Strong finish, stronger future for Samo wrestling
Isabella Hillier / Contributor
Scott Limon (’28) pins a Redondo High School opponent during a home match.
Strong finish, stronger future for Samo wrestling
Samo Girls’ beach volleyball team began their season on Feb. 10 with a game against Santa Barbara, with a score of 0-5. After finishing their ’24-’25 season, 2-4, the team is trying to put a new emphasis on growth.
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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School Threats: how samo responds (Copy)
The Samo girls’ water polo team ended their season in the first round of CIF, with a final overall season score of 19-10-0. They lost against Chaparral with the match ending in a score of 6-7, they ranked 70 overall in California, of which they moved up 33 places from their state ranking last season.
California Gives $90 Million to Planned Parenthood
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 106 on Feb. 11, which amended California’s Budget Act of 2025. SB 106 gave roughly $140 million to California’s Department of Healthcare Access and Information, with the money to be spent on the health care workforce, health care quality and affordability and facilities development. $90 million of this was provided to Planned Parenthood, a sexual and reproductive health care nonprofit organization, given in the form of grants.
Girls’ soccer ends after a momentous season
The Samo girls’ soccer team ended their season on Feb. 14 after falling short in round two of California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 3 against Flintridge Prep, with a final score of 1-4. The Samo girls’ soccer team played their first CIF game on Feb. 12 against Oak Hills High School. They won with a close score of 1-0, which moved them into the second round of the playoffs.
The overconsumption of ozempic and media’s exploitation of the “Ideal Body”
Recently in media skeletal frames and protruding collar bones are being used to promote a new era of fitness culture, disguising blatant starvation as wellness. Debloating tips, low calorie recipes and “what I eat in a day”’s followed by glaring body checks plaster the internet, normalizing the idea that sickly skinny bodies are, in actuality, healthy ones. Having public figures become noticeably thinner will of course directly influence the public, causing the trend of extreme weight loss to reenter the mainstream. With the rate at which trend cycles come and go these days, the desire to speed up the weight loss process is at an all time high, leading to an intense push of weight loss drugs into advertising.
Santa Monica receives $49.9 million grant for affordable housing and transportation
On Dec. 16, 2025, Santa Monica was awarded $49.9 million to supplement their affordable housing and transportation projects. This grant was given to Santa Monica from the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC).
Government in Iran cracks down on anti-regime protests
In January, Iran experienced its most significant government crackdown since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, acting as a response to nationwide protests. Beginning as a movement against the country’s current economic state, the protesters’ intent shifted into a desire for an end to the current regime, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The downfall of stranger things through season five
After a long three years since its last release, critically acclaimed TV series Stranger Things released its fifth and final season. The first volume, airing on Nov. 26, consisted of four episodes, followed by a three-episode volume released on Christmas Day, with the finale episode airing on New Year’s Eve. After years of anticipation, expectations for the finale were at their peak - but, instead of celebration, the finale caused viewers to feel widespread disappointment and borderline psychosis. Although it was an enjoyable watch, it should have been better prepared and executed as it ultimately felt more like a Marvel movie than a horror show.
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.
Girls’ water polo team set to head to CIF
The girls’ water polo is nearing its finale, with CIF games only a couple weeks away and Samo’s team is heading in with hopes of winning it all. Their overall score pre-CIF is 19-9-0. This is a notable improvement from the previous ’24-’25 season, which had an overall score of 12-13-0. They won League Championships against Culver City 7-5, so going into the championship Samo was seeded first and Culver was seeded second.
Our unwarranted disrespect of subs
When the teacher is out, how can a classroom function? Whether it be for jury duty or maternity leave, it is inevitable that a teacher will have to leave. In their place, a substitute teacher fills in to keep the classroom in order and continue students in their curriculum…
Unrest over Netflix’s buyout of Warner Bros.
As of Dec. 25, 2025, Netflix announced its big merger deal to buy out Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO Max for more than $72 billion. Expected to be put into action by the summer of 2026, the decision has had varying reactions. Some claim the merger contains certain benefits, such as a larger library of films/TV, but it has also faced extreme backlash from the film industry and movie lovers all over the world for numerous reasons concerning the downfall of Hollywood.
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."
Entertainment vs. Environment: The realities of Santa Monica’s upcoming music festival
The people of Santa Monica should plan for a total tourist-and-trash disaster this fall with the city’s beach music festival. Set as a part of a Realignment Plan to invigorate Santa Monica economics, the event will be hosted by Goldenvoice, the same organization that hosts the popular music festivals Coachella and Camp Flog Gnaw. It will certainly realign something, that is, the hearing abilities of every animal for 100 miles.
Trump Administration intervenes in Venezuela with seizure of President Maduro
On Jan. 3, President Donald Trump launched an attack-and-seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolàs Maduro in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, was also captured.
SMMUSD Board of Education unanimously vote to split district
On Dec. 1, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board of Education voted unanimously to separate the two cities into their own districts, creating the Santa Monica Unified School District (SMUSD) and the Malibu Unified School District (MUSD). This split is set to go into effect in the next few months, according to board members.