Head of Upper School Audrius Barzdukas asked students to be good neighbors at Wednesday’s Upper School assembly, which was plagued by audio difficulties.

A day after the Los Angeles Times ran an article about the school’s neighbors complaining about the plan for a parking garage, Barzdukas gave students examples of ways to be a “better neighbor,” including picking up trash.

The message did not get across to all students, though, as a failing sound system made it difficult to impossible to hear at the back of Taper Gym.

“I was looking forward to Wednesday assembly,” Nate Hollander ’17 said. “But I couldn’t hear anything that went on. What was supposed to give lots of information was just a waste of time today.”

Math teacher Michael Mori shared stories of his trips to France and Washington, D.C. to recognize his father and father-in-law, both Japanese-American World War II veterans.

“I went to [D.C. and France] to celebrate their sacrifice during the war,” he said. “While they fought, their families were back home in internment camps.”
Following Mori’s stories, he asked everyone to stand and face the American flag to honor fallen veterans.

A “#HWMission Contest” announced, with a top prize of an Apple Watch going to a student who expresses the meaning of the new mission statement through social media.
Running back Garrett Robinson ’15 and tennis player Jenny Moustafa ’17 were named October male and female Athletes of the Month.

The Freedom School book drive was introduced. With a donation of $6, students can sponsor a book to be sent to students in need.

“Freedom school changes kids’ lives, and we see that every summer,” Shelby Weiss ’16 said. “Now we want to see that during the school year.”