La Vista Issue 1, Vol. LXIII

NICK MATSON AND NICOLE FISHER / LA VISTA

tentative contract agreementBY ALEX WHITE

EXECUTIVE OPINION EDITOR

the tentative agreement with the

The negotiations began to raise more attention when MBUTA an-

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to reach an agreement this sum-

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increase in salary,” MBUTA ne-

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The terms for the new contract -

The raise is also retroactive to

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“This agreement makes us one

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-ers were breaching Article 15 of

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The teachers, however, main-

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will stay the same as they were in

the new contract will give teach-

questions was why we were

This agreement is only tenta-

will vote on the contract at the

The tentative agreement ex-

MEASURE BEAM BEAMS: Construction workers complete the primary phase of the math and sci-ence building. The building is expected to be completed by August 2013.

JACK LEE/ LA VISTA

BY KATE ROBAK

CALENDAR EDITOR

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rooms which are right next to the construc-

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there will always be many little things

“Fortunately, we have some very smart,

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!e Kids Are All WhiteRoughly 75 Costa seniors (top) wore white to school on Sept. 5 to demonstrate their discontent with the teach-ers union’s use of the students as leverage for negotiations. Manhattan Beach Middle School science teacher James Locke (bottom right) showed his support for the seniors at the board meeting later that day (bottom left). Read more about the whiteout at www.lavistamchs.com.

“This tentative agreement re-

5 to review the teacher evaluation

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

1401 ARTESIA BLVD.

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA

90266

VOL. LXIII WWW. LAVISTAMCHS.COM ISSUE 1

CALENDAR

S!"#$%

www.lavistamchs.com

FootballSept. 21: vs. Loyola at MCHS at 7 p.m.Sept. 28: vs. Newport Harbor at MCHS at 7 p.m.Oct. 5: vs. West Torrance at West High School at 7 p.m.

Girls GolfSept. 27: vs. West at AlondraOct. 2: vs. Chadwick at Chester at 2:45 p.m.Oct. 4: Burbank Tourna-ment at DeBell at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 9: vs. Peninsula High at P.V.C.C. 2:45 p.m.Oct. 10: Knabe Cup Tournament at Lakewood at 12:30 p.m.Oct. 11: vs. Peninsula High at Chester at 2:45 p.m.

Cross CountrySept. 25: South Bay Cup at Columbia Park, Torrance Sept. 29: Stanford invitationalOct. 11: League meet at PV High

Girls VolleyballSept. 26: vs. PV at PV High at 5:15 p.m.Oct. 3: vs. Laguna at MCHS at 5:30 p.m.Oct. 4: vs. West Torrance at West High School at 4:15 p.m.Oct. 9: vs. Peninsula at MCHS at 5:15 p.m. Oct. 11: vs. Redondo at RUHS at 7 p.m.

Boys Water PoloSept. 21-22: AFC Invite at San DiegoOct. 2: vs. PV at PV High at 3 p.m.

Sophomore Mai Nojima competes for Costa

against Newport Harbor High on Sept. 11. Costa

won the match 11-7 and remains undefeated.

Oct. 4: vs. Montebello at Commerce Na-tatoriumOct. 6: vs. La Canada at Pasadena CC at 5 p.m.Oct. 10: vs. West Torrance at MCHS at 3 p.m.Oct. 11: vs. Peninsula at Peninsula High at 3 p.m.

Girls TennisSept. 21: vs. Brentwood at MCHS at 3:30 p.m.Sept. 27: vs. West Torrance at West High School at 3 p.m.Oct. 2: vs. Palos Verdes at PV at 3 p.m.Oct. 4: vs. Redondo at MCHS at 3 p.m.Oct. 9: vs. PV High School at MCHS at 3 p.m.

C&'!(%SEPTEMBER:

21 - FridayMinimum Day: School gets out at 12:21 p.m. as part of a minimum day requirement in the teacher contract.

24 - MondayMake-Up Pictures: Pictures taken in the Auditorium Lobby until 3 p.m.

ASB Photo Night and Meeting: Meeting is in room 40 at 5 p.m.

26 - WednesdayNo School: Holiday, Yom Kippur.

28 - Friday

Hall of Fame Ceremony during third pe-riod.

After-Game Dance: From 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the cafeteria.

OCTOBER:

2-3 - Tuesday and Wednesday CASHEE Testing for juniors and seniors. Rooms will be assigned closer to the test date.

2 - Tuesday

C"''()*$+SEPTEMBER:

27 - ThursdayHermosa Beach City Council Meeting: The meeting is at Hermosa Beach City Hall and begins at 7 p.m.

OCTOBER:

1 - MondayCommunity Emergency Response Team (CERT) Class for Older Adults: Class will be held at the Manhattan Beach Joslyn Center, and a $10 refundable deposit is re-quired to reserve a space.

3 - WednesdayManhattan Beach City Council Meeting: The meeting is at Manhattan Beach City Hall and begins at 6:30 p.m.

6 - SaturdayManhattan Beach Annual 10k Run: Starts at 7:30 a.m. Runners can register at Village Runner up to the evening of the Oct. 5.

6-7 - Saturday and Sunday40th Annual Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Live Oak Park, Dorsey Field, and the area of Valley Drive in between.

9 - TuesdayHermosa Beach City Council Meeting: The meeting is at Hermosa Beach City Hall and begins at 7 p.m.

NEW STUDENT MIXER: New students at Mira Costa participate in the new student lunch-in on

Sept. 13. Lunch was held outside the auditorium.

Club Council Meeting at lunch in Room 40. ASB will host its regular club council meeting with Costa club presidents.

3 - WednesdayClub Day: Clubs will sell a variety of food items to support their organizations at lunch in the new quad.

4 - Thursday Student Leadership Council Meeting at

lunch in room 40. ASB will host selected leaders of on campus organizations and discuss school news and events. Leaders

9 - TuesdayCollege Fair at Redondo Union High School at 7 p.m. RUHS takes over hosting the annual college fair from Mira Costa. The fair will be held in Sea Hawk Pavil-lion

Look on our website for a video recap of the Sept. 7 Costa home football game against Serra High

School. Costa lost in a nail-biter.

NICK MATSON/ LA VISTA

September 21, 2012

NICOLE FISCHER/ LA VISTA

O) $,- W-.:

LISA VALICENTE/ LA VISTA

NEWS 3La VistaSeptember 21, 2012


MUSICAL CHAIRS: Costa band members practice in the newly implemented

Honors Band class. Students will receive UC honors credits for the course.

Students attend ‘‘Rave Dance’’

Mustangs take part in new honors music classes

Manhattan Beach Uni!ed School District expands iPad programBY MADDIE NERAD

STAFF WRITER

school year.

the program.

BY EMILY PETILLON

STAFF WRITER

“This isn’t really a whole new

in the honors program is to imple

The honors orchestra class will

cians will get into the new class.

RAVE CRAVE: Costa juniors Estefania Freire, Lane Bissett and Maddy Shea

take a break from dancing at Associated Student Body’s “Rave Dance.”

EMMA SALZMAN/ LA VISTA

BY TAMARA KNELL

STAFF WRITER

the year.

“I went to last year’s ‘rave’

their reporting.

APPLE FOR ALL: (from left) Junior Andrew Geroch and sophomore Frank Mel

and Antonis Nahabed use iPads as part of their learning experience.

EMMA SALZMAN/ LA VISTA

BY GASSIA ASHIKIAN

STAFF WRITER

Big Bear.

MIRA LAING/ LA VISTA

Freshman Rachel Kay (top left) and seniors Matt Phillips (bottom left),

April Barajas (top right) and Gracie Markland (bottom right) audition

for the Drama Department’s fall production “You’re a Good Man,

Charlie Brown,” which will take place in early November.

4 La Vista September 21, 2012NEWS

COURTESY GRETCHEN RENSHAW, LISA VALICENTE

BARRED FROM API SCORES: The California Department of Education released Costa’s 2012 standardized test scores

SPIRIT OF THE ‘STANGS:

Students audition for 2012-13 Comedy Sportz

BY SIERRA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

The Mira Costa Marching Band and Colorguard performed the opener, “City Of Lights,” of their full project called “Electrop-olis” on Sept. 7 during halftime at the varsity football game against Serra High School.

The band’s drill designer, Ste-ven Estudi-llo, created the idea behind the show while performing with a band called The M a c h i n e Orchestra, which uses lights in its performances to animate the music. The Costa Marching Band imitated The Machine Orchestra by taping light-emitting diode lights to members’ costumes.

“Estudillo’s original idea was to use closet tap lights, but it didn’t work out with our costumes,” Costa band director Joel Carlson said. “So I found LED light strips from China for $7 each through Amazon, and band members put them on their costumes.”

According to Carlson, audi-ences have never seen this type of performance before from the Mira Costa band.

“It was the loudest high school applause I’ve ever heard,” Carl-son said.

Senior Casey Choi, section leader and snare drum player, was

on her lights. It was up to her to get the show off to a good start. She was also in charge of timing, which added a little more pres-sure to the situation.

“I kept telling myself ‘don’t miss the button Casey,’” Choi said. “And when the lights turned

on, I heard the crowd say ‘whoa.’ I felt more comfort-able once the performance was over.”

player Kirsten Gustavson also shared some ner-vousness and believes “City of Lights” was a success.

“I heard the audience and felt their excitement once the crowd saw the lights,” Gustavson said.

-ished playing.”

The Mira Costa band has two more parts of “Electropolis” to perform later this year. The next part is entitled “Darkest Night,” and Carlson has not decided when the performance of the rest of the show will take place.

“The performance got a great reaction from the crowd,” sopho-more band member Rebecca Bac-ich said. “With the extra time we have to work on it, I feel that we will be better than ever.”

Mira Costa Marching Band,Colorguard debut ‘Electropolis’

MIRA LAING/ LA VISTA

CIRCLE OF LAUGHS:

specialty matches; they were extremely successful,” Comedy Sportz teacher advisor Carol Mat-thews said. “This year I’m hoping that there is more participation from everyone.”

Curtis and Baer have high hopes for the team this season.

“As managers, Buster and I are basically responsible for the team,” Curtis said. “I am so ex-cited for this year.”

face and talk in a dumb voice,” sophomore Elizabeth Hartman said. “It’s hard. You have to be smart enough to make puns and keep a straight face while people do hilarious things.”

This year, Mira Costa Comedy Sportz hopes to continue the new tradition of holding a few spe-cialty matches. These matches in-clude parents vs. students, teach-ers vs. students and matches with Costa alumni.

BY QUINN KROPSCHOT

STAFF WRITER

Seniors Molly Curtis and Bust-er Baer led Mira Costa’s Com-edy Sportz team auditions for the 2012-13 school year on Sept. 13 in the drama room.

This year, the Comedy Sportz team has 18 returning players and added 18 new members to the roster. Throughout the audi-tion process, prospective players split into groups of eight and per-formed scenes with one experi-enced Costa player.

“The managers usually like to ask experienced members of the team for their input on people au-ditioning,” Curtis said.

Mira Costa’s Comedy Sportz team competes against other high schools in matches throughout Southern California.

“Improvisation is so much more than being able to make a silly

BY TAMARA KNELL

STAFF WRITER

Associated Student Body held a pep rally on Sept. 7 in the quad at lunch to encourage Costa stu-

home football game of the year.The Mira Costa Marching Band

played as it marched through the halls. Mira Costa’s cheer, song and dance teams also performed at the pep rally.

“It’s always fun to perform in front of the school,” freshman

dance team member Jenny Gi-alketsis said.

Varsity football captains Josh Qerbash, Ryan Sweigart and Joey Markus spoke to the school about their upcoming game against Ser-ra High School.

“Judging by the amount of people that showed up at the foot-ball game that night, I think the turn out at the pep rally really en-couraged support for the football team,” sophomore song member Katie Watts said.

Students look forward to future

pep rallies that will take place throughout the year.

“I thought it was really loud but at the same time fun and enter-taining,” freshman Lucas Wilson said. “I hope there is another pep rally soon.”

Another pep rally will occur on Oct. 19 for the Homecoming foot-ball game against Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.

“The pep rally was a blast and a great start to the year,” ASB com-missioner of entertainment Dan-ielle Kay said.

Cheating scandals delay Costa’s API scoresBY SABRINA PICKETT

STAFF WRITER

The release of Mira Costa’s 2012 Academic Performance Index scores is delayed due to a cheating scandal in which stu-dents from 147 California schools posted images of California’s Standardized Testing and Report-ing test questions on social net-working sites in May 2012.

Costa’s API score is a calcu-lation out of 1,000 points based on standardized testing scores and California High School Exit Exam results. Despite delayed

release, Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale believes Costa’s score won’t vary drastically from 2011.

“The test scores looked encour-

API might go up or down a few points from last year.”

The images displayed readable test questions but not correct an-swers. The schools involved are at risk of decreased Academic Performance Index scores and a loss of state funding. Due to these allegations, the API release date was pushed back to late Septem-ber or even as late as October.

“The schools involved in the

scandal are not bad; students just made poor decisions and are fac-ing consequences,” Dale said.

Many of the pictures posted were of student answer docu-ments showing their bubbling to form slang terms such as “LOL.”

“I don’t think the students meant to cheat,” sophomore Sar-ah Keneipp said. “However, they should’ve thought about what they were doing.”

Students attending Costa didn’t upload any of the pictures taken.

“I’m glad cheating had nothing to do with us,” MBUSD Deputy Superintendent Rick Bagley said.

COURTESY CAROLYN SEATON

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: -

MUNAM WASI/ LA VISTA

“I heard the audience and felt their excitement once the

crowd saw the lights.”

Kirsten GustavsonJunior band member

iPads, Wi-Fi bring new, bene!cial learning process

Merit-based raises would need new standards

Political conventions keep voters interested, campaigns relevantBY ADAM GERARD OPINION EDITOR

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feedback in the parties remains

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ter President Obama’s 2012 DNC

speech, internet searches

of democratic engagement

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egates from around the country to

course, nominating the parties’

candidates for President and

Vice President of the United

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process became more engaging

and the media increased its at-

tention to primaries, the nominee

referring to the DNC and the RNC

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tion amount to far more than a

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JACK ALLEN, ADAM GERARD, ALEX WHITE/ OPINION EDITORS

DANNY KELLEHER/ EDITOR IN CHIEF

BY MEGAN RIORDAN

STAFF WRITER

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es based on merit in addition to

must be a system that accounts

for many different kinds of teach-

of merit-based raises, many neces-

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by both teachers and the adminis-

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of Education Arne Duncan and

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With teacher raises based on

test scores, some teachers may

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One system that has been ef-

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settings tend to score higher on

standardized tests and are more

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based on their students’

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teacher performance instead of

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merit-based raises, in addition to

outcome if the raise system is cre-

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BY JACK ALLEN

OPINION EDITOR

both students and teachers to ex-

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feedback on assignments and

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A CNN study found that dur-

company, 20%

used a textbook

on the iPad scored

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er, rather than those

According to

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more time to prepare and teach

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campus, it is common for students

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current

s t u -

dents at

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tan Beach

issued iPads

bringing their

Costa next

next year’s

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common areas on campus such

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much-needed organizations on

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funds on iPads for teachers, and

amount for the purchase of other

and instant feedback that iPads

an opportunity to add more ac-

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Top ten things the teachers could have done to punish the students during negotiations:

5OPINIONSeptember 21, 2012 La Vista

Teachers should receive raises based on merit rather than years of experience or any other factors.

JACKSON CASADY/ LA VISTA

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by nominating their party’s candi-

dates for President of the United

Voter turnout is incredibly impor-tant, and conventions serve the role of rallying party faith and encourag-ing voter registration.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

STAFF EDITORIAL

BY DANNY KELLEHER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Negotiations made students truly think for themselves

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Teachers had to take understandable yet hostile actions

MIRA COSTA HIGH SCHOOL

1401 ARTESIA BOULEVARD

MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA

(310) 318-7330

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012VOLUME LXIII, ISSUE 1WWW.LAVISTAMCHS.COM

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

DANNY KELLEHER

ALEC LAUTANEN

MANAGING EDITOR

HANNA MCGUIRE

COPY EDITORS

ZACK GILL

MAGGIE ROBAK

NEWS EDITORS

JOANI GILLAM, EXECUTIVE

SHAYLYN AUSTIN

TAYLOR ST. GERMAIN

OPINION EDITORS

ALEX WHITE, EXECUTIVE

JACK ALLEN

ADAM GERARD

ARTS EDITORS

DYLAN FAIR, EXECUTIVE

ARI HOWORTH

JAKE MAHR

LIFE EDITORS

AVA KLEIN, EXECUTIVE

ELIZABETH KNEISLEY

EMILY LOCKWOOD

THEME EDITORS

AMANDA NEWELL, EXECUTIVE

ARI GEVOV

RISHA ROHERA

SPORTS EDITORS

REGAN ESTES, EXECUTIVE

HANNAH PROCTOR

CASEY SUBLETTE

CALENDAR EDITOR

KATE ROBAK

PHOTO EDITORS

NICOLE FISCHER

EMMA SALZMAN

CIRCULATION EDITORS

ANGELINA VOLLUCCI

JESSICA BEELI, ASSISTANT

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

BRADEN CURREY

ARTIST

JACKSON CASADY

ADVISER

MICHAEL MCAVIN

STAFF WRITERS

GASSIA ASHIKIAN, BUSTER BAER, NIKKI BORDOKAS, MADDIE COATE, NIKKI FOURNELL,

REBECCA HEXT, COURTNEY HUGHEY, CAMILLE JUTON, TAMARA KNELL, QUINN KROPSCHOT,

MICHELLE MCKENNA, MADDY NERAD, CHRISTOPH NEUMANN KARA PATMAN, EMILY PETILLON, SABRINA PICKETT,

IAN RAPOPORT, MEGAN RIORDAN, CATE SCHIFF, ISAAC SIEGEMUND-BROKA, DANA STERNTHAL,

MORGAN THALER, KATIE VON BEHREN, SIERRA WILLIAMS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

HANNAH DAGIAU, MADDEN LAING, MIRA LAING, JACK LEE, NICK MATSON, VAUGHN MICHAUD, GEOFFREY ST. JOHN,

LISA VALICENTE, MUNAM WASI

EDITORIAL BOARD

JACK ALLEN, SHAYLYN AUSTIN, ADAM GERARD, TAYLOR ST. GERMAIN, ZACK GILL, JOANI GILLAM,

DANNY KELLEHER, ALEC LAUTANEN, HANNA MCGUIRE, MAGGIE ROBAK, ALEX WHITE

DISCLAIMER: LA VISTA IS THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MIRA COSTA HIGH SCHOOL, SERVING 2,700 STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-12. CONTENT, WHICH IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LA VIS-TA STAFF, IS NOT SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL. UN-SIGNED EDITORIALS REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE NEWSPAPER, WHILE OPINION COLUMNS REPRESENT ONLY THE WRITER’S VIEWS. ADVERTISEMENTS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF LA VISTA. LA VISTA PUBLISHES 10 ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR ON A TRI-WEEKLY BASIS AND DISTRIBUTES 3,000 COPIES TO BOTH MIRA COSTA CLASSROOMS AND SUBSCRIBERS. LA VISTA IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLUMBIA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION AND WELCOMES SIGNED LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ON TOPICAL ISSUES FROM THE MCHS COMMUNITY. THEY MAY BE MAILED TO MICHAEL MCAVIN IN THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING MAILBOX OR SENT TO [email protected]. LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY. PLEASE CONTACT LAVISTA-

[email protected] FOR ANY ISSUES REGARDING CORRECTIONS.

FOR AD RATES, CONTACT [email protected]

MISSION STATEMENT: LA VISTA IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING ONLY THE HIGHEST QUALITY REPORTING WHILE MAINTAINING A STRICT STANDARD OF JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY

AND PROVIDING ITS READERS WITH RELEVANT CONTENT.

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Letters to the Editor:

OPINION September 21, 20126 La Vista

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Who’s responsible for giving me the thoughts that are in my head, my parents, or my teachers?


BY CHRISTOPH NEUMANN

STAFF WRITER

The Mira Costa senior class organized a protest on Sept. 5 to the teachers’ decision to refuse to write letters of recommendation. This movement, predominantly known as “Whiteout Wednesday,” was mired with a lack of participation and disunity, and it accomplished little to help bring an end to negotiations.

At the contract mediation on Sept. 6, the -

School District’s Board of Trustees came to a tentative agreement on a new contract.

Leaders of the whiteout felt that this con-clusion was achieved in part because of the

movement. However, student disunity on the whiteout left some students involved confused about what the movement actually accomplished. On the Facebook group for the

whiteout, people disagreed about the form of

protest, with ideas ranging from a class-wide walk out, to a day of silence, to the

protest. Instead of uniting seniors, the disagreement and confu-sion created disunity and

p r o v i d e d many with an op-

portunity to potentially disrupt classroom activities.

This disunity, combined with the lack of a clear central goal within the movement, led to a lack of partici-pation. Many seniors posted on the Facebook group say-ing that the movement was misguided and ill-informed, and it had a larger chance of making things worse.While the students’ actions may have been noticed by the student body, MBUSD, a major party in the negotiations, instead noticed the lack in student complaints and emails to the Board. Board President Ellen Rosenberg did not attribute the success of the media-tion to the student movement.

OPINIONSeptember 21, 2012 7La Vista

PRO/CON

Is activism useful to express student opinions?

Does student activism in!uence issues within the school district?ROVING REPORTER

PRO: CON:

The tentative end of the negotiations was the result of an accumulation of hard work put forth by the negotiating teams and the mass of parent complaints to the Board about MBUTA’s actions. The Board saw few complaints from students, with one of the only formal complaints being a speech by a student during the Sept. 5 Board meet-ing.

MBUTA Union negotiations team mem-bers Bill Fauver and Adam Gezci stated that they did not notice any dramatic re-action from the students besides a piqued interest in the situation involving the ne-gotiations. Yet again, another major player in the contract negotiations failed to notice the whiteout protest.

Successful negotiations couldn’t have been facilitated by student action when two union negotiators didn’t even notice it. The lack of recognition highlights what lit-tle effect the whiteout had on negotiations.

Supporters of the whiteout cite Cos-ta Principal Dr. Ben Dale’s recognition through wearing a white tie and a white shirt on the day of the whiteout as proof of its effect on the negotiations. They believe that Dr. Dale’s participation in the move-ment shows that the students actions posi-tively impacted the negotiations.

While it was respectable for Dale to recognize the movement, he is not a mem-ber of either negotiating team and is not a teacher or a member of the Board. Dale’s decision drew respect from students, but it had little impact on negotiations due to his

Students did have the ability to affect the process, but the whiteout was a misguided attempt at creating change. Had students reached out to Board members with feed-back and concern, they would have had the potential to play a role in negotiations and

have their voice heard as a collec-tive group.

Yet the unorganized “movement” that manifested itself as the whiteout did not have any impact on the eventual resolution of the dispute.

The whiteout movement suffered from disunity and a lack of recognition by the two parties involved in negotiations, stop-ping it from truly impacting the mediation. Instead, the negotiation teams rose above

-der to reach a successful agreement.

BY BUSTER BAER STAFF WRITER

On Wednesday, Sept. 5, a group of Costa seniors wore all white clothing to protest the effects of district negotiations on the senior class. The effort of students involved was a strong step toward useful, legitimate student activism.

In response to the Manhattan Beach

suspension of voluntary duties, such as letters of recommendation and club spon-sorship, students of the senior class com-municated with each other via a Facebook group titled “walkout” after the group’s initial plan to leave class and sit in front of the adminis-

The plan later developed into “Whiteout Wednesday” in which students involved would wear white shirts.

Eventually, the students involved de-cided the best course of action would be to show both sides of the negotiations that they were unhappy with their use as bargaining tools during the MBUTA and MBUSD negotiations. They came up with the plan and a small group of roughly 75 seniors wore white shirts, as well as Prin-cipal Dr. Ben Dale and even some mem-bers of the MBUTA. Just two days later, the two groups had reached a conclusion to the negotiations. The issue was settled and an agreement was made.

The political move of suspending vol-untary duties on the part of the MBUTA was tactically smart, and they succeeded in their mission, aggravating members of the community and bringing attention to the issue. However it was wrong of the teachers to use the students as pawns in their debating tactics.

With First Amendment rights that protect freedom of speech, press and assembly,

angered into protest. Throughout Ameri-can history, groups have protested topics such as suffrage rights for all genders and races as well as the recent Occupy Move-ment in almost every city. In any case, change takes a large amount of protest be-fore it can have any effect. But even on a local level for Mira Costa, protesting has worked to preserve the students wishes in

Activism is positive for the student body Student protest goes largely unnoticed

“Yes, because students have a voice and they should use it to stand up for the things they

believe in.”

Miranda Baldo

Freshman

“Yes, everyone has the right to voice their own individual

opinion if it is legal.”

Dan Sponaugle

Science Teacher

“I think student activism could possibly interfere with issues that aren’t in our hands, but it

PHOTOS BY NICOLE FISCHER/ LA VISTA“ No, because the students are too small and not powerful

enough to change rules at the district level.”

Dillon Shambaugh

Senior

Parker McColgan

Sophomore

“Yes, so the teachers are more aware of what the students are

thinking and expecting.”

the past. During the 2006-07 school year, Principal Scott Wilbur attempted to elimi-nate teachers but failed due to the over-powering of student support at a Board of Trustees meeting.

The kind of positive contribution stu-dents brought to a district decision is ap-plicable to the whiteout movement as well. In either case, students who cared deeply about an issue decided to make their opinion known. And while it may not be completely effective on every occasion, exercising their right to protest is very im-portant for students.

Considering how effective student pro-test has been in the past and how well it

was respected by members of the ad-ministration, such as Dale, and M B U T A members ,

the students should begin to ex-ercise their right to free assem-bly more often.

The majority of the senior class was involved in the “Walk Out” Facebook group, and the fact that a large portion of these students actually participated in the whiteout is a crucial aspect of the whiteout’s success. The ability of the grade to come together with a single

on the negotiations process and has the potential to act as a po-tent force in disputes involv-ing students in the future.

Those who lessen the move-ment by stating that students have no say in negotiations don’t understand the true impact that students have in the Manhattan Beach community.

Critics of the movement claim that with-out an organized plan, the whiteout was useless. However, it is undeniable that as

attention of the Board and the teachers. Social science teacher and union nego-

tiations team member Bill Fauver stated that he believed the students shortchanged themselves and that they truly have an im-

and the community surrounding it.Students have a say on campus, and

they should speak up more often in favor of what they want to happen throughout the district.


Students have a say on campus, and they should speak up more o!en in favor of what they want.

"e whiteout did not have any im-pact on the eventual resolution of the dispute.

Estefania Freire

Junior

LIFE

Costa senior Yuan Wang interns at JPLBY RISHA ROHERA

THEME EDITOR

While most high school students were re-

Yuan Wang spent his vacation interning at a world-class laboratory. Wang interned at the Jet Propulsion Lab-oratory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration over the summer.

Technology.

so they are the guys that send everyone to

Wang created presenta-tions and applied differ-

had learned throughout his time in high school. One of the topics he presented on was about

-ous curves that pass

--

pret data. This process enabled employees at JPL to calculate densi-ties of electrons. This

-ear combinations.

of points and creating a line that best inter-

at a meeting about the project they were

into. At my old school they were focused

-insula High School. Sam had a part-time

-fered a full-time job in the growing French program at Peninsula High School.

in all of my classes. There was not a day

-ence with my French students and a good

-

teaching style is engaging an innovative. He utilizes activities including dialogues

“Mr. Lettimore really spices up the dai-ly lessons with interesting dialogues and

OUIS OUIS MISEUR: Robert Lettimore was selected to be the new French teacher by a panel a

week before school started. Lettimore is serving as a replacement for Mme. Sam.

BY: DYLAN FAIR

EXECUTIVE ARTS EDITOR

-ta have dreamed about careers

have become reality. The group of former Mustangs continues to push forward with its musical ca-

the Allah-Las.

-though the group originally grew

of the Allah-Las see themselves as representing a much wider scope than simply the South Bay.

turned me on to different types

mostly came from outside of the

all over Los Angeles trying to ex-

-

impact on him.

were Mr. Mellis who taught ap-

Dunham said. “My favorite mem-

Although the group has its

the music industry did not gain speed until after graduation. At

music and participated in several

group did not see a musical career in its immediate future.

The Allah-Las was formed af-

-

the Allah-Las were formed. -

-mosphere that has a high concentration of

which effects the behavior of radio signals

data collected from GPS satellites and sta-tions around the world to model electron density as a function of altitude. We want

Wang had a hands-on experience and was able to communicate with world-class professionals in the science industry. He interned primarily under Dr. Anthony J.

-spheric and Atmospheric Remote Sensing

Group at JPL. “He did some

with professionals who trusted him to

-ter and junior Lynn Wang said. Yuan Wang hopes that the internship and what he learned will help him in college and with his

he hopes will be in education.

to analyze data and being able to use com-

Wang hopes to continue his intern-ship with JPL throughout the school year amongst his other commitments. He plays

-phony orchestra and chamber ensemble at

BY KATE ROBAK

CALENDAR EDITOR

fresh ideas and teaching styles to excite

Robert Lettimore.

including the Foreign Language Depart--

the new French teacher.“Mr. Lettimore was selected because he

“His command of the French language and

year teaching. Prior to teaching at Mira

and Melina High School. Lettimore moved

was relocated. Lettimore received his col-lege degree in French at the University of Northern Texas.

nicer neighborhood and a socially different

Lettimore selected as new French teacher

--

ing music theory at Santa Monica -

their sound and place in the music

-

“We wanted our recordings

has been in local radio station

two months. The band performed at the South by Southwest Mu-

“We have more young fans who

Michaud said. “Playing festivals has and will continue to bring ex-

experiences they have had. They

they love. “We try to incorporate past

ideas into our music so listen-ers might be compelled to do the

-chaud said.

-

we loved performing and loved

of success was present. For Mi-

had always been practicing.

LA-LA-LOVIN IT: Mira Costa’s 2005 alumnus Miles Michaud (second from left) and the Allah-Las practice and perfect

8 September 21, 2012La Vista


COURTESY OF VAUGHN MICHAUD/ LA VISTA


TO INFINITY AND BEYOND: Over the summer,

senior Yuan Wang interned at JPL, a research

branch of NASA. Wang will continue to intern

at JPL throughout the school year.

MIRA COSTA

ALUMNI HALL

OF FAME

Mira Costa High School will induct 17 accomplished alumni into the Mira Costa Hall of Fame, a new institution, on Sept. 28.

The inductees will attend a breakfast, be introduced at a third period assembly and receive hon-ors at the football game that night. The alumni have impacted on the national or global community.

“[Mira Costa alumni include] famous reporters, surfers and volleyball stars,” Associated Student Body Vice President Ra-chel Humphrey said. “It includes anyone who has done something great [and is a Costa alumnus].”

introduced by Bill Cooper, a for-mer Mira Costa teacher and dis-trict Board of Trustees member.

“We’ve been a school for 60 years, we have approximately 30,000 alumni and had no hall of fame,” Mira Costa Principal Dr.

Ben Dale said. “I was interested in how to get that going.”

The Manhattan Beach Edu-cation Foundation, Manhat-tan Beach Athletic Foundation, MCHS Parent Teacher Student Association and Costa teachers Lisa Claypoole and Stefani Owen were also involved.

“It’s been a long time up and running,” Claypoole said. “Hope-fully, it will become a quicker process in upcoming years.”

Inductees will be paired with students who exhibit exemplary leadership and common interests

and tour the campus. “At Costa, I learned a lot

about hard work and discipline,” future inductee and Olympic volleyball player Holly McPeak said. “The Costa volleyball pro-gram was a huge part of putting me on the path to success.”

The main goal of the Hall of Fame is to inspire students to accomplish something extraor-dinary after graduating.

“Seeing people who come from the same place and achieve their goals shows we can too,” sophomore Oliver Gable said.

THEMESeptember 21, 2012 9La Vista

QUICK TAKES

- INDUCTION TAKING PLACE SEPT. 28 - 30,000 ALUMNI SINCE 1950 - 17 INDUCTEES - FIRST ANNUAL CEREMONY

Cami Anderson (1989) - education activistAnderson won fame as the executive director of Teach for America and is tacking the problem of reforming the Newark, New Jersey public school system.

Beverly Roher (1955) - su-perintendentRoher is one of MBUSD’s most distinguished admin-

arts program, and increas-ing test scores. She has re-ceived national recognition for her work in education.

John Featherstone (1967) - coachThe most successful head coach in El Camino Football history, Feather-stone has the highest win percentage of any active coach in the Southern Sec-tion of California.

Mike Dodd (1975) - athleteDodd won the silver medal in the 1996 Summer Olym-pics and has won the Man-

times. He now serves as a sports analyst for NBC and as a volleyball coach.

David Benoit (1971) - musicianWith 25 solo recordings and a regular radio show, Benoit has become a respected

scene and has performed for three US presidents.

Gil Archuletta (1957) - mayor

Mira Costa graduate to be-come mayor of Manhattan Beach and has been recog-

City Council for outstand-ing community service.

Eric Fonoimoana (1987) - atheleteWinner of the volleyball gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Fonoi-moana founded the “Dig 4 Kids” foundation to help inner city youth succeed in volleyball and school.

Nancy Muleady-Mecham (1973) - naturalistA polymath and Fullbright scholar, Muleady-Mecham has worked, among other things, as a U.S. Park Rang-er, professional naturalist, and biology professor.

Richard Parker (1964) - academic and entrepreneurFounder of Mother Jones

develop Greenpeace and served as political advisor to U.S. senators and former Greek prime minister George Papandreou.

Josh Fredericks (1967) -

Fredericks’s legal know-how helped guide the South Bay Union High School Board of Trustees through a period of crisis.

Russ Lesser (1958) - entrepreneurAfter becoming president of Body Glove Interna-tional, Lesser leveraged

community, sponsoring the

founding the Manhattan Beach 10k.

Don Long (1957) - drag race car builderLong is widely respected throughout the world of racing for his innovative dragster designs, earning an induction to the Interna-tional Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.

Holly McPeak (1987) - atheleteA three-time olympian, Mc-

athlete to surpass $1 million in career earnings and was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Matt Warshaw (1978) - writerThe author of eight books

works have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Outside and Surfer Maga-

Michele Tafoya (1983) - sportscaster

-cast the play-by-play of an NCAA tournament, Tafoya

Emmy for Sports Personal-ity - Sports Reporter.

Mark Sundeen (1988) - authorA genre-bending author, Sundeen’s recent novel, “The Man Who Quit Mon-ey,” preaches his unique blend of asceticism and es-tablished him as one of the most original contempo-

Dewey Weber (1956) - atheleteOne of the pioneers of surf-ing, Weber was prominent-

and ran an internationally--

pany.

4

3

3

2

5

COMPILED BY BRADEN CURREY/ CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AND TAYLOR ST. GERMAIN/ NEWS EDITOR

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIRA COSTA DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI HALL OF FAME

“Yes, because [the decisions] affected the stu-dents’ lives directly.”

Freshmen Callum Schelley

“Yes, because they deserve that freedom.”Senior Christian Koppel

“Yes, because the seniors need letters of recom-mendation in order to get into college.”

Junior Erica Miller

“No, because [speaking out is] unreasonable and shows disrespect.”

Sophomore Amir Adams

Due to the ongoing contract negotiations, teachers decided to halt certain duties that were not clearly outlined in their

day of school, teachers decided that they would not come in before school, stay after school, keep their doors open during snack or lunch and not advise school clubs. “Refusal to negotiate forced us into this action,” social sci-ence teacher and MBUTA member Bob Timberlake said. “Because no one cared, we needed to get the community’s attention.” An additional negotiation tool used by the teachers was refusal to write letters of recommendation for the seniors un-til the contract dispute was settled. Signs pertaining to this matter were posted outside the teachers’ rooms stating, “I am currently not making any commitments to write Letters of Recommendation.” Seniors began to protest and decided to come together for “Whiteout Wednesday.” They wore white clothing to school to protest being used as leverage in the negotiations. “I thought that the teachers and District could have found alternative ways to get what they wanted from their contract,” senior Lauren Winterhalder said. “I do not think the teachers had to bring the students into their contract negotiations.”

year on Sept. 5, parents, teachers and students from the com-munity spoke their opinions during the beginning of the meeting while the public comments section was open. The parents, teachers and students that spoke at the meeting dis-cussed their thoughts through speeches which were directed toward the Union and its actions and how they were affecting many students. “My union [wanted] me to join in support of their actions and members while they at the same time harm my child,” Manhattan Beach Middle School science teacher and Mira Costa parent James Locke said. “The argument that it [was] not them but the district that [was] doing this [was] unpersua-sive and insulting.”

The MBUTA had been trying to make changes to its con-

“Since March, we’ve [had] negotiations,” Union President and Mira Costa science teacher Karl Kurz said. “Our con-tract expired in June. When the District declared impasse, we were still willing to negotiate.” The MBUTA wanted a total salary increase of 9% over the

-ers had not received a cost of living pay adjustment since

MBUSD Board of Trustees claimed that the board could not give the teachers the raise because there was nowhere for the district to turn for further funds.

-ing has gone up by this amount this year, by this amount the next year,” MBUTA Bargaining Team Chair and Costa social

what that [total] increase has been stated [as].” At the beginning of negotiations, the district agreed to im-plement a 2.5% bonus with potential for renegotiation based on district funding. Teachers, however, repudiated this be-

would be a one-time raise. “We [had] a disagreement with the district over whether or

said. “Right now, the [teacher] salary schedule costs the dis--

tional $2 million so that the salary schedule would cost the

The teachers caught the community’s attention by not par-ticipating in certain voluntary duties which were not outlined in their contract, directly involving the students across the district. “My role throughout the entire process was to remain neu-tral, supporting teachers, supporting kids, supporting the community and supporting my fellow administrators,” Mira Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale said.

reached a tentative agreement for the teacher contracts on Sept. 6. The negotiations ended with the agreement stating that

“The District compromise included [an agreement] to in--

nal proposal],” Geczi said.

-mately eliminated, depending on the per-student state fund-ing for the next year. If the funding is reduced by no more

Union members resumed the advising of clubs during lunch, writing letters of recommendation to the seniors and the opening of doors to students at lunch and after school the

also needs to ratify the agreement as well. “It’s a bummer that the students [the teach-ers] care about [had] to be hurt by this,” Geczi said. “But the only other way to do it [was] for people to step up and go to the school board.” Compromises that the MBUTA made on its proposal were an agreement to reduce the proposed salary increase from

revenues were reduced by a certain amount per ADA, and to

hour. “I cannot speak for other teachers,” said Geczi. “However, this is an agreement that should have come about not because of the actions taken, but on the recognition of the value that the teachers bring to our schools.”

Letters of Wreck

Was it right for students to speak out against ac-

tions made by the MBUTA during

negotiations?

The SolutionActions TakenHow It All Began

Teacher contract nego-tiations begin with the “sunshining” process.

School begins for the 2012-13 school year. Teachers halt voluntary activities.

The Board of Trustees authorizes declaration of impasse in the nego-tiations

Seniors hold “Whiteout Wednesday” to protest being used as negotia-tion leverage.

A tentative agreement is reached by the MBU-TA and Board of Trustees.

Results of the tenta-tive agreement are an-nounced to teachers at 3 pm.

Manhattan Beach Uni---

tive agreement.

Uninformed

Completely Uninformed

Very Informed

Informed

Somewhat Informed

40%

2

5

6 or more

22%

17%

12%

4%

3%

2%

Yes, I do agree with

their decision

No, I do not agree with

their decision

March 7 July 7 Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 6 Sept. 7 Sept. 19

Quick Budget Facts:

Key A Key B Key C

BY AMANDA NEWELL, ARI GEVOV AND RISHA ROHERA/THEME EDITORS

11%

14%

7%

23%

45%

18%

82%

Original MBUTA Proposal

Tentative Agreement Original MBUSD Proposal

- 9% total raise over next three years

- $39/hour for extra duty pay

- $2 million set aside for annual salary schedule of

- Increase the salary schedule rather than a onetime bonus

- 3% raise for 2012-13 school year


- Increase to salary schedule, ongoing if per-student state funding is reduced by no more than $49.99 per student

-Two-year contract agreement

-Maintaining of health and

contract

- Salary bonus of 2.5%

- Implementation of contingencies to agreement in case per-student state revenues are severely reduced by California Lawmakers

- Smaller increase in extra duty pay

-tract negotiations, leading to the suspension of voluntary activities carried out by teachers in the district.

- MBUSD teachers have not had a raise for four years.

-

- MBUSD teachers have not had a raise that matches the effects of

- The Annual Budget estimates how much MBUSD will receive in funds and how much the district will spend.

Pie Chart Key

How informed are you on the current situation with the budget and contract

negotiations?

How many of your teach-ers discussed the current

situation and contract negotiations?

Do you agree with the Union’s decision to sus-pend voluntary duties as

a negotiation tactic?

11%

14%7%

23%

45%

A* B* 2%

40%

3%4%

12%

17%

22%

82%

18%C*

PHOTOS BY EMMA SALZMAN AND NICOLE FISCHER/PHOTO EDITOR AND NICK MATSON/PHOTOGRAPHER

Timeline of Negotiations

*BASED ON A SURVEY OF 177 MIRA COSTA STUDENTS IN ALL GRADES

ALL FACTS COURTESY OF MBUTANOW.ORG/SBUT.ORG/MBUSD.ORG


“Yes, because [the decisions] affected the stu-dents’ lives directly.”

Freshmen Callum Schelley

“Yes, because they deserve that freedom.”Senior Christian Koppel

“Yes, because the seniors need letters of recom-mendation in order to get into college.”

Junior Erica Miller

“No, because [speaking out is] unreasonable and shows disrespect.”

Sophomore Amir Adams

Due to the ongoing contract negotiations, teachers decided to halt certain duties that were not clearly outlined in their

day of school, teachers decided that they would not come in before school, stay after school, keep their doors open during snack or lunch and not advise school clubs. “Refusal to negotiate forced us into this action,” social sci-ence teacher and MBUTA member Bob Timberlake said. “Because no one cared, we needed to get the community’s attention.” An additional negotiation tool used by the teachers was refusal to write letters of recommendation for the seniors un-til the contract dispute was settled. Signs pertaining to this matter were posted outside the teachers’ rooms stating, “I am currently not making any commitments to write Letters of Recommendation.” Seniors began to protest and decided to come together for “Whiteout Wednesday.” They wore white clothing to school to protest being used as leverage in the negotiations. “I thought that the teachers and District could have found alternative ways to get what they wanted from their contract,” senior Lauren Winterhalder said. “I do not think the teachers had to bring the students into their contract negotiations.”

year on Sept. 5, parents, teachers and students from the com-munity spoke their opinions during the beginning of the meeting while the public comments section was open. The parents, teachers and students that spoke at the meeting dis-cussed their thoughts through speeches which were directed toward the Union and its actions and how they were affecting many students. “My union [wanted] me to join in support of their actions and members while they at the same time harm my child,” Manhattan Beach Middle School science teacher and Mira Costa parent James Locke said. “The argument that it [was] not them but the district that [was] doing this [was] unpersua-sive and insulting.”

The MBUTA had been trying to make changes to its con-

“Since March, we’ve [had] negotiations,” Union President and Mira Costa science teacher Karl Kurz said. “Our con-tract expired in June. When the District declared impasse, we were still willing to negotiate.” The MBUTA wanted a total salary increase of 9% over the

-ers had not received a cost of living pay adjustment since

MBUSD Board of Trustees claimed that the board could not give the teachers the raise because there was nowhere for the district to turn for further funds.

-ing has gone up by this amount this year, by this amount the next year,” MBUTA Bargaining Team Chair and Costa social

what that [total] increase has been stated [as].” At the beginning of negotiations, the district agreed to im-plement a 2.5% bonus with potential for renegotiation based on district funding. Teachers, however, repudiated this be-

would be a one-time raise. “We [had] a disagreement with the district over whether or

said. “Right now, the [teacher] salary schedule costs the dis--

tional $2 million so that the salary schedule would cost the

The teachers caught the community’s attention by not par-ticipating in certain voluntary duties which were not outlined in their contract, directly involving the students across the district. “My role throughout the entire process was to remain neu-tral, supporting teachers, supporting kids, supporting the community and supporting my fellow administrators,” Mira Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale said.

reached a tentative agreement for the teacher contracts on Sept. 6. The negotiations ended with the agreement stating that

“The District compromise included [an agreement] to in--

nal proposal],” Geczi said.

-mately eliminated, depending on the per-student state fund-ing for the next year. If the funding is reduced by no more

Union members resumed the advising of clubs during lunch, writing letters of recommendation to the seniors and the opening of doors to students at lunch and after school the

also needs to ratify the agreement as well. “It’s a bummer that the students [the teach-ers] care about [had] to be hurt by this,” Geczi said. “But the only other way to do it [was] for people to step up and go to the school board.” Compromises that the MBUTA made on its proposal were an agreement to reduce the proposed salary increase from

revenues were reduced by a certain amount per ADA, and to

hour. “I cannot speak for other teachers,” said Geczi. “However, this is an agreement that should have come about not because of the actions taken, but on the recognition of the value that the teachers bring to our schools.”

Letters of Wreck

Was it right for students to speak out against ac-

tions made by the MBUTA during

negotiations?

The SolutionActions TakenHow It All Began

Teacher contract nego-tiations begin with the “sunshining” process.

School begins for the 2012-13 school year. Teachers halt voluntary activities.

The Board of Trustees authorizes declaration of impasse in the nego-tiations

Seniors hold “Whiteout Wednesday” to protest being used as negotia-tion leverage.

A tentative agreement is reached by the MBU-TA and Board of Trustees.

Results of the tenta-tive agreement are an-nounced to teachers at 3 pm.

Manhattan Beach Uni---

tive agreement.

Uninformed

Completely Uninformed

Very Informed

Informed

Somewhat Informed

40%

2

5

6 or more

22%

17%

12%

4%

3%

2%

Yes, I do agree with

their decision

No, I do not agree with

their decision

March 7 July 7 Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 6 Sept. 7 Sept. 19

Quick Budget Facts:

Key A Key B Key C

BY AMANDA NEWELL, ARI GEVOV AND RISHA ROHERA/THEME EDITORS

11%

14%

7%

23%

45%

18%

82%

Original MBUTA Proposal

Tentative Agreement Original MBUSD Proposal

- 9% total raise over next three years


- $2 million set aside for annual salary schedule of

- Increase the salary schedule rather than a onetime bonus

- 3% raise for 2012-13 school year


- Increase to salary schedule, ongoing if per-student state funding is reduced by no more than $49.99 per student

-Two-year contract agreement

-Maintaining of health and

contract

- Salary bonus of 2.5%

- Implementation of contingencies to agreement in case per-student state revenues are severely reduced by California Lawmakers

- Smaller increase in extra duty pay

-tract negotiations, leading to the suspension of voluntary activities carried out by teachers in the district.

- MBUSD teachers have not had a raise for four years.

-

- MBUSD teachers have not had a raise that matches the effects of

- The Annual Budget estimates how much MBUSD will receive in funds and how much the district will spend.

Pie Chart Key

How informed are you on the current situation with the budget and contract

negotiations?

How many of your teach-ers discussed the current

situation and contract negotiations?

Do you agree with the Union’s decision to sus-pend voluntary duties as

a negotiation tactic?

11%

14%7%

23%

45%

A* B* 2%

40%

3%4%

12%

17%

22%

82%

18%C*

PHOTOS BY EMMA SALZMAN AND NICOLE FISCHER/PHOTO EDITOR AND NICK MATSON/PHOTOGRAPHER

Timeline of Negotiations

*BASED ON A SURVEY OF 177 MIRA COSTA STUDENTS IN ALL GRADES



LIFE

Five Mira Costa seniors participated as interns at Boeing over summerBY MADDIE NERAD

STAFF WRITER

While many students spent their summer forgetting about

Mira Costa seniors took learning -

ships at Boeing.The aerospace engineering

company offered high school stu-dents in the Los Angeles area an eight-week summer internships at

seniors Jagriti Agrawal, Braden Currey, Anne-Monique Pace, Ian Zaun and Axel Zwissler were cho-sen based on their applications, teacher recommendations, grades in science and math classes and standardized test scores.

“This internship is a really wonderful experience for students that will hopefully set them up for

Placement chemistry teacher

class we learn the foundation, but outside of class is where the stu-dents get to apply the concepts.”

To be eligible for the internship, students need teacher recommen-dations and an unweighted grade

-

experience in at least one AP sci-ence course.

know about this opportunity, and then we were able to submit our applications,” Currey said. “Last

year, Boeing really expanded the

chance to participate.”The students usually worked

a four-day week from about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They wound up

hours by the end of the summer.

Caroline Millicent skates onwardBY QUINN KROPSCHOT

STAFF WRITER

While many Costa students take part in school-related athletics, junior Caroline

of the Beach Cities Roller Derby

playing Roller Derby since March

Roller Derby is a physical sport where two teams race each other

called a “jam.” The main player on each team is called the “jam-mer.” The jammer’s job is to race around the track as fast as possible and score points for their team with each lap. Millicent is the jammer for her team.

“Derby is a crazy adrenaline rush, Millicent said. “It is a fast-paced game that requires so much thinking and

starts.”For each Derby practice, players are

expected to report in full uniform. The

wrist pads, a mouth guard, a helmet, and skates. Once they are suited, the players prepare for their game.

“The uniforms are made up of span-

stretchy material,” Millicent said. “All of

Millicent learned about Roller Derby by

Los Angeles derby team, the LA Derby Dolls, on YouTube and by watching other

BY GASSIA ASHIKIAN

STAFF WRITER

in Costa Rica to build a new classroom and per-

for those in need.-

portunity to help under-

in Costa Rica with Global -

nization founded in1986. “I chose Global Routes

because it looked like the perfect trip for me because

-mersion with community

-unteered in the cities of La Fortuna, Mili-

stayed in a national park where we went

When the group reached Milijones in

began to build classrooms at -

“It was a cement class-room, so we lifted the cement blocks, and hand-mixed ce-ment and carried the posts

-ton said.

her different experiences in Costa Rica were life chang-

Global Routes program to anyone who is interested in

and will probably study abroad in Central

said. “I did not realize how much my trip would open my eyes and impact me.”

leagues from around the world play. “I watched documentaries about skat-

sport,” Millicent said.

the time and commitment. Millicent prac-

as well as during the week. Her team, the Beach Cities Ladies team, also holds fund-

raisers, beach skates, and recruitment meetings. The money raised goes to-ward new uniforms, rink rentals, and tickets to see other matches. The team

practices at Wilson Park in Torrance and at the Long Beach Roller Der-by.

to Prescott, Arizona for a game against a team called Hellazo-na,” Millicent said. “My team

-fortunately lost”

According to Millicent’s friends, this outside sport

is perfectly suited for her exuberant personality.

“I think it is a great

Michaela Louder-

about going out of the ordinary.”According to Mil-

licent, being a part of Roller Derby has al-lowed her to meet new and different people while being a part of the team.

through roller derby,” Millicent said. Although Millicent has suffered many

injuries from derby, including heat stroke,

sport remains unfettered.

my time skating,” Millicent said.

-ous construction methods to con-

“It was great because I was working on something I enjoy,” Zwissler said. “There were no extreme pressures to perform or anything like that.”

Boeing designed the program

for science, math and engineer-ing. The internships were a way

work and see if they could pos-sibly become a career choice.

“My brother was an engineer-ing major, and I thought this was a good way to see if engineering was something I wanted to go

into before committing to it in college,” Currey said.

The interns worked at Boeing’s -

world’s leading manufacturer of satellites. The satellites Boeing designs and builds are used for mobile phones, tracking weather, global positioning systems and

military communications.“The most interesting part of

the internship for me was being able to see where all the satellites were constructed,” Zwissler said.

guided them during the full eight -

and brainstorming ways to im-

meetings and met with my mentor in order to further understand this

satellites,” Currey said. “In the

future projects.”According to Boeing’s website,

--

nology to business. The mentors often get excited by their students’

-ship was learning about all the different science, technology, en-gineer, and mathematics careers that I could pursue in college,” Zaun said.

This internship taught them

and exposed them to networking

-

-ships with people in the company along with outside partners of Boeing.

“This is a great start for me and my future,” Currey said. “Know-ing people at Boeing will make it a lot easier to get a job.”

Mira Costa faculty hopes that -

portunity to participate in many years to come. Applications for

sometime in the spring.“It is really all about aerospace

recommend this to anyone in-

anything related to engineering in general,” Zwissler said.

NICOLE FISCHER/ LA VISTA

FLYING INTO THE FUTURE: (from left) Costa seniors Jagriti Agrawal, Ian Zaun, Axel Zwissler, Braden Currey and Anne-Monique Pace participated in a summer internship program at Boeing. The interns worked on projects ranging from brainstorming improvements for Boeing, to working in Boeing’s Satellite Development Center.

BUILDING NEW FUTURES: Costa senior Morgan Livingston built classrooms in Costa Rica over an eight-week period.

September 21, 201212 La Vista

JACK LEE/ LA VISTA


Robe Richester

Award.

September 21, 201214 La Vista

“!e Master” starts out strong but ends in disappointmentBY ZACK GILL COPY EDITOR

The only thing that matters

is engaging.

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COURTESY TIMEINC.NET

STUDENT TEACHER: (From Left) Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman both give strong performances in Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest release, “The Master,” putting Phoenix at the front of the best actor Oscar race.

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ARTS EDITOR

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“!e Words” proves powerful and engaging

COURTESY SOCIALITENATION.COM

COURTESY COLLIDER.COM

LUST FOR LIFE: Milla Jovovich, along with the rest of the cast in “Resident Evil: Retribution,” is unable to bring any liveliness or excitement to the screen.

SPEECHLESS: (From left) Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons portray very relatable characters and help viewers connect to the relationships they build throughout the movie. Cooper does a great job contrasting his usually comedic roles with a dramatic one.

“Resident Evil: Retribution” bores

COURTESY USMAGAZINE.COM

September 21, 2012 15La Vista

Animal Collective pleases but fails to reach full potential with “Centipede Hz” BY NIKKI BORDOKAS

STAFF WRITER

Over the past decade, Ani-mal Collective has created ex-perimental music that crosses countless genre boundaries. The band’s unique, versatile sound has helped it gain a surprisingly large fan base. However, Animal Collective’s new album, “Centi-pede Hz,” ultimately fails to meet expectations.

“Centipede Hz” marks the ninth album released by Animal Collec-tive, made up of Avey Tare (David Portner); Panda Bear (Noah Len-nox); Deakin (Josh Dibb); and Geologist (Brian Weitz).

“Centipede Hz” provides an enjoyable listen at times but does not compare to the brilliance of the band’s 2009 album, “Merri-weather Post Pavilion.” Although the album continues to feature the experimental pop Animal Collec-tive is known for, it also features some surprisingly boring mo-ments in an otherwise highly en-ergetic album.

Over the past 10 years, the band has been widely dubbed as a leader in experimental pop. Af-ter breaking into the mainstream with their eighth album, “Merri-weather Post Pavilion.” Animal Collective has been considered

popular indie acts like Yeasayer and MGMT.

Though not a complete change

from their previous sound, “Cen-tipede Hz” features a much more energetic, jovial tone, different from the more calming, some-times even ambient music they have produced in the past. This provides for an interesting listen, but, unfortunately inconsistent tones hurt the album.

Album opener, “Moonjock,” sets the album off with an ex-

cited tone by combining intense keyboard riffs, bass drum and symbols with Avey Tare’s char-acteristically overbearing vocals. The song provides the context for the album: an over-modulated, old-time radio show, with an ex-perimental twist. The fuzzy radio tuning in the background carries “Moonjack” directly into the next track, “Today’s Supernatural.”

The spazziness of “Moonjock”

the listener feels like a seven year old on a sugar-high. This mental state serves as the proper state of mind necessary to enjoy the next three songs.

However, the track “Wide Eyed” doesn’t produce the same energy and intensity the preceding songs do and seems misplaced.

COURTESY 3.MERRIWEATHERPOSTPAVILLION.COM

COLLECT THEM ALL: Animal Collective, made up of (from left) Josh Dibb, Noah Lennox, Brian Weitz, and David Portner,

recently released “Centipede Hz.” Although enjoyable and energetic, the album does not match up to the talent exhib-

ited in the band’s previous album, “Merriweather Post Pavilion.”

The track is an interesting diver-gence from Animal Collective’s

vocal performance by Deakin in the band’s history. Unfortunately,

album.Similarly, Panda Bear’s “New

Town Burnout” fails to capture the intensity of the album; it is

-pared to the other tracks. Not sur-prisingly, it was originally meant to be on Panda Bear’s 2010 al-bum “Tomboy,” which portrays a more dreamlike tone. Like “Wide Eyed,” “New Town Burnout” is a good song but provides nothing extra to the album.

revert back to the jovial energy of the introductory tracks, featur-ing three of the best songs on the album. Both “Monkey Riches” and “Mercury Man” feature a tropical sound with echoing, distorted vocals, and the album closer “Amanita” features chirpy,

-mented by Avey Tare singing of adventure and fantasy, providing for a fantastic end to an otherwise somewhat mediocre album.

Overall, “Centipede Hz” is an enjoyable album and worth a lis-ten but comes nowhere near the perfection and talent exhibited in “Merriweather Post Pavilion.” “Centipede Hz” is available on iTunes for $9.99 and in most mu-sic retail stores.

ARTS

“Breaking Bad” mid-season !nale shines BY IAN RAPOPORT

STAFF WRITER

Recently, The American Movie

Channel (AMC) aired the “Break-

air next summer. The episode,

yet thrilling episode that success-

the engaging season.

interesting characters.

Walter White (Bryan Cranston),

cancer. In order to leave money

students, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron

Paul), to make and sell meth-

This season, Jesse and Walt

delve deeper into the drug un-

ruins and their partnership on the

This season has had many

"e xx pleases but fails to show musical progression with new album “Coexist”MEGAN RIORDON

STAFF WRITER

-

-

Although “Coexist” includes

-

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(Jamie Smith) on drums, Romy

-

recording 11 songs in a garage at

as “Angels” and “Chained.” Al-

-

“Coexist” entrances listeners

soothing vocals. Every song on

September 21, 2012La Vista16

instruments and lyrics. The sooth-

-

the songs.

-

-

ever, the episode is lacking in the

character development and the

the series rather than the chaos re-

lated to the drug trade.

The time given to Bryan Cr-

episodes, up to this point, have

portrayed Walter as a rather evil

person. This makes it more in-

teresting in the seldom moments

One scene that particularly

Jesse to give him his payment.

This scene is emotional and truly

created and demonstrates that he

still does have a good side to him,

despite his moral regression.

Another relationship that is

-

(Anna Gunn). Their moments to-

-

-

-

to an important decision that he

“Gliding Over All” does an

has developed as a character.

over all” succeeds in engaging

COURTESY EW.COM

CRYSTAL CLEAR: AMC’s “Breaking Bad” continues to please viewers with powerful acting and writing.

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use, sound all too alike the songs

it quickly gets redundant and re-

petitive. The xx has a very dis-

tinct sound: calm, soothing and

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-

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-

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ers are expecting. “Coexist,” al-

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tail stores.

COURTESY PRESSPARTY.CIOM

X-FACTOR: “Coexist” sticks close to the sound the xx is known for. Though there is a lack of diversity, the album is enjoy-

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ARTS

BY ISAAC SIEGEMUND-BROKA

STAFF WRITER

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a movie: the score.

-

“Star Wars”

heroic grandios-

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ic overture. The

scraping violins

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adds to the suspense more than

especially ones that are univer-

sally-praised, are standard or-

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lar popular acclaim. Nine Inch

-

-

his lonely soundscapes in Paul

These composers recognize

pumping melo-

They under-

stand that it

in creating an atmosphere that

-

anything else. These scores,

provided they are executed

The large majority of

“Love !is Giant” masterfully blends David Byrne’s and St. Vincent’s sounds

September 21, 2012 La Vista ARTS 17

from the Antibalas Afrobeat Or-chestra and the Dap Kings.

The true highpoint of the album is its balance between diversity and simplicity. Many bands either attempt too much or attempt too little. “Love This Giant,” on the

and, thus, stays relatively focused on one set of sounds while ex-ploring its various aspects.

The album opens with the sin-gle “Who,” a jaunty track that fea-

BY ISAAC SIEGEMUND-BROKA

STAFF WRITER

They say two heads are better than one.

David Byrne, the visionary leader of the Talking Heads, and St. Vincent (Annie Clark), one of today’s most avant-garde singer-songwriters, have teamed up to produce “Love This Giant,” which was released on Sept. 11. “Love This Giant” may seem

then its sundry horn textures and nuanced vocal ability blend per-fectly into a zany fusion of its two creators’ styles.

“Love This Giant” was actually never supposed to happen. Byrne and Clark independently wrote and exchanged chunks of lyrics with the plan of performing them in a limited number of live shows. It was not until these lyrics were

add instrumentation and produce an entire album.

The album does occasionally sound suspiciously like a reincar-nation of the Talking Heads, but St. Vincent’s buoyant vocals and powerful rhythm buffer Byrne’s new-wave whimsicality. “Love This Giant” also utilizes a mostly brass band of roughly 50 mem-bers, including an instrumentalist

tion to the atmosphere in a hotel lobby. Byrne has the unique abil-ity of sounding insightful and down-to-earth simultaneously.

The album peaks with “The Forest Awakes” and “I Should Watch TV.” Both use the pow-erful and distinct rhythms that characterize much of St. Vin-cent’s best work. Though simple, the pounding beats add a hypnotic rhythmic element to the brass lay-ers of sound and help to keep the attention of the listener.

“Outside of Space and Time” is the grand conclusion to the al-bum. A smooth brass chorale lays the foundation for Byrne’s omni-scient lyrics, in which he spouts far-reaching lines that inspire ap-preciation for everyday living: “Everyone’s enlightened every-day / You may each know nirvana when you brush your hair.”

“Love This Giant” is undoubt-edly very quirky, but if there are two musicians able to pull it off well, they are David Byrne and St. Vincent.

“Love this Giant” twists and turns with progressive instrumen-tal ingenuity and vocal talent, skillfully dipping into every facet of its brass instrument-infused art rock focus. “Love this Giant” is available in some retail stores and on iTunes for $9.99.

tures both Byrne’s signature wails and St. Vincent’s clear voice. The mixture of the bouncing saxo-phone and the snappy drums set a very high standard for the rest of the album.

Continuing with “Weekend In the Dust,” the album takes on a funkier feel. Low brass produces grooving tunes while horns add sassy swells to Clark’s melodic sound. The funk fades slightly to make way for Byrne’s soft voice

on “Dinner for Two.” Byrne’s excellent lyrics main-

tain the blend of satirical frank-ness and worldly concern that they had back in the days of the Talking Heads. On “I Should Watch TV,” he sings, “I used to think that I should watch TV / I used to think that it was good for me,” but this silly narrative turns cynical as he begins to complain about his lack of human connec-tion and compares social interac-

SAINTLY SOUNDS: St. Vincent (left) and Talking Heads’ David Byrne (right) worked together to produce the album “Love

this Giant,” which clearly blends the thoughts of the two musical geniuses. The energetic album perfectly resembles its

COURTESY ALLTHINGSGOMUSIC.COM

Bob Dylan continues to show genius creativity on new album “Tempest” BY DYLAN FAIR

EXECUTIVE ARTS EDITOR

No musician in his or her lifetime has created a legacy greater than Bob Dylan has. In the latest chapter of his life, Dylan has once again given his critics and “Dylan historians” alike something to discuss with his newest album, “Tempest.”

The album is indicative of Dylan’s late- in-life shift toward musical Americana. In “Tempest,” Dylan makes full use of his mature, raspy voice, in combination with the nostalgic 1940s blues rhythms all on top of his lackadaisical yet very insightful lyrics to create a recording that is indica-tive of Dylan’s genius.

Just weeks ago Dylan dispelled the notion

recording (“The Tempest” of course, being -

lan has collaborated with his backing band who he has worked with since 2001. David Hildago, the multi-instrumentalist from Los Lobos, also returned to the studio.

For a Dylan album, “Tempest” feels somewhat expected, because it sounds similar to Dylan’s 2009 release “Together Through Life.” “Tempest” captures the Chess Blues sound that has been quite an obsession for Dylan lately. Furthermore, the album shows how much Dylan’s tastes have widened over the years.

“Tempest” starts off very straightfor-ward, with a conventional blues track titled

“Duquesne Whistle.” Dylan’s matured voice makes this track shine. What was once a youthful and nasally voice has morphed into something that is now one part Tom Waits, one part gravel in a blender. However, this new

deeper level of beauty to Dy-lan’s songs.

“Tempest” seems to be a con-ventional blues album, but it quickly becomes distinctively Dylan on the track “Narrow Way.” Dylan has not sounded so heartbroken since his classic album “Blood on the Tracks.” On “Narrow Way,” Dylan sings, “It’s a long road, it’s a long and narrow way, if I can’t work up to you, you’ll surely have to work down to me someday.”

The highlight of the album is the sprawling 13:55 minute title track. “Tempest” describes the sinking of the Titanic by re-

characters and even Leonardo De Caprio. This song of his-

more mature version of “Bob

Dylan’s 115th Dream” from his 1965 al-bum, “Bringing it all Back Home,” which describes a twisted version of the tales of Moby Dick and Christopher Columbus.

The track “Tempest” is representative of a trend in shifting subject matter. Dylan has always considered himself to be an Amer-icana junkie. How-ever, in recent years, Dylan has worked to represent this inter-est through his music. A ballad of one of the most tragic American events of the 20th century is a perfect ex-ample of this shift.

“Roll on John” ends the album on a more than somber tone. Dedicated to the de-ceased John Lennon, Dylan never sounded more sullen. “Roll on John” is a clear indi-cation to any listener that his own mortality

has never been closer to Dylan’s mind. Dy-lan mournfully remarks, “Take the right-hand road and go where the buffalo roam, They’ll trap you in an ambush before you know, Too late now to sail back home.”

Ever since going electric at the New-port Folk Festival in 1965, Dylan has faced constant scrutiny from critics and fans alike. In some ways, this criticism is founded in truth. “Tempest” is not “Blonde on Blonde,” nor is it “Time out of

Mind.” But the raw genius of the 1960s Dylan is something that will never again be matched by any artist. “Tempest” sim-ply shows the maturity and self-awareness that has come with age.

“Tempest” was released on Sep. 10 and is available wherever music is sold.

FOREVER YOUNG: Bob Dylan has grown into a larger-than-

life presence. The album “Tempest” adds to Dylan’s endur-

ing legacy with sophisticated lyrics and subject matter.

Courtesy Latimesblogs.com

What was once a youthful

and nasally voice has mor-

phed into something that is

one part Tom Waits, one part

gravel in a blender. However,

a deeper level of beauty to

Dylan’s songs.

BY IAN RAPOPORT

STAFF WRITER

After the departure of former Vice Prin-cipal Paula Hart as athletic director, foot-ball coach and former chemistry teacher Don Morrow was appointed to the position over the summer.

The search for Hart’s replacement took up the majority of the summer. Principal Dr. Ben Dale approached Morrow regard-ing the position of athletic director.

“When I had a conversation with him, I said, ‘Mira Costa needs you to be athletic director,’ and he agreed,” Dale said. “As a principal, you have good days and you

good day.”Morrow has nearly 30 years experience

of teaching and 20 years experience of coaching football.

“I have a long-time interest in athletics, and I also have a long time interest in Mira Costa athletics,” Morrow said. “I have been in the classroom for 30 years now, and I thought that the career change at this point might be interesting.”

Morrow’s decision has not been without consequences. In order to become the new athletic director, he had to give up his posi-tion as a chemistry teacher.

“I love the classroom, and I miss being there, and I’m really missing it right now,” Morrow said. “I hope this new job might end up outweighing that.”

Morrow still has his football coach po-sition as well as athletic director. Morrow believes that his new seat in the Athletic Department won’t affect his coaching.

“I have unbelievable help on the football

coach Arrasmith to coach Wicks to coach Cooper, these guys are unbelievable help-ers. They’ve been with me forever.”

Morrow is already facing obstacles as the new athletic director. One of those ob-

stacles would be adjusting to the different organization style of the position.

-

The organizational skills are different from everything I’m used to in the classroom

kind of organization.”Morrow has plenty of support from his

fellow colleagues. Although he will be missed in the Science Department, many teachers and coaches feel he is the right choice as the new athletic director.

cross country coach Robert Calderone said. “He is already used to the athletics, and I am really excited to have him.”

Although the majority of the athletic director’s job is dealing with such things as scheduling, contracts, buses and meet-ing with other athletic directors. It also includes facilitating camaraderie between the many people involved in sports who are very important to Morrow with this new position..

“One of my main goals is to create even more of a fraternity between all of the dif-ferent coaches,” Morrow said. “What I am hoping is to play a mentor role.”

BY HANNAH PROCTOR

SPORTS EDITOR

Not many 14 and 15-year-olds can claim to be on the third-best baseball team in the

This summer, the Manhattan Beach Junior

-ries in Taylor, Michigan.

Manhattan Beach was coached by Ira Smith, Jeff Proctor, Keith Ramsey and Ian Bothwell and consisted of Mira Costa sophomores Jackson Michalski and Robert White, freshmen Reese Alexiades, Zach

Hammerstein, Ryan May and Rollie Nich-ols, as well as others from other schools.

“Just to play there and to get to play with my friends made me proud,” Alexiades said. “I’m proud that we made it that far.”

Manhattan Beach made it through six rounds of tournaments before getting to the World Series. Eventually, these tourna-ments took them to Vancouver, Washing-ton where they played against and beat the team from Hawaii, a state that has won the

and got to represent the entire Western

BY ALYSSA ZUCKER

STAFF WRITER

Mira Costa junior Brandon Mills has big plans for his future in athletics.

Standing at six feet and 210 pounds, Mills is unquestionably a notable physical presence as linebacker and running back for the varsity football team.

“It does not matter how good you are; there is always room for improvement,”

against Inglewood on Aug. 30, Mills scored three touchdowns as tailback, and although he didn’t score in the following two games against Serra High School and South Tor-

“Brandon is a great asset to the team,” football coach Don Morrow said. “Not only is he athletic, but he is also very in-telligent. He makes adjustments very well, and I hope he accomplishes his goal of playing at the next level in college.”

to take Advanced Placement Calculus BC last year, and this year he is in AP Chemis-try and AP Statistics.

“Brandon is hardworking and deter-mined,” Mills’ twin sister and junior Ca-mille Mills said. “He puts all his effort into everything he does. I can’t wait to see my brother playing at the collegiate level.”

Along with Camille, Brandon also has another sister, and he credits his entire family for the success he’s achieved.

United States.

Hammerstein said. “They’re really a pow-erhouse in the West.”

The 2012 teams that made it to the World -

as, Ohio, New York, Taiwan, Aruba, Mex-ico, Canada and Italy. Each country was well-represented by fans and family.

“The atmosphere was great,” Nichols said. “Getting to represent the West and meeting people from other parts of the country and the world was great.”

Overall, the boys are proud of their ac-complishments. They ended with a record of 2-3 in the World Series and earned third

the world, not many people get to say that,” Nichols said. “Just getting there was a huge accomplishment for us.”

The team’s success was honored by the Manhattan Beach City Council during the September 18 meeting .

“It was great to be recognized by the city for something we did and to know that we

put in the records for what we did as a team is really cool.”

Junior Mills thrives on and o! the "eld

Costa football coach Don Morrow becomes new athletic director

Manhattan Beach Junior League All-Stars "nish third in World Series


COURTESY HUNTER TIEDMANN

GEOFFERY ST. JOHN/LA VISTA

WEST COAST BEST COAST : The Manhattan Beach Junior League All-Stars represented the West-

ern United States in the Junior League World Series and placed third behind Florida and Texas.

“My mom has really helped me get where I am today,” Mills said. “She’s been with me this whole way with her unlimited support. She looks after my best intentions above her own and has been a major part of my success.”

Mills’ hopes for the future comprise more than just football, however. He as-

play football for all four years as an aero-space major.

on the present as the Costa team prepares

“I am so hyped for this season,” Mills said. “This year’s team is like noth-ing Costa has ever seen. I am excited for what’s ahead.”

A STEP UP: Former chemistry teacher Don Mor-

row is now Costa’s athletic director. He will re-

main head football coach.

MAGIC MILLS: Junior Brandon Mills is both a

linebacker and running back.

18 September 21, 2012SPORTSLa Vista

Boys cross country The Mira Costa boys Cross Country team ran in the Woodbridge Classic meet on Sat-

Senior Dillon Shambaugh led the team, placing 72nd overall with a time of 15:49. Close behind Shambaugh was senior Justin MacDonald, who placed 74th.

The boys’ next race took place on Thursday Sept. 20 but results were unavailable due to time of publication.

The Mira Costa boys water polo team hosted Santa Barbara High School on Sept. 9 and lost by a score of 9-7.

Junior Austin Norrisan early lead. However, Santa Barbara came back late in the game.

Girls golf

Golf Course on Tuesday, Sept. 18 with a score of 191-210. Mustangs record is currently

Andrea Lee and Marni Murez shot 34 and 40, respectively. Juniors Mika Pascual and Jenny Johnson shot 39 and 41, respectively and senior Raquel Gordon shot 37.

The girls’ next match is home at Chester Golf Course Thursday Sept. 20 at 2:45pm. BY REBECCA HEXT, CAMILLE JUTON, IAN RAPOPORT/STAFF WRITERS

Boys water polo

Briefs

September 21, 2012 SPORTS 19La Vista

TEAM RECORDS

Andrea Lee (Freshman)Girls Golf

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Jimmy Bissell (Senior)

-

Mai Nojima (Sophomore)Girls Tennis

Nojima has a record of 13-0 a!er the seven matches this season.

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Seniors Chalmers, Rosen, Chavers, Manasse among the "rst to commit to college sports

TOP PERFORMERS

‘SHIPIN OFF TO COLLEGE: (from left) Seniors Grant Chalmers, Nicole Rosen,

Gracie Chavers, and Maegan Manasse wear the shirts of the universities they

each plan to attend fall 2013.


BY COURTNEY HUGHEY

STAFF WRITER

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Sport Overall Bay LeagueWin Loss Tie LossWin Tie

Football Boys Water Polo

Girls TennisCross Country

Girls GolfGirls Volleyball

Fantasy Mira Costa is ready to change the education game

Rank

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COMPILED BY REGAN ESTES, HANNAH PROCTOR, AND CASEY SUBLETTE/SPORTS EDITORS

PHOTOS BY EMMA SALZMAN/LA VISTA

number of seniors who committed to college sports

over the summer

300

4

185

35

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Digits

the number of points the varsity football team

scored in the second half in order to defeat South

on Sept. 14

the number of strokes it took girls golf to beat Re-

dondo Union by on Sept. 11

the average weight of the varsity football offensive

line

SPORTS20 La Vista September 21, 2012

Football scores 35 in second half, shocks South Torrance with comeback

TORRANCE’S RECORD GOES SOUTH: The varsity football team faced Serra High School on Sept. 7

and lost but managed a strong win against South Torrance on Sept. 14, making its record 2-1.


BY ALYSSA ZUCKER

STAFF WRITER

After a tough loss at home against Ser-ra High School on Sept. 7, Mira Costa bounced back to beat the South High Spar-tans 35-14 on the road on Sept. 14.

half and was ahead 7-0 at halftime. The Mustangs’ offense struggled to score in the

“We came into the game a little too Raphael

Lawson-Gayle said. “As the game went on, we adjusted to South and we got the

lost the ball on a fumble, and South capital-ized on it with what would be its only score of the night. The Spartans then continued to dominate the Mustangs offense through-

-

“As a team, we need to work on the de-

Ryan Sweigart said.

-

Sweigart was injured in the Inglewood game, so senior Kahlil McClain

he does not normally play.

with a punt return that was close to a touch-down but was tackled by South’s punter at South’s 45-yard line. Costa failed to utilize

7-0 in South’s favor. “I thought we played a really good

Connor Riley said. “As a team and a player, though, there

for an 18-yard touchdown, tying the score at 7-7. McClain went on to rush for a game-high of 111 yards on only nine carries.

red zone from Lawson-Gayle set McClain up for his second touchdown of the game. Lawson-Gayle totaled 88 yards on seven

carries. Junior running back Sebastian Frank-Love and Lawson-Gayle contrib-uted to the effort by scoring a touchdown

said. “We realized what we had to change

Lawson-Gayle carried his momentum

touchdown to make the score 35-7.“In the beginning, I did not have my head

the half came, I knew I was going to have

Costa’s defense in the second half held the Spartans to 31 yards and forced four three-and-outs. South did not achieve a

“We have been able to maintain a high

McClain said. “Just being able to do that makes me feel comfortable to say I’ve

The Mustangs will host rival Loyola High School tonight in Waller Stadium at 7 p.m.

“We are in a tough stretch of games start-

“The next four weeks will tell a lot about

GET SERVED: Sophomore Brooke Swallow serves in her singles match against Newport Harbor at

home on Sept. 11. After their win against Santa Monica, the Mustangs’ record is now 6-0.


Girls tennis beats Santa Monica, continues undefeated seasonBY KATIE VON BEHREN

STAFF WRITER

The Mira Costa girls tennis team remains undefeated after beating Santa Monica High School on Wednesday. The Mustangs won 15 out of the 18 matches, redeeming themselves after having lost last year’s

Joe Ciasulli said. “It was so nice to come and win on their court after losing last year. I am glad that the girls did well, and I can’t

had a 5-1 lead over Santa Monica. Junior Paula Cenusa won her two matches and sophomores Brooke Swallow and Mai Nojima won all of their individual three sets as well.

“It was amazing to defeat a team we lost to last year, because it shows that we have

had great chemistry in the doubles partners

Senior Sulibeth Ortiz-Torres played in

doubles partner, junior Sidney Ascher. Or-tiz-Torres had previously been waiting to

-cher started off strong and ended up win-ning all three of their matches.

Claudia Fellows and senior Kayla Tarlton subbed in for se-niors Juliana Hoft and Alex Waller in the second round and continued on to play in

Carly McGuire and Hanna McGuire

“We all had a great day, and we all really

Seniors Susanna Sieke and Lauren Watts, who subbed in for the third match, also contributed to the Mustangs’ win by beating Santa Monica 7-5.

Waller said. “We worked harder to win than Santa Monica, and I’m proud of how

The girls had a match yesterday at Palos Verdes High School, but the scores were unavailable due to time of publication. The girls will be playing at home today against Brentwood at 3 p.m. They lost to both Pa-los Verdes and Brentwood last year. but hope to redeem themselves like they did against Santa Monica.

“We are playing some tough teams this

so far and are doing really well this season, so we are going to keep playing our hard-est, and we are hopefully going to have

LIBERO LOVIN’: Seniors (front row from left) Adrian Anderson, Corie Bain, Kelsie McIntire (back

row from left) Carley Muller, Grayce Campbell, and sophomore Jerephina Leilua await a serve in the

girls volleyball home match against Edison on Sept. 6. Costa swept Edison, 3-0.


BY COURTNEY HUGHEY

STAFF WRITER

The Mira Costa girls volleyball team beat Chaminade High School on Tuesday at home in a three-game sweep, making the girls’ current record 5-7.

defensively, but Costa was able to domi-nate on offense. Senior outside hitters Grayce Campbell and Lexi Millington had key kills that helped contribute to the

“Coming off a long tournament in Ve-gas, our team knew that we had to focus on our passing and energy level, and the rest

did not come without challenges, as Chaminade was able to maintain long ral-

stayed focused and was able to hold its lead

“I thought we had a great start to the

Arce-Zimmerman said. “Bain and Camp-bell had great games. We enjoyed playing

Chaminade came back offensively in the second game, keeping the score close. Throughout the majority of the game, the Eagles kept a two-point lead by taking ad-vantage of careless mistakes by Costa.

“As a team, we should have communi-

outside hitter Jerephina Leilua said. “We should have been more consistent with our

Girls volleyball beats Chaminade High School in three-game sweep

Costa fought against Chaminade’s lead with Campbell’s seven kills during the sec-ond game, and senior setter Corie Bain ac-counted for nine assists. Toward the end of the second game, Bain also had four blocks that helped Costa win the game and jump

“We did a great job keeping our intensity

were able to do the small things, that were

In the start of the third game, Millington and senior middle blocker Kylie Taylor had blocks which helped set the precedent for the rest of the game. Coming in as a substitute, Leilua managed a total of eight kills during the third game with the help of Bain’s 15 assists.

By the middle of the third game, Costa -

nade. The team continued to play well de-fensively as senior libero Carley Muller led the team with 18 digs. This put the team

of the match. “I felt like we were really solid on the

a certain level of comfort last night and re-

Although the girls are proud of the win against Chaminade, they realize they must focus on their next match, which will be

against Palos Verdes High School at Palos

“It was really good for our team to be able to come off a tiring weekend with a

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Date post:	14-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
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La Vista Issue 1, Vol. LXIII

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