The Samohi (2023-2024) Cycle 2

The Samohi

Friday, November 17, 2023

Santa Monica High School

Volume CXII - Issue II

Photo by Erin Neumeyer

Cover by Taylor Witt

Maxine Grossman (’24) and Jaylen Hazaert (’25) perform in Samo’s fall play, The Foreigner.

What’s going on around Samo?

On Nov. 2, Samo hosted the annual Club Row to promote and grow clubs. 170 different clubs showed up and recruited interested students to join their clubs.

There were a variety of clubs present, some focused on fundraising, and others focused on spreading awareness and educating. Some are just to create a safe space for students to come together. Regardless of their different purposes, all clubs are focused on creating inclusivity around campus to strengthen the community.

Talib Debose (’24) experienced club row and visited many different clubs that he was interested in.

“I had a friendly and diverse experience seeing all the different clubs,” Debose said. “The clubs that interested me the most were BSU (Black Student Union), Immersion and Film.”

Debose went further in-depth on the impact club row had in developing his interest.

“The clubs that interested me related to myself and my hobbies or were being presented by my friends,” Debose said. “It was a diverse experience because there were many different people all from different backgrounds and with different experiences sharing a part of themselves they are passionate about.”

Wax is serving as the interim I House principal. Ms. Jessica Garrido, the I house advisor, worked closely with Hawkins and is grateful to have a quick replacement in Wax.

“I was happy Ms. Wax was filling because I know her, but I really liked working under Dr. Hawkins and was very sad that she was leaving,” Garrido said.

Wax was previously the principal of Grant Elementary in 2015, which Garrido believes made the transition for I House easier.

“It’s just nice to have consistency but the perk in Ms.Wax who’s filling in has been the principal for us, so it was an easy transition for us,” Garrido said.

Samo expects to make a decision on the new I House principal around December as the interview process continues.

Dr. Benjamin to replace Dr. Mora as Assistant Superintendent

Recently this year, Dr. Jaqueline Mora passed away at the age of 46 after dealing with an illness for five months. As the assistant superintendent, she was dedicated to all students’ success and education.

She was passionate about helping out communities that were struggling and assured people that every student had an opportunity to succeed. During the pandemic, she helped the district in shifting from in-person to distance learning so that students could still continue their education at home.

Mora was replaced by Dr. Ashley Benjamin on Oct.19, who was the principal at McKinley Elementary since 2017 and previously, the assistant principal at Franklin Elementary from 2014 to 2017.

Benjamin is excited about her new position and what’s to come, even though she is still sad about leaving McKinley.

“The educators in this district are so talented, I’m looking forward to collaborating with staff across sites Tk-12,” Benjamin said.

As the new Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Benjamin has set high standards for the district’s success and improvement. “My goal is to support our students so they feel a sense of curiosity, belonging, and empowerment.”

Team Marine’s climate literacy resolution approved Team Marine’s resolution for climate literacy action in schools has been approved unanimously by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s Board on Nov. 2 after working to create this resolution since 2021. The resolution is to educate and empower students about climate change’s role in the world by enhancing elementary schools on climate education and hosting opportunities to keep them informed about the climate. Team Marine, an environmental activism club, has helped SMMUSD previously, such as the transition to 100% renewable energy and the plastic ban in

Santa Monica. Team Marine plans to have one meeting per semester for teachers on climate literacy in order to prepare them to instruct students on environmental issues. Co-president of the club, Emery Cunningham (’24) said he felt good getting the resolution passed, making it meaningful to him. “I hope that the changes made by our resolution will help students see climate change as less fear and more courage or hope,” Cunningham said. The main goal of the resolution is to give students a feeling that they can do something about it instead of just being afraid and not taking action.”

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District Interim Writing Assessment introduced to Samo

The District Interim Writing Assessment (DIWA) was introduced into the SMMUSD curriculum for the first time, this school year.

The DIWA is a district-wide tool used to evaluate the progress of students and the productivity of the academic program. It is meant to supply teachers and administration with the necessary knowledge and information, often displayed in visible trends among students, in order to apply the most effective educational improvements into the school environment.

This data can better help the teachers evaluate their student’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as supply the teachers with a more structured plan of what they need to teach their students during the rest of the school year.

Nathan Fulcher, the English department chair at Samo, believes that the DIWA will be a valuable tool for the En-

glish department across the district.

“I support it because I think it’s important for us to be thoughtful about how we are assessing student writing, and this type of activity using the District Interim Writing Assessment allows all of us English teachers to be on the same page,” Fulcher said.

In previous years, the baseline essay was taken at the beginning of each school year and provided teachers with a measure of knowledge and skill level regarding their incoming students. The DIWA is comparable to the baseline essay, but now will be taken twice each school year, compared to once. The DIWA will be taken six weeks into each semester, rather than at the start of the school year. This difference in the timing of the testing will allow teachers to not only assess the knowledge of their students in preparation for the remainder of each semester, but will also allow for teachers to examine what they have taught their students leading up to the assessment. For this examination

Editor-in-Chief

Hawene Alemayehu

Managing Editor Sydney Roker

News Editors Sienna Bevan

Ryan Kim

Centerspread Editor

Aili Forster

Opinion Editor

Nika Nazarizadeh

Sports Editors Cleo Topp

Matilde Martinez-Navarrete

Student Life Editor

Emi Yamashiro-Herget

A&E Editor

Sara Javerbaum

to be possible, teachers will now be grading the writing of their own students, which differs from the randomized scoring system that had been in place for the baseline essay. In addition, the DIWA will now be assessed across every school in the district with the same format per grade level, unlike the baseline essay which had just been at Samohi. This will allow district administration to compare the learning environment and progress across SMMUSD.

The assessment will occur once a semester in order to provide an analysis of the progress made towards a more effective environment, and is displayed in the progress of the students. The assessment is taken during a single class period, or limited amount of time, in order to receive a work of “on-demand writing.” This type of work proves the knowledge that a student has on how to put together a first draft and tests their skills within an on the spot format.

Art Editor Audrey Strauss

Photo Editor

Taylor Witt

Faculty Advisor Elizabeth Stapleton

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Staff Writers Violeta Buitrago, Addie Burns, Claire Harrison, Max Kehoe, Sia Kresch, Koi Lerner, Manny Lopez, Maggie Marks, Declan Ney, Dalia Puchalt, Louis Rotgin, Liam Sauer, Kamerin Shakir, Olivia Stephansen, Nathan Vasquez

Louis Rotgin Staff Writer

Nathan Vasquez-Santiago Staff Writer

Former I House principal, Dr. Satinder Hawkins decided to leave Samo to be closer to home. On Oct. 26, Samo started the interview process to select a new I House principal while Wendy

Samo searches for new I House principal

Club Row

Dr. Ashley Benjamin, previous principle of McKinley Elementary, delivers a speech to the school.

Dr. Ashley Benjamin/ Contributor

Mira Wagabaza (’24) and Charlotte Finch (’24) present handwritten letters in order to promote their club, Letters of Hope.

Emerson Werger / Contributor Kara Best (’24), co-president of Junior State of America along with Dylan Cheah (’24), debates a student to reliplicate their club experience.

Emerson Werger / Contributor

Hawkins started as I house principle in the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.

The Samohi

The SMMUSD School Board passed Team Marine’s climate literacy resolution, meaning there will now be more requirements for climate education in SMMUSD schools.

Team Marine/ Contributor

The Samohi is a monthly newspaper by, for and about Santa Monica High School students. Our goal is to empower the student body through information. We do not represent the views of the administration or staff. We do not endorse advertisements placed in our paper.

Understanding Israel, Palestine and Hamas

Liam Sauer Staff Writer

Israel and Palestine’s historic conflict:

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a constant struggle since Israel’s establishment in 1948; this war is not just the beginning.

For both sides of the conflict, there is an intrinsic connection to the land. Israelis and Palestinians—their culture, traditions and history—each claim the same territory as their own, which often leads to conflict as a projection of these very strong emotions.

In the formal beginning of this conflict, in 1948, some Arab-Palestinians and their neighboring countrymen, in opposition to the establishment of a Jewish State in the British mandate of Palestine, declared war on Israel on the day of its independence from British rule. For Israelis, independence was viewed as a new start for the Jewish people to regain the homeland they had historically been exiled from, and an opportunity to evade persecution, including the recent tragedy that was the Holocaust. The Palestinians believe that the Jews, by acknowledging the 1947 UN Partition Plan and referring to it as the “Nakba” or “Catastrophe” in Arabic, systematically took land and displaced the majority Arab population. The UN’s plan intended to represent the population density of both the Arab and Jewish populations, in accordance with a state for each (see map above).

While this singular event can be recognized as “the straw that broke the camel’s back”, the conflict over the British Mandate of Palestine, and the later establishment of Israel, is filled with nuances.

Both sides of this conflict are not a monolith–21% of the Israeli population is Arab and Gaza is not just Muslim but also contains a substantial Christian population. In both areas, there are people with diverse opinions, some left-wing, some right-wing, some extremist and some liberal.

When Hamas was established in 1987, they engaged in terrorist activities against the Israeli people.Their 1988 Charter expresses a commitment to fighting against the perception of Jews taking over Palestine. Hamas has not held any elections since the group was elected into power in 2006 and violently seized control of the

Gaza Strip in 2007.

Many Palestinians don’t associate with Hamas. Fatah (the current Palestinian Authority in the West Bank), according to the New York Times, was polling much higher than Hamas in 2006. The majority of Gazans live in extreme poverty, are often brutalized by the terrorist Hamas regime and have no option to exercise democratic freedoms (reported on extensively by the Human Rights Watch Organization). A recent analysis by Reuters found that Hamas receives millions of dol-

lion Palestinians, including descendants, have been displaced due to ongoing conflicts. As of today there are 1.6 million Israelis descended from Arab Palestinians. Post 1948, 1 million Jews were forcefully expelled from neighboring Arab countries and sought refuge in Israel, with only 26,000 Jews remaining in the broader Arab world as of today.

Many Palestinians, had earlier after the 1948 War compacted into the small Gazan Territory in the south of the country. In 1967, when Israel defeated Egypt in the Six Day War and with it took the Gazan territory, this led to an occupa-

self-rule throughout the majority of the West Bank and Gaza, in exchange for the end of terrorist operations and the recognition of Israel’s statehood. Both sides accepted the agreement, and a two-state solution (Israel and Palestine coexisting as two established nations) was looking possible. However, after the fallout of the 2000 Camp David Summit (a later negotiation) due to concessions lacking on either side (Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat walked away from the negotiation refusing to make a counter-offer to the Israeli proposition he felt as insufficient), increased Jewish settle-

lars in funds from Iran and Qatar. Surveillance by the Israeli military has shown Hamas holding a stockpile of food, water and fuel, yet these are all necessities that Gazans somehow lack. Hamas rocket fire has been regular for many years now. This often encourages further aggression from the Israeli Government, leading to a tragedy-filled life for innocent people on both sides. Palestinians view these Israeli strikes as unnecessary acts against an already weak Gazan infrastructure, and Israelis view them as a necessitated response to defend themselves from further attacks.

Following the 1948 War and the 1967 SixDay War, Israel after being attacked acquired territories, including Gaza from Egypt and the West Bank and Jerusalem from Jordan. In 1948, 700,000 Palestinians left Israel-controlled territories for neighboring states. Over time, 5.6 mil-

The current Israel-Hamas war:

The current conflict in Israel and Gaza, beginning on Oct. 7, is an international crisis that has resulted in the death, wounding and displacement of thousands of Israeli and Palestinian people.

For 18-year-old Israeli, Ofri Halperin, a member of one of the Kibbutzim which was attacked, Oct. 7, 2023 is a date that will be forever recognized as the biggest tragedy in Israeli history.

“The thing that is hurting me the most is that we have so many people that have been brutally murdered, so that it’s becoming just numbers, and each and every person is a whole story,” Halperin said. “You have family and friends and when you have so many, it becomes cheap, you lose the value of life. And that makes me feel terrible. So many good people are dead now.”

Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants, evading Israeli intelligence, inducted the most large-scale attack on Israeli soil since the Yom Kippur War. Terrorists overcame the Gazan border targeting Kibbutzim Villages and a Music Festival. Teens and young adults who were celebrating a peace event at the Music Festival were shot, hunted and kidnapped. Multiple Israeli Kibbutzim were burned to the ground. Many of the civilians living in these villages have been reported to have been beheaded, raped and dismembered. These include 15 members of Halperin’s own Kibbutz, Holit. Many were also kidnapped to Gaza, where over 200 hostages preside under Hamas control. Halperin speaks about his own experience with

his close friend Ivitar David being kidnapped.

“I remember the exact moment that we saw in a group chat of me and some close friends that he was kidnapped. And at first you can believe it, because it’s just like, it’s not connected to reality,” Halperin said.

Throughout all these attacks, over 1,200 Israelis have been killed.

Israel responded with a barrage of rockets aimed at military targets in Gaza. Israel’s strikes, numbering in the tens of thousands, have severely damaged Gazan infrastructure and reportedly killed 10,000 people according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. Palestinians, already living in poverty and under the control of the terrorist group Hamas, have faced dire circumstances in their home. Many Gazans, after Israel announced a large-scale attack on the northern territory, have fled from their houses.

The Israeli shutoff of electricity, water and food, which they had partially supplied before this conflict, has seen drastic effects on Gazans. The majority of the Gazan population is also under 18, leading to children living in what can only be described as a traumatic environment. Hospitals in Gaza have been hit with bombs multiple times, such as a failed rocket from the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Hundreds of thousands of buildings have been damaged.

Mike from the Arizona Palestine Network views Israel’s response as extreme.

“Israel, yes, they have a right to defend themselves. But if defending themselves includes

tion that while giving some autonomy to Palestinians, was often perceived as unwanted. In 1978, Israel offered to give back Gaza to Egypt, which Egypt refused. Israel officially left Gaza in 2005, taking out all forces, and from part of the West Bank, an additional Palestinian territory. Israel still maintains a presence in parts of the West Bank and the majority Arab, East Jerusalem. Israel, prior to the current October 7th conflict, partially supplied Gaza with humanitarian aid; supplies, water and electricity. Additionally, thousands of Gazans went to work everyday in Israel.

Over the years, many negotiations have been attempted between Israel and Palestine. The most significant of these peace treaties was the Oslo Accords in 1993. The Oslo Accords, a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, agreed on Palestinian

collective punishment, on more than 2 million people living in Gaza does that make them any morally better than the Hamas fighters?” Mike said.

Halperin believes that Israel’s counterattack is necessary for its safety.

“I don’t believe we should erase Gaza from the map. I don’t think that’s right. You also have citizens there who are not involved in this whole situation. But we do need to completely erase Hamas. It’s an organization of terrorists. We saw what they can do, they will do it again,” Halperin said.

Currently the Israeli military has encircled Gaza City and taken control of the northern territory. This comes as confrontation on the Israeli-Lebanese border with the Iranian proxy terrorist group Hezbollah is increasing. Israel has agreed to four-hour daily pauses in order to alleviate civilian casualties. Many Gazans have evaded the conflict by utilizing humanitarian corridors opened up by Egypt and Israel in the South. Rockets from Hamas targeting Israel have still been regular. A ceasefire currently looks unlikely, as military action from both parties continues.

The effect on the mental health of Palestinians and Israelis, at home and abroad, has been detrimental.

Daria, a 15-year-old Israeli, detailed the extremity the conflict has had on the emotional health of people in the country.

“I just couldn’t stop crying. Honestly, I do not see a way for Israelis to bounce back from this because we will never, ever forget, no one’s ever going to forget this. It’s going to be something that’s still going to be talked about. People are still going to be mourning.” Daria said.

“This is the most Jews that have been killed in a day since the Holocaust.”

ments in Palestinian territory and a series of Palestinian terrorist attacks known as the Second Intifada, the peace process has looked unlikely between the two sides.

The core of the absence of peace between Palestinians and Israelis is that amongst each group are sizable and vocal subgroups who wish to acquire the entire land as their homeland. The Palestinians and Israelis who work for peace are fought by absolutists, such as in the cases of Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzchak Rabin, who was assassinated by an Israeli extremist for his role in the peace process and in the 2.4 million Gazans who live silenced under the fanatical Hamas regime. It is challenging to imagine a future without an Arab and Jewish population who live peacefully on the land that is Israel and Palestine.

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Layla, a 27-year-old Palestinian American and local Oregon activist, described the extreme toll the current events are taking on her.

“I’m just absolutely angry at how the world can watch this happen. Of course, there’s sadness as well,” Layla said. “You know, my second cousin was shot and killed two weeks ago, in Palestine. And I have family in Gaza that we haven’t heard from, so there’s fear, there’s sadness.”

As protests for both sides of the conflict erupt, specifically across the United States, both communities have felt in a state of social fear. Bomb threats have been made towards synagogues all over America, and Jewish university students have been the target of multiple hate crimes. Jews all over the country looked on fearfully as LA resident, Paul Kessler, a man peacefully rallying for Israel, was beaten to death with a microphone. Muslims and Palestinians in America watched horrified as a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy in Chicago, Wadea Al Fayoume, was stabbed to death 26 times by his landlord. The rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia has had a strong undertone on this conflict.

In Israel and Gaza, the anger directed at both governments is intense.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, perceived by many as anti-democratic and corrupt, will be held accountable in some way for the attack by Hamas, a massive national security failure.

In Gaza, the Hamas regime has been observed putting their military assets in specifically civilian areas, including; mosques, hospitals and homes. This practice, usually referred to as “Human Shields”, has been extensively documented in a report from the NATO Strategic Communications Centre. During 2014, Amnesty International also reported on widespread torture and killing carried out by Hamas against Palestinians seen as “collaborating” with Israel.

Overall, the heavy toll on innocent civilians on both sides is massive. Civilians have now lost demonstrable amounts of family, friends and hope. The date to mark the end of this current war is unknown, but what is known is that this conflict has affected, and will continue to affect, the lives of millions.

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The Library of Congress /The Samohi

This map details Israel and Palestine; the state of borders and sovereign control throughout the centuries, up to now.

Wikipedia Commons / The Samohi Israeli emergency services collect civilians killed during the Oct. 7 attacks.

Wikipedia Commons / The Samohi Thousands of bombs have been dropped on Gaza by Israel, destroying tens of thousands of buildings.

2023 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists

Olivia Stephasen Staff Writer

Samo students Milo Berini (’24) and Justin Xu (’24) were named semi-finalists for the National Merit Scholarship competition and are proud and honored to become a semi-finalist.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic scholarship competition that works to allow students to receive praise and college scholarships based on their PSAT scores. Upon taking the PSAT in 11th grade, every test taker is automatically submitted for the National Merit Scholarship. The students with the highest scores on the test become semi-finalists for the scholarship, and can further apply to receive the scholarship. The program has been going on for almost 100 years with 1.5 million students entering the National Merit Scholarship Program, and the award is given

to 10,000 students. Every year around 7,500 high school juniors receive a national merit scholarship, and each scholar receives $2,500. That money can help students financially since college is already very expensive with the costs of tuition, food, dorm and supplies. The semi-finalist status can be placed on college applications to try and boost their application.

There has been back and forth between whether the SAT should

be required for students to take the test scores to be on students’ application. Bernini’s opinion on the matter is that taking the SAT doesn’t harm students, but instead is a great advantage to use.

“I think that taking the SAT should be optional but encouraged. It should be the student’s own choice whether or not they want to take it and not something forced upon them,” Berini said. “However, I do think every student should be encouraged to take advantage of Samohi’s SAT School Day, which is the day when everybody has the opportunity to take the SAT on campus for free.”.

Berini and Xu said they prepared by using Khan Academy SAT practice. They would take the available practice tests and score them, analyzing the mistakes they made. As they made mistakes, they would work on practice questions to improve

their weaknesses. By incorporating those strategies, Berini said he gained the confidence to tackle the SAT and improved his time-management abilities.

As a result of practicing beforehand, Berini said he was relaxed during the test and confident he had sufficient time to finish it.

“The main advice I have to offer to anybody hoping to receive a National Merit scholarship is to work on time management in preparation for the PSAT,” Bernini said. “Becoming confident that you have more than enough time to answer every question helps you remain calm and focused during the test, which in turn results in a higher score.”

Xu said he studied English the most, as the reading and comprehension parts are a big part of getting a high score on the SAT. Through all the practice he completed he shares his advice for people trying to receive a National Merit scholarship.

“The main advice I have to offer to anybody hoping to receive a National Merit scholarship is to work on time management in preparation for the PSAT,” Xu said. “Becoming confident that you have more than enough time to answer every question helps you remain calm and focused during the test, which in turn results in a higher score.”

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Samo Mathletes hosts American Math Competition for the first time

For the first time, Samo hosted the American Math Competition (AMC) which took place on Nov. 8-12. The Samo Mathletes are a group of Samo students who are skilled mathematicians interested in competing in math at a competitive level. As a group, they challenged teams across the Bay League and prepared for their competition at Samo.

In previous years individual students have qualified for the AMC, but this year the Samo mathletes are taking it on as a team. Each year, about 300,000 students partake in the AMC worldwide. In comparison, about two million students took the SAT in 2022, separating AMC’s top scorers from the top scorers on the SAT, as the AMC is more selective. The competition is normally held on UCLA’s campus, but team members had not been able to attend in past years, so they made it accessible to more members by moving it to Samo. In adjusting the location of the competition, people who otherwise would not have been able to participate in the competition were able to push themselves and compete in the tests.

This competitive program has been a part of Samo for eight years and is coached by math teacher Emily Anderson. In these competitions, students are tested on their knowledge of all four levels of high school math (geometry, algebra 2, pre-calc. and calculus) through their problem-solving skills, and their ability to work well in a group. Through mathletes, many students have been able to find enjoyment in math. Team member Ben Ostrovsky (’24) has observed peers take an interest in math that had not been there before due to mathletes.

“I’ve seen my friends find their passions in math, which they first felt indifferent to, through

mathletes,” Ostrovksy said. “I believe mathletes is part of undoing the shared misconception about the ‘boringness’ of math.”

Being a mathlete allows them to gain skills, such as rapidly analyzing problems, and applying knowledge they’ve learned to the real world. The Mathletes Club is nonetheless demanding but is a great way to build peer connections and challenge yourself in a different environment.

“Mathletes is a club like no other because it takes an academic subject, specifically one which a lot of students find boring, and makes it into a fun and cooperative experience,” Ostrovsky stated.

Having good peer connections is very important in building a strong team dynamic. Strong and positive team cooperation plays a large part in their ability to work well together during competitions. The team can stay close-knit due to the long bus rides to other schools and their shared challenges over tough problems.

Mathlete captains are carefully selected and are determined and motivated individuals. As the previous captains of the last two years have left, large shoes were left to fill. Filling these shoes are team captains Eleanor Smith (’25), Henry Sullivan (’25) and Hannah Rand (’24). Smith and Sullivan have been on the team since they were freshmen, and have seen the team grow and develop just in the past three years.

“We have improved a lot over the years in our other competitions. Throughout the year, we tend to score higher as well,” Smith said. “We all have a shared love for math so we relate closely to each other through that.”

All members work hard inside and outside of school, which helps them do better in practices and competitions. As captains, Smith and Sullivan get to recognize how the team members’ hard work pays off. They get to see them apply themselves to the topics and work on topics that they have learned. Being a team captain is important to both Smith and Sullivan. For Smith, she enjoys being able to represent the team and is excited to lead the team in the AMC.

“I’m excited to participate in it myself and be able to provide this opportunity for the team,” Smith said.

Being able to participate in the competition and lead the team is important to Sullivan since he can develop a more in-depth understanding of the math they cover.

“Being a captain means having a deeper understanding of the material on tests, going above and beyond to learn math, and being a generally good leader,” Sullivan said.

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Weekend Bags Program Addresses Student Hunger

Nearing the end of 2021, SMMUSD parent and longtime volunteer Patti Braun conceptualized a program that would address food insecurity in local households. Amid the pandemic, she had been asked to fund and distribute holiday gift cards to disadvantaged JAMS’ families, just one of the initiatives she had supervised in the past. As she further pried into the persisting issue of food insecurity, Braun reached a definitive conclusion: not enough was being done to assist low-income families within the district. After months of emails, countless meetings with district officials and hours of work, the Weekend Bags program was finally launched in Dec. 2021 with the help of Braun’s co-coordinator, SMMUSD parent and registered dietician Deb Novak.

Now, every Friday, all students can visit their house offices to collect a nondescript package for the weekend ahead of them. Packed into their reusable plastic bag are two breakfasts, two lunches and two snacks, all of which are simple and shelf-stable. Primarily supplied by the Westside Food Bank, the contents of each bag are carefully curated weekly by a dietician to meet federal standards, ensuring that every student is provided with nutritious meals in their time away from campus. Additionally, the entire process is confidential, guaranteeing the anonymity of all participants from the program’s coordinators and volunteer staff.

Weekend Bags was founded with the intent of addressing food insecurity specifically within a learning environment.When

prompted with a question regarding her reasoning behind the program, Braun—the now Co-Coordinator of Weekend Bags— happily expanded on the matter at hand.

“We have 80-100 students throughout our district who are dependent on the free breakfasts and lunches in our school cafeterias, but who may go home to weekend food insecurity,” Braun said. “Food insecurity affects concentration, memory, mood and motor skills, all of which our students need to be

successful in school.”

The Weekend Bags program is emblematic of Samo community values and exemplifies the feats that can be accomplished when people put their heads together. Spurred by a shared passion for goodwill amongst parents and students alike, Weekend Bags launched in a matter of months and has grown since. SMMUSD has provided space in the Discovery building, making the production process simple and efficient, with all bags assembled on campus. With no exterior funding, the process remains entirely operated by the volunteers, many of whom are under 18.

Samo’s student-led Hunger Awareness club frequently meets after school to help with packing and various other tasks. Co-President Finlay Ross (’25) explained the message behind the club, offering insight into its significance in the community.

“Our club’s purpose is to educate and inform students about food insecurity while also incorporating opportunities to help people who suffer from food insecurity,” Ross said. “It’s a wonderful mix of education and service to our community.”

The club meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month and offers volunteer hours to students interested in taking a spot in the assembly line.

“Students can come to pack Weekend Bags with us for an hour after school and receive a service hour,” Braun said. “We welcome clubs too! The next packing day is Tuesday, November 21st at 4:30 p.m. in D16 on the west side of the Discovery building, through the double doors just to the left of the loading dock. Follow the signs.”

In preparation for the weekend, the Hunger Awareness Club stands outside the storage room after packaging food.

Dalia Puchalt / The Samohi

Taylor Witt / The Samohi Milo Bernini (’24)

Sia Kresch Staff Writer

Mathletes members reviewing their tests as a team inside the cafeteria before a competition.

Eleanor Smith / Contributor

Taylor Witt / The Samohi Justin Xu (’24)

Dalia Puchalt Staff Writer

Students re ect on Israel-Hamas con ict

Declan Ney Staff Writer

On Oct. 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance Movement, more widely known as Hamas, led a series of coordinated attacks against the people of Israel. These attacks resulted in the Israel Defense Force launching a series of airstrikes against Gaza, which has killed over 6,000 Palestinians and also left 1.4 million Palestinians without homes. As of Oct. 27, 1,410 Israelis have been killed, 5,132 Israelis have been wounded and 233 other Israeli citizens have been abducted by the terrorist organization, according to the Washington Post. Students at Samo with connections to loved ones in Israel have been adversely affected by the conflict.

This ongoing armed conflict has added another chapter to the conflict between Israel and Palestine that has lasted for exactly 75 years. However, several Samo students are reflecting on the effects that the war has had on the country, especially those with loved ones in the midst of the action, including a Samo student who wishes to remain anonymous.

“I have a lot of friends over in Israel that are currently serving in the army,” the student said. “I also studied abroad in Israel for four months last year so my family and I have a lot of connections to Israel.”

Every weeknight, thousands of Americans across the country tune into the evening network newscasts and look all over social media to hear updates on the situation. Watching it all unfold from so far away has brought about emotions of fear and worry throughout Samo’s community, as described by PBL student Toby Safchik ('25).

“I feel a lot of sadness and stress,” Safchik said. “Personally, one of my close friends from third grade is

trapped in Israel and I’ve been trying to get in touch with him. It’s really hard to take my mind off of it.”

Many colleges across America have entered the national spotlight due to the many protests from supporters of both sides of the war. Columbia University, an Ivy League school in the Morningside Heights section of New York City, has garnered the most media attention out of the colleges because of a controversial, pro-Hamas stance by a politics and history professor at the university that has since sparked a walkout induced outrage throughout the Lions community. Other Ivy League schools such as Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania are also dealing with increased amounts of antisemitism both on campus and on social media. These student-led movements have put more fear into Samo’s Class of 2024, including PBL student Elliot Wechsler ('24).

“I think it’s really scary as a Jew who’s going to college next year,” Wechsler said. “The amount of antisemitism that’s been unearthed through this conflict is terrifying and I don’t think I’d be able to control myself if I was in that scenario.”

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Smells like Samo spirit: a swell in Viking pride

In recent years, school spirit has been dampened due to the COVID-19 pandemic which halted pep rallies, sporting events and school dances. Without these key experiences, it can be challenging for students to connect with Samo. Now, with the full-fledged comeback of school-sanctioned events, there has been an uptick of school spirit.

Stefani Tovar, the Student Activities Director, discusses how ASB is being able to function more fully and how they are making changes this year to regain strength in their operations.

“It’s currently a work in progress,” Tovar said. “We are all getting to know each other, this is my first year in this position, we have different expectations and we are going in a different direction. We are trying to improve upon the work that has been done in the past so we can collaborate more with the student body and the teachers on campus.”

A big enhancement of the school spirit is found in the overall increase in spirit among the Samo student body. Depending on the student, this can be attributed to the success in this year’s football season, more sporting events, more creative and elaborate spirit weeks — the increased variety of schoolwide events in general. For example, on Nov. 3, during fifth period, the Samo Vi-

king Marching Band marched through the halls, stopping to play as many students came out of their classes to watch the show.

By playing in the halls, the marching band gained recognition for the effort and long hours they put into music. The band also played to bolster school spirit. According to marching band director Kevin McKeown, this event was held in celebration of the football team’s first home playoff game in many years. For a few minutes, the marching band was able to grant the students a small break from classes to listen and enjoy some live music. Marching band musician Mia Inocencio (’25) provides insight on how some of the students might have felt during the music.

“To everyone else, it’s just a good show, a little distraction from their classes,” Inocencio said. “But at the same time, we saw people getting out of their classes and dancing. So I think we kind of let everyone have some fun in that moment.”

This year, in addition to the new activities, ASB is aiming to take events done in the past, including pep rallies, club row and the typical dances, and enhance them by incorporating more student involvement and feedback. ASB will also add a new dance this year, which according to Tovar has involved a lot of parental input. Tovar explains that the overall goal is to foster a sense of community within Samo and she hopes school

spirit ties it all together.

“My vision is to make sure that everyone ideally has a connection to our school, whether it is through a club or one of the programs in our school,” Tovar said. “I want everyone to feel like they belong here and are a part of our campus.”

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Taylor Witt Photo Editor

Out of 10,000 SMMUSD students, Samo student Emmaline Thorpe (’24) was one of two students in the district awarded a rare perfect score on the AP 2-Dimensional Art and Design Exam. The 2022-2023 AP Exam scores were released in early July of this year. Out of approximately 49,000 students worldwide who took the AP Art class last year, only 337 students received a perfect score.

The prompt for the 2023 AP Art exam is to curate a portfolio of 20 total images divided into two sections. The Sustained Investigation holds 60 percent of the total exam score and prompts students to submit 15 images including documentation of their process and a typed response explaining the theme of their focus for the portfolio. Section two of the submission is for students to explain their technique and identify materials and creative processes. Thorpe discusses her current inspirations stemming from feminist art and how that has influ-

enced the style in her recent paintings.

“In terms of conceptually, I think that I’ve kind of found more confidence in myself as an artist and in the stories I want to tell,” Thorpe said. “I think that I have more trust in myself when it comes to making art for myself and for other

people. So whatever issue I want to talk about or whatever personal identity thing I want to paint or channel into my work, I feel very free to do so.”

SMMUSD superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton highlighted the importance of this achievement in a district news

release, discussing what it means for the recognition of the SMMUSD school district.

“I am overjoyed to celebrate the remarkable achievement of these two outstanding students who earned perfect scores on their AP exams,” Shelton said. “Their exceptional accomplishment is a testament to their talent and dedication, as well as our unwavering commitment to nurturing the arts within SMMUSD.” Thorpe was also named Young Artist of the Year by the California Young Arts Expo. Her work is currently on display at the Downtown Santa Monica Promenade.

“I’m honestly very honored and really grateful that they recognize me so much,” Thorpe said. “But the most important thing is that I’m very grateful for what art has given me… It’s an outlet and an opportunity to express how I feel about the world.”

Koi Lerner and Maggie Marks Staff Writers

Samo Viking Marching Band students play pep tunes in the second floor Innovation Building quad, the second stop on their tour of the school celebrating Viking varsity football advancing to CIF playoffs.

Martin Ledford / Contributor

Emma Thorpe / Contributor

Palenstinians move south from Northern Gaza on November 10, fleeing violence and destruction caused by Hamas airstrikes.

Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Contributor

Emma Thorpe / Contributor

The Samohi

Samo fashionistas face a changing California fall

Max Kehoe Staff Writer

In recent years, Los Angeles has been experiencing unusual weather. In autumn this year, the weather has been changing at a severe rate even within a single day, from chilly, foggy mornings to sweaty dismissal times. With the varying temperatures and climate-change-provoked weather events, Samo students are faced with a challenge that has only recently begun to occur in Santa Monica: dressing to accommodate extreme and polarized daily temperatures.

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“I hate the changing weather... I like to be cozy during the fall season, but it’s too hot for knits, furs, hats and even sweaters. I’ll just tough it out because sometimes you have to su er for fashion.”

– Simon Ashford (’25)

Tricks,

“ e changing weather is really taking a toll… Say I want to wear a button-up shirt: I have to discard that to stay warm, but then later on, the only thing I wish I was wearing is that button-up because it’s so hot outside.”

– Lux Auslander (’27)

“I’ve been enjoying how it’s cool and foggy in the mornings and once it’s dark. I don’t like to wear jackets at school because it was inconvenient since my bag was already full. But it’s nice to be able to wear them more due to the cold weather.”

– Deva Bardach

“I’ve started averaging out whether I’m going to keep my arms warm and wear long sleeves or if I’m going to keep my legs warm and wear jeans. When it was consistently hot, at least I was able to dress for comfort — and wear mini skirts.”

treats, and terri c out ts at Samo

On the day of Halloween, Samo students gathered around the entrance to Barnum, attracted by a spooky holiday soundtrack broadcasted across campus. As contestants led into a line to enter their names on the sign-up sheet, onlookers began to start on their lunches, staring at the makeshi runway in anticipation.

e contest, hosted by the student-led club Running with Speakers, featured an array of costumes in the context of three categories. Group costumes were rst, consisting of several synchronized efforts on behalf of the Samo sta . e ofce ladies marched down the catwalk as super “she-roes,” each stopping to pose and bring their empowering characters to life. e Samo advisors were next in a creative take on a classic lm. Complete with coordinated belts and labeled T-shirts, the Seven Dwarfs made an appearance outside Barnum Hall this Halloween, followed closely by Snow White and the Magic Mirror, all played by House Advisors. Although they weren’t in the contest themselves, much of the female faculty coordinated Barbie-themed costumes as

well, peppering the audience with pink jumpsuits.

e second category of costumes on display was the solo section. Girl’s Flag Football coach Ramsey Lambert appeared as an athlete on his very own team, and SpongeBob’s infamous Mr. Krabs made it rain with monopoly dollars as he pivoted in front of the audience. e nal category was duo costumes. Kayman Mangan (’26) and Alise Serna-Fischer (’24) made their debuts onstage to vigorous applause as Bojack Horseman and Todd, the talking horse’s sidekick and best friend.

e climax of the event was its conclusion, in which the winners were announced and awarded a he y bucket of candy. A er a brief discussion between the Samo faculty judges Brynn Boyd, Stefani Tovar and Andrea Shore, a consensus was reached. e Samo advisors with their Snow White inspired costumes took the crown for “Best Group” for their noteworthy organization and attention to detail as a larger unit. Vera Silva (‘24) as Sally from “A Nightmare Before Christmas” was awarded “Best Impersonation”

shortly a er winning PBL’s own costume contest earlier that day. Sadie O’Connell (’25) le the audience spellbound with her Mr. Peanut costume, accepting the title of “Most Creative” with her costume. O’Connell has won prizes in previous years as well with her creative depictions of Gollum and Dobby the house elf. “ is is my third year in a row participating in the costume contest,” O’Connell said. “I think that it’s a great way to bring students together, and it’s just a fun idea.” Regardless of the judges’ decisions, different students favored various costumes themselves, making sure to applaud for their friends and favorite familiar characters. Additionally, all contestants were sent to their h periods with complementary candy as a token of their hard work. With any luck, a creative cast of passionate students will once again transform next Halloween, bringing ctional gures to life on campus for many years to come.

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Local’s Night celebrates Samo community

Buitrago Staff Writer

On Oct. 19, Local’s Night was held at the Pier and consisted of a community pep rally to get folks in the spirit to support Samo and their community. e event was lively with a variety of music and activities performed by students of Samo. e pep rally was held on a stage set up on an empty part of the pier past the carousel and restaurants. e event kicked o with a performance by the Samo Golden Poms that included songs such as “Desperado” by Rihanna and “America’s got a Problem” by Beyonce, making the crowd go wild. Samo Golden Poms member Valentina Manco (’24) shares her thoughts on the night as a performer.

“I enjoyed the night because it brought Santa Monica together as a community and showed the talents of the people in the arts at Samo,” Manco said.

Many parents and locals came to the event to support their community and see amazing performances. Shortly a er Pom, Samo Cheer entered the stage to perform dif-

ferent routines and chants while getting audience members in the spirit. Next was a performance from Samo band, playing the Samo ght song among other songs.

Next, the City Council took the stage to make announcements to the community and introduce Homecoming Queen Kara Best (‘24) as well as Homecoming Court member aice Clark (’24). Students like Best participated in this event in order to support Samo and immerse themselves in the community.

“I think Local’s Night was very signi cant, I really liked seeing a lot of Samo alumni,” Best said. “I also liked how everyone was coming up to me and aice and I think it was really sweet of them to engage with what is going on at Samo.”

For one of the last events of the night, the Santa Monica College cheerleading team, the Corsairs, took the stage and performed for everyone. Besides the pep rally that took place, Local’s Night included many other activities such as a car show and a live DJ for residents to enjoy. Local’s Night started in Sept. and will occur on the third

ursday of each month; make sure to head down to the Pier to enjoy the festivities, an amazing view and a way to celebrate your community.

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Max Kehoe / The Samohi

Max Kehoe / The Samohi

Max Kehoe / The Samohi

Max Kehoe / The Samohi

– Sophia Luneva (’26)

(’26)

Dalia Puchalt Staff Writer

Mason Stevens (’25), in full costume, rocks the runway at the Running with Speakers Halloween costume contest.

Taylor Witt / The Samohi

Violeta

Nathan Vasquez / The Samohi Santa Monica musicians at the Oct. 19 Local’s Night. Samo students were a highlight of this event, but members of the wider community performed as well.

Art by Audrey Strauss

Girls’ cross country advances to CIF Finals for second year in a row

Ryan Kim News Editor

Running in muddy tracks, hot temperatures, or rocky land, the Varsity Cross Country team persevered and achieved successful results throughout the season. Varsity boys’ and girls’ held strong throughout all their meets, placing high in the Palos Verdes Invitational where Kingsley Lin (’27) placed first in the 2-mile race against nine of Bay League’s top freshmen, helping make Santa Monica first in the freshman race. Lin loves the team aspect of the races.

“All the friends and community I’ve met are so many new people that I now talk with on a daily basis and play Fortnite with,” Lin said.

This year the varsity teams traveled to New York City to compete in the Manhattan College Invitational that runs through Van Cortlandt Park. Running through the rainy weather, the teams held strong as the girls’ cross country placed sixth over hundreds of teams, while Landon Kozmor (’24), the top runner in boys’ varsity, placed ninety fourth out of nearly two hundred runners. Kozmor went on to place fourteenth out of 269 others in the Warrior Mile race.

From the summer to the season, varsity focused on unifying the teams and becoming a tight-knit family. The teams became closer than ever through team bonding activities such as movie nights, team dinners and smoothie trips, according to Phoebe Benun (’25), the top runner on girls’ varsity.

“With running comes a great deal of stress and anxiety for many people on the team, so we try to recognize those feelings of worry before races and work together to get past them so that everyone can focus on pushing themselves to be the best that they can be,” Benun said.

The boys’ season ended Nov. 2 at the Bay League Finals, where they placed fourth. Only the top three teams advanced to CIF Prelims. Overall, Lin is happy with the way the season went.

“I’ve found a new passion,” Lin said. “If I had gone back I would have changed nothing, the only thing now is to look forward and prepare for the track or next cross country season.”

The girls’ were able to secure a wild card and advanced to the CIF Division I Preliminary Race. They placed third in their heat and secured a spot in CIF Finals, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18. Girls’ varsity is hoping to return to the State Championship at

Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 25, which will only be possible if they get top seven at CIF Finals. After last year’s state competition, Benun believes the team is capable of competing with some of the best in the state.

“It was incredible to be able to compete at the state cross country meet in Fresno last year and I aim to qualify with the team again this season,” Benun said. “I have a lot of fun racing with all the high-level athletes at the meet and I know that we have a shot at making it again.”

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Girls’ volleyball ends season with an even-split record

The Samo Girls’ Volleyball season ended on October 19 when they lost 0-3 to Beckman High School in the first round of the Division III CIF Championships. They ended fourth in the Bay League with a 4-6

record, and their whole season amounted to 13 wins and 13 losses.

Samo played five home games for league this season against their opponents Culver City, Redondo Union, Mira Costa, Peninsula, and Palos Verdes High Schools, walking away with two wins. They also played these teams in away games, winning two more times. One of the younger members of the team, Jordyn Scannell (’26), speaks on how she hopes to improve next year.

“My goal for next season is to win our league and become a stronger team overall,” Scannell said. “In the off-season, I will work hard in and outside of school so I will be even better when we play next fall.”

There were many highlights from this season, such as strong blocks, sharp spikes, good communication, and high scores. Among all of these highlights, one that stood out the most was the senior night game. Samo beat Peninsula High School in a 3-1 game on Oct. 3. Not only did the seniors enjoy this send-off night,

but the whole team enjoyed the game and had a blast. Emerson Werger (’24) gives her thoughts on the team spirit that night.

“Our stands were filled and the football team was super loud, which created a very exciting atmosphere for our senior night,” Werger said.

Werger is thankful for Coach Liane Sato’s effective guidance, which paired with their tough schedules, she claims was a big factor for their improvement throughout the season. Even though she is a senior and not able to return next year, Werger is hopeful for what the future holds for the rest of Samo’s Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team.

“As a senior, the end of the season was super sad for us,” Werger said. “I am so grateful for all of the memories that we have created throughout our years and I can’t wait to hear about the future of the program.”

Boys’ waterpolo reclaims their spot

Maggie Marks Staff Writer

On Nov. 2, the Boys Varsity Water Polo Team wrapped up their successful season, with a total of 21 wins and 11 losses. Their backbreaking work, enhanced game strategy, and camaraderie as a team allowed them to foster success in CIF, making it all the way to 2nd round in CIF. Their final game was against University High School, with a final score of 13-20.

From their initial home game on Sept. 6 taking home the victory

in CIF

against Brentwood High School, they have been improving their communication skills in water throughout their season. After their first home game, Head Coach Matthew Flanders says that they built their skills throughout their games, and tend to finish strong.

“The starting game was very slow, and we had to get a fire lit under us to get going, but once we got going it went pretty well,” Flanders said. “I think the first quadrant was kind of weak for us, and we built from there. Once they started playing, there was no contest.”

Varsity player Daine Lira (’24) speaks to the successes and losses of this year’s season, and feels that this season was a great learning experience, as well as an overall achievement.

“It’s been kind of up and down. Obviously on paper we have been winning against these teams, but we have had a lot of really tough matches where we have lost by a few points but those are always really good because it tells us what we can improve upon.”

Although the team was not sure what would come of the transition from Ocean to Bay League, Team Captain Darragh Flanders (’24) agreed after finishing their league games that the season had been strong, and wanted to continue this trajectory.

“The season has been going really great for us, we accomplished our goals of making 3rd in the league and making it to CIF, but the job isn’t finished and we now have to win it all,” Flanders said.

In last year’s season, the boys’ water polo team didn’t make it to CIF for the first time in over a decade. This season, they accom-

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plished their goal to finish in the top three in league to progress to CIF, making it all the way to round two.

With the season coming to a close, water polo players are gearing up for their swim season. Varsity player Lucas Hekimian, while mourning the end of the season, is ready to move onto the Samo swim season.

“It’s an unfortunate loss. The season has been fun, but the final game could have gone better. I am looking forward to the commencement of the swim season.” Hekimian said.

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Koi Lerner Staff Writer

Koi Lerner / The Samohi

Jordyn Scannell (’26) serves a ball while playing a game aginst Palos Verdes on Sep. 21. Samo won all matches in this game to finish with a score of 3-0.

Taylor Witt / The Samohi

Milo Perkins (‘24) passes the ball to his teammates to advance towards a goal while playing in a game against Palos Verdes on Oct. 12.

David Hunzicker / Contributor

Brody Wilkes (’24) [left] and Nico Lombard (’24) [right] race together against runners from Palos Verdes and other schools in Bay League to place fourth at the League meet on Oct. 10.

Taylor Witt / The Samohi Ethan Fitzgerald (‘25) dodges defenders and takes a shot to score a goal in a game against Palos Verdes on Oct. 12. Koi Lerner / The Samohi Jordyn Scannell (’26) sets a ball for her teammates to spike in order to win a point in a match against Palos Verdes on Spet. 21.

Phoebe Benun (’25) races at the front of a pack at the 75th Mt. SAC Invitational on Oct. 21. She placed third in the sweepstakes.

David Hunzicker / Contributor

Samo flag football goes undefeated in first-ever season to win the Ocean League title

Nathan Vasquez Staff Writer

Samo’s Girls’ Flag Football ended their inaugural season on a high note winning eight straight games. The team also went undefeated to secure their first Ocean League title with teams that included Hawthorne, Centennial, and Lawndale High School.

The season started off strong with a 6-2 record for non-league games. Their losses to Warren and Torrance were only by a few points. The team’s progress through those two losses has been huge, as they went on to

earn third place at the Corona Panthers Air Show Tournament. Then they went on to claim the Ocean League title by going undefeated 8-0. Coach Ramsey Lambert has high praise for his team.

“I’m most proud of just the effort that they put in and how they committed to learning a new sport in such little time,” Coach Lambert said. “They excelled at executing plays that you would typically see on Saturdays and Sundays [in college football and the NFL].”

The team’s final game was their most impressive win of the entire

season, where they beat Centennial High School 36-0 to claim the title as Ocean League Champions. They completely sparked with their passing thanks to quarterback Anica Mindes (’25) throwing for five touchdown passes. The defense also made many big stops to manage a shutout.

Samo started to get attention from the news when they were featured on Good Day LA FOX for not only being one of the top teams in the state, but being one of the top teams in the country.

Samo has a national ranking of 95 out of all the 746 schools

that have a Girls’ Flag football program registered on MaxPreps. Coach Lambert shares his thoughts on being featured on Good Day LA FOX and how much he felt it impacted the recognition of the sport.

“So many people I know… didn’t know that girls’ flag football was a thing until they saw the special, then they texted me like, ‘Oh, it’s so cool that you guys are doing girls’ flag football,’” Lambert said.

“So hopefully, you know, that episode helped inspire some other schools and districts to get them to get a team together too so we can continue to grow and have

a playoff system set in place for CIF in the coming years,” Next season, the team is looking to repeat as Ocean League Champions and win in the playoffs, which will be coming to the sport next season. Team Captain Isabella Sanchez believes that the team will repeat their success next season after she graduates. “I have so much confidence in this team, and they’re just gonna keep on doing amazing.” Sanchez said. “I mean, honestly, the talent is crazy and it’s only going to keep getting better.”

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Football advances to CIF semi-finals and continues its record-breaking season

Declan Ney Staff Writer

Newmohi: That was the mantra that the Samo Vikings Varsity Football team had going into the 2023-24 season. After spending the past four years without punching their ticket to the CIF playoffs, Samo wanted to prove to the rest of the conference that this was not the Vikings teams of old and that they wanted to bring the rain that would end the playoff drought. They did just that.

The Vikings finished the season at 6-4, their best finish since the 2019 season when they went 7-5. This year’s iteration started on a torrid hot streak at 5-0, with their first win of the season coming in a massive upset at home against Calabasas High School. The other four

wins came against El Segundo, West Torrance, Sylmar, and Hueneme, respectively. However, the second half of the season left much more to be desired as Samo went 1-4 down the stretch, with their lone win coming against Peninsula High School, while losing hard-fought games to Palos Verdes, Mira Costa, Redondo Union, and Culver City. The Vikings scored 239 points this season while surrendering 193 points, good enough for a +46 point differential during the regular season. Vikings offensive and defensive lineman Jayden Montanez (’24) recalls his favorite moment this season.

“My favorite memory of the year was the Week One win over Calabasas,” Montanez said.

“We were 40-point underdogs and we came out with a win so I’ll remember it for a long time.”

Many of the players that represented Samo’s

Class of 2024 were the main factors in the Vikings’ renaissance throughout the season. Running back and linebacker Caden McCallum (’24) led the way for Samo’s ground attack as he amassed exactly 100 rushing yards per game and 15 total touchdowns on the season while averaging a team-best of 6.5 tackles per game on the other side of the ball. Wide receiver Griffin Seals (’24) made absolute cinema every Friday night with astonishing acrobatic catches to lead the team with 86.6 receiving yards per game.

And on the Vikings’ defense, defensive end Montanez led the team in sacks with four on the season, and safety Charles Cravings (’24) accumulated seven interceptions all year. All of these stats don’t take the attention away from quarterback Wyatt Brown (’26), who led an aerial attack that resulted in 17 passing touchdowns

and three rushing touchdowns on the year. The team is now giving CIF its full attention.

“Right now, I’m focusing on the playoffs,” Montanez said. “If this is it, I left it all out on the field and whatever happens happens.”

The Vikings had their first playoff game at home on Nov. 3 against Santa Ana High School, who finished their season with a 7-3 record. Samo prevailed in an overtime thriller in the fog by a score of 34-27. Their next playoff game was on the road at Troy High School on Nov. 10, which they won 35-20. Samo is set to play in the semifinals against Kaiser High School Friday, Nov. 17. If they advance, they will face either Rio Hondo Prep or Vista del Lago High School to win it all.

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Manuel Lares (’25) emerges from the fog the night of Samo’s game versus Santa Ana High School. Samo won 34-27 in overtime.

Manny Lopez / The Samohi

The flag football team holds up W’s after winning their last league game versus Centenial High School on Oct. 19 to celebrate their undefeated season and newly-claimed title of Ocean League Champions.

Nathan Vasquez / The Samohi

[From left to right] Jayden Montanez (’24), Griffin Seals (‘24), Caden McCallum (‘24) and Paco Vandenbrook (‘24) stand on the sidelines of their game against West Torrance High School. Samo won 28-9 that day to continue their winning streak.

Manny Lopez / The Samohi Devin Lee (’25) makes a one-handed catch in the game versus Santa Ana High School on Friday, Nov. 3.

Manny Lopez / The Samohi

[From left to right] Isabella Sanchez (’24), Melanie Salazar (’26) and Lindsay Kaplan (’26) celebrate after Kaplan scored a touchdown against Centennial High School.

Nathan Vasquez / The Samohi