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The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

All content by Alden Detmer
Junior Prefects Ellie Borris '25 and Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor Sasha Aghnatios '25 pose with Head Prefects Bari LeBari '24 and Print Managing Editor Davis Marks '24. Borris and Aghnatios were elected as Head Prefects for the 2024-2025 school year.

2024-2025 Prefects elected

Alden Detmer, Assistant Features Editor
May 30, 2024

Juniors, sophomores and freshmen elected members of their class to serve on Prefect Council for the 2024-2025 school year. Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor Sasha Aghnatios ’25 and Ellie Borris...

Sacramento Queens: A look at the Girls' basketball championship season

Sacramento Queens: A look at the Girls’ basketball championship season

Alex Dinh and Alden Detmer
March 20, 2024

Suspended 24 feet in the air, the Golden 1 Center’s blinding video board displayed the score for all to see in the arena at the start of halftime: Harvard-Westlake Wolverines: 24, and Colfax Falcons:...

Students organized a fundraiser on the Quad to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s fight against cancer.

[Photo] Students host bake sale for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Lyla Kavanagh
March 20, 2024

Students organized a fundraiser on the Quad to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s fight against cancer.

What the heck is a Zyn?

What the heck is a Zyn?

Members of the school community discuss factors that lead to the increase in use of nicotine pouches like Zyns among Gen Z and their health implications.
Alden Detmer, Assistant Features Editor
March 20, 2024

Looking around his 8:00 a.m. class, Kenny* was confident that no one was watching him in the back row. As his teacher discussed the past night’s reading, Kenny reached down and slowly unzipped the top...

Valentine’s Day Chron-nections!

Alden Detmer and Jack Ryan
February 1, 2024

Crossword Solutions:

Why students are visiting psychics

Why students are visiting psychics

Members of the school community discuss the rise in spiritual activities like visiting psychics, crystal collections and religious worship among Gen Z.
Alden Detmer and Saisha Kumar
February 1, 2024

Sitting in a cramped and slightly foggy booth on a plush leather chair, Librarian Kacie Cox let out a heavy sigh as she looked around. Crystals of all shapes and sizes rest on every surface. Fluorescent...

Dreading Decision Day

Dreading Decision Day

Members of the community discuss the emotional pressure connected with the release of early decision results and the differences in applying regular decision.
Alden Detmer and Hannah Shahidi
December 13, 2023

Walking onto the Quad on a December morning, Ava Weinrot ’23 could feel the tension among her classmates. It was the day her early decision (ED) result would come out. Only two days away from winter...

Elizabeth Johnstone '24, Mark Ma '24, Ella Graber '24 and Allie Hunnius '24 perform a jazz piece together in Chalmers East.

Prefect Council hosts Fall Coffeehouse

Alden Detmer, Assistant Features Editor
November 27, 2023

Elizabeth Johnstone '24, Mark Ma '24, Ella Graber '24 and Allie Hunnius '24 perform a jazz piece together in Chalmers East.

A Friendship for the Ages

A Friendship for the Ages

Four alumni reflect on their lives after graduating from Harvard School and the close relationships they continue to sustain with each other by giving back.
Alden Detmer, Assistant Features Editor
November 15, 2023

On a warm afternoon in 1977, anticipatory whispers filled the air as a mob of eager seventh graders gathered for their first football team meeting. Scanning the room, Monty Minchin ’83 locked eyes with...

Behind the Badge

Behind the Badge

Members of the school’s security team discuss their previous careers and different safety measures the school has enacted in recent years.
Alden Detmer and Alex Dinh
September 21, 2023

It is 1:30 a.m. in Palmdale, CA. Head of Upper School Security Earl Saunders’ day just began. Before Saunders hops on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle an hour later, he checks in with his wife about their...

The Scantron is used in all forms of standardized testing, including the SAT and ACT.

Testing the SAT

Members of the community discuss the national test-optional trend in college admissions, the switch to digital standardized tests and increased pressure on students.
Alden Detmer, Assistant Features Editor
August 26, 2023

It was the big day. Months of practice tests, tutoring sessions and caffeine had all been in preparation for this moment. However mere days before the scheduled exam, Ellie Whang ’24 felt her stomach...

Cum Laude inductees recognized

Alden Detmer and Alexander Dinh
May 28, 2023

58 seniors in the top 20% of the class were inducted into the National Cum Laude Society in its annual ceremony, History Teacher and Cum Laude Chapter President Lilas Lane announced May 15. President...

Juniors elect Senior Prefects for 2023-2024 school year

Alden Detmer
May 11, 2023

Ryan Cheng ’24, Glory Ho ’24, Elizabeth Johnstone ’24 and Nyla Shelton ’24 were elected as Senior Prefects for the 2023-2024 school year. Johnstone was elected after the first round of elections,...

Kutler Center Scholar in Residence Andrea Ghez poses with EMPOWER. Ghez won the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering a supermassive blackhole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

School hosts Nobel Laureate and astrophysicist Andrea Ghez

Alden Detmer and MeJo Liao
March 22, 2023

The Kutler Center hosted the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics winner Andrea Ghez (Evan ’19, Miles ’24) as the 2022-2023 Scholar in Residence March 14-16. Ghez spoke at community-wide events and visited...

New Academic Classes for 2023-2024

New Academic Classes for 2023-2024

Catalyzing Change: Entrepreneurial Thinking By Nathan Wang and William Liu erdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research course called Catalyzing Change: Entrepreneurial Thinking. According to the...

Clarifying community service

Alden Detmer
February 18, 2023

With the administration reinstating the hands-on component of the school's 12-hour community service requirement, volunteering in the community is as important as ever. Community service hours can provide...

LA's heavy rain creates mudslides

LA’s heavy rain creates mudslides

Alden Detmer
February 8, 2023

Over 20 inches and eight atmospheric rivers of heavy rain across California caused mudslides throughout January, leaving Mulholland Drive between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Drive closed...

Alumni Association Board holds forum

Alden Detmer
February 8, 2023

The Alumni Association Board hosted an all-community meeting in Munger Library Jan. 25. The roundtable discussion focused primarily on student health and wellness, with speeches from Associate Head of...

And the Award Goes to: “Top Gun: Maverick”

Alden Detmer, Layout Assistant and Staff Writer
February 8, 2023

As the highest-grossing movie of the year at the domestic box office, “Top Gun: Maverick” is a gravity-defying action film that quickly goes to Mach 10. While the 1986 “Top Gun” was a cheery and...

Brady Dunlap '23 decommits from Notre Dame

Brady Dunlap ’23 decommits from Notre Dame

Zoe Goor and Alden Detmer
January 24, 2023

Boys basketball player Brady Dunlap ’23 announced his decommitment from The University of Notre Dame on Jan. 24 in an Instagram post. Dunlap initially committed to the university Sept. 22, 2022. Dunlap...

Chronicle Newscast: For the Holidays

Chronicle Newscast: For the Holidays

Zoe Goor, Eden Conner, and Alden Detmer
December 27, 2022

Click below to watch the first newscast.

Illustration by Amelia Chiarelli

Underrated and Overrated: “Falling for Christmas”

Alden Detmer, Layout Assistant and Staff Writer
December 15, 2022

We all have that one friend or family member who starts watching Hallmark movies the day after Halloween. Lost in a world of wintry excitement, they put Christmas sweaters under their Halloween costumes...

Illustration by Sophia Evans and Amelia Chiarelli

Senior Independent Studies

Yoshi Kimura By Zoe Goor Yoshi Kimura ’23 is building a new instrument and composing a piece of music with it for her Senior Independent Study. Kimura said the instrument, which is played with...

What's New: Fall Reviews: "Midnights"

What’s New: Fall Reviews: “Midnights”

Alden Detmer
November 17, 2022

Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated "Midnights" Oct. 21 at midnight on the East Coast. But for students in Los Angeles, it was 9 p.m. That is a metaphor for this album, it should have felt as...

Carter Staggs ’23, in character as Tectonic Theater Project member Greg Pierotti, interviews Elise Fried ’24 and Clara Berg ’25, in character as Reggie Fluty and Marge Murray, respectively. The play uses the real words of Laramie residents gathered through interviews.

Fall Play: ‘The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later’

Davis Marks and Alden Detmer
November 16, 2022

The Performing Arts Department opened the fall play, “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later,” to audiences in Rugby Theater on Oct. 28, 29 and 30. The show centers on how the community of Laramie, Wyoming...

Open Door: Drama Edition

Alden Detmer and Zoe Goor
October 26, 2022

Chronicle presents the first episode of the Open Door Series, where students showcase the offices around campus and the teacher's favorite aspects of their working environment.

Antisemitic messages found carved into upper school desk

Antisemitic messages found carved into upper school desk

Will Sherwood, Hannah Shahidi, and Alden Detmer
October 12, 2022

Several Nazi swastikas and the words “Hitler Rocks” were found carved into a desk on the upper school campus, President Rick Commons said in a school-wide email Oct. 12. The carvings were first found...

Students in China Studies: Past, Present, Future listen to Rachel Lietzow's presentation.

Research analyst presents to China Studies class

Alden Detmer and Alexander Dinh
October 4, 2022

Research Analyst Rachel Lietzow spoke to students in the Kutler Center course China Studies: Past, Present, Future on Sep. 28. Lietzow discussed how the relationship between Hong Kong and China has impacted...

Food trucks served In-N-Out and Rice Balls of Fire for dinner.

Admission Office hosts Student Ambassador Training Dinner

Nathan Wang and Alden Detmer
September 25, 2022

The Admission Office hosted the annual Student Ambassador Training Dinner in Saperstein Theater on Monday, Sept. 19 with 318 students in attendance. The training dinner is an opportunity for freshman and...

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Alden Detmer