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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

Fallon Dern, Presentation Managing Editor

All content by Fallon Dern

Staff remembers Andres Quintanar

Fallon Dern
March 22, 2023

Upper School Maintenance Team Member Andres Quintanar died in an early-morning car crash in Porter Ranch on March 5, according to the California Highway Patrol. Quintanar, 37, was killed in a wrong-way...

Performing Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies Teacher Ted Walch taught, mentored and impacted thousands of students over his 30 year tenure at the school.

Remembering Ted Walch

Davis Marks and Fallon Dern
October 3, 2022

In a crowded St. Saviour’s Chapel, President Rick Commons rings a church bell 30 times in succession. It’s lunch time, and pews full of students, faculty and staff listen to the chimes, one for each...

BLACKPINK Review

Fallon Dern, Presentations Managing Editor
September 28, 2022

BLACKPINK is the revolution — they said so themselves. The K-pop quartet released their second studio album, “BORN PINK,” on Sept. 16, reaffirming their international pop-diva-status to fans and...

Standing against the SAT

Fallon Dern
August 25, 2022

In 1923, eugenicist and psychologist Carl Brigham’s book A Study of American Intelligence unearthed an apparent revelation: White people, or the “Nordic race group,” could be proven intellectually...

The incorporation of creative activities helps diversify the learning experiences of students.

Cultivating Creativity

Fallon Dern, Assistant Features Editor
February 18, 2022

My father’s father always told him the biggest room is the room for improvement. I’d argue it’s the Forum, or maybe the Taper Gym, but I understand what my grandpa was getting at. The school, for...

Since 1970, the United States has recognized February as Black History Month.

More Than a Month

Members of the school community reflect on Black history and Black activism during Black History Month.
Fallon Dern and Lily Lee
February 18, 2022

Since 1970, the United States has recognized February as Black History Month. The observance is now recognized in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. However, for Zenmarah Duruisseau ’22, the celebration...

A good night's sleep

A good night’s sleep

Members of the community discuss their experiences with sleep deprivation and its negative impact on their lives.
Fallon Dern
December 26, 2021

Though she said sleep deprivation harms her day-to-day wellbeing, Camryn Williams ’22 said she is not the only one subject to exhaustion. Every day, Williams said she enters classrooms filled with tired...

Peer Support, the school's interpersonal counseling program, celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Peer Support turns 30

Thirty years after its founding, community members share their experiences and memories of the Peer Support program.
Fallon Dern and Alex Hahn
December 25, 2021

It is 6:30 p.m. in Chalmers 305. With their backs pressed against flipped-over desks, 14 students are seated facing each other. Unopened boxes of Animal Crackers and Lays potato chips are piled in the...

New to Normal: Spotlight on Dr. Stewart

New to Normal: Spotlight on Dr. Stewart

Dr. Sheehy and Dr. Stewart spent their first year at the school teaching through Zoom. Now, they reflect on the return to teaching in the classroom.
Fallon Dern
November 20, 2021

     Science teacher Dr. Chelsea Stewart said she felt she had a leg up over other new teachers when she joined the school for the 2020 school year because she had previously worked at the Upper School...

New to Normal: Spotlight on Dr. Sheehy

New to Normal: Spotlight on Dr. Sheehy

Dr. Sheehy and Dr. Stewart spent their first year at the school teaching through Zoom. Now, they reflect on the return to teaching in the classroom.
Fallon Dern
November 20, 2021

   Following a nine year break from teaching and a yearlong substitution teaching history at the Marlborough School, Dr. Peter Sheehy joined the History Department in 2020. Sheehy led his first Advanced...

(Un)traditional: A Dern Dinner

(Un)traditional: A Dern Dinner

Fallon Dern
November 18, 2021

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, as my mom and I both have birthdays that fall during the week we don’t have work or school. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I like sharing my birthday...

Illustration by Sydney Fener

Re-navigating Columbus

Community discusses the controversy regarding the celebration of Columbus Day versus Indigenous Peoples’ Day in America.
Fallon Dern and Lily Lee
October 17, 2021

“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Lessons on Columbus are taught in several schools around America. However, as students learn history at higher levels, they are exposed to what the nursery...

Not Your Costume

Not Your Costume

Students discuss their experiences with and opinions on racially-insensitive Halloween costumes
Fallon Dern
October 17, 2021

Indian American student Anika Kumar ’23 said she never understood why some students choose to wear other cultures’ garments as Halloween costumes. Kumar said, given the  variety of options to choose...

Illustration by Sophia Musante

“Squid Game” Review

Sophia Musante and Fallon Dern
October 13, 2021

Within the first five days of its release, Korean survival drama "Squid Game" reached No. 1 on Netflix in 22 countries and territories. Six days later, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos predicted the show may...

Ava Tran '22 smiles in front of shrubbery.

Junior Fellowship: Ava Tran

Fallon Dern
September 4, 2021

Ava Tran ’22, one of eight upper school students chosen by The Kutler Center Junior Fellowship Program, is using her awarded $4,000 to research environmentalism in Vietnam. The program sponsors independent...

Dylan Perkins ’23, Casey Ross ’23, Preston Yeh ’23, Ryann Castanon-Hill ’23 and Chiara Umbeko ’23 spend time together.

He’s the man: Spotlight on Dylan Perkins ’23

Dylan Perkins ’23 opens up about field hockey, friends and coming out as transgender.
Fallon Dern
August 26, 2021

Dylan Perkins ’23 leaned on a poster-covered wall and said he’s never known how to smile in photos. Casey Ross ’23, Preston Yeh ’23 and Ryann Castanon-Hill ’23 surrounded him, calling out poses...

(From left to right) Atticus Tyagi, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Lavinia Tyagi ’23 embrace with a smile as they pose for a photo.

Diplomacy at the dinner table

Political families discuss how ideological differences have affected familial relations.
Fallon Dern, Staff Writer
March 24, 2021

It’s half past six on a Wednesday. A family of five places plates on a table, grabbing cups, silverware and helpings of shepherd’s pie. It smells like home, and it looks like any other family eating...

Students are able to sign up for time slots and share music with their peers through the school's radio station, KHWS.

Celebrating 10 Years of KHWS

Fallon Dern
March 11, 2021

With one click to khwsradio.com, you are greeted with a gif of Bart Simpson jamming out to music and the club’s name formed out of white computer mice. The front page holds a setlist from April 2020,...

Juniors organize on-campus book drive

Juniors organize on-campus book drive

Fallon Dern
February 23, 2021

Sawyer Strasberg '22, Talia Tepper '22 and Lily Saada '22 hosted an on-campus book drive with Community Council on Feb. 20. They partnered with Wise Readers to Leaders, an organization that helps low-income...

“BE” Album Review

Fallon Dern
January 20, 2021

BTS’s latest album "BE" embodies the band's experiences of the year 2020, culminating their highs and lows in a self-produced, eight-track album. Though COVID-19 postponed the Korean group’s international...

The front page of the Stone-Cutters Winter was released this week, featuring 16 student works spanning six artistic mediums.

Stone-Cutters release Winter Tabloid virtually

Beginning in November, the student team has accepted and refined student submissions.
Fallon Dern
January 19, 2021

The HW Stone-Cutters released their Winter Tabloid this week, featuring 16 student works spanning six artistic mediums. The 24-student team has accepted and refined submissions since November and celebrated...

Get Lit poetry group performs

Fallon Dern
December 12, 2020

Members of Get Lit, a spoken word troupe based in Los Angeles, led a poetry teaser and showcase during Community Flex Time on Nov. 18. Get Lit Public Outreach Manager Mason Granger, a writer with over...

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