Students around LA take a stand
Throughout several school districts in Los Angeles (L.A.) County, including Santa Monica, Long Beach and Pasadena, students of all ages are rising up to protest and speak out against local and national injustices. Recent demonstrations involving students from several different backgrounds show increased youth engagement in political and social issues in their communities.
Our collective nostalgia for 2016
In 2026, students have been looking to carry trends with them from a decade ago into the new year. Skinny jeans, chokers, and ballet flats are all included in this 2016 revival. Beyond fashion trends, mindsets like “millenial optimism” and anti-cringe culture are also making a comeback. This phenomenon can be heavily seen on the Samo campus, with students revisiting their childhood nostalgia.
A Madlibs from Over the Rainbow
On a (adjective) March 17, you wake up on your (furniture) because you feel something (verb ending in ing) your arm.
You look, and see it’s a leprechaun that has a (color) (facial hair) and (color) apparel. In his hand you can see a (type of metal).
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SoCal’s mountain regrowth post Los Angeles Wildfires
It has officially been one year since the Los Angeles wildfires devastated communities across the Los Angeles (LA) region.
Samo’s new Bill of Rights
On Friday, Jan. 9, the Human Rights Watch Club hosted an event in the Innovation Quad during the school day, informing students about their upcoming project, the Student Bill of Responsibilities and Rights (SBBR). The bill is focused towards the Samo community, ensuring that all students—including staff—are involved in measuring their responsibilities while being held accountable on campus.
Samo Grad Delany O’dea ‘24 makes Jeopardy! History
Delany O'dea, Samo alumni (’24) is now one of “Jeopardy!”’s youngest champions. She recently made her game show debut on Oct. 15, 2025, winning first place before finishing second in another game the following day.
Samo welcomes new AP 3-D Art and Design Class
Advanced Placement (AP) 3-D Art and Design will be introduced at Samo in the ’26-’27 school year, allowing students to explore multidimensional mediums of art. The new course will immerse students in the study of form and material experimentation through cardboard engineering, multimedia sculptures and textile structures, among other art forms.
BSU leads black history month at samo
Many have familiarized themselves with Black History Month, which spans 28 days and recognizes Black contributions often ignored by history. It originated in 1926 as Negro History Week, founded by historian Carter G. Woodson and celebrated in February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In recognition of its 100th anniversary this year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has deemed the official Black History Month 2026 theme as "A Century of Black History Commemorations."
HOTLB: What is your 2026 theme song?
Music has the ability to shift perspectives, change moods and reflect inner growth and as 2026 begins, many students are turning to music as a way to set intentions for the new year. Whether the song is intended to inspire confidence, gratitude or pure joy, the music people connect to often represents what they hope to achieve. Samo students shared what songs they want to embody in 2026.
Samo’s MUN hosts their second at-home conference
On Jan. 24, Samo’s Model United Nations (MUN) club hosted their second at-home conference. The MUN program enables students to act as delegates from different countries in a mock of the UN while exploring foreign policies and politics. The conference went from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and was held in Samo’s Discovery building. Other schools in attendance were the Archer School for Girls, Granada Hills Charter High School, Harvard-West Lake High School, Louisville High School, Malibu High School, Venice High School and Corona Del Mar High School.
Samo’s MUN team competes at UCLA
On Nov. 8-9, Samo’s Model United Nations (MUN) team attended the annual UCLA BruinMUN conference, one of the largest in the nation—hosting nearly 2,000 students.
JPL competition conquered
On Dec. 5, Samo’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering team won third place in the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) “Bucket Brigade Contest” competition. This follows their first place win in the regionals.
Protecting your mental health at Samo
As the winter months progress, bringing colder weather and heavier work loads, Samo students may benefit from taking time to decompress through activities offered on campus. Whether it's resources that support mental health, or creative outlets like arts and crafts workshops, there are a variety of opportunities for students to use in order to find balance during these challenging months.
Japanese sports day comes to Samo
The Japanese tradition, Undokai, also known as Japanese sports day, was brought to Samo for the first time on Nov. 14. Japanese programs from both Samo and Cortines High School partnered up to organize this event in the North Gym.
A realistic day of a stressed out senior
Waking up on this dreadful winter morning, I’m met with a pounding headache and the sore sight of the previous night’s empty tropical red bull. Last night’s nightmares—full of rejection letters from my top schools and missing assignment notifications—kept me tossing and turning until morning.
Students respond to greater enforcement of campus policies
As a new school year at Samo unfolds, students have noticed new policies and a stricter enforcement of pre-existing rules. Whether it’s at football games, pep rallies or other school events, the school security and policies seems to have tightened for the ’25-’26 school year.
HOTLB: What is your favorite Halloween memory?
Students shared their favorite nostalgic Halloween memories.
Would you agree with samo’s sweet winner?
After four rounds and hundreds of student and teacher votes across the board for our school’s favorite Halloween candy, Sour Patch Kids emerged as the ultimate champion against 16 sweet contestants. While chocolate dominated early rounds, the final vote showed Samo siding with sour over sweet.
Starbucks closures open doors for local coffee shops
After years of rapid expansion, the popular coffee chain Starbucks is changing its business approach by closing more than 29 locations across California and approximately 430 nationwide. These closures could potentially shift the coffee scene and allow smaller local coffee shops to stand out.
Fried Chicken: From the south to los Angeles
Fried chicken has become a craze in Los Angeles (LA) over the past few years, with multiple restaurants opening rapidly and big chains expanding their locations throughout the city. However, there’s a rich history behind how fried chicken arrived in Los Angeles.