Wrapping up the Samo fall semester
On Saturday, Dec. 2, the City of Santa Monica cut the ribbon on a brand-new bike lane on 17th Street, one of the busiest streets in the city. The event occurred as a culmination of the "Safe Streets for 17th Street and Michigan Avenue" project, which began in Oct. of 2021. As pedestrian traffic increased by 1600% and bicycle traffic by 82% since the opening of the Metro Exposition station, the project aimed to counter the dangers brought on by these new developments. Dec. 2's celebration included a speech by Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis and other city officials as well as a performance by the Samo Viking Marching Band. Student musicians brought pep tunes to the onlookers from behind the bike lane before the ceremony and played the Samo fight song "Vikings Bold" upon the cutting of the ribbon. Marching Band Vice President Shayna Kadish ('25) provided further insight on the band's participation at the event.
"I think it's good to bring awareness to our city about… the different ways we can make biking and transportation safe," Kadish said. "And for the band, getting to represent our school and being present in the community is really important."
On Thursday, December 7, student donors, volunteers and UCLA nurses convened in the Discovery quad for the annual UCLA blood drive. Blood donation is a critical medical procedure in treating various medical conditions — donor contributions can save the lives of patients in need by giving them a stable and sufficient blood supply. Through much coordination with the ASB community service committee at Samo and UCLA, students were able to come together and work towards a successful day for blood donation. Tables were arrayed in and outdoors with snacks and drinks for recovering donors as they got their blood drawn inside. Samo Student Donor Oliver Russel (’24) shared his experience.
“The process of donating was very simple, it only took about 30 minutes and it’s a really easy way to help out others," Russel said. "People constantly are in need of blood transfusions, so I think if you can give a little extra, you should."
Club Day occurred at Samo on Wednesday, Dec. 6, in the Innovation Quad. During lunch, clubs around the school were invited to set up a stand on campus during lunch to fundraise for their club's cause. Members sold a variety of products, from food like croissants and Sidecar donuts to non-food items such as socks. Reflect Empathy President Shayl Khatod ('26) considers the event to be a success.
"I enjoyed Club Day and I thought it was a great way for Samo students to help support and learn about different clubs and opportunities around campus," Khatod said. "It also really helped clubs achieve fundraising goals to pursue different projects to better the Samo community."
This upcoming week holds multiple significant events for Samo's music program. The annual Orchestra Winter Concert, the first formal concert of the year, will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 12 in Barnum Hall, featuring festive music along with classics from composers like Dmitri Shostakovich,
Listeners can also expect to experience the tradition of an audience raffle winner conducting the Symphony Orchestra's rendition of "Sleigh Ride." Tickets are available on the Samo Orchestras website; the concert will begin at 6:30 with concessions available starting at 5:30. Philharmonic Tuba Player Vanessa Garcia spoke on their excitement for the event.
"I think the orchestra sounds great and we're definitely ready to put on a good concert," Garcia said. "I'm really excited to see the other orchestras performing, to hear what they put together."
Additionally, the Samo Choir program will have its winter "Motus Perpetuus" ("Perpetual Motion") concert on Friday, Dec. 15. This uniquely designed concert features ensembles singing from places all around Barnum Hall, from the stage to points stationed on the balcony and throughout the aisles. Traditionally, a song will begin immediately after the last has finished, without any gap for applause — this creates the feeling of a constant revolving of music around the hall. The concert will feature a variety of classic pieces, but first-year choir student Zoey Jaffa ('27) is especially looking forward to performing ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me" with the Valkyries acapella group.
"It's my first formal choir concert here at Samo and I'm so excited," Jaffa said. "I've been waiting to perform in Barnum for a while and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it goes."