With the upcoming departure of Lower School Director Mariana Robles, Poly welcomes Paula Martin as the incoming director beginning in the 2009-2010 academic year. Martin was selected as the new director this winter after a several month nation-wide search. Head of School Debbie Reed described Paula as “an experienced and talented instructional leader who brings a depth of understanding about curriculum and an abiding affection for students to Polytechnic School.”
Robles relayed that she was “impressed with [Martin’s] knowledge of elementary school curriculum and instruction,” which distinguished Martin during the search process.  Martin graduated from the University of Maine summa cum laude and continued her education at Framingham State College, where she pursued a masters degree in Reading and Language Arts.  In addition, Martin has certifications as a math and reading specialist.  Robles described Martin as “very qualified and incredibly enthusiastic.”
Martin has assumed several roles in her vast work experience, including those of classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator and administrator.  She has taught first, second and third graders in Wellesley, Massachusetts and undergraduates in the education department at Wellesley College.  She has also served as a faculty member of the National Institute for School Leadership.  Martin most recently acted as an elementary school principal and K-12 curriculum coordinator in Orono and Wayzata, Minnesota for the past eleven years.
From her extensive work in schools, Martin has fostered a love of children. Robles praised Martin’s “lovely demeanor” and amiability.  Poly’s strong sense of community and talented faculty attracted Martin to Poly, and Martin immediately felt at ease in the Poly community.
Martin told Reed: “I am very excited about coming to Poly and am already looking forward to the next school year…. You have an extraordinary team at Poly, and I am certain 2009 will be a great year for all of us.”  Reed has commented that she is “excited and pleased that Paula Martin, an experienced and talented administrator, has agreed to lead Poly’s Lower School.”
Robles still is engaged in a job search of her own, looking to find a position with the right fit.  Robles hopes to keep in touch with the Poly community and assures that she will keep the community updated with her next step.
Martin is eager to begin exploring California, in particular the rich cultural life of Los Angeles, with her husband Gary Fishbeck.  Martin arrives from Minnesota on July 1.  Robles will work with Martin during the summer to facilitate the transition and expects that they will collaborate well together.  By fall 2009, Martin will be prepared to assume the position as the new director of Lower School.

For anyone who has gone through the acting program or participated in an acting class, improvisation is often one of the favorite performance games. It is also vital to the acting process as it teaches actors how to handle mistakes during a performance while still staying true to their character. For these reasons, Tiffany LaBarbera, who has been taking on Cynthia Crass’ classes while she is on a yearlong sabbatical, is offering a class entirely devoted to improvisation—“Comedy Sportz.” 
Comedy Sportz is an improvisational comedy that is played as a sport by two teams that compete for points as they create hilarious games, songs, and scenes. The game is even watched by a referee who calls fouls for excessive profanity or cheap, inappropriate humor.
The class itself was developed as an option for students who are interested in performing during the spring semester, but not necessarily excited about the musical. It is different but also complimentary to the performance aspect of the musical, and utilizes LaBarbera’s experience in teaching improvisational and “theatre game” classes; while getting her BFA, she was invited to a semester long graduate acting class that was entirely comprised of theatre games. According to LaBarbera, “By the end of the class, we were so in tune as an ensemble we created some of my favorite theatrical experiences out of virtually nothing. It is important for theatre students to take risks as performers, and realize that theatre is a living, breathing thing.” She also spent two years as part of a semi-improvisational show. It was three hours long but only had 20 pages of script, and was largely about improvising with the rest of the cast and the audience.
The goal of the class, which will meet on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays during Arts and Labs, is to tap into the fearlessness of students and give them an outlet to express themselves in a fun and funny manner. As there has been faculty members’ interest, LaBarbera hopes to also create a team of four to five faculty who will come to class on Wednesdays and keep the students on their toes and bring new life to the class. The students will even have performances, bringing the classroom work to the stage. While the details are still being hammered out, the idea is that the two troupes will compete in improvisational games and exercises in front of an audience, hopefully with added audience participation.
Comedy Sportz is very different from stand-up comedy, and one need not be funny (or rather, think that they’re funny) to join. The improvisation is ensemble-based and has much more structure than stand-up. The most unique part of the class will be the combination of students and faculty who participate in the class. It will create an experience that cannot be duplicated.
LaBarbera is busy organizing the experiences from the numerous classes and shows that she’s been in, and as a student and teacher of improvisation, she has a lot to offer. She is extremely excited for this class to begin, noting that, “My experiences with this department and its students have been incredibly joyful, I cannot wait to teach a class with both so much discipline and so much silliness.”

By MIMI BEA
Assistant sports editor

Standing at 6’4’’, the boys varsity basketball team’s starting forward Justin Worland stands out as a tremendous athlete on the basketball court. In the team’s opening game of the Prep League season, the Flintridge Prep Rebels tried to shut him down by matching him against their 6’7’’ defender Kenyatta Smith, but Worland nevertheless added eleven points to the Panther’s scoreboard in the loss.
Worland, a junior, has averaged 13 points for the Panthers through twelve games, and in his highest scoring game of the preseason against Bishop Diego, Worland banked 22 points. Worland has finished the first twelve games as the Panthers leading scorer with a total of 151 points, and as the team’s leading rebounder, averaging nine rebounds per game.
Worland’s ability to step us as a leader has earned him respect and admiration from his teammates. Sophomore Daniel Wohl said that Worland’s greatest strength is his “knowledge of the game. Also, Justin is a great team player, always looking to see if his teammates are open before taking a shot.”
Senior Jason Leung described Worland as an “integral part of this team. Justin is a great athlete. I know if he keeps up the good work we can expect a lot from him during the Prep League.”

LIZA STARR

By BOBBY SAMUELS
Sports editor

A key to the girls varsity water polo team’s success this year is three year varsity starter and senior Liza Starr. As of January 8, Starr was second on the team with 21 goals and a shooting percentage of 52.5. In addition, Starr has eleven assists, 20 steals, and is tied for the most goals in a single game this season, scoring six in a match against Mark Keppel.
“She is really versatile and can play practically every position,” says junior Megan Latta. “She is also very consistent, and we can always rely on her to play all out.” Starr has also distinguished herself for her leadership. “Liza leads with her experience and is always willing to help her teammates become better players,” comments Latta. “She is always ready to play and makes sure everyone keeps a positive attitude.”
Despite the impressive statistics, Coach Ryan Katsuyama believes that her strengths lie in her doing “the quiet things to help the team. She picks up players she’s not responsible for defensively, helps on our double teams and gives us a third option at 2-meter offense when Olivia Russak and Maddy Russak need a breather.”
According to Katsuyama, the strongest aspect of Starr’s game is “her game sense and smarts. She’s the type of player only needs to be told to do something once. Coaches love that.”

By JASON LEUNG
Assistant sports editor

Three games into Prep League play, the varsity girls’ soccer team has already dug itself into a deep hole, starting out 0-2-1. With losses coming at the hands of both Flintridge Prep and Chadwick and a hard-fought tie with Mayfield, the Lady Panthers have stumbled out of the starting gates. Because of such an uninspired start, the team will have to rally and win a majority of their remaining nine games in order to qualify for the CIF playoffs, a goal which appears out of reach considering that the girls have won just one game this entire season.

Despite what their overall 1-6-3 record may suggest, the team is laden with talent and experience at nearly every position. The team features eight returning starters five of whom are upperclassmen. The three sophomores who start for the team are Katie Gancedo, Zibby Boyer, and Ally Arrietta, all players who were on varsity girls soccer last year. As a result, coming into the season, the girls were expected not only to contend for the Prep League Title, but also to make a deep run in the postseason.
However, an epidemic of mononucleosis knocked seniors Abbey Brogan, Lucy Anawalt, and Gracie Zavidow out for much of the pre-league season, and the team has yet to find its rhythm. Halfway through the season, this team is still searching for their identity on the field, never being able to put together a complete game with the exception of their 4-0 victory over Northview High School in the Claremont Tournament. All of their problems appear to stem from one issue: a lack of team chemistry. When asked about the team’s current struggles, senior midfielder Hannah Wear stated, “We have the most talent in the league, but we just can’t seem to put all the pieces together in order to earn a victory.” Senior captain Abbey Brogan reiterated her teammate’s frustration by commenting, “This team is as skilled as any Poly team I have been on, but we just haven’t reached our full potential.”
With approximately a month left in their regular season, the varsity girls soccer team has little time to stage a comeback. Still, there remains hope as the team possesses an enormous amount of potential. If the girls harness their talent, the Lady Panthers may have the recipe for success, with a favorable schedule which features six home games in the last nine. When asked about the prospects of making the CIF playoffs, Brogan replied, “I sure hope so, we certainly have the players to do so.” Hopefully, these Lady Panthers will be able to roar back from a disappointing start and claw their way back into contention.

By MIMI BEA
Assistant sports editor

Nick Ichien tries to halt a Viewpoint Pilgram’s progress towards the Poly net in a 2 - 2 tie. Evan Robinson/The Paw Print

While most of Poly’s sports teams took time off during winter break, the boysboys’ varsity soccer team worked to improve its game by practicing regularly, playing in the Ontario Christian Tournament and facing off against Viewpoint. The team worked rigorously during the pre-league season to build both the team’s skill and unity among new and returning players. The team’s work has clearly paid off: as junior and three-year varsity player Matthew Diephuis says, “I think this year’s team plays better soccer as a team compared to the teams my last two years.” Although last year’s varsity boys soccer season finished on a disappointing note, this year’s squad returned to the field with their heads held high, ready to leave the previous season behind. Asked how this year’s team compares to last year’s, senior Nick Ichien comments, “We are a much better team than we were last year; we are definitely a much more skillful and experienced team this year.” Diephuis attributes much of the team’s success to four-year varsity players Nick Ichien and Alex Goldberg, saying, “This is the third year I have played with Nick and Alex, and I think they have both turned into very good leaders. Neither one of them ever complains with the referees, and they consistently bring good attitudes to games and practice.” Diephuis continues, “They set a really nice example for the younger players, and both are clearly very skilled athletes who contribute greatly to our successes as a team.” Although Ichien and Goldberg, as seniors with four years of varsity experiences, are talented players and great leaders on the team, they are not the only ones who have demonstrated their leadership abilities. This year’s squad consists of many experienced players, and instead of picking two athletes to assume the role of team captains, coach Doug Jolly has taken a different approach. “Mr. Jolly has decided to switch the team captains every game, and I think that this is indicative of the leadership in the team,” explains Ichien. “I don’t think that there is any sole leader of the group. I think the most effective way for one to help motivate this team is to get motivated himself and to play with intensity. Many times, this intensity is infectious and spreads to the rest of the players.” While the team is mostly composed of returning players, a few new players definitely stand out on the field. When asked which younger players have stepped up, Ichien pointed out freshman Jack Birkenbeuel: “He has taken on an important role in the midfield, and he has taken on this responsibility with great composure.” Diephuis agreed that Birkenbeuel has been an asset to this year’s team, stating, “He has been a really great addition to the team as someone who has a lot of soccer experience, skill and confidence in his game. He’s started and played almost every minute of every game as a freshman, and I’m sure we can expect great things from him as the season progresses, and in future seasons.” The Panthers’ pre-league record is 4-5-4, and with Prep League play just commencing, Diephuis says, “We definitely have the potential to win at least one, maybe two games in CIF if we play hard.” Although the Panthers faced a tough loss against Chadwick in their first Prep League game, Diephuis still believes that the team is extremely capable of achieving great success this season, saying, “We are going have to step it up a lot after our loss to Chadwick to make it to CIF, but I know it’s possible.”

By CATHERINE CLARY
News editor

From April 11 to April 25, eighteen students from the Victor DuRuy School in Paris will visit Los Angeles and stay with Poly students.
The students will come to classes at Poly for one day. During the rest of the time, they will visit attractions in the Los Angeles area. After the day trips, the students will reconvene with their host families in the afternoon.

As a part of the global studies program, the offering aims to immerse students in the culture of a different region. Trip organizer Ann Diederich said, “I think that the goal is for both parties to get a taste of what school and family life is like in each others’ countries.” She also stressed the importance of the friendship students make with their host students: “[the purpose is] to forge long lasting friendships with students across the Atlantic.”
Poly student hosts have been given profiles of the visiting students in order to learn more about them before meeting them in person, and in addition, many have also conversed through email with their exchange student.
From May 29 to June 19, 18 Poly students will travel to Paris along with language teachers Diederich, Armele Webster, and Elaine Mair. In order to participate, Poly students have to be in level four or five of French, Spanish or Latin and needed to have submitted an application this past fall. The application consisted of a letter to the prospective host family and a few paragraphs describing the student’s history with the French language and culture.  According to Diederich, “We were looking for good ambassadors for Poly since it is the first year for the exchange and [we were looking for] their willingness to immerse themselves in French language and culture and try out their language skills.” After all of the applications were thoroughly reviewed, fourteen girls and four boys were chosen to participate in this program.
Junior Simone Sasse, who was selected to participate, explains her excitement at the opportunity: “I wanted to do this exchange for the opportunity to visit Paris and tour other parts of France. Also, I’m looking forward to spending time with a French family and learning about their way of life. Finally, I’m looking forward to conversing in French!”
The first two weeks of the trip to Paris will be a home-stay.  The rest of this trip will be spent traveling through Normandy and Brittany.
Art teacher Allan Schaefer is beginning new another study-abroad program this year. Six girls and six boys, along with chaperones Schaefer and photography teacher Jennifer Godwin-Minto, will travel to Italy for spring break. The group will travel to both Rome and Florence, two of Italy’s most visited cities. In Rome the group plans to visit the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Colosseum and the Pantheon while sampling the city’s pasta and gelato. During the second portion of the trip, students will take the train to Florence, where they will have the opportunity to see the Uffizi Gallery, the Academia Museum and the Bargello museum.
Schaefer spent a semester on sabbatical exploring Italy and is enthusiastic about the opportunity to share his knowledge with Poly students. Schaefer hopes that the trip will allow students “to enjoy Italian culture, and experience the center of the Greco-Roman world and the birthplace of the Renaissance.” While no concrete plans have been finalized for another trip to Italy in 2010, Schaefer hopes the school will continue this offering in the future.

By JUSTIN WORLAND
News editor

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) hosted its 15th annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference last December in New Orleans. A group of four Upper School students and three faculty members participated in the conference, which, according to its program, aims to help students “develop effective cross-cultural communication skills, better understand the nature and development of effective strategies for social justice, practice expression through arts and learn networking principles and strategies.”
Chris Welch of the Black Student Union, Zoe Muñoz of Latinos Unidos, Javier Cienfuegos of the Gay-Straight Alliance and Mary D’Onofrio of the newly founded Diversity Club represented Poly. Upper school history teacher Jose Melgoza, middle school history teacher Robert Farrar and Jenn Foley, Middle School Director, served as chaperones while also attending a separate conference for school faculty members.
During the conference, the 1300 student participants separated into affinity groups based upon how they identified themselves with regard to ethnicity or sexual orientation. Students who felt that that they fit in more than one affinity group chose which one they wanted to join.
Students also separated into family groups, which mixed all the different identifications together. During family group meetings, participants discussed social issues that plague society as a whole. Affinity group meetings focused on issues that were particularly pertinent to that specific group. The affinity group for people of European descent, which D’Onofrio joined, discussed how to be a “white ally” that would aid other groups with the problems minorities face.
The conference also featured a number of speakers including Sir Sidney Poitier and a slam poet named Mayda de Valle. With a smile, Muñoz recounted Poitier’s speech about growing up in the Bahamas where he could not often afford shoes and his eventually moving to the United States, where he became a groundbreaking star. She is still “amazed at how elegant and poised he was.” While also impressed with Poitier’s oratory, D’Onofrio thought Valle’s poetry was the most effective at encouraging diversity. The Diversity Club is currently trying to arrange a time when Valle, who lives in the Los Angles area, can perform at Poly.
Aside from the discussions and the speakers, the students also got the opportunity to enjoy themselves at a talent show where they had the opportunity to display the diversity of their abilities. Outside of the conference, Poly’s group explored the excitement of the newly revitalized post-Katrina New Orleans with Melgoza.
The students discussed how other schools foster diversity; they are looking forward to implementing that knowledge in their own clubs. Muñoz, who attended the conference for the second time this school year, said, “My first time I spent a lot of time talking and being a really active member of the discussions. This year I decided to listen more so that I could absorb more of other people’s ideas.”
The conference was especially exciting for D’Onofrio, who decided to start the Diversity Club after attending. She hopes that the club will help students better understand one another despite differences; looking towards the future, she plans to work to make the student body and the faculty more diverse. The problem, she says, is that students need a broader diversity of perspectives. As an example, D’Onofrio notes that all of her language teachers have been women and that she believes male teachers offer a dramatically different perspective on a language. D’Onofrio also hopes that the school will create a diversity committee composed of parents, faculty members and students to look at other ways the school can encourage diversification.
Another goal of the Diversity Club is to help students see how diverse the community is already. Prior to conference, D’Onofrio “always felt like part of the majority and, therefore, thought that [she] didn’t really have a place.” However, the discussions during the conference allowed her to realize how everyone has a unique heritage even if they look similar. D’Onofrio pointed to her own Italian heritage which she would like to share. A cultural appreciation week where students and parents share traditions and culture would help that understanding. Among her other ideas, D’Onofrio plans on working with the Admissions Department to pair up incoming freshmen with seniors who would identify themselves as part of the same affinity group.
Passionate and ambitious with regard to her new club, D’Onofrio understands that her hopes may be difficult to achieve but she states that “at the very least, I want people to have a better insight and a little bit of exposure to diversity.”

The press hailed Web 2.0 as a great invention.  Sites like Facebook and YouTube allowed people to connect in new, innovative ways—or so went the tagline. When TIME decided to name the person of the year in 2006, who did they decide upon? “You.” A stream of journalists ensured that we got the message: the Internet was now the bastion of the best thing ever: user-generated content. Users, before taken to be fools, were now substantial participants on the Web! It was the panacea for all problems—the public could now voice its opinion!
There was one little problem: users were, and still are, idiots. Pick a random YouTube video and you’ll find nothing but utter trash. The comments are worse: I’ve never seen anything so devoid of intelligence in my life. “L:KSDJFLSF HIIIII,” chimes in one user, the responses being nothing better: “u r sooo stupid. gtfo.” Yahoo’s wonderful “Answers” service had one question, which asked in all seriousness, “how is babby formed how girl get pragnent?”
This is what the world is proud of? This is the world’s savior, Web 2.0?
I’ll pass.
Giving people a truly public voice has merely turned the World Wide Web into a cesspool; Web 2.0 didn’t do anything but open Pandora’s box. When one combines ease-of-use, anonymity and the ability to talk to others, one sees the worst in human nature: idiocy, immaturity, bullying, trolling. People think to themselves, “Oh, words on the Internet mean nothing,” or “Nobody knows me, so I can be a jerk.” Everyone can say exactly what he or she wants, when he or she wants to, and it’s led to pure disaster. Online communities such as YouTube, 4chan and Digg have simply turned into grounds of mush, powered by sophomoric bickering. The web’s transformed into an outlet for random idiots to make questionable remarks and waste people’s time — a far cry from the treasure trove of information envisioned by its inventor. In the 1990s, perhaps 90% of the content was terrible, consisting of unfounded ideas, crazy hypotheses and religious cults. Luckily, one out of ten web pages were useful: a high number for what was essentially a disorganized anarchic mess. Now, the amount of quality content on the Internet—whether good art or information—is easily less than 1%. To get to anything substantial, you have to go digging; it’s simply not worth it. Looking for knowledge? In the old days it’d be like searching a sandbox; these days it’s like panning for gold. There’s more quality content now, but crud and stupidity reign beyond belief.
Of course, one only needs to look at the new, up-and-coming news source of the Internet to appreciate Web 2.0: blogs. Oh, blogs, what wonderous devices you are: allowing people to post immediately any information that comes to their fingers, from a person’s latest haircut to his or her latest nail-clipping expedition. Blogs suffer from the same problem: an overwhelming number of them are just regurgitative mouthpieces that write drivel and whine on about some insignificant point. Less than a handful of blogs are actually well-written, and perhaps none of them will impact the world. Besides, the people running the truly informative sites would have written their articles, regardless of the medium available to them, whether it were Web 1.0, 2.0, paper or papyrus. Web 2.0 did not spur these sites into existence: they would have come about regardless.
If this new “user-generated content” is so poor, then why is Web 2.0 so popular? Surely, if it were really just an amassed clump of stupidity, it wouldn’t succeed?
The answer is simple: it allows everybody, even the idiots, to feel better about themselves, to feel as if they’ve contributed. Who wouldn’t want to jump on that?
Web 2.0 didn’t introduce anything new to the world. It just prompted outbursts of warm and fuzzy feelings, accompanied with cascades of nonsense.

Structural violence (such as hunger and poverty) against the Third World remains the most significant, albeit forgotten, global issue. Institutionalized violence against ethnic minorities, the environment and women have resulted from both militarism and the way in which peace is conceived. When scholars of international relations discuss theories that attempt to explain actions between nation-states, they often take no notice of this form of global oppression, which has killed more people than all conventional wars combined. As Chris Cuomo, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Georgia, wrote, “Ethical approaches that do not attend to the ways in which warfare and military practices are woven into the very fabric of life in 21st century technological states lead to crisis- based politics and analyses.” As a result, the reconceptualization of peace and war is required to solve a problem as massive as global structural violence.

Current manifestations of structural violence have their roots in New Imperialism, the period of European expansion between the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. Western colonialism disrupted the social and economic fabric of societies now lumped together as the Third World. In addition, colonial powers perpetuated imperialism through the grooming of a new class of indigenous leaders, whose sole source of legitimacy was granted by the imperial powers themselves. These practices continue today, since most Third World countries are headed by repressive governments who continue to marginalize their citizens. Colonialism thus ensured the continuation of structural violence long after the exit of the European powers.
Since world leaders’ understanding of the meaning of peace is flawed, the ongoing violence against the Third World remains unnoticed. Most conceive of peace as simply the absence of war, a position termed “negative peace.” Unfortunately, the belief that peace is a state between wars serves only to perpetuate war itself. Indeed, the impacts of negative peace remain far more devastating than those of conventional wars. Sadly, the number of people who die from structural violence every four days is equivalent to those who perished in Hiroshima.
The ongoing Gaza war proves the argument advanced by Professor Ha Poong Kim that negative peace “results in a vicious circle of fear and armament…negative peace is entirely subject to a mechanical interplay of forces and impulses, both physical and psychological.” Israel’s so-called “war for peace” demonstrates that taking a militaristic approach to the creation of peace results in occupation and continued guerrilla warfare.”  Although the death of civilians in this conventional war is tragic, the unseen consequences for Gazans remain far more deadly and pervasive. Israel’s ghettoization of the occupied territories ignores the plight of a group whose human rights have been violated for decades. Collective punishment through the denial of food, water and medicine to these occupied zones is a means of gaining and wielding absolute control over an entire population and exacerbating the indefensible catastrophe of militant Zionism.
Solving the crisis of structural violence can only occur by altering the meaning of peace itself. Positive peace, defined as relations between states committed to nonviolence, counteracts militarism, the root cause of structural violence. By contrast, piecemeal solutions that do not consider the ontology of peace only delay future large-scale war and re-entrench this unspoken form of violence. While many in the international community might object to these changes by arguing that treaties and resolutions have traditionally been effective at deterring and ceasing hostilities between nations, these same treaties still do not account for structural violence committed during times of negative peace. Moreover, the concept of positive peace breaks from the typical utopian peace theories manufactured by the Left; this idea is distinct from demands for immediate world peace or nuclear disarmament because it does not preclude the existence of the military. Instead, positive peace calls into question the necessity of the military, since it excludes by definition the root cause of interstate conflict. All in all, only a full commitment to changing the very nature of peace and war itself can end this overlooked source of suffering and misery.

By JORDAN SMITH and BEN SAMUELS
Sports editor and Editor-in-chief

The rivalry between Poly and Flintridge Prep has become noticeably more aggravated over the past few years. The flames were first fanned when the perceived athletic dominance underwent a stark shift between the 2006 and 2007 football seasons. Panther fans and players enjoyed a comfortable sense of supremacy as the class of ’07 led crushing victories over the rebels for two consecutive years. The tables quickly and drastically turned, however, when the Rebels achieved their infamous 54-0 win over the 2007 football team. Tension rose again between 2007 and 2008 as the two schools engaged in a heated power struggle between their boys varsity basketball teams. Poly achieved perhaps one of the greatest moments in Panther sporting history when they overwhelmed the Prep squad at Flintridge’s home gym with fans literally lining the walls of the tiny gym cheering for their respective teams, taunting the other and proudly displaying their school colors and spirit. Finally, Prep seemed to end the 2007-2008 athletic year with the upper hand as they managed to defeat the Panthers in the Gamble Gymnasium as a result partially of AJ Talt’s (’08) season ending injury. Thus has been the nature of the ongoing clash between orange and navy.
Undoubtedly the venues of football, basketball, and cross country are where the sense of the rivalry is most perceptible. While other teams do indeed acknowledge Prep as their rival, the fan presence and participation is strongest when the Prep and Poly football and basketball teams clash. Friday’s varsity basketball match was no exception. The energy was palpable as it always is when the schools take to the hardwood, and the gym bleachers saw the fewest empty seats since the Panthers’ contest against Trinity College (an event that was made mandatory for all students). However, with the increase in the spirit and aggression of the rivalry, members of the faculty and administration have seemed to become more cautious in how they “permit” students to conduct themselves at such events.
The rules of engagement have been repeatedly laid out for Poly students: we are to cheer only for our team and any acknowledgement that the other team is even on the court is strictly prohibited. They told us this in morning meeting, they told us this around the campus and they told us this during the game itself. Faculty members seem to be afraid that we, as fans, will do something so outrageous or inappropriate that Poly will be embarrassed in the process. Their solution? Kill the rivalry. Now obviously no faculty member who has asked fans to behave “appropriately” will say they are trying to detract from the rivalry itself. But the reality is that the very behaviors and actions that they discourage are essential to a rivalry in any sense of the word.
Perhaps the most noticeable and strictly enforced restriction is the official ban on the “air ball” call. As an opposing player misses and the crowd subsequently begins to slowly chant “air ball…” they can expect to be met immediately with the admonishing hush and angry scowls of surrounding faculty. This is just one symbolic constraint placed on the crowd at Poly-Prep sporting events. In what other sporting venue is this the case? How can competition so limited be called a rivalry? It is obvious that Flintridge does not hold themselves to the same standards that Poly faculty attempts to impose upon Panther fans, and this in no way makes us more civilized or respectful. What the crowd would even be willing to do is not even close to what is considered inappropriate by the sporting community. We must remember that these are high schoolers, not third graders, playing basketball. No feelings will be hurt and at the very least, the opposition may suffer due to an enthusiastic crowd, which is the most significant role any crowd can play in a sporting event.
We are not shouting racial slurs, profanity or any excessively offensive slander that would damage the relationship between the schools. We are not making personal attacks on players or referees that could in any way be seen as going too far. We have, as a crowd, not once taken any physical action, even as opposing crowds make offensive remarks to our players. If we were fans at any other high school and certainly at a college or professional game, the crowd would probably be criticized for being too dispassionate when it comes to supporting the team. Poly has confused enthusiasm and being offensive. When multiple teachers have to tell you not to acknowledge the other team, this becomes evident.
There is no problem with cheering “air ball” after a poor shot. There is no problem with making noise while the opposing team takes free throws (at professional games, fans are even given clappers to make noise). And, quite frankly, there is no problem with expressing our contempt with the calls of an official, so long as comments don’t cross the line (which, though some believe it not so, Poly students can draw). Eventually, this stifling of enthusiasm will just lead to a lack of overall interest. Oversensitivity precludes some teachers from recognizing that a team can be classy even if they don’t remain golf-course silent while the competition has the ball. The team relies on enthusiasm, and it’s gotten to the point that we are smothering it.