highlights
April 20, 2016 Volume 89, Issue 13 Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, California beverlyhighlights.com
it’s a time of uncertainty for the football program. he’s the one who will step up and take the job.
He’s geanakos. the head out of the game. We’re getting the head out of the tackle to avoid head and neck injuries.” While safety remains his main focus on the field, Geanakos also plans to bring more students into
are a lot of kids who need to be playing football, to help them out with other aspects of their life, Following the departure of who aren’t playing. So that’s my Head Football Coach Charnumber one job, to try and get lie Stansbury, assistant coach more student involvement in the Steve Geanakos, formerly program,” Geanakos said. in charge of running backs, However, Geanakos looks linebackers and special to make use of the players Birthday teams, will take over the he does have. Specifically, Dec. 29. head coaching job of the he hopes to boost versatility varsity football team. A 15- hometown within the team, especially year coaching veteran, Getraining players to play on Orange County. anakos looks to build off his both sides of the ball, offense experience to bring the pro- If I wasn’t a teacher... and defense. gram to new heights. i would be an entrepeneur. “With a small group, you Geanakos faces a tall order can’t have a tight end get inin that, along with Stans- Favorite sports movie jured and then you have no bury, most other members backup tight end and you’re “Brian’s song.” of the coaching staff will like, ‘Now what?’” Geanakos also not be returning next Why I became a teacher said. year. A few new coaches to have a positive Graduating defensive end have already committed to Solomon Nwonko, who will influence on students. joining the staff, but must be playing football at the go through the vetting pro- favorite food University of Arizona next cess before being hired or year and has been around lamb. named. As far as Geanakos’ Geanakos on the field for goals for the team, safety favorite vacation spot years, is confident in the comes first for the new head i live in a vacation spot! coach’s ability. coach. “I’m happy for the team. “Safety will be our main They get to have another concern for my duration as the the football program in coming coach that loves this school and head coach,” Geanakos said. years. this program as much as the “Safety has several facets, one “There are a lot of kids I see players,” graduating defensive being blocking and tackling tech- around campus that should play end Solomon Nwonkwo said of niques which are changing, to get football that aren’t playing, there Geanakos. Guy Ginsberg, co-editor-in-chief
FAST Facts
“
Wish him and everyone in the program the best of luck. Coach Geanakos being part of the program last year makes it a smoother transition for the athletes. Coach G is a good guy and knows many students on campus which should increase participation.” -former coach Charles Stansbury
INSIDE
“ “ I think that he will do a great job in the transition from assistant to head coach. He has a lot of coaching experience and I think he will try his best to make us have a great season. He was a great kicking coach for me, and I think he will also be a great head coach for the team.” -tight end and football kicker Patrick Levy
NEWS
His teaching style is very lively and enthusiastic. He never failed to make every single lesson entertaining and I always found myself leaving his class in a better mood than the one I came in with. I had him as a teacher my sophomore year and I could only imagine his charisma as a coach.” -junior Ashley Rahmani
CULTURE SPORTS
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Sticky situation: Tar smell in STC Page
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Review: La Colombe
Page 6
Coachella’s impact on girls lacrosse
Page 8
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HIGHLIGHTS NEWS APRIL 20, 2016
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Sticky situation: Tar wafts into STC
m3 permissible exposure limit was proposed in 1992, [and] OSHA’s quantitative risk assessment estimated a significant risk of lung Ongoing asphalt pours at the cancer among exposed workers at construction site adjacent to the levels as low as 0.2 mg/m3,” acSTC building have caused faculty cording to the governmental agenmembers and students to take precy’s website. cautions against what has become As the school has not yet cona weekly battle against pungent tar ducted tests on the fumes, science fumes. teachers such as Bowers are left The parcel of land, formerly wondering about the potential home to Jimmy’s, a formal dining health consequences. restaurant popular with celebrities “I have no idea if the vapors in the late 20th century, is owned could actually hurt you or not. I’ve by developer Crescent Heights. looked out there, it doesn’t look The company paid $59 million in like all the workers are wearing 2008 to developers who respirators. They’re pretty seripreviously outbid Donald ous about safety over there, so Trump for the plot, and I’m guessing it’s okay. [A] little is currently constructing bit of anything sometimes can a 40-story, luxury apartbe okay, but I just don’t know ment complex known the threshold, I’m not sure. as Ten Thousand Santa Sometimes it’s in parts per milMonica. lion. Anytime you have tar or “This particular site was asphalt, this happens. There’s extremely attractive as it nothing they can do, you can’t provided us with the opcapture it,” Bowers said. portunity to build a high For now, Crescent rise residential project Heights is focused on more with unobstructed views obvious objectives, such as enat the entrance to Bevsuring the successful rollout of erly Hills and Century their high-end apartments in City,” Erica Feher of pubthe blue behemoth. lic relations firm Murphy “[Construction will end] O’Brien said on behalf of later this year. Our intention Crescent Heights. “This is is to bring the communities of a one-of-a-kind location Century City and Beverly Hills situated on pre-develtogether and to provide a resioped land, lowering our dential experience that will carbon footprint, and be unlike anything else you contributing to our comWorkers continue to pour asphalt into the foundation of Ten Thousand Santa Monica. can find in the city. We look pany’s commitment to Photo by: ISAIAH FREEDMAN. forward to unveiling Ten developing full-service, Thousand later this year green construction. We are erectasphalt use appear to have gone and look forward to a great relago turn mine back on because I ing an iconic building on a historic unnoticed at the construction site, tionship with Beverly Hills High could smell [tar] earlier today. If piece of land, notably the former site of Jimmy’s, and look forward where Feher says wind direction we use the fan to suck it back up, School and the members of the to servicing these extraordinary often wafts tar fumes away from it’ll hopefully exhaust [the smell] surrounding community in the before it becomes too bad. It’s not years to come,” Feher said. communities as Jimmy’s once the site and into the school. “Our team met with local of- too bad anymore, but it certainly Still, the faculty and students did.” ficials in Beverly Hills, Century who breath the STC building air hasn’t been pleasant.” However, AP Chemistry teacher City and surrounding community every day must cope with the tar While the only strategy faculty Lisa Dickens, who teaches on the groups prior to and during confumes in the present, with no end members have may be to wait out fourth floor of the STC building struction. We were unaware of in sight. the remainder of the construction, and used to enjoy a view filled with “Now, it would have been nice unobstructed sunlight and acres of any concerns [about tar fumes] science students such as senior from Beverly Hills High School. if they could have waited until Alex Alcalde are left to wonder golf-course greenery, spins the sitWe have since reached out to our how the weekly inhalation of as- summer, but a construction plan uation in a less pleasant direction. “[The tar] has been a pretty nas- general contractor who informed phalt byproduct is affecting their can’t just stop for three months while school finishes. You know, it ty smell. My students get a little us that this smell is temporary and health. “I think it affects my work in would have been nice if there was distracted by it and it’s no fun for entirely dependent on wind direction. We can confirm that our crew class, I can’t focus [because] it more dialogue and maybe they anybody,” Dickens said. AP Physics teacher Kevin Bow- is approaching completion on that smells so bad,” Alcalde, Dickens’ could time it out or something. The noise, we get used to it after a ers, who shares an adjoining portion of the project,” Feher said. teacher’s assistant, said. Though Crescent Heights’ conwhile, but there’s some days where Though the Occupational Safety classroom with Dickens, is also tractor claims instances of tar it’s just like, ‘Bang! Bang! Bang!’ and Health Administration has not fond of the tar smell, but realodors are temporary, Bowers exand it just starts to get a little annot yet developed official federal izes the situation is out of anyone’s plains that the vapors are typically standards for acceptable exposure noying, but that’s living in a city,” control. “It’s not the whole year, just late- present in his classroom for the levels to asphalt fumes, “a 5 mg/ Bowers said. Nirav Desai staff writer Isaiah Freedman staff writer
ly they’ve been [pouring asphalt]. It’s not that big of a hassle; I just turn the vent on, but some students, it bothers them. But that’s not Beverly Hills over there so [Crescent Heights] can do whatever they want. That’s LA property, not Beverly Hills. They’re probably following all the standards and safety stuff, it’s just, there’s fumes. I don’t feel any different personally, in the end I wish it wasn’t here. Not a lot we can do about it. Sorta put up with it as it happens,” Bowers said. The collateral consequences of Ten Thousand Santa Monica’s
majority of a school week, which he attributes to the STC building’s faulty ventilation system. “You can usually smell it in here, probably three, four times a week. The reason why is that the fumes go up above the building and then the air handlers push it back down into our rooms, so there’s nothing we can do about it. What happens is the fumes go up there, and then when it blows air into the room, it’s gotta get that air from somewhere, [so] it gets it from outside, so it blows into our room,” Bowers said. “The science classrooms actually have fans, and I gotta
Highlights Print Team Sadie Hersh and Guy Ginsberg editors-in-chief
Sophia Goldberg, Veronica Pahomova, Isaiah Freedman and Nirav Desai staff writers
Vivian Geilim photo editor
Natasha Dardashti social media editor
Jason Harward graphics editor
Web Team Juliette Deutsch and Marty Schnapp editors-in-chief
Evan Minniti, Lauren Hannani, Eleanor Bogart-Stuart, Max Yera and Sydney Tran staff writers
Jamie Kim news editor
Keith Stone
opinion editor
Ben Shofet
business manager
Gaby Herbst adviser —
Our goal as a student-run publication is to provide reliable, accurate and fair content that informs and intrigues the Beverly Hills community by following the principles of ethical journalism and represents the student body. We will deliver a broad spectrum of coverage through a variety of mediums, including online and print. Highlights is a forum for public expression that is produced by the Advanced Journalism class of Beverly Hills High School, 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Letters to the editor may be sent to beverlyhighlights@gmail.com. Visit beverlyhighlights.com Follow @bhhighlights on Twitter and Instagram. Highlights is sponsored by PTSA and BHEF.
TEDx excites BHHS A Thousand Words: Coachella Jason Harward graphics editor
A TED Talk is a short, thoughtprovoking seminar. At its best, it inspires and calls a listener to action, hence its slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Anybody can give a TED Talk. You included. On Aug. 27, one or more students will have the chance to add to the over 50,000 talks already on the TED website, which archives every seminar ever given during a TED or TEDx event. One of the event organizers, junior Lena Shapiro, had the idea to bring TEDx to Beverly after her older brother gave a TEDx seminar at his school. “I was first introduced to TED talks by my older brother. Ever since then, I have been continuously watching them. TED videos are a great way to learn more and build new perspectives,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro hopes that the event will bring out different ideas from the community. “We hope our TEDxTeen event will unite the high school students in our community and encourage them to think creatively,” Shapiro said, “We want to offer new ways of enriching students and opening them to new ideas outside of the classroom.” ASB also encourages students to get excited, and get involved. “It’s important to have a TEDx event because we feel that the TEDx speakers will get people inspired because their peers will be teaching them something,” sophomore treasurer Jackson Stewart said. Have an awesome idea for a TEDx seminar? Want to become a TEDx speaker? A video of your tryout is due by May 4. Learn more on our website.
EDM artists Diplo and Skrillex collaborate under the persona “Jack Ü” during weekend one of Coachella. During this performance, Kanye West made an appearance, hyping the crowd even more. Photo by: VIVIAN GEILIM.
HIGHLIGHTS SPOTLIGHT APRIL 20, 2016
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4/20 rolls by Marijuana culture proves it’s prevalence Sophia Goldberg staff writer
Something is getting higher. And no, it’s not just you. In 2013, there were 19.8 million marijuana users—about 7.5 percent of people aged 12 or older—up from 14.5 million (5.8 percent) in 2007 according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. A survey conducted by The Journal of Addiction Medicine in March, 2011 including 1,906 boys and 2,191 girls concluded that while about 40 percent of girls and boys had tried marijuana, regular use was also common. In the study, about one in five girls and approximately one in four boys reported having used marijuana in the past month. Though the use of marijuana has its painkilling properties such as an increase development of asthma and lung cancer, at least 29 percent of 220 Beverly students have consumed marijuana at least once in their lives. “Yes, I do [think there is a marijuana
culture] I think that there’s that kind of culture in all schools. I think it depends on the area you live in, the amount of resources, how easily accessible it is. There are a lot of people around here that have it that can give it to students,” nurse Erika Lee said. Medical Science Academy (MSA) and biology teacher Colleen Lynch finds that her lessons on marijuana have changed in culture from positive to negative reactions. “When I first started teaching, [the students] wanted to know about it [marijuana], but then they began to not want to hear about the negatives, which made it made it more difficult to teach. When you bring it up [up the negative impacts], kids get defensive because they don’t want to hear anything negative about it [marijuana], but why would they be so defensive about weed if they weren’t using it?” Lynch said. Principal David Jackson explains the way in which students are found out to have smoked marijuana. He clarifies the sever consequences of being found
with marijuana in school campus. “It’s illegal on a school campus. If you are under the influence on school campus or you have it on school campus, we’re going to suspend you and arrest you,” Jackson said. “We usually find out if a student is not acting as they usually do; it’s reported by a teacher or another student that someone is acting strange. Then, when we get involved, we usually find either paraphernalia or some marijuana. If they have it, we find out, we bust them.” Not only can marijuana affect students academically in school but the narcotic also has a large effect on the body and mind of the underdeveloped teenage brain. “The prefrontal cortex in the frontal lobe of our brain enables judgment and reasoning. But this part of the brain isn’t fully developed until early adulthood, which means most teenagers have to make decisions without a fully developed brain,” AP psychology teacher Roel Hinojosa said. “So, when seeking the thrills or highs from drugs,
teenagers may be handicapped in considering the consequences of their actions. This applies to sex and alcohol, too.” The consumtion of alcohol and the use of cannabis substances is often compared to one another. From the 2013-14 Healthy Kids Survey, 22 percent of 322 students from the ninth grade class of 2017 consumed alcohol or drugs. However, there is a difference when the 11th grade class of 2015 was surveyed. Out of 346 2013-2014 juniors surveyed, 46 percent had consumed alcohol or drugs. “There is an obvious comparison in our society between alcohol and marijuana. Why do we permit one and prohibit the other? That’s a good question especially since many people believe that the effects of alcohol are even worse than the effects of marijuana,” Hinojosa said. “I think it avoids an even more important question: Why do people think they have to use either alcohol or drugs in order to get through the day or to have a good time?”
infographic by: JASON HARWARD
Vivian Geilim photo editor
Analysis:
Why ‘Kush Kampus’ is not kool Natasha Dardashti social media editor
Guy Ginsberg co-editor-in-chief
220 students surveyed.
Infographic by Jason Harward
Every April 20, it is almost impossible to check a Snapchat story without encountering videos of people smoking marijuana. All social media platforms are infested with messages of “Happy 4/20!” along with the maple leaf and cigarette Emojis, occasionally even the Emoji of the flame. In light of this notorious holiday, we must question whether or not this drug deserves to be celebrated. Holidays were made to celebrate occasions that bring people together, and celebrate values such as family, togetherness and tradition. Does 4/20 meet this criteria? Well, some may suggest that the plant does bring people together, but is sitting around in a circle for
hours really the way a tradition should be upheld? Those who call this a holiday need to rethink their definition of the word. Celebrating on 4/20 is, simply, an excuse for smokers to get higher than usual. The origin of the holiday is also shrouded in mystery, with thousands of different explanations for its arrival. So with no true origin, and no real celebratory substance involved, why is 4/20 such a big deal? The answer is, it’s not. Teens who smoke weed, smoke weed. They did it yesterday, and they’re going to do it tomorrow. The real worry here, is teens who try weed for the first time on 4/20, purely because of the holiday. Just because the calendar is marked another day, teens shouldn’t suddenly be encouraged to break the law. The law is
the same every day of the week, and it doesn’t take a day off so people can get high for tradition’s sake. It was expected that the attendance today would be dismal, but like the law, the attendance office definitely won’t be lenient on today’s absences, as they shouldn’t be. Those who value their high brains more than their high grades should expect to see a -3 percent dip on their JupiterGrades. Because of all of this, April 20 should not be a celebrated “holiday” for teens and adults alike. If people are willing to put their grades and health at stake for only a few hours of feeling high, we have a problem. Let’s break down the “tradition” of getting high for a day, and reconsider our definition of a holiday. So we hope everyone has a great day today, and tomorrow and the day after that, too.
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HIGHLIGHTS CULTURE APRIL 20, 2016
Column: preparing for Passover Isaiah Freedman staff writer For eight days every year, observant Jewish people around the world eat matza, baked flour that tastes like a cracker, instead of bread. This holiday is called Passover and there is a lot more to it than a simple swap of baking flour. Every Passover, there is a seder, which is basically a night in which Jews pray and give thanks that they did not have to suffer what happened to our ancestors in Egypt long ago. While the outline of every seder must include combing through a Haggadah (Seder book) and reciting the Ten Commandments, each Seder host always has room for some artistic liberties. Every year, junior Owen Lloyd, whose mother has composed her own Haggadah for which I can personally vouch for, hosts a seder for his friends and family, Jewish or not. When Lloyd’s family hosts the seder, the family mixes it up a bit. “In our giant seders, we always invite everyone we know, regardless of if they are Jewish. Most years, in fact, we had a featured singer of some kind. We definitely do Passover in a big way at the Lloyd house,” Lloyd said proudly. Sophomore Brandon Wolfe commutes to his uncle’s house every Passover, and the experience is...different. “Every time we go there he has a presentation on a projector, sings us 30 minute prayers and shows us YouTube videos on how to use leftover matza,” Wolfe said
with a laugh. On the other hand, the food for Passover exceeds matza ball soup. There are squishy, hard boiled eggs, spicy haroset (a fruit and nut mix), a bare shank bone (I have no idea why), maror (bitter herbs) and innocent sticks of celery ready to be dipped into bitter salt water in order to remind us of the bitter pain the Jews endured way back in Egypt. Each plate must be filled with each of those exotic foods and they are eaten in a specific order during the Seder. Junior Nikki Melamed’s family, during the popular Passover chant “Dayenu!” has fun with green onions. “Everyone goes crazy and throws green onions at each other from across the room. It’s supposed to be gentle tapping, but my family goes nuts and grabs as many onions as they can. It’s hilarious and everyone smells like onions afterwards.” Beside the food, the most crucial aspect of hosting a quality seder is reading from a quality Haggadah. There are countless versions of the Haggadah, including Lloyd’s mom’s, but in a family of both kids and adults, I prefer to have an abridged version, since these things can grow pretty lengthy. The average duration of my seder is usually around an hour and a half, including flipping through the Haggadah as well as having some enjoyable family time. When we conclude the seder, my dad slips away into another room and hides the Afikoman, which is Matza wrapped in a linen. When he is done
hiding it, everybody comes to watch us kids attempt to discover its hiding place. Whoever finds it earns a special treat. I have an all-time one out of ten success rate in finding the Afikoman. But no sweat; it’s for the kids. Once somebody finds the Afikoman, we wrap up prayers. Then the rest of our time together is just good old family bonding time. When everybody departs, the cleanup process begins, and usually ends with me lying down on the carpet in exhaustion. While my passover experience is relatively moderate, junior Jason Zar and his family observe the holiday more closely. “My parents clean out my house of all products containing bread. Next, they buy Kosher food for Passover that does not contain bread ingredients. It truly is a struggle to watch my friends eat bread and not keep Pesach. I also need to go to temple a couple of times,” Zar said. Overall, seders are fun, yet taxing. My advice: go to somebody else’s seder. Even though you may be subject to what Wolfe goes through, it is a win-win. You get to enjoy family time, but do not have to prepare or clean up. While certain rituals must be followed, there are a plethora of ways to celebrate Passover. Even though different students and their families have various ways of observing, we are all the same in that we appreciate a holiday that will always hold true in our hearts.
Coffee break: La Colombe awakens Beverly Hills Juliette Deutsch co-editor-in-chief fee powerhouses such as Alfred,
Sometimes, being productive begins with getting coffee, no matter what time of day. Luckily, Beverly Hills’ coffee culture has given rise to some amazing cafes ideal for study sessions or a quick jolt of caffeine. The newest addition to the coffee circle is the Philadelphia original La Colombe, which is coming to Beverly Hills in early June. La Colombe currently enjoys locations in New York, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, but has reportedly been eyeing Los Angeles’s growing specialty coffee market for years. The Beverly Hills space is going to be situated at 9606 South Santa Monica Blvd. La Colombe is planned to give competition to major LA cof-
Verve. Unlike these landmark shops, La Colombe uses its very own blends and not Stumptown roasters. La Colombe will soon be serving up this city’s most delicious iced and hot caffeinated drinks. But their consumable genius is not restricted to coffee. La Colombe also makes all savory pastries in the house. Upon your visit to the shop, I highly recommend getting an iced sweet latte and one of their flaky croissants. If you prefer coffee on the bolder side, go with their signature blend served hot. Prices on all drinks range from $4 to $8 and pastries range from $5 to $8. Look out for La Colombe this June to satisfy all your coffee needs!
Cabaret shines spotlight on France Eleanor Bogart-Stuart staff writer Hours after the bell rang last Thursday, red, white and blue flags, tablecloths and banners were spread around the cafeteria at school. But these colors weren’t there in celebration of America; they were, instead, celebrating France. Cabaret night is an annual celebration of French culture coordinated by Foreign Language Department Chair Madame Corinne Carlson. It features a variety show comprised of dances, music and monologues, all performed by students enrolled in French. “Cabaret is a great opportunity. Talking is such a forgotten art form, but it’s actually really important,” freshman Juliette Collet said. To Carlson, the Cabaret is not only an opportunity to practice speaking skills, but also a chance to learn more about French culture. “It is just great to have a fun kind of thing with the kids where they can actually use what they are learning,” Carlson said. “I think it is really important for students to make those kinds of connections and to see the role of French in the world at large and the richness of its culture in the past as well.” By performing at the Cabaret,
French student leaves the audience awestruck. Photo by: SYDNEY HANOVER. the students learned more than just the lines for their monologues. They gained a brand new perspective on their class and the French lifestyle. “I think that Cabaret night really enriches our experience of the French culture. We are immersed in French music, dances and food. We’re really able to appreciate the class we take,” junior Cissy Amato said. Cabaret has been taking place for the past 15 to 20 years. Students from any level of French, from French 1-2 to AP, are encouraged to participate. Not only do the students perform, but they also set up and take down all the decorations. “We transform [the cafeteria]
magically into something that kind of looks like a French Cabaret. We have a stage and microphones and all that, and basically it is a celebration of France,” Carlson said. Throughout the show, awards were given to exemplary French students who have excelled in their studies throughout the year. Besides the performances and awards, a silent auction featuring various French-related treats and goodies was held. Urth Caffe provided French themed food and drink for the hungry guests. “That’s what I love about the French department and this event. You get to immerse yourself in a culture and really understand it,” junior Veronica Karlin said.
From top to bottom: Hot lattes at La Colombe served with one of their triple chocolate cookies and almond crossaints at the La Colombe cafe in New York City. Photo by: JULIETTE DEUTSCH
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HIGHLIGHTS OPINION APRIL 20, 2016
Goodwill controversy: two sides of shopping
It is all good for Beverly
No Goodwill for Beverly
Veronica Pahomova cartoonist
Sadie Hersh co-editor-in-chief
Whether one has seen a local Goodwill around the city, went there just last weekend, or first heard of the institutions in 2013 from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, thrift shops have been a prominent part of humanitarian aid since before the major wars. Though the original intent for their establishment was solely to assist the less fortunate, thrift stores have managed to intertwine charity and capitalism to create a service to benefit all sectors of society. Many against the consumerism from middle and upper class individuals claim that the shoppers are inadvertently damaging those in need, decreasing the product selection and opportunities. However, that is simply not the case. A lesser known fact is that the more people buy from thrift shops, the more the disadvantaged benefit. Many are unaware that these cheap stores are not just targeting low-income shoppers; they are targeting all who are willing to help the cause. When any individual shops at Goodwill, s/he is not the only one who strikes a good deal. Alongside more money in the shopper’s pockets, s/he is single-handedly supporting the funding for Goodwill’s program for unemployment training, financial education, job place- Illustration by: VERONICA PAHOMOVA ments and youth mentoring. It is because of advantageous programs like these that lesser stratum of citizens are managing to rise out of the grave of unemployment. This year alone, the mass amount of donations has helped almost 76,000 people find jobs, and the number is on an exponential increase. “It’s simple: donate stuff, create jobs,” write the makers of Goodwill’s website. “The money spent on those pairs of jeans you snagged for your kids could help a single mom get the training she needs to earn a credential and move up in her career. The laptop you got at a great bargain could help someone learn budgeting skills that make a hard-earned paycheck go further and begin to grow savings.” So maybe instead of directing the “can we go thrift shopping?” lyric directly to Macklemore, it would be more beneficial to propose this wonderful suggestion to anyone and everyone around the nation.
There is a stereotype that follows Kids who live in Beverly Hills. This idea is that we are all spoiled, live in extravagant palaces and shop on Rodeo Drive for all of our daily essentials. This image is clearly painted by pop culture characters such as Cher in “Clueless,” who clears her head by strolling down the street with her arms full of designer shopping bags. It is not fair to shoot this idea down all together, but for the most part this image of the quintessential Beverly Hills High School student is a little exaggerated. It is fair to say that most Beverly students are privileged compared to many other public school students. In addition to shopping at all of the trendy stores, a big fad today is shopping at Goodwill. The process behind the way Goodwill functions begins with donations. Anyone can donate items to his/her local Goodwill store. The things that are donated are then sold in the store. The proceeds raised by purchases at Goodwill are directed toward disadvantaged people who have little work experience and help them gain jobs. If students began to contribute donations they could help to improve the quality of life of a disadvantaged families, rather than shop at Goodwill for themselves and further the advantaged lifestyle. While it could be argued that Beverly students shopping at Goodwill increases the funds that go toward the disadvantaged, it is better to donate clothing we students no longer wear to help those who are less fortunate and are unable to purchase it at the retail price. The Goodwill website explains that, “When you donate to Goodwill, you’ve taken the opportunity to become a job creator and make a significant difference in the lives of individuals living in your community.” It is true that by shopping at Goodwill you are not depriving a family from items in the store, but it is more beneficial to fill the store with new items by donating, rather than depleting the stock by shopping there. Instead of continually filling your closets with large amounts of new clothing (that you may of may not ever wear), consider cleaning out every once in awhile and donating things you find you no longer wear.
Coachella should be restricted to ages 16 over Vivian Geilim photo editor
The annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival is a place of sanctuary for most, a place to enjoy music with friends, good vibes and amazing food. While at Coachella, festival-goers are surrounded by a constant stream of diverse music groups and assortments of people, just enough fabric to call it clothing, and the trademark smells and sights of drugs and libations ranging from marijuana and vodka to acid and molly which inevitably adds up to the ludicrous behavior for which Coachella is so notorious. As appealing as that may sound for some, there is something that irked me while walking around the more than big estate of Coachella: seeing parentals walk around with children and infants.
With that being said, it would be actly is Coachella advocating when ing, but another to have an infant expected that such a festive throng allowing minors to enter such an be around an event where A$AP would be quite exclusive, allowing event. It is one thing to take a child Rocky is asking the crowd who is under the influence a specific age to enter of LSD, alcohol and/ such an atmosphere. or cannabis subHowever, it has come stances. In addition to my attention that to the loud electronic The Coachella Music dance music that is and Arts Festival does pulsing from the tents in fact allow entry to all and stages, the setages. ting Coachella offers And by all ages, they should not be a place do allow all ages. As a where children of all matter of fact, children ages should be loiterranging from ages five ing. and under go in for Although parents free. It is understandmay think they have able that someone who Weekend one at the Coachella music and arts festival in Indio, the common sense still can’t fully pronunci- California. Photo by: VIVIAN GEILIM to be able to handle a ate words should not be child at such an event, mandated to pay the full price of the costly Coachella ticket. to enjoy Edward Sharpe and the there are numerous things that And with that being said, what ex- Magnetic Zeros for family bond- could go horribly wrong. Not only
is possession of drug and alcohol substances effortless to discover, but the location of the occasion is big. Very big. In order to have many bands play concurrently, the five fundamental stages are spread throughout the 78 acres of land located at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Coachella is massive and to think about a child lingering attended or unattended in such a large and junkie environment just seems inappropriate. Age appropriation at Coachella should most definitely be modified to at least +16 years old. Although it isn’t as rigorous as ULTRA and HARD music festival where they maintain an +18 age regulation, it still has a similar environment. With an age verification at Coachella, it can ensure more safety toward adolescent health and lives.
Letter from your editors: Thank you students Editorial
Dear readers, We hope that you have enjoyed the content in both our print edition and website throughout this year and thank you for your continued support of this school publication. Since the beginning, we have made it our priority to carry a wide variety of coverage regarding you, the student body. If it weren’t for you, we as journalists would not be able to fulfill our job to report the daily happenings within our hallways and on our fields. We appreciate the cooperation
and assistance from the student body, faculty, administration and school board, who make sure we report accurate and timely stories in each of your issues. In this issue, we highlight four specific issues and events of great importance to the students and the community. 1. After the recent resignation of former head football coach Charlie Stansbury, we are happy to break the news that teacher and former assistant coach Steve Geanakos will be taking the position of head coach of the team. 2. With our publication date falling on the infamous date of 4/20,
we studied and surveyed the student body about the marijuana culture present in our school. We spoke to reliable members of our faculty and administration and gathered information from the student body to investigate the risk and rewards of consuming the marijuana. 3. Coachella is one of the most famous music festivals in the nation, recruiting thousands of willing music lovers into the area of Indio, California. From awe-inspiring performances, to innocuous fashion, all the way to ever so prominent watermelons, this publication has recapped the event
alongside an opinionated rebuttal to the establishment’s lack of age restrictions. 4. Recently, when the staff and student body spent their time in the science building, they have found themselves engulfed in a seemingly incessant mist of tarlike odor. In this issue, Highlights has addressed this prominent matter and has communicated with the construction company. We focused on exploring why this smell permeates throughout the science building every morning. Combining and channeling all of these topics into a single issue is not an easy task, but with the help
of a stellar editorial team, adviser, student body and administration, Highlights was able to produce this issue. It is with this continued backing of the community that allows us to produce printed content. Highlights is taking on the issues that concern you. Rather than voice our own opinion, we want to hear yours. We aim in this issue to display our dedication to this school and this community, with journalism that is investigative, intriguing and factual. Sincerely, Juliette Deutsch and Sadie Hersh Highlights co-editors-in-chief
8
Varsity girls LAX lax at Downey
HIGHLIGHTS SPORTS APRIL 20, 2016
Rest-of-spring sports schedules Varsity Baseball
Date
Opponent
Place Time
Thurs., April 21
Hawthorne HS
Home
3:15 PM
Tues., April 26
Lawndale HS
Away
3:15 PM
Thurs., April 28
Lawndale HS
Home
3:15 PM
Tues., May 3
Santa Monica HS
Home
3:15 PM
Thurs., May 5
Santa Monica HS
Away
3:15 PM
Tues., May 10
Culver City HS
Away
3:15 PM
Thurs., May 12
Culver City HS
Home
3:15 PM
Varsity Boys Lacrosse
Members of varsity girls lacrosse rally the troops in preparation for their visit to Downey High School. Photo courtesy of: NATASHA DARDASHTI Sadie Hersh co-editor-in-chief The girls varsity lacrosse team was downed by Downey High School 2-17 at their away game on April 15. The game occured on the first day of Coachella Music Festival, which resulted in many absent teammates. Going into the game, sophomore defensive wing Sarabeth Tansey was enthusiastic, even though there was a significant number of missing players. “I knew that we were missing some of our best players and that Downey was a really good team. I felt excited to go out and just play my hardest regardless of the score,” Tansey said.
With about 10 girls missing the game on Friday night, the team had their disadvantages going into the game, but they were driven to do their best. “Our team was frustrated by the lack of players, but we still stayed motivated and tried to work with what we had,” senior goalkeeper Mishelle Arakelian said. The two goals were scored by sophomore low attack Abby Kolko and senior attack wing Sofia Adell. Adell set goals to fulfill during the game in order to stay positive mindset. “Going into the game with so many teammates missing, especially starters, we did not have much confidence, so we took it as
a practice and we set goals for ourselves,” Adell said. “I set goals for myself to score, which I was able to accomplish. Everyone set their own goals of what they wanted to do and that’s how I feel like everyone contributed.” Tansey is hopeful about the coming season and thinks the team can improve on the fundamentals in order to become stronger. “I think that we can work on our conditioning, communication and basic skills such as throwing, catching and shooting.” Tansey said. The team is confident about their coming season, with their next game on April 25 at home against Culver City.
Pole vaulter rises above Mt. Sac Jamie Kim writer Jason Harward reporter As the only entrant from Beverly’s track and field team, senior Amanda Block medaled fourth place at the Mt. Sac Invitational on April 16. Block placed in the girls pole vault, clearing 11-6 on her first try and just close to 12-0 on her second. “She did very well, which is pretty special, because Mount Sac has some of the top competition from around California,” Head Coach
Howard Edelman said. “It helped her because it was one more opportunity to compete against the top people who she’ll be meeting again in CIF and, hopefully, beyond.” While Block was the only Norman representing the school, Edelman believes that the team has made stronger advances in bonding as a whole. “They’ve gelled as a team. Everyone appreciates what everybody else does because they know that no matter what they do in their respective events, what everyone
else does in their respective events has an effect on the overall outcome,” Edelman said. The meet’s outcome caused varsity co-captain Raehaan Poonja to feel optimistic about the future of the maturing girls squad, which features rising stars in the 400-meter and 4x400 meter events. “I think that’s going to be a very strong thing in the next couple of years,” Poonja said. “Our girls team carrying over is looking very strong right now; [we have] a couple of juniors who I think will do very well next year.”
Date
Opponent
Place Time
Weds., April 20
Glendale
Home
6:00 PM
Fri., April 22
Culver City HS
Away
4:00 PM
Tues., April 26
El Segundo HS
Home
6:00 PM
Fri., April 29
Santa Monica HS
Away
5:30 PM
Varsity Boys Volleyball
Date
Opponent
Place Time
Thurs., April 21
Hawthorne HS
Away
3:15 PM
Tues., April 26
Lawndale HS
Home
3:15 PM
Thurs., April 28
Santa Monica HS
Away
3:15 PM
Tues., May 3
Culver City HS
Home
3:15 PM
Varsity Girls Lacrosse
Date
Opponent
Place
Time
Mon., April 25
Culver City HS
Home
4:00 PM
Weds., April 27
Marlborough HS
Occidental
4:00 PM
Fri., April 29
Santa Monica HS
Home
4:00 PM
Sat., April 30
Hamilton HS
Away
12:00 PM
Varsity Softball
Date
Opponent
Place Time
Thurs., April 21
Santa Monica HS
Home
3:15 PM
Tues., April 26
Culver City HS
Away
3:15 PM
Thurs., April 28
El Segundo HS
Away
3:15 PM
Fri., April 29
St. Monica HS
Home
3:15 PM
Mon., May 2
Santa Monica HS
Away
3:15 PM
Tues., May 3
Hawthorne HS
Home
3:15 PM
Thurs., May 5
Lawndale HS
Home
3:15 PM
Tues., May 10
Culver City HS
Home
3:15 PM
Varsity Track
Date
Opponent
Place
Time
Thurs., April 21
Santa Monica HS
Home
2:45 PM
Fri., April 22
West Torrance HS
Away
2:45 PM
Sat., April 23
West Torrance HS
Away
2:45 PM
Away
2:45 PM
Thurs., April 28 Culver City HS
Varsity Boys Golf
Date
Opponent
Place Time
Weds., April 20
Culver City HS
Away
2:30 PM
Thurs., April 21
Culver City HS
Home
2:30 PM
Mon., May 2
South Torrance HS
Away
2:30 PM
Weds., May 4
South Torrance HS
Home
2:30 PM
Fri.-Sat., May 6-7
Last Competition
Home
TBA
Varsity Swimming
Date
Opponent
Place
Time
Thurs., April 21
Santa Monica HS
Home
3:00 PM
Thurs., April 28
Culver City HS
Away
3:00 PM
Varsity Boys Tennis
Date
Opponent
Place Time
Fri., April 22
Ojai Tournament
Home
TBA
Tues., April 26
Santa Monica HS
Away
3:00 PM
Thurs., April 28
Culver City HS
Home
2:30 PM