West High School - Chieftain Yearbook (Torrance, CA)

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Q A: HN Q, saw. .-wg.. ln 15: .. 'S' :iw Nm Nm N Wi .,. Fat P Jkt, K u- ! I JL' 1 playing techniques, physics teacher Bill Wright demonstrates the rules of conser- vation of momentum. Q' Showing off his professional pool G' Heavily relying on the strength of the desk,junior Tom Georger plays 'pos- ' sum to avoid doing his trigonometry work. hafbdfotouptaimnaer Talking seniors Cathy Pfister and Allison Lund through the trigonometic proof math teacher Judy Ebey helps them reach the solution. KKK .-J' 4:22 sg!! Examining the diagram of the human body, senior Coreina Teunissen andjunior Sandra Buzanowski get down and personal with their anatomy book. Q' Using some strings as a measurement device, juniors Helen Song, Maili Velez and Mike Chen find the height of building four for a physics problem. Fl FI T H 1' 'S lf I E N IIE 109

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T i is 'Q is N si st, r . NQS Ai .L .5i. . . ,:, .5:. K I K if sf S ' IQX 1 .S . T ..... 1 1 .4 . . , ..s. igvwmwimwgm . N um V or if , g g A . T1 as Q E0.UA'l'IlMr 108 -' tmwwdfaauacaba ly to remember what is that equation? Got it! D I RT. T I Time. Speaking of time, l don't have much more of it left. Somebody slow that clock dovim quick! This test is going to take a while. Back to the prob- lem, concentrate brain . don't wander. As the years have gone by, the Math and Science pro- grams have changed and expanded, yet they have always left room for annual projects like labs and constructions of geometrical figures. The basic information in these classes stayed solid, but it was never monotonous for the teachers. The students have changed each year, said Math teach- er Judy Ebey. Teachers always seem to find new and interesting ways to present the material to help us tune in during class, commented junior Monika Anwandter. Homework for these courses was generally steady and giv- en from the text book. Doing homework is really the only way to keep a sane grip on some of the formulas we learn, said sophomore Kent Yamachi. Filled with numbers and more numbers, Math classes concentrated on solving equations from textbooks and worksheets. This year, the department invested in new Trigonometry books and looked into a new mathematics framework that was being implemented in the state. There was a 20 credit ttwo year? requirement to graduate, but many students chose to continue with a third or fourth year. Science and Math classes were linked by the use of for- mulas, but Science covered the biological and anatomical aspects as well. With the use of visual aids like diagrams and filmstrips, students were able to take a closer look at the different processes of life. Physical Science promoted events like model car races, and computer work to help students better understand the information they were taught. ln the words of Math teacher Judy Ebey, Success in Math and Science requires a commitment of time daily, and every student must be consistent to be successful. Copy and Layout by Susan Pearson Photos by Li-Chen Lin, John Auyeung, and Chie Furuya ITNIIT l,l ll: F l CIXIFC Ill I I I ll .lI.l'..l ll.l. NS -Nw fl 5

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11 'N FCS Yi' very lunch was used up, summer school was a must, Sundays became a day for study instead of rest, and three days a week for two hours, West High students gave up their free time to partake in a challenging program called Academic Decathalon. Coached by Science Department Chairman, George Floratos, and teacher Ron Marra, each participant had high hopes of making the nine member team including three alternates. This team, recognized in Octo- ber, went on to compete in an all day match of the minds between many top notch Los Angeles County schools. West High hosted the all day competition for the second year in a row. The ten subjects students were tested on throughout the day included History, Fine Arts, Science, Litera- ture, Economics, Math, an essay, an interview, Super Quiz, and two speeches, prepared and impromptu. Two of our members, seniors John Lewis and Ken Hsiang, received individual recognition awards for their speeches. Excitement peaked at the final event, Super Quiz, which be- came our strongest point of the day with West's team placing second. Overall, the Decathalon team placed eighth among 65 participating schools. Although our main goal was to place in the top ten, said junior member Steve Lurie, We could have done better had the nine members been chosen earlier in the season. Coaches Floratos and Marra replaced former coaches Marsha Dollarhide and Anna Kasparian and devised a new training tactic. By having a group of at most 50 students cooperatively research Academic Decathalon topics, Floratos eased the load on the would-be team members. He also asked teachers of the different subjects to lecture the students during lunch and after school. l'Talking about the information with different department teach- ers was a big plus in helping us make top ten, stated Lurie. Despite the drop from last year's placing, the 1986 team placed third, the '88 team was pleased to place so highly in the match. However, Floratos expressed the hope of placing in the top five next year. Layout by Jenny Lin Copy by Susan Pearson Photos by Li-Chen Lin, Tom Sherman, and Jenny Lin W Molding his brain for the Decathalon, senior Tim Stowe absorbs information in the area of Fine Arts. Relaxing before their hectic day starts, seniors John Lewis and Jamie Ozenne play with V the computer. x7 Blocking out the world, senior Sharon Krinsky gropes deeply for the answer to a Super Quiz question. 'Q Proudly representing our school, senior Audrey MacLeod keeps score for West. D Top row: Coach Ron Marra, Paul Yoon, Ken Hsiang, Tim Stowe, John Lewis, Charlie Suh, Jamie Ozenne, Duncan Stewart, Steve Lurie, Chou-Han Lee, Coach George Flora- tos. Front row: Laura Conrad, Sharon Krinsky. O FI I: FI III E ITE I II If! E I: FI T H Fl L III Pl 'x 2 5 . K X S X- fx i Qi 'Q ,gs .. .,,, - x. E it .1 m i . Q S. 1 I- t X x 'SS . 5 'N- 'Nw WEST W ,Qu i