Uncovering America's Great Ironies: Torture

By Cora Chong

Human rights abuses have been rampant internationally, but when the United States of America violates its own ideals of anti-torture, how do citizens react? On October 29th, four Advanced Placement Statistics students were invited to attend the World Affairs Council meeting regarding torture which was located at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Century City. The World Affairs Council meeting often features a guest speaker, who addresses eminent problems in society.
The students, junior Stefan Takamura, junior Cora Chong, senior Joshua Wagonblast, and senior Michael Munch, were given the opportunity to ask the speaker, lawyer Leonard Rubenstein from Physicians for Human Rights, questions regarding torture as an overall human rights issue. Mr. Rubenstein has worked in several human rights “hot-spot” countries including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Sudan, the West Bank, Kosovo and the Gaza, and regards the systematic use of severe punishment by US Forces as inhumane and unnecessary. He enumerates, with strong arguments, the question: in any circumstance, is it ever justified to torture another human being, even if it meant that the security of the country was at stake? His answer was a firm "no."
Mr. Rubenstein argued that the United States is not publicly known for their maltreatment of prisoners, primarily because it contains strict codes on how not to torture people. "There is a code," he states, "[that] if you slap someone, your hand must be 14 inches away from the face." Other such absurdities exist, and most of them pass under the radar of American citizens. “But how can the country gain information if torture were banned?”,  junior Stefan Takamura inquired. The Intelligence Science Board itself claimed that coercive methods do not work, since people are likely to lie, give false information or set the interrogator on a wild goose chase in order to stop the torture. In addition, captives often suffer from mental breakdown and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the torture, especially if they were held in Guantanamo Bay or Iraqiesque , Abu Ghraib-type institutions.
Why, then, is torture still permitted here? He answered, "After September 11th, we came away with a mindset that we have to be tough" although he completely disagrees with such a perspective. Arguing that there are alternative methods to gaining sensitive intelligence (i.e. learning about the culture and having a discussion over tea with the person), he knows that "in order to start down the methods, you have to overcome the institution." His tenacious fight will continue until human rights abuses are eradicated.

 

By Cora Chong

Election 2008

By Varun Roperia and Taylor Kagy

Tuesday November 4, 2008, marked another milestone in the proud history of democracy in the Unites States of America; after another four years, the masses of eligible voters congregated at their local polling places to continue the tradition of democracy started so long ago in Ancient Greece. This election, however, was more involved than the previous elections. It was not just a continuation or renewing of the ideals of democracy; it featured a reinvigoration of the traditional voting base, an unparalleled voter turnout, a massive increase in young voter activity, and most importantly, a clear sign indicative of the deterioration of racial barriers which have plagued America since its inception.
The race was a highly anticipated one. No matter what the outcome had been, the precedents of the past would have been shattered by either President-Elect Obama or Governor Palin. In the days leading up to the vote, the tactics of both campaigns shifted. The Obama campaign took advantage of vast capital resources to flood advertisements into the crucial swing-states, and estimates dictate that Obama advertisements claimed three to four times as much air time as McCain’s advertisements. The economic troubles facing the nation factored heavily into decision making, and campaign rhetoric reached its most caustic in the debate over this subject. In the end however, it all came down to the results on election night, when Barack Obama became President-Elect of the United States of America in what many have called the quickest resolved election in recent memory.
Barack Obama is and will always be known as the first black president of the United States. Cinching the victory with 365 electoral votes, as opposed to John McCain’s 162 electoral votes, Obama won with an electoral landslide. This popular vote was similarly skewed in favor of the democratic candidate, but less so; 52.7% of the country voted for Obama whilst 46% of the country voted for McCain. Sentiments over the election here at the high school ran high, from senior Will Usher, “I voted for OBAMA” to senior Jessica Mason, “My g-mom and entire family cried when Barrack was elected. I am really happy that I was poll-working that day, and I hope that Barrack can do what he said he would.” On the other side of the political spectrum, senior Jessica Yip was of the opinion that, “Even as a conservative, Christian Republican who would have voted for Obama, I can still be proud of our country’s choice for president. This election has made history and Americans regardless of party should rejoice in the fact that this year will be noted in history books for generations to come.” Nonetheless, the bottom line is that Obama won, and senior Garrett Bilbey summarizes much of public opinion when he said “It was a brutal and well fought campaign, and the country in the end chose a great leader we all hope will be able to do wonders for the United States.”
Race is a sensitive subject to bring up in any context, but this election forces the subject to be addressed. Many say that votes were cast, focusing solely with Obama’s race in mind. People also have argued that Obama’s race is what pushed his votes over the top, but taking the fact that only 13% of the population is African American, the idea that the democratic candidate won solely based on these votes is ludicrous, especially when it is taken into account that there are those ignorant among us who voted against Obama because of his race.
All in all, this was a groundbreaking election. President-Elect Obama faces a very complex host of issues. His administration will have to deal with an economic crisis, global tensions, and domestic issues that have come to a head recently (such as abortion and same sex marriage). The country wishes him luck, and with both the House and Senate controlled by the Democratic party, this is undoubtedly going to be a term of profound importance.

ESHS Welcomes New Teachers

By Varun Roperia

This year, the Eagles have spread their wings to welcome several new teachers. One of them, Mrs. Espinoza who teaches Career Explorations and US History, is actually a familiar face for some of our students. The Class of 2009 was the last class to whom Mrs. Espinoza taught 8th grade history at ESMS. A graduate of Mira Costa, and having received her degree in social science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, she was motivated to become a teacher because of the influence of her mother, also involved in education. As far as her opinion of ESHS goes, she believes it is "Great. Beautiful, and I love the high school vibe you don't get at the middle school." She advises the student body to "dream big" and says that trying to motivate students and then seeing them succeed is the most challenging but rewarding part of being a teacher.
As previously stated, one of the new teachers on campus is Ms. Castoriano, who now teaches Spanish 2 and 3. She attended college at St. Bonaventure University in upstate New York where she majored in Spanish and French. However, the path that led her to become a Spanish teacher was in no way simple. At one point, "I worked in the Fashion Industry and I wanted to be a photographer or artist" says Ms. Castoriano. Despite this original dream, she now identifies Sénor Zapata, her Spanish teacher, as the individual who inspired her. She explains her current desire to teach Spanish, saying, "I love to speak the language and I like to teach the students about Hispanic culture". At El Segundo High, Ms. Castoriano really enjoys working with her students and colleagues. In her opinion, the most rewarding part of teaching is "building a connection with young people by exposing them to other cultures and learning more about their own." However, there are always difficulties when interacting with teenagers is involved. The new Spanish instructor acknowledges these issues; she explains that the most challenging part about teaching high school students is "motivating the students to learn a second language and to make them understand the importance of learning another language for their future". When not attempting to instruct the oftentimes rebellious student population, Ms. Castoriano spends time doing yoga and rollerblading at the beach. This optimistic and knowledgeable teacher is truly a wonderful addition to the ESHS faculty.
Another new ESHS Spanish teacher is Mr. Valenzuela; aside from being a skier, tennis player, reader and soccer coach, he takes the time to instruct students in Spanish 1 and 2. He chose to teach Spanish because "we can teach about our Hispanic culture [and] share [it] with the students". While now fully dedicated to teaching, Mr. Valenzuela once considered a plethora of career choices, including those in industrial engineering, computer science, and business administration. In the end, he wanted to become a teacher because it gave him the opportunity to share ideas and because he found that teaching young adults could be very rewarding; he never considered pursuing a career because of the money he would earn. For him, the most rewarding part of being a teacher is experiencing that fraction of a second in which he realizes that the students truly understand the lesson he means to convey. Mr. Valenzuela comments that the students of ESHS are "able and the achievement level is amazing"; he already has a good impression of the students and the school. The advice he offers to the student body is: "Keep trying and keep up with the school values…it is good to see [the students] take on more responsibility". Just as his older brother inspired him in his life, Mr. Valenzuela wants to be a role model for his students. While he finds rewards when attempting to achieve this goal, there are also challenges that he must meet daily: "It is hard to be fair and to be well prepared every day."As he rises above these difficulties associated with teaching, Mr. Valenzuela slowly forms another indispensable part of the ESHS community.
Moving away from the Spanish teachers, we head over to the science department. Here, we meet another one of the new teachers, Ms. Nguyen. She now teaches Chemistry and Marine Biology (Bio 2) despite having her degree in Applied Mathematics and Economics from UC Berkeley, where she is also a PhD. Candidate. She considered many other career choices, including being a college professor, consultant, and entrepreneur, but in the end "seeing the smiling faces of learning students" made being a teacher worth it. She admits to the challenges, such as "having to wake up before seven," but her Eagle Pride keeps her motivated. A graduate of the Class of 2002 here at ESHS, Ms. Nguyen believes her enthusiasm, realistic if high expectations and pride in being an Eagle herself make up a valuable portion of what she brings to ESHS.
Another new science teacher this year is Ms. Levenick. Coach for the El Segundo Sea Turtles in her spare time, Ms. Levenick teachers Chemistry and Earth Science this year, a decision she attributes to the fact that she "enjoys all the sciences because they help us understand how our world works." A Biology and Anthropology major from the College of the Holy Cross and graduate of Wesleyan School in Norcross, GA, she greatly enjoys the enthusiasm of the student body here at ESHS, and says that its "great to see so many students involved in activities and the many opportunities available here." Her further advice for the student of El Segundo is as follows: "Get involved, be passionate, and do what makes you happy." These caring words of wisdom are supplemented by the fact that she feels that she brings an excitement for her subject and a passion for learning science to her students here at ESHS.
These excellent teachers are sure to make their mark at ESHS, and each of them brings a unique set of skills and new outlook to the school that will greatly benefit its students. We look forward to a great first year for all of them and their students.