THE A publication of Agoura High School 28545 W. Driver Ave. Agoura Hills, CA 91301

CHARGERCHARGER A publication of Agoura High CHARGER A publication of Agoura High

May 2011

Budget cuts loom for 2011-2012 school yearby Emma GordonNews Editor The Agoura High School 2011-2012 school year could face a cut of up to 350 million dollars per stu-dent, according to Principal Larry Misel. This could mean an average class size of 70 students in the so-cial science department. “There are still lots of plans for what the cuts could look like,” said Social Sci-ence Department Chair Jason Bus-by. An impending May revision to the state’s budget will determine the fate of the funds for next year. According to Misel, a best case scenario for next year would be average class sizes of 38 to 42 students. This year, AHS had re-ductions in the sizes of ninth and eleventh grade English classes and Algebra I classes. The bud-get will not allow for these next year. Elementary schools will also feel the cuts as the number of kids per teacher increases. The coun-seling offi ce will also feel sig-nifi cant change as a targeted area to reduce. “In the last fi ve years, we’ve lost 35% of the budget that I operate this school,” said Misel. However, Misel does point out that community-run “S.O.S. pro-

grams” have been crucial to help-ing the school maintain quality. In Misel’s worst-case scenario, the budget could be cut so that 500 dollars extra has to be elimi-nated from each student. This would mean utilizing AHS’s re-serve funds. Every public school is currently required to have a 3% reserve of money for emergen-cies. This signifi cant loss of funds would qualify in this category, ac-cording to the district. Busby noted that a month of school could be eliminated in this situation—from 177 mandated school days to 160. “For social science if they don’t re-scind the pink slips that have been sent out right now, we’re looking at some classes in the triple digits,” Busby said. This would mean more classes taught in A1. However, since A1 can only have one class at a time, some classes will have to be taught in classrooms fi tting only 40 kids. To balance this at an average of 70, other classes will be forced to have 100 students at a time. Both Misel and Busby pointed out the essential difference teach-ers make throughout the limita-tions. “I have to be honest, it’s not about only the money, it’s about

the teachers,” Misel said. “It’s the teacher that reaches inside of you and pulls out more from you than you thought you had. The teacher who makes you think deeper.” Misel noted that the teachers on the AHS campus are there because they love kids and want to help improve their futures. However, Busby pointed out that in classes of 100, it becomes ex-tremely diffi cult to make a personal connection with each student. “Stu-dents who we’ve been most con-cerned about over the last fi ve to ten years because they get the least at-tention is your regular, college prep B student. The student who doesn’t act out as a bad kid, so he doesn’t get attention in a negative way, but isn’t a super star student. This type of kid can meld into a class,” Busby said. Busby related the teaching ad-age, “students don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” “Thirty years ago, California had the fi nest kindergarten through col-lege system in the world. Now we consistently rank in the bottom fi ve states in the U.S., not even on a world scale,” said Busby. Misel agreed, “Education is our future and we have been taking it for granted for a long time.” The UC college system

is world-renown, but the budget is still consistently cut. Misel re-mained optimistic. He said, “In California, we do an amazing job--given the lack of resources that we have--that prepares kids for the CAL states and UC sys-tems. However, I hope your gen-eration is better at choosing its priorities than my generation has been. The people in power right now are the same people that in the ’60s were radicals pushing for change. Now they’ve become the brick in the wall. I don’t get that.” But the fi ght for education is not over. “School is really impor-tant to me, and these consistent cuts make me feel like I’m insig-nifi cant in the eyes of the state...that’s not right and I’m not going to stand for it,” said concerned sophomore Haley Durham. Bus-by encouraged students to con-tact their legislature. “There’s a limit to what kindergarteners can do to save their budget, but you’re in high school. One way or another, you’re the future of this state. Let your legislators know that soon you’ll be vot-ing and you will base that vote on how they treat education.”

New incentives urge students to shoot for the STARs by Brooke KramerStaff Writer On Thursday, May 12, Friday, May 13, and Monday, May 19, all California students of grades 9, 10 and 11 took the Standar test. In an attempt to achieve better results for Agoura High Scool, administrators and teachers created new incentives for the coming school year. Off cam-pus passes, eligibility for AP and honors classes, and grade bumps are all being utilized to motivate students to try their best. However, students are not all as eager to par-ticipate in these new motivations

for the STAR as the faculty has been. STAR stands for Standardized Test-ing and Reporting. The state of Cali-fornia requires all students in public schools to take the STAR test yearly to show profi ciency in the California standards and subjects. The federal No Child Left Behind Act, passed in 2001, requires all districts and schools to demonstrate adequate yearly progress—for California, that means all of the students should score profi cient or above in reading and mathematics by the 2013-14 year. AHS Principal Larry Misel and Assistant Principal Sherry Bronow

were both quick to say that such a goal is big and improbable. However, they agree that students and faculty alike should make it a goal, none-theless, working hard to achieve it. It’s not just the No Child Left Behind Act that drives schools and districts to put such a focus on STAR testing. STAR testing is a way to collect the most accurate data about a school, its students, its teachers, and its curricu-lum. Administrators make changes to curriculum according to the school’s STAR scores. Teachers, too, treat the results like their own report card. “It’s almost like a system to give back,

rather than take,” said Misel. When asked if the school gets any more funds for scoring well, the princi-pal laughed and shook his head. “No, we don’t get any extra money because of the STAR test,” he said. However, good scores on the tests benefi t the school in the form of the API, or Academic Perfor-mance Index, score. The API is a measurement system that scores a school based on its STAR and CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) results; scores

In this issue...

photo by Brooke Kramer

photo courtesy of Top News

photo courtephoto courtephoto cour sy of College Boardsy of College Board

Life as an AP student...page 3Life as an AP student...page 3

Fashion Show...page 9 Presidential Approval...page 11

See STAR, page 2

NewsMay 201May 201May 1 Page 2

more Karen Alvarez and senior Philip Chang, along with teach-ers Jason Busby and Karen Heller, and Assistant Principal Matt Bald-win) brought in alternative ideas. Students who score advanced on the STAR test (and meet the other pre-requisites of the course) will be admitted into an honors or AP class in the same subject area. Students who test at the profi cient level will have to fi ll out a waiver packet to petition to get into the class. Sci-ence teacher Joelle Lilavois said, “I think it’s good, because if a student thinks he has the skill to get into a class with that level of rigor, they should be able to show it in a test. But there should be a process to it, of course, because some students don’t test well.” Freshman Bryan Wainer said, “I don’t like [the policy] very much. Even though I usually do well on the tests, on the off chance I don’t, I’d rather not have it inhibit me.” Secondly, juniors can choose to take a special section of the Eng-lish and math tests that determine if they meet the standards of Cali-fornia State University admittance. These Early Assessment Program questions determine a junior’s ap-titude in the subject. An eleventh grader who does well on the EAP tests is exempt from taking place-

ment tests for state universities and some community colleges. But the main incentive is for next year’s juniors and seniors. If these students cannot get their test results into the profi cient cat-egory and above, or at least raise their STAR test results by 3%, they cannot qualify for the off campus pass next year. Howev-er, this ban only lasts ten weeks, and after that period any stu-dent, regardless of their scores on the test, can apply for a pass if the other prerequisites are met. Despite the fact that the ban is only temporary, many students have expressed a negative opin-ion on the new incentive, calling it more of a punishment to those who don’t do well. A petition to re-scind the off-campus restriction is circulating around the upperclass-men. “If someone had a condition where they couldn’t do well on the STAR test, it wouldn’t be fair for them. And if they have to go up three points every year, doesn’t it get harder and harder to get the off-campus pass?” said sopho-more Ian Sisino. Daniel Schwartz, another sophomore aspiring to get his off campus pass next year, said, “I think it’s very hindering. I don’t think my score on a test that determines nothing should deter-mine whether or not I can go off campus next year.” On the other

STAR, cont’d from page 1range from 200 to 1000. The API is especially important because students from a high school with a high API score are more likely to be selected for college admis-sion than a student from a high school with a low score. “So by doing well on the STAR test,” said Bronow, “you are helping our seniors get into college.” With such importance put on the STAR test, it’s no wonder that incentives have been instituted to make it so that students, too, have a stake in the result. Last year, some teachers promised their students a grade bump on their second semes-ter fi nal exam in the same subject area, anywhere from 10% to 20%, possibly raising their fi nal grade in the class. Approximately 100 students bumped their fi nal grade up by one letter, and scores im-proved so much that Agoura High School’s API score made the jump from 843 to 854. However, wheth-er or not to let STAR results affect a grade was the teacher’s preroga-tive. This year, teachers voted by department as to whether or not they’d participate in the June fi nal exam bump up; only the English department voted against it. Since not all teachers will be participat-ing in the incentive, the STAR committee (ASB students sopho-

side of the argument, sophomore Zach Levaton noted, “It’s not that bad.” Added sophomore Evan Madan, “I think taking the STAR test, a state-given test on the stan-dards, shouldn’t be too hard.” Math teacher Michael Magnante said of the incentive, “It’s a nec-essary evil. Historically, since the STAR test never meant anything, some students do poorly. Maybe they’re even star students—we have kids in AP classes scoring basic because they don’t try. We need everyone to try their best, or the state could come down on us.” Misel and Bronow said they wish for students to think about the off campus pass as more of a reward to be earned. “We want to create a culture of taking things seriously here at Agoura,” Misel said. “But I am always open to suggestions from students.” The truth is that STAR results do affect students on this cam-pus—and even moreso now that several incentives are in place. Teachers and administrators alike encourage all students to do their best on the test, and insist that with a little effort, most students can attain a profi cient level.“This really is a big deal... I’d like to thank students and teachers in advance for putting their best effort forward,” Bronow said.

Dear AHS student body,This year has been such a memorable one, fi lled with great events, talented people, and many issues which we’re thankful we had the opportunity to cover. Thank you to every student who showed up for an interview, every teacher who let a student out of class to work on, or be featured in, our publications, and every reader who took the time to look at our newspaper, online edition, or upcoming magazine. We hope you enjoyed the products of our hard work this year, and you can expect even greater things from next year’s staff.

See you next year! Sincerely, The Charger Staff

Top (L-R): Matt Spector, Emma Gordon, James Olson, Jackie Adelsberg, Alex Bhattacharya, Anita Doyle, Beth Maiman, Bailey Byers, Shannon Cullen. Bottom (L-R): Katie Persons, Emily Weisz, Jessica Kovac, Byron Rackow, Brooke Kramer, Lior Ayalon, Melanie Abramoff, Aya Diaz, Chris BermanRunning Interference (Advisor): Mrs. Hollister

The Charger Staff

FeaturesMay 2011

The reality of being an AP studentby Jessica KovacStaff Writer

Page 3

Chris Wang: voice of a godby Jackie AdelsbergFeatures Editor

Monday, May 2 was the start of Agoura High School’s grueling Advanced Placement tests. The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States sponsored by the College Board, which offers high school students courses that are generally recognized to be equivalent to under-graduate courses in college. AP Tests are taken towards the end of the school year. The tests take about four hours and are graded on a scale of one to five, with a passing score of three. If a student chooses to send his or her AP Test results to a col-lege, there can be great benefits. Students who score four or five on their AP Tests may be exempt from introductory college courses their freshman year. AP Test scores are also viewed highly during the college application process. This year, AHS students hit the books for weeks in preparation for the four-hour tests that awaited them in the library. Advanced Pacement classes are not like regular classes, as they require a lot more focus and study time.The priority is not on memorization. Instead, the goal is to engage in discussion, solve problems as a group, and learn persuasive writing. With all the work and stress that comes with AP classes, you have to ask your-self, is it really worth it? Junior Naveen Tadepalli said, “You actually learn a lot about the subject in an AP class, and it is a challenge. But, the work-load gets tough and it takes time away from extra-curriculars. I quit basketball so I could have time to actually have a life.” AP classes are known to enhance the learning experience of the class you are taking. By the time you finish an AP class, you should have a broad understanding of that subject. However, it doesn’t stop there. The AP Test given at the end of the year is made to ensure that you have thoroughly un-derstood the content taught throughout the year. Junior Tiffany Lay agreed about the workload and said, “Also, if you take an AP class on a subject you don’t really enjoy, you can find yourself slav-ing over the work like it’s a huge burden.” If you do not have a passion for the AP class you are tak-ing, a regular class may be right for you. In the life of AP students, stress is not a small issue. Stress does not only play a part in school, but also takes a toll on some students’ personal lives. Lay said, “Not many of my friends take AP classes, so I get to see them less often. Often, the AP class itself creates so much tension between the students because everyone is so competitive.” Tadepalli shared a story of how the stress came to be too much for him during his freshman year. “I arrived in the library for my first AP test, AP biol-ogy. I woke up and I had butterflies in my stomach so I thought it was just nerves... but when I was tak-ing the test my stomach hurt and all of a sudden, I threw up in the library.” Since then, Tadepalli has recovered, walking into his AP tests confident as can be. And Tadepalli is not the only one who is a confident AP tester. In 2007, 417 students took 671 AP tests, and 66 percent passed with scores of three or better. The AP program is and continues to be a huge success for Agoura High School.

Lay studies the AP English way.Photo by Jessica Kovac

Senior Chris Wang, originally from China, is a for-eign exchange student attending Agoura High School this year. In the fall, Wang made the 7,000 mile jour-ney to the West coast in order to become better ac-quainted with the American cul-ture. According to Wang, he was attracted to the foreign exchange student program because he want-ed to improve his English and tru-ly experience the American way of life. Wang said, “I have been studying (English) since I was young, but I wasn’t very serious about it. Now, I am studying re-ally hard, cause it is important.” Wang is taking a double load of English Development classes this year with Ms. Serich, in ad-dition to normal courses. He said he hopes to enhance his English speaking abilities in the next few years. Although Wang is still devel-oping his spoken English, he certainly needs no work when it comes to singing. Wang began singing at a very young age. He attended music school for one year in China, but has no other formal training. Wang developed his amazing talent by listening to preeminent Western mu-sical artists like Beyoncé. Wang said, “Mariah Carey is my favorite singer. She is very famous in China. Her vocals and everything inspire me.” Wang said he loves performing Rhythm and Blues songs because of their soulfulness; however, his singing range extends to all genres of music. From an outsider’s perspective, Wang may seem like a shy teenager. But after hearing him skillfully belt out an array of notes, this image of a quiet student is destroyed. This year, a select number of community

members were blessed to see Wang display his singing prowess. Wang first showcased his talent alongside the AHS choir in a performance to the gospel song, “A City Called Heaven” by Mahalia Jackson. Wang also took second place at the AHS Talent Show for his rendition of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You.” In both perfor-mances, Wang truly wowed the crowd with his range

and fluidity. As the audience members at these two venues witnessed, Wang’s language barrier vanishes when he opens his mouth to sing. Indeed, his singing in English is flawless. This lack of an accent is just one sign of Wang’s artistic gift. What’s in store for this gifted student? When asked about pur-suing a career in music, Wang said it is definitely a possibility: “I really want to be a singer, if that’s possible. I think my goal is to win Grammys. Music is my life. I will never, ever give up.” Although Wang returns to Chi-na after school is dismissed this June, he intends to move back to California next fall to attend college. Wang said, “California

is a beautiful state! I like everything here. The thing I like most here is that there are a lot of famous people.” The Hollywood aspect of Southern California makes music very accessible to Wang. He looks forward to being a spectator at various concerts, his dream concert ultimately being a Mariah Carey show. Besides learning a foreign culture, Wang has also befriended lots of Americans. Wang said, “The people here that I met are awesome! Love them all.” Wang has become acquainted to a different culture and has im-proved his English capabilities significantly this year. In the process, he has touched AHS students with his golden voice. As long as there are songs to be sung, he will keep singing.

Photo courtesy of Chris Wang

Wang is excited to pursue a career in music.

Trial cell phone policy instituted through end of school year

•Cellular devices must be turned off at all times during class.

•Failure to follow this rule will lead to an automatic Saturday detention.

•Cellular devices may be used during support, nutrition, and lunch.

CommunityMay 2011 Page 4

CommunityMay 2011 Page 5

A very special Mother’s Day tributeBy Lior AyalonNewspaper EditorDear Momma-bear, Thank you for 17 years of (mostly) put-ting up with me. Yes, we’ve had our major disputes and minor squabbles, but we’ve always managed to overcome. From scraped knees to bro-ken hearts, you’ve al-ways been there to take care of me. I’m not even sure how I could ever let you know how grateful I am for everything you do. It couldn’t have been easy to raise a klutzy kid like me. I’m not even sure how many times you had to pick me up from the school health office or drive me to the emergency room. And do I even have to mention how you nursed me through four knee surgeries? I know it was never easy

to see your baby girl in pain so thank you for staying strong for me. I don’t even know how I could have survived any of that without you by my side. Without your influence, who would I be today? Probably not the strong, indepen-dent woman you raised me to be. You are the inspiration for so much that I do. You always motivated me to try my hardest in school. You used to tell me that if I knew the answer, to raise my hand high and proud and never be ashamed to be a brainy know-it-all. You encouraged my love of reading with our frequent trips to the book store, thereby inspiring my dreams of someday writing a novel of my own. In fact, you were the one who encouraged me to take journalism to get more writing experience.

Little did you know that you were ac-tually pushing me toward what would become my biggest passion. You are the reason that I participate in Relay for Life each year. Though I was young when you were first di-agnosed, I was ter-rified to see you so sick. But you over-came. You are still around to remind

me to take my vitamins and wake up in the morning. You are still around to cherish and love each day of my life. Mom, you are so strong and so brave, and I hope to one day be half as amazing as you are. Mom, though I don’t see you as often since I started splitting my time between you and Dad, I want you to know that I

cherish the time we do spend together. I cherish telling you about my day on the car ride home from school. I cherish the sto-ries you tell me of your rebellious youth. I cherish sitting on the couch with you and watching TV. I cherish waking up from a nap to find that you’ve covered me in a blanket. I cherish your hugs, your smiles, your laughter, and your home-cooking. I even cherish our fights, because I know that in the end, our relationship can only grow stronger. I love you, Mom. I love you more than the stars in the sky or beans and rice. I hope to always be your turtle dove, your pudding pie and the one you love. Happy Mother’s Day.Love, Lili-baby

By Allyson AyalonAHS Alumni/ Loving Daughter My mom often tells me hilarious stories from her youth. My favorite goes something like: “ I used to ride my horse through the Wendy’s drive through Ventura Boulevard wearing nothing but cut-offs and two ban-danas tied up around my chest! Your mom was hot stuff!” Indeed, my mom was, and still is, hot stuff. True fact: I have been asked if my mother is my sister. Last September, we got match-ing tattoos, of poodles. You see, my grandmother grew up with poodles. My mother in turn was raised along-side poodles. And yes, my three sib-lings and I were raised with the curly haired K-9’s by our sides and in our beds. (Note: We also all come from a strong lineage of curly haired indi-viduals. The fact that we are attracted

to curly-haired dogs may or may not be a coincidence.) I would like to take this written mo-ment to express my gratitude to my mother, Florence Irene Ayalon. The boldest, sassiest, most caring indi-vidual I may ever know. Her beauty is startling; her laugh is rejuvenating. Her keen motherly sixth sense is frankly scary. My mom has been though both my triumphs and my failures, the lat-ter usually accompanied by her famous line, “Do not think you can hide any-thing from me, I know what you are go-ing to do before you even do it, because I have already done it!” If this is the case, I like to believe I too will one day be the coolest mom ever. Flo, I can never thank you enough for what you have sacrificed for me. 9-2.Your daughter, Number three

Photo courtesy of Allyson AyalonFrom left to right: my mom, me and my older sister Allyson.

Photo courtesy of Shiri Ayalon-Grote

My mom, pictured here with other family members, even managed to look good with 80’s hair.

Photo by Lior Ayalon

AHS Relay for Life:This Friday and Saturday, May

20th-21st from 6 PM- 8 AM

Page 6CenterMay 2011

To a mother that never ceases to amaze:None of us would be where we are

today if you hadn’t been there. From a thousand miles away I

think about you everyday.You are the inspiration that drives

me in this world.I love you always 9-2.

Forever your favorite son,Ariell

The ChargerManaging EditorAlex Bhattacharya

Newspaper EditorLior Ayalon

Online EditorKatie Persons

Magazine EditorEmily Weisz

News EditorEmma Gordon

Features EditorJackie Adelsberg

A&E EditorMelani Abramoff

Op/Ed EditorJessica Kovac

Sports EditorBeth Maiman

Staff WritersChris BermanBailey ByersShannon CullenAya DiazAnita DoyleBrooke KramerJames OlsonByron RackowMatt Spector

Advisor Mrs. Hollister

The Charger welcomes letters to the Editors. All letters must be signed and may be verified for authenticity. Letter content must be school appropriate. Letters may be cut for length, but will not be edited otherwise. Send letters to lhollister@lvusd.org. Viewpoints expressed in The Charger are not necessarily those of Las Virgenes Unified District or School Board, the Agoura High School Administra-tion Faculty or Staff. Signed articles represent personal viewpoints and not that of the staff. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the enitre editorial staff.

CommunityMay 2011 Page 7

May 2011 Page 8Arts & Entertainment AHS dancers show off their moves

Artist of the Month: Emma Mahayne

Most people just view art as painting, photography, or sculp-ture; however, many other types of art exist, such as fashion design. Sophomore, Emmaline Mahayne is already an aspiring fashion design-er. Since Mahayne is a dancer, she has to wear many dance costumes for her recitals. Mahayne said that she receives in-spiration for her clothes through the costumes that she wears. Mahayne comes from a family of designers. Her grand-mother and mother made their own clothes and used to sew said Mahayne. “My favorite thing that I have done so far is making my reconstruction dress,” said Mahayne. Mahayne said she took a men’s dress shirt and cut, hemmed,

and re-sewed it to create a sundress. This piece was crafted and designed by Ma-hayne by herself, without even using a

dress pattern. “My other favorite piece I have made is my floral maxi skirt,” said Mahayne. Mahayne said she as-sisted sophomore Jazmine Choi in creating her collec-tion for the Fashion Show on May 13. Mahayne said that in order to learn more about the fashion world, she plans on taking the fashion merchandise class next year at Agoura High School. Following her graduation from AHS, Ma-hayne said she aims to at-tend FIDM, Fashion Insti-

tute of Design and Merchandising, a trade school that revolves around teaching stu-dents about the world of fashion. “I love fashion and plan on doing something with [fashion] as a career,” said Mahayne.

On Saturday, May 7, the Agoura High School gym was filled with danc-ing and cheering all day. In the Spring Dance Showcase at 2 PM, students in Dance 1 and in Dance 2 performed, showcasing what they have learned over the year. Later on, at 7 PM, the AHS Competition Dance Team performed in their Showcase, “Soul Escape”. The students in Dance 1 and Dance 2 prepared for months for their first show. Freshman Salpy Kha-radjian, a student of Dance 1 said that her class performed a boxer themed hip hop dance, “with gloves and everything!” In the other Dance 1 class, the theme was “What’s On TV These Days”, using the theme songs for different television shows. The Dance 1 and Dance 2 teacher, Jacqueline Wessley said that while she choreographed the Dance 1 routine, the students of Dance 2 actually choreo-graphed themselves. Kharadjian said, “Ms. Wessley worked really hard to bring it all together.” Wessley said that she was pleased with the end result of the performances by both classes. At 7pm, the gym was packed with excited friends, family, and dance fans waiting to see the AHS Competition Dance Team perform a selection of their dances from throughout the ’10-’11

school year. New members of the ‘11-’12 dance team and the AHS B-Boys also performed with the Varsity Gold, Varsity Blue, and Junior Varsity dance teams. A boys team is going to join the team this coming year. Besides showing what the AHS Dance Team has been working on and what is to come, “Soul Escape” also included a Tribute to Japan. “This was actually Kylie Poppen’s idea, she [...]

was inspired by what was happening on the news and said ‘We need to do something, we need to use this and show people what we can do, leaving our hearts on the floor and speaking through pictures and dance.’ So we really wanted to re-mind people that there’s still tons and tons of help that is needed there,” said Debi Poppen, the Dance Team Director. Poppen was thrilled with the out-come of their showcase, “Soul Escape”. “A lot of the dancers use [dance] as an escape from the stresses of everyday life. So the idea was to take

everybody away for the night, from all of this craziness going on in the world and just enjoy the art of dance.” said Poppen. The showcase was definitely

an escape into dance, and the audience was captivated. A great deal of work by many people went in to the showcase including Debi Poppen, the technique teachers and choreographers Brette Markowitz and Kylie Poppen. Shawna Bown was the designer of the countless beauti-ful costumes. Pop-

pen said, “Every one of the pieces was amazing and they worked really hard on this all year.”

Wind ensemble excels in Windy City Congratulations are in order for our own Agoura High School’s music pro-gram. The AHS Wind Ensembles and Choir were invited to the Festivals of Music in Chicago, Illinois. Directed by Chad Bloom, the Wind Ensemble won first place in the tough competition while the Mixed Choir, conducted by John Mosley, won 3rd place. Schools from all around the nation attended and com-peted in this competition. AHS definitely excelled above the rest. Marcia Lamm, president of the Music Boosters Board, said, “The music students at Agoura High School are very fortunate to attend a na-tionally recognized music program, and to have the opportunity to develop their musical talent, performance skills, and to advance their music education under the direction of Mr. John Mosley and Mr. Chad Bloom.” AHS’s Wind Ensemble music students also received the Espirit award, which acknowledged their excel-

lent behavior at the competition. While at the Chicago Music Festival, the students toured Northwestern University as well as the Roosevelt School of Performing Arts. AHS is no stranger to winning awards. Every year, our music students are ac-knowledged for being one of the best in the nation. This year was no exception. With the winnings of 1st place, 3rd place, and the Espirit Award, our music program has lived up to its reputation. An enthu-siastic student said, “This year has been great. It has been a lot of fun traveling across the U.S. No matter what place we win, it’s still just a lot of fun to be with people that share the same interest with me.” Lamm also said, “The opportunity for our students to travel and perform throughout the United States has enabled our students to familiarize themselves, and earn admissions and scholarships into the top colleges and universities in the country. We look forward to many more wonderful years of music at AHS”

by Byron RackowStaff Writer

Photo by Aya Diaz

Olvia Bown, Gina Oshiro, Quinn Miller perform Dance Team’s com-petitive contemporary number

by Melanie AbramoffA&E Editor

Now, I’m not the kind of person that usually enjoys musicals. In fact, the only time I’ve attended a musical was when I was dragged to see my sister perform in one. However, after seeing Jekyll and Hyde performed by Agoura High School’s students, I now have a new appreciation for musicals. I now understand how a dark story can be told through songs and live portrayal. Jekyll and Hyde deals with the theme of good and evil in us all and our constant battle to discern one from the other. Every ac-tor conveyed a strong and con-vincing perfor-mance. Sitting in one of the last rows of the au-dience, I could clearly hear every word of dialogue. Their heart-felt facial expres-sions, gestures, and body language made it easy for me to understand the charac-ters’ mental struggles and emotions. All of the actors successfully delivered their lines with believable accents relative to the portrayed setting, leaving me with a feeling that I was right there amongst the characters. The staging and lighting of the produc-tion was unique. Some scenes took place on the wings of the stage. This technique created a more intense atmosphere and a more in depth focus on the characters and their actions. The costumes were tru-ly authentic to the 1880’s London time period and matched pictures I’ve seen of Broadway productions of Jekyll and Hyde. The live performance of AHS’s orchestra, directed by John Mosley and Chad Bloom, added another dimension to the emotional turmoil of the battle between good and evil that permeated throughout the musical.

Junior Matt Oster expertly portrayed the split personality of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde, which was no easy feat to accomplish. He would easily slip into Mr. Hyde, his evil and sinister alter-ego. His creative use of gestures, voice changes, and body positions made the need for makeup unnecessary. Oster’s tal-ent was most evident in one scene where he debates with his alter-ego, switching back and forth many times between the

ragged-hai red Hyde and the tidy-haired Je-kyll. This effect was enhanced with the use of creative light-ing and dramatic music. Senior Lacey Leininger mas-terfully por-trayed Lucy, a dancer in a dingy pub in search of a better life. Her performance was both confident and convincing

despite the fact that she only had a week and a half to prepare due to an illness of another actor. This was also the case for Shannon Carroll who played the role of Emma, the caring fiancée of Dr. Jekyll. Both of their singing voices were exqui-sitely memorable. Kevin Gilmond, also a member of AHS’s varsity football and wrestling team, played the role of John Utterson. He utilized his resonating op-eratic style voice and gave an astounding performance as Dr. Jekyll’s lawyer and best friend. This production was creatively directed by AHS alumni Nick Newkirk, produced by Laura Leininger, and choreographed by Alex Lastort. One theatergoer said, “I have attended many community theater and off Broadway productions and this musical ranks up there at the professional level. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” I, for one, look forward to attending future musicals based on the awe-inspiring experience I had with this one.

A bold choice for musical pays off

Photo by Aya Diaz

Dance 1 showcases their hip-hop skills

by Byron RackowStaff Writer

by Aya DiazStaff Writer

Oster ‘s performance captivated audiencesPhoto by Melissa Stephan

Mahayne plans to pursue a career in fashion

Photo by Melanie Abramoff

May 2011 Page 9Arts & EntertainmentFashion Club showcases their style

On Friday, May 13, Agoura High School’s Fashion Club organized their 5th Annual Fashion Show. A runway trimmed with lights leading from the stage through the “G” was cre-ated to show-case the inspiring work of 11 AHS designers. Af-ter each designer’s collec-tion was shown to the audience, a panel of judges, including a representative from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Gayle Bashk, and AHS alumni, Allison Flem-ing and Brianna Weinstein, gave their comments to the designers. The designers’ collections were based on a theme: junior Morgan Thornsley’s “Mysterious, Chic, & Flirty”, junior Taylor Hardwick’s “Modern Day Fairytale”, sophomores Katie Fla-nagan and Michelle Jarsen’s “Princess”,

senior Anne Garfalo’s “Ignite the Dawn”, junior Stephanie Minas’s “Getty Archi-tecture/Black Swan”, sophomore Nicki Zisman’s “Lady Gaga”, junior Lindsey Alpert’s “Vegas”, Haley Freedman’s

“Enchanted Garden”, junior Jody Lee’s “Wendy’s Dream”, sopho-more Jazmine Choi’s “Nature”, and sophomore Kyla Carter’s “Hallow-een Circus”. The audience voted which collection should win in the two categories, Best Overall and Most Likely to Sell in a Store. While the votes were tallied, Clothing 2 designers strutted down the runway sporting their reconstructed designs, made from preloved men’s dress shirts. “ After Cloth-ing 2’s

segment was applauded, all of the models from every col-lection walked the runway for the last time and gathered on stage, awaiting the voting results. There were more than 60 models in the show, some of which were profes-sionals. Others were very excited AHS

students. “The models sometimes were friends of [the designers] and we’ve had model calls before,” said clothing teacher and Fashion Club advisor, Kim Speth. Winner of Best Overall, junior Stepha-nie Pearl Minas, said “Basically my col-lection was inspired by the Getty, the architecture that I saw there and it was also highly inspired by Black Swan, how she converted from white swan to black swan.” Mina said, “[My models] were basically friends of friends and I spotted them around AHS and I was just like ‘Oh my gosh! They’re models, I need them!” The winner for Most Likely to Sell in a Store,

junior Morgan Thornsley said, “My collec-tion is a group of strapless dresses and they all have different designs, different cutouts, and some of them are back-less. They’re all different colors

and funky and cute and flirty! The inspira-tion was hanging out with my friends and going to parties.” Sophomore Juliet Johnstone and junior

Adam Gootnick hosted this night of fashion and imagination. The show never could have come together without Fashion Club support from the advisor Speth, president senior Genesee Kayton , vice president junior Jody Lee, and secretary

sophomore Nicki Zisman. “The designers actually came up with the idea for their theme, cut and purchased all of the fabric, and sewed all of the garments themselves. So that’s pretty im-pressive,” said Speth. “I liked once the things were made, adding my personal touch and accessoriz-

ing them,” said Hardwick. Hardwick said that she liked how the judges knew which fairytale each dress was from. Thornsley said, “It was very exciting to spend time with my friends [during the fashion show] and have that experience together.” Minas said, “I loved that one special moment when I was on stage and I felt like a win-ner.”

by Aya Diaz Staff Writer

Photo by Brooke Kramer

Senior Minnar Xie modeled the Anne Garfalo’s “Ignite the Dawn” collection

Photo by Brooke Kramer

Minas’s collection won the award of Best Overall

Sophomore Sophie Friedl models Nicki Zisman’s Lady GaGa inspired Collection

Photo by Nicki Zisman

CommunityMay 2011 Page 10

Page 11Op/EdMay 2011

By James Olson Staff Writer As the end of another school year approaches, it is inevitable to feel a certain melancholy. I mean, sure it means one year less of high school to deal with (and for some, it means the end of high school) so people cheering and partying makes sense. What not many people stop to think about is: one step closer to the end of childhood. Oh, childhood.The time of innocence and youth. Where the world was open to us and we could choose what we wanted to do with our lives. Changing potential careers was like changing games; one minute you could be a firefighter, the next an astronaut. Though it is an exciting time, it is also a time of great change. Most teenagers rush through their high school careers not even thinking about what used to be. Everyone is so focused on the future, on being an adult,that they do not stop to consider what happened to their childhood. One minute they are playing with Barbies and Legos and the next they are putting on make up and gelling their hair for a big dance. Where the heck did the time go? It seemed as if it were only yesterday I was anxiously awaiting the bus on my first day of high school. And the day before that I was walking with my best friend to the local middle school. Not to sound trite, but honestly, the time went by faster than I could count. Nap-time is a thing of the past. Instead of the golden, happy shell of innocence that is youth, teenagers are forced to face the dark, bleak world of mortgages, insurance claims, and debt. There is no one place in time where anyone can say they lost their childhood, but no matter who is asked, they will most likely say it is a melancholy feeling.

There is nothing quite like realizing your childhood is gone. Everyone experiences the loss in different situations and times. For some, like Junior Lucky Ding, it just disappears as if out of nowhere. Ding said “There was no specific event. It just slowly faded”. For others, however, there is an instance in which they could pinpoint exactly when they lost their youth. Junior Nicole Khou said “I guess around now. I’m studying a lot and looking at colleges. It just happened recently.” A sophomore that chose to remain anonymous said her childhood was stolen from her after her grandfather died at a young age. No matter how old one is when it happens, it hurts. The rough realization that the world is a gritty place filled with responsibility, heartbreak, and back-breaking work is in itself enough to end a childhood. Little things like TVs and Fridays mean something totally different, replaced by dread of working on the weekend, and if not work then some homework, or a college essay, or a family problem that needs dealing with. The pure bliss that once encased us is shattered by the real world. Is there hope? Hope that maybe someday again we can recapture small feelings once associated with our happiness? I like to think so. No matter how bad the world gets and how stressed I am, all I need to do is think of the small things like I did when I was a child. Stare at a cloud and imagine it as a completely different shape, marvel at the beauty of a tree, or think about that complex car my parents drive. Because without those little moments, those recaptured moments of childhood, life will, for the most part, be a dreary bore.

Growing old and nostalgic By Byron RackowStaff Writer Under the command of President Ba-rack Obama, the Navy Seals swiftly and without any American casualties, killed Osama Bin Laden at his compound in Pakistan. America’s greatest enemy is now dead. As expected, Obama’s fa-vorability rating has increased by as much as 11 points in many opinion polls. Will this gain Obama a second term in office? Or will his favorabil-ity decrease as Bin Laden’s death be-comes old news? In A m e r i -ca’s past, s e v e r a l presidents have ex-perienced s u d d e n spikes in their ap-p r o v a l rating due to a sin-gle event. President John F. Kennedy’s approval rating, for exam-ple, went from 61 percent to 76 per-cent in the two months following the resolution of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Then, after only six months, his rating dropped back down to 61 percent. I have a feeling that Obama’s approval rating will follow the same trend and decrease as time passes by. In the heat of America’s great suc-cess in killing Bin Laden, it is no won-der why President Obama’s approval rating has increased. A terrorist who has been at large for 10 years has been killed under the presidency of Obama. The fact that Obama completed this mission in less than three years as president also helps his approval rat-ing. His predecessor, George W. Bush, admittedly said during his term as president, “I really just don’t spend

that much time on him” (political-carnival.net). In comparison to Bush, Obama’s success in the war on terror seems to be much greater. It is a tendency of human nature to rally to their president after a great success on their country’s part. Fol-lowing Bin Laden’s death, people rallied in streets across America to celebrate. This gave people a greater sense of pride in their country and it reflected upon Obama. However, as election time draws nearer, the heat

of this recent victory will de-crease and so will his poll numbers. While Bin Laden’s death provides sturdier ground for President Obama in the next election, terrorism isn’t the only issue at hand. By the time the next presi-dential elec-

tion comes around in 2012, people will have put Bin Laden’s death by the wayside and want to focus on America’s economy. Thus, the kill-ing of Bin Laden will not guarantee his re-election. While Bin Laden’s death is a huge success for President Obama, the heat of this recent victory will soon die down. People’s reactions to these one-time events are usu-ally short-lived. If Obama wants to keep his ratings high, he will have to begin focusing on something that affects many American’s lives on a daily basis, the economy. America’s economy is an issue that needs fixing. The poor state of it is causing many Americans to give up their possessions and, in some cases, give up their homes. If

Can Obama maintain high approval ratings until 2012?

By Anita DoyleStaff Writer As a senior nearing the end of my high school careers, I find my-self considering the various choices I will have to make in the near fu-ture—some of which include decid-ing which college to attend, choos-ing a college major, and choosing a particular career path. But as I, and other Agoura High School stu-dents, begin to think about these life choices, we must also consider the actions that could prove to be an obstacle to our plans—an example being how a moment of anger can be interpreted as bigotry and a hate-crime. An example of this is the recent anti-Semitic graffiti found at Calabasas High School. Early in the morning on Saturday, April 23, maintenance workers at Calabasas High School discovered racial slurs aimed at ethnic groups, teachers, and students, spray-paint-ed throughout the school. Security

cameras did not capture images of any of the suspects involved; how-ever, the students responsible for the vandalism were later traced through evidence left behind at the school as well as status updates on Facebook. Calabasas High School

Principal C.J. Foss called the inci-dent “despicable” and said that the students involved were “motivated by misplaced and egregiously inap-propriate anger.” In a short span of time, this act of vandalism transitioned into a hate

crime, showing the thoughtlessness and insensitivity of the suspects. Graffiti intended to exact vengeance on those who had “mistreated” the suspects -- considered an act of bigotry and racism--could possibly give the students involved a crimi-nal record that could deprive them of college admission or career op-portunities in the future. The fact that this graffiti was geared toward a specific group of people for rights guaranteed by the First Amendment only enhances the reality of the rac-ism involved in the moment. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and the harm of the graf-fiti only makes the vandalism more of a hate crime. Every choice can have an impact on one’s future. Ev-ery choice in life comes with conse-quences. As we consider our plans for the future, we must also consider the actions that could put our plans in jeopardy—we must face both the choices and their consequences.

Community faces the consequences of hatred and bigotry

On Saturday, April 23, maintenance workers at Calabasas High School discov-ered hateful graffiti aimed at specific ethnic groups, teachers, and students.

Photo courtesy of huffingtonpost.com

these issues are dealt with, Obama’s poll numbers would increase dramati-cally. While Obama’s numbers will drop, as expected, the death of Osama Bin Laden will forever change the way people view Obama. Come the next election, terrorism, and the fight against it, will still be a major talking

point. In the 2008 presidential elec-tion, the Republican Party argued that Obama would not be able to defend our country against terrorist attacks. Now that Obama has successfully neu-tralized the figure head of terrorism, the claim that he is “inexperienced in the war on terror” can longer be used against him.

Photo courtesy of businessinsider.com

According to recent opinion polls, Obama’s approval rating has recently shot up.

May 2011 Page 12Sports

Are basketball “superstars” destroying the NBA?by Shannon Cullen Staff Writer

Athletes must maintain self-controlby Anita Doyle Staff Writer Self-control is a habit that has proven to be useful in the past. Through self-control, one learns self-management and restraint—helpful habits during certain times. One of these times includes a basketball game that occurred on April 12 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs—during which Los Angeles Lakers point guard Kobe Bryant made an offensive, homophobic slur toward the referee. Bryant, known for his skill and passion for basketball, received a t e c h n i c a l foul during the game, after which he stomped to the bench, threw a towel, s c r e a m e d “Bennie!” to referee Bennie Adams, and mumbled a h o m o p h o b i c slur. The next day, the NBA fined Bryant $100,000 for his slur which NBA commissioner David Stern referred to as “offensive and inexcusable.” Bryant apologized the same day, saying that his remark “should not be taken literally.” Bryant also said that he will petition the fine. Bryant then released a statement toward the gay and lesbian advocacy groups questioning his remark, claiming that

his words during the game do not “reflect his feelings toward the gay and lesbian communities and did not mean to offend anyone.” Bryant’s homophobic slur introduces

the issue regarding p r o f e s s i o n a l athletes and self-control during t e m p e r a m e n t a l moments during professional games and matches. Other athletes fined due to threatening or insulting remarks, such as Serena Williams and John McEnroe, have become notorious for

volatile behavior during professional matches. Another topic concerning explosive antics and words during games is the matter of explicitness and

the younger v i e w e r s . As a professional a t h l e t e , one is responsible f o r maintaining good antics d u r i n g publicized s p o r t i n g

events. If Bryant and other athletes who lack self-control during televised sporting events wish to maintain their reputations as iconic figures in the sports world (and maintain or gain endorsement deals), whenever they become enraged during a publicized game or match, they must stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and remember the meaning and value of self-control.

Is instant replay in baseball becoming neccessary? by Jackie AdelsbergFeatures Editor In Game Four of the 2009 American League Championship Series, it took all of ten seconds for Fox Sports Network to show viewers that the umpires had once again botched a call. Umpire Tim McClel-land missed two calls in the game, one fa-voring the New York Yankees and another the Los Angeles An-gels of Anaheim. Like many other missed calls in the history of baseball, these errors were left uncorrected, leaving a lasting im-pact on the outcome of the game. An even more blatantly obvi-ous call was made last year, when Arman-do Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers was robbed of a perfect game. Veteran umpire Jim Joyce erroneously called a runner safe at first base with two outs in the ninth in-ning, preventing Galaragga from achiev-ing baseball im-mortality. These missed calls could have been pre-vented with the implementation of instant replay. All other sports use this software, so why not base-ball? The use of in-stant replay in Major League Baseball is a widely de-bated topic. With the current officiating rules, umpires play the roles of god. They control the strike zone, determine fair or foul, and decide whether a runner is safe or out. When the fate of a team depends on the vision of an overpaid umpire, in-correct calls become the norm. In fact, the only area of baseball which is completely

objective is boundary home run calls. On these questionable calls, instant replay is used to determine whether a ball is fair or foul, whether the ball actually left the playing field, or whether the ball was sub-ject to spectator interference. I agree with this practice, but feel instant replay can be

expanded. Umpires and MLB officials argue that by reviewing calls, games would be extended from an average of two and a half hours to three hours. As an avid baseball fan, I can personally say that I would be willing to sacrifice thirty additional minutes in order to see a

fair outcome. This being said, there should be set guidelines to the reviewing process. I believe each manager should have two challenges per game, similar to the sys-tem utilized in professional football. Af-ter challenging a call, the play should be reviewed by an umpire who is positioned

in a replay booth field-level. Calls should only be overruled if there is conclusive evidence. Challenges should not be allowed to deter-mine between balls and strikes. Also, review of home runs should not require managers to use a challenge, as they oftentimes alter the score of a game.

Expanding MLB’s instant replay would allow the outcome of games to be deter-mined by players, not umpires. It would provide the MLB with more business op-portunities and attract a broader audience. The game’s current element of human er-ror comprises the integrity of the sport, and in order to truly legitimize baseball, instant replay is necessary.

The “superteams” created of superstars are now running the NBA. They grab the ratings, they make the money, they put butts in the seats, and they make people tune into television broadcasts. For the NBA, it’s an advantage for the so-called superstars to run the NBA, but things have gotten out of control. David Stern was an intelligent businessman when he gave Michael Jordan all the power in the early 90’s. Stern seemingly told his referees to allow Jordan to travel and to get more calls than any other player in the game. Stern knew corporations would latch onto Jordan, and Nike and Gatorade did just that. Everyone wanted to “Be like Mike,” and letting his “ s u p e r s t a r s ” (a term Stern might not have made up, but one which he perfected) play in the Barcelona Olympics, putting on a show of monumental proportions, showing off the game of basketball to Europe and the entire world, really. Stern was smart to use Jordan as a tool to grow the game, but

he was unintelligent to think that letting multiple players get love from his referees was the way to go. Nowadays, it’s the name on the back of the jersey that dictates what the call will be, it’s completely ridiculous on so many levels. Referees are hurting the sanctity of the game if they do not call the game evenly; a foul is a foul no matter what the name or number reads on the player’s jersey.

“Superstars” should not be given more love than other players. There’s a reason the Lakers and Celtics have won the most championships. There’s also a reason why only eight teams have won an NBA championship since 1970. It’s doesn’t benefit the league for a place like Denver, Oklahoma City or

New Orleans to win a championship. All the money is in LA, Boston, New York, and Chicago, the massive markets. Basically, if you’re not from a huge market, your team is behind the eight ball. And if you don’t

have at least one superstar, check that, two to three superstars, your team has almost no chance of winning big games.

The NBA’s refereeing is why so many fans have become jaded, disinterested with the “look at me” isolation product that takes away from the quintessential team game of basketball. This is where David Stern messed up. He understood that having a star-driven league was good for ratings, but he didn’t look

at the ramifications. The NBA and basketball in general is all about playing together. No one player, not even three “superstars” can beat a complete team of five players. It’s simple to understand, basketball isn’t about one star beating five other players, and even though Stern and his helpless drones (referees) want it to be that way, it’s ruining the overall NBA product, it’s driving fans away in droves and it’s creating a $400 million loss this season alone.

Stern has to again be intelligent, to realize that this star-driven league is failing. He has to understand that there is a complete competitive disadvantage, an unfair balance that is tilted in favor of the stars and their teams and against the everyday joes—the same people that fork out their hard-earned money to watch these overpaid players of games. The NBA must get to a point where there is parody, they must move to a place that is similar to the NFL, where every team and every fan believes their team can take home the championship at the beginning of the season, or at least at the beginning of the playoffs. Until the NBA fixes

their fraudulent officiating, until they can assure fans from every market that their team actually has a chance to win a title, until they can create a level playing field while players are on the hardwood

the very integrity of the game is in jeopardy and they will continue to suffer the consequences of losing much money and watching their fan base walk away from the game they love.

photos courtesy of nba.com

photos courtesy of mlb.comphotos courtesy of csmonitor.com