Alumni contributions

As you sit through that band concert or play or hurry off to speaker presentations on Career Day, little do you know how much influence Samo alumni has had on these events.TheaterMany of Samo’s theater alumni try to keep in touch with alumni. According to Theater Director Kate Soller, the theatre program hosted its first Alumni Night in which it invited alumni who graduated from the theatre program to support them by attending their performance “Noises Off” on Nov. 9, 7 p.m. One of the program’s goals is to bring together the alumni so that they can reunite with their old friends. The programs current performers were enthusiastic to meet the talented people that came before them.ArtAlumni also contribute in a number of ways to the art program, according to Art Department Chair Laurie Gutierrez.According to Gutierrez, Alumni have come back and taught art students many techniques as well as financial contributions to their visual arts scholarship fund. Such scholarships are awarded to artists who participate in the Senior Art Show.“I have an alumni assistant that works as a volunteer kiln tech for example, and we have had alumni come back and teach techniques, organize art shows and volunteer in classrooms,” Gutierrez said “We also receive grants from the PTSA and SMMEF [Santa Monica - Malibu Education Foundation], both programs receive alumni contributions.”JournalismAlumni who were a part of the journalism staff have come back to Samo to share their experiences as professional journalists and how being on The Samohi staff helped them find their vocation. Alice Ollstein, Samo graduate (‘06) and reporter for The Samohi, visits Samo whenever she can to speak of interesting sotries she has covered and of her difficulties getting settled as a journalist.“I want students to have an accurate idea of what it’s like to be a reporter, and be more critical of the media they consume,” Ollstein said.Former student journalist and now L.A. Times writer, James Rainey, also returns to Samo’s journalism department to impart some wisdom.“I like to talk to students at Samohi and other places because they are full of energy and idealism,” Rainey said. “And they are not frightened by the business challenges and cutbacks now confronting many media.”BandSAA attempts to expand the scholarship programs through fundraising and donations. Sometimes the funding goes to specific departments, such as band in the music department. According to Band Director Terry Sakow, the Samohi Alumni Association (SAA) has contributed to their events by announcing them on the Viking Newsletter. They spread the word and many people have become interested and more involved in the Band Department. SAA has promoted past concerts leading to greater ticket sales. According to Sakow, they helped promote the Samohi Bands Silent Film Festival in the Viking Newsletter and as a result more people bought tickets.One of the class reunions from the late 50’s had money left over from the reunion budget and those who attended decided to donate money to the band.bgonzalez@thesamohi.com