The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle
ASKING THE AUTHOR: Author Steph Cha’s novel “Your House Will Pay" is currently read in English IV: Criminal Minds.
Alumnus author Steph Cha speaks to students
School to host exchange students 2025
Arnold is creating three different songs, all of which are in the musical style of different bands.
Senior Independent Study: Nate Arnold
Language classes plan trips to Asia
The Uncharted Paths’ stand-up banner was advertised on the Quad. The podcast explored the careers a variety of different alumni.
HW Media sponsors alumni podcast screening Uncharted Paths at school
Holiday shopping in Sportsmen’s Lodge offers an opportunity to browse stores, buy gifts, and enjoy the wintertime ambience.
Holiday Guide in Los Angeles
Coldwater Canyon Ave. is undergoing maintenance again and is set to finish by November 2025. The street's last roadwork project was in 2023 after a water breakage. Just like with the construction in 2023, the increased traffic and congestion has hindered students' and faculty's commute despite them taking alternate routes.
Roadwork on Coldwater Canyon to finish by 2025
The new layout will include 520 apartment units, 78 of which are reserved for low-income tenants and 45,000 square feet of commercial space, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Sportsmen’s Lodge hotel set for demolition; renovation to include new apartments
Community members vote in the California Primary
Community members vote in the California Primary
From left to right: Jamie Page, Assistant A&E Editor Mia Morgan '25, Councilmember Traci Park and Craig Fiegener.
School hosts District Attorney debate in Rugby Auditorium
Illustration by Anika Norton
Staff Editorial: Celebrating Our Setbacks
Crossing the Line: Trump Trumps Harris
Crossing the Line: Trump Trumps Harris
Pro: Make Classes Test Free
Con: Keep Testing In
Build community with consistency
Build community with consistency
The Official Club Fair Guide
Head Prefect Predictions
The Official Chronicle Curriculum Guide 3
Unpublished Chronicle Headlines 2: Electric Boogaloo
PRETTY IN PINK: Super princess pop star Sabrina Carpenter performs on stage with Rick Caruso '76 as a dynamic duo. The pair will be performing a concert this upcoming weekend in Palisades Village, curtesy of Caruso.
Your holidays, my opinions
Illustrated by Annabelle Cheung
Compounding Interest: Exploring the Privilege of High School Investing
No Means No: Students and faculty discuss consent
No Means No: Students and faculty discuss consent
Teen knocks on therapist's door.
Talking it Out: How Therapy Supports Teens
Split the Season: Navigating Splitting Holidays Between Divorced Parents
Split the Season: Navigating Splitting Holidays Between Divorced Parents
Vital Choices: How the Community Sees Women's Healthcare After the Election
Vital Choices: How the Community Sees Women’s Healthcare After the Election
Dress the part: challenging gender norms through fashion
Dress the part: challenging gender norms through fashion
"Generational Women" by Samaya Sayana-Manchanda ’26 was one of the winning works in photography.
Students win titles in 2024-2025 National YoungArts competition
Music Teacher wins award at gala
Music Teacher wins award at gala
Sam Cleland ’25, who is a part of Jazz Band, plays a solo on his saxophone during the annual fall concert. Cleland recently participated in a Senior Independent Study project for music.
Jazz ensembles host annual fall concert
Jazz Singers perform in various locations
Lacrosse, volleyball and football coaches depart
Lacrosse, volleyball and football coaches depart
Head coach Jack Grover regroups with the team during a timeout with a team huddle.
Boys Water Polo Season Ends in Quarterfinal Defeat Against Corona Del Mar
SERVE AND PROTECT: With another win, the girls’ tennis team enters the tournament with an 8-0 league
Girls’ tennis team gets ready for CIF playoffs
Girls’ volleyball ends fall season on high note with win over rival
FINAL KICK: Robbie Louie ’26 nears the end of the two-mile race.
Cross country aims to win league
The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle
The Student News Site of Harvard-Westlake School

The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle
Hannah Han

Hannah Han, Editor-in-Chief

Hannah Han serves as an Editor-in-Chief. On campus, she leads HW A Cappella, reads Latin and Greek submissions for Babel and draws graphics for Stone-Cutters. Outside of school, she can be found writing short stories, sketching with ink and daydreaming about InDesign.

All content by Hannah Han
Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Ethan Lachman '21 and William Ruden-Sella '21 chat on the quad with proper social distancing.

[Photo] A Year in the Making: Individual grade levels begin a gradual transition back to campus

March 26, 2021

Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Ethan Lachman '21 and William Ruden-Sella '21 chat on the quad with proper social distancing.

Hannah Han '21 takes a selfie outside Weiler Hall on March 20.

One Year Later: Back to School

Hannah Han
March 20, 2021

Hannah Han '21 takes a selfie outside Weiler Hall on March 20.

President Rick Commons sent an email to the school community Friday in response to the media attention from the past week.

[Photo] National media outlets publish articles critical of school’s DEI initiatives

Ethan Lachman and Kyle Reims
March 13, 2021

President Rick Commons sent an email to the school community Friday in response to the media attention from the past week.

Commons announces that students can return to campus to attend online classes

Hannah Han and Ethan Lachman
February 23, 2021

This is an ongoing story subject to updates. President Rick Commons announced in an email Tuesday that students will have the option to return to campus for classes starting March 9 because of a...

Clockwise from bottom right) Felicity Phelan ’21, Ford McDill ’21, Will Lake ’21, Matthew Lee ’21, Alexandria Lange ’21 and Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Ethan Lachman ’21 eat a socially-distanced meal together and chat about their senior year experiences on the bleachers next to Ted Slavin Field on Nov. 13. Photo Credit: Hannah Han/Chronicle

On-campus social events suspended after 10 days due to COVID-19 surge

Hannah Han
December 13, 2020

Members of the administration and Prefect Council worked in conjunction to host a series of optional on-campus social activities from Nov. 10 to Nov. 20 on weeknights. Because of rising coronavirus case...

Credit: Alexa Druyanoff/Chronicle

Election 2020: The Chronicle’s Guide to Voting

Hannah Han
November 1, 2020

The Chronicle has compiled a list of voting resources below in light of the upcoming 2020 Presidential Election. My School Votes CA: https://linktr.ee/myschoolvotesca (Contact Allie Landecker '21 or...

The new iPhone iOS update notifies students when iHW is using their locations, though the administration said it does not look at this data. Printed with permission of Rohan Madhogaria and Allegra Drago

iHW app requests that students, faculty disclose their location data

Hannah Han
October 19, 2020

The administration and the IT department updated the iHW app on Aug. 18, adding an automatic check-in and check-out feature that tracks whether or not students are present on campus. After receiving multiple...

Illustration by Alexa Druyanoff

School responds to ‘blackathw’ Instagram account

Hannah Han
September 2, 2020

In light of the racial justice movement sweeping across the nation, members of the class of 2019 created Blackathw, an Instagram account highlighting the experiences of Black students on campus. After...

Letter from the Editors: Uplifting the Truth

Letter from the Editors: Uplifting the Truth

Hannah Han and Ethan Lachman
September 2, 2020

In June, we stood in the middle of Weiler 106, face-masked, sweaty and surrounded by towering stacks of Chronicles. Halfway through packaging the 1,600 newspapers that would be mailed to every family...

Teaching the times: incorporating current events into the school’s curriculum

Hannah Han
August 28, 2020

My history exam loomed dangerously near. I spread my flashcards out on my desk, consolidated my hand-written notes and toggled through three different shared study guides on Google Drive. As my alarm...

Uprooting anti-Blackness in Asian America

Hannah Han
July 25, 2020

Black people are protesting for the right to breathe in a society that has been slowly constricting their airways, suffocating them through racialized tactics: redlining, blockbusting, police brutality...

Commons releases update in response to rising coronavirus cases

Hannah Han
July 18, 2020

President Rick Commons announced in a schoolwide email July 17 that summer sports practices will be suspended, and a full return to campus is less likely amid surging coronavirus cases. His statement...

School opts out of PPP relief loan

Hannah Han
June 16, 2020

The school opted not to apply for a loan through the Payment Protection Program (PPP), part of the federal government’s initiative to provide economic relief for small businesses during the coronavirus...

Commons postpones graduation for 2020-2021 school year

Hannah Han
June 12, 2020

In an email to students, parents, faculty and staff, President Rick Commons announced Friday that the school will delay graduation for the class of 2021 until June 11 of next year and will continue to...

On the Front Lines

Hannah Han
June 8, 2020

When an unfamiliar vehicle pulled into his driveway, Jake Schroeder '20 hurried to the window to watch as his father, a pulmonologist, stepped out onto the pavement, donning a hazmat suit. Schroeder's...

College Board cancels June SAT, plans to administer exams monthly starting in August

Hannah Han
April 15, 2020

Update: April 15 In an email to students nationwide, the College Board announced April 15 that the June 6 SAT has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Right now, public health officials have...

Social distancing: mandatory or optional?

Hannah Han
April 11, 2020

As news of President Rick Commons’ email regarding the school closure spread March 11, Caleb*, who had been in the middle of coding a Java program in class, began discussing his plans for the upcoming...

Upper school deans announce that AP exams are optional

Hannah Han
March 26, 2020

The upper school deans announced in a campus-wide email March 25 that the school will no longer require students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses to take AP exams at the end of the year due to the...

Co-founder of CicLAvia Aaron Paley, right, speaks about enhancing the cultural and musical scene in Los Angeles, as the four other panelists listen. Credit: Crystal Baik/Chronicle

Panelists discuss LA’s changing cultural identity during Brown Family Speaker Assembly

Hannah Han
March 10, 2020

Five panelists involved in the Los Angeles arts scene discussed how they each contributed to building a central identity for the city through various mediums, including music, architecture, literature...

Commons proposes revised River Park plan to City of Los Angeles

Hannah Han
March 6, 2020

In an email to the school community, President Rick Commons announced that the school submitted the draft plan for the River Park athletic facility to the City of Los Angeles, officially initiating the...

Commons responds to councilmember regarding River Park

Hannah Han
March 5, 2020

President Rick Commons updated the school community in an email regarding the River Park athletic facility’s development plan and pledged to enact the changes suggested by Los Angeles Second District...

Jacky Zhang ’21, Anjee Feng ’20, William Tao ’21 and Sebastian Li ’20 answer questions about STEM-related topics, including biology, energy and physics, during the Science Bowl on Feb. 22. Credit: Heather Audesirk

Science Bowl team places fourth

Hannah Han
March 5, 2020

Science Bowl Team A, co-captained by Sebastian Li ’20 and Tyler Weigand ’21, earned fourth place out of 42 teams in the Regional High School Science Bowl on Feb. 22, while Team B, led by Micah Gold...

BLACC members celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Hannah Han
February 7, 2020

Members of the Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club (BLACC) traveled to The Proud Bird restaurant to attend the 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Breakfast Celebration and fundraiser...

A-P(ushed) the wrong way

A-P(ushed) the wrong way

Hannah Han
January 29, 2020

When I first applied to Harvard-Westlake in sixth grade, one of the rumors I heard most frequently was that Harvard-Westlake, or “HW,” stands for “homework” or “hard work.” Harvard-Westlake’s...

Including Introverts

Including Introverts

Hannah Han
January 29, 2020

When history teacher Dror Yaron immigrated to the United States from Israel at the age of seven, he struggled to assimilate with his new classmates. He said his name, which means “sparrow” or “freedom”...

Middle School Chaplain passes away

Hannah Han
January 27, 2020

Rabbi Emily Feigenson passed away Jan. 23, surrounded by her loved ones after a two year battle with brain cancer, President and Head of School Rick Commons announced in an email to alumni, faculty, staff...

Fleeting Dreams

Fleeting Dreams

Hannah Han
December 11, 2019

Immigrant staff members reflect on their cultural heritage and upbringing. When cafeteria staffer June (last name held upon request) thinks of home, she pictures rows of closely spaced houses, swarms...

LAHSO members discuss cultural identity during annual sleepover

Hannah Han
November 27, 2019

The Latin American and Hispanic Student Organization (LAHSO) hosted its first fall sleepover from Nov. 22 to 23, during which upper school students discussed their experiences as people of color on campus...

Appreciating my ethnicity

Appreciating my ethnicity

Hannah Han
November 14, 2019

Eight years ago, in the mornings before school, I brushed my teeth with Colgate toothpaste and glanced at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, lips stinging from the cold mint. I imagined myself morphing...

City attorney petitions for dispersed flight path, reduced noise pollution in Studio City

Hannah Han
November 14, 2019

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer issued a formal request to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Oct. 18, demanding that, within the next 30 days, the organization enforce the airplane departure...

The Key to Competition

Hannah Han
November 13, 2019

The morning before her live audition for the Elite International Music Competition, Mia Shelton ’21 ate her usual breakfast, a cup of yogurt, and ran through a series of pre-competition rituals.“I...

The value of the humanities

The value of the humanities

Hannah Han and Ethan Lachman
October 4, 2019

It’s Thanksgiving. Distant relatives, now reunited, scoop sweet potatoes onto paper plates and slather gravy on slices of turkey. They dance around each other, moving from one trivial conversation...

Subteams 62A and 62X pose for a photo with their two robots at Arnold Beckman High School on Sept. 21. Subteam 62X received the Design Award, setting the record for the quickest qualification for the VEX California State Championship. Credit: Published with permission of Katie Mumford

Robotics subteam 62X qualifies for state tournament

Hannah Han
October 3, 2019

After earning the Design Award Sept. 21, robotics subteam 62X set a new record for the earliest VEX California State Championship qualification under Team 62’s division. Adjudicators at the qualifying...

Flight plan raises new concerns

Hannah Han
August 28, 2019

Studio City For Quiet Skies is encouraging residents to contact their local representatives in opposition to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) newest proposition to increase aircraft departures...

Ross to become Associate Head of School in 2020

Hannah Han
July 8, 2019

Current Head of Upper School Laura Ross will step in as Associate Head of School beginning in July of 2020, President Rick Commons announced in an email to students, parents and faculty July 8. Ross will...

Affinity leaders gather for SLIDE conference

Hannah Han
May 31, 2019

In an effort to encourage cross-cultural collaboration and develop their leadership skills, middle and upper school affinity group leaders convened during the inaugural Student Leadership in Inclusion,...

Student Climate Emergency Coalition founder Sonya Ribner ’19 interacts with visitors at the first-ever Sustainability Fair in Rancho Park. Credit: Saba Nia/Chronicle

Environmental activist group combats climate change at first-ever Sustainability Fair

Hannah Han
April 29, 2019

Students of the Student Climate Emergency Coalition partnered with environmentally-friendly small businesses and vendors to raise awareness about the detrimental effects of climate change at their first-ever...

Alumni encourage students to pursue social entrepreneurship at HW Venture Impact event

Hannah Han
March 22, 2019

In an effort to teach students about social entrepreneurship, HW Venture Impact hosted its kickoff event March 4 in Chalmers East and West. HW Impact Co-Founders Amaan Irfan ’21 and Alec Katz ’19...

Head Prefect candidate Michael Lehrhoff '20 promotes his campaign to the sophomore and junior classes. Credit: Khyra Stiner

Head Prefect candidates address sophomore, junior classes

Hannah Han
March 21, 2019

Grace Burton ’20 and Michael Lehrhoff ’20 will serve as Head Prefects for the 2019-2020 school year. Results were announced after school in an email to the student body March 25. Following an ad-hoc...

Students, alumni convene at HW Venture Impact event

Hannah Han
March 4, 2019

In an effort to teach students about social entrepreneurship, HW Venture Impact hosted its kickoff event March 4 in Chalmers East and West. HW Venture Impact Co-Founders Amaan Furniturewala ’21 and...

Prefects sell flowers for Valentine’s Day

Hannah Han
February 14, 2019

In an effort to spread Valentine’s Day spirit, Prefect Council sold daisies and roses for $2 each Feb. 14. Though Prefect Council ordered 150 flowers in preparation for the sale, they sold out by...

Photography, Video Art classes visit the Broad

Hannah Han
February 3, 2019

Video Art and Photography II and III students, accompanied by visual arts teachers Jesse Chehak and Cheri Gaulke, traveled to the Broad museum to view a newly opened, fully immersive exhibition called...

Community Council holds Community Service Week

Tanisha Gunby and Hannah Han
November 21, 2018

In an effort to encourage students to participate in community outreach activities, Community Council organized Community Service Week from Nov. 12 to Nov. 16, in which members of each grade aided non-profit...

Student members of KAPA performed taekwondo to showcase various aspects of Korean culture to the school administration. Credit: Caitlin Chung/Chronicle

KAPA performs K-pop dances

Hannah Han
October 29, 2018

Student members of the Korean American Parents Association (KAPA) danced to popular Korean songs, participated in several musical ensembles and presented a taekwondo demonstration to showcase various aspects...

As part of National Suicide Awareness week, Allison Salvador '19 created the Truth Tree outside Rugby Hall to allow students to voice their inner feelings and goals.

Truth Tree Spreads Awareness During Suicide Prevention Week

Hannah Han and Ethan Lachman
September 15, 2018

In an effort to spread awareness regarding teen suicide and mental health, Ally Salvador ’19 initiated and organized a project called the Truth Tree from Sept. 11 to Sept. 14. Members of the community...

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Hannah Han