Samo Theatre Season Opens Big With "Little Women"

The Samo theatre season opens this weekend with a completely original adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel, Little Women. Samo students Maisy Bragg, and Louisa Levy star as "Jo," the narrator and protagonist along with 7 other students and 5 crew members.

Little Women is showing on Friday, December 14 and 21 at 8pm and Saturday December 15 and 22 at 2 and 8pm. Tickets prices are $10 student, $15 adult, and are available by calling (310) 458-5939 or www.smclo.org.

Dr. Ford claims it's "kind of like, It's A Wonderful Life, a perfect holiday gift.

CULTURE YOURSELF - SUPPORT THE ARTS

Upcoming Winter Concerts

The orchestra and choir programs have some relatively festive holiday concerts scheduled for this next week. Be sure to get into the holiday spirt and check them out if last minute assignments don't stop you.

Orchestra will be performing on Tuesday, December 18m at 7pm, followed by the Choir performance on Thursday, December 20 at 7pm. Performances will be held in Barnum Hall.

The Orchestra is home of many talented students this year. Recently, 41 Samo students performed with the CODA honor orchestra, and several others have made it into the National High School Honor Orchestra. These students will be performing with the rest of the Orchestra Tuesday night.

As usual, ticket sales go to supporting the music program with various expenses.

CULTURE YOURSELF - SUPPORT THE ARTS

New Film from Sam Boyd '08

Samuel Boyd's ('08) Bob Pinch + "Associates" has just released their newest short film.

It is directed and edited by Boyd, and Class of 2008's Alycia Adler stars in the film.

To view the film, visit our Arts page.

Screening At Samo

By Andrew Blakney-Jimenez.

The California Literature Experience has set up a special screening of the movie "In The Valley of Elah." the screening is to take place in Barnum Hall this upcoming Thursday, December 6 at 6:00pm, followed by a brief Q & A session at 8:30pm. Admission is free, however a permission slip is needed due to the films "R" rating. (See Link)

The film is written and directed by Paul Haggis (Crash, Casino Royale) and addresses the complex emotional consequences that come with war, as well as the the impact of the war in iraq on the American family.

Be sure to catch this thought inspiring film if you have the time on thursday night.

CULTURE YOURSELF - SUPPORT THE ARTS

UPDATE: In The Know At Samo

"In The Know At Samo" (intheknowatsamo.blogspot.com) has officially been shut down.

Gossip Blogs

According to a post from "In The Know At Samo", an online gossip blog updated by an anonymous author, "Vicky Viking", the gossip website will no longer post articles.

It has yet to be seen if the author will stick to his/her statement.

The website was heavily criticized for its content because it revealed private, and routinely sexual, information about high school students and their love lives.

Another Samohi gossip site, the Grapvevine, recently restricted access to its site after similar student reaction.

Goes to show the power of student voice.

Varsity Football Playoff Game

The Vikings lost to Palos Verdes in the first round of the CIF Playoffs.

Though SAMO was leading for a good portion of the first half; the Seamen dominated the second half.

Well fought year.

There is a lot of young talent returning; but it will be struggle to replace QB Ryan Katz, Safety Adi A., WR Taylor Wright, and MLB Max Mombu.

Varsity Football vs. Hawthorne

The Vikings beat Hawthorne by a final score of 55-18 to clinch a CIF Playoff berth.

BREAKING NEWS: Varsity Football

We are the first publication to report the following information [before the Samohi, Santa Monica Daily Press, and Santa Monica Mirror]:

It was announced today, around 11:30 pm, that if the Vikings win this weeks game against Hawthorne, they will be guarenteed a spot in the playoffs.

This contradicts previous assumptions that a coin toss would be necessary to break a three-way tie with Inglewood and Beverly Hills.

Varsity Football vs. Inglewood

The Vikings beat the Inglewood Sentinels by a final score of 44-21.

Inglewood scored most of their points after the Vikings put their subs in late in the game.

Jon Dunn, Taylor Wright, and Christian Ross, all had two touchdowns.

D'oh - Some Mistakes

By Andrew Blakney-Jimenez

Apparently I was misinformed on some of the information mentioned in my original article. Here is the more up to date and correct information:

• The Sound Of Music is the main event, not the preceding performance of the Chamber Orchestra.
• The Sound Of Music will be shown with subtitles for lyrical reference.
• Tickets will be sold at lunch for the discounted price of $5.

Get ready for a fantastic friday night, and remember to bring some friends.

CULTURE YOURSELF - SUPPORT THE ARTS

Symphony & Day of the Dead

By Andrew Blakney-Jimenez.

Members of the symphony orchestra are currently making their finishing touches on pieces of music to be played at their upcoming performance in Barnum Hall on November 9. The event is entitled "Symphony Sing Along," and is dubbed as being "Rocky Horror-esque," (Without the over-the-top-yet-hilarious vulgarity and Tim Curry dressed as a woman of course) as the
audience is encouraged to sing along as the orchestra performs pieces from the popular musical The Sound Of Music. Tickets are $10 at the door for students or $20 for adults and come with a party bag full of props, trinkets, and other fun stuff that will be used throughout the night.

Gather all your in the closet lame and dorky friends, and drag them to this sure to be heartwarmingly fun event. Dress up as a character from the musical is encouraged. Tickets help support the music program with various expenses including travel and the repair and replacement of old instruments.

The Day of The Dead exhibit in the Roberts Art Gallery successfully opened on Tuesday. The Gallery is now filled with many touching and humorous paintings ranging from a simple depiction of luck to a dedication to popular water polo coach and history teacher Matthew Flanders. These paintings, known as "retablos," are generally small religious paintings made to honor and show gratitude toward the patron saints, in this case, however the artists have created works that show admiration and content toward ideas and concepts.

I-House Halloween Party

Tomorrow After-School.

Food. Games. Costume Contest.

I-House Students.

Varsity Football Update

Due to losses to Beverly Hills & Culver City the past two weeks, in order for the Vikings to make the playoffs, they will most likely need to win out the rest of their games.

Homecoming

by Josh Miller.

King - Ryan Katz

Queen - Crystal Perez

Varsity Football vs. Morningside

by Josh Miller.

Blowout.

33-0 Viking victory.

Nothing more needs to be said.

Varsity Football vs. Los Alamitos

by Josh Miller.

It was a heart-breaker. The Vikings went into half-time up 18-6, but ended up losing the game in the final minutes with a final score of 34-26. Los Alamitos is one of the most decorated football programs in Southern California and SAMO's performance was impressive none the less.

RB Christian Ross, starting in the place of the injured Vince Lawrence, racked up 183 yards on 22 carries.

Oregon State bound QB Ryan Katz had 3 TDs, 2 INTs, and 200 passing yards in the losing effort.

Leadership Update

by Ilan Ben-Meir [Senior Class President].

Lots of big news to pass along this week. In case you haven't heard yet, as of right now, Prom tickets are $125. This is for sure going to go down as we fundraise, but we also worked out a deal with the administration so that every magazine subscription you sell during this year's magazine drive lowers the price of YOUR ticket by $5. There's no limit to how low you can get it; sell enough magazines and Prom is free. Know also that Senior Steering, a club focused around Senior activities, fundraising, and decision-making, is meeting Wednesdays at lunch in Ms. Boyd's room (T11, I think). Next meeting we vote on designs for Senior Gear, so if you want a say in that, make sure to come by. Also, if you want to submit a design, give it to Ms. Boyd or Ms. Kariya by Wednesday. This club is a really chill way to make sure you have a direct impact on the way your senior year goes down...

We also have new Class and House Representatives,so make sure you know who they are, and let them know what they can do for you. You elected them, now make sure they they represent you. Every one of them, and everyone in an elected position at Samohi, is accountable to you. If you don't like how things are going down, that's our problem, not yours.

We're still trying to kick off the Service Corps. Most of the issues that delayed the launch have been solved, and now we're looking for cool projects to work on. If you have ideas, questions, or just want to say hi, hit me up. The Corps is a great way to get community service hours, and I think its gonna be pretty funky, too.

Anyway, that's about it for now. Next week is spirit week, so dress up if you love Samohi and free candy. Peace.

Water-Free Flush

by Zac Geoffray.

Unbeknownst to most female students at our school, Samohi has become a part of a world movement that is taking place in men’s restrooms ranging from the Taj Mahal to our own school. Samohi has installed 30 new state of the art urinals. Yes the new urinals are sleek, and look remarkably out of place in our filthy restrooms, but they also seem to serve some sort of higher purpose.

The new urinals, made by Falcon Technologies, have numerous benefits. Here at Samohi we have 24 new urinals. Because the new units are water free, the school does not have to pay for the 40,000 gallons of water that each one of the old urinals would use in one year – money that was, for all practical purposes, going “down the drain”. This also has a positive impact on the environment, as 5% of all freshwater consumed is used to transport urine. All in all, an estimate from the company says that the administration should save about $100-200 dollars per unit, per year. What was ASB’s deficit again?

However in all my research, I was unable to answer the question that I was asked most often, and that is: what the hell is the cartoon bumblebee doing on the urinals? If any knows, please get in touch.

Varsity Football vs. LB Jordan

by Josh Miller.

The Vikings beat the Long Beach Jordan Panthers, and former SAMO Offensive Coordinator Thomas Barnes, 27-13 in front of a less-than-stellar crowd at SMC.

QB Ryan Katz completed 21 of 30 pass attempts while throwing for 206 yards and 2 TDs. Katz also rushed for 39 yards on 6 carries.

WR Taylor Wright had a break-out game, catching 10 balls for 90 yards and a TD.

RB Vince Lawrence rushed the ball 17 times for 101 yards.

Next up the Vikings take on the always deadly Los Alamitos at home; this will a game you will not want to miss if SAMO comes out to play like they did first half of the Venice game. Be there. Show some pride. Support your boys.

Roberts Art Gallery Re-Opening

By Andrew Blakney-Jimenez

The Roberts Art Gallery just re-opened for the 2007-2008 exhibition season coinciding with back to school night. On display in the gallery are pieces done by artists hired by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a branch of President Roosevelt's New Deal. The work in this exhibit is part of the gallery's permanent collection and is on display until October 19. This nostalgic exhibit is definitely worth a prolonged glance, out of curiosity of the classical technique if nothing else. The Roberts Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the history building and is open during lunch, and tuesdays after school form
3:30 to 7:00 pm.

CULTURE YOURSELF - SEE SOME ART!

Varsity Football vs. Venice

by Josh Miller.

The Vikings lost 33-7 to the Venice High Gondoliers. The game was not nearly as lobsided as the score; in fact, the game was tied 0-0 going into the half. The Gondo's scored a quick touchdown at the beginning of the third quarter, but the extra-point attempt was blocked, making the score 6-0. SAMO marched back down the field capping the drive with a touchdown pass from QB Ryan Katz, making the score 7-6 in favor of the Vikings. USC-bound Gondolier RB Curtis McNeal took the game over from that point forward. While SAMO's defense shut down McNeal in the first half, he responded in the second half with 3 touchdowns and numerous impressive and explosive runs.

The Vikings proved that they are an incredibly talented team that can compete with the best of them; but their sub-par performance in the second half showed that Venice's hard hits took a toll on the mindset, focus, and drive of the Viking players.

Next week the Vikings will take on Long Beach Jordan in the Homecoming Game at SMC. Former SAMO Offensive Coordinator Thomas Barnes is now the Offensive Coordinator at Long Beach Jordan.

Leadership Update

by Ilan Ben-Meir [Senior Class President].

Hey all. Not much happened this week. We're hard at work planning the first pep rally, and it's gonna be pretty sick, I think. Other than that, not an awful lot is new. We started working in our committees this week.

Word on the street is the permit parking doesn't go into effect for around three more months. We're going to use that time to decide how to go forward, and we want to hear your ideas and opinions. in the meantime, know that parking isn't disappearing tomorrow, and that the fight for accessible student parking is still being waged in full force.

I was going to have a big announcement about the launch of the Samohi Community Service Corps, but we may have hit a road bump getting our permit, so that's all in flux right now. nonetheless, it will be launching, and launching soon, but I'm going to hold off on the major fanfare for now.

We're also working on getting an updated website up and running, and publishing our minutes and agendas, as promised. Finally, everyone is trying to think of fundraising ideas, because '08 needs bank, bad. If you have any ideas for cool fundraisers, please share them with myself or anyone else in ASB. We'd love to hear any suggestions ideas.

Anyway, hold tight. This was a low-key week, but big things are on the way.

Until then, stay sexy, Samohi.

Varsity Water Polo vs. Chadwick

On Sept. 18th, the boys varsity water polo team lost 12-11, in overtime, to Chadwick.

The game was played at SAMOHI.

Restroom Upgrades & Malfunctions

by Josh Miller.

I am pleased to announce we have new state of the art urinals in the history building's boys restroom. Unfortunately, we still don't have a soap dispenser in the boys restroom located on the second floor of the technology building.

It should be noted:

- The old urinals seemed to be working fine before they were replaced.
- The boys bathroom in the technology building has had a broken soap dispenser since the beginning of this school year, and it was orginally broken second semester LAST year. Not to fear! Mr. Henderson is providing free hand-sanitizer to anyone who needs to clean their hands.
- The new urinals do look quite pretty.

Racial Melee at the SAMO-Pali Football Game

by Josh Miller.

During the 3rd Quarter of the SAMOHI-Palisades football game at SMC, there was an altercation involving SAMOHI students.
The incident occurred at the top section of the bleachers, on approx. the 50 yard line.

Throughout the game there had been shouting and verbal exchanges relating to the class of '08/'09 rivalry; but during the third quarter, the situation escalated when racial slurs began flying around.

An African-American female student (we will call her Jane) began to direct her yelling at a white male student (we will call him Joe). Jane then began identifying Joe repeatedly as a nig** (racial slur). The situation got out of hand when the white male, Joe, responded by asking Jane why she would call him a nig** (speaking the word nig** in his question). Jane kept on shouting at Joe, using the word nig**, and Joe kept on responding with his question, using the word nig**. Joe's use of the racial slur caught the attention of Jane's African-American male friends. Visually angered by Joe's use of the racial slur, Jane's friends began ascending the bleachers towards Joe. Joe's Caucasian friends stepped in front of him to shield him from the "attackers", and other bystanders of various races also intervened. Shirts were taken off; there was pushing and shoving; and possibly some punches thrown. However, there was a strong police and administrative response, and the situation was dismantled quickly.

Did Jane have the right to call Joe a nig**? Did Joe have the right to use the word nig**? Were Jane's friends short-tempered? Was Joe ignorant and insensitive?

Send us your thoughts and opinions to editor@gripdoctrine.com, and view responses on the Opinion Page.

Varsity Football vs. Palisades

by Josh Miller.

The Vikings beat Palisades by a final score of 35-0.

Game Notes:

• QB Ryan Katz threw for 2 TDs, completing 8 of 11 passes.
• RB Vince Lawrence rushed for 106 yards on 17 carries with a TD.
• RB Chrisitan Ross rushed for 3 TD's

Next Up:

Venice High; Friday 9/21, 7 pm, Santa Monica College (Corsair Field)

Girls Volleyball North Torrance Tounrnament

by Jacob Hattenbach.

Saturday 9/15/07 North Torrance Tournament

Won 2 out of 4 games finishing in 2nd place in their pool. They advanced to playoffs but lost in the 1st round.

Cross Country Meet - Woodbridge Invitational

by Jacob Hattenbach.

Samohi Varsity Boys and Girls Cross Country:

Saturday 9/15/07 Woodbridge Invitational

Boys Top 4:
Damon Coffman - 16:03 (17th Overall)
Simon Einstein - 16:41
Shane Browne - 16:43
Matt Cohen - 16:59

Girls Top 2:
Gabi Cruz - Personal Record - 19:53
Rachel Horn - [Unknown Time]

State of the School

by Ilan Ben-Meir, Senior Class President.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the state of our school is rising. Last year was a year of transition, with an incoming principal, and outgoing ASB advisor, and a less-than-perfect student government. Now that things have begun to settle, I can report with confidence that, while this year will have its challenges, it is sure to be better for us and our school than the year past.
First, I would like to share with you my impressions of my first week as a part of Samohi leadership. This year's leadership is not like the leadership of years gone by. While past years were distant and isolated, this year's ASB is approachable, inspired, and eager to hear ideas other than their own. Any feelings you may hold about ASB ought to be reconsidered. I am not saying that leadership is fixed, only that in my opinion it finally has the potential to live up to its promises and responsibilities. Whether or not it does depends on you getting involved and making your voices heard. I assure you that as long as I am around, you will have at least one advocate, and based on my impressions of the rest of the class, I believe you will always have many more. In short, I'm asking that you give leadership a chance this year, and in turn, I promise that I will always be honest with you about what I see. For now, though, things actually look pretty good.
So the good news is that your government may finally do what you want it to. The bad news, as I'm sure you've heard, is that Samohi has lost its public parking. On Tuesday, the city council voted to make the streets south of Pico and west of Lincoln permit only during the school day. While this may sound like terrible news, enough students came to the meeting to protest this turn of events that the mayor has instructed the city to look into solving our parking problem, possibly by opening the new parking structure on 4th Street to students. This is an ongoing process, and if we want the best results, we all need to make sure the city knows how we feel. I'll keep you all posted on this as it develops.
As its only the 5th day of school, not much else has happened. We're already planning the first pep rally, which you can be sure will be the first of many. We're also going to have a magazine drive, which is a great way to get people you know to give the school money. It turns out dinner for prom was bought five years ago, but we're trying to find other ways to make tickets less expensive. As always, your thoughts are appreciated, and you can always email me at ibenmeir@gmail.com or call at (310) 909-3739. Until then, stay funky.

Varsity Football vs. Hueneme

by Josh Miller.

The Vikings beat Hueneme by a final score of 46-21.

Game Notes:

• QB Ryan Katz threw for 255 yds with 2 TDs. He also had 4 rushes for 46 yards.
• WR Jon Dunn caught 7 passes for 120 yards with 2 TDs.
• RB Vince Lawrence rushed for 62 yards on 13 carries with 3 TDs
• CB Chrisitan Ross intercepted 3 passes in the FIRST HALF.
• LB Taylor Wright returned an interception for a TD in the second quarter.

Next Up:

Palisades High; Friday 9/7, 7 pm, Santa Monica College (Corsair Field)

Back to School Brawls

By Dexter Horthy.

Are you guys serious? I have been on campus for less than a week and already I have witnessed 3 fights. Is someone honestly reading his English Syllabus thinking, “man, I have to fuck that guy up today…”

…!?!??!?!

How are you that pissed off? Are you honestly so outraged as to knock somebody out based on 4 days worth of conflict? Fighting is not only immature and a waste of everything, it is detrimental to our school’s purpose. It sends a message that this isn’t a place of education, but one of violence and pain. Now, I’m not going to argue that school isn’t painful; but honestly, come here to learn. I’m not telling you never to hit somebody, but I implore you, fellow students, to curb your aggression for the 7 hours a day you attend Samo.

On another note...

As we reset our alarm clocks after 2 months of dormancy and renew our bus passes, here are some simple words of wisdom to lift your spirits. Enjoy!

"You send your child to the schoolmaster, but 'tis the schoolboys who will educate him."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire."
--William Butler Yeats

"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught."
--Oscar Wilde

First Day Choir Thoughts

by Matt Kramer.

I am in the choir at Samohi and on the first day of class, Mr. Huls, the choir director, excitedly told us that we now had air-
conditioning. He mentioned that the music building was one of two or three other buildings at Samohi to be air-conditioned. While I am all for improving our school's music program, and dedicating money and resources to it, I do not think thousands of dollars should be invested in air-conditioning while our teachers are underpaid and classes are often overcrowded. Maybe it's just me, but I think we ought not worry about the temperature in one our classrooms at Samohi until we can ensure that every student has a desk to sit in.

Theatre Update

by Zac Geoffray.

The Samohi Theatre Department has announced its first two shows:

Little Women & Bye Bye Birdie

Auditions are after school on September 17, 18, and 19 in the Humanities Center. Bring a one-minute monologue for Monday, a one-minute musical theatre song for Tuesday, and dancing shoes for Wednesday. Callbacks on a later date.

All Your Bass Are Belong To Us - Join RWS

by Salonee Bhaman (current RWS member) and Lauren Feldman.

As students, we've all attended at least one SAMOHI event – whether it be an assembly, film festival, convention, or even a pep rally. These events usually go down without a (major) hitch, with near perfect audio/visual synchronization to aid the plethora of extremely interesting presentations and events occurring throughout SAMO. But the success of these events is really owed to the people who don't get much credit for them at all: the people who work for hours setting up the technology to make them possible. Remember the last pep rally you attended? Well, maybe not, seeing as it was quite a while ago thanks to our beautiful artists in '07. But while you were busy cheering yourself hoarse and/or laughing skeptically at those around you, the chances are you didn't notice the small but capable army of students slaving away on the corner of the stage amid a large tangle of wires.

Next Friday, the silent workforce behind SAMO's audiovisual crew holds their first recruitment rally of the year. Running With Speakers (RWS) is a great opportunity to become more involved with your school and your peers, learn the ropes of theatrical lighting and sound, rack up community service hours, and gain access to many events RWS is in charge of. In addition to the knitty gritties for resumes and applications, Running With Speakers is also a valuable camaraderie-building experience. After all, it is highly doubtful that you'll find such a rare combination of sarcasm, huge work ethic, chronic lethargy, begrudging affection, awkward yet endearing techies, and half joking spurts of abuse all melded into one convenient organization. So on Friday, September 21st, we urge you to come by the science quad to sign your soul away and join us for the year.