tideline newspaper - issue 13

8/14/2019 Tideline Newspaper - Issue 13

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CAMPUS | PAGE 3 OPINION | PAGE 4-5 CALENDAR | PAGE 6 SPORTS | PAGE 8 WHATS ONLINE?

Dont Waste My Education

Talking in class can be detrimental

not only to ones own education, but

also to others in the classroom.

Summer Opportunities

Find out how to get the absolute most

out of just a few short weeks of sum-

mer vacation.

FML

The Tideline wrote an article about

people writing sentences about how

much their lives suck. FML.

Track and Field

Pali squares off against Marshall and

San Pedro, winning some and losing

some.

Video Podcast

Take a look at the new Tideline video

podcast , avai lable exclusively to

watch at tidelinenewspaper.com.

TidelineVolume XLIX, Issue 13 PALISADES CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL MARCH 30 - APRIL 17, 2009 PACIFIC PALISADES, CA TIDELINENEWSPAPER.COM

AN EPIC SPECTACLE: Kimberly Cronin stretches and twists her body, just one of the many amazing scenes in the Pali High production.

GRAHAM MACGILLIVRAY/TIDELINE

Board Takes

Action on

Service

Program

VILLAGE NATION

AND BSU WORK

TOGETHER FOR

BLACK STUDENTS

Honk! Draws Many Oohs and Aahs

The Board votes to create a

Community Service

Appeals Committee to

review service decisions.

By

JAMES BOURNETideline Editor-in-Chief

and

STEPHANIE TAFTTideline Staff Writer

In a unanimous vote, the

Board of Directors mandated that

Principal Martin Griffin andDirector of Academic Planning

and Guidance Services Ann

Davenport create an Appeals

Committee for the community

service program and to research

and report the legality of the cur-

rent program by April 21, 2009.

The motion was put to vote by

Darcy Stamler and seconded by

John Callas.

The motion, which passed at

the March 17 Board meeting,

said, I move that Mr. Griffin and

Mrs. Davenport finalize an

Appeals Committee for the

Community Service Program,

research the legality of the

Community Service Program as a

Pali High graduation requirement,

and report those findings back to

the Board no later than the nextregular Board meeting of April

21.

All 11 Board members

approved the motion. There were

no nay votes, no abstentions and

no one absent.

The issue went to the Board

after students raised concerns

about the fairness and legality of

the current community service

program. A petition with over

250 student signatures and an

opinion article in the last issue of

the Tideline reflected student frus-

tration with the program. Senior

Dexter OConnell and Junior

Ryan Steinberg both made public

Continued on Page 2

By

WILL ANDERSONTideline Staff Writer

and

RACHEL LEVITANTideline Staff Writer

During the first weeks of

March, The Village Nation, alongwith the Black Student Union

(BSU), held two assemblies for

African-American students. On

March 3, students met for the sec-ond Village Nation assembly,

with founders Fluke Fluker and

Bill Padden speaking to students.

The following week, BSU held a

panel discussion with Pali gradu-

ates and college representatives.

The assemblies focused on fulfill-

ing academic potential, addressing

stereotypes, and discussing col-

lege.

The Village Nation meeting

was titled Keeping It Real, and

picked up where the previous

meeting had ended. Keeping It

Real was an opportunity for these

students to analyze the myths,

stereotypes, and rumors about

their academic abilities and short-

comings, said co-founder FlukeFluker. [This meeting] provided

African-American students a safe

place to discuss what it means to

be accused of acting white. The

importance of African Americans

improvement on standardized test

scores was also discussed, with

test taking tips and strategies

offered to help students reach their

full potential.

The first Village Nation

assembly was held on Nov. 17

with the intent to arm the stu-

dents with knowledge, said Ms.

Christopher. One of the primary

topics was the usage of the n-

word, and the effect it has on the

African-American community. It

informed everybody about a lot ofthings and brought us all togeth-

er, said Senior Tajavae Quarker.Some of it was hard to hear, but

it was important.

The Village Nation was estab-

lished almost five years ago by

three teachers from Cleveland

High. In response to falling tests

scores and increased dropout rates

among African-Americans, Fluke

Fluker, Andre Chevalier and

William Paden wanted to set up

an assembly that could establish

a level of trust and rapport with

the students, relate to their cultur-

al traditions, and convey expecta-

tions of high academic achieve-

ment. After the Village Nation

was introduced, the schools API

score went up almost 65 points.

Palis BSU has been working

alongside The Village Nation to

help mirror these results in Palis

African-American community.In the week following the sec-

ond assembly, the Black Student

Union organized a meeting featur-

ing a panel primarily consisting

of Pali graduates who described

their accomplishments after high

school and gave tips on taking

advantage of the opportunities the

Continued on Page 2

By MELINA CHARISTideline Campus Editor

The annual spring musical

Honk! debuted two weeks ago toa full house. The opening night,

Friday March 20, drew the larger

crowd of the opening weekend butboth nights had substantial

turnouts.

Director Lisa Kraus and Vocal

Music Director Josh Elson have

worked long hours preparing for

the show, along with the cast and

crew, since rehearsals began in

January. From the time I first

perused a copy of the musical, I

was excited by its visual poten-tial, its humor, its music, and the

heart of the story, said Kraus.

We have worked hard to balance

all of these elements.

Based on Hans Christian

Andersens tale of The Ugly

Duckling, Honk! tells the story

of a swan named Ugly who is

born into a family of ducks and

soon loses his way. On his subse-

quent journey in search of hismother Ida, he meets many color-

ful characters that guide him

home and convince him that

being different is not necessari-

ly a bad thing.

Along with Kraus and Elson,

Senior Alex Caan, an active

member of the Drama

Department, took on the position

of Student Director for the pro-

duction. Id never done a musicalbefore in my life, so that was

exciting, said Caan. Having a

hand in what has been called

Palis best musical was an experi-

ence worth having.

Though the cast and crew ini-tially expected the show to draw

in much younger audiences, many

older students attended opening

weekend and were pleasantly sur-

prised. I loved the set, and the

cast was fantastic, said Junior

Katy Pool. Even though the

story was aimed at younger kids,

I was able to enjoy the meaning

behind it.

The musical was also many of

the cast members first experience

on stage. Senior Mountain

Glover, who had never previously

participated in a Pali production,

said, [Opening night] was good.

I was very nervous, but with the

help of my peers, I got right back

on track.

Though Honk! is a relatively

unknown musical, Kraus andElson believe that its message

and story deserve to be told. The

orchestra, cast, and crew have

come together to make something

profound, said Kraus. Dont

miss it.

Many different

scholarships are available

for eligible seniors.

By DANIEL HARTONOTideline Editor-in-Chief

As seniors await collegeacceptances in the approachingweeks, there are still several schol-arship opportunities available for

those students who plan to attend auniversity upon graduating fromhigh school.

Recently, the College Centerdistributed a scholarship newsletterthrough the Family Connectionsaccount, listing many availablescholarship opportunities for sen-ior students with deadlines in thenext few weeks and months.Additionally, eligible AfricanAmerican students were informedof other opportunities such as theLatimer scholarship. Many moreoptions, however, are also present

for those seniors who are still seek-ing scholarship money and aidboth at the local and national level.

In honor of former Palisadesstudent Dillon Henry, a memorialscholarship is available in hisname for seniors who are graduat-ing from Pali and have attended theschool for at least two years. Fourof these scholarships of $2,500will be awarded to students who

have good moral character and planto attend a two or four-year collegeor university. Interested studentsare also required to write one of twoessays and submit a letter of rec-ommendation by April 13.

Another local opportunity forseniors is the PTSA scholarshipthat will award $500 to those plan-ning to attend a two or four year

college. Those who would like toapply for this scholarship mustsubmit an application answeringthree short answer questions, be amember of the PTSA, have a min-imum of a 2.5 GPA and have ful-filled the 40 hour community serv-ice requirement.The PTSA scholarship applicationdeadline is April 24.

The American LegionScholarship is also a local awardthat will give $2,000 to ten eligi-ble seniors. Eligibility for thisscholarship requires applicants tobe a citizen of the United States,have a GPA of at least 3.0, be rec-ommended by two teachers andhave a verifiable blood relative thatis either alive or dead that was or iscurrently serving in the UnitedStates military. Those who areinterested are also required to writean essay describing their blood rel-ative and their intentions for goingto college and pursuing

Continued on Page 2

College Center Urges Seniors to Seek Scholarships



2/8

TidelineNEWSPage 2 March 30 - April 17, 2009

The cast of the schools

spring musical opened the doorsof Mercer Hall to friends and

family, on Friday, March 6, in

order to promote the show and

garner support.

Spaghetti Night, as it has

come to be known, is a fundrais-

er night hosted by Drama stu-

dents three times a year. They

hold one fundraiser night for

every show throughout the year.

The event started off with an

eight dollar suggested donation atthe door. Guests then proceeded

into Mercer Hall, where tables

were set up, each decorated with a

specific theme such as the 50sor rainbow colors. Everyone

was free to sit at the table they

chose and mingle with other par-

ents, the cast members and class-

mates of the cast members who

showed up to support the Drama

Department. They then served

free spaghetti, which Pinocchios

Italian Restaurant supplied at a

low price, along with soda and

various kinds of treats, such as

goldfish and brownies. Soon, theentertainment began.

Honk!s Spaghetti Night

kicked off with the song Big

Spender, sung and performed byall the female cast members in

the show. Following that was a

rendition of Chicagos

Cellblock Tango, performed by

cast members Junior Tucker

Best, Senior Alex Caan, Junior

Daniel Rasch, Junior Sean Pinto,

Senior Arya Davachi, Junior

Ryan Steinberg and Senior

Mountain Glover, who also co-

hosted the event. A variety of

songs sung by one or more peo-ple followed, from pop songs by

Adele and Jason Mraz, to songs

from musicals such as Wicked, A

Chorus Line and Title of Show,to original compositions by cast

members, like Junior Julian

Schwartzmans Facebook

Song. In addition, several peo-

ple performed skits, such as

Save Broadway from Saturday

Night Live and a lip-synch rendi-

tion of How We Go Out.

The goal of Spaghetti Night

is to raise money for the produc-

tion of the show, as well as give

the future audience a taste of thetalent involved in Honk! As

silly as they are, the skits are a

good representation of the talent

we have in the cast, said

Thespian President Senior Lizzy

Rich, who helped host the night.

Its fun to see what people do

when theyre up on stage, just

being themselves. The fundrais-

er raised almost $1,000, which isbeing used to cover the cost of

sets, costumes, props and public-

ity for the show. It was one of

the best turn-outs for a fundraiser

night Ive ever seen, Rich said.

A lot of people came and we

were able to raise a lot of

money.

Boards Votes on Community

Service Reform for School

Continued on Page 2

school offers its students.Dominic Quiller, class of 2003,

went to Loyola Marymount

University (LMU) and is currently

attending UCLA Law School.

Keyvon Pierre, class of 2001,

went from Pali to New York

University (NYU). After finishing

his first semester at NYU, Pierre

transferred to LMU, where he grad-

uated in 2006. Crystal Adams was

the president of BSU when she

graduated Pali in 2006. She is in

her last year at CSU Dominguez

Hills, and hopes to be at

Pepperdine next year.

Three of the panelists work

with programs aimed for college-

bound students. Johnel Barron,

the LA Southwest College

Recruitment Coordinator, encour-

aged students to overcome whatev-

er obstacles they might have tofinish out their education. Brittany

Lewis attended CSU Northridge,

and now works for UCLA Early

Academic Outreach. Jonli Tunstall

graduated from Pali in 2001, and

went to UCLA, where she now

works for the educational program

VIP Scholars, a program designed

to increase the number of under-

represented students, students of

color, at UCLA and at universities

in general. All three offered their

support and help to anyone who

may need it.

The speakers emphasized theimportance of responsibility and

self-motivation. Quiller advised

the audience, saying that his deter-

mination led him to his success

and, when people tell me Im not

going to be able to do something,

Im going to go ahead and try hard-

er. Lewis also suggested such

responsibility when she said, I

want to urge you guys to stand up

and learn the information thats

pertinent to you. Adams spoke

from her own experience of the

significance of perseverance and

said, Dont think that if youre in

twelfth grade you cant do it. You

can go to a community college for

two years and transfer. It is not

too late. I am a living testimony

of that.

Adams also warned students of

the necessity of a college educa-tion. She joked that, In a minute,

Burger King and McDonalds are

going to be requiring bachelor

degrees. But really, whoever feels

they dont need college, you will

need it. It is so hard to get a job

without a degree. Barrons also

stressed the importance of educa-

tion when he said, It makes no

sense if you can lean with it and

rock with it, but you cant read

with it and write with it.

Financial challenges were a

key point in the discussion. Pierre

had to transfer from NYU to LMUdue to financial troubles. With

financial difficulties facing many

students in their college plans, he

advised the assembly from his

own experience. Pierre said, I am

now $60,000 in debt. Even with

all of that, I have a diploma, col-

lege education, a nice resume

because of it, and I wouldnt trade

any of that for anything in the

world. Go to college keep your

money in order. Pierre also

reminded students to fill out loan

applications, make payments on

time, and get as much financial aid

as possible.

Another topic of discussion

was the importance of involve-

ment in the community. Lewis

recalled that although she was not

an academic overachiever in high

school, she participated in soft-ball, cheerleading, soccer and vol-

leyball. Adams also deemed herself

as not a 4.0 student, but got

involved as BSU President in

2005-2006. Tunstall encouraged

students to get active with their

passions and their community.

She said, Get involved with

something. That was my experi-

ence here. I did what I had to do in

the classroom, but I also got

involved in BSU and Gospel

Choir.

Village Nation and BSU Work Together

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

April 41st Annual Mens Volleyball Alumni Game6:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. in the Large Gym

April 6-10Spring Break

April 17-19Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

April 21No 7th Period

April 23Showcase Night

April 24Minimum Day


OH, BOYS: (From left) Tucker Best, Alex Caan, Daniel Rasch, Sean Pinto, Arya Davachi, and Ryan Steinberg put on a show like no other .LAUREN HANSEN/PALI HIGH

Continued from Page 1

their intended major andmust postmark their applicationsby April 24.

Additionally, the Masonic

Scholarship will be awarded to

five students and give up to

$2,000. Eligible seniors will

receive an application i n the mail

and must have a 3.0 GPA. Threestudents who have family mem-

bers in the Masons will be

awarded along with two others

who will be selected based on

need. This scholarship is also

due on April 24.For those seniors who need

aid based on need and have been

involved in community service

programs, the Allan Katz

Scholarship plans to give $500

to three eligible students. An

application must be filled out by

April 1, and students are required

to attend a scholarship luncheon

on May 17.

At a more regional level is

the West Hollywood Youth

Scholarship for residents of WestHollywood. Information regard-

ing this opportunity has already

been sent to eligible students.

The program will award $1,500

to those who complete the 150-hour community service require-

ment set by the organization and

p r o g r a m .

Those who are interested have

until April 30 to participate.

Seniors who are looking for

additional aid are also encouraged tovisit sites such as

www.fastweb.com and search for

more opportunities. The College

Center also plans to distribute

another newsletter before spring

break begins, providing informa-

tion on more scholarships.

Students interested in the afore-

mentioned scholarships are encour-

aged to go to the College Center

and pick up applications.

About scholarship opportuni-

ties, College Counselor Ms.

Kunkel said, Most of the money

that you will get for college willcome from the college that you

attend, but there are plenty of small

and local scholarships that are out

there for students who are lookingfor them.

College Center UrgesSeniors Toward Scholarships

Spaghetti Night, Done RightThe cast and crew of the spring musical Honk!put on a show to raise funds for the production. BY KATY POOL

Continued from Page 1

comment appeals to the Board.

Steinberg called for reform and

change in the program to ensure

fairness and standardization, stat-

ing that the goal is to change, notmerely remove the Community

Service Program. I do not wish

to get rid of community service or

Gretchen Miller. I love communi-

ty service, said Steinberg to the

Board. Gretchen Miller was not

present at the meeting for com-

ment.With prom in early May and

graduation soon following, the

community service for participa-

tion requirement is a point of con-

tention in the community service

debate. In discussion, Executive

Director Amy Held acknowledged

the immediacy of the situation.

What would make sense to me is

that the administration have a

clear policy, and that we get this

appeals committee set up like,

within a week.

Teacher Representative Dave

Suarez moved to suspend the

Community Service Program for

the Senior Class of 2009 and to

review the legality and possiblydiscriminatory practices of the

program. The motion was second-

ed by Steve Klima, but failed in a

3-8 vote. Suarez, Klima and

Stamler voted for the motion, but

were outvoted by Callas, Francis,

Held, Riley, Rodman, Johnson,

Fisher, and Paleno.The program is arbitrary,

unfair, and possibly illegal,

Saurez told the Board. We could

be at risk of serious litigation or

a class action lawsuit.

Other Board members also

voiced concerns with the pro-

gram. I have problems with the

arbitrary nature of the assignment

of hours, said James Paleno.

Steve Klima, who has raised con-

cerns with the Community

Service Program in the past, said

that review of the program is

necessary, but stressed that he

doesnt intend to get rid of the

program and supports the concept

of community service.

The Board decision was the

latest development in the ongoing

community service discussion.

Dissatisfaction with the system

was initially brought to the

Boards attention by Klima and

then-Student Representative

James Bourne in 2008, and was

revived by last months 250-sig-

nature petition, which aimed to

spark development and reform the

current Community Service

Program.The petition gained rapidmomentum and received over 250

signatures in one 40 minute

lunch period.

The petition did not need

much advertisement to get off the

ground because the issue has been

in the back of students minds for

years now, Junior Wyn Delano

said. All it took was a single

announcement on the P.A system

to energize the students.

Students are being denied

community service hours for vol-

unteer work that has actually

helped the community, and I

think that members of the Board

see that a committee will be a

good way to define what commu-

nity service is. I strongly believe

that all the support we are get-

ting, mainly from the student

body as a whole, will help topush these new service ideas for-

ward, said Matthew Pakizegee,

author of the petition. The cur-

rent Community Service

Program is in need of a great deal

of reform and this petition will

make a difference and truly help

students.

Com munity Service Program Coordinator Gretchen Mil ler.



3/8

Gretchen Miller addresses

the final Red Shirt

community service

activities for this

semester.

BY TATIANA COLE

Tideline Staff Writer

As the end of the school yeardraws near, students are anx-ious to complete their final com-

munity service hours for this

semester. During the holidays,

there were various opportunitiesto volunteer for food drives, toy

drives and other events for theneedy. However, students still

have chances to make up for a

lapse in volunteering hours dur-

ing the first semester. Students

may complete additional hours

towards their service requirements

by signing up for Red Shirt activ-

ities.

Many Red Shirt activi-

ties are already set, but students

may visit Community Service

Director Gretchen Miller in order

to get another project approved.

Some popular activities are those

pertaining to promoting environ-

mental health and interacting with

the needy. "I would say students

enjoy the environmental projects

the most. There is also a lot of

interest in the Little Sister

(Feeder) schools fundraising,"

said Miller.

Community service opportu-

nities range from donating jeans

to the homeless, toys to the lessfortunate or time to raise money

for a cause. "Students enjoy

walks and runs with thousands of

other students and the City YearOrganization is a great example of

that," said Ms. Miller. "City Year

unites young people of all back-

grounds for service projects

throughout LA giving them the

skills and opportunities to change

the world. Exercising while

simultaneously helping thosewho cannot help themselves is

one of many ways to achieve

service requirements.

Although the completion of

community service hours remains

vital to each student, it is espe-

cially pertinent to seniors. "Thistime of year, the majority of the

students attempting to clear their

service hour requirements are sen-

iors," said Ms. Mil ler. "There are

approximately 350 seniors that

have not completed their service

hours." Monday, May 4 marks

the final date for seniors to turn in

completed hours, with a mini-

mum total of 40 required gradua-

tion.

TidelineCAMPUS LIFEMarch 30 - April 17, 2009 Page 3

BY PAULINA FIROZI


Every summer, teacher TyleneDeVine takes a group of stu-dents across Europe to take advan-

tage of the foreign environment and

to instill valuable knowledge that

cannot be taught inside the class-room. For the past five years, she has

been planning this trip, mainly for

seniors, as part of a last learning

experience before they move on to

the college world.

DeVine will be taking 17 sen-

iors and three sophomores to differ-

ent European cities including Paris,

Nice, Venice, Vienna, Prague, Berlin

and finally Amsterdam. The seniors

that I have taken with me in past

trips have told me that their college

experience is much more fulfilling,

as [the trips] bring meaning to their

American education, said

DeVine.

Over the course of 14 days,

from June 21 to July 4, these select-

ed students will travel to sevenmajor cities of six European coun-

tries, spending about two days at

each location. To achieve the full

European experience and escape the

norm of polluted and crowded city

streets, they will be taking motor-

boats, trains, bikes and gondola rides

to travel the countryside.

These high school graduates

and sophomores will see famous

sights such as the Monet Gardens,

Versailles, Schonbrunn Palace, Anne

Franks home, castles and cathedrals

in the Czech Republic and the Berlin

Wall. At first the students sign up to

go to the stereotypical Europe that

teens hope to experience, said

DeVine, but I hope that once they

see the cathedrals and all the cool

sights that they just feel that theyve

really seen the world. Students

seem to agree that the foreign atmos-

phere adds greatly to the experience.

It is the best and safest way to

explore Europe, said Senior Leah

Cohenzadeh.

Some of the students first

heard of the trip from their teacher

Ms. DeVine, the teacher-coordinator

of the trips. I had Ms. DeVine, who

was probably my favorite teacher in

ninth grade, and she talked about

these trips, said Senior Nick

Morshed. Now, three years since his

freshman year, he and many others

will finally be given this rare oppor-

tunity. There are benefits to reading

and learning, but actually getting on

the bike and riding it is the best way

to experience life, said DeVine. She

had initially hoped to bring much

more experience and creativity to

these otherwise common trips. I

believe traveling is a much better

way to become educated than in the

classroom, she said.

Originally, the Palibury Tales

Travel Club was established by a

group of students who hoped to

combine creative writing and travel-

ing. The idea was to imitate

Geoffrey Chaucers famous and

witty Canterbury Tales. Students in

the club would create a novel of

short stories based on real life expe-

riences while visiting Europe, and

later the books would be sold to

finance further trips. When travel-

ing, we are so busy and tired that it

is hard to write, said DeVine, so

unfortunately, the plan has never

been further developed. It is more

powerful to teach, as you are experi-

encing the lesson plan first-hand,

she said. It is such a more meaning-

ful experience being with kids,

[rather] than having them behind a

desk, when I feel they are guarded

from their personalities.

Destination

EUROPE:Summer

ExperienceAbroad

Most students have extracurricular activ-

ities and volunteer work lined up during the

school year, but many more opportunities are also

available during summer vacation. Though col-

leges look highly upon a productive and enriching

summer, many activities offer rewarding experi-

ences that are otherwise unavailable during the

school year. With almost three months of limited

schoolwork and plenty of time to rest and relax,

summer can be the perfect time to get involved.

Here are a few ways to do so:

Summer Provides a Window of Opportunities

VOLUNTEERVolunteer opportunities do not end with the last bell

of the second semester. There are plenty of charities

and organizations that operate during the summer,

and volunteering can fill in hours that would nor-

mally be spent watching TV or sitting around.

Summer is a great time to catch up on community

service hours if youre behind, and its also easier to

greatly increase your current amount of hours. The

underserved don't have breaks. Need continues,

said Director of Community Service Gretchen

Miller. On the Community Service Information

Table in the main building hallway is a list of

Summer '09 Suggestions.

SIGN UP FOR A SUMMER

PROGRAM ORINTERNSHIPThough colleges and universities look highly upon any kind of

summer program, academic summer programs can enhance

performance and offer invaluable experiences. Many colleges

such as Stanford, UC Berkeley and Brown offer residential

summer programs that give participants the feel of living on a

college campus. Because these programs can get expensive,

there are many low-cost and free summer programs and intern-

ships that offer all of the same benefits. [Programs] that stu-

dents have liked include the Academy of Business Leadership

Summer Business Institute (ABL), Inner City Filmmakers at

USC Film School, and the City of Los Angeles Public Works

Internship Program, said Career Advisor Simon Santana.

Different descriptions are available in the Career Center.

GET A JOBMany students find it difficult to juggle schoolwork,

sports, extracurriculars as well as a job during the

school year. Because of the much lighter load of

work and increased free time, the summer can be the

perfect time to get a job and start saving extra money.

Colleges like to see work experience, and some stu-

dents have to work. Be a good employee, said

College Counselor Helene Kunkel. Getting a job

shows responsibility, determination, and maturity

and is a valuable option during the summer months.

FOCUS ON INTERESTSThe summer is very possibly the best time to focus,more intensely, on interests outside of school and to

develop hobbies. For many students, this option can

be extremely exciting and beneficial. I'm attending

the Pre-College Musical Theatre Training Program

at CAP21 for five weeks this summer, said Junior

Mia Canter. Not only is it fun to do something you

love during the summer, it's educational. Colleges

like it. It's extra practice for the real world. How

could that be a bad thing? Though focusing on

interests is a good way to spend your summer, make

sure its something you actually enjoy. If you have

an independent interest, do a project of your own,

said Kunkel. [But] dont do things just because

they look good on a college application.

RELAX!While its important to have a productive summer, itsalso important to remember to have fun. 10 months of

school can be draining, and summer is the time to recu-

perate as well as relax. Make sure to balance the sum-

mer well, said Santana. Do something fun, but have

something constructive to do. Rest and recuperate from

school! However, remember that summer is an impor-

tant component in remaining competitive to colleges.

Colleges look at what youre doing during the sum-

mer, said Kunkel. Just dont spend 10 weeks staring at

the ceiling..

Pali Track Meet

Topanga Stream Cleaning

Pali Village Green

Gardening

Pali Hunger Walk

Pali Track Meet

Pali Track Meet

Warner Avenue

(E Waste Program)

Pali Showcase

Pali Track Meet

Auction Fundraiser at Pali

Elementary

and 4/26 Canyon

Elementary Fiesta

UpcomingRed Shirt Events

BY MELINA CHARISTideline Campus Editor

Final Red Shirt

Opportunities forthis Semester

EDWIN POULDAR/TIDELINE

Choir hosts Coffee House Concert Night in

Mercer Hall on March 31 at 7 p.m. in order

to raise money for a tour the team will be

performing in the San Francisco Bay Area in

May 2009.

There will be a range of style including musicaltheatre, contemporary pop hits, jazz standards,and world music. The choir, soloists and small groups

will perform many pieces from artists such as U2,

Ella Fitzgerald, Adele, and Jon McLaughlin, as well

as music from The Lion King, Man of La Mancha,

and Spring Awakening.

The class has already raised enough money for

bus transportation, but hopes to raise more for hotels.

Visual and Performing Arts teacher and instructor of

the choir class Mr. Elson said, This concert is not

only to showcase our many talented singers, but also

a means to raise funds for our upcoming choir tour to

the San Fransisco Bay Area in May. This years

choir class will be the first to receive uniforms in thethree-year history of Choir. Males will sing in suites,

while the ladies will dress in concert gowns.

Senior Shane Liliedahl, a choir member since the

class first began in 2006 and Choir Co-President,

said, Were hoping for a lot of support from friends,

family, and the student body for when we go on tour.

The suggested donation for the concert is $5 to

$10 and snacks and coffee will be on sale during the

concert. Furthermore, there will be a free performance

on April 1 during 7th period that all students are

invited to attend.

Choir to Host Fundraiser; Go on TourBY DANIEL NIKNAMTideline News Editor


4/8

TidelineOPINIONPage 4 March 30 - April 17, 2009

Published twenty times a year,

the student newspaper of

Palisades High School (the

Tideline) is a public forum,

with its student editorial board

making all decisions

concerning its contents.

Unsigned editorials express the

views of the

majority of the editorial

board.

Letters to the editor are wel-

comed and will be publishedas space allows. Letters must

be signed, although the staff

may withhold the name on

request. The paper reserves the

right to edit letters for gram-

mar and clarity, and all letters

are subject to laws governing

obscenity, libel, privacy and

disruption of the school

process, as are all contents of

the paper.

Opinions in letters are not

necessarily those of the staff,

nor should any opinion

expressed in a public forum be

construed as the opinion or

policy of the administration,

unless so attributed.

The TidelinePublishing Manager:

Diva JoshiEditors in Chief:

James Bourne, DanielHartono, Elana Joffe,

Dexter OConnellJunior Editors:Jackie Rosen, Kene

IzuchukwuLayout Editors:Henry Conklin, Rex

KirshnerNews Editors:

Fiona Hannigan, DanielNiknam

Sports Editors:Justin Nam, Alison White

Opinion Editors:Alex Caan, Jackie Rosen

EntertainmentEditors:

Caroline Coster, AryaDavachi, Katy Pool

Campus Life Editors:Melina Charis, Rachel

LevitanPhotography Editor:

Mary HobbsIT Manager:

Graham MacGillivrayBusiness Manager:

Edwin Amirianfar, MilanaKalimullova, Rex Kirshner

Faculty Advisor:Ms. Cappelli

Student Poll

Pol l t ak en on 3 /25 /09

232 students pol led

How often are your

classes interrupted

by talking students?

6% said Never

46% said Sometimes

48% said Frequently

Do teachers enforce

some form of disci-

pline to prevent talk-ing?

69% said Yes

31% said No

TIDELINE POLICY

STATEMENT

E D I T O R I A L Letters to the Editor

D E X T E R S

L A B

You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today-Abraham Lincoln

Dear Tideline,

The Fall of A Comrade

Everyday, tired and unmotivated students walk through the doors

of their classrooms, filing into their desks like thousands of cattle

unhappily preparing for another day of mundane banality. But then, a

rescuer, an angel within incredibly annoying voice fills their ears and

their hearts. Immediately the school is abuzz and the students and teach-

ers come to life. Whether your teacher begins to shout to quiet the

class, complains about the length of the announcement, or asks, Is

that kid stoned? The morning announcements wont be the same with-

out Dexter OConnell.

Sure the announcements were rather annoying, but they served

their purpose by getting the attention of the students and providing all

of with the information we need. Therefore, a question why? arises.

Why was our commissioner of communications, whom we elected,

removed from his position? While it may be the argument of the

administration that Dexter didnt fulfill all of his duties, we all know

that it just isnt true. Never before had I seen a student take his posi-

tion so seriously, so committed to doing everyone of his assignments

to the best of his ability. When there is a conflict between a student

and an administrator, what gives the administrator the right to strip the

student of his power? This truly shows the administrations view of the

students and how their own agenda comes before the views of the stu-

dent body.

-Kevin Simms, Sophomore

Editors Note: Teachers Corner is a new Tideline feature, which will run opinions submitted by Palisades

faculty members about school issues. This first installment features a letter from Mr. Shuhgalter.

Iwas surprised to learn that Dexter OConnell was no longer Commissioner of Communication. I was

even more surprised to find out that he was removed from the position to which the student body had

elected him in a democratic election. Despite the agreement between Dexter and the Counseling Office,

the school administration ruled that he no longer qualified. What was the pretext? Dexter did not get

enrolled in the Leadership class in the spring semester. Then why did the students need to vote for him in

the first place? Do their voices ever count in this democracy?

The story with Dexter reminds me of the latest election in which the faculty and staff participated

a few months ago. Then the administration decided to remove a member of the board who had been elect-

ed for two years, and make him run (after his first year) against the candidate chosen by the administration.

Eventually, the Executive Director and the board had to put up with the status quo not because they violat-

ed the rights of the staff, but because they spun the rules of the game.

The story with Dexter is another illustration of the administration attitude to the stakeholders of

this public corporation. First of all, why should an elected Commissioner be a student from a particular class

of 20 students chosen out of 2,700? Doesnt it violate basic rights of other students who might run for

office? Secondly, why is he removed without the consent of his constituents? Thirdly, had it ever occurred

to the administrators who made that decision that they needed to discuss the issue at least with the student

Senate?Dexter is a bright young man who, like other young people in this school, learns important things,

sometimes makes inevitable mistakes, and experiments with his ideas. Now he has learned a real life les-

son: he can be ousted by a few even if he has been elected by many as long as the few decide that he does

not satisfy their criterion.

In my opinion, this attitude has become habitual. Students, parents, and teachers opinions are eas-

ily brushed off, the board blesses absurd decisions of the Executive Director, and to justify the caring vio-

lations, the administration and the obedient board members cover themselves with a lovely fig leaf from

their vast herbarium of demagoguery.

Congratulations, Dexter! You may consider yourself baptized by firing. Your independent voice

has been treated no better than that of your teachers.

A. Shuhgalter

3-17-09

Teachers Corner

Detectives, while usually reserved for adulter-

ous spouses and the investigation of double

agents or gruesome murderers, now have an

entirely new market requesting their presence. It

takes no stretch of the imagination to think of the

UC system as a rather large business, and like any

respectable business it takes certain measures to ver-

ify the authenticity of applications. To battle the rel-

atively moderate amount of fibbing about extracurric-

ular activities by students, the UC system has hired

fact checkers. Though the amount of students caught

lying seems small (less than one percent), it looms

larger when one imagines one percent of 98,000

applicants. Whether it comes down to boosting your

importance on the soccer field, or expanding your

role in a school drama production, forging an extra

curricular activity is an incredible act of disrespect

towards the students who dedicated the time to actu-

ally accomplish the actions to which they claim.

Lets look at the current odds of discover-

ing student lying about his or her extracurricularactivities. Only 1000 or so applicants are checked

annually, and of those 1000 a mere ten to fifteen were

found to have been economical with the truth. So out

of the 98,000 applications, the odds of yours being

checked is miniscule and even if it is chosen random-

ly, the chance that a simple ticket stub or article clip-

ping will not clear it up is only one and a half per-

cent. How can one be scared out of lying when the

odds continue to fall in their favor? In the end more

students must be checked to broaden the search for

liars.

Do these minimally reassuring statistics call for a

more efficient system? Without a doubt they do.

Frequent checks are a strong alternative to nit pick-

ing individuals. The UC system should designate a

certain percentage, much larger than one and a halfpercent, and require those people to show evidence.

This attempt would widen the search and instill a

heightened sense of fear of getting caught as a thief

and a liar. Not only would most of the investigations

be quick and simple, but more honorable students

would be accepted as a result.

Instead of lying about tutoring underprivi-

leged children in an attempt to impress the admis-

sions officers, be proud about placing a part time job

on your list. Standing at McDonalds flipping burg-

ers may not have seemed productive at the time, but

an officer may look at it as a means to an end, which

is essentially what college is. Other extracurriculars

to be proud of are any prestigious camps you may

have attended over the summer, or travel experiencesin which you learned something valuable about the

world. Anything that separates you from the crowd

and catches the attention of a decisive person admir-

ing the fruits of your labor is worth noting.

When one isnt proud of what they have achieved in

these four final years of childhood, they cannot beoptimistic about what they will achieve in the tur-

moil of the real world. If a person is unprepared and

unwilling to be truthful to those with more power

then them, how can they function in the hierarchy of

a worker/boss relationship? They cant, and because

most businesses function that way it is just another

useless carcass left to marinate in its own educated

thoughts instead of contributing to society. When

extracurriculars are faked, educations are stolen. Now

isnt that dangerous?

Check It Twice

Wheres Waldo: Fire Escape Edition

Youre sitting through a lec-ture, awaiting the arrival oflunch: the minute hand creeps

across the clock. Suddenly, the

lights go off. The teacher is as

surprised as you are but attempts

to keep the class under control.

Youll most likely have to remain

at school- the power will proba-

bly be back on within the next

hour. However, just as the teacher

resumes the lesson, you hear a

rumbling as the room vibrates, its

contents shaking and shifting

about. Both doors have becomewedged shut from the pressure of

the floor above and the walls

have cracked. You may be stuck

in your classroom for the night.

You are experiencing an

earthquake. Sure, theyre normal

enough at home, but at school, a

girl screams, the teacher yells for

compliance, and everyone starts

talking while ignoring safety pre-

cautions. A fire has erupted in the

chemistry rooms at the F build-

ing, and is quickly spreading. All

Im thinking about is why the fire

exit is located at a window over

seven feet from the ground.

For a person of my

stature, this situation poses some-

what of a threat. Students shorter

than myself might not even make

it out of the exit with a chair as a

boost. I do not mention tall stu-

dents helping out all the others

before exiting themselves

because thats not realistic given

the situation- especially in the

various rooms that have now

caught fire in our figurative situa-

tion. High school students in a

room on fire will be afraid. High

school students in a room on fire

with no exit but one small win-

dow seven feet overhead will turn

into savages. Compress WilliamGoldings The Lord of The Flies

into about three minutes and shift

the setting to a flaming class-

room.

Hopefully, in the event

of a fire, earthquake, or other nat-

ural disaster, both doors of every

classroom will open flawlessly.

However, to have fire escapes

that impede escape and prove to

be a fire hazard themselves is just

counterproductive.

I first noticed the win-

dow fire escape in Ms. Cappellis

room when I bent down to pick

up a pencil I had dropped. There,

on the wall underneath my desk,

was a sign (hidden from view)

that read: Emergency Exit.

Two arrows on both sides of the

phrase pointed upwards. I fol-

lowed these arrows up the wall

and noticed for the first time that

whoever engineered the class-

rooms at Palisades Charter High

School honestly expected a class-

room of forty students to exit

through a tiny window at an

impossible height in case of a dis-

aster.

Unless the Earthquake is

somewhere around 8.0 on the

Richter scale or a new fault line

miraculously forms directlyunder Palisades High, both doors

of every classroom should open

and close just fine. I do, however,

believe that emergency exits

should be available to all stu-

dents- short or tall, handicapped

or otherwise. I understand the

school buildings are not new, and

that regulations are different now

than they were way back when,

but that does not excuse the fact

that it might be easier to just bash

through a flaming door than to

climb up and through the fire

escape.

BY ALEX HELMINTOLLER


Isat down to write this column

about the failure of Palis com-munity service system to ade-

quately instill a service-oriented

mindset in students. But as I write,

St. Patricks Day is fast approach-

ing, and the situation in the six

counties of Ireland currently not in

the Republic of their sisters to the

south appears to be rapidly deterio-

rating. This is a shame, especially

as those members of the Northern

Ireland assembly not of overtly

unionist leanings no longer consti-

tute a majority, and therefore the

opportunity for real change in

Ireland is finally upon us. The des-

picable actions of these terrorists

do not serve to further the political

objectives of Irish Republicanism,

and only drive us further from the

dream of a thirty-two county nation

across the whole of the island of

Ireland.

Since the Good Friday

Agreement of 1998, there has been

a tenuous peace in the six counties.

The Provisional Irish Republican

Army militia disarmed, and some

of the loyalist militias on the other

side of the conflict did the same.

Sinn Fin, formerly the political

arm of the IRA, became a legiti-

mate political entity, and is current-

ly the only party with representa-

tion in both the Dail of the

Republic of Ireland and the

Assembly of the North of Ireland.

This peace is the opportunity that

Irish nationalists have wished for

for hundreds of years. It heralds an

era of freedom and safety in which

Republicans have the opportunity

to show that a united Ireland is the

course to follow. British influences

have shifted this from an Irish bat-

tle to a religious battle (Note that

early Irish patriots like Wolfe Tone,

Napper Tandy, and C.S. Parnell

were protestants) and this time of

peace, when people are somewhat

less afraid of crossing into a neigh-

borhood waving a different flag,

was a perfect opportunity to show

that Ireland is the right place for the

six counties to make their perma-

nent home. With Sinn Fin and

other non-Unionist parties making

gains, and polls showing an ever

decreasing majority in favor of

remaining in Britain, combined

with the current economic crisis,

and its effect on the economy of

Northern Ireland, which is heavily

dependent on the government, a

reintegration into the Republic of

Ireland looks more and more prom-

ising for the North every day.

The terrorists who killed

the soldiers and the policeman do

not understand todays realities.

This action was considered a legit-

imate rebellion only twelve years

ago but this is no longer so. Danny

Morrison, a leader of Sinn Fin,

once said, Who here really

believes we can win the war

through the ballot box? But will

anyone here object if, with a ballot

paper in this hand and an Armalite

[rifle] in the other, we take power

in Ireland? This strategy, of armed

struggle coupled with political

struggle, was a change in mentality

in and of itself. Republican parties

have claimed a solid share of the

political ground. They are a force

to be reckoned with and the days of

labeling Sinn Fin terrorists and

dismissing them out of hand are

over. The legacy of the IRA is

indisputable. The Armalite brought

the British to the table, and the bal-

lot paper is showing, gradually, that

the people of Northern Irelandwant a new direction. The terrorists

do not understand this. For every

shot they fire, a shot is fired across

the bow of the ship of

Republicanism. For every man

they kill, countless hours of work

are turned back. Fortunately, most

people in the North see this. Over

the last couple of days, marches

have seen a diverse swath of the

population out marching in opposi-

tion to the terrorism. Deputy First

Minister Martin McGuinness, of

Sinn Fin, said I was a member of

the IRA, but that war is over now.

The people responsible for last

night's incident are clearly signal-

ing that they want to resume or

restart that war. Well, I deny theirright to do that [they are] traitors

to the island of Ireland.

It is finally possible for a

United Ireland. A confluence of cir-

cumstances has put that goal in

sight. No right-minded person

should be in support of terroristic

activities that move it further from

the outstretched, grasping hands of

the Irish people.

Dexters Lab is a column featur-

ing the world according to the

thoughts and ideas of Tideline

Editor-in-Chief Dexter

OConnell.


5/8


6/8

TidelineCALENDARPage 6 March 30 - April 17, 2009

BY ALEX TRAYLORTideline Staff Writer

With the release oftheir 12th studioalbum it appears that

there is clearly No Line

on the Horizon for U2,

or any other sense of

direction, for that mat-

ter. Its been five years

since their last album,

How to Dismantle An

Atomic Bomb, and it

appears that the band has decided to take a detour

from their path to immense success and musical

genius. Sadly, they created an album reminiscent oftheir 1991 album Achtung Baby, better known as

the album that almost took U2 off the map.

U2 formed more than 30 years ago and in those

three decades they have created massive hits such asWith or Without You, Even Better than the Real

Thing and Desire and Vertigo. Instead of giving

their fans another classic single for their play lists,

they gave us Put on Your Boots. The first song off

their new album, which they performed at the 2009

Grammys, is a catchy tune somewhat reminiscent of

Barneys I love you, you love me, set to a bad

repetitive wannabe indie beat. Youll find yourself

humming it all day and contemplating suicide just

to get out of the sound, that Bono keeps on

screaming about wanting to be let into. With this

single, it appears that U2 has begun to dig its grave,

and after going through the painful experience of lis-

tening to the rest of the album, its now safe to say

that the band is sitting six feet under.

It seems as if U2 tries to redeem themselves

while The Edge (David Howell Evans) replays every

guitar rift hes ever written for the group. Its true

that The Edge does have a certain chimney sounding

style, which, over the years, he has become

renowned for. However, there is no mistaking the

fact that the song Stand Up Comedy has the exact

same guitar rift as about a dozen other U2 hits.

Other songs include Ill Go Crazy If I Dont Go

Crazy Tonight, which includes poetic lines like,

Everyone needs to cry or needs to spit. The album

continues to travel in a downward spiral, but lucki-

ly there is one good song, Breathe, and it was truly

a breath of fresh air. This song is able to combine

the beloved U2 sounds with something new, excit-

ing and different. Though a good song, it did little tosave the album from the cliff off which the band hasthrown themselves.

The disappointments that this long-awaited

album contains are somewhat overwhelming. Its

baffling that a band that can create a song like

Sunday Bloody Sunday, one of the most lyrically

ingenious songs of our time, can then turn around

and produce not only a song, but a complete album

devoid of content. The album could have been put

together by Animal, the Muppet. The discontinu-

ities and overall A.D.D. of the album leaves the lis-

tener overwhelmed and unsatisfied. Unlike their pre-

vious records, Line on the Horizon doesnt try to tell

a story or give a beautiful insight on some world

issue. Instead, this record was created just to make

money off of their massive fan base, who theyve

tricked into thinking that U2 is almighty, powerful

and can do no wrong.

No Line on the Horizon

Fmylife.com is a forumwhere people fromaround the globe are able to

submit short statements

about incidents from their

daily lives that they deem

unfortunate or unpleasant.

From simply uncomfortable

accidents to more lewd and

vulgar acts, fmylife.com

allows people to share the

unlucky and, most times,

comical experiences people

face throughout the day.

All submissions to the

online forum begin with the

word Today and end inFML, an acronym for F

my life to express that per-

sons misfortune during that

particular moment.

Submissions are then broken

down into seven different

categories: love, money,

kids, work, health, sex and

miscellaneous . Each of

these categories help to

describe the particular setting

and instance in which the

FML moment took place.

New content is pub-lished on a daily basis and

updated multiple times

throughout the day. Both

members and non-membersalike are able to submit and

contribute their FML stories

to the website, however,

each story that is submitted

is reviewed by the website

editors before being posted

on the website.

By screening each indi-

vidual post, the website

team hopes to sort through

the false from the valid sto-

ries. However they caution

viewers to Remember that

we can't underestimate each

visitor's bad luck potential.You probably know what we

mean by that (try and

remember). A story which

can appear to you as unbear-

able just because it didnt

happen to you is not neces-

sarily fake, even the most

absurd ones.

Once stories are posted,

visitors to the website have

the option of voting for each

FML in two different cate-

gories. If they agree with

the author of the post, visi-tors can choose to vote I

agree, your life is fed, or

if they disagree they have the

option of voting youdeserve that one.

Votes are then accumu-

lated so that the stories can

be published in the top or

flop section of the web-

site.

Although not all sub-

missions are necessarily

true, the website provides

hysterically funny stories

that can relate to almost any-

one. From activities such as

school and work to life in

general, fmylife.com allows

readers to witness the humorin life and enjoy the unpleas-

ant situations that everyone

faces from time to time.

Though it is an enter-

taining website overall,

those who may be offended

by vulgar language and

descriptions are cautioned

from reading the many posts

published online, as some

submitters take no time to

censor the truly unpleasant

situations which they face

and release their troubles inall of their full-blown glory

for the world to read.

However, despite the

sometimes vulgar nature ofcertain posts, fmylife.com is

sure to provide hours of

entertainment and insight

into the lives of others

around the globe. Special

formats of the website are

even available for mobile

phones and for the iPhone,

so the hilarity of the site can

be enjoyed on-the-go.

Reading fmylife.com has

allowed readers to realize that

their lives may not be as irk-

some or terrible as they

imagine it to be.

Today, FML

became my

life. FML

Dancing With the Stars kicked off abrand new search for a brand newchampion on March 9. The highly

anticipated two-hour season premiere

introduced us to 13 new stars including

the youngest competitor to face the

competition, an NFL legend, a com-

puter icon, a female rapper, three music

artists, and many more. Many new

additions and changes were made to

this season as two contestants had to

be replaced a week before. Hosted by

Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris,the show consists of celebrities per-

forming choreographed dance routines,

which are then judged by renowned

ballroom judge Len Goodman anddancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli

and Carrie Ann Inaba. To add to the

competition, two newly engaged pro-

fessional dancers go head to head, and

the first real-life couple is partnered

together. This seasons contestants

include: singer Belinda Carlisle part-

nered with Jonathan Roberts, actor

David Alan Grier partnered with Kim

Johnson, gymnast Shawn Johnson

with Mark Ballas, rapper Lil Kim

with Derek Hough, reality star Holly

Madison with Dmitry Chaplin, actor

Giles Marini with Cheryl Burke, cow-

boy Ty Murray with Chelsie

Hightower, reality star Steve-o with

Lacey Schwimmer, actress Denise

Richards with Maksim Chmerkovskiy,

Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft with

Tony Dovolani, football player

Lawrence Taylor with Edyta

Silwinska, country singer Chuck

Wicks with Julianne Hough, and MAC

mogul Steve Wozniak with KarinaSmirnoff. Dancing with the Stars

returns with new surprises and all the

elements viewers have come to know

and love. Macy's Stars of Dance,

which features some of the mostrenowned dancers and choreographers of

our time will also be back on Dancing

with the Stars the Results S how, along

with its hugely popular Design a

Dance competition. Design a Dance is

sponsored by Macy's and made its

debut last season. In addition, couples

will once again take part in a team

dance, group dance and face off as well

as perform the Argentine Tango and

East Coast Swing; both of which have

never been performed on the series.

And in an exciting new twist, the bot-

tom two couples facing elimination

will "Dance Off" to determine who is

dismissed in the first weeks of compe-

tition. As of March 5, Jewel was diag-

nosed with a fractured tibia in both legs

while training and had to withdraw

from the competition, leaving Holly

Madison to replace her. Jewel still

remains a part of Dancing with the

Stars as her husband and cowboy TyMurray continues to compete. Another

tragic incident occurred as of March 5,

when Nancy O'Dell was diagnosed

with a torn meniscus while training,

and also had to withdraw from the com-petition. Replacing her is none other

than Bachelor contestant Melissa.

These two new contestants had only

one week to practice, compared to the

others four, and had to step up their

game and prove that they deserved to be

there. During Monday nights perform-

ance, contestants either danced the cha-

cha-cha or the waltz. Dancing the cha-

cha-cha and starting off the night, Lil'

Kim added a hip hop flavor and sex

appeal, evoking chemistry with her

partner, yet sometimes looking off-

beat. Her hip-hop flavor might be an

advantage or a disadvantage, but she

evidently needed more refining.

Another woman to take the stage was

Belinda Carlisle, who had to master a

difficult spin in the waltz and unfortu-

nately lacked fluidity. One of the first

men to grace the stage was Lawrence

Taylor who evoked a sense of natural-

ness while performing the cha-cha-cha,yet needed to master his rhythm. On

the other hand, Steve-Os waltz,

although showing effort, was no more

than a comedic act that seemed awk-

ward and uncomfortable. The rest of thecontestants had similar feedback, as

some had great chemistry with their

partners but truly needed greater control

and mastery of their technique. There is

great potential amongst the cast of

Season Eight, and the public will ulti-

mately control who continues.

BY AUSTIN WILLIAMS


Dan Graham: Beyond is organ-ized by The Museum ofContemporary Art (MOCA) inLos Angeles with the help from

the Whitney Museum of

American Art, New York.

Open to the public from Feb.

15 May 25, 2009, the exhibi-

tion focuses on the American per-

spective through the art of Dan

Graham. The exhibit includes a

selection of photographs, films,

architectural models, indoor and

outdoor pavilions, conceptual

projects for magazine pages,

drawings and prints, as well as

writings. From the rise of mini-

malistic, conceptual art to the

mixture of rock and roll and cul-

ture, Graham has been a key fig-

ure in the contemporary art world

since the 1960s.

The exhibition focuses on

various themes, most notably the

change between the relationship

of the individual and society as

shown through mass media and

twentieth century architecture.Graham exploits the obvious.

What is defined as obvious,

Graham defines as art and repeti-

tion. There is a difference between

people who interpret cultures,

have personal opinions and out-

spoken criticism for certain

events, and minimalists such as

Dan Graham, who have no origi-

nal thoughts. The works that he

has presented in his exhibition

causes the past to come to mind

and there is no effect that it could

have on any persons life.

It is simply valueless art.

This could be said a million

times. There is nothing that

Graham is saying that people

havent already noticed. Its as if

people were observing a chair.

Everyone knows that it is a chair.

Say someone comes along to

preach about the color of the

chair. That person has takensomething so bland, with no

value and exploited the idea that it

is a green chair or an orange chair.

Regardless of the color, it is still

a chair. Nonetheless, Grahams

views of art, his works are still

representations of obvious and

plain ideas. It is difficult to find

the art in the exhibition. All

viewers see is the artist present-

ing his observation of repetitive

things. Grahams art is all based

on a matter of opinion. This

exhibit is filled with boring,

repetitive art that exploits the

obvious.

Dan Graham: Beyond

Line on The HorizonU2

Interscope

Dancing with the Stars Begins with Unexpected Change

BY DANIEL HARTONOEditor-in-Chief

BY ARIANNA FISHER



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TidelineCLASSIFIEDSMarch 30 - April 17, 2009 Page 7


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TidelineSPORTSPage 8 March 30 - April 17, 2009

Some of the top names in

Palisades Mens volley-

ball history will have the

opportunity to suit up once

again for the Dolphins on

Saturday, April 4, in the first

annual Alumni Game. It willbe held in conjunction with a

fundraiser for the Palisades HighSchool Boys Volleyball

Program. During the event, Pali

will honor its five Olympic

gold medal recipients, Ricci

Luyties, Chris Marlowe, Steve

Salmons, Dave Saunders and

Kent Steffes, as well as Hall of

Fame inductee Randy Stoklos,

for their remarkable achieve-

ments.

Former Palisades Coach

Howard Enstedt will alsobe honored for his suc-

cessful career. In his 30

years of coaching,

Enstedt won eight

championships for the

Dolphins, and is credit-

ed with starting the vol-

leyball program when it

began as a club.

However, Enstedt

remains humble about

his roots. I cant takeall the credit, because if

you have the talent,

then you win, said

Enstedt. Pali has always

bred talented players,

such as recent 2008

alumni Scott Vegas.Vegas, currently playing

for UCLA, feels privi-

leged to play with the

alumni. Its going to

be great playing with

these legendary players,

who have totally differ-

ent styles, said Vegas.

It is an honor and a

great fundraiser for the

present program.

Olympian KentSteffes is looking for-

ward to the event, but

is uncertain if he will

play due to a knee

injury. Regardless of

his status for the

game, the Alumni

event has rekindled

previous relation-

ships, and he com-

mends those who have

worked hard to makethis event possible.

Ive been able to get

into contact with a

bunch of people who

have gone to Pali and

played at Pali, said

Steffes. Ive gotten afew calls and heard

from some people that

I havent heard from

in a decade or so. This

was such a great job

for all the people who

put this together; its

going to be fun.

Volleyball Hall of

Famer Randy Stoklos

will also attend this

historic ceremony and has agreedto play. Stoklos played with

Olympic gold medal recipients

Dave Saunders, Ricci Luyties

and Steve Salmons during his

high school career at Pali, and

looks forward to reuniting with

them again. It is a fabulous

opportunity that we have been

given- not only to play for Pali,

but also t o have the opportunity

to bring old friends together,

have this reunion and have itbenefit the game itself, said

Stoklos. Its such a unique

thing that Palisades has that

many gold medalists just in one

sport. Its going to be a great

time and a great opportunity to

rejoice in Palisades Volleyball.The doors to the Palisades

Gym open to the public at 7:00

p.m. Tickets will be $10 for

adults and $5 for kids 12 and

under, and all proceeds earned

will go to support the Mens

Volleyball Program. There will

be a serving contest for prizes,

raffles, and a silent auction.

Everyone in the community is

invited to attend.

Mens Volleyball Holds First Alumni GameBY KENE IZUCHUKWU

Tideline Junior Editor

Pali plans to recognize and cele-

brate its winning volleyball tra-

dition by holding an alumni

reunion and game in the gym.

The Boys Varsity

Volleyball program has

continuously proven to

be successful over the past few

seasons. Hard work, dedication

and a strong work ethic high-

lighted their road to a CIF

Championship last season. As

the 2009 season begins, the

Dolphins aspire to play off oftheir championship momentum

and end with another winning

season.

The season spiked into

action on March 4, 2009 as the

Dolphins started with a non-

league challenge against the

Carson Colts. The visitingDolphins showed their domi-

nance in winning every set. All

three sets were close. Carson led

or was tied in the first half of all

three sets until the score reached

about 15, then Pali either caught

up or pulled ahead, said Christy

North, Carson Head Coach.

Defeating Carson was a great

start to a promising season for

the Dolphins, but the real chal-lenge lay days away against the

Sylmar Spartans.

The Dolphins next hosted

the Spartans on March 6 in the

match many considered to be the

precursor to the Los Angeles

City Championship. The

Dolphins were playing off of

their opening win, and appeared

to be cruising to a 2-0 record.

After winning the first set 31-29and leading the second 16-13, the

game was closing in the favor of

the Dolphins. Co-Captain

Outside Hitter Matt Hanley, who

promised a show to the Junior

Varsity team after their earlier

victory, followed through with

22 kills. Co-Captain KeneIzuchukwu demonstrated why he

was elected a captain as a junior,

firing off 15 kills on offense and

getting a team-high 30 digs on

defense. The Spartans rallied

back, however and took the sec-

ond set, as well as the third and

fourth. The Spartans ended the

game with a dominating 25-13

victory in the final set.

Despite the high-octane

explosiveness of Head Coach

Chris Forrests outside hitters,

the Spartans were able to counter

with 68 Senior Outside Hitter

Tyler Honeycutt, who was able

to cannon 25 kills and nullify theDolphins defense. I would say

the biggest problem in the loss

to Sylmar was our defense and

passing. Sylmar is a great team

but they really only have one

player and thats [Senior Outside

Hitter] Tyler Honeycutt.

Secondly, our team played terri-

bly that game with a 1.8 passingaverage. We [committed] tons of

careless mistakes. Sylmar played

really well and we played terribly,

and we were still able to stay

with them. I think that there will

be a very different outcome when

we play them again, said

Hanley. Assistant Coach Collin

Williamson also attributed the

collapse of the team in the finalthree games to a poorly working

offense. Our offense is our

strength, and when its working

as in the first game were unstop-

pable. Without good passing we

cant use that offense. Also, to

nullify players like Bellinger

well have to have harder serving

so they cant get into their set

plays, said Williamson.

Losing is a conceptrarely experienced by the strong

volleyball program, but it is a

reality that takes strength to get

through. After a disappointing

loss to Sylmar, the Dolphins

took to their home court once

again to regain a winning record.

On March 9, the only force stand-ing between the Dolphins and a

2-1 record were the winless

Venice Gondoliers. Co-captains

Kene Izuchukwu and Matt

Hanley left no room for errors,

combining for 37 kills, as the

Dolphins defeated the helpless

Gondoliers 3-1, cruising to a

position the team is used to: a

winning record at 2-1.

The losses thus far in the

season will prove beneficial in

the end for the Dolphins, as they

plan to capitalize on their mis-takes. I would say that the loss

to Sylmar is just as important as

a win would have been. To tell

you the truth, our team was very

cocky coming into this season

and the losses humbled us. I

think that the losses will not

only turn out to be more helpful

than hurtful in terms of the rest

of the season, but also because

with the loss we will now be

forced to return to the fundamen-

tals. This will make us a better

team, said Hanley. The

Dolphins hope to prove success-

ful in returning to the intangibles

and have a good chance at suc-

ceeding once again.

Boys Volleyball

Spikes Into Action

BY JUSTIN NAM and

DENNIS PESIKOVTideline Sports Editor and Writer

Coming off of a championship

season, the Palisades Dolphins

are once again

demonstrating success.

The Track and Field team

has started out the sea-

son strong with an intact

squad from last year, and had

an excellent showing at the

Millikan Distance Carnival, as

well as at their first home meet

on March 13 versus Taft and

Carson. Head Coach Ron

Brumel sent only a few runners

to the Millikan meet becauseof the need for both experience

and talent level. Most of the

kids out here today are some of

our best, and thats what we

want to do, compete, said

Brumel. The Distance MedleyRelay, which consists of a

mile, a three-fourths mile, an

800-meter run, and a 400-meter

run, was run by seniors

Rashaad Moore, Garrick

Smokey Bernard, and

Michael Fujimoto, along with

Junior Carlos Bustamante. The

team ran the relay in a blister-

ing 11:11, with Junior Carlos

Bustamante running a 4:39

mile to cap off the first-place

finish. Freshman Grant

Stromberg ran his first mile of

the season in a personal record

of 5:07, and Sophomore EricLopez ran a personal record as

well in the 800-meter with a2:06. On the Girls side, Junior

Michelle Colato ran a 6:12 for

the mile running for the

Varsity team. Senior Ava Sun

(6:42.59) and Junior Jamillet

Maldonado (6:42.98) also ran.

Sophomores Wendy Gomez,

Amy Moulthrop and Karli

Feder also ran the mile, in

6:18, 6:25, and 6:36 respec-

tively. We all came out and ranour races, now we look to get

better this next week, said

Junior Carlos Bustamante.

On March 13, the Dolphins

held their first home meet at the

Stadium by the Sea versus Taft

and Carson. The team, which

was forced to have more awaymeets last year because of the

track construction, is looking

forward to having home-field

advantage this season. Junior

Carlos Bustamante ran a thunder-

ing 4:39 for the mile. Junior hur-

dler Erika Martin put up a

tremendous early season time in

the hurdles, completing the 110-

meter race in 14.43 seconds,

ranking her first in Californiaaccording to Dyestatcal.com

Senior Michael Fujimoto ran a

solid time in the 800-meter run

with a 2:04, along with Senior

Rashaad Moore, who ran a 2:06.

Senior sprinter Garrick

Smokey Bernard ran a 10.84 in

the 100-meter dash for the

Dolphins, a personal record. The

Dolphins went into the meet

with a stocked up fresh-

man/sophomore lineup as well.

Sophomore Eric Lopez ran a

2:07 in the 800-meter run,Freshman Grant Stromberg ran a

5:07 for the mile run, andFreshman Deborah Abber ran a

5:54 for the mile run, the first

race of her career.

Most of the returning mem-

bers look to create another suc-

cessful season. Junior Hurdler

Erika Martin is ranked second

overall in the Los Angeles City

Section, Senior Michael

Fujimoto is ranked fourth overall

for the 800-meter run in t he City,

and Junior Carlos Bustamante is

ranked fifth in the City in the

mile. The team is made up of a

high amount of first-year run-

ners, but time trial runs on

March 6 showed a vast amount

of talent on the team. Last year,

five Varsity runners made it tothe Los Angeles City

Championship, and Junior

Carlos Bustamante went to the

California State Meet, becoming

the first male athlete in 17 years

to represent Palisades. Junior

Hurdler Erika Martin looks to

become another track and field

star for the Dolphins, as she won

the 110-Hurdles and 300-Hurdles

titles for the Western League and

dominated at City, getting fourth

place in the two events. The

future is bright for this team,

which is overflowing with tal-

ent, but only time will tell if

this team will surpass teams of

old.

Track and Field Sprints Into FormBY ERIC LOPEZ


As the spring semester picks

up speed, the Track and Field

team begins its road to the

Los Angeles CityChampionships.

Despite the fact that this

was only the Dolphins

second league game, they

seemed to have a great feel for the

flow of the game and team on

both offense and defense.

It was clear who would domi-

nate from the first face-off on

March 10 at the Birmingham

field. Junior

M i d f i e l d e r

Christine Frapech

took the draw and,

after a small blun-

der with her defend-

er, emerged confi-

dently with the ball

in her stick. After a

quick give-and-go

with Junior

Attacker Molly

Meek, Frapech

effortlessly ran past

her defender and

shot low and hard

to score the firstgoal. She then pro-

ceeded to score

three more goals

over the span of the

game. With

Birminghams sloppy play and

the Dolphins early lead, the

Dolphins were able to relax for

most of the game. Pali tried to

slow the game down and settle the

attack. Many times, the Pali girls

would play keep-away until they

found the perfect path to the goal,

exhibiting their patience and team

play. Among those who scored

was new Freshman Sarah

Thorson, who scored in the first

half. Thorson played strong

defense throughout the game and

assisted on four more goals.

Junior Molly Meek scored three

goals, firing the ball with accura-

cy, and Senior Shanna Shipin

contributed with two more goals

and an assist.

The defense did a commend-

able job as well, basically keep-

ing their opposition out of their

half completely. The defense was

good. Everyone stayed on their

girl, and it was hard because theywere speedy, but we did it! said

Sophomore Defender Marlee

Galper. Since it was a brand new

team, it was easier to intercept

their passes and get the ball. The

Pali team continued their winning

streak later in the week against

Manual Arts High School and

Oak Park High School, which are

higher-level teams. They hope to

strengthen their shots-to-goals

ratio in their upcoming games

and continue to play as a team.

GIRLS LACROSSE BOLDLY BEATS BIRMINGHAM

BY EMMA CARTER


The Varsity Girls Lacrosse team rallies around their coach during halftim e.

Senior Michael Fujim oto gets ready to start the 800-meter race.

The Varsity Girls Lacrosse team

demolished the inexperienced

Birmingham High School

Patriots team in a convincing

12-0 win.

Senior Matt Hanley prepares to hi t the ball

GABE LEE/ PHOTOGRAPHER

NAKOTA SIVAK-BENETT/ PHOTOGRAPHER

CHUCK COHEN/ PHOTOGRAPHER

tideline newspaper - issue 13

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