Exploring the gender bias in healthcare
In a society so brazenly proud and insistent of its sensitivity to women’s needs, there is a significant area in which we remain unenlightened: medicinal research. Despite major strides in recent years, the advancement of women’s health remains at a disadvantage, hindered by years of exclusion and discrimination in an industry so long dominated by the male perspective. To this day, women continue to suffer from the shortcomings of the pharmaceutical industry, an industry that they are forced to support if they wish to live.
American Fiction Wins Well-deserved Oscar
“American Fiction” is a remarkably thought-provoking film that challenges the level of consumerism, creativity (or lack thereof) and “wokeness” that society has. Not nearly enough people are discussing this complex and touching movie, despite its five Academy Award nominations, People’s Choice Award win and best-adapted screenplay Oscar, which is a huge accomplishment for first-time director Cord Jefferson. “American Fiction” is the perfect combination of hilarious satire, emotional generational family conflict, and calling out what the general public deems to be politically correct in a fascinating manner.
PBL to move to samo campus in fall of 2024
At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, the Pathways for Project-Based Learning (PBL) will be moving to the Business building on Samo’s campus.
The move will occur at the same time as the opening of the new Exploration building on campus, which will most likely happen in time for the fall semester; the staff in the Business building will transition to Exploration, as the moving of PBL will displace them.
Cartoon Saloon Puts a Twist on Irish Folktales
This Saint Patrick’s Day, rather than simply sporting green, hone in on the celebration with Cartoon Saloon, a remarkable Irish-owned animation studio based in Kilkenny, Ireland. Since their establishment in the late 90s, co-founders Tomm Moore, Paul Young, and Nora Twomey have used their platform to bring Irish folktales to life. Each of their dozens of projects combines compelling storylines and gorgeous art to shine a light on an important part of Irish culture with the rest of the world.
WASC and State Testing assess Samo proficiency
From Mon. Feb. 12 to Wed. Feb 14, Samo was visited and evaluated by The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Additionally, juniors are in the middle of California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress Testing (CAASPP) — another metric attached to Samo. However, some question the real benefits these evaluations bring.
Samo’s cafeteria transforms for spaghetti and strings
On the night of Feb. 10, the Intermezzo, Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras greeted guests at Samo’s cafeteria for the annual Spaghetti and Strings concert.
A deep dive into the 2024 Girls’ Water Polo season
Samo's Varsity Girls' Water Polo closed out their season on Jan. 31 with a game against Culver City. Winning 8-1, the score reflected the effort the team has put into practice throughout the semester.
Rising stars take the stage at cafe samo
On January 26 and 27, the Samo choir program hosted its annual Cafe Samo show, leaving an adoring crowd in awe of the students’ talent. Each act was carefully picked through an audition process led by Brooke Aron (’24), Justin Xu (’24), Walden Sullivan (’25), Sam Rubin (’25), Madeline Bryce (’24), Hope Hamilton (’24), Sarah Linowes (’24) and Valentina Manco (’24), and ultimately 21 acts were selected to play both nights. Upon being chosen for the show, students had just 10 days to prepare for the final culmination of their hard work.
Martial Arts From the female perspective
Within sports, conversations around sexism are usually limited to pay, physical ability and overall resources and popularity. However, with close-contact sports such as martial arts, sexism becomes much more complex and nuanced. The dynamics between trainees and the overall ultra-masculine culture within such sports create toxic and unwelcoming environments, particularly for women.
Reading burnout: Inevitable?
Samo's Varsity Girls' Water Polo closed out their season on Jan. 31 with a game against Culver City. Winning 8-1, the score reflected the effort the team has put into practice throughout the semester.
Banned Books Find a Home at Samo
For the past few years, the issue of banned books has been a hotly debated topic across America, especially in terms of policies in education. From toddlers to teens, state governments have grown concerned about the information put into young minds through literature.
Tiktok is the new tireswing
Generation Alpha is the first generation to have a hand-held smart device for the entirety of their lives. 10-year-olds flooding Sephoras all across the nation are making news because they are purchasing extremely expensive make-up and skin care products designed and marketed towards adults. This led to the “Drunk Elephant 12-year-olds'' trend on TikTok, where pre-teens purchase unnecessary skincare products.
Whats going on around Samo?
Hazel Health:
Hazel Health, a new program coming to Samo available from home and at school, will provide free virtual therapy to all students in need, This program was brought together by Samo after taking part in a needs assessment a couple years ago through the LA county office of education.
From print to pixel: the digital dawn of news consumption
As society descends deeper into the digital age, our youth becomes progressively more media illiterate and desensitized to misinformation. Gen-Z often mocks older generations for falling victim to false information on platforms like Facebook, yet we are indifferent to this. Teens are immersed in a life that revolves around information they intake on the internet that the line between fact and fiction begins to blur.
2024 Primary Elections- An Ongoing Race
The primaries are a system utilized by the two prominent U.S. political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, to determine their nominee for the 2024 presidential election, which will take place in November. The frontrunners for the 2024 election are President Biden and Former President Donald Trump.
An Ode to Concept Albums
In a world of constantly changing songwriting, concept albums remain one of the most immersive forms of music-making. Story-telling albums go beyond a simple compilation of tracks but create a string of songs that all contribute to one cohesive narrative. Each song can mimic a different chapter in a book, creating a genuine and immersive storyline for listeners.
Ballot initiatives for this year's election
The primary election on March 5 offers students of age to vote for national and statewide ballot measures at their nearest polling center or by mailed ballot. Ballot measures are laws, issues or questions of both state-wide and local significance for voters to decide on. There are two ways a measure can be placed on the ballot. State legislatures can propose initiatives and 26 states including California allow residents to place measures by gathering enough signatures.
Music- In With the Old, Out With the New
It is widely known that particularly in the US, there is a fad for older music. Why? It is simply due to the fact that this nostalgic fascination is far superior to that of the new generation’s. Old music has facets not contained in new music, like; originality, variety, and skilled vocals. These advantages of old music make it incomparable to the songs of today.
From well-read, to, well, insufferable
The following books are not for the easily corruptible. If you’ve ever found yourself toeing the line between bearable and completely intolerable, this is a list of novels you should avoid at all costs.
Elite university presidents resign following anti-semitism allegations
Following a congressional hearing in Dec. on the subject of antisemitism on campus—and the consequent backlash from the public—Ivy League university presidents Elizabeth Magill and Claudine Gay announced their resignations in the subsequent weeks. Calls for their resignations began to circulate the instant that their controversial testimonies emerged, igniting an explosive aftermath.
Margarets place; your safe space at samo
Mental health is our emotional, social and mental wellbeing. Having good mental health is extremely important especially in school, as it can affect how we feel, think, act and even handle stress. To help students manage the stress of school throughout the day are the Margaret’s Place workers at Samo.
Samo Jazz Band Kicks Off The Year With Their Winter Concert
The Samo Jazz Band started the semester swinging with their winter concert on Jan 21. Their first concert of the new year featured prominent figures in the jazz world Stanley Clarke and Clay Jenkins, as well as Samo’s very own John Beasley (’77).
The Benefits of Diverse Perspectives On Campus
Student news plays a vital role in spreading important information, opinions and ideas throughout the community at Samo. It is seminal to creating an environment where knowledge from within our campus and across the globe is shared, creating room for open dialogue and educated conversations. Not only does student news ensure that attendees of Samo are kept informed, but it allows students to be aware of every aspect of student life on campus.
Should we separate the art from the artist?
The age-old question of whether or not someone should separate the art from the artist has been raised once again. Despite music that may be entertaining to listen to, the actions of an artist are often far too severe to excuse by supporting their music.
Beyond the Sideline: HOW Women are Constantly Overshadowed in Sports
For years, women have been portrayed as lesser athletes than men. They are considered weaker, more vulnerable, more emotional and are often sexualized in the media. It has been proven that women continue to be overshadowed by men in terms of fame, popularity, money, television contracts, and more.
“West Side Story” Comes alive once again with Samo Band
On Feb. 6th, John Adams Middle School hosted Bands on the Road- a concert to generate funds for the upcoming Samohi Band tour.
OPINION: treating mental illness in teens
Mental health is becoming not just easier to talk about, but easier treat. As different combinations of treatments are seen streaming throughout society, more and more questions arise. Which is more effective, and can someone really manage severe depression with simple holistic treatments?
Women are on the rise in the Sports World.
Now more than ever, female athletes provide a stable platform that brings positivity to women.
Newsom's next steps in fighting climate change
For Californians, struggles with the impacts of climate change and pollution have been seemingly constant, and 2024 is expected to be no exception.
Changes in ASB elections will allow students outside ASB to run for leadership positions
Starting in the upcoming ASB elections, eligible students outside of ASB will be able to run for leadership positions.
Last minute valentines day date ideas
Oh boy! It's February 13, and you still don’t have a plan. Coming in hot, Valentine's Day should be memorable for all lovers. While dinner is a simple and safe option, here are some more unique ideas that will be sure to impress your partner. Whether you prefer an athletic climb or a simple night in, there is something here for everyone.
Boys’ soccer starts strong coming off of semifinal loss
Boys’ Soccer has returned for the 23-24 winter season, and the varsity team is off to a successful start.
Girls’ soccer opens season on an undefeated 7-0 streak
Samo’s Varsity Girls’ Soccer team had its first scrimmage on Nov. 14 agaist Marymount High School, winning 2-0.
Girls’ water polo learns from setbacks
This season of Varsity Girls’ Water Polo began on Thursday, Nov. 30 with their game against Westlake High School.
Samo surf team successfully rides into its first competition
The Samo surf team represents Samo at a handful of surfing competitions every school year. Led by senior captain Alex Meyer (’24), the team is currently participating in the Kick Off Classic, their first tournament of the season.
Cross country star Phoebe Benun makes Samo history
Phoebe Benun (’25), the top runner on the Girls’ Varsity Cross Country team, broke multiple Samo records this season.
OpenAI’s CEO brought back after termination
On Nov. 17, the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, was termi-
nated without prior notice and reinstated after two weeks. His
rehiring came after over 500 OpenAI employees threatened
to leave the company unless Altman’s CEO position was
returned.
College applications are... easy
From K-12, my teachers, parents, counselors and peers have all worked the idea into my head that college was the end goal. The final destination. All of my work from elementary through high school was with the main purpose of applying to college, right? But, as I now sit as a high school senior writing my college applications, it feels like I am still waiting for the stress and anxiety that was promised for me as I began my application process.
Your spotify wrapped doesn’t define you
To the songs of my childhood, I’m sorry. To the Disney, Hamilton and Glee soundtracks, Pitch Perfect Riff-offs and Justin Bieber, it is time for me to let you all go. The tint you leave on my spotify wrapped is a burden that I cannot bear to carry.
It’s time to reframe the idea of new year’s resolutions
With the New Year encroaching, millions around the world set off to better themselves using one set of ideology: New Year's resolutions. These resolutions can entail many self-set goals, from exercising more to spending less time on social media. While seemingly a good motivator, these resolutions work counterproductively, with many people abandoning their goal, and having fallacious reasoning to wait until the New Year to start improving themselves.
What does the future hold for Pac-12 football?
This summer, UCLA and USC announced they would move from the Pacific-12 conference, or the Pac-12, to the Big Ten conference in 2024. This move was the start of the collapse of the Pac-12 conference, which leaves many college football fans upset because many would say the conference is the strongest it has been in years.
Samo artists empowered by entrepreneurship
Historically, art departments lack the funds to provide much of the necessary equipment for students to use at their disposal. Thanks to faculty and students, the money needed for materials and resources in visual arts classes is being met through new and creative fundraising strategies.
Wrapping up the Samo fall semester
A summary of the most important events taking place in the last couple weeks of Samo’s fall semester.
A look into Samo’s award-winning Model UN
On Nov. 11 and 12, Samo’s Model United Nations club attended a conference at UCLA. With over 2,000 other delegates, Samo emerged with six awards.
Maya Williams advocates for a cleaner future
Throughout her 4-year high school career, Samo student Maya Williams (’24) has emerged as a powerful force for change on the front of environmental activism.
Fortnite comeback takes gaming world by storm
Before the original creator of the game and creative director for Epic Games, Donald Mustard, decided to step down from his role, his final effort was to bring back the original map for just one month. In the month players were able to relive the very first season, countless students restarted their PCs and got back to playing Fortnite.
Saltburn: crossing the line, or blurring it?
“Saltburn” is horrifically glamorous and disturbingly enigmatic. Director Emerald Fennel took an untraditional approach to a psychological thriller by embedding it with elegant cinematography and magnificent sets.
Decking the halls and draining the wallets
Navigating the month of December, from decorations to vacations and gift-giving, can foster a sense of joy and togetherness, but can consequently amplify financial stress. A time of the year intended to bring people together can turn into a very sensitive and divisive time as people struggle to keep up with financial expectations. The pressure to conform to societal norms and create a perfect holiday season causes stress and overshadows the true meaning of the holidays.
Chanukkah’s commercial turn in the U.S.
Every December first, many Jewish students at Samo celebrate the Jewish holiday known as Chanukkah. Since I was a little kid, I’ve heard every friend I know say essentially the same thing: “Jew Christmas.” This remark felt and still feels fairly demeaning. However, as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to recognize the sad truth. We — the Jewish American population — are indeed celebrating “Jew Christmas.” Chanukkah has become ultra-commercialized, as children now receive extravagant gifts and corporations market towards a holiday originally rooted in tradition and gratitude.
Disproportionality discovered in SMMUSD special education
SMMUSD is working to adopt a plan that addresses the
growing problem of disproportionality in special education
overidentification.
Fatal crash leads to road safety improvement efforts
Due to recent road safety incidents, one of them fatal, Santa Monica City Council voted to strengthen its Vision Zero plan to help reduce road-related injuries.