Crosstown rivals cheer each other on

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT-The Thousand Oaks High School choir, under the guidance of director George Swanson, rehearses during school on Monday. Both the TOHS and Westlake high school choirs won gold awards at the Heritage Festival in San Francisco earlier this month.

Is the crosstown rivalry between Westlake and Thousand Oak high schools over? Maybe not on the gridiron, but at least it is for the choir departments.

When singers from both schools showed up for the Heritage Festival in San Francisco earlier this month, instead of exchanging taunts, they cheered and applauded for each other.

George Swanson, TOHS choir director, said students from both schools may have promoted the rivalry in the past, but at this competition they showed support for each other.

Alan Rose, who has been the choir director for Westlake High for 20 years, said students from both schools voiced their mutual support at the festival. Thousand Oaks students even yelled, "We love you, Mr. Rose," he said.

The Thousand Oaks and Westlake choirs each won gold awards.

"It’s obviously really fun and exciting," said Susan Duang, a senior at TOHS who’s sung in the choir and at the festival competitions all four years of high school. "Competition in itself is a great experience.

"I’ve also learned how to perform under pressure," she added.

The Westlake choir will perform in a 20th-anniversary show at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on May 22. All choir alumni are invited to participate.

For more information, call Rose at (805) 497-6711, ext. 2111, or visit the choir’s website at www.whscmd.org.

—Michelle Knight