamb, tzatziki sauce, grilled onions, cucumbers and banana peppers. The cooks could see our intense hunger through our eyes, so they quickly started concocting our pitas.
Fortunately, the rambunctious atmosphere in the restaurant provided some entertainment while we waited. Larry was so entranced at the way the good looking girl prepared his pita that he immediately dropped his sandwich on the floor, which he proceeded to clean up with the towels from the bathroom.
Jlew ordered an excessive amount of bean sprouts that were bunching out of his sandwich, but he was able to gingerly consume them one by one before complaining of extreme exhaustion, and he eventually had to retire early.
As we searched for a table, four young ruffians were sprawled across multiple tables that we needed to sit on, and they squeaked in their Middle School voices, “Sorry, these tables are full.” Now, as second semester seniors, this type of comment should never pass without a mature reaction that reflects our superiority. Consequently, as the mature seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds that we are, we proceeded to flip the young men out of their chairs while jabbing them in the ribs and screaming obscenities as their surmounting fear compelled them to leave immediately.
After the chaos died down, we all sat down and slowly enjoyed our pitas, but Harrison finished three pitas before anybody else finished one: a record of Mammoth proportions.
Cartoon pitas and vegetables decorated the cozy interior walls, reminding Luigi of his  carefree childhood days of watching Veggie Tales, which added to our “good vibrations” along with the surrounding sound of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch’s amazing one-hit-wonder playing loudly on the overhead radio.
With our bellies full, we reminisced on the past generations of Chadwick seniors sitting in the very same seats we were in; they were big shoes to fill. Only four more months remained until graduation, and then another slew of kids would take our place as our imprint on Chadwick eventually recedes. But, what do not recede are our everlasting memories.
Our hearts sank with the thought of never returning to Pita Pit, or Mammoth, again, but our minds focused on the bright  golden future awaiting us. Thus, we walked back to our room 3329 with our heads held high and proud with the notion of squeezing the life out of our remaining months. And, as mentioned earlier, the guidos never disappoint.

Value: 7.5/10

Ambiance: 8.3/10

Food: 6.6/10

Facilities: 1/3

Music Moguls: Music in our own backyard

by Kyle Ulman and Ryan Duncan

In May of 2010, local Hermosa Beach band Sand Section, released their first major album Truth Over Harmony. Sand Section’s sound is a mixture of South Bay punk and reggae. Their style could be compared to the legendary Long Beach band Sublime, though listeners have had difficulty classifying them in a specific genre.
The band consists of lead guitarist and vocalist Jeff Nisen, bass guitarist and vocalist Tony Gonella and percussionist Sam Mandelbaum. The band members initially began playing together in middle school, yet Sand Section was not officially formed until 2008.
Once formed, the band spent a lot of time commuting between shows at UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz, the alma maters of both Nisen and Gonella. After graduating in 2009, the band decided to focus their careers towards music.
Recently, Sand Section has been on tour, throughout Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and other Los Angeles areas.
The album Truth Over Harmony includes twelve tracks, with the song “Doubled Over” being the most popular. The album is a warm, summery reflection of the easy-going lifestyles in the South Bay. What makes Sand Section different from the other similar bands are their upbeat rhythms and melodious vocals.
Sand Section is further separated from previous rock-reggae bands by abstaining from the playing the overused guitar upstroke. Sand Section transforms the stereotypical “Surfer Band” into an original art form.
Their most well known song to date, “Doubled Over,” is an excellent example of Sand Section’s lyrical storytelling ability coupled with Nisen’s harmonious vocals. The song begins with the characteristics of a soft acoustic introduction, yet the melody quickly builds intensity and momentum as the song progresses. The intensity reaches its highest during the chorus, producing a toe-tapping rhythmic motif. Even more impressive is the breakdown after the chorus, showing the band’s versatility and adeptness at using contrasting tempos within a single song.
The second most well-known song, “Undertow,” is a song about a long-distance relationship and the love for a girl. Unlike the slow buildup of “Doubled Over,” Undertow begins the song immediately in an upbeat fashion. This clever use of an early peak in rhythm instantly hooks you into the song and utterly embodies the excitement of love. The allegro pace continues until the chorus in which the tempo slows. The chorus allows  Nisen to truly demonstrate his versatile vocal ability. “Undertow” finishes with a striking combination of the fast-paced introduction motifs and the melodic vocals of the chorus.
Through an online survey, it was indicated that only 30% of Chadwick students have even heard of the band. With the release of Truth Over Harmony, the band will hopefully gain more widespread fame, a significantly larger fan base  and the popularity that it definitely deserves. Sand Section is the ultimate example of a diamond in the rough.

Top ten takes on 2010’s top couples

by Blake Range, Matty Gallas, Jared Agnew

2011 has started off with a bang.  To commemorate the past year, and kick off the new one, we have compiled a list of the top ten most noteworthy relationships of 2010.

1. George Cullen, Georgia and Football
George Cullen is originally from the state of Georgia. However, this past year, George’s move to California has put a strain on this triangle of love. His affair with the state runs deep, and he misses Georgia dearly.  Thankfully, he still has football, and, as George put it, “I would die without football!”
2. Dylan Barbour and His Ego
When asked about his ego, Dylan was at a loss for words.  But, after an explanation of what an “ego”is, Barbour said, “Yeah, I’m tight, get off me.”
3. Girls Water Polo and Will Didinger
Over the past the past two years, the Girls  Water Polo team has grown more than just fond of Coach Will Didinger. Their relationship has blossomed into what some might call obsession. Dana and Kari Ayoob, captains on the team, explained, “WE LOVE WILL.” When asked about the girls, Didinger said, “What can I say? Who doesn’t love me?” Whatever is going on beneath the surface seems to be helping the team: the girls are undefeated in league.
4. Jim Simmons and Drama
Jim is by far the biggest drama queen on campus. We do not have enough space to talk about them all.  But, when confronted, Simmons said, “I LOVE DRAMA!”
5. Chudi and Sky N9ne
With his one claim to fame being Sky N9ne, Chudi has successfully emerged as the school’s most high-profile blogger. Nicole Hutchison told us, “Every day on Facebook I see a new Sky N9ne update, and Chudi likes it.” With all his constant “likes” and posts, even Facebook is getting annoyed.
6. The Eighth Grade and Snitches
Many have lived and abided by the rule: “snitches get stitches.” However, this is not so with the Class of 2015. Many of the boys in that grade have been extremely nervous about their futures and refrained from giving a quote for fear of being told on.
7. Kevin and Orisue
The very idea of Orisue follows Kevin Wang wherever he goes.  With the emblem on Facebook and on his clothes, it is easy to see the connection between the two.  But what is Orisue? Frankly, we have no idea. However, upon further research we discovered that Orisue is a clothing company based out of our very own Southern California and specializes in “unique” clothing. So next time you see Kevin Wang around school, make sure you smile and compliment him on his quest to become more unique.
8. Brian Shaw and Lyrics
In case you haven’t noticed, all of Brian Shaw’s attempts to serenade his formal dates in the past have never been successfully completed.  When asked about these lapses, B-Shaw confidently declared, “It’s not about the lyrics, only the message.”  Ok Brian, keep up the good work.
9. Nicole Stanton and Tears
Nicole isn’t sad about anything. She simply finds herself in situations where she lacks words to describe her feelings. So if you are confused by a sighting of Nicole in tears, don’t worry; things are just getting a little overwhelming. We would include a quote about this relationship, but Nicole became too emotional and incomprehensible to answer our questions.
10. The Actual Couples
Here’s a shout out to all the real, long-term couples. You know who you are!

SHARK TANK: Should the government increase gun control?

PRO

by Nicole Compton

With the increasing amount of gun violence in this country, it is difficult for me not to be a supporter of government gun control.  A statistic was released stating that every day 80 American die from firearms.  Roughly 16,272 murders were committed in the United States during 2008, and about 67% of these were committed with firearms.  The Second Amendment does not need to be repealed, but the right to bears arms needs to be re-evaluated to match the realities of modern society.  Some would argue that measures to control the use of guns are already in place, but I am advocating additional regulations that would make it more difficult for people to obtain guns. The first critique against gun control would be the presence of the Second Amendment; however, I would like to point out that the Second Amendment was created in a very different time and for reasons that no longer pertain to present-day society.  The Founding Fathers created the Second Amendment when most of the country was unpopulated.  Many people only had a gun to protect themselves. Hunting was also more popular, not only for entertainment but also as a source of food.  Now, with a decreased need for hunting, it should be more difficult for one to possess guns today.  I also do not understand why some feel they need to possess a gun for their own protection.  The fact that they feel the need for a gun proves my point that guns should be regulated more closely.  If people weren’t afraid of others with guns, there would be not need for guns as a source of self-protection.  I especially do not see the rationale behind semi-automatic weapons being necessary in American homes.  Handguns or rifles are one thing, but the abundance of more powerful weapons has become absurd, causing gun advocates to lose what credibility they had.  I am not criticizing the Second Amendment, but rather stating that different times call for different measures.
States have the power to determine specific regulations on which guns are prohibited and where “open carry” is permitted.  Although most states have guidelines for those who possess guns and perform background checks before issuing permits, gun violence has not decreased.   The Second Amendment does not need to be repealed, but rather gun control should be taken to the federal level, not the state, in order for it to have any real impact. 
The best evidence to persuade those who do not favor gun control would be to highlight the recent horrific events in this country because of guns. These recent events should make every citizen at least start to consider tougher gun control laws.  Criminals or the mentally unstable will find a way to obtain a weapon as long as there are ways for others to do so.  The Arizona shooting, the recent incident of two children being killed by their mother in Florida and the increasing number of teen suicides and armed robberies all display concrete evidence as to the danger of faulty gun regulation. Jared Loughner, the Arizona shooter, would not have been able to kill the people he did a month ago if it had been more difficult for him to buy a gun.  The mother in Florida would not have been able to kill their children out of rage, it a background check had been done to identify her emotional instability,  The number of guns possessed by citizens needs to decrease to reduce unnecessary violence.  A man’s right to hunt and “protect himself” needs to be reconsidered to help save the lives that are being ended by gun violence every day.

CON

by Natalie Tecimer

Thirty-four percent of United States households have a gun. About one hundred million people in the country have a gun in their homes. Yet, the war against guns continues.
Yes, a gun can be bought to kill. However, there is a bigger reason why guns are important. Here is an interesting statistic to consider: sixty percent of felons polled agreed that criminals will not “mess around” with victims that are armed with guns. A gun’s purpose is also to provide self defense; the threat of its presence may even be enough to ward off aggressors.
Guns are often used by mentally unstable people who choose to commit homicide or suicide most likely because they offer a quick and easy death. If guns are removed from the home, the homicide and suicide rates will not decline; people will just find other weapons.
The National Rifle Association has gun-safety programs, such as the Eddie Eagle Gun Safe Program, in which kids are taught what to do if they find a gun. In the Eddie Eagle program, four easy steps are presented by the child friendly Eddie Eagle. The steps are as follows: stop, don’t touch, leave the area, and tell an adult. Guns are necessary for self defense, will not change homicide and suicide risks, and have a very low percent of fatal accidents.
Gun control is a violation of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. This amendment to the states that people have the right to keep and bear arms, yet basic rights of U.S. citizens are being taken away through gun control. William Caffrey, a speaker on the gun debate, claims that most people who “advocate gun control also advocate intrusive laws.” Supporters of gun control have proposed searches in houses as well as extensive background checks. This is an invasion of privacy, and it goes against the Fourth Amendment of the constitution, the right to have  protection against unreasonable search or arrest. Forbidding people the right to bear arms goes would lead to a further reduction of the individual rights of U.S. citizens.
In crisis situations, civilians need guns to stop crimes and to ensure that the criminals are not the only ones armed. When civilians are armed, they are able to thwart a criminal’s attempt at firing a shot and possibly murdering an innocent person.  This scene also portrays a major reason of why people buy guns: for self-defense. In January of 2002, a Virginian Law Student killed three, but was stopped from killing more by two students who retrieved guns from their cars. The law-abiding students remained unarmed long enough for three people to be killed.  Because it is illegal in most states including Virginia to carry a concealed weapon, the students had to keep their guns away from the school as required by law, and  if they had been carrying weapons on the scene, perhaps there would have not been any fatalities. In the case of the homicide at Virginia Tech, a gunman shot and killed thirty-three because “there were not enough people carrying guns to neutralize the gunman once he began his rampage,” as stated by a member of the Future of Freedom Foundation. The only man walking around with a concealed weapon was the gunman, who had even obtained a permit for his gun.
It would simply be impossible to get rid of guns completely, and that action would also risk security. The common man has the right to keep and to bear arms. He has this right for the safety of himself and others.

Knox explores D.C. with SEGL program for second semester

by Kelly Lee

Junior Andrew Knox is participating in program called the School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL) in Washing D.C. during the second semester of the school year.
SEGL is a selective, semester-long residential program for high school juniors from across the United States who have shown great leadership skills and promising character.
No students from Chadwick have participated in the past, making Knox is the first student to join SEGL in D.C.
“I really wanted to have a new experience away from Chadwick. I really wanted to meet new people, and this is the perfect program for me. I am very interested in international relations, and this is a school that is tailored to what I want in education,” said Knox.
Adjusting to the new environment wasn’t too difficult for Knox, who quickly made new friends and learned to enjoy the positive aspects of being in an unfamiliar environment. Knox states that he misses everyone at Chadwick, but his busy schedule leaves him little time to think about home.
“I really enjoy everyone here, and it is great to be at a new school for the first time,” said Knox.
Knox’s daily life is hectic, yet productive. On the weekdays, he and his fellow SEGL students leave their house at 8:15 to get on the metro. Each day starts with a morning meeting followed by classes, lunch, and chores.
Weekends officially begin after lunch on Saturdays, where students have English class from 11-1. However, the rest of the time, they have the full liberty to do whatever they want.
Knox says that he usually goes with the flow and explores the beautiful and historic Washington D.C. With easy access to sight-seeing, the student dorms are within a few blocks of the U.S. Capitol building, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Museums, the National Mall, Eastern Market and various parks.
For students who want to participate in this program but are hesitant due to worries about the curriculum, Knox assures that the academics issue is not a problem.
The program offers more courses that a Chadwick student would not have the opportunity to take, including Comparative Government and Ethics and Leadership. However, Knox must still fulfill his English, US History, Pre Calc and Chinese courses.  “My entire Wednesday is dedicated to the Ethics and Leadership course, which provides me a break from all the other classes,” said Knox. “This usually consists of D.C. site visits and conversations with guest speakers.”
The semester away hasn’t caused any hesitance towards the Advanced Placement (AP) tests coming in May.
“All the teachers here are good at preparing all of us for the AP tests, so that hasn’t even crossed my mind,” says Knox.
Knox, whose been going to Chadwick since kindergarden, decided that the SEGL program would allow him to partake in new, different experiences.
“I just needed a change from Chadwick.  I needed to be in a new environment for once, and I wanted to have a chance to take classes that I really wanted to take, and SEGL gives me that freedom,” said Knox. “It is also going to be good practice for college. I think that this is an invaluable experience, and I am really glad that I am here.”

Upcoming Movie Previews

by Drew Von Bergen

February 18th

I Am Number Four (PG-13)
Director DJ Caruso, best known for his teen thrillers Disturbia and Eagle Eye, helms this adaption of a bestselling book by the same name.  Alex Pettyfer stars as a young man with special powers who goes on the run to evade capture from powerful enemies.  Timothy Olyphant and Glee’s Dianna Agron costar in this sci-fi adventure flick.

Unknown (PG-13)
Liam Neeson stars as a man who recovers from an accident to discover that nobody, including his wife (Mad Men’s January Jones), believes that he is wh he says he is.  Diane Krugar has a supporting role in this mystery thriller by Orphan director Jaume Collet-Serra.

February 25th

Drive Angry 3D (R)
In this violent 3D action thriller, Nicolas Cage plays a man who escapes from hell to save his baby daughter.  Amber Heard and Billy Burke costar. The writer/director is Patrick Lussier, who also wrote and directed the fun horror-thriller My Bloody Valentine 3D.

Hall Pass (Not Yet Rated)
Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikes star as men whose wives, played by Christina Applegate and Jenna Fischer, allow them a one-week break from marriage.  The picture comes from comedy veterans the Farrelly brothers, who have previously produced There’s Something About Mary and Dumb & Dumber.

March 4th

Rango (PG)
Directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Carribean), this animated film features the voice of Johnny Depp as the titular character, a chameleon who becomes the sheriff in a small western town.  The voice actors wore costumes and performed on sets, to help the actors understand the feel of the movie.

The Adjustment Bureau (PG-13)
Bourne writer George Nolfi tries his hand at directing, and reteams with Matt Damon for this adaption of a Philip K. Dick story.  In the sci-fi thriller, a mysterious group does everything in their power to keep apart a young politician and a beautiful dancer (played by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt).

Beastly (PG-13)
The film has been described as Beauty and the Beast with a modern twist. Alex Pettyfer stars as a New York pretty boy whose good looks are taken away by a curse that forces him to find love within a year. Vanessa Hudgens also stars as a love interest.

March 11th

Battle: Los  Angeles (Not Yet Rated)
Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez star as Marines in this grand scale special effects-heavy film in which Los Angeles is under attack by alien invaders.  Reactions to the first trailers have been particularly impressive for what seems to be the first huge budget release of the year.

Red Riding Hood (Not Yet Rated)
Amanda Seyfreid stars as Red Riding Hood in this adaption of the classic tale.  Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke is at the helm, and film is being aimed at the Twilight crowd.

Chadwick, Gifu Schools show contrasts

by Susan Wang

The Chadwick schedule, although sometimes daunting, represents an expected and ordinary school day in the minds of common American teens. However, when compared to the schedule of a high school in Japan, students can recognize the similarities and differences in the educational systems and their values from different parts of the world.
As any typical Chadwick student knows, the school day begins with an early wake up call to get to class before 7:55 in the morning. With six classes before lunch, the academic day ends at 1:15. After lunch, a student may participate in an extracurricular activity, such as Model United Nations or community service. Students then head down to the gym for sports practice until 5:00 p.m., compelling them to arrive home as late as 6:00 p.m.
With hours of homework left to complete, students rigorously work until they can enjoy a hot shower to relax after the end of an eventful day. Then the cycle repeats.
Mayumi Hori, a student at Gifu North High School in Japan, wakes up at 6:00 in the morning to get ready for school. She puts on her school uniform, which consists of a navy blue skirt, blazer and knee-high socks, a white shirt and a red ribbon. When she is ready, she bikes to a small rice paddy near her street where she meets her friends to bike to school.
After locking her bike in front of the school, she takes four of her six classes before lunch. After lunch, she takes the remaining two classes before heading to Visual Arts Club, which is one of the many options of activities a student can participate in after school.
After Visual Arts Club, Hori bikes to a train station and takes the train to a tutoring center fifteen minutes away to receive extra help in both English and math. After hours of practicing math problems and reading English dialogues, she rides the train back to her bike and then bikes back to her house.
By the time she is home, it is 10:30 at night. Hori is exhausted, but she still needs to complete the rest of her homework and review for the next day’s classes. As a result, she usually cannot go to sleep until midnight or later. Then the cycle repeats.
Chadwick and Gifu are similar in that they both require strong study habits, but in some cases they require different features for each student to fufill.
At Chadwick, almost all of the students are involved in sports after school. Whereas, at Gifu, students can participate in either Japanese cultural activities, such as visual arts and chorus, or they can be involved in various sports. There are no sport requirements, but all students are required to be enrolled in a Physical Education class whether or not they are involved in a sport after school.
Their differences in their educational systems provide reason for Chadwick’s and Gifu’s differences.
Unlike Chadwick and other schools across the United States, there are only three years of high school in Japan. All students, from both public and private schools, are required to wear their school uniforms appropriately everyday.
At some schools, faculty members may be more strict than an average Chadwick student is used to. Japanese faculty members may stand in front of the school gate to make sure that no girls are wearing skirts that are too short, and no boys are sagging their pants too low.
In addition to the many differences in their education systems, admission to public high schools in Japan depend on the student’s score on the National High School Entrance Exam. Consequently, admission is not based on location of residence like it is in the United States.
This means that even if a student lives next to a distinguished public high school, he or she cannot attend it unless his or her score is high enough  on the Entrance Exam to pass that school’s admission process.
With similar a similar drive and focus that American students use to pass the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for college acceptance, Japanese middle school students begin these examination process techniques at a much earlier age.
Similar to American high school juniors with tutors for the SAT, many Japanese students go to private tutoring centers called “jyuku” after school in order to prepare for the entrance exam.
Although Chadwick and Gifu reside in different countries with varying cultural beliefs and traditions, high school students seem to share a common drive and focus to obtain success.

Chadwick Couples

World According to Us: Valentine’s Day

by Sarah Lindstedt

Mainsheet: So I’m sure you three are all aware of Valentine’s Day that’s coming up in February.
All: Yes.
Mainsheet: What do you guys think about Valentine’s Day? Why do you think it’s important?
Andrew: Because it’s about giving and love.
Mainsheet: Why do you like Valentine’s Day?
Joshua: I like Easter more because when I’m seven I’m going to get a real baby bunny.
Ava: Well, I like Valentine’s Day because for homework we get to make valentines for everyone in our class.
Mainsheet: Oh wow! You are going to get a lot of valentines then!
Ava: Yes.
Mainsheet: Do you have anyone in mind that you would want to ask to be your valentine?
Ava: Well, I have a crush on a boy in my Sunday school.
Mainsheet: Are you going to ask him to be your valentine?
Ava: No!
Mainsheet: Why not?
Ava: I don’t know . . . I’m scared.
Joshua: You really have a crush on someone?
Ava: Yes I do.
Mainsheet: What do you like most about this boy that you’d want to be your valentine?
Ava: Um . . . he’s a really cute dancer.
Andrew: I’d want Colin to be my valentine, but he’s sick.
Mainsheet: Have you guys ever been in love?
Ava: I have!
Mainsheet: Tell us about it.
Ava: I was in love with a boy when I was in preschool, and I didn’t keep it a secret, so I would kiss him all the time in our dance class.
Mainsheet: Wow you sure like dancers, don’t you?
Ava: Yes, I do.
Joshua: You kissed him?!
Ava: What? It’s not that embarrassing.
Mainsheet: Anyone else ever been in love?
Andrew: Colin is my best friend, and I like to play with him a lot
Joshua: I hate being in love.
Mainsheet: Why?
Joshua: Well I never have . . . but it’s gross!
Mainsheet: Do you guys have any plans for Valentine’s Day?
Ava: I normally go bowling with my grandma.
Mainsheet: That’s an awesome tradition to have. Do you have anything else you’d like to say?
Joshua: Happy Valentine’s Day, Upper School!

Legend Tommy LaSorda reminds us to believe

by Jimmy Corteau

Tommy Lasorda graced Chadwick with his spirited presence at an assembly in Laverty Center on Jan. 11. A preview of LaSorda’s movie helped introduce the sports legend to the students. A possible title, Don’t Ever Give Up, was the essence of Lasorda’s powerful message to the student body.
Lasorda believes that there are three types of people in this world: people who make it happen, people who watch what happens, and people who wonder what happened. Lasorda prides himself on his ability to inspire players realize that they have to make their dreams happen.
He also considers himself a living example of believing in yourself, no matter how critical others are. LaSorda’s term “Bleeding Dodger Blue” represents that regardless of the odds, one must believe that they can make it happen.
In 1945, Lasorda received a one hundred dollar bonus for signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was sent to their minor league D team and told by the manager, upon seeing him pitch, that he was the worst player on the team. A few months later, Lasorda was drafted into the army.
Lasorda remembers dreaming of getting back into baseball, and in 1947, he was discharged from the army and promptly returned to the sport. The following year, he was asked to join the Dodgers in Vero Beach, Florida. However, after one day at the Dodgers’ spring training complex, Dodgertown, Lasorda asked to be traded because he wanted to be treated with more respect.
This desire to be treated properly later became Lasorda’s strongest character trait as a manager. By 1955, Lasorda had worked hard enough to be selected by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a left-handed pitcher. Although a great honor, LaSorda clearly remembers the country’s critical attitude toward his skills. Lasorda explains that criticism was prevalent throughout his baseball career.
As a result of dealing with fighting all the odds, Lasorda gives over 200 speeches a year to schools, churches, charity organizations and youth groups, delivering the message to believe in yourself, treat others with love and respect, and never let criticism get you down.
Lasorda emphasizes that “Love and respect for yourself and others are the foundation of life. If you come from a place where you treat others with respect and love, they will treat you with the same. Listen to the words that come out of your mouth, listen to the words of people who respond to you, and see if what you are telling others is what you are being told.”
Lasorda applied this very philosophy to managing baseball players. He realized that in order to get a player to perform at high standards, Lasorda had to make that player believe he could do it.
“Self-confidence is developed by telling others they can do it. When you tell someone he or she is capable of doing far more than he or she is capable of doing, then you are also telling yourself that you, too, are capable of achieving more,” Lasorda said. In 1960, Lasorda became a scout for the Dodgers. Although his assignment did not seem to be a promising one, he was sent to the Dominican Republic. Regardless of what others thought, LaSorda asked himself, ”What is the price of success?”
He remembers his father, Sabatino Lasorda, telling him that he should be grateful for everything and always be thankful. So Lasorda began to practice reaching his goals by working hard. “If you believe in yourself and you work hard and you don’t give up, you can do anything,” Lasorda said.
A member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Lasorda led the Los Angeles Dodgers to  won two world championships, and he has become recognized throughout the world as the symbol of the Dodger organization. His manager career success clearly outweighed his major league playing career, which consisted of 0-4 wins with an earned run average of 6.48.
Lasorda stood before the Chadwick student body and repeatedly delivered the message to believe in yourself. “When you leave Chadwick to continue your education, be ready to compete in the real world. Be prepared to pay a price. Be prepared to be challenged. Be prepared for failure. But never give up,” said Lasorda.
Due to Lasorda’s regret that he never went to college, today he wants to see, more than anything, that kids get an education.  He emphasized during his assembly that an education is crucial and that it is something that can never be taken away from someone.
In addition to speaking for the Upper School, LaSorda did a special assembly for the Village School, had lunch with members of Athletic Council, and visited Ms. Stern’s leadership class.
He challenged the Chadwick students to ask themselves, “Did I do the best I can today?” and “How far am I willing to go to achieve my dreams?

Cheerleading

by Vanessa Contratto

The cheerleaders have had a fun and peppy season supporting fall and winter sports.
Under the direction of new dance teacher Leslie Miller, the squad attended more games this year. In the fall, they cheered at football games, cross country meets, girls volleyball games, and girls tennis matches, and they made treats for girls golf and boys water polo. This winter, they supported the girls and boys basketball teams and the boys soccer team, and they made treats for girls water polo, girls soccer, and the equestrian team.
Miller taught the girls challenging routines for both the fall and winter season. They performed their dances to “California Girls/Gurls” and “Give Up the Funk” at almost every football halftime. The recently debuted a new shorter dance to Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love.” The team looks forward to more halftime dances next year.
The cheerleaders have enjoyed baking for the various sports teams as well as making multiple banners to spread Dolphin spirit all over the school. This year, the cheerleaders also introduced new cheers and instituted a new practice of teaching cheers to students at Friday assemblies to help them cheer along with the squad during the games.
Senior captains Nicole Jamgotchian and Ally Van Deuren have been extremely helpful to the team and Coach Miller this year by teaching the cheers to the girls.
The cheerleaders plan on supporting the teams that make it to winter CIF finals. The squad looks forward to the few more times they get to scream, shout, and cheer for Chadwick teams this year.
In 2008, the squad had only 4 members. Since then, the number of cheerleaders has increased to 24 and has significantly increased their impact on Chadwick sports and spirit.

Gentlemen’s soccer

by Justin Hoot

Gentleman’s soccer has had a very impressive season; the varsity achieved an overall record of 8-3-3 and junior varsity a record of 7-2.
In the Prep League, the varsity had an undefeated record with 7 wins.
According to senior player Jason Sim said, “The team’s strength is defense. We are the best in the league defensively because not one team in our league has been able to score on us.”
The boys are proud of their season this year and have confidence heading into CIF after a successful season in the Prep League.
Junior Sal Bañuelos said, “We are going to win league for sure, and probably finish as undefeated. We’re going to pass the first round of CIF, but the second round is the challenge because we have not gotten that far in at least 15 years.”
“We are really really really good, and undefeated,” said Sim.
JV has had a great season as well; the team has a 6-0 undefeated record in the Prep League and a 1-2 record in other games.  The junior varsity has a strong team, consisting mainly of the influx of freshmen that came into the upper school this year.
The JV MVP’s also include juniors Tae San Kim, Emmett McKinney, David Cullum, Raxon Cho, and sophomore Ethan Leff.
Despite the unfortunate loss of many seniors this year, the team feels that the freshmen will help fill these gaps next year. McKinney said, “We have a really successful group of freshman this year, and there is a bright future for Chadwick soccer.”

Women’s soccer

by Franny Hocking

Battling injuries and using them to become stronger is varsity soccer’s strong suit and hardest obstacle this season. With 5 wins, 8 losses, and 3 ties,  the team is doing pretty well after losing some key players from the last year’s senior class.
This year’s soccer varsity team still has a solid number of players with a roster of 21. However, in the earlier part of the season many of the players were out for injuries, and it was sometimes difficult for the team to stay motivated to reach its maximum ability.In response to the many injuries, the South Bay Daily Breeze ran an article highlighting some of the team’s bad luck, with practically a paragraph-length list of injuries.
But after winter break almost everyone was able to get back on the field, and the team started to improve and get much better results.
Despite their roller coaster beginning of the season, the team made a comeback and is looking towards CIF as their goal. They are stronger because of their hardships and have the ability to be a really strong team. They have had a  lot of team dinners to help with team bonding, and they are all getting along really well and having a fun time, “they’re a good group” Coach Luis Morales says.
Morales is impressed by how they always bounce back and keep trying after a bad game or an injury. They never seem to give up. He says, “There are tough times but then there seems to be a line of hope and they shine.”
Morales hopes the girls can stay injury free, keep up the hard work, stay motivated and maintain their tough mentality .

Athlete Spotlight: Chase Crawford

by Nicole Compton

MS: Why do you think you were chosen for athlete spotlight?
Crawford: Um, that is a very good question.  I think I was chosen because before every away game I wear a suit to school?  It’s pretty noticeable that I’m doing it for my basketball spirit, so that’s the only reason I can think of.
MS: So when did you start playing basketball?
Crawford: Like two.
MS: Did you participate in recreational or club teams? In other words, were you as serious about the sport when you were younger, or only until you got to high school?
Crawford: I played in local parks and leagues, but yeah, I think it was definitely freshman year when I started to get really serious.
MS: What were you looking forward to this season, not in terms of wins and loses but in terms of the team?
Crawford: Well, we have the same team as last year. Thankfully, no one graduated from the team last year, and the whole team was really close then, so I guess I was just looking forward to spending more time with everyone. It also a big deal that we got a new coach. I was super excited to see how that turned out.
MS: What is your role as a senior on the team?
Crawford: Um, well we have a lot of seniors on the team, so we all share the leadership role. There’s no real expectation besides showing up and doing what you are supposed to, especially as an example to the others.
MS: Since you have a lot of seniors on the team this year, how are the underclassmen contributing?
Crawford: Well [freshman] Kevin Doi is starting now, and he has been a big help. And [freshman] Tyler Colon has a lot of potential as well; he just has to warm up to things a little more.
MS: How does this year compare to years past? How has your experience in this program progressed from freshman year?
Crawford: Freshman year was good basketball, just play and get it over with, but now the whole team spends a lot of time together on and off the court.  We have grown up together by playing with each other over the years. I just feel like we know each other better, and it’s become a bigger part of our lives.
MS: Are you trying to beat the current threepoint record in one game held by Lena Kelly [’10]?
Crawford: I was . . . but I’m not getting as much playing time this year, so it’s been a challenge. That was one of my goals going into the season.
MS: What is your record so far?
Crawford: In one game? Six.
MS: So one away from tying?
Crawford: Yup.
MS: So rumor has it that the whole Flintridge team knows who you are. Could you explain why you are so famous to them?
Crawford: So freshman year, I was watching the game, and I noticed one of Flintridges players looked exactly like me! I was actually concerned I might be related to him, we looked that much alike. Yeah, so everyone thought it was really weird, but my parents talked to his parents, and it turns out we have very different interests. But it’s been a weird experience. Everyone at Flintridge knows who I am because of this, I guess.
MS: Has he graduated?
Crawford: Yeah, he was a year older.
MS: Do you consider your hair a trademark of yours?
Crawford: Yeah, it’s kinda become a basketball thing. Before every game Slim and I pick our hair out into fros. I don’t know why we do it, but it has just become our thing.
MS: What are your expectations for playoffs?
Crawford: Um, we are expected to get into playoffs even though we have a tough league, and we are hoping to get to at least the second round in CIF, just like last year.  We would like to win it all, but it looks tough.
MS: What do you want your legacy to be when you graduate?
Crawford: I think I have also been known as the shooter on the team, and I hope I am remembered for that. Also, I was really bad freshman year, and I worked really hard over the years to improve, so I hope that sets a model for the underclassmen—a model that they have the potential to improve and get better .
MS: Ok thank you, good luck this season!

Senior Spotlight: Lindsey Szper

Mainsheet: So, what’s it like being a second semester senior?
Lindsay Szper: It’s really starting to sink in that this is the end of Chadwick for me.  It’s going to be so weird not coming back here next year.  So far the workload hasn’t changed that much, but I think my mindset has. I’m trying to cram as much Chadwick as I can into my last two months here. I’m playing softball, doing Starmites, maybe joining Chorus, Foreign Language Society is hoping to kick it up a notch this semester, and I want to get to know a bunch of the people I haven’t talked to enough in 13 years. So, it’s going to be a busy couple of months, I think. But fun busy. I’m so excited.
MS: What is your favorite aspect of being finished with the college process?
LS: It’s nice not having that extra little college thing on my mental to-do list.  I have one acceptance letter to University of Iowa. Waiting on the rest of my schools’ decisions has been a bit of a drag, but recently I’ve started to mentally photoshop myself into the brochures Iowa sends me. I’ve been cheering on the Hawkeyes at Big Ten basketball games, making snowmen, and starting a novel in a coffeeshop somewhere in Iowa City. So that’s been fun!
MS: What activities do you participate in at Chadwick? Which is your favorite?
LS: I did Debate for a long time.  Now I do Improv, Mariners, Spanish tutoring, cross country, softball . . . I think that’s about it.  Oh—and I’ve been going on the third grade trip every year since ninth grade. That’s a good one. Hanging out with the Chadwick eight-yeat-old population for a few days every year is the best. Honestly, we don’t play enough in high school.  And kids are so much smarter than we give them credit for! Last year, I think, I went on a hike with the youngest Toups kid, and he was teaching me all about the oil crisis.  Crazy.
MS: Many students know about your participation in CITYterm during the first semester of your junior year. Can you tell us about your experience?
LS: I’m not sure what to say other than that I absolutely loved it there.  Probably the best decision I made in high school was going to CITYterm (next is signing up for cross country). I was talking to Ms. Wund the other day, who did the week-long teacher version of CITYterm a few years ago, and we came to the conclusion that the program is kind of like a big cup of coffee.  It wakes you up so much.  One of the big ideas of CITYterm is that you can learn from everything around you, from city councilmen to homeless women to spider webs. Spending four months at a school that thought this way really woke me up to all the stuff there is out there to see and learn about. Going there permanently cafeinated my brain and life, and I feel so much more aware of and interested in basically everything.
MS: What was your favorite part of the trip?
LS: For me one of the best parts of CITYterm was living in a dorm with like-minded people. That’s one of the things I’m most looking forward to in college. I don’t have any siblings, so  it was totally new for me to live with people my age. Hanging out in the common room and watching late-night movies and sharing and clothes and secrets and stories with all the girls on my floor were all major CITYterm plusses.
MS: Do you plan on living in New York City when you’re older after your experience?
LS: Probably. My best friend from Texas and I have already started planning our apartment for five years from now.
MS: What part of the country are you most interested in for going to college?
LS: I want to go anywhere with snow that isn’t California.
MS: What about it attracts you the most?
LS: Ha, I don’t think I’m all that picky. I just don’t want to stay around here very much, since I feel like after seventeen years in LA, I’ve kind of been-there-done-that with California. Also I love seasons. I already know I’m that kid that will yell “IT’S SNOWING!!!!” at the top of my lungs in the middle of whatever class I’m in when winter starts. I can’t wait.
MS: Do you have any ideas of what you’re going to major in?
LS: Probably writing, linguistics, foreign language or some combination of the three. Basically I want to major in words.
MS: What do you think you’ll miss the most about Chadwick when you leave next year?
LS: Definitely my friends. There are so many great people at this school, and as much as I’m ready for the next step in education and life, I know I’m going to miss all my Chadwick friends so much.  I hope we all keep in touch!  Thank God for Facebook, I guess.
MS: Any parting words?
LS: I guess just thank you, Chadwick, for thirteen amazing years, and have a great rest-of-the-year and rest-of-Chadwick to my grade and the whole upper school. It’s been awesome up until now, and I can’t wait to see what the next two months will hold. We’re going to have so much fun.

Ansel Adams’ photos displayed in PV

by Alex Nguyen-Phuc

Chadwick School’s 75th anniversary festivities continued last month, as photographs documenting the school in its earlier years were displayed in the Palos Verdes Library at the Peninsula Center.
The exhibit, entitled “Through the Lenses of Ansel Adams and Cedric Wright,” ran from Jan. 7 to 25. More than 25 images by the photographers lined the wall of the library lobby on either side of the library entrance. Chadwick covered the hallway with banners, school information pamphlets and 75th anniversary floor stickers.
For the school’s fifth anniversary, in 1940, Mrs. Margaret Chadwick decided to create a new catalog detailing the school’s highlights and mission. Ansel Adams, an environmentalist famous for his depictions of Yosemite National Park, became a part of the project during Chadwick’s annual ski trip to Yosemite in early February.

Adams’ photographs ranged from daily student life and sporting events, to images of the nearby landscape, including some taken on a weekend trip to Abalone Cove. He completed the catalog in 1941, but continued to have a lasting relationship with Chadwick School, later returning in 1942.
A good friend of Ansel Adams, photographer Cedric Wright joined the Chadwick community in 1948. Wright stayed on campus for much longer than Adams, and further captured the life of the students. Palos Verdes Library in Malaga Cove displayed his work in 1948.
Chadwick held an opening reception in the library on Jan. 8 as an introduction to the exhibit. Mary Baldovin, Chadwick’s Development Coordinator, who headed the event, said “ [I] expected a large turnout because of the advertising on photography blogs, Palos Verdes event calendars and media releases.”
The crowd included Chadwick students, faculty and alumni, as well as the general public. Background music and food catered by Red Onion Restaurant also helped draw an audience.
The reception featured Lance Bowling ’66, Chadwick’s historian, as a guest speaker. He spoke on the well-known history of the school as well as the conclusions that he had made from studying the photographs.
Baldovin said, “We’ve been thinking about exhibiting these photographs for decades now. We’ve had plenty of time to put it together, and a lot of people have been involved.”

Two Village School parents, Jennifer Borden and Deanne Shey, school archivist Fran Pullara, and a host of other volunteers contributed to the event.
The opening reception crowd mainly consisted of younger Chadwick students, parents, alumni and faculty. Fourth grader Grant Ho shrugged, saying the event was “pretty good” and “my mom just took me.” Other parents said that they received emails from the school and brought their children along thinking it would be a wonderful experience. Many of the Upper School art department faculty also appeared.
Missing, however, were students in the Middle and Upper Schools. Reasons ranged from being too busy to being unaware. Ninth grade student Zach Herbst said, “I wouldn’t have minded seeing it if I happened to be in the library, but I wouldn’t have had the time to go just for the exhibit.”
The planning team who coordinated the exhibit chose the library for this same reason. Knowing that the exhibit ran through final exam season for every student on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the library was an ideal location considering the numbers that filed in and out and past the photographs daily.
Baldovin said she “wanted to have the photographs in a place where people would really see them,” choosing the Peninsula Center library since it is a “well utilized place on the Peninsula.”
Parents waiting for their children outside the library said they got a great glimpse of Chadwick School. One parents remarked, “I really enjoyed seeing what Chadwick offered in terms of the outdoor atmosphere.”
Senior Lucas Lebovitz briefly saw the exhibit while in the library, though he said, “I did not specifically go to see it because I did not specifically know it was there.”
Isabel Ngan, a tenth grader, echoed this comment, saying, “I did not know there was an exhibit. But I go into the library mainly to study and do homework. I don’t really consider going in to see an exhibit.”
Older Chadwick students who did take advantage of seeing the photos only did so by chance. But for those who have yet to see the pictures, whose subjects range from basketball games to rabbit feedings, the photographs will be reproduced and framed and placed in permanent locations around campus.

MLK Day: paying homage to a hero

by Hailey Waller

Students generated an atmosphere of pure gratitude for Martin Luther King Jr. when they gathered in Laverty Auditiorium to honor him on Wednesday, Jan. 12.
Director of Multiculturalism Jasmine Love began the assembly by reminding students of the time not too many decades ago when her great-grandparents, along with many other African Americans, were slaves.
“My mother knew King Jr. personally. He was very shy and didn’t even have enough confidence to speak in front of his classmates at Boston University,” said Love.
Furthermore, the assembly sought to impress upon all students the importance of MLK’s struggle against oppression.
“King Jr. had to work to become the great leader and speaker that he was. Thanks to King Jr.’s newfound confidence and persistence, Chadwick students are ‘living the dream’ today,” said Love.
Besides the initial address by Love, students ran the majority of the conference. This represented a departure from previous years, when guest speakers came.
“I have always thought of Martin Luther King assemblies as full community moments, and I think they should be student-driven and involve all three divisions,” said Love. “This year, we attempted to involve the sixth graders and had two assemblies.”
Senior Ally Van Deuren led students in the song “We Shall Overcome,” a protest song that became the anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. Sophomores Imani Ingram and Chike Ochoifeoma performed a short piece symbolizing King’s dream for the many different types of people in the world to get along with each other. Then eighth grader Chelsea Childress, sixth grader Elijah DeVaughn and Jordyn Rand graced their schoolmates with speeches about what King Jr. would want today.
“Hearing Ally sing ‘We Shall Overcome’ moved me to tears,” said Love. “Furthermore, all the student speakers did a great job, and I commend them for their courage. I hope in the future, we can hear more from the students on this day.”
Students also responded positively to this change in the celebration of MLK Day.
“I really liked the assembly,” said Childress. “I’m so happy that it was student- driven. Everyone gets tired of hearing guest speakers. It was a nice change, and I think it would be great to have it this way again next year.”
These speeches and presentations were followed by the sixth grade choir, who performed “We Shall Not Be Moved,” as well as the high school dance company, performing an artistic interpretation of King’s life.
“About the dance—I personally asked the dance company to use that dance because I thought it represented community, love and a universal representation of Martin Luther King’s dream,” said Love. “I think dance has a way of presenting a theme and going straight to the heart, and that dance did that for me.”
Overall, Love hopes that the new focus of MLK assemblies influences students’ everyday lives.
“I believe MLK Assemblies should involve ALL students and ALL faculty and staff because Dr. King was about ALL people getting along and non-violent action. It would be great to focus on how closely his ideals matched Chadwick’s Core Values,” Love said.

All aboard for formal dance train

by Alex Geffner-Mihlsten

The beginning of the new semester brought romance to the students with the annual winter formal dance on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Every year, the males of each grade invite their female friends or crushes to go to formal with them. The process of getting ready for formal gives students something to look forward to beyond finals.
“I really think that preparing for formal was a nice distraction from finals,” said sophomore Emily Nguyen.
The venue for this year’s formal, held  at Los Angeles’ historic Union Station, had a wide dance floor, with narrow stairs leading to small booths to sit down in.
In the center of the room, there was a small bar where students could order sodas and other drinks. At the top of the stairs, above the room, was the DJ.
“I loved Union Station,” said sophomore Kyla Brooks, “but I think the size of the area that was our “dance floor” for the night was big. Even though it was really nice not to get as sweaty, not having everybody dancing in one packed space kind of brought the energy level down a bit.”
Another issue was that many students did not like the DJ.
Senior Lauren Stoneburner felt that the DJ’s music was too “obscure, outdated, unfamiliar, and overly distorted/remixed.”
One of the reasons many students did not like the music might have been caused by the DJ’s refusal to accept requests.
“The DJ stopped taking requests after he received a few, which was a killer for me. I feel like the DJ is there to make us happy, so he should play what we want to hear,” said Brooks.
Freshman Andres Valencia had an positive experience at the dance, although he shared Brooks’ feelings about the DJ.
Valencia said, “I thought formal was exciting and very enjoyable. The place was just marvelous. Although I had a great time, the DJ could have been a little bit better.”
Junior Jackie Stoneburner’s concern was that the process for voting for formal prince and princess was not made clear. “I didn’t even know I could vote,” she said.
Sophomore Ethan Leff enjoyed the formal’s venue, which continued the theme of a having formal in a historic place, like last year’s location of Dodger Stadium.
“It was an amazing experience to spend the evening in a historical part of L.A.,” said Leff.

Women’s basketball

by Clarissa Cervantes

Girls basketball has won eight of their ten games, and the team members look strong as they venture close to CIF.
Their victory in  their game against Brentwood on Feb. 4 was an impressive accomplishment for the team. Brentwood is in the division above Chadwick, so the team was proud of their win.
The team’s goal since the beginning of the season was to win CIF, so with CIF on the horizon, practices for the team are becoming more grueling with increasing amounts of conditioning.
In CIF, the team will most likely face Poly again, a team to which they have already lost twice.  Other teams hope to beat Chadwick at CIF as well, so the team continues to work hard in practice.
On the team are two freshmen, Kylie Bethel and Kelly Ouye, both of whom are key players to the team.
“Whether you’re a skillful freshman or an experienced senior, you gain your respect through your skill,” Bethel said.
As much as the seniors are essential to the team, Bethel emphasizes that even the underclassmen have responsibilities to their teammates.  The team relies on all of the players to succeed in both Prep League and CIF.
Bethel also remembers a game where the team lost by one point, but during that game they did not have an essential player, Haley Bush.
Bush’s absence, Bethel recalls, was a key factor in the loss. Without that one extra senior on the team for that game, they failed to get that extra point and earn the win.

Gentlemen’s basketball

by Vanessa Contratto

The boy’s basketball team has faced a challenging season this winter. They are 2-4-0 in Prep League and have a season record of 8-9.
The team of twelve, including seven seniors, three juniors, and two freshman, has many experienced players on the court. Mentoring the team is the head coach and Middle School Director Charlton Jackson with the help of assistant coaches Gilbert Wilburn and Steve Norberg.
Earlier in the season, freshman Kevin Doi said the team was “not quite up to expectations,” but he looked forward to more wins in the remainder of the year.
Although they haven’t won every game, they have created a large fan base and kept the stands packed. At their spirit game against Rio Hondo Prep, the bleachers were filled with students, teachers, and parents all excitedly watching their victory.
Jackson said, “We have had a very deep team in terms of the number of players that contribute in each contest.” He thinks that the team’s strongest defenders are senior Sander Mora, senior Sean Ouye, senior Chudi Iregbulem, and junior Sam Cartwright.
According to Jackson, senior Matt Jamele and junior Hank Trumbull are the team’s “primary post players,” and seniors Ryan Hood, Brian Shaw, and Chase Crawford and junior Ben Gorman, and Doi are the most skilled perimeter shooters. He also said, “Last but not least is freshman Tyler Colon who can play on the perimeter and in the post and is probably the most athletic player on the team.”
Colon feels that the older boys’ mentoring has been a great aspect of their camaraderie. Colon said, “The upperclassmen help you through rough spots, give you tips in the games, and offer you their experiences.”

Girls’ Water Polo

by Sierra Zwarg

Girls water polo finished with an amazing season. Their overall record, 20-6, is only one of their impressive accomplishments. The girls feel just as much pride for their Prep League record of 12-0. This is the third year in a row that Chadwick finished undefeated in their league and won the title.
For many of the girls the most important game was against Santa Monica, Chadwick’s divisional rival. This was an extremely challenging game for multiple reasons: it was right after winter break, it was an away game, and the Dolphins hadn’t practiced for almost two weeks. This suspenseful game went into overtime, but Chadwick pulled ahead in the end.
Coach Will Didinger said, “It gave us the confidence that we could beat any team in our division on any day.”
He hopes that their confidence will carry on so they can continue to win many more games.
The girls are as much a team outside of the pool as they are in the pool. Will Didinger said, “Everyone, from the seniors all the way down to the new freshman, are really close and friendly. The reason this team is so successful is because they all enjoy playing the sport together and winning as a team.” Although they lack in number of players, they make up for it through teamwork, talent, and determination.
The CIF playoffs are just around the corner, and the team is preparing for what they hope will be a very exciting tournament. “One of our pre-season goals was to make it to the CIF finals, and we are working hard to attain that goal,” says Didinger.

Exchange students enrich campus

Daniela Chung
Freshman

Mainsheet: Where are you from?
Daniela Chung: I study at Markham College in Lima, Peru.

MS: Why did you choose Chadwick as your exchange school?
DC: I have a friend that went to a conference in Canada. So he met any people all over the world from different schools, and he introduced me to some different girls from Chadwick. They told me many things about it, and it seemed like a good idea. Also, the weather is better here than the weather in Canada.

MS: What are the biggest differences between your school in Peru and Chadwick?
DC: Everything is in English, so I started thinking in English. It is a great difference from Spanish to English. The schedule is different, but if you study it, it is pretty similar. Many things are really similar, but the different distribution of grades and the hill is really different from my school.

MS: What is your favorite part so far of coming to Chadwick?
DC: Meeting people and the variety of activities.

MS: What are these activities?
DC: So far, just dropping into things like this and MUN. And I think I’m starting lacrosse next week, for the first time in my life.

Ethan Williams
Sophomore

Mainsheet: Where are you from?
Ethan Williams: Where I go to school or my nationality?

MS: Both.
EW: Well, I’m English but I live and Scotland and go to school in Scotland.

MS: What school do you go to?
EW: Gordonstoun.

MS: Why did you choose Chadwick as your exchange school?
EW: Because my sister and my dad had both been here and really loved it; therefore, I thought I’d come and have a look.

MS: What are the biggest differences between your school in Scotland and Chadwick?
EW: The weather, and everybody is much happier. The teachers are much more chill.

MS: What are some of your favorite aspects of Chadwick?
EW: I like where it is. It’s in a nice place, and it’s a nice campus.

MS: Are you thinking of signing up for any activities or joining any sports?
EW: I play soccer, but I’m not allowed to play here. I’d be too good. And because of the California CIFs.

Dining with style at Valentine Soiree

by Alex-Geffner-Mihlsten

A new tradition at Chadwick, the Valentine’s Day Soiree, gave students a chance to have a sit-down lunch to support the building of a school in Ecuador.
Held this year on Wednesday, Feb. 9, the event is still very new at Chadwick. Junior Faith Memmo, a member of the Round Square Board, said, “This is only the second year of doing the Soiree.”
The Valentine’s Day Soiree was part of a larger effort by the Round Square Board. They plan to use the money to donate to an organization called “Free the Children.”

“Through ‘Free the Children,’ Chadwick is going to build a school in Chismaute, a village in Ecuador. We have been fundraising a lot this year, and this is one of our major fundraisers for that organization,” said Memmo.
Overall, the event was very successful, with over 100 students attending. “We came really close to selling out which would be $1,512 raised from tickets and a couple donations from faculty resulting in about $1600,” said junior Elizabeth Powers, head of the Round Square Board. “This money helps us come closer to the $8000 the board needs to make.”
However, the Chadwick Round Square Board intends not only to donate the raised funds to the group; they also will contribute labor to the construction of the school.

“This summer, students from Chadwick and other schools are going on a service project to Chismaute to begin construction of the school. Applications are due soon,” said Memmo.
Preparing the Soiree required each member of the Round Square Board to contribute. “We split up the tasks of cooking food and decorating and getting things together. Furthermore, as a sort of competition, we all had to sell tables,” said Memmo.
Due to the board’s hard work on the Valentine’s Day Soiree, they managed to reach their fundraising goal and sell almost all the spots.
“We reached our goal, and we came very close to selling out, but we are not done with fundraising for the school that we are trying to build in Ecuador,” said Powers. “It has been a long process and we are making extremely good progress.”
Despite the youth of the Valentine’s Day Soiree, many students enjoyed the luncheon.
“I thought the event was really well-thought out,” said junior Jamie Li. “It was a little slow at times, but overall they did a great job with it. I particularly loved that they incorporated music into the Soiree.”
One consistent complaint amongst the many students who attended was the service, however.
“I was a little disappointed with the service at the meal,” said sophomore Stephanie Paulson. “I was at the last table to be served because they completely overlooked or forgot about us. By the time we got the food, it was cold, and they had run out of salad. Needless to say, I was a little annoyed.”
Regardless, many of the students who attended the Soiree this year planned to return should another one occur next year.
“I would definitely consider doing it again next year because not only was it a time to relax with friends, but it also raised money for an amazing cause,” said Li.

What happened to Slamball?

by Harrison Kidd and Ben Krauss

We realize there are many of you who saw the title of this issue’s column title and smiled. Slamball was perhaps America’s greatest crown achievement. Let’s face it, the greatness of the game made the American Revolution seem boring. Nothing could compete with the shock and awe prompted by the sport. At no other time had Americans been more inspired to take action and push their basketball hoops up next to their trampolines.
Some of you out there may be completely lost. “What’s Slamball?” you say. The concept is fairly easy to explain: basketball with trampolines. Everyone has, at one time or another, had an inkling towards the idea. Millions of Americans, well everyone under 6’7”, would daydream of dunking, and think “Why not put a trampoline underneath the hoop?” In 2002 Mr. Mason Gordon had this very idea and decided to do something about it. He called up his homie Mike Tollin, who happened to be a network television producer, and they began building the world’s first ever slamball court in East LA. They placed four trampolines, level with the court, in an oversized key and began recruiting players. The sport was an instant success and quickly amassed six professional teams and national network status. The American public sat on the edge of the seat as amazing men played an amazing game.
This is where the story turns ugly. Some fool in the Spike TV corporate office decided to cut the sport’s air time, just as it was beginning to peak. Sadly, because of its short time on the air, many Americans missed the greatness of the game. Today, the sport receives relatively little air time. As more time passes, former Slamballers have no choice but to engage in other endeavors as a foundation aspect of American culture fades away.
If you are not yet hooked on Slamball, I suggest you search some highlights on YouTube, and we guarantee you will be a fan in a matter of minutes. We insist that Slamball must make a comeback. Recommend it to your friends, alert you parents, and call your local network provider. Do we really want a future world for our children without Slamball in the picture?