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Campus Culture

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Elisa D.

The Halloween Transgender Experience

Halloween’s long history as a rare time of socially acceptable cross-dressing and gender non-conformity remains relevant in 2018. In California, the now-defunct Municipal Code 56.19 criminalized cross-dressing in 1898. It was one of a pack of laws targeting the culture and also social activities of the LGBT+ community. 56.19 was widely defied by drag queens, drag kings, and transgender people — especially in the Halloween tradition of wild street parties in West Hollywood. Though Westridge students may not be so overt, some continue the tradition of Halloween as a joyous expression of nontraditional gender identities.

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Art Requirement Redefines Westridge Education

Head of School, Elizabeth McGregor’s, decision in the Fall of 2017 to change the art requirement marked one of the biggest shifts the Westridge art program has ever experienced since its implementation in the 1950s. McGregor’s decision, not without controversy, ultimately boiled down to one conclusive question: what kind of arts education should a Westridge student have?

November 1 • By Sophia H.
November 1 • By Emerson L.
November 1 • By Maya L. & Emily S.

Yogis Get Literary

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Issues of Integrity Raise Questions of Perfectionism

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 Regina Wei in China, practicing yoga.

Westridge was founded one hundred and five years ago, yet the importance of morality and honesty--especially academic integrity--has been emphasized more now than ever before. What caused this sudden change?

At 3:10 p.m., students pour out of class, and many walk to soccer practice, theater rehearsal, or other extracurricular activities that occupy their post-school life. Meanwhile, teachers pack up their bags and send their last emails in preparation to head home and grade papers. However, two of our Westridge faculty members’ days don’t stop there: They go home ready to work on their novels.

November 1 • By Gracie S. and Isabella W.
Elisa D.

Road to Administration

The road to administration is often paved with good teaching. For many passionate teachers, the transition from educator to administrator is bittersweet but ultimately necessary. Whether in pursuance of increased pay or a wish to influence school policy, teachers choose to step outside of the classroom and join the administrative ranks.

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(left) Mary Tuck, (right) Gary Baldwin
November 1 • By Olivia Q.

Local & World

Features

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Ronni H.

Costume judges (from left) Annie L., Quyen M., Sophie M., Lauren B.

Halloween Parade Highlights

Voices are raised in a deafening crescendo as students' excited chattering surges through the gym. A multicolored sea of students, teachers and parents dressed in Halloween costumes fill the gym with energy as Monster Mash and Thriller conduct the parade.

November 1 • By Tiffany C.
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A Plastic Ocean

Inspires Action

Life in plastic, it’s fantastic. When Aqua’s hit song, “Barbie World,” was written in 1997, neither the Eurodance band nor the blonde bikini-clad doll herself was aware of the harmful effects plastic has had on the environment. In 2018, plastic surrounds us. 

November 1 • By Tiffany C.
Film cover of award-winning documentary, A Plastic Ocean, previewed at Westridge School on September 24.

New & Lesser Known Affinities

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Ronni H.

Members of the ASB cabinet during their weekly meeting.

A Look Behind ASB

You may know them as a friendly, fun, and sometimes ridiculous group of people who, despite their goofy tendencies, are the most reliable leaders that give a voice to our student body. But who comprises our ASB? Who are the members of the cabinet? And what really happens during an ASB meeting?

November 1 • By Isabella W.

“Affinities have always provided students with a place where they can belong. That’s extremely important right now because there are a lot of things, especially in politics, that tell minorities that they don’t belong in a ‘perfect version of our country,’ and that’s not all right. We need to show young people there are spaces where they belong, and there are spaces where they are not the ‘other’; they are one of many,” Oona L. ‘19, the senior head of Student Voices, explained. At Westridge, affinities fall under the domain of Student Voices, one of three student leadership groups in the Upper School.

November 1 • By McKenna B.

Seniors Represent Westridge on the 2019

Rose Court

On October 1, two Westridge seniors, Lauren B. ‘19 and Micaela M. ‘19, were selected for the 2019 Royal Court.

November 1 • Jackie Y.
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Lauren B., '19, (left) and Micaela M., '19, (right) at the inauguration to the Rose Court.

Op-Ed

November Editor's Note

The question plaguing my mind these days is: How do we apply honesty to improve our world? In a time of hate and division, I value and admire the pursuit of journalistic integrity with the intent to spread the truth and to use stories to encourage empathy. I find nothing more fitting than to pursue this endeavor on our Westridge campus. It’s always baffled me that within our community - full of passionate activists, outspoken individuals, painstakingly ambitious and incurably hungry people - that our school’s newspaper wasn’t a prominent part of campus culture. Our goal is to change that.

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November 1 • By Ronni H.

Journey to Journalism

Dear Peer to Peer . . .

I have a friend who is overly competitive but in a subtle way. She always wants to talk about grades just so she can shove hers in my face. What really bothers me is when she talks about things she’s going to do over the weekend when she knows I wasn’t invited to them.  How do I deal with an overly competitive friend or classmate?

 

-Needing New Friends

This year, Spyglass would like to start off by introducing two new writers, Sophia K. ‘19, and Gracie S., ‘22. In pursuance of our year-long goal, to build community, we hope to demonstrate the breadth of journalistic experience present on our staff and to share two stories about writers’ journeys to journalism.

November 1 • By Sophia K and Gracie S

Dear Needing,  

​

That’s a tough situation.  I think it’s safe to say that many of us have been there.  There are different ways of handling a competitive friend or classmate depending on who the person is . . .

In order to submit a question that you would like Peer-to-Peer students to answer in this column, email Spyglass at spyglass@westridge.org.

New Arts Requirement Woos Students

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Athletics

Melanie Horn

Varsity team celebrating after a point during their match on October 9th.

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(top left) Caroline L, '21, during a tennis match. (top right) Krystal R., '20, during the first round CIF volleyball match. (bottom left) Abbey P., '20, during the cross country Mt. Sac Invitational. (bottom right) Christine B., '20, during a golf match.

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Varsity Volleyball "Digs Pink" on Senior Night

Above the stands in Hoffman Gymnasium were the words “Dig Pink,” spelled out in breast cancer ribbons promoting the communal effort to raise money for breast cancer research. Below the pink phrase, a sea of students, faculty, fans, and rivals cheered on the Varsity volleyball seniors during their last home game of the season.

Autumn Athletics

November 1 • By Caroline L.

Fall sports can be hard to juggle with the inception of the school year, but student-athletes have proved they can prevail and stay determined, both as a member of their team as well as a student in the classroom.

November 1 • By Ronni H. and Jacqueline Y.
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