STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF AGOURA HIGH SCHOOL WWW.AGOURACHARGER.COM NOVEMBER. 2011

3 Sports 8Features 2

THE CHARGEREDUCON: The conversation begins

by Byron RackowEditorial Staff On Tuesday, Nov. 8, residents living within range of the Las Virgenes Unified School District voted down Measure K, however, had it passed, the district would have created a parcel tax that would require every family within the boundaries of LVUSD to pay an annual amount of $95 for the next eight years. Measure K would have provided local school funding that cannot be taken by the California state government and could have minimized teacher layoffs and protected academic opportunities. Measure K’s sole purpose was to help re-obtain money lost due to the recent budget cuts that denied LVUSD roughly $10 million. As well as giving schools the money needed to maintain high academic standards, Measure K would have given more control over school funding because this money cannot be taken or cut by the California state government. Arguments against Measure K state that the district’s lack of money is due to careless spending on projects such as school remodeling, while total enrollment decreases. Residents against Measure K suggest that LVUSD downsize to compensate for declining enrollment numbers instead of adding on to school properties. Residents in support of Measure K suggest that the improvement of school property and academic courses will bring LVUSD’s population back up. Los Angeles City legal Counsel Andrea Sheridan Ordin said that all of the money received from this tax would have stayed within the community to be used only to improve the general quality of our local schools.

by Noa DaneshStaff Writer On Mon. Nov. 7, students in social science teacher Jason Busby and English teacher Deborah Frank’s radical new team-taught honors government and English IV class put on “EDUCON: A Community Conversation on Education” to try and change the way students and the community view education. Amongst other issues, students behind EDUCON set out to prove that school does not have to be irrelevant to real life situations. One member of the class, senior Josh Tobias, said that he thought the hardest part of organizing EDUCON was “putting everyone’s ideas together and getting everyone on one page.” Another member of the class, senior Brian Hertz elaborated and said, “At first, we didn’t know how to organize ourselves. We didn’t break up into groups. We just sat in a room, all 70 of us and tried to organize this huge event. After a few days, we realized that wasn’t going to work. To accomodate, the class split into seven groups responsible for organizing different aspects of the event: survey, interview, data analysis, fundraising, internal PR, external PR and event planning. The survey committee in the class administered a survey which included questions about the relevance of courses and knowledge of the teachers, to 1,923 AHS students to determine where education is lacking in our school.

After receiving the results, the data analysis committee analyzed student answers and found trends and patterns which they turned over to the interview committee. The interview committee then interviewed individual students and teachers to find out more detailed information. After these results came in, questions were made for a panel of community officials that included AHS principal

Larry Misel, Las Virgenes Unified School District Superintendant Donald Zimring, the mayors of the cities of Calabasas, Westlake and Agoura Hills, and several city council members and LVUSD teachers. The panel members recieved the questions ahead of time in order to prepare adequate responses for the night of EDUCON. According to the results of the survey, student motivation is one of the biggest problems presented to educators. Panel member Harry Schwarz, mayor of Agoura Hills, said that students “have to find something that really interests [them].” Panel member Illece Buckley Weber, an Agoura Hills City Council member, said “Parents need lessons on how to motivate students instead of pushing for a grade.” In fact, one statistic presented by the students of EDUCON showed that 69% of students who took the survey valued good grades over actually understanding the material. Also discussed

was the success of cross-curricular learning, such as combining math and sciences classes. The panel was in favor of this idea. Misel said “It’s silly that we departmentalize classes. It’s based on a 150-year-old one-size-fits-all system.” A statistic from the survey showed that most students believe that courses are barely relevant to the “real world,” even if they feel prepared for college. An anonymous teacher asked, “If we’re not preparing them for a career, what are we doing?” Zimring said “It’s important to factor in what kids need.” Other topics discussed included the benefits of extra-curricular activities, the importance of teacher/student relationships, the new school calendar, and the importance of teaching about social issues. Though it was a lot of hard work for the students involved, EDUCON was extremely well-recieved and well-attended. Senior Na’ama Goldfill, a member of the event-planning committee, said that “seeing all the people flooding in really calmed [her] nerves.” Many students there were amazed to see what a professional event their classmates had been able to put on. Junior Alec Leatham said “This is great! It’s amazing to see the entire town gather in one place to discuss such important issues. I can’t wait to join the Busby-Frank class next year and help organize more events like these.” As EDUCON proved, education in general is lacking in a lot of ways. It is no secret that, both as students and as educators, we can do a lot better. The students and teachers behind EDUCON hope to help contribute to the process of change. Senior John Menges said that the goal of EDUCON, wasn’t necessarily to spark change overnight; it was simply a conversation intended to inspire further debate on the subject of educational reform. Goldfill said “EDUCON is only the beginning. We hope that students and community members continue to take

charge of their education by asking questions and getting involved.” And, as senior Lydia Polanco, a member of the fundraising committee, said, “The student body has a great deal of power that we don’t know about. And if we take the steps of representing a forum or discussion with the educational board or through the media, if we take those steps as the student body together, then we’re going to have a say in what happens and hopefully a change.”

CENTER 4

Los Angeles football stadium: dream or reality?

A & E

Dance Team shows off its moves

Ms. Ellis: Guide-Dog Trainer

Extraordinaire

Senior Hailey Wahl and her classmates moderate at EDUCON. Photo by Lior Ayalon

The Busby-Frank team-taught class organized Educon. Photo by Zach Johnson

community votes down parcel tax

Photo courtesy of www.lvusd.org

Despite the district’s many efforts to pass Measure K, it did not receive the 2/3 majority vote it needed.

AHS meets tragedy

with love

FeaturesNovember 2011Page 2

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Miss Ellis: Science teacher and pro puppy wranglerby Alex SimonStaff Writer Knowing that you’ve made a differ-ence in someone’s life is perhaps the most rewarding feeling in the world, and the greatest gift you could give. How we go about achieving this sense of accomplish-ment can happen in many ways. Physi-ology teacher Kimberly Ellis makes her mark on the lives of others by helping raise puppies for the visually impaired for the organization Guide Dogs for the Blind. As a puppy raiser, Ellis is responsible for socialization and obedience. “The dog goes everywhere with me...so that way they’re socialized to every environment and any-thing they could possibly come across when they’re with a blind person, so that any situation should not be new to them.” Ellis is currently approaching her third year of puppy raising. When asked why she de-votes so much time to these puppies she said, “I’ve always wanted to do it, as I’ve always thought it’s a great organization...I love that it gives somebody who does not have eyesight a set of eyes and the freedom for them to be able to go places and do things just like everybody else.” Being in the classroom environment, some may think that a dog could be rather distracting, but this is not the case. “So far, my dogs have all been very well-behaved from the start...the students love having a dog in the classroom.” Ellis said. “I think it changes [the students] at-titude sometimes when they come into the classroom...by coming in and just being able to see the dog, it just kind of helps to cheer them up, change their attitude.” Puppy raising is a wonderful experi-ence, but it doesn’t last forever, and at some point, the puppies must be turned in for more extensive training. “Giving them up is very sad, and yes there’s a box of Kleenex ready and waiting for me. But at the same time I’m so excited that they’re going to be helping somebody and I know that I’ve done my job,” Ellis said. How-ever, these dogs do not completely disap-pear from their trainers’ lives. Puppy rais-ers will get to see their dogs graduate out of the program and meet their new owner, who will occasionally send updates about their new companion. Ellis said she be-lieves that having dogs on campus is very beneficial, “I absolutely love having dogs on the campus, and I think also the staff members really enjoy it, they can’t wait to greet the dog every day when they see me around campus... [the puppy] always gets greeted before I do... it makes it easier for other people on campus who have a ser-vice animal.” Giving up a puppy is emo-tional, but knowing that puppy may help to improve the quality of life for an individ-ual with visual impairments is priceless!

by Alex BersonStaff Writer One of the perks of the IB curriculum is the opportunity to hear exciting and thought-provoking speakers right on our compus. On Nov. 4, Agoura High School was treated to three very special people: Dr. Mathern, a neurosurgeon and neurosci-entist from UCLA, Dr. DuBode a neuro-plasticity expert, and Rebecca, a survivor of a Hemispherectomy – a surgery that removes either the left or right brain hemi-sphere. I joined Mrs. Anderson’s IB Psycol-ogy class, and Ms. Ellis’ physiology class seminar about Neuroscience, Brain Plastic-ity, and the effects of a Hemispherectomy. The first speaker was Rebecca, who, up until the age of six, was a very healthy baby. At the age of six and a half, Rebecca had her first of many seizures. Soon her parents got Rebecca on anti-seizure medi-cation, but she was still having random seizures. One day it got so severe that Re-becca had 40 seizures. After many doctor trips and extensive research, Rebecca was finally diagnosed with a very rare disease called Rasmussen’s Encephalitis. Rasmus-sen’s Encephalitis is a rare, chronic inflam-matory disease that usually affects only one hemisphere of the brain, and in Rebecca’s case, it was the right side. By the time Re-becca was nine and a half, she had already had her right side of her brain removed. In the hospital, Rebecca would have up to 12 IV’s in her body at once, and would spend the majority of her childhood years in and out of hospitals. The affects of having the right side of her brain removed was the loss

of most motor skills, the ability to synthe-size data, the loss of reasoning, and her inability to compute spatial problems; she also lost the use of her left arm. On top of all of this, while Rebecca was recovering from surgery, with physical and emotional therapy, her Dad was very sick also. Re-becca was helpless. She couldn’t see her dying Dad because she could barely walk let alone talk, and before she knew it, he was gone. Rebecca, since lying on the hos-pital bed with 12 IV’s in, has made tremen-dous progress. She teaches Pre-School, has a boyfriend, and lives independently. The second speaker was Dr. DuBode. Dr. DuBode was a seizure survivor, and an ex-pert in Neuro-Plasticity, the gray and white matter in our brains associated with every-day functioning and injury. Neuro-Plastic-ity is the most profound aspect of the brain. Neuro-Plasticity is what makes your brain and body work. Dr. DuBode explained the different types of Neuro-Plasticity as: Struc-tural, Functional, Metaplasticity, Plastic-ity associated with learning, Homeostatic, which stays the same throughout change, and Compensatory. All of these different types of Neuro-Plasticity affect how you react to things, and how your body reacts physically and emotionally. Dr. DuBode also explained the functions of both Right and Left Hemisphere. The Right Hemi-sphere deals with things synthetic, holistic, intuitive, parallel, spatial, and visual. The Left Hemisphere deals with things like analysis, feature detection, logic, temporal processing – “Structure.” DuBode then informed the audience of her seizure, and

how she deals with it. Dr. DuBode said she takes anti-seizure medication. This make it feel as if, “people were moving and talking fast,” and she was at normal speed. Dr. DuBode gave a phenomenal speech and really connected with the audi-ence. She cracked jokes, asked questions, and informed everyone at the same time. Dr. Mathern is a neurosurgeon and neuroscientist at UCLA’s Intellectual and Development Disabilities Research Center. Mathern has performed a pleth-ora of Hemispherectomies on which the most frequent patients are babies and toddlers. Dr. Mathern has developed a kind of procedure that instead of remov-ing the whole hemisphere of the brain, he just removes the part of the brain causing the seizures. This makes the recovery a great deal shorter and better. In his line of work, Dr. Mathern encounters epilepsy a lot. Epilepsy is when the nervous sys-tem responds to insult by not working (i.e. paralysis, blindness, etc.) or overreact-ing (i.e. pain, hallucinating, epileptic sei-zures, etc.). After performing his surgery, most patient’s seizures stop.Dr. Mathern has devoted his life to helping people of all ages from these horrible occurrences. As of right now, there are over three mil-lion people in the United States with epi-lepsy. That number will decrease over time because of people like Dr. Mathern. With the revolutionary world of medi-cine behind us, who knows what will be curable in ten years. Maybe epi-lepsy and other seizure-related dis-orders will be a thing of the past.

A PEEK INTO THE WORLD OF NEUROSURGERY

Jessica KovacEditorial Staff The time has finally arrived. The men have stowed away their razors, and said their goodbyes to their favorite brand of shaving cream. No Shave November, or “Movember” as it is sometimes referred to is here and it is in full swing. Has anyone noticed the guys at our school are looking a little “hairier” lately? Well, your hesitations

photo by Alex Simon

No Shave November: Facial Hair for a cause

The Charger StaffManaging EditorKatie Persons

Newspaper EditorLior Ayalon

Magazine EditorsBailey ByersMatt Spector

Editorial StaffAya DiazJessica KovacBrooke KramerByron Rackow

Faculty AdvisorLorelei Hollister

Video EditorMelanie Abramoff

Staff WritersEmily AitkenAlex BersonKristen BurnsNoa DaneshNate EdelmanLucinda LaurenceRebecca Lee

are answered. Now, one’s initial reaction to Movember may be, “What’s the point? It seems a little strange to grow out facial hair just for the fun of it.” What most people don’t know is Movember does have a pur-pose. Movember was created in 1999 by a group of Australian men. In 2004, the group started events to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression. Soon enough, Mo-

vember spread from a small group in Aus-tralia to most countries around the world, including the US. It has created global awareness for a number of men’s health is-sues. Although it is a humorous event and seems to be unusual, it is actually a great contribution to society and helps save mil-lions of men. So, the next time you see your hairy friends, cheer them on and support them in their efforts to raise awareness.

A&ENovember 2011Page 3

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thanksgiving recipes

by Madeleine LesterStaff Writer Jocks and nerds and radioactive tater tots, oh my! The student film Class of 2000, produced by Agoura High School junior Matt Lacorte, is an innovative flick “about four jocks and four nerds who come across radioactive tater tots in a war torn school,” said Lacorte. The film is essentially a large-scale student film that welcomes all AHS students, whether they have experience or not. “We can pretty much

utilize everyone’s talents,” said Lacorte. In addition, he explains that the movie is targeted for underclassman to participate in, because they are likely to be supportive and enthusiastic about the film for years to come. However, upperclassman shouldn’t be discouraged to lend a helping hand— everyone is encouraged to be involved. In fact, more than 100 people have expressed interest in the AHS Film Project. “The more people frankly, the better,” said Lacorte. Class of 2000 is set to release sometime in

2012, as it is a tentative, large production. Lacorte said he hopes that the production will not only be seen by AHS students, but also in film festivals, as he is attempting to distribute the film universally. While Lacorte said he does not plan on making a sequel, students should be expecting an epic movie from the entire cast and crew who are working tirelessly on this project. Get ready AHS, radioactive tater tots are coming to a big screen near you!

the ahs film project: a movie in the works

Tim Burton: director or artistic visionary?by Noa DaneshStaff Writer Most people know Tim Burton for his movies like Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas. However, many don’t know that he is a talented artist as well. His exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA, which ran from May 29 to Oct. 31, showcased over 700 pieces, from cartoons made in his teens to sculptures made in recent years. Like his movies, Burton’s art has a definite style: vivid, imaginative figures, often with macabre themes. His compositions leaped off of the paper. I walked away from the exhibit feeling excited at the endless possibilities art had to offer.

by Brooke KramerSection Editor It might be difficult to find artists who puts as much honest effort and determination into their work as they do passion. Art is an expression, a passion, something to do for fun, or the beginnings of a profession. Sophomore Linda Liu seems to see it as all of the above. Liu can often be found sketching or cutting out paper shapes, yet she also takes art seriously and said she plans to pursue a career in industrial or product design after she graduates. Even though her skills are supported by friends and family, she has said that she strives to get better and better, and anyone can tell that she’s really succeeding at it. Though she’s loved art since she could hold a pencil at age three, Liu said she only had an epiphany this year that she wanted to grow up to become a professional artist. “My parents wanted me to become a pharmacist, but I decided that [art] was

artist of the month linda liu describes her passion

DANCE TEAM TAKES IT OUT ON THE FLOORby Brooke KramerSection Editor On Saturday, Nov. 5, the first of the Agoura High School Dance Team’s bi-annual showcases was put on by a dedicated faction of dancers, teachers, supporters and technical assistance. Appropriately titled “Raw Inspiration,” the Fall Showcase featured 29 excellent pieces in the course of two extremely entertaining hours, performed by the JV dance team, the Varsity dance team, and the newly-formed boys’ dance team under the guidance of dance director Debi Poppen. The event was a huge success, a fun way to spend the night for friends and family, a demonstration of the participants’ hard work, and for some, a way to turn pain into art. The routines performed were generally made for official competition, but six weeks beforehand, it was decided that instead of participating in a competition, the dancers should put on a showcase as a fundraiser. Roughly $2,100 was raised through entrance fees, donations and

snack sales. The money goes to the many expenses of keeping a classy dance team running as well as upcoming competition fees. Practice, for both the showcase and future competitions, takes up seven to 15 hours of the dancers’ average week, depending on what specific team they’re on and how many songs they’re dancing to. The AHS B-Boys club performed last year in one piece, but Poppen considers this showcase to be a sort of debut for them now that they’re officially the AHS Boys’ Dance Team and will be competing alongside the girls in the future. “Their dances were so entertaining and different,” said Poppen, “I think it really adds dimension to the whole thing.” Though the fundraiser went off without any major hitches, and despite the fact that it had been in planning for six weeks, Poppen said, “There was a time when we didn’t think we’d be able to do it, considering the tough week with the terrible things going on.” Many of the students on the dance team were shocked and

saddened by the school’s recent tragedies. “I didn’t make them come to practice, and I know a lot of the girls were affected. I think they kind of didn’t want to practice at first, but when they got into it, their passion for their art was healing, helpful. It’s an outlet for them when things are tough.” At the showcase, seniors Jessickah Bihari, Alexis Campbell, and Gina Oshiro improvised a dance called “Gone But Not Forgotten” in honor of student Dan Behar. “He always attended their shows,” said Poppen, “so they wanted to do something for him. In a way, it [the showcase] was both bad timing and good timing.” So, while it was a night to make cheering parents and friends proud, it was also somewhat solemn and therapeutic to many of the dancers. Maybe that’s one of the best things about dance—it can be anything from sad to upbeat, emotionally beneficial and fun and inspiring. We can definitely look forward to being inspired more by our dance team come May, when they put on the even bigger and better Spring Showcase.

Burton’s sketch shown at exhibit

photos by Rick MarkovitzLeft, the Boys’ Dance team does a Jabberwocky-inspired piece; Center, Junior Soloist Olivia Bown demonstrates her flexibility; Right,

Varsity team girls pose at the end of an upbeat routine.

Madeline’s Tangy Cranberry SauceIngredients

1 pound of cranberries

1 orange (zest and juice)

1 stick of cinnamon

1/3 cup of water

2 cups of granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:In a medium pot, combine and stir the water, sugar, and cranberries. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat until the mixture is at a low simmer. Next, add in the cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Stir to blend and let simmer for another 5 to 7 minuets. Add in the orange zest and juice. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving. (Note: Some of the cranberries will burst, while other may remain whole.)

Madeline’s Cream Cheese BiscuitsIngredients

1 stick of unsalted butter

3 oz. package of Philadelphia cream cheese

1 cup of flour

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the cream butter and cream cheese together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour and mix well with fork until smooth. Refrigerate the contents in the bowl for at least 10 minutes until it takes up a solid form (makes dough easier to handle). Roll dough into 1/2 inch thick slab (be sure to handle it as little as possible), and cut with a biscuit cutter or circle cookie cutter. Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. (They will only rise slightly). Serve with butter, cranberry sauce, or gravy.

Madeline’s Savory StuffingIngredients

1 6-ounce package of dry stuffing cubes

3/4 cup of chicken stock

1/2 cup of melted butter

3/4 cup of chopped celery

1/2 cup of chopped onions

3/4 cup of chopped black olives

1/4 cup of golden raisins (Optional)

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large casserole dish, and set aside. In a large bowl combine the stuffing mix with the celery, onion and butter. Add in the olives and golden raisins. Gradually stir in the chicken stock and mix with a spoon until well incorporated. Transfer the stuffing into the prepared casserole dish, amd cover with foil, baking for 20 to 30 minutes. (If you desire to have a crisp top, uncover the dish and bake for an additional 10 minutes).

by Madeline ToledoSpecial to The Charger

the only thing I had a passion in. Like if there’s anything I can do for the world, it’s this.” Liu said, though she also mentioned that her family is super supportive of her artistic endeavors. Liu currently takes three art classes-- Fine Art II here at AHS, and two private art classes that teach a plethora of techniques and skills. Liu disclosed that she has also taken a few of the notorious Life Art classes. “I was so scared the first time,” she said. But it’s come to be an in-joke of sorts between friends that she is now the best at drawing nude men. Liu likes to draw people the most, though she also enjoys making abstract art. Her college plans also revolve around art: Liu said that she’d like to go to Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, or the Art Center in Pasadena. “In the future, I plan to be a starving artist,” she said jokingly, “so I ask that you please buy my products!”

Photo courtesy of www.college.edu

A bird in Liu’s trademark detailed pastel stylephoto by Brooke Kramer

A night of remembrance

Photo courtesy of Savanah Miller

by Katie PersonsManaging Editor On Tuesday, Nov. 1, a student-or-ganized candlelit vigil was held on the Agoura High School campus to re-member the lives of three young stu-dents who recently passed away. His-tory teacher Gerald Picket estimated that about 500 students, faculty, andmembers of the community gathered in the AHS quad to participate in the memorial. Beginning at 7 pm and last-ing for several hours, the vigil included speeches from the three students’ fam-ily and friends, remembering and pay-ing tribute to their loved ones. AHS senior Elizabeth McGrane, who orga-nized the event, said “it was a time forour community to come together and mourn together and also to celebrate lives and celebrate memories and to look to the future but not forget about the past.” The vigil was organized in response to the third death of a local teen within a one week period. On Thursday, Oct. 27, former AHS student Josh Feinberg committed suicide after, according to LA Weekly, he was overcome with the stress of maintaining his grades. Twenty-one year old Feinberg gradu-ated from AHS in 2009 along with his twin brother Jeff, and was attending the University of California Santa Barbara.

Many AHS alumni gathered together at this time to share fond memories of Feinberg, whose friend Nick Grodotzke said “his happy-go-lucky attitude spread all over anyone that came in contact with him. He respected everyone, loved to have fun, and was always happy.” Three days later, on Sunday, Oct. 30, former AHS student Griffen Kramer was found dead. According to the Los Angeles Times, “initial indications sug-gest” that 18-year-old Kramer’s death “was due to alcohol poisoning.” Kramer attended AHS his freshman and sopho-more years, where he was a member of our football team, before transferring to TOHS, where he was the back-up quar-terback there. Kramer’s death served as a wake- up call for many of Kramer’s loved ones, even prompting one friend and former AHS student to pledge to seek sobriety. Members of Kramer’s family also spoke, urging the crowd to look out for one another, especially when drugs and alcohol are involved. On Monday, Oct. 31, AHS senior Dan Behar took his own life. Principal Larry Misel made an all-call Monday after-noon informing AHS families of the tragedy. Behar’s death shook the AHS campus, prompting the candlelight vigil to be held the following night. AHS stu-dents came together, wearing Dan’s fa-

vorite color green, to cel-ebrate all three lives lost. Both Dan’s brother, former AHS student Yoni Behar, and girlfriend, AHS ju-nior Nitzan Navick, spoke to the crowd about Be-har’s incredible character. The vigil called for members of the com-munity to bring candles to celebrate the livesof these young men, and brought the com-munity closer together. The vigil allowed forstudents and faculty to share memories of the deceased, and cel-ebrate their own lives.A major theme of the vigil was to express love for those around you. Behar’s olderbrother Yoni said, “I felt like nothing was important until yester-day, and it’s not true.Everything is so im-portant. You’ve got to value who you talk to. You’ve got to value theperson in front of you.”

Page 4 November 2011 Center

No one will ever deny that life is tough. At times, it might even seem unbearable. But even on the darkest days, there is always light to be found. If you ever need to be reminded of your options, here is a brief list of resources. Please, if you need it, seek help. You, your friends and family, and all other loved ones will be thankful that you did.

Finding help when you need it

The American Foundation for Suicide

Preventionwww.AFSP.org

Founded in 1987, the AFSP is the leading, na-tional not-for-profit organization dedicated to re-ducing the amount of life loss from suicide. This organization seeks to promote prevention and un-derstanding through the collaboration of busi-

ness and community leaders and survivors of suicide. Their website has a section

devoted to surviving the loss of a loved one to suicide.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/1(800) 273-TALK [1(800) 273- 8255]

You can call Lifeline’s free and confi-dential service 24-7. When you call, you will be routed to the crisis center near-est you to talk to a trained counselor.

Photo courtesy of Adam Steinberg

Photo courtesy of Brendan Lubin

On-Campus

Resources Though it may seem intimi-

dating, don’t be afraid to go and talk to your counselor...That’s one of their jobs! If you’d

rather talk to another student, the peer counselors (who have all been trained by the school counselors and psychologists) are avail-

able during lunch on Mondays and Thursdays in room V-1 (behind the library).

Photo courtesy of dailynews.com

Photo courtesy of Lior Kopel

Photo courtesy of Savanah Miller Photo courtesy of Trent Siggard

The Trevor Projectwww.thetrevorproject.org

1(866) 4-U-TREVOR[1(866) 488-7386]

Specifically for lesbian, bisexu-al, gay, transgender and questioning (LBGTQ) youth, the Trevor Life-line is open 24-7 to any U.S. caller.

Kristen Brooks Hope Center

www.hopeline.com1(800) SUICIDE

[1(800) 784-2433] When Reese Butler’s wife killed herself in 1998, But-ler began the KBHC amd the National Hopeline Net-

work, the first suicide hotline that connected every crisis center in the U.S. under one easy-to-re-

member phone number. The hopeline is available toll-free 24-7.

To Write Love on Her Armswww.twloha.com

To Write Love on Her Arms is not a crisis hotline staffed by trained professionals. How-ever, it is a community of people who have been affected by everything from suicide to eating disorders to addiction. TWLOHA of-fers resources for treatment and recovery and an overall message of love and hope.

Teen Line

http://teenlineonline.org/1(310) 855-46731(800) 852-8336

According to the Teen Line website, “If you have a prob-lem or just want to talk with another teen who under-

stands, then this is the right place for you!” The line is free from anywhere in Califonia and is open

every night from 6 PM-10 PM.

United we stand, for now and foreverby Lior AyalonNewspaper Editor Walking into a gym full of juniors and seniors goofing around, talking about how great it was to miss second period, I did not have high hopes for the assembly held in response to recent tragedies in our school and in our commu-nity. In fact, all I could think about was trying to find a seat with my friends in the midst of such a huge crowd. As I fi-nally found a seat, I wondered what was in store for the next hour. I hoped that the assembly could adequetely address the feelings of my still grieving classmates without being con-descending or overall preachy. I was not disappointed . It’s not as if anyone said anything truly life-changing. In fact, it was all fairly pre-dictable. Alan Ludington, the founder of the Ludington Insti-

tute for Family Enrichment (L.I.F.E.), dis-cussed finding help when we need it. He used ridiculously corny analogies to dem-onstrate his points. He had one of his own patients speak about her personal experi-ences with depression and self harm. And to my relief, it wasn’t a preach session at all. In fact, something magical happened in the gym that day. Somehow, we, Agoura High School students and faculty, ceased to be individuals with our own petty little problems. Sometime during that one glo-rious hour in the gym, we all seemed to remember why we were really there. And it wasn’t to get out of second period. We were there because our school, our com-munity, our lives had been rocked by trag-edy. We were there because we had lost friends, classmates, and so much more. We were there because we didn’t want to relive the past few weeks ever again. We were there because as we recovered and coped with the terrible aftermath , we knew that we had to rely on one an-other to get through this difficult time. In a school as large as AHS, it’s easy to feel disconnected from one another.

It’s easy to stereotype other students. It’s easy to divide the entire student body into “us” and “them.” Afterall, anyone not in your immediate group of friends must be so different from you, they’re practically an alien life-form, right? Wrong. If there’s one thing I hope anyone takes away from that assembly and the tragic events that in-spired it, there is no “us”, there is no “them”. There is only “we.” And we must do ev-erything we can not to let that division re-appear. We must remember that we are all valuable members of the AHS community. We must remember that we are all loved. As a devout reader of PostSecret, I can sum it up best with a secret from last week’s Sunday Secrets: “I am so glad you are reading this right now because it means you are still alive.” Fellow AHS students, I am so glad to be able to call each and every one of you my classmates. Though we had been brought together un-der terrible circumstances, we now have the opportunity to fix years of seperation and division. Let’s do it, Agoura. Let’s show the world how we stand together, even after times of tragedy have passed.

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Op/EdNovember 2011Page 7

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We all know them, we all see them, and some worship them. Whether they’re on Facebook, the phone app, or just in your head, zodiac signs are everywhere. I view the, I guess you could say, “reli-gion” of zodiac signs to be ridiculous and naïve. Now, you could disagree with me and say something like, “My zodiac sign is always right,” but let me ask you: have you noticed that the zodiac read-ings tend to be extremely broad? For example, I’m an Aries and when I read my zodiac sign and it said, “Great things will come,” I’m like, “come on, really?” I didn’t know great things would come. I totally thought my life would suck un-til I die. Also, isn’t it kind of weird how you have a new one every day? Some people might say that it’s because the stars align differently, but I find that to be nonsense. The light from the nearest star takes four years to travel to earth. To continue, I’m just curious how these sayings are created. Do the zodiac signs talk to you? Do they say, “Yo, tell this

are you a horoscope addict? Divorce: it affects kids, tookid he’s gonna mess up.” I don’t think so. I think there are two reasons why

people religiously fol-low “their own” zodiac sign: Deep-seeded self-esteem issues and bore-dom. I list deep-seeded self-esteem as one rea-son because I feel that people who click on these astrological signs are simply looking for a boost of self-esteem. Generally, the astrolog-ical readings are posi-tive and fluffy. “A great love is coming your way,” “You deserve the best.” These are just a few examples of things the readings give. If someone had a rough day at school or their home life is corrupt, it’s nice to hear these things.

Also, who doesn’t like to hear about good things? I doubt anyone is like, “Darn, they said I was going to marry the love of my life.” It is a very smart mar-keting strategy for the people who write these astrological signs. However, bore-dom, I believe, is the main contributing factor to the zodiac sign phenomenon. Most kids knock what they intend to do on Facebook out in 20 minutes or so, so what do they resort to? You guessed it - zodiac signs. Now, I know it subsides the boredom for a good 30 seconds, but there is something addictive about it. Soon it turns into people going on Facebook just to look at what their zodiac reading is. I find this craze of zodiac signs to be temporary. Soon people will come to their senses and realize this is just some marketing scheme. However, people who have already seen this and have figured it out have to endure 13 year-olds on Face-book finding out that they’ll marry their best friend or something stupid like that.

by Aya DiazEdtorial Staff

In the United States, about 9 million kids have divorced or separated parents. Every one of us has a friend whose parents are separated or divorced or has had the misfortune occur in their own lives. Some of us are okay with it, but some of us continue to be devastated by our broken families. Divorce and separation of parents has a deep and long-lasting affect on children of all ages, from younger children to adults. Parents drop the news on their children in a flurry of stress, confusion, anger, and sadness in one shocking moment. For some, that moment lasts forever. According to a study by the University of New Hampshire, many factors determine the short term effects of divorce on children. Due to the ability to fully perceive what is going on, age is one of the most important elements. Children and teenagers are affected drastically, for different reasons. Younger children are able to pick up on the differences without fully understanding. The study said, “They are too young, however, to understand and control their reaction to this pain.” More at risk in the long-term, teens often feel angry, scared, and depressed. Taking more responsibility, some teens grow up too quickly and feel as if they are responsible for a parent or other siblings. Often, teens feel like one parent was more responsible for the split than the other. In the new relationships between parents and children, gender also influences the ability to adjust. Girls raised by their mothers and boys raised by their fathers are less aggressive than if raised by their mothers. Frequently, the entire family hopes that the parents will get back together. At times, this optimistic outlook serves as a spirit-lifter, while

sometimes it only deepens the heartbreak. Long-term effects shown in a North Carolina University study include the “sleeper effect” in which “denied feelings at a subconscious level may emerge at some point later in life.” After ten years, children whose parents divorced said, “I was really hurt. The hardest thing was watching my family break up.” These people had poorer physical health than those whose families had stayed together. Common illnesses included anxiety and/or depression. They also had difficult relationships later in life, fear of commitment, and distrust of their spouse.

One of the biggest fears teens of divorce experience is fear of marriage. However, children of divorce tend to have more traditional views of how marriage and family should be. In the same study, children who were well-adjusted had a strong relationship with their mother or father and a positive

relationship with their grandparents. Many young people may feel that their parents do not know what divorce does to them. Parents say “it’s for the best,” leaving us in a state of confusion and depression. Maybe it’s because my eyes have recently been opened up to it, but it seems like more and more families are splitting up and it breaks my heart. I remember how I felt when I just sat there and cried. Although I’ve personally had a difficult time dealing with separated parents, the fear of marriage in the future is not prominent. For me, it is a motivation to do everything in my power to make sure my future husband and I say “until death do us part” or “as long as we both shall live” and truly mean it. I do wish it never happened, but I love both of my parents more than anything and we are still a family.

by Alex Berson Staff Writer

Twister Memories: left hand on blue, right foot on redby Katie PersonsManaging Editor One day I lost my Twister mat. It was the worst day of my life. Why was it the worst day of my life? Because I’m the kind of girl who carries Twister wherever I go. For a period of 24 hours, my beloved Twister game was nowhere to be found. I searched all over my house and car, practically ripping apart anything that could possibly be hiding this gem from me. No luck. I accused family and friends of snatching this prized possession, but it was all in vain. Thankfully, my Twister mat is once again safely within my reach. But for that one excruciatingly long day, my main concern was the location of my Twister mat. I felt lost without it. Life seemed incomplete. My friends noticed a change in my demeanor, and I am not the least bit ashamed that it was because I had lost a Hasbro board game from my elementary school days. For some people, their security blanket is their long hair, favorite bracelet, or maybe even an actual blanket. But for me, it’s my Twister mat. I won’t lie, I haven’t been completely obsessed with Twister my whole life. Sure, I’ve always appreciated the game, and I fondly remember playing it with friends at various birthday parties when I was a youngin, but my need to have my Twister mat with me at all times didn’t truly take form until this past summer. In fact, I had previously lost my Twister mat for a much longer period of time, yet I was unaware that this was such a travesty.

I always knew that somewhere within the Persons household was the game of Twister, and I looked high and low for it, but could not find it (it sure is an elusive game, isn’t it?). So of course right as I gave up looking for it, I found it. One day, as I was innocently searching for the perfect costume to wear to a popsicle party I would be attending that night, there appeared Twister, right before my eyes. I’m not sure if I was so overwhelmed by this life-changing moment, but the room seemed to spin, and the far corner of my closet that held this beautiful game seemed to be completely illuminated by the Twister gods above. This, in contrast to the recent catastrophe mentioned above, was the best day of my life. I made sure to inform all of my friends that I had found my Twister mat, and to expect to see it often in the near future. Alas, this is why I carry it with me everywhere I go. Who doesn’t love Twister? In the months since I have relocated my Twister mat, I have not found a single person who doesn’t love at least one part of the beauty that is Twister. Whether you are the one spinning the board, getting tangled up, or laughing at people in their incredibly awkward

situation, Twister is one heck of a time. Currently, Twister is in my trunk. I take it everywhere. If I am not going to be near my car, I bring it with me. Twister has forced me to plan ahead, and I gladly do so. I used to ask my friends “should I bring Twister?” but

now I don’t even bother, because who would ever not want Twister in an accessible location? I’ve played it on an army base, a boat, and on the sidelines of Agoura High School’s most recent h o m e c o m i n g football game, yet there is truly an

endless amount of locations I wish to play Twister. It is just a part of me. I have been introduced as “the girl who brings Twister everywhere” and I honestly cannot think of a greater honor. But there is a plague that is sweeping the gaming industry. Over the past couple of years, I have seen advertisements displaying many Twister variations, such as Twister Dance DVD and Twister Hoopla. Excuse me? I beg your pardon, but what is this? There is no reason to add all of this frilly nonsense to the classic game of Twister. Hoops are not needed to enjoy the tangled togetherness that Twister brings about. I strongly believe that IIABDFI (if it

ain’t broke, don’t fix it). I’m sorry, I really can’t help using an acronym to express my deep distress over this epidemic. So, where exactly was my Twister mat was when I couldn’t find it for that awful day? Well, once again, as soon as I stopped searching for it, (I took a break ONLY to rest my weary soul) there it was. Tucked into the corner of my room, neatly folded in its box. Wait, what? There are many things wrong with this. First, I know that I most definitely did not put it there, as it has its own special place inside my trunk. Second, who takes the time to smooth out and carefully fold a Twister mat? Nothing is neat about Twister. A wrinkly Twister mat has character. It has pizzazz. It lets you know that this Twister mat has seen many places and many people (and certainly various parts of people) and that it’s there for a reason. It is quite easy to spot when someone just isn’t passionate about their Twister mat, as it looks like it’s barely been used. I am a strong believer in “a Twister game a day keeps the doctor away.” Once I found my Twister mat, I didn’t question it. I didn’t ask it where it had been, or who it had been with. My Twister mat seems to have a mind of its own, and that is what makes it special. Rain or shine, I am always up for a Twister game, and would be more than willing to share my mat with you. This is because in my earlier school days, along with learning the game of Twister, I learned how to share with others. That, and it’s also pretty difficult to play Twister by yourself. But don’t think I haven’t tried.

courtesy of divroceetcetra.com

courtesy of dailyastrology.com

courtesy of wikipedia.org

SPORTSNovember 2011Page 8

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by Beverley LooStaff Writer We’re represented on the diamond by the Los Angeles Dodgers, on the court by the L.A. Lakers, and even on the ice by the L.A. Kings. So what will it take to get an

L.A. football team here in Los Angeles? Apparently, not much. The prospect of hosting an L.A. football team here in Southern California is not a new one, and may be more of a reality than Brett Favre’s retirement. The proposed “Los

Angeles Stadium” is said to house not only up to 75,000 fans, but also L.A.’s very own eagerly awaited football team. This would be L.A.’s first football team since 1995, when the L.A. Raiders moved back to their home town of Oakland. However, receiving approval for the stadium is the easy part. Majestic Realty Co., the group behind the contended structure, is having trouble finding a team to call the new stadium home. Majestic Realty Co., also the creators of the famed Staples Center, list the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills as two likely teams to move to L.A. should the plan go forward. Even more likely to make the move is the Minnesota Vikings due to a monetary setback to fund their own new stadium in Ramsey County, Minnesota. However, under the NFL’s “Policy and Procedures for Proposed Franchise Relocations,” developer Ed Roski’s stadium, only 20 minutes from downtown L.A., cannot be built until the NFL commissioner receives a written notice from the relocating home team

about their move. And, as of now, since no team has expressed interest in coming to L.A., ESPN.go.com says the NFL will probably not be back in L.A. until early 2013. Nevertheless, the proposed L.A. Stadium is endorsed by the Orange County and San Bernardino Board of Supervisors, as well as former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed a bill preventing neighboring citizens from filing lawsuits over the stadium’s potential environmental impact, giving the $1.2 billion project more appeal to potential teams. Adding on to the optimism for a home team, the losangelesfootballstadium.com said, the “Los Angeles Stadium is shovel ready! As soon as we are able to secure a team, the Los Angeles Stadium will become a reality [...].” So, if you’re a diehard football fan, dreaming of one day pulling into one of the 25,000 parking spaces at the stadium to watch an L.A. football team 15 years in the making, now is the time to start getting excited. After all, it’s better late than never.

by Rebecca LeeStaff Writer There is no doubt that the homecoming football game was so far the best-attended game of the season. And, the loyal fans certainly got the victory they were looking for when the Chargers conquered Calabasas 24-17. The fans also got a treat when Green Bay’s Clay Mathews and Chicago’s Joey LaRoque came and inspired the players to do their best and to feel pride in being a Charger. After an uneventful first quarter, with the score tied at zero, things started to pick up in the second quarter with an interception by number 56, Tristram Gillette, when we took over on Calabasas’ 17 yard line. Quarterback Richard Poutier’s pass to number seven, Sean Kagan, was complete and resulted in a run for a touchdown, making the score 7-0. In the last minute of the first half, the Chargers again intercepted and completed a 30 yard field goal, leaving the score at 10-0 by halftime. Once the third quarter had started, Poutier threw a touchdown pass to number 15, Cash Barden, raising the score to 17-0. Later in the quarter, Poutier again contributed to our win as he ran for another touchdown from the Calabasas 3 yard line. The score was then upped to 24-0, ending the third quarter. But, by no means was the game over. Unexpectedly, Calabasas gained momentum in the fourth quarter. Anthony Finn of Calabasas completed a 90 yard run for a touchdown. With another two onside kicks, recovering both, and a field goal, Calabasas raised their score 24-17. With two minutes left in the game, Agoura caught the kickoff and ran out the clock to win the game. After the game, when Coach Charlie Wegher was asked if he had expected to win against Calabasas he said, “Absolutely, I was expecting to win even bigger than we won”. Well how did the Chargers manage to pull out on top this time? Wegher said, “We had a great week of practice and we knew it was a team we could beat. Joey LaRoque also came to our team dinner and gave a speech which was really inspiring.” The first victory of the season certainly created an exciting homecoming game for Agoura High School.

by Lucinda Laurence Staff Writer On Friday, Dec. 2, Coach Ritterbush’s team faces Thousand Oaks High School for the first match of the wrestling season. The mats are out, the combatants warm-ing up, the air is full of testosterone…well, not completely full. Freshman Jes-sica Faith Hosick competes against all comers her age as the only female wres-

tler on this year’s Ago-ura High School team. Hosick is the latest in an exclusive club of some 40 women who have competed for Agoura over 20 years. In that time, much has changed. Ritterbush explains: “In wrestling, long ago, if a guy lost to a girl, he would quit because he got razzed so much. If you beat a girl, you were supposed to, if you lost, you were in trouble, so a guy wrestling a girl couldn’t ‘win’ no matter what he did. Today, girls have been on teams for so long…Wrestling a girl

is simply wrestling an OPPONENT…Girls both beat and lose to guys.” Team-mate Senior Johnny Fayad notes that many of the girls have been state placers before, but recognizes that although they treat them as “another person,” at times it can be “kind of awkward” wrestling a girl. Why did Hosick take on this rigorous and disciplined challenge? “It’s a great sport

to do and it builds you up physically and mentally,” she said. “It’s a very competi-tive sport and I’m a very competitive per-son.” Ritterbush concurs with this assess-ment of his sport and notes, “Any wrestler who gets through the high school program will graduate with a sense that they can overcome most any adversity…and can get through the toughest, physically de-manding situations and have success.” Hosick said she is not wrestling just to compete with the boys and would also enjoy being on a girl’s team. Ritterbush would also welcome a girl’s team, but notes that “a team [needs]…at least 14 mem-bers to be ‘full’ and we only have one.” “I am not a quitter…it’s the hardest sport, the hardest on campus, but I nev-er expected it to be easy,” said Hosick.

Los Angeles to get its own football stadium?

Photo courtesy of Jessica Jelinski

Hosick will be the only girl on the wrestling team at AHS

ahs dominates homecomingfootball game

Photo courtesy of www.losangelesfootballstadium.com

Before Los Angeles can form a professional football team they must build the stadium.

History in the making: A girl joins the Boy’s Team

A new water polo Year brings new surprises

When most coaches look back on their just completed season, they often do so with a critical eye, wondering what could have been done better. But when you are Coach Dustin Litvak, head of the very success-ful Agoura High varsity water polo team, there isn’t much to complain about. Litvak said, “Our record going into the playoffs is 23-4 overall and 12-0 in league. I feel like we have won several key games this year including both league matchups over Roy-al and our last match before the playoffs on the road against Laguna Beach. Lagu-na is the number one team in Division III and beating them was a great way to create some momentum going into the playoffs.” Litvak does not think the team’s success revolves around a single player. “We have several exceptional players on the team and I think that is the reason for our suc-cess so far. We are very balanced and ev-

eryone knows their role. At the same time if our opponents feel like they are going to double team one of our guys, we have a lot of depth and our ‘role’ players know when they need to step up. The biggest reason for our success however is how much we stress defense and getting stops on every possession. You must be very athletic to be a proficient offensive player in this game however everyone can play defen-sive if they are determined to outwork and outsmart their opponent. We stress indi-vidual defense first but we realize people will make mistakes and get beat so we are always prepared to help our teammates in those situations.” To no one’s surprise, Litvak wants his team to be back-to- back CIF champions. “It would be great if we could repeat as CIF Champions again. No water polo team in Ventura County has ever won back-to-back CIF Champi-onships and we would like to be the first team to do it. We have 12 seniors on this

team who have worked tremendously hard for the last four years and it would be nice to send them out on top.” However, what makes this team special goes beyond the pool. Litvak said, “On top of the success these athletes have had in the pool this is also one of the brightest classes I have ever had. Four of the athletes are applying to Stanford, all with legitimate chances of getting in. We have several applying to Ivy League schools as well. Regardless if we win CIF this year or not, I am very proud of the effort, dedication and commitment these kids have made to both their aca-demics and the water polo team. This is a great group of guys and the 12 seniors will be greatly missed.” For sophomore goal-ie Dominick Beaudine, the team is more than winning games. He said, “I like how this team is like a family. We all take care of each other and we put the team before ourselves.” Be sure to root for the Char-gers as they look to repeat their CIF title.

Support the AHS wrestling team!

by Nate EdelmanStaff Writer