In an ultimate three-day tournament to test one's strength, throwing speed and ability to duck and cover, players and fans alike gathered together last week to cheer on their fellow Vikings in the 2nd annual Samohi Viking Dodgeball Tournament.

Several weeks ago, 25 percent of 550 Samo students polled were able to identify Afghanistan on a map. In this geopolitical survey regarding the greater Middle East, students were asked to identify three Middle Eastern nations and state whether or not the United States has conducted military operations within those particular countries in the last five years.

As of this month, members of the Delians Honors Society must complete five hours of mandatory community service hours, on-campus, at scheduled Delians events, on top of completing five hours of community service at a venue of their choice. While some students welcome this change, other students are skeptical.

After over 20 years as the head of the History Department, Samo social studies teacher Jaime Jimenez will hand over the reins to social studies teacher Amy Bisson.

The next ASB election will stay true to the democratic process: students will flock to the South Gym to vote for their representatives in booths.

Technology access just got easier for Samo students. The computer labs located at T110 and L202 are now open every day after school from 3:30-4:30 to give students a chance to complete required coursework and prepare for coming exams.

Sophomore Chelsea Brandwein is hoping to spark more of an interest in the“dead” language through the Glee Club, which held its first meeting March 21 under Mr. Henderson’s patronage.

Tree limbs in the street, potholes, graffiti. Santa Monica’s “On the GO” app can fix all of these problems.

“...the universal themes in his works, love and betrayal, are the same in 1650 and 2011. Love is love.”— Chon Lee, English teacher

Five distict nurses could be cut at the end of this year, leaving only nine Registered Nurses (RNs) for 16 district schools.

“I didn’t win but I feel grateful to have been a part of the experience,” Jensen said. “I got to be part of a game I’ve loved since I was a little kid –– that’s more than enough.” -Carlee Jensen, senior.

Samo student Sam Harreschou works daily with students in Specialized Academic Instruction Classes, and recently founded a music therapy program.

Students travel to San Francisco to present at the AP College Board’s Western Regional Forum, in order to discuss the implementation of a post-AP exam project.

Samo makes advances in Arts Education programs, specifically jazz band and ROP Dance.

California is experiencing a widespread outbreak of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. In response to 10 recent pertussis-induced infant deaths, the state implemented a new law that requires all students starting 7-12 grade next year be vaccinated for pertussis before the beginning of the school year. The law applies to all students — new, returning or transferring, studying at public or private school.

Samo’s jazz band and jazz combo participated in the 43rd Annual Berklee College of Music’s High School Jazz Festival in Boston on the weekend of March 5-6. Under the direction of SMMUSD Visual and Performing Arts coordinator Tom Whaley, the musicians placed first in the highest division.

As the college acceptance and rejection letters trickle in to anxious seniors, questions of “Where do we go from here?” inevitably arise. Although not getting into Harvard may seem like life’s end, it’s not — and Rose Bloomfield is here to prove it.

In times of economic downturn, public schools are some of the first to feel major budget cuts. In many districts, art programs take some of the hardest blows to funding; but in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), the arts receive solid community support. Evidence of this could be seen on Saturday March 5, when Barnum Hall was packed to the rafters for the eighth annual “For the Arts Concert.”

Frankly, it’s impossible to watch the television phenomenon “Cops” and not be intrigued. The audience is captured by the thrill of watching police tackle and serve justice to no-good low-lives. We get a certain satisfaction from seeing our tax dollars at work, keeping the streets of this great nation safe. And there’s no doubt: everyone likes watching criminals get busted.

Effective this year, SMC’s late-start summer classes will be cut, leaving some students to rethink their plans regarding credits.

So much at Samo is a competition, but Café Samo was different. It was about making music.

To offset the spending and revenue gap predicted to occur in Santa Monica over the next five years, the Santa Monica City Council has proposed a price increase on many recreational activities, which would be effective July 1, 2011.

The process of changing the district calendar is distributed over two years; the next school year is scheduled to start in late August.