April 20

highlights

Beverly Hills, Calif.

Beverly Hills High School

Volume 85, Issue Twelve · April 20, 2012

CHEATER, CHEATER Plagiarism instances prompt examination of cheating code Lilia Abecassis Staff Writer Cheating is an undeniable problem at Beverly.

According to 115 students polled, 31 percent said they cheat because of the pressure to get into college, 16 percent said that it is easier than studying, and 15 percent said it is because of the pressure from parents.

Students are required to sign a disciplinary contract at the beginning of the year.

The contract states the details and consequences of the

school’s cheating, attendance and other policies.

When students sign the contract, they accept the terms and conditions of the policy, regardless of their beliefs that it is too strict, not strict enough or generally unfair.

The student also has a moral responsibility to be honest, have integrity, and turn in only his or her original work created for the intended assignment.

Nonetheless, 52.5 percent of students surveyed admitted to cheating on tests this year, which may lead some to believe that the policy is not enforced strictly enough. [continued on page 11]

See EDITORIAL on page 4 for Highlights’ take on the cheating policy.

Pictured: Liz Brajevich and Jacob Roder. GINELLE WOLFE

Inside this Issue...

Page 3

Pages 6-7

Page 12

buildOn collects record number of books for charity.

Highlights checks out the annual pilgrimage to the Coachella Valley.

Students join rugby club to broaden athletic horizons.

2 news

April 20, 2012 Highlights

Celebremos hosted by Spanish dept.

Celine Hakimianpour Staff Writer The annual Spanish celebration Celebremos is an event that celebrates the students’ participation in learning Spanish and the culture of Spanish speaking countries.

It was held on Thursday, April 19 in the student cafeteria.

This year’s Celebremos differed from past years. For the first time, the event was only for students in Spanish levels 5/6, 7/8 and AP Spanish.

Because of this change many students were not able to attend this event.

“This is a big change because we have such an enormous enrollment of kids in Spanish classes, so we wanted to get back to the original meaning of the whole event. It’s more of a privilege to be here,” Spanish teacher Susan Schneider said. Freshman Shauna Sarshar, sophomores Jessica Fischman, Sharon Haiem, Olivia Norris, junior Arya Boudaie, and sophomores During Celebremos, awards Daniel Raban and Samuel Hopp gather before practicing dances for Celebremos. GINELLE WOLFE were handed out to the students Due to the new changes, students have preparing Celebremos. Chipotle sponsored who demonstrated the most enthusiasm for felt more grateful to be one of the many the occasion. Entry was $2.00 and students learning Spanish. There were also student students enrolled in the Spanish language had to show their ID to be permitted inside. performances in which students showed program. Celebremos shines light on the “We’re really excited and we really feel their passion for Spanish with song and students and recognizes those who have this year it will bring back the original dance. showed commitment in Spanish through reason we started this event in the first “Celebremos is a fun and active way to get the years. place. We want to recognize those students us more involved in the Spanish tradition “It makes me feel so lucky to be in that have continued to show enthusiasm in and culture. I love Celebremos because Spanish because not everyone is allowed learning Spanish,” Schneider said. it’s amazing to see the school collaborate to participate in this event. I could not The Spanish students who participated and see Spanish put into real life and how feel more joyful that I have continued in Celebremos this year felt that it helped helpful it can be. I’m proud to be and still Spanish after all these years,” junior Chloe them appreciate the Spanish culture and being interested in learning Spanish,” Majdipour said. created a deeper understanding of the Latin junior Jasmin Lavi said.

Schneider was the key figure involved in world.

UCLA introduces summer program

UCLA representatives discuss summer opportunities at UCLA. GINELLE WOLFE

Bless Bai Staff Writer During an optional assembly held in the K.L. Peters Auditorium on Tuesday, April 3, UCLA representatives introduced the UCLA Summer Institutes, a program with various courses specially designed for high school students to take over the summer.

UCLA offers several courses for high school students to take while simultaneously earning college credits.

Students have the option of participating in specialty programs in fields ranging from theater intensive dance to stem cell science, or enrolling in lower-division courses with UCLA students.

Three different speakers elaborated on programs of their fields: Arts and Sciences, Model UN and Architecture, which are just

three of the courses that UCLA offers at the institutes.

The assembly was a pathway to building a stronger connection between UCLA and Beverly. It also acted as an information session to share the perspective of seizing college-approved academic opportunities over the summer, which, for some, was unfamiliar.

“I was unsure about it at first but the assembly really informed me about it and it got me interested. Now I’m considering it,” junior Chloe Majdipour said.

For some students who want to get a jump start on the college experience or expand their summer opportunities, enrolling in the program is a plausible option, while for others, enrolling is less likely.

“I am not planning on taking part in any of the UCLA programs that were offered

because I’m only a sophomore and it wasn’t too relevant to me. However it did open my eyes to the many options I have to get started in advance,” sophomore Jessica Myers said.

While the program claimed to benefit juniors and seniors, some seniors who attended the assembly did not find the program to be as valuable as it would be for underclassmen, as seniors this far into the year have tentative plans post-graduation.

“As a senior I found it to be more useful for underclassmen because most seniors know what they want to do,” senior Daniella Saadat-Far said.

At the assembly, students received pamphlets with the offered courses listed.

For more information, students can go to www.summer.ucla.edu/institutes to navigate their various options.

Quick Reads Jostens’ employee visits Beverly Josten’s creative design manager Rick Brooks spoke to the Watchtower crew about creating new themes for the yearbook during this week’s enrichment. Brooks helped to create this year’s theme and is qualified to do so, given his knowledge of use in computer programs such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Painter, PageMaker and Office, all of which yearbook designers use.

“I hope to learn the different techniques for yearbook and hopefully pursue them to become an editor for junior and senior year.

I think that it’s cool that we get to learn more,” sophomore Jessica Mehraban said.

Brooks has specialized in the industry of design and publishing for 26 years and he has graduated from Fairmont State University with degrees in Graphics and Fine Arts, Commercial Design, Journalism and Art Education.

“I was hoping that [my students] could come away with unique ways to show off the character of Beverly throughout next year’s theme,” Watchtower adviser Malia Frutschy said.

Brooks works with high schools all over the nation, including Frustchy’s class, who hopes that he can help to inspire another fun and creative theme for the 2013 Watchtower edition.

AJ Parry

New members of Hall of Fame On March 29, the Alumni Association inducted Barry Brucker (class of 1975), William Krisel (class of 1941) and Walton Dougher (class of 1953) into the Hall of Fame.

At the ceremony, which was held in front of the John and Lili Bosse Library, the inductees were presented with plaques by Alumni Association president Josh Gross (class of 1991).

“These three nominees were excellent choices and each represent different aspects of public service,” Gross said.

Brucker, the former mayor of Beverly Hills and current councilmember, was honored to be inducted.

“I am humbled and honored to be included into the Hall of Fame of Beverly Hills High School and it has been an exceptional foundation for me in forming everything I’ve done in my life experience,” Brucker said.

Krisel is a renowned architect who has designed over 25,000 houses and is credited with starting the architecture program at the high school.

“I am very honored, but it took me a long time [to get inducted],” Krisel joked.

Joining Brucker and Krisel is former mayor of Manhattan Beach Dougher, although his first name is incorrectly spelled “Walter” on the plaque.

“I was shocked [when he first found out] and even more shocked after I had the chance to see all the other inductees, but [thank you] to the Alumni Association,” Dougher said.

Brucker, Dougher, and Krisel joined 114 other members, including actress Betty White.

Superintendent Dr. Gary Woods and Principal Carter Paysinger were also present at the ceremony.

Lilia Abecassis

April 20, 2012 Highlights

news 3

BuildOn holds successful book drive for Albion St. Chanan Batra Sports Editor

From top: Aizhan Duiseneyeva reads a short story to students at Albion Street Elementary School. Sophomore Dessi Kraiem, seniors Danielle Abramov, Nicole Partovy , Jackie Kruglyakova, Aizhan Duiseneyeva, and Jamie Marzouk attend BuildOn’s event at Albion Street Elementary School. Photos courtesy of AIZHAN DUISENEYEVA

Beverly’s BuildOn Club, which is composed of students in grades 9 through 12, set up a book drive this year to benefit Albion Street Elementary School. A final count, led by club president senior Aizhan Duiseneyeva, indicates the club has collected well over 1,000 books.

According to Duiseneyeva, the club hoped to collect books that were appropriate for grade levels ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade. The club worked with Barnes & Noble to raise awareness for the book drive, and used the book retailer to set up an online shop where people could buy and donate books to the underprivileged at Albion Street. The books will be donated to a worthy cause, as the young children of Albion Street now have a chance to develop their basic reading skills.

“As students at Beverly, we are all very lucky to have the resources needed for success,” Duiseneyeva said. “On the other hand, many kids who live only a few miles away from us do not have the books to develop reading skills invaluable for higher education. We have the ability to help.”

The club ran a similar book drive last year in which it collected close to 650 books that benefitted Endeavor College Prep, a small, underfunded school in East Los Angeles.

BuildOn partnered with BookEnds, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, to organize the donation process and determine whether books donated were appropriate for students in elementary school. Books that were deemed inappropriate for elementary

school students were donated to other underfunded schools in Los Angeles with higher-grade levels.

This year has been even more successful, as the number of books donated, as well as teacher support at Beverly, increased.

English teacher Christina Bahk led teacher support for the book drive, collecting 976 books for donation.

“Many times we have donations that require monetary means, but this was a drive that allowed me as an English teacher to encourage my students to contribute more easily,” Bahk said. “I would not have been able to collect so many books without my students’ enthusiasm and I hope my students felt connected with the cause.”

Duiseneyeva says that her goal for the club is to eventually gain enough recognition so it can get sponsored to help people across the country, and eventually the world.

“I ultimately hope that more people will get involved in helping sponsor buildOn’s global projects in developing countries such as Haiti and Nepal,” Duiseneyeva said. “In addition, our club has afterschool programs that I hope will eventually benefit some of the most underfunded schools in the country, not just the county.”

Though Duiseneyeva did most of the organizing for the book drive, which included communicating with Barnes & Noble and emailing English teachers for help, she is adamant that the event was a team effort in which people were truly dedicated to the club’s overall purpose: “To promote education worldwide.”

BuildOn club members delivered the books to Albion Street students on April 16.

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DDS, MAGD, FICOI

4 opinion

April 20, 2012 Highlights

Third-ratings Do college rankings matter?

Ginelle Wolfe Staff Writer As a senior, college is the basic topic of conversation. People want to know where I am applying, which schools I got into and where I am going. Lots of people pick schools to apply to just based off friends and reputation. For some people, that method works, but I chose a different route.

Instead of applying to schools based on ratings, I looked at schools that appealed to me. Most people had never heard of any of the colleges I applied to. A couple people had heard of one or two of my college choices, but most people would ask me why I wanted to apply to such “random” schools.

I decided that I wanted to go to a small school, so I read the small school bible, “40 Colleges That Change Lives” by Loren Pope, the former education editor of the New York Times. In the book are 40 colleges that, for one reason or another had huge positive impacts on their graduates’ lives. The book contains descriptions and interviews about each school. All of the

schools in the book have low student to faculty ratios in order to ensure that each student gets personal attention from their professors. The schools’ main focuses are liberal arts, allowing students to be creative thinkers and do work creative work.

The College of Wooster, located in Wooster, Ohio is, for example, famous for its independent studies program. Students create their own topic for their senior research paper. They get the privilege of working one on one with professors who make sure each student is on the right track. Toward the end of the program, each student has an individual meeting with the professor he or she has been working with and they have a discussion. Students defend their research.

People often told me to pick a certain school because it was the “best” one on my list, but what defines “best”? People assume it means “hardest to get into.” The important thing is to find a school that fits you, and that you love.

I have heard people compare rating colleges to rating religions. Philosophies are

different at each college and it is impossible to rate a philosophy at a school.

Toward the end of the college process, I had my list narrowed down to a few top choices. People told me to go to Trinity College in Connecticut because it was ranked the highest on my list. However, after I visited each school, I immediately knew which school I would succeed the most in and it was not what my peers would have considered the “best” school.

Recently, I committed to Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. The classes are small and interactive, and the professors all are about their students. When I stepped foot on campus over break, I knew that was where I was going to go. I had never heard of the school before I decided to apply, but because I opened up my options, I found the best school for me.

Ignoring college ratings and using my own process turned out to work perfectly for me. No part of the college application process was particularly stressful and, in the end, I chose a college that I love and suits me the best.

Editorial

Under my umbrella policy The one-size-fits-all cheating policy just doesn’t work

Since the beginning of our existence, we have been tempted to make things less stressful for ourselves by taking the seemingly easier route in our quest for success.

For teenagers, this plan may constitute saving time for personal needs by attempting to copy another student’s assignment.

While this decision is wrong and the student should face consequences, the punishment should be based on the amount of points the assignment is worth, not the current policy in which, more or less, one size fits all.

Currently, the first time a student is caught cheating, the student must attend a

meeting with the assistant principal and a parent, his or her grade in the class will be lowered by one letter grade, and his or her conduct grade will be lowered as well. The closest the policy gets to being more specific in its punishment is that the student’s academic grade may be lowered by more than one letter grade if the assignment itself is worth more than one letter grade. But how often is it that a teacher will give one test or one assignment that is more than ten percent of the student’s grade? Not very, unless you’re talking about finals.

A thief who steals a painting will have to (literally) pay more for his actions than

a thief who steals a paintbrush. Likewise, a student who quickly scrambles to copy a homework assignment worth five points should not be given the same punishment as a student who copies several published paragraphs for an essay test worth five percent of the student’s grade.

Instead of enforcing the current plagiarism policy, administrators should set up a scaling system. The severity of a student’s punishment should be based on both the amount of points in a plagiarized assignment and the current policy in which a student’s punishment is based on the amount of times a student has plagiarized.

Speaking of ratings

Thoughts on senior polls Mallika Sen Editor-in-Chief We’re supposed to save the reflections on what it means to be a senior for Senior Edition and graduation speeches and perhaps, horror of horrors, Watchtower.

However, an innocuous comment posted online pitched the grade into chaos during the week before spring break, forcing me to speak out.

I refer, of course, to that thing of great importance: senior superlative polls. I posted a comment on the Facebook senior group, providing details on voting and delineating the different polls. Seniors commenced campaigning in a dogged fashion that would put darling Ron Paul to shame.

My intention is not to denounce every single person who solicited votes, but the reaction to the opening of polls was monstrous, for it starkly revealed the realities of high school. People campaign because they want to be remembered; they have an overarching need for validation of their importance. If, by chance, Senior Edition survives the ravages of the imminent apocalypse, it will be Exhibit A in an attempt to convince their mutant children of their popularity, back when the sun still shined.

In a way, I respect the brazenness and faux friendliness of the canvassers; it is human nature to desire recognition, but most repress this tendency. Yet, the small present that is wrung from another’s hands is far less sweet than that which is silently wrapped and presented as a surprise. The loudest voice is not always the most heard, but it is always the most irritating.

The Staff Nathan Ong and Mallika Sen Editors-in-Chief

Candice Hannani News Editor

Danny Licht Opinion Editor

Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor

Julia Waldow Arts & Style Editor

Ryan Feinberg Spotlight Editor

Chanan Batra

the inbox

Sports Editor

Vincent Brock Photography Editor

Send letters, which may be edited for clarity, to the editors at beverlyhighlights@gmail.com.

The “Shahdacity of Bravo TV” (March 30, 2012) really sums up how resentful and outraged Iranian-Americans are towards the new “Shahs of Sunset” series. People are quick to trash the show and deem it an entire “misrepresentation of our culture.”

A mirror is being held up to the IranianAmerican community and they obviously do not like what they see. Thus, they continue to talk about the harmful effects of the show on the Iranian-American community instead of considering how their own actions have contributed to the creation of Iranian-American stereotypes.

It’s true, the cast may be portrayed as “narcissistic, spoiled, and filthy rich” but this is not a stretch. Many Iranian-Americans in Beverly Hills are, in fact, very wealthy and into superficial upkeep. And many do buy handbags that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Once this show

aired, all Iranian-American made sure to broadcast the fact that none of them are anything like the cast of “Shahs of Sunset,” but I beg to differ.

It’s no secret that a majority of IranianAmericans in Beverly Hills live a wealthy lifestyle and enjoy luxuries that the bottom 60 percent of Americans do not. This show should not in any sense be put at fault for the perpetuation of the stereotypes that exist about Iranian-Americans. The stereotypes were there and fully known before “Shahs of Sunset” aired.

The cars, the houses, the clothes: they say it all. Judgment will always be passed and stereotypes are inevitable. But to blame a TV show for entirely ruining a reputation is a problem. If you don’t like what you see, change it. Obviously, the show’s portrayal of Iranian-Americans has caused an uproar, but I believe it’s really because it

uncovers the fact that many try to hide or ignore, the fact being that many IranianAmericans are superficial and materialistic, or at least that is how it looks to an outsider looking in.

Another thing to consider is the fact that we live in a time period where shows like the “Real Housewives of Orange County” and “Jersey Shore” have higher ratings than television regarding national news or channels like National Geographic. Obviously, most people enjoy debased, dramatic television, according to the numbers, so asking for a show like “Shahs of Sunset” to include the “philanthropic endeavors” of the cast is impractical when modern television viewers find scenarios of women flipping tables and tearing each others hair out entertaining.

Tiffany Majdipour Class of 2011

Sayeh Mohammadi Business Manager

Oliver Gallop, Alex Menache, AJ Parry and Ginelle Wolfe Staff Photographers

Bless Bai, Sasha Park and AJ Parry Staff Cartoonists

Dami Kim Social Media Director

Lilia Abecassis Assistant to News Editor

Michelle Banayan, Celine Hakimianpour, Mabel Kabani, Sarit Kashanian, Zoe Kenealy, Hae Lee, Brenda Mehdian, AJ Parry, Shannon Toobi and Arman Zadeh Staff Writers

Gaby Herbst and Katie Murray Advisers

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April 20, 2012 Highlights

feature 5 Sophomore excels in acting, acts for Disney show Sarit Kashanian Staff Writer Sophomore Noah Centineo, a Florida native, plays Dallas, an employee at a cell phone accessories cart on the Disney Channel show “Austin & Ally.” Centineo came to Los Angeles in the beginning of March to pursue a career in acting.

During a visit to California at the end of summer, Centineo auditioned and received the role for “Austin & Ally.”

He stayed in the state an extra week to film for the show, in which he appears in three episodes. Once completing his first semester of school back in Florida, Centineo decided to move to Los Angeles to further his acting career.

“I figured that I couldn’t really act in Florida, but if I really wanted to be serious about acting, I’d have to come here,” Centineo said. “Los Angeles is extremely centralized and I figured if I was going to move to California, I needed to be in the center of business.”

Although Centineo has been acting for commercials since he was eight, “Austin & Ally” was his first opportunity to act as a character on a TV show. Filming for the first season has finished, and while he waits to be called back for a second season, Centineo continues to audition for commercials.

According to Centineo, he had no specific stereotypes of LA or of the kids at school.

“I had no idea what to expect,” Centineo said. “I was hoping the girls would be

beautiful and the guys would be chill, and when I got here it was pretty much like that.”

Centineo’s English teacher, Mark Mead, admitted to being unaware of his student’s fame.

“Nobody has been talking to [Centineo] in any way that there is stardom attached to it,” Mead said. “I noticed a response when he came in the first day, but I didn’t know it had anything to do with stardom or television. I had no idea.”

Famous or not, Centineo is a student that Mead believes to be a great addition to his class, even coming to CST practice when not required to attend.

“I think he’s a really nice kid, and he’s also pretty clever,” Mead said.

Although being on Disney Channel is a significant part of Centineo’s life, he claims not to feel like a celebrity, saying that he wishes to experience being a normal teenager for as long as possible.

In fact, he often conceals his acting career from students in order to be “keep things the same.”

“Life hasn’t changed,” Centineo said. “I try to keep everything the same. I really don’t like telling people what I do because I want to keep things the same for the longest period of time.”

Centineo addressed the option of being home schooled if he earns a lead on a show, but in such a case, he would prefer to stay in high school.

New episodes of “Austin & Ally” air Sundays at 8/7c on Disney Channel.

Sophomore Noah Centineo has acted for Disney Channel’s “Austin & Ally.” ALEX MENACHE

The following is one in a series of three articles about student entertainers. Check out Dami Kim’s article about Shak Ghacha, and Michelle Banyan’s article about Cole Plante at beverlyhighlights.com using the QR code.

JFS club helps charity Newspaper captivates Julia Waldow Arts & Style Editor

Freshman Samantha Harouni draws a card for the JFS club as freshman Daniella Tehrani looks on GINELLE WOLFE

Brenda Mehdian Staff Writer With Passover only a week away, the Jewish Family Services Club (JFS) gets into the spirit by helping out in the community.

JFS is a branch of the Jewish Federation that works to give aid to all individuals or families of low income, families of all types of abuse, work with SOVA in order to make a change in peoples lives.

SOVA, which in Hebrew means to eat and be satisfied, is a community food and resource program that provides food for any individual or family in need of extra meals. Students of JFS regularly visit their food bank and help sort out food.

For Passover, the club decided to make cards that would go into packages of food that were being distributed by SOVA to people in need of the food this Passover.

These packages include all sorts of items for great Passover.

Every semester the club meets with JFS Community Outreach and Special Projects Director Sherri Ladovitz to brainstorm

possible activities for the club. She tells the club president Candice Hannani and vice president Julia Waldow, the events that JFS will be taking part in, and they collaborate with her in order to make sure that the club can help out at those events.

This semester, she informed the girls that SOVA would be making special baskets in April that would contain food and goods for Passover. Two meeting dates were set and members talking to peers and classmates spread word at school about the cards.

Students of the JFS Club held a meeting during lunch on the March 26 and 29 to create these Passover cards. At the meeting, a type of assembly line was created. Students would take the supplies they needed to make their card then hand turn in their finished cards to Hannani or Waldow, who collected the cards.

The cards were dropped off on April 3.

“We are very happy and pleased with this project’s success and hope that the people who receive these cards will have a pleasant Pesach seder,” Waldow said.

With the launch of JLiving, a new Jewish magazine that contains stories about travel, fashion, entertainment, sports, art, parenting and events, Jews everywhere have a reason to cry “Mazel Tov!” The newest addition to Jewish magazines and journals made its mark on newsstands and in homes when it released its first issue in January. According to its website, JLiving promises to be “a celebration of Jewish people, leaders, entertainers, executives, social activists and families and [be an] aspirational journal filled with nationally prominent contributors and beautiful photography.”

JLiving publisher David Nemetz explained that JLiving features material that news publications do not.

“We have no news and no politics,” Nemetz said. “Where The Jewish Journal will give you what’s going on in L.A. on a political level and looks at things with a more critical eye than a lifestyle magazine, we showcase Jewish talent and what’s going on in the community. [JLiving] is more of a celebration of Jewish life.”

The first issue, which is also online at jlivingmag.com, features an eclectic collection of in-depth articles on many topics, such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, Israeli resorts, “Top Chef” contestants Alex Reznik and Ilan Hall, homework trends, Israeli model and actress Gal Gadot and Jewish baseball player Ken Holtzman.

“I really liked the article ‘Who’s the winningest Jewish pitcher of all time?’ [about Holtzman],” junior Alison Isaacman said. “I found it humorous when [the writer] said [that the best pitcher] was not Sandy Koufax. Since I’m a sports junkie, this was a great way for me to learn about another Jewish baseball hero.”

Beverly students agreed that the new Jewish magazine pleasantly surpassed their expectations.

“At first, I thought that JLiving was going to be a magazine for old Jewish ladies, but when I flipped through the pages, it had really interesting articles,” junior Jonathan Agam said. “I liked the cover story about the model and actress [Gal Gadot]. It showed that an Israeli can get major roles in movies.”

JLiving is not only online or in print. The magazine utilizes social media to provide readers with bonus content and up-todate scoops and previews. Its Facebook page (facebook.com/jlivingmag) posts pictures, jokes and calendar updates.

Additionally, its short Facebook film about Iliza Shlesinger provides viewers with an in-depth look at the American comedian.

Because of their unique stories and coverage of important Jewish events and people, Jewish publications such as JLiving are popular among Beverly students.

“Jewish magazines are a unique way to unify people in different states or countries,” junior Ben Nosrati said. “[Through these], people can be more aware of events happening in Israel instead of waiting for the information to trickle down. By strengthening the Jewish people, these newspapers and magazines also allow the Jewish people to maintain the practices of their individual traditions in Judaism. They have some pretty interesting stories, too.”

Although it is only one of the many Jewish magazines found on newsstands and in dispensers and beauty parlors, this new publication is making its mark on Jewish society. With its diverse stories and scoops, JLiving serves as ideal reading material for mensches. Its second issue, a women’s issue featuring restaurant guru Nancy Silverton, debuts on April 20.

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Highlights

centerfold

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, known simply as Coachella, was founded in 1993 and is now one of the largest music festivals in North America. Coachella features a variety of genres of music including indie, alternative rock, electronic music and hip-hop.

Since 2001, Coachella has taken place the second or third weekend of April, which often overlaps with school’s spring break. An estimated 100,000 people attend the threeday festival every year at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA. The venue gates open at 11:00 a.m. and close at around 12:30 a.m. every day, which will give concert goers enough time to visit the five main stages on the field.

Not only do people come to listen to their favorite bands, artists and DJs, but they also come to see numerous lit-up sculptural and installation art pieces. Coachella attracts all ages and types, ranging from families and groups of friends to senior citizens walking and enjoying the live music.

Since 2003, Coachella designated a campground site adjacent to the venue to offer a convenient place to stay for attendees. Camping is affordable at the cost of $82.50 for as many people the area can comfortably fit over the whole weekend. Not only will camping save time from commuting back and forth each day, but it will also extend the night’s entertainment as it offers a “silent

Shannon Toobi Staff Writer

dance party,” where people listen to the same music with headphones until 3:30 a.m. Other onsite camping amenities include a free Internet café, a general store, a farmer’s market, an art studio, a massage center and a yoga studio.

“Last year, I spent half as much money as my friends did by choosing to camp instead of staying at the La Quinta resort and I got to party twice as much. I got the best of both worlds,” senior Sam Kolko said.

Because there are only about 15 hotels within a four-mile radius around the venue, most resorts are expensive, limited and unavailable in April. However, hotels make the trip convenient and stress-free with a travel package including the general admission pass, shuttle pass and three-night stay, all included in the cost offered by most hotels.

If one chooses to go all out and pay double the price of general admission, Coachella VIP presents an exclusive lounge, shaded tents, a bar, special food vendors, a private room overlooking the main stage and an option to rent a golf cart to travel from stage to stage.

“The VIP experience was extraordinary and I got to see many bands just chilling on break. It would be hard to go to Coachella as general admission now that I’ve experienced VIP,” senior Rhana Hashemi said.

This year’s line-up consisting of A$AP Rocky, AVICII, Bon Iver, Radiohead, Snoop Dogg, the Black Keys and The Weekend will not disappoint the attendees.

With winter in the rear-view mirror and spring break recently past, there is solely one thing on teenagers’ minds: Coachella. In preparation for the three-day music festival in Indio near Palm Springs, the projected hundreddegree weather does not make deciding what to wear any easier.

While it will be tempting to want to simply wear a bathing suit all day, as the afternoon nears, the wind and cool weather begins to descend on the polo fields.

As usual, boys will not have as much trouble figuring out what to wear at Coachella. Coachella serves as a calling for all boys to dig up their tank tops in their closets or stock up on some new tanks for the weekend. So, fellas, all your work at the gym will finally be no-

ticed and ready to flaunt in any tank for Coachella. To accompany the tank top, popular bottoms for Coachella are simple board shorts.

This way, all the sweat and water from the occasional water fights throughout the day will be absorbed without any discomfort.

The one thing a boy should definitely avoid is jeans. The last thing any Coachella-goer wants is tight jeans trapping in heat all throughout the day.

As for girls, what to wear to Coachella is not nearly as simple as it is for the boys. Should one wear a crop top and high-waisted shorts, a dress, a romper, shorts, or a bathing suit top? Although it seems silly to stress about clothing for one weekend, it is also three days to strut your best look for one of the most popular music festivals of the year. It will also be diffi-

cult to decide which shoes to wear.

Seeing as Coachella is considered “indie” by many, people try to pull off wearing combat boots at the festival. However, in hundreddegree weather, wearing boots is impractical. Although sandals are preferable, getting through a crowd with open toes for anybody to step on is not ideal either. So, sneakers are definitely the way to go, and you’ll be thankful you wore them while walking that long distance from the Sahara Tent to the Coachella Main Stage. Lastly, girls, seeing as you will be wearing minimal clothes all weekend, at least bring coverage for the night because as hot as it is during the day, it will cool down.

So, ladies and gents, taking this advice will not only ensure you’ll be raging in fashion but also in comfort.

Which performer are you most excited to see?

Radiohead Florence and the Machine Bon Iver Beirut Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg The Weekend

Trends Come to Life Four-Year Coachella Attendee Q&A with Waverley Laksman 1. How many years have you gone to Coachella?

This year is my fourth year.

2. What is one piece of advice that you have for Coachella newcomers?

It gets cold at night so make sure you have a sweater or something you don’t mind carrying around during the day.

Fun Facts 1 - The first Coachella Festival took place in 1999 2 - Each year, approximately 90,000 people are sent to the emergency room with non-life -threatening injuries.

3 - The “Tupac Hologram” project was estimated to have cost well over $100,000.

4- A Perfect Circle was the first band to play at the first Coachella 5 - Perry Farrell is the only artist who performed at every single festival until the year 2006 6 – The “TRASHed:: Art of Recycling” program takes place on Coachella grounds in order to encourage Coachella-goers to recycle using recycling bins designed by artists around the world.

All artists receive a free festival pass as well as the opportunity to have their work displayed at the music festival.

7

Coachillin’ in style

Coachella Chronicles Hae Lee Staff Writer

April 20, 2012

3. What has changed since the first year that you went?

The festival has gotten more techno, dubstep-based rather than alternative rock-based and there are also like three times the amount of people.

Photos courtesy of: Sarah Sarandos, Oliver Gallop, Celeste Durve, Kristen Abajian, and Alex Sams

Pictured clockwise: Outdoor Theater, Sahara Tent, Beverly sophomores, Kristen Abajian, Jordan Neman, Bridget Abajian, Daniel Kohanof, Natan Dorenbaum, Eric Busi, Lucy Licht, Tyler Neman, Matthew Spector, Celeste Durve, Jasmine Moustafa, Savannah Slotkin and Adriana Buonocore.

4. What is your favorite thing about Coachella?

My favorite part would have to be the happy-go-lucky free atmosphere of the whole festival. It just has a great vibe to it, and I like the churros.

Junior Celine Bot embodies Coachella fashion with her fleamarket, high-wasted shorts, fringed top and combat boots.

Senior Brandon Adams sports a light tank top and shorts to bear with hot Coachella weather.

5. What is your most interesting Coachella experience?

My second year going I bet my cousin that I could eat 15 churros over the last two days. I made it to 12 before I got sick of them. [I’m] planning on beating my record this time around!

8 arts&style

April 20, 2012 Highlights

Concert extravaganzas explode onto music scene Tricks for concert style, preparation Concert cons can ruin performance Alex Menache Staff Writer Many details are crucial to defining an amazing concert experience. A concert is usually a once in a lifetime experiece, and there is nothing worse than having a much-anticipated event fall short of one’s far-fetched, and at times, unrealistic expectations.

In regards to style, wear comfortable shoes.

A girl might want to wear her favorite specialoccasion heels in case she happens to bump into the star after the show, but chances of that happening are fairly slim or close to zero.

Dress to impress, but dress to have fun. If one is in pain and not able to stand up for a full three to four hours, he or she came unprepared.

A concert’s formality can also influence the attire. For example, if one is going to an Andrea Bucelli concert, he or she will want to wear a more formal attire. For these types of concerts, guys can wear suits, dress pants and nicer shoes and girls can wear fancier heels

and longer dresses. Less formal concerts such as Skrillex or the Red Hot Chili Peppers call for a more casual attire such as jeans, T-shirts and flat shoes for both sexes. Let’s face it, if one is standing in a mosh pit he or she will not want to have his or her special occasion dress drenched in someone else’s sweat.

There are other tips to follow. One of the most important concert rules is to go with someone that one likes and feels comfortable with. Concert partners must like the band as much as the other one does and both friends must be close enough to not feel like they have to hold back their fanatical tendencies.

Additionally, actually feel a connection with the band or singer at the concert. Rule of thumb, if one cannot name over three songs by the performer, the show will most likely not be one of his or her best concert experiences.

Also, prepare and print one’s ticket the night before to avoid one of a night’s worst failure.

These few simple tips, if followed correctly, will improve a once in a lifetime concert experience.

Shannon Toobi Staff Writer Although one’s concert expectations can be set quite high, many factors can sour a concert experience.

For starters, the venue of the concert can, at times, be disappointing, and ruin the concert even before it starts. If a venue is over-crowded, disorganized or totally trashed and dirty, the concert could be unenjoyable right off the bat.

When numerous people rub up and squeeze against one at a concert, he or she is so busy paying attention to not getting sweat on that he or she cannot enjoy the band.

In addition, odor can ruin any experience. Bad smells at concerts range from body odor to the smell of smoke or alcohol amidst the crowd of people waiting for the main act to begin.

Additionally, a concert’s opening is usually not as well known as the main

act, the primary reason why people stay up so late to buy the concert tickets and wait in million-person line to get into the venue. The opening act usually acts as a catalyst to pump up the crowd for the main artist, but may fall short. Obviously, watching a farfrom-great act takes some notches off the excitement scale.

The people one attends a concert with also play an enormous role in the experience. If one usually jumps up and down and dances for two hours straight while the band plays, he or she should go with people who love to do the same.

Being stuck with someone who is a total zombie throughout the concert will not be as fun for someone dancing back and forth alone.

Avoiding these situations will make any a concert one to remember. So, do not forget to research the line-up, venue and yes, even the friends one may take.

AJ PARRY

Warped Tour kickoff party sets concert bar high

Left to right: Matt Toka passionately belts into his microphone and drives the crowd wild with his popular songs and green hair. Matt Toka’s backup drummer pounds his sticks to the beat during Toka’s performance. Dead Sara lead vocalist and rocker Emily Armstrong sings and grasps her guitar during an intense performance. ZOE KENEALY

Zoe Kenealy Staff Writer On March 29, the Vans Warped Tour hosted its kickoff party at the Nokia Center, introducing bands and artists such as Matt Toka, Dead Sara and Forever Came Calling to the excited crowd. The kickoff party also featured surprise guest band Yellow Card.

Before the bands began to perform, the crowd was shown a documentary called “No Room for Rockstars” that covered the Warped Tour’s history and featured band Forever Came Calling’s life on the road and struggle with both money and getting its name out into the music industry.

The documentary also touched on the controversy surrounding the Warped Tour when NeverShoutNever singer

Christopher Drew claimed that the Warped Tour has become nothing but a festival of advertising.

When the show started, the crowd was surprised that Forever Came Calling attended the Warped Tour. The band performed three of its songs for the attendants.

Overall, the show was spectacular and the performers really connected to the audience. Dead Sara lead singer Emily Armstrong even jumped into the crowd at the end of her performance. Matt Toka, a punk-rock musician, brought a very ‘90s feel to his work. Singing songs like “Get Money,” he stated that his show wouldn’t be a “John Mayer concert.”

“Lemon Scent” by Dead Sara and “Get Money” by Matt Toka were performed at the show to the crowd’s surprise. Both songs came out on iTunes a couple days

after the kickoff party, so they were new and unknown to most fans.

The crowd at the kickoff party was diverse. There were people with tattoos covering everything from their arms to their necks, and people that looked as if they had never once entered a tattoo parlor. Despite differences in style and appearance, as soon as the show began, the separated crowd became one, screaming and fawning over its favorite artists on stage.

Throughout the show, the occasional mosh pit would form in the crowd, most often to a performer’s request.

Afterward, the crowd would calm down and everyone would return to headrocking and singing along.

After each of their performances, the bands removed their instruments so that the following performers would

have a clean stage. Dead Sara lead singer Emily Armstrong stood at the edge of the stage and talked to awestruck fans and answered their questions while her band members were cleaning up.

The performers easily connected to the crowd and were not “divas” in any way.

After the party, the bands sold their CDs and talked with fans, entertaining and interacting with them better than most celebrity artists do. The bands at the Warped Tour appreciated every single attendant and gave their best effort at the concert in order to please their supporting fans.

If the kickoff party for the Warped Tour was anything like the actual shows that are going to be on the tour, tickets should sell out fast. Despite the lengthy show, the kickoff party definitely left the crowd wanting more.

10 ads

April 20, 2012 Highlights

The NormanAid Student Support Blog is for BHHS students who wish to receive support and/or talk with a staff member at the NormanAid Center about something concerning you (this can be anonymous if you wish!) or just to simply read what other students have to say.

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Are you experiencing challenges at school that you would like support with?

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Are you having problems with friends, relationships, or family members and would like to speak with someone else?

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Do you have any questions or concerns about anything but would like to ask anonymously?

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Is there something else on your mind that you would like to talk about but don’t know how?

If you are experiencing these and would like support, or just a simple response to a question or concern, the NormanAid Student Support Blog is there for you to use.

To access the NormanAid Student Support Blog, go to www.normanaid.blogspot.com.

If you wish to post something, click on the Student Support Blog Form on the left.

Relay For Life: El Rodeo School April 28th

April 20, 2012 Highlights

spotlight 11

Faulty discipline policies executed by infractions Ryan Feinberg Spotlight Editor Having been surrounded by a surplus of schemes, an abundance of academic dishonesty, and hoards of hoodwinking, I can conclude that cheating is an unavoidable aspect of education.

I have heard excuses for cheating along the lines of, “I need to do well so my parents don’t ground me,” and “I need to get into an Ivy League.”

Yet, I cannot accept these excuses because I am fully aware of honest ways to achieve these goals, and have seen many attain success through genuine means.

Perhaps the problem does not lie with the external stresses of high school students, but rather with the implementation of the rules and

punishments regarding cheating and plagiarism.

Beverly’s website, as explained in the Student Discipline Contract, in

accordance with the BHUSD website, states that the first offense for cheating will result in a semester grade lowered one grade letter and a zero on the given SASHA PARK

assignment. The second offense slightly steps up the punishment: “the student will be suspended.”

I am unsure why the school gives a lesser punishment for cheating the first time, when the act could easily be as severe as cheating the second time. Cheating is cheating. If a second infraction can result in suspension, why can’t the first infraction as well?

Simply offering a “free pass,” so to speak, by giving such a mundane punishment as lowering a letter grade gives students an opportunity to commit academic sins.

Solution: more severe punishments for all infractions. The point of setting punishments is to eliminate the wrongdoings, and as far as I am concerned, the current punishments are not doing their job.

Cheating in classrooms, punishments explained [continued from page 1] “Any policy is only as effective as how well it is communicated, how well it is understood and how well it is communicated,” Assistant Principal Toni Staser said. “I think teachers, to the best of their ability, should follow the guidelines and keep the lines of communication open with parents and administrators.”

One method teachers use to enforce the cheating policy is using turnitin. com, a website that conducts “originality reports” based on which teachers can punish for plagiarism to his or her discretion.

Turnitin.com compares inputted work with Internet text and finds strings of words that are unoriginal.

“I strictly enforce the policy by using turnitin.com for written assignments and I read every assignment that’s turned in to me,” English teacher Katie Murray said.

Teachers also enforce the policy by using multiple forms of tests.

“I use turnitin.com, I create different forms of tests, and I try to remind students of the ethical responsibilities.

Work should be their own work if they’re getting credit for it,” English teacher Barbara Bader said.

However, some teachers believe that electronics are the source of cheating.

“I make sure the electronic devices are kept away since that’s the primary way cheating happens,” government teacher Roel Hinojosa said.

For those who are unaware, on the first infraction for cheating the student receives a grade lowered by one letter, a zero on the assignment, teacher informing the parent, and a referral to the assistant principal for a meeting with the student and the parents.

On the second infraction in any course, the student is suspended, receives a lower conduct grade, he or she fails the appropriate class occurred, and must attend a conference with the teacher, parent, assistant principal, and counselor.

The third infraction in any course warrants a failing semester grade in the class, a lowered conduct grade, suspension, and a referral to the Student Study Team or the Maple Counseling Center.

A hard copy of the policy is distributed to and signed by students, in addition to being posted on the school’s website.

These consequences may seem harsh to some students, but in the minds of teachers, they are nothing but fair.

“I believe the policy is fair as written, and it is clearly written and decimated to all students of the year,” Murray said.

fair. I wish the students could see their own responsibility, that they could recognize that their work should be their work and it makes me sad that some of them don’t recognize that,” Bader said.

For students caught cheating, the

“I wish students could see their own responsibility, that they could recognize that their work should be their work,” Bader said.

“There are no surprises.”

Students should be honest about their work, and teachers believe that the students have a moral responsibility to do just that.

“I’d probably say that in general it’s

consequences are severe.

However, the worth of the assignment on which a student is found cheating does not factor in to the severity of the punishment.

“I believe cheating is cheating is

cheating. Murdering a rich man is the same as murdering a poor man,” Hinojosa said. “If a student is allowed to cheat on a smaller assignment, they will think it is okay to cheat on a test.”

Of the 115 students surveyed, 95 percent believe that copying test or quiz answers is cheating, but only 41 percent think that copying homework is.

Students who cheat in high school may carry those habits to college, where the consequences are much more severe.

Plagiarism in college usually results in expulsion from the school. Forty-nine percent of students surveyed said they would not cheat in college, 14 percent said they would and 37 percent said they were not sure.

If a student decides to cheat, the administration will handle the situation accordingly and results will be severe, but students need to understand that cheating is never acceptable, no matter the circumstances.

Surprisingly enough, 87 percent of students surveyed believed they would have still been able to succeed in high school if they did not cheat.

What the students think...

Have you let others cheat off you during your time at Beverly?

If you are in AP classes, do you find that cheating is more or less frequent than in regular classes?

53.5

More frequent

46.5

Less frequent 0

Over the course of a week, 115 students were polled to discover their beliefs on the prevalence of cheating in classrooms. Figures are in percentages.

20

40

60

49

0

51

20

40

60

Have you witnessed cheating during your time at Beverly?

98

80

40

60 40

20 0

100

28

No

60

What do you think is more important?

72

Yes

20

Grades

Education

0

2 Yes

No

80

April 20, 2012 sports 12 Highlights Students participate in Dolphin club rugby squad Oliver Gallop Staff Writer Because of the absence of a rugby team at Beverly, five adventurous students, Ezra Laemmle, Charlie Sharpe, Ole Woods, Nick Marmureanu and Armaan Meshkati have chosen to go elsewhere.

They play for the Dolphins, a Santa Monica club rugby squad consisting of three male age groups.

“The number one men’s team is pretty much professional, so we play on the 19-and-under team,” senior Marmureanu, who plays wing, said.

Although no player is over 19 years old, the games are still competitive and almost as violent as those in the upper division. Bones are broken, bruises are formed and blood is shed in each game as players slam into one another with nothing to protect themselves but their thin collared shirts.

“I love the sport because of the physicality,” junior Woods said. “You can do

almost anything short of punching or dump tackling, but there are 30 people on the field at once so you can get away with a few punches.”

Sharpe, who plays the hooker position, started playing seven years ago.

“I used to play soccer, but was extremely aggressive and needed to play a sport with more contact,” Sharpe said. “My coach told me to try rugby, so I found the Santa Monica rugby league when I was around 11 years old, and have been playing ever since.”

Both Sharpe and Meshkati have been playing for more than three years, but for the others, rugby is a relatively new sport to them. Sharpe recruited Laemmle and Marmureanu, along with ten others, earlier this year. However, five of those ten others later discovered that rugby was not the sport for them, leaving the five that are on the team now.

Sharpe searched long and hard to recruit the right player for the team, and his

search led him to Laemmle. “[Laemmle] was ecstatic about playing when he discovered what rugby really was. He then become obsessed and fell in love with the sport,” Sharpe said.

After Laemmle started playing regularly, he brought in Woods, who is starting to play an important role on the team.

“It took [Woods] a while to get plugged in and play with the same fierceness that he has during football season, but he’s starting to get it and played well last game,” Laemmle said. “Although he hasn’t scored yet, he’s starting to figure it out.”

The most successful player has been Laemmle, with ten regular season tries, or scores, during the regular season this year. Marmureanu, characterized by his extremely short shorts, comes in a close second with eight tries thus far, an impressive statistic considering his limited playtime from an injury sustained dur-

ing a Beverly soccer game.

All five students are without a spring sport, allowing for more time to practice and fine-tune their skills. Laemmle decided to quit the golf team in order to have an emptier schedule for playing rugby.

“Golf was interfering with my rugby schedule as far as attending practices,” Laemmle said. “After quitting, not only could I attend practice, but I could also spend my off-days in the weight room or doing cardio on my own.”

The Dolphins are enjoying early success, earning a 5-1 regular season record thus far. They compete against teams all across California in various settings, such as their tournament in Sacramento where they earned a record of 2-1.

Their last game was on April 14 against the Los Angeles Cougars, where they lost 17-8. Their points all came from Laemmle, who had a 5-point try and 3-point penalty kick.

Ezra Laemmle and Nick Marmureanu stand as their teammates charge. The two seniors lead their rugby team in scoring. Photos courtesy of EZRA LAEMMLE

Softball keeps improving Track sets new records Arman Zadeh Staff Writer

As the softball team attempts to qualify for CIF playoffs, they must overcome their inexperience and past difficulties and continue to improve their game. The team currently stands at fifth place in Ocean League with an overall record of 7-7 and a league record of 1-2.

With only one senior, center fielder and captain Lexi Silbiger, head coach Leonard Mitchell believes this young team has a lot of work to do if they hope to improve in the standings.

“At fifth place, we have a lot of work to do,” Mitchell said. “Right now I just want [the team] to get consistent. I want [the team] to start playing softball well consistently, and we’ll see what happens from there.”

The team recently faced Inglewood on Tuesday, April 17, where they were defeated with a final score of 18-17. The team held a 16-12 lead heading into the seventh and final inning, but was outscored 6-1 in the final minutes. First baseman Leah Shapiro led the team with four runs. The next leading scorers for the team were shortstop Elena Rust, third baseman Melissa Kolko, Silbiger and pitcher Shyra Costas, all with two runs each. Kolko and catcher Aamira Pandy both had four RBIs as well. Costas also aided the team with seven strikeouts.

Mitchell believed the team had a great start to the game, but could not hold down Inglewood in the latter innings. “[We] made too many errors and had too many mental mistakes,” Mitchell

said. “We had trouble shutting them out and our defenses had lapses that really hurt us in the long run.”

The team also faced Morningside on March 27. Beverly was successful in keeping Morningside scoreless the entire game. Shapiro led the team once again with four runs, followed by Rust with three runs. Silbiger had two runs as well as a team high five RBIs. Costas pitched a one-hitter while notching four strikeouts.

The next day, on March 28, Beverly did not have as much success. The squad faced Samo, who has managed to place first in the Ocean League for the past 10 years in a row. Beverly was shut out with a score of 12-0. Beverly had only one hit the entire game.

Shapiro believes the team’s troubles came from their lack of hits, which resulted in them not getting on base as often as they needed to.

“Samo is a tough team, and they have always been really good, but I think we can definitely improve and hopefully do better against them next time,” Shapiro said. “We didn’t get blown out, which is good, but [the game] still wasn’t what we expected.”

Exciting news emerged for the team as Shapiro recently tied the school record of four triples in a single season. Shapiro hopes to break the record in the team’s upcoming games.

The team most recently faced Culver City on Thursday, April 19, but results were not available as of press time. Beverly next faces Hawthorne this upcoming Tuesday, April 24.

Benjamin Hannani Feature Editor

The track team continued to build on its success this season with record performances at the Arcadia Invite on April 6-7 and South Pasadena Tiger Invite on April 6. While the team was split between the two invites, the runners impressed at both locations.

At the Tiger Invite, senior Josh Galen finished in fourth place in the mile run with a time of 4:27:96, the 12th best time in school history. Junior Eli Flesch took sixth place in the 3200m race with a time of 9:52:17, which was also the 12th best time in school history. Other highlights included junior Marisa Rothman’s 5:56:51 finish in the 1600m, freshman Paige Dubelko’s fourth place finish in high jump at 4-6, and freshman Asai Meadows’ third place finish in long jump at 15-2.

“Our team performed very well at Tiger,” Galen said. “There were a lot of PRs [personal records] and it showed us that we are able to compete at a high level.”

The team performed even better at the Arcadia Invite, where more runners represented Beverly. The girls’ varsity Distance Medley Relay (DMR) team, consisting of senior Brianna Simmons, junior Allison Wolff, junior Lily Ting and junior Sydney Segal, finished fourth in the “Invitational Section” with a time of 12:06:07.

The time is a school record that also ranks the girls’ relay fourth in California and eighth in the United States, according to Dyestat.

The girls’ varsity team, consisting of Simmons, Ting, Segal and senior Ashley Bootesaz, also set a new school record in

the Invitational Section of the 4x800m relay with a time of 9:26:89. That time ranks them fifth in the state and sixth in the country.

“Arcadia is one of the biggest meets in the nation where national records are set and the fact that we placed, got medals in the Invitational Section and are now ranked in the nation speaks volumes about how far the track team has come,” Ting said.

The boys’ varsity team also had success at the Arcadia Invite, competing and placing second in the “Invitational Section” of the Sprint Medley Relay (SMR) with a time of 3:30.74. The relay, which included senior Ariel Nassib, senior Andrew Redston, junior Alex Rohani and junior Chanan Batra, ran a time that ranks them second in California and sixth in the United States.

The time of 3:30.74 is also a new school record. In addition to the SMR, the boys’ varsity squad also ran in the Invitational Section of the DMR and placed tenth in a very competitive race that included national powerhouses such as Loyola and Vista Murrietta.

The boys’ time of 10:17.89 ranks the squad of Galen, Redston, Rohani and Batra as eighth in California and 11th in the United States.

With CIF playoffs rapidly approaching, the vitality of practices increases. Head coach Jeffrey Fisher, who already holds morning practices multiple times a week, continues to add intensity to practices, according to his runners.

The track team had a league dual meet against Culver City on Thursday, April 19, but results were not available as of press time.

April 20, 2012 Highlights

arts&style 9

Isabella Rosenberg rocks classy, neutral look Dami Kim Staff Writer In a time when color is everything, junior Isabella Rosenberg rocks her neutral colored outfits and does not feel the need to “pop in color” in the hallways.

Rosenberg feels that no one should feel the need to wear crazy patterns or colors to stand out and rock his or her own style.

Rosenberg enjoys picking out basiccolored outfits to accommodate her fun, lively personality.

Her typical outfit for school or for a day out is a collared white shirt or satin blouse with a classic black skirt or

modern leather shorts. She also enjoys pairing a white cardigan with a leather skirt or a button-down long sleeve shirt with black skinny jeans.

“People may feel that not incorporating colors into their outfits may be boring, but colors like black, white or gray actually make it easier to coordinate clothes with accessories,” Rosenberg said.

One of Rosenberg’s favorite stores is The Flow on Melrose. It sells vintage style items that are both modern and chic.

“I love vintage pieces, especially the ones that are inexpensive. Affordable clothing stores like Zara and H&M offer

Look for less: casual girly

basic and stylish must have items such as tank tops, cardigans and jeans,” she said.

Rosenberg enjoys wearing both her Dr. Martens platform boots and her high-top Converse.

“I guess you can say that my styles sometimes contradict each other. One day I feel like wearing something classic and modern. Other days, I like switching from something very girly to something that a rocker would wear,” Rosenberg said. “It all really depends on my mood that day.”

Rosenberg’s style is influenced by pop culture icons.

“I think that Emma Stone has a great

sense of style, especially in the movie ‘Easy A’. Her outfits are what I would wear on daily basis. For a fun night out, or even for a party, Lady Gaga inspires me the most,” Rosenberg said.

One of Rosenberg’s closest friends, junior Ysabella Del Rosario, believes that Rosenberg has always been unique in her own sense of fashion.

“Izzy always had her own unique style ever since middle school. She’s not afraid to wear what she loves to wear, and I adore her natural fashion sense!”

Del Rosario said.

Rosenberg’s bubbly personality effortlessly matches her modern and chic style.

Look for less: dressy tomboy

Crewneck cardigan Target $20.00

White button down shirt K-Mart $15.39

Faux leather skirt Venus $29.00

Black skinny ankle jeans Forever 21 $10.50

Wool socks Walmart $6.00 for 6 pairs White Dr. Martens shoes Amazon.com $69.95

Silicone bracelet Amazon.com $3.00 Black Dr. Martens shoes Amazon.com $57.99

JULIA WALDOW/AJ PARRY